McGonagall looked as strict as ever as her eyes wandered over the students briefly, though if Harry wasn't seeing things he thought he saw her eyes light up a tad when she looked at him and Hermione.
"Everyone, please follow me and don't dawdle." She instructed firmly, instantly commanding respect which she gained easily as if she had cast a spell over them. As amusing a thought that was considering where they were, Harry knew it wasn't accurate. She was just good at commanding an audience.
She turned on her heel and walked into the castle, heading for a flight of stairs. The students followed quickly, not wishing to get on the woman's bad side. They climbed up some more stairs and came upon an entrance hall so wide Harry was sure he could fit three houses in it and still have room left over, assuming they were all the same size as his own. There was a large marble staircase leading to the upper floors.
There was another large door and they could hear a lot of voices carrying through from the other side, no doubt the rest of the students who had already arrived. McGonagall did not take them to the other students, however, instead bringing them all into a small side chamber which was a tad cramped once the entire group was within.
McGonagall found her way to the front and gained their attention quickly with a simple clearing of her throat. "Attention, all of you. Welcome to Hogwarts." She said, though she never smiled, fixing each and everyone one of them with her stern gaze instead briefly. "The start-of-term banquet will be starting shortly, however before that, we must first find out which house you will be in and thus, where you shall be sitting. The sorting ceremony is a long-held tradition of Hogwarts and no doubt those of you who have grown up in wizarding families and those who have read up on their history books will be aware of the ceremony, if not what it entails."
That got all the first years looking between each other briefly, wondering just what exactly they were about to encounter. McGonagall continued her speech, pulling their attention back to her.
"While you are in this castle and attending this school, your house will be something like your family. You will attend classes with those in your house, you will spend time in your houses common room, you will share a dormitory with housemates of your year and you will earn your house points via your triumphs and particular acts worthy of such a reward, while rule-breaking, foolishness and general buffoonery are liable to lose you points." She said, a glint in her eyes promising those who fell into the latter category a quick retribution. "At the end of the year, when all house points are tallied up, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup which has long been considered a great honour. I hope you will make each of your houses proud to have you as one of them, wherever you end up. The ceremony will begin in a few moments now, in front of the other students. I'd recommend smartening yourselves up as much as possible."
Her eyes roamed over every individual student as she said that last line, as if scrutinizing them all for the tiniest flaws, inspiring a sudden wave of last second adjustments. Some people adjusted their robes, Ron quickly wiped his face, Harry tried to flatten out his hair a bit, Hermione fixed a strap in her cloak that had been somewhat uneven.
Even the best looking amongst them were doing something. Harry spotted Daphne altering her hair, not that he really thought it was necessary. She looked great without the change anyways. The only ones who didn't were Malfoy and his bodyguards, the latter because they didn't seem to know what smarten meant, while Malfoy was sneering with a confident smirk on his pale face completely unaware of the crumbs from a pumpkin pasty dirtying his upper lip.
"I shall return when we are ready for you," McGonagall assured them all before leaving into the next room on her own. Chatter instantly broke out amongst the first years. Harry elected to merely listen for the moment.
"How do we get sorted anyways? Does anyone know?" A tall black boy had wondered, looking around the others. Ron was the one who answered.
"Some sort of test I think. My brother said it hurts a lot but he usually jokes about that kind of thing," the redhead said. "Trying to get me all jumpy, going on about fighting a troll."
"I doubt a troll would be allowed in the school," a girl with red hair in a plait said, though she looked nervous. A blonde girl with a pink face and pigtails let out a frightened squeak. She was a tad on the pudgy side but in the cute way that was normal for most children instead of the revolting way Harry vividly remembered Dudley being even now. Something that took up that much of your line of sight didn't easily leave your mind. "A test does sound a bit more reasonable though."
Some people looked slightly at ease at hearing that, such as a brown short-haired boy with his fringe swept to either side who had square glasses and dark black eyes while several other people—such as the round-faced boy who had joined the Granger siblings boat, looked nervous.
Hermione, falling into one of her nervous habits Harry had learned to recognize, began listing off incantations under her breath to try and calm her nerves and remind herself she knew what she was doing. Harry had been very nervous as well for a few moments before he'd remembered he had a distinct advantage over everyone if he needed to use magic.
And that realization had helped him calm down enough to realize it almost definitely didn't matter anyways. The teachers had never specified in the letter a certain book to read, so why would they expect them to know the exact things needed for a test? No reasonable educator would expect the children to have definitely read every book without any guidance on which one they'd need for a test that the muggleborns would have no knowledge of.
No, it had to be something other than spellcasting, especially as spells would have very little to do with personality, which was clearly the real key component in whatever it was they were about to do. After all, McGonagall had explained the houses valued certain traits related to one's personality, not their magic.
Perhaps they would be given a quiz on how they would respond to certain scenarios, based on a variety of options and those options would be tallied up to determine which house fit them best?
It seemed something of a sensible approach yet Harry doubted it. It seemed far too scientific and rigid and not very magical at all. The very first experience with a school of magic probably should be some kind of magic, so chances are it would be something else. Maybe they'd have spells cast on them in front of a watching audience?
He was brought out his thoughts by some screams. He felt Hermione grab his hand and he quickly squeezed hers in reassurance as he turned around to see what was going on, before gasping.
White as a pearl and somewhat translucent, twenty figures floated through the walls, just like ghosts. Which, if Harry had to guess, they probably were!
"Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance—" A short and fat monk looking ghost was talking, only to be interrupted by a ghost in a ruff and tights.
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost—I say, what are you all doing here?"
Nobody answered when the ghost in tights suddenly interrupted himself to ask, having noticed them all.
