A/N: Hope everyone had a great Christmas! Well here's ch.7; please read and review. Cheers!!!
"Does anyone know how they short us into houses? My older brothers, Fred and George, told me we had to fight something and that it was painful, but I think they were just joking." Ron Weasley said, while wiping off some dirt on his nose.
'Fight, something painful? Sure I know a few spells, like the reparo spell and the lumos spell, but I don't know any fighting spells,' Hermione thought, as Professor McGonagall had just went back into the Great Hall. 'I thought I was getting ahead by learning the few spells already, but it seems that we are suppose to already know some magic. I'll be laughed at, just like how I was in the muggle world. I didn't have any friends there and I won't have any here. What will Harry think of me? I thought we were friends, but will he leave me as soon as he realizes how stupid I am?' She trembled. Just then, Harry placed a hand on her shoulder and leaned in, whispering, "Don't worry, I won't let any harm come to you." Hermione almost started crying, 'He cares for me. Hold on, that's right!'
-Flashback-
Hermione gazed at the book shelves. She loved to read and she loved to learn, so the sights of so many new books made her feel a little weak in the knees. One book that was on top of her list to get, for the moment, was a book about Hogwarts. The store manager had suggested a book called Hogwarts: a History, so she had set out to find it. She did, and just when she placed her hand around the books binding, another hand had placed itself on top of hers.
"Opps, sorry," Harry said, as he retreated his hand.
Hermione felt a little pink and said, "Its ok. You are getting that book also?"
"Yeah, I thought it would be a good idea to know something about the place we're going to be living at."
"Yeah, I know." The two parted once more, until Hermione call out Harry's name, "Harry! You're in this book! Take a look!"
As she shoved the book under his nose, Harry began shaking his head, "This book is worthless."
"What? What do you mean?"
"I mean that I have never been given an interview before, so how could these people know anything about me?"
"Oh, ok. I guess your right, how stupid of me." She set the book down and looked down.
"You're not stupid Hermione, just new. Tell you what, if you have any questions about anything, I'll do my best to answer them. Ok?"
She looked up smiling, "Ok."
-End of Flashback-
Hermione smiled, as then she also remembered how Harry had stood up for her after that blond boy made fun of her just because she was muggleborn. She now knew that as long as Harry was here, that everything would be alright, so she shuffled a little closer to him.
Soon enough, she had the sorting hat on, 'Oh my, I am sorry my dear, we here at Hogwarts do our best to try and make you feel safe. As you can see, I am no monster and from what I can see, you're one of the brightest witches I haven't seen since I was placed on top of a young Miss Lily Evans. Funny thing about the two of you, you both have the wit to have been on top in Ravenclaw, yet you both have the hearts to be in…' "GRYFFINDOR!!!"
Though Hermione was pleased that she was told that she was smart, she remembered what Harry had said on the train about wanting a friend who could get in Hufflepuff. As she was about to pass him to get to the Gryffindor table, she gave Harry a nervous glance. His kind, emerald green eyes were twinkling with respect, and he gave her a nice smile and nod, making her feel better. She made her way to the Gryffindor table, where she found a spot next to an older red-headed boy with a prefect's badge, who she learned was one of Ron's older brothers.
When it came to Harry's turn, whispers started.
"Harry Potter!" One person was heard.
"The Harry Potter!?" Came, another.
Harry sat down on the stool, as Professor McGonagall placed the hat on his head, which was too small for the hat, covering half of his face. Hermione remembered how all sound was blocked out around her when she had the hat on, so she was happy that at least Harry couldn't hear the things people were saying.
"HUFFLEPUFF!!!" the hat had finally cried out!
The room was silent. Though Hermione expected Harry to go to the brave house of Gryffindor, or even the cunning Slytherin house, she never thought she would see him go to Hufflepuff.
There were many who thought the same. Many were surprised, but none so as Dumbledore.
'Hmm, how did this happen?' he pondered, 'Ah yes, I know….Harcle. What have you done Harcle? I know, somewhere, Tom is out there, just waiting to come back to power. I've never dreamed of making Harry a weapon, but I did want him to focus on what he needs to be able to defeat Tom so he could become the hero that the wizarding world needs.' The Headmaster popped a coffee flavor candy into his mouth and continued to watch.
