The Seven Go to Hogwarts

by RedGods

The seven of the prophecy, Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Jason Grace, Piper Mclean, Frank Zhang, Hazel Levesque, and Leo Valdez have been assigned a new mission from Chiron. Ship off to a British boarding school called Hogwarts. Their goal? Protect Harry Potter from Lord Voldemort. But when a new ally for Lord Voldemort emerges, how will The Seven and the Golden Trio cope?

10. The Sorting Ceremony

Chapter 10: Percy

Frankly, Hogwarts was a beautiful piece of architecture. Annabeth was transfixed by the castle and it's magnificent structure. Even I was impressed. Annabeth leaned over and began to whisper in my ear the structures and all the architectural terms about the castle. For once, since it was important to know and I was actually interested. For once, I listened to Annabeth's lecture. I mentally chided myself, Percy, you might be learning things, stop! I silently observed and gained knowledge about this. Everyone was staring at the castle in awe and the rest of the trip was silent, except for the rhythmic movement of the coach. We were informed by Harry that we would have to be sorted into different houses, Gryffindor for the brave, Hufflepuff for the loyal, Ravenclaw for the smart, and Slytherin for the cunning. However, Harry said that there wasn't a witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. I hoped and prayed that none of us got sorted into Slytherin, as the Slytherin and Gryffindor students loathed each other on principle and it would impede the quest if any were sorted in Slytherin.

We separated from the Golden Trio and followed the first years into the forum. We were stood before two great oak doors. We saw a stern-looking witch which I assumed was Professor McGonagall, the only other witch or wizard, other than Professor Dumbledore, who knew of us being demigods. She was scouring the room, and her eyes finally landed on us. She assumed a stern smile and walked towards us, wading through the sea of first years. Once she reached us, she whispered to us

"Demigods, now you will be sorted, right after the first years." She sternly whispered. Then she walked off to usher the first years into the Great Hall. I glanced at my friends and saw nervousness reflected in all their faces. According to Fred and George, being sorted would be a dangerous process. You would have to show your magical skills and then the teachers would judge you. According to Harry however, a hat would be placed on your head, and it would read your mind and put you in a house. I personally believed Harry as Fred and George were like Leo, always trying to joke around and mislead you. Professor McGonagall then returned and ushered us into the hall. Everyone looked flustered and I grabbed Annabeth's hand. I squeezed her hand and she gave me a kiss just as we walked in. We felt every head in the Great Hall turn towards us, but a dirty old hat became a slight distraction by bursting into song.

In times of old when I was new

And Hogwarts barely started

The founders of our noble school

Thought never to be parted:

United by a common goal,

They had the selfsame yearning,

To make the world's best magic school

And pass along their learning.

'Together we will build and teach!'

The four good friends decided

And never did they dream that they

Might some day be divided,

For were there such friends anywhere

As Slytherin and Gryffindor?

Unless it was the second pair

Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?

So how could it have gone so wrong?

How could such friendships fail?

Why, I was there and so can tell

The whole sad, sorry tale.

Said Slytherin, 'We'll teach just those

Whose ancestry is purest.'

Said Ravenclaw, 'We'll teach those whose

Intelligence is surest. '

Said Gryffindor, 'We'll teach all those

With brave deeds to their name, '

Said Hufflepuff, 'I'll teach the lot,

And treat them just the same. '

These differences caused little strife

When first they came to light,

For each of the four founders had

A house in which they might

Take only those they wanted, so,

For instance, Slytherin

Took only pure-blood wizards

Of great cunning, just like him,

And only those of sharpest mind

Were taught by Ravenclaw

While the bravest and the boldest

Went to daring Gryffindor.

Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,

And taught them all she knew,

Thus the houses and their founders

Retained friendships firm and true.

So Hogwarts worked in harmony

For several happy years,

But then discord crept among us

Feeding on our faults and fears.

The houses that, like pillars four,

Had once held up our school,

Now turned upon each other and,

Divided, sought to rule.

And for a while it seemed the school

Must meet an early end,

What with duelling and with fighting

And the clash of friend on friend

And at last there came c morning

When old Slytherin departed

And though the fighting then died out

He left us quite downhearted.

And never since the founders four

Were whittled down to three

Have the houses been united

As they once were meant to be.