"New students!" The monk-like ghost cried out happily, smiling at them all. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"
A few people nodded quietly, stunned at the sight. Harry focused more on the words than the spectacle for the moment. The ghost in tights had been surprised to see new students? Was he a new ghost or was this a routine? Or perhaps ghosts were on repeat in their actions? Perhaps an illusion—he shook his head as he realized he was falling into what he affectionately called 'Hermione' mode.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."
Before anyone could respond, the sharp voice of McGonagall suddenly had everyone whirling back around again to see her in the doorway. "The ceremony is about to begin. Everyone form a line, single file, and follow me."
They all rushed to do as they were told, Hermione stepping behind her brother and Ron in front of him. Daphne was a few people forward, the black boy from before just behind her and the red and blonde haired girls right at the front. The boy with square glasses was two students behind Hermione.
The ghosts all floated away through the walls as the students did this.
They walked out the chamber and across the hall to a set of double doors which McGonagall opened with a wave of her wand, leading the first years down the hall at a steady march. It was a marvellous place to behold, four long tables going all the way from one end of the hall to another, where one last smaller table spanned the width of the hall instead of the length, where all the staff seemed to be sat. The lighting seemed to be coming from the thousands of candles up above that were floating magically in a similar fashion to the objects Harry used his telekinesis on, though this seemed to be without anyone putting a constant focus on it like Harry would have to and the wax didn't drip from the candles, so no one was being covered in melted wax, which was also good. On the tables themselves, there were hundreds upon hundreds of golden plates, cutlery, and goblets.
All around, older students from second to seventh year all looked at the younger students joining them, whispering about them. Well, some were whispering, some were louder such as the twins who quickly attracted the attention of their brother as well as Harry and Hermione. The younger set of siblings gave awkward waves the twins returned with bright, jaunty smiles.
Soon they reached the front where McGonagall had them all stop as she went to get an item. While she was distracted Harry's eyes briefly turned skyward, noticing the seeming lack of a ceiling, the endless expanse of the night sky, and the stars twinkling above them. It was exceptionally clear, just as it had been outside.
"It's not really open," Hermione whispered quietly. "It's—"
"Charmed to look like it. We read the same books, 'Mione." He reminded her in an equally quiet and also very amused whisper, watching her turn pink slightly. He knew the only reason she didn't smack him was because they were in front of so many people, which just made him have to fight a smirk off his face.
McGonagall came back and put down a four-legged stool in front of them all, on top of which she set down a pointed wizards hat, that was extremely dirty as well as patchy and frayed. It looked like parts of other hats had been glued on to repair it.
Harry wondered what the purpose of it was. He was almost certain it was charmed. He could sense a trickle of something in the air, just like his own telekinesis but belonging to someone else when it was settled down. The question is what was it charmed to do?
He got at least one answer when suddenly, it twitched and then a rip near the brim of the hat opened wide, starting a loud though slow song.
"Let me tell you a story;
Oh, you may say 'Don't bore me'
But it's important we have this chat,
For I am the sorting hat!
You see, once upon a time
In a world of magic so good it ought to be a crime,
There lived two young wizards and a duo of witches,
With magic so mighty and wits quicker than snitches!
Godric Gryffindor the brave,
Who one could never quite get to behave!
Rowena Ravenclaw the wise,
Possibly the most well respected before her demise!
Helga Hufflepuff the kind,
Willing to nurture any student's mind!
And Salazar Slytherin the cunning,
With magical prowess so stunning!
Well they started a school for the children of magic,
They considered a lack of education quite tragic;
That was how when their times had passed I came to be,
The one to continue on their wishes and legacies, that's me!
So step up now and try me on,
Let's see what traits I shall come upon!
Are you brave like old Godric?
Or like Helga is fairness your forte?
Will you join Salazar as someone slick?
Or like Rowena, is it knowledge that will make you stay?
Don't be shy now, there's only one way to learn where you should go,
I will know when you put me upon your head every con and pro,
Put me on and sit down here where I am sat,
I'll tell you where you'll go, for I am the sorting hat!"
Once it was obvious the song was over the entire hall burst into applause, the hat bowing to each of the four tables before going still again. The first years traded amazed looks and Ron let out a quiet sigh of relief. "No troll then."
Harry chuckled quietly at that as McGonagall stood to the side of the stool, unfurling a parchment. "Now then. When I call your name, you will come up here, sit down, and have the hat placed upon its head. When it calls out your house, you will go sit down with them. Abbot, Hannah!"
The blonde girl with the pink face from before quickly stumbled over, sitting down. McGonagall placed the hat on her head. It fell down past her eyes and after a moments pause—
"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat bellowed. Hannah took the hat off, quickly rushing to a table that was cheering loudest which was the innermost table on Harry's right, while the others all politely applauded. Several older students welcomed the blonde girl to their table warmly. The Hufflepuff ghost looked ecstatic.
"Bitterwood, Archie!"
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat cried after a boy with long brown hair had put it on. The table that was the absolute farthest to Harry's right, beside the Hufflepuffs, exploded with the loudest cheers Harry had ever heard in his life as the boy made his way over to them, being pulled into a seat beside a red-head who looked suspiciously like a fourth Weasley.
"Bones, Susan!" it was the girl with red hair in a plait who walked up this time, fitting the hat a bit better than the previous girl.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" The sorting hat cried out once more and Susan rushed to join the same table, sitting opposite Hannah.
"Boot, Terry!"
It was the boy with the square glasses and brown hair who headed out next, and he'd only been under the hat for a few moments before it made its decision.
"RAVENCLAW!"
The Ravenclaw table, which was the other innermost table on Harry's left, was more dignified in its response than the other two houses yet still very loud, clapping and gesturing for the boy to join him. When he did he quickly got swept up having to give handshakes.
