A/N: Harry Potter V and SasuNaru. This fanfiction is from my doujinshi in DA called LAPSE. Although this one will have a VERY DIFFERENT STORY.
- SHOUNEN AI ONLY - Slow updates - Deaths (Maybe)- Humor/Adventure/Romance…Angst - MAJOR OOC - GRAMMATICAL ERRORS.
THANK YOU FOR BEING EVAH SUPPORTIVE!
Warning: Kinda short chapter.
Disclaimer: *presents you thousands of papers... which are fake*
Chapter 6 - The Sorting
- My home is where my heart is... -
Left by Ron and Hermione who were busy for their prefect jobs, Harry, Ginny, Luna, Neville, Naruto and Sasuke scuffled out of the train then the platform only to be jostled by the crowd, but it didn't stop them from getting a nice, distant view of Hogwarts. Both ninja's mentally agreed (again) that the castle was ridiculously huge to be called school while the rest of the gang was thankful to be back. Aside that it was the place Harry could label home, this was the only place where underage wizards like them can use magic with no threatening thoughts of being expelled.
"Would you look at this place, S'uke! This is beautiful!" Naruto giggled as he jumped out of the way and adored the forest of pine trees in front of them. Sasuke was thinking the same though he had to fight the urge of verbally agreeing to the blond that would kill his pride. The smell was different from London since there were no disturbing smokes coming out from what Muggles call cars and factories. There were thousands of lamplights bobbing over students' head that looked like flickering stars on earth instead of the sky.
This place was more hospitable for ninja's like them since the place was so natural – just them and the nature.
"Are we going to use those boats too?" Naruto pointed at the bunch of little wizards riding the boats who were being assisted by a female witch Harry recognized as Professor Grubbly-Plank.
"No. Only first years get to use those boats," Harry said and watched Naruto scuffed and lost his excitement. "Where's Hagrid?" he asked Ginny.
"I don't know, but we better get out of the way, we're blocking the door," the girl answered, feeling thankful to the new comers since she did not have to squeeze herself in the crown while struggling with her trunk.
"Hagrid? You know Hagrid too?" Naruto's eyes shone. "Is he here? Can I see him?"
"You know Hagrid?" asked Harry.
"Of course." Naruto flashed a peace-sign in his fingers. "He was the one who gave us our allowance for the entire year. Yah know? For those who can't afford school? Anyway, where is he? I have to thank him."
Harry nodded, feeling slightly envious at the blond and the raven for being able to see Hagrid during summer while he, the great Harry Potter that Hagrid cared for, did not. "Well, that is the problem. He was supposed to be the one to assist those first years, not Professor Grubbly-Plank."
"Oh? Is he sick or something?"
"I don't know. I'll ask him later when we see him okay? Don't worry, we'll see him," Harry told Naruto, or rather, to himself afraid that Hagrid left for good. Who knows? The ministry was acting mad lately. It was not like they had nothing against a half-breed like Hagrid. He would not be surprised if they had decided to sack him for good, no. He won't be surprised but he would be flustered and aggravated.
"So, how do we get to Hogwarts? We run or something?" Naruto asked innocently, but half good with the idea since he needed to stretch his muscles from the long sit at the train. Sasuke thought it was a stupid, but a good idea nevertheless.
"No." Harry grunted, feeling a bit green with the thought of running all the way to Hogwarts. "We use the coaches."
"Okay, but where's the teme?"
"Dobe, let's get moving," Sasuke called for Naruto. He was already at the soaking road of the Hogsmeade Station, barely caring about Harry and the others. Naruto made an easy run to the raven who was glaring at the surroundings, or more like at everything, jadedly. He was followed by Harry and his friends who kept on sinking on the mud left by the rain. Sasuke had to raise his brows at the ineptness of the wizards whose dress robes, despite of the dark color, had evident mud stains on their hems.
Sasuke and Naruto reached the stagecoaches with ease while the others had been cursing rather darkly at the sight of their dirtied robes.
"Ha ha!" laughed Naruto. "You should see yourselves in the mirror! You all look like a lot of muddy pigs!"
