Chapter 10: Sorting
As I entered the Great Hall I felt a warmth surround me and almost like a hug release me and do it over again. I had learned in the books I read earlier that the most magical place in Hogwarts was the Great Hall. Due to the vast number of new students that did not have control over their magic, the hall and the castle has gained sentience from the excess magic they released unknowingly. How that was possible I did not know. The warmth turned into a feeling of welcoming and continued changing until it was an ethereal being that glowed with the same white magic that enveloped me.
- - – – - - - - - - -
Harri moved at Neville's side as though a lightning bolt surged through her.
"Welcome home, Child of Five, your secrets are safe within my walls and do not hesitate to ask for help while here." It came out as a feminine voice that in some ways might have terrified her had it been angry but calmed and comforted her as it was. It also seemed Hogwarts liked females more as it took upon the appearance and voice of one though tweaked as it was.
Harri sent towards Hogwarts a gentle hug and thank you through her mind making sure she kept in pace with Neville and everyone else. They all reached the bottom of the stairs up to where a hat that had seen better days sat upon a stool, where they all would be sorted.
"Now when I call your name come here and I will place the sorting hat upon your head." a stern looking McGonagall stated.
A quiet sigh of relief came out of Neville and a few others that had actually believed what Ron had said.
" I told you we wouldn't have to fight a troll, your brothers are awful for telling you so," Hermione glared at Ron down her nose. Making Harri think of a rather prissy cat she had seen on a wall in a New York neighborhood looking down at a scraggy mutt barking at it.
Neville leaned closer and whispered into Harri's ear, " I for one hope that we are in the same house if I end up where she goes I might go batty unless your there to be a buffer, Angelica."
"I hope we get into whichever house suits us best and that we can stay friends despite any house rivalries they currently have." Harri having not said that she wanted to be in the same house put him a little bit down but when she said that she wanted to stay friends after left him with enough courage to stand tall next her. They both looked up at the hat upon the stool that actually had a face... A FACE!
A moment passed in silence then the hat gave a twitch where what seemed to be the mouth and opened wide and began to sing :
"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 be in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring nerve and chivalry
Set Gryffindor apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid to 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
You'll make 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 I'm a Thinking Cap!
The entire hall burst into applause at the end of the song. To each house table the hat declined its tip bowing to each one without limbs, then readily became stiff once more upon the stool.
"I'm going to murder Fred and George for telling me we would have to fight a troll." Harri snickered at him Gred and Forge wouldn't be caught be the likes of their brother if the feeling she got from them was right. It felt quite similar to how she was like when she was planning a prank on either or both of her parents. Looking over to the Gryffindor table she saw them looking directly at her with grins. In response she gave a small wave turned back to Professor McGonagall since she was now starting. "Abbot, Hannah"
"HUFFLEPUFF" The next twenty-three went, 5 Gryffindors, 6 Ravenclaws, 7 more Hufflepuffs and 5 Slytherins. Now it was Harri's turn.
"Jacques, Angelica" Catcalls from Fred and George could be heard as her name was called. As the Sorting hat was put on her she felt a tap on her occlumency shields. Moving in her mind space she looked and saw a male figure with the Sorting Hat upon his head.
"Yes? Why are you wanting to enter my mind?"
"I do need to sort you, you know."
"oh, and do you have a name?"
"I haven't been asked for my name or even thought to have one since I was created by the Founders, but I suppose since you asked I may as well answer, my name is Callyx Maud Madison Bahram Hatt."
"... I …. never mind."
"Yes, I know Godric's naming sense is a bit below zero when he's drunk. Its also why this school is called Hogwarts, Rowena, Salazar and Helga even Calvyn lost the bet with Godric allowing for him to choose the name."
"Whose Calvyn?"
"I know time has lost much true history, but this is rather ridiculous when none but Cecil and the Flamel's and I remember his name *mutter stupid ghost teaching history..."
"Excuse me?"
"A right, Calvyn was the greatest of the founders he is the one that raised Cecil from the bedrock below, even the goblins liked him and the school was not segregated at all. Back in the good days all manner of creatures came to Hogwarts to learn, centaurs, goblins, vampires, elves, werewolves and faeries. Now its sad I see maybe one half breed here every fifty years or so none with as strong a magical core as you. The man Hagrid is a half giant and I never see a faerie or elf in these halls or memories, due to them hiding away from all of the magical countries they just up and disappeared."