"Bragge, Helena!" Had come next and after a good few minutes of waiting found herself joining—
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Brocklehurst, Mandy came next, becoming the next Ravenclaw and she was followed by another Gryffindor in Brown, Lavender, who the Weasley twins started catcalling for.
"Bulstrode, Millicent!" however had become the first—
"SLYTHERIN!" Causing the furthermost table on Harry's left to cheer, inviting her over. Harry frowned a tad when he looked at them, most of them weren't as fortunate as Daphne or admittedly Draco in their looks. Pureblood in-breeding he was certain, having read it was a badly kept secret in the wizarding world.
Buttons, Olivia became yet another Hufflepuff, followed by Corner, Michael and Cornfoot, Stephen as Ravenclaws. Crabbe, Vincent was called and one of Malfoys bodyguard went up, being placed into Slytherin after a minute of debate from the hat and he'd been followed immediately by another Slytherin in Davis, Tracey who looked less mean than most of her house, being just an ordinary looking girl with brown hair in a bob cut, being held up by a headband.
As Dunbar, Fey was sorted into Gryffindor, Harry finally noticed another small nervous habit Hermione had. A much harder to notice one than her muttering if you weren't paying distinct attention to her. She'd begun very quietly stamping her feet on the floor, trying to get the nerves out. Harry couldn't blame her, the 'test' clearly wasn't anything difficult but being put on display in front of so many people couldn't be fun. He grabbed her hand and gave it a quick squeeze to reassure her. She shot him a grateful smile. ("Entwhistle, Kevin!" "RAVENCLAW!")
He let his own mind wander as Justin Finch-Fletchley became another Hufflepuff. He was starting to understand slightly why there might be some friction between the houses other than people being competitive, though certainly the houses competing in a yearly tournament likely didn't help. ("Finnegan, Seamus!" "GRYFFINDOR!"). After all, they were told these were the traits the founders valued, so even though it had never been said Harry couldn't help but wonder if people assumed that meant they thought all members of a house were the same way. That all Gryffindors would value bravery above all, not just have it as a trait, and likewise with traits for the other houses. He could see how some people might not see the appeal then if they found certain traits undesirable, though Harry didn't see anything wrong with the traits of all of the houses, himself. ("Goldstein, Anthony!" "RAVENCLAW!")
Harry's thoughts turned once more to what house he might be about to end up in as Goyle, Gregory hopped onto the stool. He knew his parents were in Gryffindor but was that truly right for him? Of course, he'd be so happy to share a house with them but the past wouldn't affect him as much as the future would, and if Gryffindor was not the right house to nurture him… Well, he couldn't really decide which house he'd prefer to be in. They all had their own appeal, even if he wasn't entirely keen on having to sit near Crabbe, nor Goyle who just got sorted into Slytherin as well. And considering they were on the G names…
"Granger, Hermione!" McGonagall called, eyes darting to the girl who quickly strode over with more quiet confidence than she probably realized, putting on a brave face as the hat dropped atop her. Harry smiled, waiting. No matter where she went, she'd have his support, whether that was in Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Hufflepuff or-
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The hollers from the Gryffindor table were once again eardrum bursting levels of loud as Hermione rushed over to join them, beaming with pride. Harry shot her a massive smile and a thumbs up which she returned and the twins, especially were cheering like crazy, though most people looked at them confused not understanding why.
"They're going to freak out when they find out." Harry heard Ron laugh quietly under his breath, referring to the Gryffindors. Harry, despite still being very confused about his fame, felt his lips twitch at that. He had to admit imagining the shocked faces was kind of funny.
"Greengrass, Daphne!"
And following on immediately from Hermione was Daphne. Harry watched on intently, very curious about the girl's sorting. It wasn't a fast one at all, she sat there for perhaps a good five minutes, a hand idly clutching at the stool.
Everyone seemed to lean in the longer It took, eagerly awaiting the result of a long sorting. Finally, the hat opened its torn mouth again. "SLYTHERIN!"
Daphne took the hat off and beamed as she headed to the table, however, anyone who truly paid attention would notice before the happy smile her eyes had darted between Hermione at the Gryffindor table and Harry in the crowd and for the briefest seconds, there had been a sad and apologetic look in her eyes before she walked off, being taken in by the Slytherins. Harry couldn't help but notice she didn't seem as eager as the others to meet her housemates.
After that, Harry let his mind wander again as Hopkins, Wayne became yet another Hufflepuff, as did Jones, Megan. He had an extra point to Slytherin now with Daphne being there, but his sister was in Gryffindor just as his parents had been. That was a lot to tip the scales in favour of wanting to join the house, though he couldn't deny it was mostly because he could be with his sister that way. ("Li, Su!" "RAVENCLAW!")
The round-faced boy went up next when "Longbottom, Neville!" was called out. He was another one who took some time to sort, though not as long as Daphne did. Despite his nervous quaking and the fact he looked like a butterfly could frighten him into running for his life at the moment, the hat made it's choice quite clear with its loud voice. "GRYFFINDOR!"
Something in the boy visibly relaxed when that was called as he rushed off to the table. In fact, it relaxed him too much as he forgot he was still wearing the hat and had to come jogging back with a crimson face to give the hat back. Harry could have sworn he saw the corner of McGonagall's lips twitch into a very brief amused smile.
After that came Macdougal, Morag ("RAVENCLAW!") and Macmillan, Ernie ("HUFFLEPUFF!") before another recognizable face went up. It wasn't recognizable for good reasons, however.
"Malfoy, Draco!"
Draco sauntered over with a smug look on his face, one which only grew when the hat had barely been on his head for a total of three seconds before it bellowed out "SLYTHERIN!" with conviction.