"You are really odd, you know," Harry breathed as his ears turned pink from embarrassment. It was not every day he got to be compared with a pig no less. "First, you were shouldering those trunks like they were feather weight, then you actually run through this muddy ground with no trouble? What are you? A ninja?"
Sasuke stiffened but Naruto just went on laughing as an answer. He knew that it was some kind of a joke from the wizard and so he decided to play along. "Yeah… I'm a ninja!"
"Naruto?" Sasuke reprimanded the blond silently, making sure that Harry won't hear.
"Don't worry you royal teme, that is what you call a joke! You know? That magical thing that you lack thus giving you a really boring life?" The blond was stopped from laughing by a fuming glare from the bespectacled boy.
"Hn," Sasuke, ignoring Naruto's false philosophy in life, only rumbled.
"Oh look! Coaches! Ne, Harry? What are those?" Naruto pointed at the coaches… no, before the coaches. Harry's jaw dropped as he glanced at the hundreds of supposedly horseless stagecoaches. The coaches did not appear to be horseless at all. Instead, he could see fleshless horses, with their bones visible and their wings sprouting on their backs, settled between carriage shanks. Blinking here and there, he looked at Ron and Hermione, waiting for them to be as shocked as him or at least be curious but it did not come. Instead, it was Naruto and Sasuke who walked to the skeletal horses to examine them curiously.
"What in the bloody—" Harry started only to be interrupted by an excited blond.
"Uh… hello there…," Naruto petted the creature akin to a horse that stood in between the shafts of Luna's stagecoach. "What are you called, big fella?"
"What are you doing?" Ron asked in a bemused tone as the blond continued to pet the air, well – at least to the redhead's sight.
"I'm combing his mane?" Naruto replied, unsure of what Ron was asking him.
"His?"
"Well… I guess it's a boy or something, is it a girl?"
"No… Ron meant…," Hermione said. "Why are you petting the air?"
"Well, I… I'm not petting the air," Naruto pulled his hand from the horse-like creature only to scratch his head sheepishly. "I'm petting a horse?"
"But I don't think horses have wings, Naruto," Harry joined the conversation.
"You think so? But they look so much like horses to me…"
"Horse? What horse? With wings?" Ron glanced at the carriage then to Naruto. "Are you two hungry or something? It seems like your hallucinating to me."
"No! We're not," the blond pouted. "Hey teme, say something!"
He pulled Sasuke from the sleeve and childishly pointed at Ron and Hermione, before giving a big Naruto hug at the skinless horse, which did not do much but stand.
"Well, obviously, the dobe was petting a skinless horse with huge, bone wings sprouting on its back," Sasuke walked closer to the blond since he suddenly felt bothered with the close proximity Harry and Naruto has.
"Yay!" smiled Naruto, still nuzzling the air.
"You are all mental, guys," Ron only shook his head, climbing at the carriage.
"Don't worry," Luna interrupted dreamily. "I can see them too. You're just as sane as I am."
Harry suddenly felt insulted.
"Whatever. Shall we go now? I dun wanna be food in a buffet for mosquitoes," Ron rolled his eyes, occasionally clapping his hands to kill mosquitoes; still thinking that everything was a joke or something. One by one they mounted the carriage. Sasuke sat on the corner and Naruto settled beside him. Ron sat in between Harry and Hermione, while Ginny took the seat beside Harry. Neville and Luna sat beside Naruto.
"Off to Hogwarts!" the blond ninja yelled excitedly as the line of stagecoaches started to move towards the Grand Castle in the middle of nowhere.
-page break-
Naruto watched in awe as the two giant oak doors dramatically swung open. They were greeted by the same old, yet fierce-looking woman with square glasses and her hair settled in a bun. Next minute, they were struggling across a slumped stone floor occasionally examining how long the file of students was from their front to their back. He was sure of one thing – they were headed to somewhere where they could hear another set of buzzing voices. Naruto frowned, what's taking them too long? The prospect of being a wizard for a year and doing cool stuffs with those wands was sinking deep inside his head and there was no use of taming his inner child. Oh Kami, he just wanted to jump to the front line!
