A/N Sorry guys, I thought I had already posted this and I hadn't... . Anyway, I decided to put these two chapters together because they go well together.
Chapter Ten
This Hat is Interesting
"Platform 9 and 3/4? British people are weird if they have a Platform 9 and 3/4."
"Natasha, they're wizards. Why would they want to use the same train as us regular people?"
"But 9 and 3/4? Really? That makes me think that he'll have to go through one of the barriers. That doesn't seem logical does it, Clint?"
"Harry can manipulate magic and make things float and make a trail for Angitia. Does that seem logical, Natasha?"
"Alright, that's enough you two." Mr. Phil stepped between the two bickering kids and patted them both on their heads. "Let's get to Platforms 9 and 10 and see what happens."
"Why couldn't Hagrid take us here? It doesn't make sense that he gave us the ticket and didn't explain how to get to the platform." Natalia huffed as they continued to walk around people. Their voices were quiet so they wouldn't be overheard.
Harry kept on pushing his... trolley in front of him. In the cage on top of his trunk was a snowy white owl that Natalia named Hermes. She still fidgeted around a lot and kept snapping when Harry got too close if he had Angitia wrapped around him - like she was at that moment. However, as soon as Angitia was off and hunting, Hermes was fine and liked to perch on Harry's shoulder.
"... packed with muggles, of course! C'mon, Platform 9 and 3/4 this way!"
The group of four turned when they heard the platform they were looking for. There, like a train themselves, was a line of redheads. Harry counted them as they passed: one portly mother, one tiny daughter and four boys. One was tall and thin, two looked exactly alike and the fourth was short and had something smudged on his nose. They all had bright red hair.
Mr. Phil motioned for the kids to follow as he quickly jogged up to the mother. "Excuse me!"
When the woman turned around, she had a confused smile in place. "Yes, dear?"
The look on Mr. Phil's face almost had Harry laughing. "Did you say Platform 9 and 3/4?"
"Oh, yes, dear. One of your kids starting school this year?"
Harry's heart clenched and waited for Mr. Phil to say no, but the man just nodded his head. "Yes. Harry is. He's the only one with magic, you see."
"Oh, of course, dear. It's Ron's first year too. We'll show you how it's done. Percy, you first."
Harry was still reeling over the fact that Mr. Phil had agreed that Harry was his kid that he missed the tall thin boy disappearing. It wasn't until Natalia nudged him that he noticed anything strange at all and that the boy was gone.
"I think he missed it."
Harry shrugged and Natalia pinched him in the side. He gave a small yelp and jumped to the side, giving her a small glare, but she just stuck her tongue out at him.
"That's alright. George, you next."
"Honestly, woman...
"... You call yourself our mother..."
"... but you can't tell that I'm Fred."
"Oh, sorry Fred. Go on."
"Just kidding. I am George."
And like that, the twins were racing at the pillar and were gone right after the other.
"See, I was right. It's in between the pillars," Natalia huffed and crossed her arms.
"Harry, right?" The voice of the kind woman had Harry looking up at her and nodding. "You can go next with your siblings, if you want. Don't worry about them, dear, they'll be fine. You don't have to have magic to enter. You just have to know it's there and that you know someone going to Hogwarts to enter. Best do it a bit of a run if you're nervous."
Taking a deep breath, Harry nodded.
"Good luck," the tiny voice had the black haired boy turning to the little girl. She blushed and promptly hid behind her mom, but he smiled at her.
He turned to the wall with Clint and Natalia and took off at a jog. Natalia was right behind him with Clint on her tail. He broke out into a run and the wall grew nearer and nearer. He clenched his eyes tight and he felt Angitia tighten around him.
When he didn't hit anything, he found himself on a crowded platform with people bustling around a train. Kids were running from group to group before jumping on the train. Some were talking to friends, others were giving last hugs to their parents and others just hurried onto the train with jagged waves.
"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Mr. Phil's voice came from behind Harry. "Harry, Natalia, Clint, come here for a moment, please."
The three obeyed and followed the man over to a secluded area before he knelt in front of the kids. "Alright, is Angitia doing ok, Harry?"