He was followed by another Slytherin in Parkinson, Pansy who immediately followed the pale boy and sat beside him. Harry had to resist the urge to laugh when he saw Draco try to slide away only to slide right into the ghost at the Slytherin table (one covered in blood it would seem), making him shudder violently.
Two twin girls sharing the name Patil had gone up next and had been split up, with Padma going to Ravenclaw and Parvati going to Gryffindor. Once Parvati sat down, the hall turned back and McGonagall had clearly paused for a moment.
If one looked closely, she was clearly bracing, and Harry knew in that moment who was next.
"Potter-Granger, Harry!"
In an instant, a hush fell over the room as whispering broke out all around as Harry slowly approached the hat.
"Potter? The Harry Potter?!"
"She said Potter-Granger? Maybe it's a coincidence- no, he has the scar, I can see it!"
"It is Harry Potter! Why is his name different?"
"Hey, wasn't that Hermione girl called Granger as well?!"
For a brief moment, all eyes turned to Hermione just as Harry sat down, making the girl go red. The twins seemed to see this as their chance and said, in a whisper that still seemed to echo around the hall. "We got Potter's sister!"
The effect was instantaneous. Shocked gasps and widened eyes all around, eyebrows shooting well above hairlines and people looking ready to faint with shock.
"Harry Potter has a sister now?!"
"The Granger family must have adopted him! Who are the Grangers though?"
"Don't sound like any purebloods I know…"
"Maybe he was raised with muggles?"
"The Harry Potter, raised by muggles?! Don't be daft—"
"Silence!" McGonagall shouted, before nodding for Harry to put the hat on. He sighed in relief that she had quickly gotten the hall under control and put the hat on his head. It fell down his eyes and he was met with blackness as his vision was obscured.
Then a small voice appeared in his ear. "Oh I have been waiting a long while to sort you, young man… but so curious, this is. I knew you'd been coming and though I knew never to assume for sure where a student will go, I had been so confident… ah, but never mind that. You are a difficult young man. Difficult in a way I have not had to contend with in a long time…"
Harry gulped. Was that bad?
"Not at all, in fact, it speaks to your character in quite a positive way, for I cannot distinguish for sure where you should go. Even more curiously and much more amazingly, I cannot determine where you should not go, which is a rare sight indeed. You possess a brave heart and the will to do what is right, yet Godric's house does not smother what else I see. A thirst to learn worthy of any Ravenclaw, a desire to be the best there can be with the talents you have and oh my, what talents they are Mister Potter. Yet again, you also display quite clearly the will to put in the hard work, a soul that requires justice to be dealt fairly. Perhaps not the most patient when it comes to your family yet you show promise to mature. You even show a clear willingness to play dirty, to cheat even, when it is the best course of action to take. When you find yourself confronted with the need to achieve your goals being far more important than fair play, you show a cunning side especially within how you think. You even show a grand amount of ambition, for I can see you picture quite the potential future. It is rare to see someone with a desire to become powerful, who is so ambitious and Slytherin-like, who does not show any ill will in how they wish to use it."
Harry hadn't noticed how hard he'd begun to grip the stool as the hat gave its monologue to him. What did this mean? He had traits of all four houses?
"Yes, you do. Quite a lot in fact, that makes it difficult to decide which is the right path to choose…"
'But, isn't everyone this complicated to some degree? Shouldn't they have all sorts of traits?'
"Indeed they do, young wizard. Many show signs of being suited to two and sometimes even three houses, like some of the witches and wizards who preceded you a few mere moments ago. Rarely though do they show they may be suited to all four houses, it is something that only happened once in the founder's time and it caused quite a riot amongst them." The voice said in its croaky voice, clearly thoughtful. "Yes indeed, you could go to any of the houses."
Harry's heart gave a sudden jump. Would the hat let him choose a house then?
"You would ask for Gryffindor to join your sister, wouldn't you?" Harry nodded sheepishly. "Yes, I had foreseen that as I sorted her. Had you come before her I'd have asked you to stand aside so I could sort her first before coming back to you. Perhaps then I might even have already sorted you into the house of Godric, yet I must pause for thought. You must understand, young wizard, you contain an equal part of the four houses within you. No single one outshines the rest, though that does not mean you do not possess them all and in good measure. A few have come before you, but they had some traits that helped me realize quickly and in a timely fashion some houses would not suit them but you young man… I can foresee you excelling no matter where I put you. The question is how?"
'How?'
"On one path, I see a future warrior, respected fiercely even by the most powerful witches and wizards. Another, I see a leader who will help all with a crafty side to ensure that foul play will never happen under his domain. Yet in another, I see a wise healer who might come forth… and these are mere simple possibilities of thousands, far beyond what I see when I am usually placed on a student's head, and that is no small feat to manage."
Harry could hear whispering from the students all around. How long had he been under here now? The hat had gone silent after its last statement and hadn't spoken again in quite a while.
It had to have been at least ten minutes since he'd first put the hat on…
He was startled when it spoke up again.
"I have made up my mind and I may only hope my choices are right. Your loyalty to your sister is admirable and speaks to your relationship, it is a strong bond but I sense a single weakness." Harry felt confused. "You latched onto her at a young age and you never truly bonded with another outside your family since then. No… I see a future, Mister Potter. I see a future that may perhaps be the best thing that could ever happen to Hogwarts since the founders themselves fell apart, but this future will rest on your shoulders and your development."
'What future?'