And now the Sorting Hat is here

And you all know the score:

I sort you into houses

Because that is what I'm for,

But this year I'll go further,

Listen closely to my song:

Though condemned I am to split you

Still I worry that it's wrong,

Though I must fulfil my duty

And must quarter every year

Still I wonder whether Sorting

May not bring the end I fear.

Oh, know the perils, read the signs,

The warning history shows,

For our Hogwarts is in danger

From external, deadly foes

And we must unite inside her

Or we'll crumble from within

I have told you, I have warned you ...

Let the Sorting now begin.

The Hat became motionless once more; applause broke out, though it was punctured with muttering and whispers. Perhaps it was due to the hat giving a warning right at the end of the song. The sorting began, just as Harry described it with students having the hat placed on their head and then shouting the house they were placed in. The sorting began with

"Abercrombie, Euan." A terrified-looking boy stumbled forwards and put the Hat on his head; it was only prevented from falling right down to his shoulders by his very prominent ears. The Hat considered for a moment, then the rip near the brim opened again and shouted:

"Gryffindor!" Gryffindor house stood up and applauded the boy as he sat down at the table. Slowly, the long line of first years thinned and more and more people were becoming aware to our presence at the back of the Great Hall. Finally,

"Zeller, Rose" was called and Dumbledore stood up. His booming voice echoed around the room and his eyes twinkled with happiness.

"Yes, a brilliant sorting I might add. Now, many of you have noticed the seven older students standing at the back of the hall. These are American Exchange Students, coming from Mr Brunner's Academy for the Magically Gifted. They shall be sorted momentarily. They will all be joining fifth year classes and I hope that you will show them the hospitality of Hogwarts. Let the sorting restart!" Dumbledore chuckled and sat back down. McGonagall returned with another list and began to read our names.

"Chase, Annabeth," she recited. I gave Annabeth a kiss for luck and she walked up.

Annabeth:

"Yes, a brilliant sorting I might add. Now, many of you have noticed the seven older students standing at the back of the hall. These are American Exchange Students, coming from Mr Brunner's Academy for the Magically Gifted. They shall be sorted momentarily. They will all be joining fifth year classes and I hope that you will show them the hospitality of Hogwarts. Let the sorting restart!" Dumbledore chuckled and sat back down. McGonagall returned with another list and began to read our names.

"Chase, Annabeth," she recited. I turned and gave Percy an uncomfortable look. He gave me a quick kiss for luck and I started my walk up to the hat. I looked up and saw a starry night, I assumed that it was just magically projected onto the roof of the castle. It was quite extraordinary. I sat down on the three-legged stool and the hat was propped onto my head.

"Hello." A voice spoke in my mind. I assumed it was the sorting hat and replied into the hat.

"I assume you are the hat that sorts me."

"You assume correctly young demigod. It has been centuries since I sorted one of your kind. Let's see, Daughter of Athena, very good mind, but cunning to. Hubris as your fatal flaw, very ambitious. Wishes to see a monument to last a thousand years. Exceedingly brave and loyal too. Been on multiple near death quests. Retrieved the Athena Parthenos and survived Tartarus. Hmmmm. Eligible for Gryffindor, Slytherin or Ravenclaw. Your main qualities are bravery and intelligence. It's a tough choice. Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. You would be able to protect Harry Potter in both. To reach your full potential I would say."

"RAVENCLAW!" The Ravenclaw table exploded with cheers and I made my way over there. I sent Percy an apologetic look as I believed he wouldn't make it. I immediately acquainted myself with a few Ravenclaw girls, who I thought to be called, Cho Chang and Padma Patil. The Great Hall calmed down and McGonagall read the next name.

"Grace, Jason!"

Jason:

The Sorting Hat spent about three minutes sorting Annabeth, I was mentally preparing myself for it aswell. Soon, the hat called out, announcing Annabeth's house

"RAVENCLAW!" The Ravenclaw table exploded with cheers, but I saw Percy's face fall. Annabeth also shot Percy an apologetic look, they both knew that Percy probably wouldn't get into Ravenclaw. McGonagall called the next name on the list. It was mine

"Grace, Jason!" I slowly walked up to the stool. I was vaguely aware of everyone's eyes on me, specifically the girls. I turned around and saw Piper shooting a death glare towards all the girls that were watching me with a dazed expression on their face. I looked over my shoulder and shot Piper a grin, her expression softened, but she didn't stop glaring. I walked over onto the stool and sat down. I instantly heard a voice in my ear, that I thought must be the Sorting Hat.