All thanks to the deities who were eager to show their love to a certain blond, his little agony had been prolonged when McGonagall had told them that she had to do something and they must wait her back before they continue their journey inside the castle.
"Oh come on!" Naruto yelled impatiently and Sasuke huffed in agreement. "Ne teme, what's taking them so long?"
Sasuke shrugged and waited to the normal response of the blond, bickering at him and forcing real words from his mouth but none came. Obviously, the dobe was too tired to start another meaningless fight. On top of that, they would have too many unnecessary audiences from all around.
"Just be patient, will you?" Sasuke said.
"Yeah yeah, your royal teme. Ne Harry? Why are we waiting?"
"Uh… Dunno… maybe they went to fix some stuffs," Harry, sensing Naruto's impatience, answered. "Don't worry, this is normal." Hell what was normal in the wizarding world?
Naruto was about to ask some more when Harry's face was covered by a dark impression. He tried to trace the boy's light of sight only to find a pale, blond boy with a pointed face sauntering to their direction.
"I see you're new here. Transferees, as everyone had put it." Apparently, the boy greeted the newcomers grimly. His bored eyes were traveling from Sasuke, to Naruto, to Harry, then to Sasuke again. Ron and the rest visibly tensed, discerning that an unwanted fight was about to come. "But I'm having the impression that you still needed to be sorted. If that's the case, the Slytherin house is open for a new housemate, or else it would be too late for you to be corrected."
The new guy extended his hand forward for Sasuke to take.
Harry paled. Why was this scene so familiar?
"Corrected? I don't think we've done something wrong," Naruto, who did not want any snag to crop up, feigned innocence.
"I always knew it would be better to keep your trap shut if you are not being talked to," Malfoy sneered to the other blond. "Idiot."
Harry was about to say something when he saw the Uchiha took Malfoy's hand. For a second, he thought that Sasuke was about to accept Malfoy's bid but not when he saw the pale blond winced in pure agony. He tried to look for any reasons of Malfoy's misery only to see the Uchiha was seizing Malfoy's hand harder and tighter than necessary. Bones were cracking madly. Give Sasuke more time and Malfoy's fingers would soon be pulverized to oblivion!
'Was that even possible?' Harry thought.
"You are not to call Naruto an idiot in front of me or at least within my hearing range," Sasuke pulled Malfoy closer to him, dangerously closing the distance between them, whispering sharp words to those delicate ears that threatened to bleed. "You are not to call him names Do you get it?"
"Arghh….!" Malfoy winced as silent as possible.
"Teme… enough." Naruto begged.
"Your word?" The raven continued to whisper inaudible to everyone. His eyes were dangerously turning into bloody red.
"Why you… Argghhh!"
"Sasuke!" this time, Naruto growled and it made Harry's hair from the back of his neck stood up.
"Your word?"
"Y…yes!" cried Malfoy. "Just let go! Argh!"
"Oh yeah," smirked Sasuke. "In fact, don't try to call him names whether I'm present or not. Only I had the pleasure of giving the dobe the most colorful names I could imagine. Trust me, I'll know."
"I already said yes! Bloody hell!"
With that, Sasuke let go and Malfoy cowardly stumbled back to where the Slytherins were.
"You will pay for this!" he said before disappearing completely.
"Bloody hell!" Ron gasped. "What was that? Was it me or did I saw Malfoy run like a threatened ferret? Hell I salute you Uchiha."
"Hn."
"Oh no… maybe I'll worship you!"
"What did you tell him?" Naruto asked coldly.
"Nothing," if it wasn't because of the noise, one would surely hear the Uchiha falter. Lucky for him, the blond was tired to argue that he only waved the problem off. Exactly, what did Sasuke told the freakin cockroach? The raven wasn't sure himself! Just a minute ago, he wanted to break the neck of a certain bastard who tried to insult Naruto at his presence. Not that it wouldn't matter to him because Naruto was indeed an idiot, but for the insult not to come from him, it was the most heinous crime another human being could make.
After their long wait, they finally found themselves in front of great big hall. The Great Hall had changed since they last saw it during the summer. Change was an understatement – it was entirely different from the last time they saw it! There were candles floating in mid-air, the torches from the wall were lit, chairs were occupied, and the place was no longer student-empty. The sky was very visible.