"Can we get back on track, which house should I be put in?"
"Well we were going to get there once you let me into your rather thick and solid shields."
"Fine." Opening a slight opening enough that only Callyx would be able to get through, rather uncomfortably as she made it and inch or to tighter than his width for being rude. They both made their way to the area Harri kept her memories and plans. That was where Callyx would get a feel for where she should end up.
"Hmm, from what I understand you are the heir of all five somehow but no inheritance from Calvyn rather odd. And if you want to really see how your family tree looks I suggest that you have the goblins run a test of Rites." At Harri's rather annoyed look due to no real explanation of what the test consisted of he continued. " Uh, yes right, all you need to do is put four drops of blood in a basin they give you and it tells you everything there is to know about you... and I do mean EVERYTHING."
"you do know who I am right, since I let you into my head?"
"yeah~" Callyx confirmed while picking his nose only adding to Harri's frustration.
"Not yeah~ I mean are you going to tell anyone?"
"Nope~!" A singsong Callyx once more confirmed. This drew a rather interesting occurrence from Harri, her eyebrows were twitching angrily, her jaw clenched and her hands no longer relaxed but turned into rather tight fists. This was that everyone in the Great Hall could see. Everyone was rather curious as to why this strange *cough tiny cough* girl was taking so long. It really wasn't everyone, Professor Sinistra was rather excited since this girl had just beaten the longest sorting record set in 1604 by Jaeryll Mabellvi of 6 minutes with an ongoing 24 minutes and she was practically bouncing in her seat.
"Why are you going to stay silent?"
"Because~ ."
"How does a hat get drunk?"
"Don't judge!"
"I was asking a question."
"Calvyn put me in a barrel of hundred year old fire whiskey very rare and very potent and I soaked it up, took me weeks to dry out... couldn't stop burping or hiccuping."
"You are a strange hat Callyx."
"What can I say I'm one of a kind."
"That you are indeed."
"Well you can choose where to go or you can take advantage of being a founders heir and make your own house at the cost of being scrutinized by the headmaster... always or you can join Calvyn's old house.. the house of the sea dragons, (A/N Calvyn Cea... sea dragon animagus) aka the Sea's house a rather lame name but Calvyn wasn't as unique as his parents when it came to naming things. Another thing you could do is refuse to be sorted and I can say I could not enter your mind to decide thus allowing you your own suite and house without using the perk of being a founds heir, Or~ lastly join Calvyn's house and I will still say I was unable to enter your mind allowing you to have your own suite and all the perks of being the founders heir without letting it be known by certain meddling old coots ."
" I really think I hate you right now. Why didn't you just say that one to begin with?"
"Because~ I'm bored I always stay in the headmaster's office and I never hear/see/can't smell/can't feel/ learn anything new or be entertained. I get all my kicks out of annoying certain new students that are interesting, the last one only lasted six minutes twenty-five seconds before they threw me off their head and left. I was lonely nobody fun joins Hogwarts they go to other schools."
"So I'm entertainment for you and I could have just been sorted like an hour ago?"
"Uh :) Yeah!"
" I am going to burn you when I take you off"
"Please don't... I'm rather essential to Hogwarts and Cecil likes me."
"You've mentioned a Cecil a few times, who is it?"
"Oh you don't know Cecil, that's just what Hogwarts name is don't worry she would have told you eventually, she thinks her name is weird and a little bit secretive about it. Personally I don't see the big deal look at my name."
"O.o I have no comment I'm going to do the last choice you gave,join Calvyn's house with the perks."
"Awwww~ times up already?"
" I am getting a headache from your rather pointless chatter and annoying personality."
"Fine, but you have to take me out on a field trip through the school every year at least once or I won't let you remove me."
"Okay, fine just get out of my head."
"I rule the brains of all students~ mwahahhahahahahahaha..."
"Bye, Callyx!"