Sound didn't change for Harry. As he placed the Hat back on the stool, he heard only silence with the crowd. That was until he heard a girl's voice cry out, "Yeah!! Go Harry!!" Harry found the girl the voice belonged to, and was barley surprised when he saw Hermione. He gave her a smile and went to sit with the other Hufflepuffs. The sorting continued, Harry only recognizing Ron and Neville, both going into Gryffindor, then Dumbledore got up, "Ah, what a wonderful start, make us proud first years. Now I know you must all be hungry, so let's dig in!" And with a clap of his hands, mounds upon mounds of food appeared on the empty house tables.
There were many different choices for Harry to choose from, so he took a little bit of everything, then finding out that the food tasted excellent. In fact, he was just starting on his third plate when he noticed the people around him were staring at him. He knew he was eating with good table manners, as Harcle had drilled Harry to always show proper manners in any situation, so that wasn't it.
It continued to the fifth minuet of silence, until Harry set his fork down and asked, "What!?"
"Um, we were just wondering how you got sorted into Hufflepuff. I mean, it's great that you're here and all, but we're all puzzled how a great wizard, like yourself, got sorted into a weak house."
At Harry's frown, the people he was sitting near all shifted in their seats, "And what makes you think that this house isn't a great one, or in fact, the best one?" Getting no response, Harry continued, "My Guardian, Harcle, always told me how every house at Hogwarts was great, and that the only differences between them, all positive, were dominating characteristics found in people. Hufflepuff is supposed to be a house of loyalty, so tell me, what's so weak about that?"
For a moment everyone was quite, until "I couldn't have said any better, Mr. Potter," came the voice of a plump, black-curly haired women said behind them, "Good evening children, I am Professor Sprout. I am your Head of house and teacher for Herbology. As soon as the feast is over, the house prefects will show you to your dormitories. I know you have all weekend to explore and familiarize with the grounds, but I can't wait to have you all in class this Tuesday! If you have any questions, please feel free to come ask me or any of the Hufflepuff prefects. Well again, welcome to Hufflepuff and have a nice night."
After looking back at the others, Harry once again frowned and went back to eating. Not a second after he set his fork down, did Dumbledore explain how wonderful it was to have the school filled with life again, and reminded everyone that the Forbidden Forest surrounding the school was just that, forbidden. He talked about how if no one wanted to die a most painful death, they were to stay away from the third floor corridor, 'He must be guarding the stone there,' Harry thought. He dismissed the room for bed. The teachers were around the first to leave, followed by the older students. As Harry and the other Hufflepuffs were about to leave, following the prefects, they heard a scream by the Gryffindor tables. It was Hermione, and several other first years, pinned down with darts, thrown by what looked like a flying little man. Before anyone could act, Harry rushed over and stood in front of Hermione, just as a dart had been thrown towards her.
"Errt…" Harry was stabbed in the left shoulder. The flying little man dropped the darts and he started floating towards them. In his adrenalin rush and panic, Harry raised his wand and shouted, "Animussubsisto" which paralyzed the man, and dropped him to the floor. Harry turned, "Are you alright, Hermione?" She nodded, and then he passed out.
Harry awoke several hours later. Finding his glasses on a stand next to him, he slid them on and looked around. He was in a dark, white room.
"Hello?" he asked.
A light flickered on, and a witch with a white robe came to him. "Mr. Potter, how do you feel?" The witch said, waving her wand over him, taking what Harry knew was status spells for his vitals.
Harry rotated where his shoulder where he was stabbed, "Ok, just a little tired. Where am I? And how is Hermione Granger?"
"You are in the Hospital wing, and my name is Madam Pomfrey, I'm the school healer here at Hogwarts," she took her wand away and brought over, what seemed to Harry, to be a mild sleeping potion, "Your friend is just fine, you took the whole blow of the object that, that retched ghost threw at her. It's late, so I want you to take this; it's a potion to help you sleep." She helped Harry take a drink, then he drifted off to sleep.
