Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, neither do I own Ouran High School Host Club.
My writings are for my own entertainment and I do not make any profit from them.
A sharp knock on the door echoed in the compartment. "Oh Neville, I'm just about done" Hermione said as the door slid open. "There" she said, as the heavy school robes slid past her shoulders and she patted them down.
She then turned around. "You're not Neville" she pointed out to the boy gaping at her at the open doorway with a deep flush on his pale face.
"You look like a goldfish" she added when he shut his mouth promptly with a snap.
"You- you" he sputtered.
"Yes?" as she cocked her head in response. A quick glance at his bare school robes revealed that he was a first year student as well.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Hermione Granger. And you are?" then held out her hand.
Just as he gingerly held out his hand as well, a shout stopped him,"Heir Malfoy!"
"Heir Longbottom" he greeted with a brisk nod.
Neville stood in front of Hermione, effectively blocking her from Malfoy's line of vision. "Why, are you not going to introduce us?" he asked with a smirk.
Neville shifted to the side slightly. "This is Hermione Granger. Hermione, this is Draco Malfoy"
"I have not heard of the Granger family before. A scion of the Dagworth-Granger family perhaps?"
"I'm afraid not. I'm a Muggleborn, you see"
"A Muggleborn" Draco repeated.
"Is there a problem with that, Heir Malfoy?" Neville asked defensively.
"Considering whose company she is in, I'm not" he sneered.
"Do you think I'm inferior to you because of my bloodline?" Hermione asked bluntly. Before Draco could open his mouth to give a scathing reply, Neville stopped him, "Let's take this inside. After all, it's better not to cause a scene out here"
Draco nodded grudgingly then followed the both of them into the compartment.
"So," Hermione repeated, "Do you really think that you're superior to me?"
"Of course. My father said that Muggleborns are inferior to purebloods. You are magically weak and there's that." "I'm a superior wizard and you better remember that" he added haughtily.
She raised an eyebrow at him. "I see. How do you know Muggleborns are weak? Do you truly think that way?"
Draco shot her 'you're such an idiot' look before replying, "My father said so"
"But, I'm not asking your father. I'm asking you, Draco Malfoy. You"
He fell silent at that. After a momentary pause, "I'll show you when classes start and make you acknowledge my superiority" he sniffed. "I'll see you both later. Heir Longbottom. Granger" he added stiffly then left.
Hermione and Neville stared at each other for a short while before bursting into laughter. "Heir Longbottom. Granger" Neville mimicked as they both started laughing again.
"Heir Malfoy" Hermione mused. "The Malfoy of Sacred Twenty Eight Families?" she asked.
Neville nodded, "His father, Lucius Malfoy is a powerful man in the Ministry. I have known Malfoy since we were children but we are not exactly friends though" he admitted. "He is not that bad actually; just that he was brought up that way"
"So are the two of you that formal with each other on a normal basis, Heir Longbottom?" Hermione asked teasingly.
Neville laughed at that then answered, "Not in the least. Usually we'll be like 'Hey Malfoy. Hey Longbottom. When we meet each other"
"In fact, most pureblood children are spoiled rotten in a way or another" he added.
"How so?"
"Well, children are precious in the magical world. It's a big deal to have children. Most families only have one child at most." Neville's voice grew sombre, "I heard from Gran that the number of new students at Hogwarts are dwindling each year. Even though there is still prejudice against Muggleborns by the purebloods, the friction never affects the children. Because there isn't much magical blood to begin with"
"I see." Then the both of them fell silent. In an attempt to lighten the conversation, Hermione asked, "I remember that you owled me to say that you gotten a new pet. Would you mind showing me?"
Neville brightened up visibly at that. "My Great Uncle Algie gave me a toad. Let me show you Trevor" as he reached into the pockets of his robes. A panicked look flitted over his face as he rummaged deeper into his robes.
"Trevor's gone!" he wailed in dismay.
"Okay, calm down." Hermione assured him, taking charge of the situation immediately. "When was the last time you saw him?"
