Jason narrowly avoided tripping as he perched himself on the prow of the small boat. Theo, Blaise, and Draco piled into the craft after him. The fleet slid silently away from the dock. Jason grinned. 'Let's see what magic school has to offer.'
The giant man left them in the entry hall with a stern woman, who gave some speech that Jason half-heard. Then the children (and Jason) were left to their own devices.
"What do you suppose this test is?" Theo asked Blaise. The dark-skinned boy shrugged. The woman- 'Professor McGonagall' Jason reminded himself- returned asking them to follow her in a line. Jason ended up close to the front, solely because he wasn't as shy as the kids around him.
McGonagall led the through the large dining hall, stopping at the front. She set a stool with a filthy hat on it in front of the line. 'Do we have to pull a rabbit out of it?' The hat twitched and then burst into song. 'Why am I not surprised?' Jason sighed. Whispers broke out among the first years as the hat finished. Jason snickered slightly as he clearly heard the ginger from the train talking about wrestling a troll to decide.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." McGonagall said. 'Awh, hell no. I'm not putting that thing on my head. Maybe we can compromise, I'll wrestle the troll and Ginger can get lice. Hmm, trolls are usually grunts for the magic, evil sorcerer, right? So, it would just be a matter of outsmarting it, maybe like bullfighting? Get it to run into a wall? Maybe I could get its weapon away from it and- '
"Harry Potter?" McGonagall repeated once more. Jason blinked wildly. 'Oh, right. Have to wear the lice hat.' Jason walked to the stool with all the enthusiasm of a man being led to his execution. He closed his eyes as the hat was placed on his head.
"Hmm" a tiny voice said in Jason's ear.
"You're quite interesting. Plenty of courage. A fierce loyalty." Jason snarled at those words. 'I belong to no one!' The voice was unflustered.
"A fiery temper. A desire to prove yourself. Not a bad mind either. So, where shall I put you?" Jason clenched his fists. 'I don't care. Just get this over with!'
"I see now…"
The hat shouted a word to the hall.