"I am afraid I should not say, I do not wish to alter the course by accident. However, for it, you must excel in areas beyond magic. Areas you will never begin to move on from if you are forced to be stuck to your sister all the time. No, Gryffindor is not the place for you. Nor will you be able to do this work if you are suffering from a negative view from those around you and to be surrounded by books would be to waste your practical talents. No, Mister Potter, for the best future I can foresee you bringing for us all, it had better be…"
There was a tense moment of silence.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The hat was taken off Harry's head and instead of being met with the usual applause or cheers, he was met with silence. Not a bad silence, merely a stunned one, as everyone looked at him in shock. He could see there was not a single set of eyes that hadn't gone wide unless that weren't first years.
Then, as what just happened clicked into place for them, the Hufflepuff table went wild, cheering intensely and stamping their feet in delight, while the other houses began to applaud lightly, still stunned at what just occurred.
Harry hurried to his table, finding a seat beside the very first Hufflepuff who had been sorted, Hannah Abbot, shaking hands with a few people who welcomed him over.
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" A tall, handsome third year with grey eyes said with a grin, shaking Harry's hand. "Cedric Diggory. Welcome to Hufflepuff, Potter!"
"Harry, please." He said shyly. "I prefer Potter-Granger and I know that's a mouthful."
The others around them nodded their understanding before turning their attention back to the ceremony for the moment out of politeness. Harry himself briefly exchanged a somewhat sad smile with Hermione, who looked a bit disappointed herself. They had hoped to be in the same house but it seemed that was not to be, though both knew they wouldn't let this stop them from spending as much time together as they could outside of classes.
Harry turned his gaze back to the front, it was still quiet. It took McGonagall a moment to recover, she had actually been gaping. It was quite surprising to see the usually stern-looking witch look so surprised before she composed herself.
Behind her, a very short professor was climbing back into his chair. The headmaster himself—who Harry was admittedly pleased to see—looked like he'd just been told the sky had turned to chocolate pudding, while next to him, a small squat witch with short wavy grey hair was positively beaming at this turn of events. Her smile somehow grew wider when the next student, Rivers, Juliet, also became a Hufflepuff. Silverberry, Jeremiah followed her becoming a Slytherin, as did Stagheart, Azolia who came after him.
The black boy from the entrance hall had come up after that, responding to Thomas, Dean and being sorted into Gryffindor. Turner, Jason was the last Hufflepuff and Turpin, Lisa followed as the last Ravenclaw to be sorted.
"Weasley, Ronald!"
Ron walked up, sitting down and wearing the hat for only a brief few moments before the hat had roared that he should be: "GRYFFINDOR!"
Ron had taken the hat off and immediately rushed to the table, sliding in between Hermione and one of the twins. Harry gave him a nod and a grin which he returned. He'd gotten the house he wanted.
The only student left walked up as "Zabini, Blaise!" was called out and he was very quickly sorted into "SLYTHERIN!"
With that, the boy ran off to join his fellow Slytherins while McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the stool and hat away. Harry took this moment to actually inspect the table up above now that there was nothing else to focus on.
Hagrid had joined when Harry hadn't been looking and was quite noticeable as the tallest amongst the staff, sitting at one end of the table. The squat witch Harry had seen before seemed to be beaming as bright as the sun now while the very short wizard from before seemed to be chuckling away to himself about something. The headmaster himself Harry only just noticed was not on a normal chair but one made of gold, like a throne. He briefly met Harry's eyes and the boy could swear he saw a twinkle in them before the man stood up, managing to instantly garner everyone's attention.
"Welcome, welcome everyone. Nothing makes me quite as happy as to see this school filled up with so many bright and promising young wizards and witches." He smiled kindly, in a grandfatherly fashion. "Before we begin our feast, I would first just like to say a few quick words. Here they are; Nitwit, Oddment, Blubber, Tweak! Thank you, now you may eat."
Harry blinked. The man hadn't gotten any less bizarre then. Here Harry had been wondering if he'd just imagined the old wizard's eccentricity as a child but clearly not.
He turned his attention back to the table as did many of the other students and the first years all gasped as they realized the term feast was certainly correct, all sorts of food appearing before them out of thin air. Pretty much every kind of food Harry could think of being a commonplace dish in the U.K. was sat upon the table, just waiting to be devoured from roast beef to bacon and steak and from Yorkshire pudding to lamb chops!
Harry would have drooled if he didn't have better table manners than that, the settled feeling he'd had in his stomach since the sweets earlier quickly disappearing. Everyone moved to eat as the headmaster sat down and soon enough conversations began erupting all around, though, Harry was well aware there were more eyes on him than just those he might be talking to.
Personally, though, he elected to focus on getting to know the people in his year he'd be spending the year with, starting with the girl beside him, who had made the first move.
"I'm Hannah Abbot!" she'd introduced herself cheerfully. "Nice to meet you."
"Harry Potter-Granger, nice to meet you too." He replied back a tad nervously, but as there was no point in hiding his second name with it so loudly announced by Professor McGonagall, he pressed on. "That must have been a bit nerve-wracking, being the first one called up."
"Oh, it really was!" She nodded fervently, shuddering slightly. "Even when we knew we just had to put it on I was still worried it would quiz us somehow or something when it put it on, I could barely think straight even without a patchy old hat rooting around my brain! But it must have been worse for you after a bit, I mean you were under there for a good twenty minutes at least, it felt like!"
"The hat made it pretty clear early on it was because it felt I fit too easily into multiple of the houses so it had a hard time deciding," Harry explained honestly with a small frown. "So all in all it wasn't that worrying, though it was still really embarrassing sitting there so long knowing so many people were watching. Twenty minutes?"
"Well, it was more like thirteen but it sure felt like longer," Cedric Diggory interjected, garnering the two new Hufflepuffs attention. "Mind you there's a long sorting every year or two, though I think that might be a record for longest sorting in the past few decades. Good thing you got the best house, eh?"