"Another demigod eh? Hmmmm… Son of Jupiter, former Praetor of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata. Current Pontifex Maximus of Camp Jupiter. Smart, but I don't think Ravenclaw will suit you. Possibly Slytherin? You are very ambitious when it comes to the gods, but not that cunning. Slytherin would be a mistake. Hufflepuff? You are very loyal and extremely hard working. You are very noble and always do the right thing. Hufflepuff would suit you. However, your bravery might trump that. Extremely brave. Always selfless, ready to die for your friends. War Leader of Camp Jupiter. Champion of Juno, there can be no doubt in my mind now."

"GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindor table erupted with cheers and I made my way towards them. I managed to find a seat next to Harry and Hermione as many of the other Gryffindor students seemed unwilling to sit next to him. The Great Hall became eerily quiet. McGonagall called the next name,

"Jackson, Percy!"

Percy:

I knew my name was next, but that didn't stop the nerves from coming. I could fight a war, but this sorting still made me nervous. McGonagall called my name next.

"Jackson, Percy!" I walked up the lane and I felt all the eyes on me. I glanced around and saw all the girls with their eyes glazed over and drool leaking out of their mouths. The attention made me self-conscious and I glanced at Annabeth. She was glaring at all the people she could and every single time, her eyes made contact with a girl, they paled and stopped staring. I smiled at her and she gave a grin in return. I walked up to the stool and the Sorting Hat was slipped onto my head.

"Another demigod? How many of you are there?"

"After me? Four more." I stated

"Huh, Okay, sifting through all these memories is hard. Oh Wow! You live a very dangerous life. Son of Poseidon, subject of two great prophecies. Many achievements. Intelligent, but hopelessly naïve, Ravenclaw is out of the picture. Quite cunning, but not ambitious, happy with what you have. Quite stubborn, Slytherin is out aswell. Hmmm… you are extremely loyal and hard-working. Loyalty is your fatal flaw, and it gets you in trouble multiple times. You never give up on your friends. You are even loyal to the gods, even though they tried to kill you multiple times. Gave up immortality for your love, Annabeth, extremely loyal. However, Gryffindor equally suits you. Your bravery is immense and your loyalty feeds into your bravery. You slayed the minotaur when your mother's life hung in the balance. You sailed the Sea of Monsters to rescue a friend. You traveled half way across America to rescue Annabeth. You plunged into the Labyrinth for a ques. You fought in two different wars to defend your home and save the world. You even fell into Tartarus to protect to girl you love. You are the Saviour of Olympus and you are a Hero of Olympus. But, your fatal flaw is loyalty. So where to put you? Hufflepuff or Gryffindor?"

The hat stayed silent for another five minutes, staying quiet for that long was hard.

"Yes, okay, there can be no doubt in my mind now. It better be,"

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat boomed. I stood up and was greeted by a tumultuous applause from the Gryffindor table. Everyone was staring at me, possibly because I took so long to get sorted. I slid next to Jason and fist bumped him. I also greeted Harry, Hermione and Ron, who looked happy that I had joined them. McGonagall called up the next person.

"Levesque, Hazel."

Hazel:

Percy took so long to get sorted. I actually got worried that the hat wouldn't sort him, but finally, after about ten or fifteen minutes the hat shouted

"GRYFFINDOR!" and the Gryffindor table exploded. I knew mine was next and I prepared myself.

"Levesque, Hazel." Truth be told, I was really nervous. I forced it down, squeezed Frank's hand and walked up to the stool with an air of false confidence. The hat was put on my head and I heard the hat's voice in my ear.

"Only four more demigods to go. Hazel Levesque, you're supposed to be dead, daughter of Pluto. but you're not. Intelligent, but not Ravenclaw material. You go with the flow, you can control the mist, so you're slightly cunning, but Slytherin isn't for you. You have no ambitions of grandeur, so Slytherin and Ravenclaw are out. You are very brave, fighting the giant Alcyoneus, and being able to tame Arion. You even gave up Elysium for your mother, very brave. But you are exceedingly loyal. You took Frank's lifeline and protected it with your life. You would never hurt your friends and use your abilities to best help your friends. I think that the house for you is…"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The Hufflepuff table stood up and cheered for me as I wandered over. The applause died down quickly as McGonagall called the next name.

"McLean, Piper."