"He was in my pocket earlier when I went to the loo" Neville replied miserably. "I can't believe I lost him even before reaching Hogwarts. Gran's gonna kill me"
"Don't worry. He has to be on the train. Let's go check the bathrooms now then. I'll go check the girls' and you can go check the boys'" she suggested.
"Did you see him?" Neville asked hopefully.
Hermione shook her head, "Unfortunately no. How about we check the compartments on the way from the loo? Maybe he hopped out sometime along the way?"
Neville sighed at that, "I really hope that I can find Trevor. Can you do the talking for me?"
"Sure"
It was the last compartment left. Neville was already resigned to the fact that he probably would not be able to find Trevor.
"Hi. A boy named Neville just lost his toad. Did you happen to see it anywhere in your compartment?" as she opened the door after a polite knock.
A redhead and black haired boy stared at her. The redhead had his wand out and seemed ready to cast a spell on a- 'Wait, Is that a rat?' she thought as she stared at the rat sitting on his palm.
"I'm sorry. Was I interrupting?"
The redhead waved her off, "Nah, you're not."
"I'm Hermione Granger by the way. And you are?"
"Ron Weasley"
Hearing the redhead's voice, Neville finally emerged at the doorway. "Ron" he greeted.
"You both know each other?" the black haired boy piped up.
'Yeah. Neville came over to the Burrow a few times before" Ron waved a hand at Neville. "Neville, this is Harry. Harry, this is Neville"
Harry smiled shyly at the two of them. "Come on in" he invited.
"Are you a Muggleborn as well?" Neville asked as he took the seat next to Ron. Harry crinkled his forehead in thought, "Well, my mum was a Muggleborn and I think my dad was a pureblood"
"So you're a halfblood then. Well, for a halfblood, you certainly know how to dress like a Muggle"
"Erm well, I lived in the Muggle world all my life. I didn't know I was a wizard until I got my Hogwarts letter" he explained sheepishly.
"What!" Weasley exclaimed loudly as Neville cringed at him yelling right next to his ear.
"Harry Potter growing up in the Muggle world?!" he continued.
"Harry Potter?" Neville and Hermione whirled around to look at Harry who just grimaced as he scratched his head.
"You were in some books I read the other day. If you were unaware of your heritage, there's no way those authors could have gotten your permission then"
"Permission for what?" Potter asked as his eyes widen.
"Permission for writing books on you of course. And even with your permission, they have to pay you for allowing them to do so"
"Really? I even never knew that there were books written about me" he mused.
"That's not the point. The point is that you were ignorant of the magical world" Neville interrupted.
"Does it really matter?" Potter asked as he fidgeted in his seat, growing more uncomfortable by the conversation.
"To some people, yes I suppose"
Seeing Harry's discomfort, Hermione interjected, "Well, I think that we're reaching Hogwarts soon" as she got up from her seat which was followed by Neville. "You two better change into your school robes. I'll see you guys later then"
"Oh, right" her head popped back into the compartment. "You have dirt on your nose. Right there" she said then pointed at the exact spot on her nose.
"Firs' years!" Hermione stared at the giant of the man who bellowed at the students with lantern in his huge hands then tugged Neville along to follow the crowd. He was impossibly big and tall with a shaggy beard and small beady eyes. The cheer in his voice made him seem less intimidating for someone who looks as ferocious as him
The group of first year students huddled together at the edge of the lake. "Four to a boat" the man said before ushering them to a row of boats which submerged from the lake.
The students scrambled to their feet and rushed to sit in the boats. Amidst the crowd, Hermione found herself separated from Neville as a pair of twins and a cheerful looking boy joined her in her boat.
The twins introduced themselves as Parvati and Padma Patil whereas the boy was Michael Corner. "Feel free to call us by our first names" they offered.
"Granger? That's not a wizarding name is it?" Padma asked delicately.
Hermione nodded before confirming, "I'm Muggleborn"
"I'm a halfblood" Michael said with a grin.