Harry laughed at that, especially with the comical wink Diggory threw his way, though Harry couldn't help but wonder… He decided not to mention what the hat told him about his potential. He couldn't help but wonder though, just what did the hat want from him in the future?
"It does seem to have some of the best qualities of the houses." A curly-haired first year boy with a slightly pompous yet not unapproachable tone spoke. "I was hoping for it when I found out about the houses last summer. I'm muggleborn so I've not had much time to think on it. Justin Finch-Fletchley, nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," Harry said, and Hannah repeated, both nodding to the boy with small smiles, before Harry chuckled. "Another double-barrelled name then."
"Yes, my mother insisted to my father she wouldn't lose her Finch name but father was determined to keep his own as well so they decided a compromise was best," He explained before he looked up. "However I've seen a few books mention you, and they never said you had a double-barrelled name."
"My parents gave me the option when I was adopted," Harry explained quickly, uncomfortably aware of more people listening in immediately. He decided to keep the story brief. "The first place I was sent to was discovered to be a lot worse than it first appeared and it was the Grangers who got me out of there. They even visited me in hospital when I got hurt and after a while, well Hermiome—she's the girl with the bushy hair at the Gryffindor table if you missed all the staring earlier—she became like a sister to me. It just made sense, though I didn't want to lose my birth name either. It felt wrong to disregard my birth parents like that."
"So you've grown up muggle then? Like me and Justin?" A boy with shaggy black hair more tangled and messy than Harry's asked. Harry recognized him as the boy who had responded to Turner, Jason. Harry nodded and a stout looking boy with blondish hair went wide-eyed.
"Blimey! You, Harry Potter, knew nothing about the wizarding world?!" He asked in shock. Harry blinked. "Oh uh, Ernie Macmillan. Sorry for butting in, it's just a shock! So many books claimed you to know so much."
"Well, then those books are telling a load of old rubbish." Harry quickly assured, now slightly grateful the attention was on him if only to put to rest the one thing that had been bugging him since he'd begun reading books regarding events in the wizarding world.
And that was the fantastical, over-exaggerated, bizarre and in Harry's opinion, downright stupid claims about him. Even in the wizarding world, he highly doubted a one-year-old infant possessed the mental capacity to understand the dark arts to the same degree as a dark lord and vanquish him. Whoever wrote Harry 'picked up his mother's wand and rose it to You-Know-Who in defense' deserved a quick and hard slap in the telekinetic's opinion.
"I didn't know anything about magic until I was seven. I knew I wasn't entirely normal by muggle standards, I noticed I could do things muggles couldn't, but I never thought about it." He answered honestly, keeping the 'things he could do' as vague as possible. Several people seemed to have given up the pretense of hiding their eavesdropping and were now staring at him. "When I moved in with the Grangers though, about a week or two after I'd settled in with them, I can't remember exactly, Dumbledore showed up."
"Dumbledore?! The headmaster himself showed up!?" Cedric asked, leaning in curious at that.
"Well, I don't know why it was him but yeah. He just said someone needed to explain magic to them and that's when I first found out about…" He trailed off, but those who knew immediately understood. He felt a small hand pat him on the arm, which he thought must have been Hannah which he was grateful for. "Anyways, he warned me about fame, showed off a very small amount of magic, announced my sister was muggleborn then disappeared. Wasn't until this summer we really started learning about the world. This time about three months ago, all I knew about the wizarding world was Albus Dumbledore existed, there's a spell to float and summon items and conjure water, a spell to turn water to tea, and that there's some whole blood supremacy nonsense that got my parents killed. Oh, and almost forgot Voldemort."
Harry visibly rolled his eyes at the comically shocked gasps. Amongst the mutters of 'is he nuts' and 'he said the name', he saw them all staring wide-eyed. He raised a brow as if challenging someone to tell him he'd done wrong. When no one did, he decided to nip this in the bud now.
"I didn't grow up with the name being taboo, nor do I particularly care that it is anyways. I refuse to give it to him and even if I were going to be beaten down, saying You-Know-Who is just unwieldy and begging for misunderstandings." He said, before chuckling dryly despite himself. "'You-Know-Who is talking with the teenagers again!' 'What? No not Voldemort, Jessica!'"
There were a few nervous chuckles at that though everyone still gave him odd looks and some looked sick at the thought of Voldemort being near the school.
"You're really brave, then." Hannah Abbot muttered only for Harry to shake his head.
"No, I'm just not interested in letting the fear of the past control the future," Harry said. He wondered if the impressed looks he was getting would be much less impressed if they knew he stole that quote directly from Harry and Hermione's Lion and Snake book series. Harry chuckled under his breath as he realized now they just needed some sort of spin-off badger and raven series and they'd have a whole Hogwarts set.
"Well, you aren't what I was expecting but I like you, Potter." Ernie chuckled. Harry gave a small smile.
"Just Harry's fine. I got a double-barrelled second name because I didn't want to choose between my parents and I know everyone here's just going to call me Potter only if I leave it on second names." He said shyly. Hannah let out a hum, before cooling slightly which Harry wasn't sure he liked.
"Aww, so you'd feel bad if one set of parents were being honoured but the others weren't?" She figured it out quickly. Harry nodded, she'd hit the nail on the head.
"Exactly, my birth parents died for me but since they took me on as their own son, even with Hermione… mum and dad have lived for me as much as they have Hermione and that's… something I'll never be able to thank them enough for." He sighed wistfully. Everyone seemed to understand what he was getting at though. One of the Hufflepuff prefects, an older girl who must have been a sixth year at least with flowing hair she'd dyed blue, let out a whistle.