Piper:

Jason and Percy were in Gryffindor, Annabeth was in Ravenclaw and Hazel was in Hufflepuff. I hated to stand out. I hoped that I would be with one of them. My nervousness doubled when McGonagall called my name

"McLean, Piper!" She called. I walked over towards the stool. I hated being the center of attention and I felt the stare of many boys on my back. I turned to Jason and grinned at him. He was currently glaring at a few boys who were shooting me looks. When he saw me grinning, he grinned back, but quickly returned back to glaring and a blond boy from Hufflepuff. The hat was placed on my head and I heard the hat's voice in my ear.

"Only three more demigods to go. Well, Piper McLean, Daughter of Aphrodite. Hmmm… You are intelligent, but lack wisdom. You are also not cunning, nor are you ambitious. You prefer to sit out, use your charmspeak. Beat your enemies using subtlety and guile. You are brave and extremely loyal. You would do anything to protect your friends, and you love them with all your heart. Using this it better be."

"HUFFLEPUFF!" I got up and followed Hazel's path to the Hufflepuff table. I sat next to her and gave her a hug. I was so busy talking to Hazel that I didn't hear McGonagall. I just saw Leo bounce up to the front.

Leo:

"Valdez, Leo." I heard McGonagall say my name and I bounced up to the stool. I winked at all the girls casting me looks and started flexing. I stopped and decided I better get up there quick. I got onto the stool and the hat flopped on my head.

"Leo Valdez. Only two more demigods to go. Son of Hephaestus, Supreme Commander of the Argo II. You are very brave, loyal, intelligent and cunning. However, your cunning and your loyalty aren't what define you. So I believe Slytherin and Hufflepuff are out. You sacrificed yourself to save everyone you know to defeat Gaia. That was extremely brave of you Leo. You put your heart and soul into the Argo II and put yourself in harms way to ensure your friends safety. However, I believe that intelligence is your main characteristic. You are an inventor at heart and your use of inventions benefited The Seven in so many different ways. Your knowledge of logistics and machinery helped save Rome and helped on your quests. Your house must be…"

"RAVENCLAW!" The Ravenclaw table cheered loudly for me and I traced the path that Annabeth took and sat down next to her. I waited patiently for Mr. Zhang the shapeshifter to be called. I couldn't wait to see what house he would be in.

Frank:

I was the last person to get sorted. Yippee! I was worried about what house I would get sorted in. I really wanted to be in one of the houses with my friends. I didn't want to be in Slytherin. That would even harm the quest, I wanted to help as much as possible. McGonagall called my name

"Zhang, Frank!" and I sent a silent prayer to my dad to help me.

I walked up to the stool and sat down. The Sorting Hat was placed over my head and I heard it's voice in my ear.

"FINALLY! THE LAST DEMIGOD! THIS IS PAINFUL, SIFTING THROUGH SO MANY HORRIBLE MEMORIES! Frank Zhang. Son of Mars, but also descendant of Poseidon, ooooh. Shapeshifter. Praetor of the Twelfth Legion. Your life even depends on a burnt stick. You are cunning, but not intelligent. So Ravenclaw is out. Loyalty is very important to you, but you aren't well-coordinated and not that hard-working, so Hufflepuff is out. Mars gifts you battle instincts and you come up with cunning plans. However, Mars also gives you bravery. You were willing to die to free Thanatos, showing your true bravery. You also used your shape-shifting and battle powers to save Hazel, and you are as brave as they come. You Frank Zhang are a…"

"GRYFFINDOR!" I grinned and walked to Percy and Jason at the Gryffindor. We gave each other a quick hug and turned to face Dumbledore. Dumbledore faced us and I swear that he gave us a tiny wink.

"Now, that the sorting has officially completed, let the feast begin!" He boomed. The plates around the hall were all loaded with food and Percy's eyes bulged to the size of drachmas. He got as much food on his plate as he could, and started devouring it. Jason and I followed suit and very soon, we were too full to eat. Same with Percy. When all the students had finished eating and the noise level in the Hall was starting to creep upwards again, Dumbledore got to his feet once more. Talking ceased immediately as all turned to face the Headmaster.

'Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices,' said Dumbledore. 'First-years ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students-and a few of our older students ought to know by now, too.' (Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged smirks.) They must be troublemakers. I thought. But I ignored it

'Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four-hundred-and-sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.

'We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.'

There was a round of polite but fairly unenthusiastic applause, during which Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged slightly panicked looks; their behavior was quite weird. I wondered what they were expectingDumbledore continued, 'Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the-'

He broke off, looking enquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge cleared her throat, 'Hem, hem,' and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech.

Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. Professor Sprout's eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair and Professor McGonagall's mouth was as thin as I had ever seen it. No new teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before. Many of the students were smirking; this woman obviously did not know how things were done at Hogwarts.

'Thank you, Headmaster,' Professor Umbridge simpered, 'for those kind words of welcome.'

Her voice was high-pitched, breathy and little-girlish and, again, I felt a powerful rush of dislike that Icould not explain to myself; all he knew was that he loathed everything about her, from her stupid voice to her fluffy pink cardigan. Percy and Jason were also scowling in her direction. Annabeth, Leo, Piper, Hazel, Harry, Hermione, and Ron were also staring at her, with an expression of loathing. She gave another little throat-clearing cough ('hem, hem') and continued.

'Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!' She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. 'And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!'

I glanced around. None of the faces he could see looked happy. On the contrary, they all looked rather taken-aback at being addressed as though they were five years old.

'I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!'

Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins.

'I'll be her friend as long as I don't have to borrow that cardigan,' two girls next to me whispered, and both of them lapsed into silent giggles.

Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again ('hem, hem'), but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them.

The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching.'

Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back to her. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawklike, and I distinctly saw her exchange a significant glance with Professor Sprout as Umbridge gave another little 'hem, hem' and went on with her speech.

'Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation ...'

I was extremely bored found his attentiveness ebbing, as though his brain was slipping in and out of tune. Percy and Jason's eyes had glazed over and they were staring blankly into space. The quiet that always filled the Hall when Dumbledore was speaking was breaking up as students put their heads together, whispering and giggling. Over on the Ravenclaw table Cho Chang was chatting animatedly with her friends. A few seats along from Cho, Luna Lovegood had got out The Quibbler again. Annabeth was talking with Leo with a serious expression on her , at the Hufflepuff table Ernie Macmillan was one of the few still staring at Professor Umbridge, but he was glassy-eyed and I was sure he was only pretending to listen in an attempt to live up to the new prefect's badge gleaming on his chest. Piper and Hazel had started talking absent-mindedly about something that I had no idea about.

Professor Umbridge did not seem to notice the restlessness of her audience. I had the impression that a full-scale riot could have broken out under her nose and she would have ploughed on with her speech. The teachers, however, were still listening very attentively, and Hermione seemed to be drinking in every word Umbridge spoke, though, judging by her expression, they were not at all to her taste.

'... because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognised as errors of judgement. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited.'

She sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead, though I noticed that several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again.

'Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating,' he said, bowing to her. 'Now, as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held ...'

'Yes, it certainly was illuminating,' said Hermione in a low voice.

'You're not telling me you enjoyed it?' Ron said quietly, turning a glazed face towards Hermione. 'That was about the dullest speech I've ever heard, and I grew up with Percy.' Percy snapped his head around and glared at Ron. "Not you Percy, like my brother Percy."

'I said illuminating, not enjoyable,' said Hermione. 'It explained a lot.'

'Did it?' said Jason in surprise. 'Sounded like a load of waffle to me.'

There was some important stuff hidden in the waffle,' said Hermione grimly.

'Was there?' said Ron blankly.

'How about: "progress for progress's sake must be discouraged"? How about: "pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited"?'

'Well, what does that mean?' said Ron impatiently.

'I'll tell you what it means,' said Hermione through gritted teeth. 'It means the Ministry's interfering at Hogwarts.' We were all deep in conversation that we hadn't noticed that Dumbledore had dismissed the school and everyone was leaving their seats. I signed to Hazel and shot her a look, We need to talk. She nodded like she understood and whispered something to Piper, who also nodded. Hermione's eyebrows shot up and whispered to Ron, something about prefect duties. They hurried off and Hermione shouted

"First Years! First years follow me." Ron grumbled and followed her example, calling out to the first years. Harry, Jason, Percy and I remained at the table, while the rest of the Seven walked towards us.

"Guys? Did you understand that speech?" Piper asked. Everyone shook their head except Annabeth who recited

"The Ministry of Magic is interfering at Hogwarts. They're trying to do something to change the school." Percy turned around and looked at Harry, didn't you say that Umbridge woman was at your hearing?