"Where's the ceiling?" asked Naruto.
"Magic," Sasuke said uncaringly.
The whole hall was assailed with excited students who were either keen to chat about their summer experiences or just for the sake of talking. The single table on the top of the hall was also occupied by older looking wizards and witches – one of them was Dumbledore, who was sitting in the middle of the table, looking as wise and as elegant as the last time they saw the old bloke.
"I guess it's a 'see you later' now," Luna bid them her goodbye as she bounced her way towards the Ravenclaw table.
"Wait, aren't we friends with Luna-chan? Why does she have to leave?" Naruto asked.
"Because she's Ravenclaw and we are Gryffindor," Hermione answered.
"Raven… what?"
"Ravenclaw. I take that its either you forget, or didn't even read at all," Sasuke shook his head and sighed. When would Naruto change? Well scratch that, he would not like Naruto to change. He could never live with a smart Naruto walking on the face of the earth. "We are yet to be sorted into our houses."
"Houses?" the blond was about to ask more when Harry and the rest bid them goodbye and signaled them that they would be sitting at the second table. Naruto was about to follow but Sasuke stopped him, explaining something about the sorting making the blond blush out of his own idiocy.
Silence soon enveloped the hall as three clattering sounds from the impact of a teaspoon and a goblet echoed throughout the place. Dumbledore settled on the middle front of the hall, successfully hushing and catching everyone's attention. Sasuke had to frown when he noticed that for such a very, very old man like Dumbledore, he seemed so much powerful. Not only basing from his chakra supply but to the political side of this world as well. Judging from the immediate submission of the students and the glance the other professors, who seemed way older to be just students, were casting, Dumbledore was indeed a very powerful and influential man.
McGonagall was now in front and placed a dusty, old hat on a stool. Much to the ninjas' surprise, it started singing something about the four houses Sasuke was talking about. Naruto had to 'ooh' in excitement as his partner watched those blue eyes sparkle like it was a pair of Sapphire stones. Later on, the hat finished its song and was soon followed by the thundering claps of the students.
"That was wicked! I never saw a singing hat before!" Naruto burst in excitement.
"And I never saw a talking hat before," Note the sarcasm.
Soon, McGonagall was holding a long scroll and reciting bunch of funny names from the list. Apparently, the ones who were called were seated in the stool, hat placed on the head, and then the hat would shout something. The next thing they had noticed was, they were the only ones left uncalled.
"And now, before we end our sorting ceremony," Dumbledore finally spoke, "I would like to inform you that we will be having two fifth year transferees from the East this term. Due to some financial turmoil of their previous school, a lot of students were enforced to transfer and they are just the two of those numbers."
Sasuke winced. 'How did he know that? We hadn't even told him yet.'
"They are now to be sorted into their houses and I hope that everyone would extend their warm welcome to the both of them," Dumbledore continued. "Professor McGonagall, if you please?"
Professor McGonagall nodded and continued reading at the bottom of the scroll. "Uchiha, Sasuke."
Silent squeal echoed in and out Sasuke's ears as he walked to the stool and had the hat placed on his head. 'Great! Fan girls!'
Sasuke had to refrain from gasping when the hat on his head suddenly moved and spoke.
"Difficult one I see," the hat talked with the lowest volume that Sasuke was the only one capable of hearing. "Your mind is closed off, inaccessible, but nothing to make the Great Sorting Hat sweat. Trust issues, and histories of betrayal, but loyal to a particular someone; smart and wise; brave and bold; and most of all, power seeking. Anywhere is fine young lad… this is the first time I am sent into this dilemma."
Sasuke hated this. The least of the things he wanted to happen was to have someone reading his mind… and hats were no exceptions.
"Anywhere is fine, yes," the hat continued. "But there will always a single best. For you cannot choose both roads to tread at the same time."
"Hn. Whatever," said Sasuke. "Just get it done with."
"Hasty! But nothing could be done well in haste. Lad, what is your strongest desire?" the hat asked silently.