"The Harry Potter, growing up with muggles… Weird to think. Oh, uh, Potter-Granger, sorry." She muttered. Harry blushed.
"Thanks for the correction but there's no the Harry Potter about me. I don't even remember what happened. I just… I got lucky to not die. It's not a fun event to be reminded of."
At that, everyone immediately looked bashful and like they wanted to kick themselves as quiet apologies went around. Preferring to move on instead, he tried to guide the table in a better direction with his next words.
"What I would like to do is get to know the house I'm going to be stuck with for the next seven years." He chuckled, especially at the mock glares he got.
"Stuck with?" Hannah chuckled. "Oh dear, our plan to kidnap and indoctrinate you isn't working!"
That got quite a few laughs and Harry shot her a big grin, thankful for it bringing the atmosphere at the table back to a friendly and fun one, as they continued to talk about all sorts from the differences between the muggleborn and pureblood lifestyles, how the half-bloods blended them, and things such as why Harry was keeping a good distance away from the roast beef. He decided not to ruin their appetites by telling them the truth—that he once had accidentally swallowed a spider that was crawling over it when he'd last had the dish.
Harry found quickly of the Hufflepuffs, he seemed to get along with Hannah the most, finding most of the talking he was doing aimed at her, with it just being coincidence others overheard and asked questions for him to respond to, though he did make sure to talk properly to his fellow first years when he had the chance.
Soon enough though he turned his attention to taking in the staff table once more to truly see who was up there. Aside from those he'd already seen, there was a strict looking woman with spiky grey hair and yellow hawk-like eyes, a woman wearing what looked like hospital robes, another strict looking woman wearing olive robes along with a pointed hat which bore astrological signs, a chubby witch with a twinkle in her eyes and a youthful look to her, and a very kind middle-aged looking woman came after that.
There was quite a mad looking wizard with grey hair after that who appeared to be missing an arm and a leg, grinning madly as he ate. He had a wild aura about him. To his left was a thin woman draped in shawls with thick glasses that made her eyes look ten times larger than they really were. There was yet another stern-looking witch beside her with fair skin and long, black hair.
Harry was starting to think Dumbledore took appearance into heavy (and perhaps hypocritical) consideration when hiring someone. After that was an empty chair which Cedric informed Harry was reserved for, if never used by, the caretaker of the castle, Argus Filch.
After that, there were only two teachers left. Quirrell himself, who looked as nervous as ever in the same blue robes he had worn in Diagon Alley, was looking around nervously. He now had a new fixture to his appearance though, with a purple turban he was wearing wrapped tight around his head; at his feet was an unopened cardboard box he seemed to be keeping his feet over as if scared someone would snatch it away from him.
He was talking to probably the meanest looking teacher of the staff, a man with all black robes and greasy long black hair and a hook nose. Said teacher turned as Harry looked over and his dark, empty, creepy eyes met Harry's widening emerald orbs with a sudden glare, a clear disdain in his eyes. Harry quickly looked away, but something inside him churned violently. He didn't feel good, he felt like he needed to run.
"You okay, Harry?" Hannah asked with a frown and he nodded, shaking his head to try to sort himself out. No one noticed the pink mist that had appeared briefly under the table, pouring off Harry's own robes.
"Yeah, sorry. Just accidentally looked a teacher right in the eye and I don't think they liked it." He muttered. "Uh, Cedric? Whose that teacher up there? The one with the black robes."
"Hm? Oh… That's Professor Snape, he's head of Slytherin house and the potions teacher. He's… not the best teacher in this school to be perfectly honest." Cedric told him, clearly trying not to look at the man. "Don't worry about him, he's horrible with all the students. Don't be too bothered by it. Probably, he's just mad cause he's talking to Quirrell who got the job Snape's been trying to get for years. It's like that job's cursed though…"
But Harry couldn't stop worrying. He'd felt his magic rise up before but it always rose up to comfort him or make him feel better, heal him or make him feel, at risk of sounding a bit arrogant, powerful.
He'd never once felt rise up as it did now, flooding every part of his being to tell him a simple instruction. 'Run.'
But Harry couldn't. Was he just being odd? Was it a normal reaction to the man and he was just being dramatic?
He looked at Dumbledore again and the feeling faded, though for a moment he could have sworn the headmaster was looking right at him. Maybe he was being worried for nothing… but his excitement he'd been feeling so long for potions class started a slow transformation into dread.
Harry kept a wary eye on the table as he assured Hannah and Ernie again that he was alright, but Snape never looked his way again.
Soon enough, the food all disappeared as everyone finally had enough and the headmaster rose from his seat once more, commanding everyone's attention once again."Now that we are all suitably fed and have drunk enough to keep from being parched, I have a few start of term announcements. First and foremost, a reminder to all first years and to certain upper years: the forbidden forest is, as the name suggests, still forbidden and should not be entered under any circumstances without a staff member."
His eyes twinkled as he looked over to the staff table. He seemed to be staring right at the Weasley twins for a moment. "I have been asked by Mister Filch to remind you all that magic in the corridors between classes is not supposed to occur, at least not from a student's wand. Those who wish to join the Quidditch teams, who are eligible to do so, should contact Madam Hooch. Trials will be held on the second week of term."
He then looked around them all, turning more grave as he fixed them with a serious look."Finally, I must inform all of you, the third floor corridor is out of bounds this year to everyone from the youngest first year to the oldest seventh year. No one is to enter it, lest they wish to encounter a most painful death." He told them. There were a few laughs that quickly died at the realization he was not making some odd joke.
"He's serious?" Hannah muttered, sounding very perturbed.