"Yeah, she works for Fudge, the Ministry is trying to change something." Annabeth caught the eye of the last few students leaving the great hall and exclaimed

"Everyone, get to your dormitories, we'll talk about this tomorrow." She turned to run, but Percy caught her and kissed her. They hugged and she and Leo ran off. The rest of us ran off in our intended directions as well. We walked up many moving staircases and through empty upstairs corridors. The few people we did see pointed and whispered in Harry's direction, and Harry seemed to be containing his anger as he marched up. Harry finally stopped in front of a picture of an enormous fat lady, according to Harry who was called The Fat Lady.

"Password?" She inquired

"Errr…, I don't know the password." Harry replied.

"No password, no entry." She said, loftily.

"Guys! I know it!" Someone panted behind us and we turned to see Neville jogging towards him.

"Guess what it is?" He panted. We all shrugged and he responded. "Mimblus Mimbletonia!" He shouted, towards the Fat Lady.

"Correct." She swung open, revealing a circular hole in the wall and we all climbed in. The Gryffindor common room looked very comfortable, with cosy armchairs littered around the room and a fire, flickering warmly by the fireplace. Ron came down and greeted up.

"Guys, you three will be sharing with us. It's Neville, Seamus, Dean, Harry, Me, Percy, Jason, and Frank!" Ron said, beaming.

"Perfect!" Harry exclaimed. We followed them up the stairs. We entered the dormitory and saw eight spacious beds, looking extremely comfortable littered about the room.

"Am I seeing double? Or are there two Harrys? Except one's more muscular?" The black haired boy said. Percy laughed,

"No. I'm Percy Jackson, this is Jason Grace and this is Frank Zhang." He said, indicating each of us. "I assume you're Dean, and you're Seamus?" They both nodded and welcomed us in.

Harry:

'Hey, Harry,' said Dean, who was putting on a pair of pyjamas in the West Ham colours. 'Good holiday?'

'Not bad,' I muttered, as a true account of his holiday would have taken most of the night to relate and I could not face it. 'You?'

'Yeah, it was OK,' chuckled Dean. 'Better than Seamus's, anyway, he was just telling me.'

'Why, what happened, Seamus?' Neville asked as he placed his Mimbuius mimbletonia tenderly on his bedside cabinet.

Seamus did not answer immediately; he was making rather a meal of ensuring that his poster of the Kenmare Kestrels Quidditch team was quite straight. Then he said, with his back still turned to Harry, 'Me mam didn't want me to come back.'

'What?' said Harry, pausing in the act of pulling off his robes.

'She didn't want me to come back to Hogwarts.'

Seamus turned away from his poster and pulled his own pyjamas out of his trunk, still not looking at me.

'But-why?' I said, astonished. He knew that Seamus's mother was a witch and could not understand, therefore, why she should have come over so Dursleyish.

Seamus did not answer until he had finished buttoning his pyjamas.

'Well,' he said in a measured voice, 'I suppose ... because of you.'

'What d'you mean?' I said quickly.

My heart was beating rather fast. I felt vaguely as though something was closing in on him.

'Well,' said Seamus again, still avoiding my eye, she ... er ... well, it's not just you, it's Dumbledore, too ...'

'She believes the Daily Prophet?' I said. 'She thinks I'm a liar and Dumbledore's an old fool?'

Seamus looked up at me

'Yeah, something like that.'

I said nothing. I threw my wand down on to his bedside table, pulled off my robes, stuffed them angrily into my trunk and pulled on my pyjamas. I was sick of it: sick of being the person who is stared at and talked about all the time. If any of them knew, if any of them had the faintest idea what it felt like to be the one all these things had happened to ... Mrs. Finnigan had no idea, the stupid woman, I thought savagely. Jason, Frank and Percy stared at us blankly, watching the conversation unfold.

I got into bed and made to pull the hangings closed around him, but before he could do so, Seamus said, 'Look ... what did happen that night when ... you know, when ... with Cedric Diggory and all?'

Seamus sounded nervous and eager at the same time. Dean, who had been bending over his trunk trying to retrieve a slipper, went oddly still and I knew he was listening hard.

'What are you asking me for?' I retorted. 'Just read the Daily Prophet like your mother, why don't you? That'll tell you all you need to know.'

'Don't you have a go at my mother,' Seamus snapped.

'I'll have a go at anyone who calls me a liar,' I said

'Don't talk to me like that!'