"My sister and I are purebloods from India" Parvati chimed in. Hermione's eyes lit up at that then began asking about the magical society in India.
Padma and Parvati wove tales of the colourful and vibrant Indian magical society with age old traditions and vastly different cultures. It was not long before Michael joined in the conversation to talk about how he grew up both in the magical and Muggle world.
"The castle's coming right up" the big man announced. Padma stopped midway of her explaining that the bindi that she wore on her forehead was a focus of magical energy for Indian girls in the olden days to gape at the sight before her.
Hermione felt that her breath was taken away when she saw the castle emerging as they passed beneath a bridge. Hogwarts stood majestically with its four turrets standing tall. The entire castle was lit up enchantingly under the moonlight. It looked simply, "Magical" the word slipped out of her mouth.
The burly man led them all up to the castle and into a chamber up a flight of stairs. A pair of grand doors stood before them, gleaming as light from the torches which lined the walls shone upon them.
"Anyone lost a toad?" his voice boomed as a toad hopped up the stairs and into everyone's sight.
"Trevor!" Neville exclaimed happily then gently picked it up and placed Trevor back into his pockets.
A door swing open from the side of the room as Professor McGonagall entered with a swish of her stern black robes. "Thank you for sending them here, Hagrid" she nodded at him.
"S'pleasure, Professor" he replied gruffily.
Professor McGonagall stood in front of the students who gathered nervously. "Welcome to Hogwarts" she said. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be your second family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room."
"There are four houses here at Hogwarts. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, named after the four Founders of Hogwarts. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup which is a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours."
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarted yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Professor McGonagall peered at all the students over her glasses, her eyes pausing to look at Ron's smudged nose then stopped at Hermione's pristine appearance when a small smile appeared on her face.
"I will return when we are ready for you,' she said. "Please wait quietly" then she exited the room.
The students broke out in chatters, their voices growing higher in pitch as they grew more nervous at the prospect of the Sorting Ceremony.
"I heard that we have to fight a troll" Weasley turned to Potter with his freckled face pale, his loud voice causing a ripple of panic among the students standing near enough to overhear him.
Neville paled as well upon hearing the whispers among the other students, "Hermione, do you really think that we have to fight a troll?"
"Of course not" she reassured him, "There's no way the school would let loose a troll in a hall full of students. Besides, we're just first year students anyway"
"Trembling in your shoes?" Malfoy jested good naturedly.
"No more than you" Hermione shot back. "Must be because of that bet of yours" she added with a smirk.
Malfoy harrumphed at that, "As if. I'll be sure to beat you in every subject. Just you wait"
"This is Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle" he introduced the two burly boys flanking his sides.
"It is a pleasure to meet the two of you" Neville greeted warmly as Hermione echoed him.
"I grew up with Vincent and Greg" Malfoy said. "Our fathers think that it is of mutual benefit that we maintain an alliance here in Hogwarts." He added, "It helps that we're friends too"
Just then, voices echoed into the chamber.
"Forgive and forget. Haven't we done enough for Peeves? "
"He's a poltergeist for Merlin's sake! You can't possibly expect him to stay still, can you, Nicholas?"
The students stared wide-eyed as several translucent figures floated into the room, shimmering beneath the light.
"Hello", one of them greeted warmly. "I'm the ghost for Hufflepuff House. Many of you will join my house, I expect." The stoic ghost in robes finished with a beam as the other ghosts remained silent. Hermione could hear Harry Potter stifle a gasp at the sight of the ghosts which was echoed by several others.
The robed ghost looked as if he wanted to say more but was promptly cut off by another ghost in a frilly 17th century tunic. "The ceremony is starting soon", the second ghost reminded.
With a quick nod to the students, all the ghosts proceeded to float out of the room and through the opposite wall.
"I didn't know that ghosts existed" Hermione admitted in a quiet murmur.
"Many who are new to the magical world don't either" Neville answered. "But if magic exists, why not ghosts?" he added with a shrug.