Harry shifted his weight just a little bit and she moved her head so it was seen on his chest. Her black eyes locked onto Mr. Phil's and he gave a nod. She flicked her tongue out at him before lowering her head to rest back where she was, safely out of sight, though Harry knew that it wouldn't be long before everyone knew she was there. Angitia wouldn't allow Harry to keep her a secret from everyone. Harry - who was agreed with his snake - made sure that he had McGonagall's permission for Angitia to move around freely while he stayed at Hogwarts.
put up with being kept a secret and he had gotten approval from McGonagall that she didn't have to stay out of sight. Her presence was just something that had to be mentioned at the feast.
"What about your weapon? Let me see it."
The boy reached down and pulled out a Ruger 380 LCP from his boot and handed it over to Mr. Phil. The man removed the clip, checked the carriage, barrel and rounds before snapping the clip back in and handing the weapon back to Harry.
"Remember, don't use it unless you're in a dire situation."
Harry gave a brisk nod even as the whistle blew from the steam engine. He looked over at the train and the four quickly moved over to a door. They helped him get his trunk and Herme's cage onto the train before Harry gave Natalia a hug and the others a nod in farewell.
"Be safe, Harry," Natalia whispered in his ear.
"Tell us everything exciting that happens!" Clint shouted as the train began to move.
"We'll see you for Christmas," Mr. Phil waved. "Don't forget to write."
"I won't," Harry called out just loud enough for them to hear and grin at him. Harry gave a final wave before easily dragging his baggage down the hallway.
He traveled for a while before he found an empty compartment and sat down with a sigh, Angitia moved simultaneously with him so she wasn't squashed. Without thinking about what he was doing, his baggage rose up and was placed neatly in its place above his head. He shifted a tiny bit and Angitia began to unravel herself.
Her head appeared first before slithering over Harry's shoulder and down his arm then to the seat itself. Once there, she stretched across the short expanse to the other seat and began to curl up there so she could rest peacefully and not have to worry about matching her movements to his. After about a minute, she was situated nicely and placed her head on top of her coils so she could keep watch on Harry.
Harry pulled a few pieces of paper from his cargo pant pocket and began to read. After his shopping trip with Natalia, Clint, Mr. Phil and Hagrid, Hagrid had explained why everyone knew him. How his mother and father hadn't died in a car crash, but because of a dark wizard who tried to kill him as a child and failed.
Hagrid hadn't been able to give all the details Harry wished for so he found the papers of an old Daily Prophet in a store and the owner had happily given it to him for something called a Sickle, even though it was different than what was used for harvesting.
He had just finished reading the paper and put it back in his pocket, when the door opened and a blonde hair boy stepped in with two other - though larger - boys behind him. "Oh, someone's here. You'll have to get up so we can sit in here."
Raising his eyebrow at the snobbish boy, Harry placed his ankle on his knee and leaned back. He could take those three on. Probably. Maybe. Well, he could take the blonde, that was for sure. The bigger guys? Most likely not if they knew how to fight.
Surprisingly, the boy laughed, "I like you. Most people would move. Though... does that mean you're a mudblood?"
Not knowing what that term was, Harry cocked his head to the side in confusion.
"You know, have muggle parents. Since I'm explaining it to you, you must be one."
Harry shook his head.
"Oh, you're not?" Harry shook his head again. "Half-blood?" Harry nodded. "That's alright then. Mind if I sit?"
Thinking that the boy meant next to him since he believed the boy would have noticed Angitia, he nodded. However, when the blonde went to sit across from Harry, Angitia hissed angrily when the boy's butt got too close to her face. Harry had to hold back a chuckle when the other boy jumped across the compartment to stand on the seat next to Harry. "What the bloody hell? Get it out!"
When the two large boys made a move towards the snake, Harry leaped in front of her and raised his fists. Angitia, moving quickly, surged upwards. Two thirds of her body was straight like a pillar in the air, her head on the same level as Harry's shoulder. Her mouth was open to show her black mouth and fangs and a long hissing noise escaped her.
"It's yours?"
"She," Harry muttered, not looking away from the two boys to look at the blonde boy.
"She's quite lovely. Crabbe, Goyle, she's fine." Harry relaxed when the two large boys nodded and went to stand outside. Harry carefully sat. Angitia stayed poised in the air for another few moments before she was satisfied that neither she nor Harry were going to be hurt. She lowered herself until her head rested on his knees, her eyes on the door.
"My name's Draco. Draco Malfoy." He stuck his hand out with a small smile.
Harry looked at it before slowly extending his hand. "Harry." It probably wasn't a wise decision to say his last name yet, but the boy didn't seem too bad.