- – - - - - - - - - - – - - - – - - - - -
"Headmaster, I need to speak with you!" It was a rather dramatic statement from the Sorting Hat that it caused for Dumbledore to stop thinking about the missing "Boy"-Who-Lived and more curious about this previously unknown muggle-born student that had beaten the longest sorting in a couple hundred years.
"Of course, we will speak in the office." Dumbledore walked over and picked up the Sorting Hat and leaving through a door off to the side of the head table.
– – - - - - - - - - - -
"What is this about sorting hat?"
"I can't sort that student into any of the houses."
"Why?"
"I was unable to find a way into her head it seems she has a natural occlumency talent that I cannot bypass."
"That's not possible you were made with the strongest ability to enter anyone's mind."
"It's possible, but if you want to try go right a head lets see you get zapped by her wall a couple times!"
" So I shall."
- - - - - - - – – -
"Miss. Jacques will you come here?"
"Sure I suppose." Agreeing with the person plotting your life was not one of her plans for the year. Following behind Dumbledore, Harri entered the room.
"I just need to try something just stand there for a moment." Harri had been keeping eye contact as she had been taught it was impolite to avoid it when speaking to others, when a sharp pain met her in her mind. Talk about hard hitting, Dumbledore had just tried to tear through her barriers and it $#% *** HURT. That just did not sit well with Harri so she sent an attack of her own.
Dumbledore hadn't expected to be blocked from her mind as though a new beginner of legilimency or the shock of lightning coming for him and any body part. From experience he wisely chose to leave the mind-scape.
"Sorting Hat where do you suppose for her to go if not one of the four houses?"
"I figured she was best suited to the Sea's house, but since you don't know where that is just give her, her own chambers and assign a teacher to be her Head of … whatever."
"NO! Students are not allowed to receive special treatment, that is final!"
"Fine, but I refuse to sort anymore students." At the sorting hat's refusal to abide by his wishes, it gave a large hit to Dumbledore's pride.
"You can't not sort the students. You're the Sorting Hat."
"Do as I suggested or I won't do it." Dumbledore just knew he wouldn't win in an argument with the Founders Artifact so all he could do is give a stiff nod and a irritated glance at Harri for having seen him lose face as well as causing it.
"Miss. Jacques you will receive your own chambers, tomorrow you will have your classes meeting each teacher and you may choose who you would like for you Head of House."
Harri hadn't expected Dumbledore to just give in without putting things to his own terms, but was just glad she had gotten what she wanted. Now that everything was sorted out they both left the side room and re-enter the Great Hall.
"Miss. Jacques you may sit at whichever table you so choose." Harri merely gave a curt nod, showing she understood and when to sit over at the Hufflepuff table.
"We will now restart the sorting, Longbottom, Neville." Neville was nervous being the first person after Harri's long sorting and stumbled once or twice on the way to the stool. When he finally was seated and the hat placed on his head it was amazing that the Sorting Hat spoke to him rather than just shouting out a house.
"Hmmmm~ difficult, very difficult both the potential to be brave and courageous or your already existing loyalty you have to your friend." Nevillle hearing the chance to go to Gryffindor like how his Gran was always saying he had to enter like his father before him, made him in some ways want to enter just to please her. When he looked out into the hall, seeing Angelica and remembering her words about entering wherever suited him best.
"Put me wherever suits me."
"Hmm no preference well then..."
"HUFFLEPUFF" Neville then made his way over to the applauding table and sat down next to Harri.
"Malfoy, Draco" The hat barely touched his head when Callyx shouted,
"SLYTHERIN" Draco strutted down the stair to the Slytherin table smirking as he took his seat. Another eight students passed making more Slytherins and Ravenclaws. Now it was the pompous red head from the train.
"Weasley, Ronald" When McGonagall stated his full name Ron's ears turned a vibrant red exceeding the color of his hair.
"Gryffindor, (too many damn Weasley's, only the twins ever had a chance anywhere else)"
"Zabini, Blaise"
"You can go wherever you want, but I suppose you don't truly have a choice... Slytherin"
"That ends the sorting. Now the headmaster has a few words before we begin the banquet."
"Welcome, welcome to another year at Hogwarts all I have to say is, Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" As soon as he finished opening his arms wide the tables filled with food and the feast began.