"The Sorting Ceremony will begin now. Follow me" Professor McGonagall emerged at the small door before walking right up to the gigantic doors which swung open as she approached them.
Hermione walked beside Neville and Malfoy as she took in the sight in front of her. Four long tables stretched from one end of the enormous hall to the other with banners hung atop each table from the ceiling.
Malfoy was quick to point out the table on the far left, "That's Slytherin, the best house in Hogwarts and where I will be"
"Well, the house symbol does look nice" she said appraisingly at the silver snake coiled menacingly on the green banner with silver trimmings.
"Which house do you want to be in, Neville?"
"Gryffindor" as he looked longingly at the table at the far right with a side profile of a lion snarling on a red and gold banner. "My parents were Gryffindors. But I don't think that I'm brave enough to be one" he added quietly.
"Well, being a Puff isn't too bad" Malfoy said in an awkward attempt to cheer him up.
"Look, Neville" Hermione said comfortingly. "Houses don't matter. After all, one can be brave, diligent, studious and cunning all at once. So how can you define someone as a Hufflepuff or a Gryffindor? All that matters is you"
"It doesn't work that way, Granger. Houses are important because the people you eat, sleep and go to classes with are the beginnings of alliances you can forge here at Hogwarts. It is vital to get into the right house to secure good connections"
"Are you saying that or is your father saying that?" Hermione shot back immediately. "All I'm saying is that whichever house I'm going to be placed in does not define me. Or the friends I make"
Taking advantage of Malfoy's momentary silence, Neville interrupted. "I know that, Hermione. But Gryffindor is the house my parents were in and I want to make them proud, even if they are not aware of it"
She softened immediately, "Your parents would be proud of you no matter which house you're in"
"Let's make a deal. No matter which house the three of us are in, we will remain friends. Right?" she asked hesitatingly.
Neville brightened up at that. Noticing that Malfoy was still silent, she nudged him gently on the shoulder. "Let's see how it goes then, Granger" he said grudgingly. Hermione and Neville shared a smile at that.
"Look at the ceiling!" Hermione exclaimed as Malfoy broke out of his silent stupor. The ceiling was a deep midnight colour with stars twinkling with a gentle glow. "It's enchanted to look like the night sky" she said in awe.
"Hogwarts: A History" Malfoy blurted.
"You read that too?" she asked excitedly. "It's my favourite book so far"
"I like history" he admitted then they both fell quickly into a heated discussion about the book.
"Moaning Mrytle-"
"Did you read the chapter on the Founders?"
"Of course, they were absolutely brilliant!"
"Oh, and the Forbidden-"
"The Sorting Ceremony will begin now" Professor McGonagall announced. Without realising it, Hermione found herself standing in the middle of the Great Hall, facing a long table which ran from the left side of the hall to the other.
"You're not too bad for a Muggleborn" Malfoy complimented which she replied with a smile then turned her attention back to the table.
The table seemed to be a staff table at the very front of the hall with the professors sitting in a row. Right in the middle of the table was an elevated seat where a wizard with long, white hair sat. His beard was tucked neatly into the belt of his brilliant purple robes with little stars on them which kept twinkling. He peered at them over the half- moon spectacles which balanced precariously on his crooked nose.
There was a certain aura to him that Hermione tried to place. Demanding? No, that's not it. Benevolent? Not exactly either.
"That's Albus Dumbledore" Malfoy pointed out to her. "Headmaster of Hogwarts. Don't let that grandfatherly appearance fool you" he pitched his voice low enough only for the two of them to hear.
Hermione tapped her fist onto her palm instantly. That's it. Headmaster Dumbledore looks like a kind grandfather who would listen to his grandchildren woes over a cup of tea.
Wait- Don't be fooled by his grandfatherly appearance?
Hermione raised an eyebrow in surprise but when it became apparent that Malfoy is not going to say anything more, she directed her attention back on Professor McGonagall who placed a frayed pointy hat atop a rickety stool in front of the staff table.
"-sit down as I place the Sorting Hat on your head and you will be sorted" she finished.