"I do not know why the hell should I tell you," Sasuke mentally replied. "But for the sake of shutting you up, I want power. That is all."
"Is that all?" it asked solemnly making Sasuke wince.
"Hn."
After an intake of air, the Sorting hat gave a chuckle that made everyone's attention to be drawn to the two of them.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
An ear-bleeding applaud from the Gryffindor table made the Great Hall tremble. There were contented sighs from the majority of the Gryffindor girls (and boys) while frustrated whines from the girls (and boys) of the other houses. He sent his blond friend a smirk that was closest to his encouraging smile before tapping the blond's frozen shoulder. He could see Naruto's anxiousness and that was the best he could do. Sasuke walked to the table that welcomed him like he was some kind of an icon. He sat beside Harry, ignoring all the futile attempts of the gals to catch his prized attention.
"Che," he spatted.
"I'm sensing the birth of Sasuke Uchiha's fan club," Ron teased. "Welcome to the house, mate."
"Hn."
"Is that 'thank you'?" Harry laughed. "You're welcome. Any idea where Naruto will most likely end up?"
Sasuke shrugged.
"Maybe none. He's a dobe after all," but deep inside him was a strong desire to pull Naruto to the Gryffindor table.
On the other hand, Naruto was wobbling when he sat at the judgment stool. All eyes were focused at him and this wasn't his idea of a calming surrounding. Although most of the stares where curiosity encouraged, he could not help but to compare them to the hateful glares the people of Konoha threw at him when he was a young kid. He gulped. Sasuke was in Gryffindor. What if he wasn't? It wasn't very long since Sasuke returned. Call this weird but ever since that day, he never wanted to part ways with Sasuke ever again. Could he survive a year far from Sasuke? It wasn't like they were never going to meet again, but still…
"I see you're nervous," the hat started. "Scared?"
"You wish, you old hat!" Naruto growled.
"With that, I think I know where to put you. You're the same as the Uchiha kid. All of you pertain to all houses. Loyalty, wisdom, bravery, and desire for power… all are present… but only one must be chosen. Now choose where…"
"Well I thought you're one great hat."
"Haha! Tell me kid, what do you want?"
"You should know it already, shouldn't you? Great old hat?"
"Very well kid. You'd chosen fairly. GRYFFINDOR!"
Naruto was successful in holding his victory dance. He ran to the applauding table to be properly welcomed by hugs and shaking of hands. He was almost speechless when he was congratulated by a bunch of blushing girls (and boys)! 'Heh, Sasuke teme! Even I can have fans too! Watch and learn! I'm not a dobe anymore!' He looked at Sasuke to give him a haughty look only to see the raven glaring daggers at him. If Naruto was smarter enough and not the dobe everyone knew, he would have realized that the glare Sasuke was giving wasn't directed to him but to all the blushing girls (and boys) behind the blond.
"Hey! I've got fans too, teme!"
"Hn."
"Welcome to Gryffindor, Naruto," Hermione beamed at the blond.
"Thanks! That hat was pretty much annoying. It won't stop on talking about some loyatly, bravery, and stuffs. Was it always like that?"
"Yeah. It always does that," Harry said.
Because Naruto's sorting was the last for this year, Dumbledore rose to his feet and began calling everyone's attention. Harry, who was slightly bitter about the Headmaster's unusual absences at the Order's meeting, was slightly relieved to see the old wizard standing there. Hagrid's post wasn't empty, but there was Grubbly-Plank sitting there instead. That made him more curious on Hagrid's whereabouts. He continued to inspect the staff table and it did not take him too long to notice a dumpy witch with curly brown hair. She was sitting at the Defense Against the Dark Arts spot and was all clad in pink.
"Who's she?" Hermione saw him ogle the pinkness in the staff table.
"She's Umbridge!" Harry gasped at the surprise of recognition.
"Who?"
"Umbridge! She's was at my hearing, working for Fudge."
"Why's she here then?" Hermione sounded alarmed.
"I dunno, but whatever her reason is, I was so sure that she wanted to bung me out of Hogwarts that time."
"She's bad news then," Ron muttered.
"How bad?" asked Ginny.