Angitia didn't appreciate the boat ride up to the castle. It moved too much and made her queasy. She had hissed all of this quietly to Harry which had made him smile. Harry sat in one of the boats with Malfoy beside him. In front of the two were Crabbe and Goyle.
Once they entered the castle, Malfoy had asked him which house Harry would be in. Harry had merely shrugged, not really caring which one he ended up in. Angitia moved around until she became comfortable, hissing in happiness that there were no more 'random pieces of water' falling onto her.
"This way." Recognizing the voice, Harry looked up and saw McGonagall looking down at them. Her eyes fell on Harry for a second before moving on. She lead them up some stairs until they were in a large flat room that held more stairs and large double doors. She paused right beside the doors. "Welcome to Hogwarts. 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 something like your 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.
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. 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, 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 smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. I will return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." With that McGonagall slipped into what Harry presumed was the Great Hall.
Harry sighed, walking over to a wall and leaning against it. His eyes wandered from everyone who was talking. Malfoy was with a few other students. One was a girl with short black hair and brown eyes. Another was a boy with dark skin and the third was another boy with olive skin and blue eyes.
"Move along now. The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." When Harry looked up, McGonagall was standing in front of the doors again. She motioned them all into two different lines and she lead them into the huge room.
There were gasps from those ahead of him. Harry looked up and saw the sky on the ceiling. His feet kept moving him forward, although he had to blink a couple of times to be sure of what he saw.
The boy in front of him was called Ron, if he remembered correctly. A girl with bushy hair was on his left and the dark skinned boy that had talked with Malfoy was behind him. There were five long tables, four of which were parallel to the walls and one that was perpendicular to them. Each of the tables were mostly filled with students - the ones parallel with the walls - and the other with older looking adults starting around the age of thirty.
McGonagall paused when she made it to the table in the front. She went up the first two steps where a three footed pedestal held an old ratty hat. The woman turned around and said, "When I call your name, come and sit on the stool. I will place the hat on your head and it will sort you into your house. Abbott, Hannah."
And so the sorting began. It went: Hannah Abbott, Hufflepuff, Lavender Brown, Gryffindor, Susan Bones, Hufflepuff and so on. Harry payed attention as the kids around him went up, put the hat on, got sorted and went to sit at the table that cheered the loudest. Well, apparently the Slytherin table didn't cheer as much as clap as they clapped for no one else.
The bushy haired girl - Hermione Granger - was sorted into Ravenclaw after a long, lengthy pause. Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy were all sorted into Slytherin. The boy with blue eyes was also sorted there. A set of twins - Padma and Parvati Patil - were sorted into two different houses, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Pansy Parkinson was sorted into Slytherin and Sally-Anne Perks was soon sorted into Hufflepuff.
"Potter, Harry."
The entire hall went quiet. Every pair of eyes seemed latched on him as he walked forward. Not bothering to look at anyone in the hall, Harry sat and the hat was placed onto his head. The large hat slipped down his face until he couldn't see anything.
"Ahh, Harry Potter. You have a very interesting mind. You are very loyal to those few who earn your trust, you are very smart, you are brave and you are cunning. So where to put you?"
Harry shrugged, not caring either way. He just wanted to be in the house that will help him and his friends the most. There had to be at least one house that would help him, whether it be Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor or Slytherin.
"Ah, you are a Parselmouth, Harry Potter." Apparently it could hear what he thought because it continued on saying, "a Parselmouth is a person who can speak to snakes. A Black Mamba? Yes, you will fit in with your new house. May I meet with your snake? I should be able to understand her if I can hear her inside your head."
Not completely understanding, Harry hissed quietly, "Angitia, the hat would like to speak with you."
"Hats cannot speak."
"This one does. Come join me under it."
There was another hiss in confirmation. Quickly, his snake made her way up and her small head finally rested on Harry's. Gasps and whispers made their way around the room and Harry guessed that people saw her. "This hat is interesting."
Harry nodded his head as the hat chuckled. "It should be... SLYTHERIN!
The whole room went deadly silent again. When the hat wasn't removed right away, Harry took it off, stood up and replaced the ratty old hat back on the seat. Angitia lowered herself so she hung around his shoulders.
Keeping his head high, Harry strode over and sat next to Malfoy. The Sorting continued and Harry spent the rest of the time stroking Angitia and ignoring everyone who looked over at him.
A/N Natalia got to name Hedwig because Harry didn't really care. Hmm... so, Hermes it is... (for Hermes, a Greek God who was a messenger)