'I'll talk to you how I want,' I said, my temper rising so fast that I snatched my wand back from my bedside table. 'If you've got a problem sharing a dormitory with me, go and ask McGonagall if you can be moved ... stop your mummy worrying- '

'Leave my mother out of this, Potter!'

"STOP!" Ron shouted.

'He's having a go at my mother!' Seamus yelled.

"Serves you right for believing the damned Prophet Seamus!"

'You know what?' said Seamus heatedly, casting me a venomous look. 'He's right, I don't want to share a dormitory with him any more, he's mad.'

'That's out of order, Seamus,' said Ron, whose ears were starting to glow red-always a danger sign.

'Out of order, am I?' shouted Seamus, who in contrast with Ron was going pale. 'You believe all the rubbish he's come out with about You-Know-Who, do you, you reckon he's telling the truth?'

'Yeah, I do!' said Ron angrily. Percy, Jason, and Frank also rushed to my defence.

"He's telling the truth Seamus, you have to believe him." Seamus scowled at them,

'Then you're all mad, too,' said Seamus in disgust.

'Yeah? Well, unfortunately for you, pal, I'm also a prefect!' said Ron, jabbing himself in the chest with a finger. 'So unless you want detention, watch your mouth!'

Seamus looked for a few seconds as though detention would be a reasonable price to pay to say what was going through his mind; but with a noise of contempt he turned on his heel, vaulted into bed and pulled the hangings shut with such violence that they were ripped from the bed and fell in a dusty pile to the floor. Ron glared at Seamus, then looked at Dean and Neville.

'Anyone else's parents got a problem with Harry?' he said aggressively. Dean shook his head and replied

"My parents are muggles, mate. I'm not stupid enough to tell them what's going on."

"My gran says that the Prophet's the one going downhill, not Dumbledore, we believe you Harry." My heart swelled with pride and I nodded in Neville's direction

"Thanks." Nobody else said anything after that. The Americans also unpacked in silence and flopped onto the bed aswell. I heard their faint snoring, realizing they had rocked off to sleep almost instantly. I lay back on my pillows while Ron bustled around the next bed, putting his things away. I fell, shaken by the argument with Seamus, whom I had always liked very much. How many more people were going to suggest that I was lying, or unhinged?

Had Dumbledore suffered like this all summer, as first the Wizengamot, then the International Confederation of Wizards had thrown him from their ranks? Was it anger at me, perhaps, that had stopped Dumbledore getting in touch with him for months? The two of them were in this together, after all; Dumbledore had believed me, announced his version of events to the whole school and then to the wider wizarding community. Anyone who thought I was a liar had to think that Dumbledore was, too. I continued to think about it until at some point I must've fallen asleep. I was worried for what the next day would hold.

There, the chapter you have all been waiting for. The Sorting Ceremony!

Let's recap

Annabeth: Ravenclaw, for her wit and intelligence. I almost put her in Slytherin, but I felt that her wisdom trumped her cunning.

Jason: Gryffindor, he is brave right to the very end. Possibly Hufflepuff? But he's the son of Jupiter, he is extremely brave, that beats his hard-working attitude.

Percy: Gryffindor. I almost put him in Hufflepuff. So nearly. I had to rewrite a bit as I initially put him in Hufflepuff. I ended him in Gryffindor as his loyalty feeds into his bravery and therefore, strengthens it. It was really close between the two though.

Hazel: Hufflepuff. She is extremely loyal and would risk her life for her friends. She doesn't really display an extreme case of bravery (unless you count the Doors of Death scene) so I placed her in Hufflepuff as she would do anything for her friends.

Piper: Hufflepuff. I wasn't too sure about her to be honest. I decided on Hufflepuff due to the bonds she creates with all the seven, linking up with everyone. She also works hard at her task, trying everything she can to achieve her goal.

Leo: Ravenclaw. He is an inventor at heart. His vast knowledge of machinery and the ability to apply this knowledge to a wide range of scenarios is what put him in Ravenclaw for me.

Frank: Gryffindor. Simple, Frank could've gone anywhere. He has all the characteristics, but I settled on Gryffindor as I felt that best suited him. He was ready to kill himself for the greater good. You can't expect more than that.

By the way, all of them could've made Gryffindor, I just wanted a bit of variety. I myself am a Ravenclaw, tell me what house you are in, help me out by reviewing. Let's close in on 2000 views. Love you all and see ya! By the way, I also but bits and pieces of the book in there, I am not J.K Rowling so don't kill me for copying a few pieces.

~RedGods