"So, that's what going to sort us. An old hat! I'm going to kill Fred and George." Hermione could hear Weasley talking in loud tones to Potter. The other first year students started talking to each other in loud whispers about the Sorting Ceremony and how would the hat sort them into houses.
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry,
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin,
Where you'll meet your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means,
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For a Thinking Cap."
A song escaped from the tear of its brim which opens like a mouth. The first years stared at the Sorting Hat in surprise.
Professor McGonagall stood beside the stool then unrolled a long scroll as she began reciting names off her list.
"Abbott- Hannah!"
"Hufflepuff!" The Sorting Hat was on her head for a short while before announcing it out loud.
The groups of unsorted first year students slowly diminished in numbers as more and more joined their respective houses. Michael went to Ravenclaw when Hermione caught Parvati and Padma's eye and they applauded as Michael joined the table of bronze and blue.
"Granger – Hermione!"
Neville gave her an encouraging smile whereas Malfoy merely nodded at her as Hermione walked up and placed the Sorting Hat onto her head.
"I wonder how old this hat is" Hermione mused as the hat sat snugly on her curls.
"Well, the young lady with an old soul; I'm as old as this very school" a voice answered.
"You can read my mind" she thought in surprise. "How can you communicate with me telepathically? Wait- I read about a form of mind reading. Legilimency?"
"You're a smart one, aren't you? Well, every hat has its own secrets" It answered mysteriously.
"Now. How to sort you? Bravery? You have that in spades. Brave enough to stick up for your beliefs and principles even sacrificing your life to save that child. Ambitious and cunning? Yes to that too. You had a very clear goal in mind and worked to achieve that ambition no matter what. And a lawyer has to have some bouts of cunningness to survive in that sort of industry."
"Diligence and loyalty? Definitely. You worked your way up from a struggling single family into an elite school then a prestigious law school. You're also loyal to a fault. Immensely loyal to your friends and is willing to stand up and defend them in your own way. Sees the importance of knowledge? That too. You enjoy studying and especially learning for knowledge sake. You're an intelligent person with tons of common sense. In fact, that brain of yours has helped you numerous times"
"How did you know all that?" she wondered. "Do-do you only know what that happened to me? What about all those that I left behind? I-I was losing consciousness at that time so my memory is blurry right after the accident. Can you access that memory for me? Just so I can see them one last time?" Hermione pleaded.
"Ah. I'm so sorry" the hat sounded genuinely apologetic. "Something of that magnitude is out of my reach, I'm afraid."
"I see. Thank you anyway. Actually I have already accepted the fact that I am no longer who I was. It's just that, sometimes, I wished it never happened. I don't regret saving the child though. Just that I wished I had more time with them"
The hat remained silent. "You're definitely a challenge to sort but I know where to sort you now. Let it be"
"HUFFLEPUFF", it announced.
"I hope you'll find happiness and friends there" it added just as Hermione lifted it off her head.
Author's Note:
So here it is. The Sorting finally. I hope you all will enjoy this new chapter. Many apologies for the late chapter. My life has been so hectic the past few weeks. Packing, entering university and oh my, the paperwork involved. I was so caught up with everything that I simply did not have to time to sit down and write this chapter. I'm so sorry for that.
I have just entered medical school. Well, so far so good. I'm currently staying on campus with free WiFi so yay to that. Classes have yet to start but orientation is tomorrow and I have mixed feelings about it. So let's see how it goes.
Just a heads up. Since I'm in medical school now, I may not have the time to update new chapters frequently and I'm very sorry for that. I will try my best to put as much effort as I can into this fic as possible but it'll definitely be a longer period of time between updates.
Thank you to all those who favourite and followed me and my story. It really means a lot and it gave me motivation to continue writing. So thank you so very much.
My deepest gratitude to those who reviewed the third chapter, New Beginnings. Thank you, TheNorwegianAuthor, Guest reviewer and Kaitiou! I really do appreciate the reviews.
Do drop in a review and let me know what you all think of this chapter!
Written at 7:07 PM