Before Ron could answer, Dumbledore started to greet them all and signaled the start-of-term feast. Food magically came out of nowhere. There were piles of roasts, breads, sausages, bacon and many more varieties of food ranging from appetizers to desserts in front of them. Naruto and Ron drooled and helped themselves without wiping their dribbles. As for Sasuke, at first he was amazed but because of his oversized ego, he soon thought of this as waste of chak- magic. Nevertheless, he took some drumsticks and helped himself with a goblet of Butterbeer. He ate while he unconsciously watched his blond friend violently chew those foods, occasionally ranting about the lack of ramen.
"…suke you're staring."
"What?" he swore he would decapitate the head of whoever disturbed him from staring at his dobe. He turned only to find Hermione looking at him.
"Why are you staring at Naruto?" she whispered without thinking.
"I'm not." 'Drop it.'
"Oh, okay."
'Good.'
As everyone busied themselves on the food, Dumbledore started his usual start-of-term notices about the do's and don'ts of the school. Some were from him, and some were from Mr. Filch. He said something about the Forbidden Forest being out of bounds, restriction of magic in the corridors (it appeared that magic can also be used during class), and of course, prank playing was banned too, much to the three pranksters dismay.
"We have two changes in staffing this year. Please welcome Professor Grubbly-Plank for the Care of Magical Creatures lessons and Professor Umbridge for the Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons."
The hall resounded with applause coming from everyone all except Harry, Ron, Hermione and Sasuke. The golden trio was panicking and worried about Hagrid while Sasuke was in his usual bad mood.
"Hey blondie!" a Gryffindor boy called him. He noticed that the redness of the boy's hair were the same as Ron. He swore he had seen this boy from somewhere. Wait, they resemble Ron as well, they're just slightly older. "With that droll look I say you recognize us." He pointed to the guy beside him wearing the same face as his.
"Ah! You're the guys from Diagon Alley! Sorry for running like that, the teme there pulled me away!" He pointed at Sasuke. They were the twins who had invited him inside their joke shop.
"You're the Naruto one, right?"
"Yeah, and that's Sasuke."
"Nice to have you here. I'm Fred, he's George, and it can be the other way around. You're the brave guy who laughed at the hat's instincts. I say you're brave!"
"Well, uhm… of course I'm brave!" Naruto blushed. "He put me in Gryffindor, didn't he?"
"How about Sasuke? If I don't know you're friends with him, I'll think he's better off Slytherin ya know? With that I'm-the-king-of-the-world-so-scram look."
"Well yeah," agreed Naruto. "Slytherins look like a bunch of scary snakes."
Fred laughed at that. "No worries, blondie. They're all hiss and no bite. Good for you to be in here. We're the greatest house! And I hope we could win the house cup this year again!"
"Housecup?" asked Naruto.
"It's an award for the best house of the year," explained Harry. "We have to win points all throughout the year and the house with the greatest points receives the house cup!"
"Cool!" exclaimed Naruto. "Hey 'suke, wanna wager? I'm gonna get the house the biggest points this year!"
"Hn."
"I told you he's better off Slytherin," Fred joked earning a big scowl from the raven.
"Heeeey, the bastard is not that bad you know," said Naruto. "He will grow on you! I promise!"
"We will know, Naruto… we will know…"
"Tell me… Do you have someone you wish to protect?"
A flash of gold and orange flickered on his mind. He mentally smiled, not that he wanted to grace everyone in the hall with the smile he was only saving for a certain someone.
Of course.
"I do," he whispered. "I do have one. And that is why I wanted to have the power."
TBC.
ALERT! ANOTHER SAPPY ENDING! Don't sue me. I have no internet connection. T_T I hope I did not disappoint anyone here... I mean. I got to put Naruto and Sasuke together... or else well... it couldn't be helped, after all... Naruto would really choose to be with Sasuke. It happened to Harry once. Harry should have been in Slytherin but he asked the hat not to... well... according to Books 1 and 2 of HP and the movie as well.
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NEW! Next Chapter : Not a Summon (I hope you stay tune guys)
DreamHunter019
March 13,2010
Edited: July 1, 2012