"Must be." Cedric frowned deeply. "No idea why though, but Dumbledore doesn't joke about that kind of thing. If he says it will kill you, it almost definitely will."
"Definitely stay away from that floor then…" Susan Bones muttered, getting nods of agreement around her.
"Aside from that, I would like to remind you all that there is more magic than one can know in this castle. More magic than anyone can know in this world, even in the things we may first overlook or fail to value as much as we should. Magic is in every action, and every action can be charged with magic when it's done with the right intention. There is magic in this world beyond what we wave wands, inscribe runes, and brew potions for. Family, friends, nature—" His eyes seemed to dart to Harry for a moment. "—Love. There are so many kinds of magic, and I ask you all to remember them when you're within these walls. Speaking of, what do you say we indulge in the magic of music and sing the school song?"
He smiled cheerfully as many others had their smiles become very fixed who knew what was coming. Dumbledore told everyone to pick a tune as he waved his wand and golden lyrics formed in the air above him for them all to follow along.
There was a cacophony of noise of badly blending tunes and voices, from those trying to get it over with as quickly as possible to those like the twins having fun with it and taking their time with a funeral match. Harry decided to spare the hall his atrocious voice for all their sakes and remained quiet.
"Truly, there is no magic quite like music." Dumbledore smiled serenely when the last of the singers finished, before clapping his hands together. "Right then, everyone should head off to bed. Prefects, be sure to make sure the first years know the ways into their common rooms!"
The blue-haired prefect from before quickly got Harry, Hannah, and the other first years into formation behind her a few moments later, leading them out of the hall. Some groups went up the stairs but the Hufflepuffs and, Harry noticed, the Slytherins were the ones who headed down the stairs instead of up.
As the Slytherins were led away, for a brief moment, Harry caught Daphne's eye again, managing to send her a subtle wave he thought she returned, though he wasn't sure.
Soon enough, the Hufflepuffs found themselves in an area that seemed like it was leading to a kitchen based on some of the items scattered about. They were directed to a nook on the right-hand side of the kitchen corridor and came up to a collection of barrels.
"Alright, listen up first years. Here's how you get in," The prefect spoke up, walking up to the barrel two up from the bottom, in the middle of the second row. "To get in you find this barrel and you tap it in the rhythm of Helga Hufflepuff."
Everyone blinked in confusion at that, making the prefect chuckle before turning to the barrel; "Helga" she knocked it twice with long knocks, "Hufflepuff!" followed by three very quick knocks. The lid flung itself open. "You then crawl in. Don't worry about the size or about it tipping over, it's magically stuck to the ground, you'll come out the right way up and the entrance is a lot bigger than it first looks. Make sure you keep that tune in mind, if you knock the wrong one or go for the wrong barrel you're getting a face full of vinegar instead."
At that, Harry instantly began committing everything he learned to his memory as much as possible. They all followed the prefect in, Harry being the brave soul who risked potentially falling on his face first. When he climbed in however he felt himself fall for only a moment before he was magically righted and landed on his feet. He looked behind himself and saw a massive round wooden door behind him. He let out a hearty chuckle as Hannah followed him and he watched her land on her feet gracefully despite the fact she'd never done it before, clearly aided by magic. "Brilliant!"
"It really is." The prefect chuckled behind him, waiting for everyone else to arrive, once they did she clapped her hands and gave them a moment to look around. It was an incredibly cozy room, decorated with pretty plants and with a calming smell in the air from the leaves that made one feel as though they were within a garden with many particularly nice smelling plants.
A fire crackled away in a small round stone fireplace. The room was also round and earthy and the ceiling hung low. There were brass and copper fixtures all around as well as two overstuffed sofas and a comfy-looking armchair, all upholstered in black and yellow, just waiting for someone to sit on them.
The prefect pointed at two sets of doors behind herself. "The one on the left will take you into the girls dorms, while the one on the right will take you to the boys dorms. It will know which dorms you are trying to enter so long as you think clearly about them when you grab the handle. For example, when Macmillan walks into the dorms, he will think 'my dorm' to get in, and the others can join by thinking the same or thinking 'Macmillan's room' and so on and so forth. Just make sure you have a clear thought like that in mind and there will be no trouble, so long as you are well behaved." She told them, turning slightly stern. "If you try to enter the other gender's dorm room with less than pure intentions, I recommend bracing yourself for a painful crash against the floor because the doors won't let you in. Any questions?"
Everyone shook their heads, understanding just fine. The prefect went back to a cheerful smile.
"In that case, sit down for now. Everyone else will have gone to bed but Professor Sprout prefers to meet her new badgers first as soon as possible." She informed, and as if on cue, the massive door opened and Professor Sprout herself, who turned out to be the squat witch who had been beaming madly at the feast, came tumbling in. It was quite the sight to watch with her, and she was clearly very practiced in her landing, already striding forward by the time her feet touched the floor.
"Ah, here we go! It's so good to see a nice amount of new Hufflepuffs, does my heart good! I am Professor Pomona Sprout, Herbology teacher and your head of house." She smiled very kindly at each of them, taking them all in. She only lingered for a brief second on Harry, much to his relief. "Now, I understand you'll likely all want to get to bed so I won't keep you too long but I wanted to tell you all that as your head of house, I am responsible for you and your time here. If you have any problems, any at all, you can come to me and I will do everything in my power to help you. No need to be embarrassed if you start feeling homesick, I well remember I couldn't stop crying in my own first year for the first week."
She fixed them all with an understanding gaze and she gave off a sort of aura that to Harry at least, just made you feel comfortable and safe.
"Firstly, your timetables. Before I give them to you, I need to sort out groups though, so if I call your name, please come over to this side of the room." She told them, pulling out one stack of papers and quickly thumbing through them. "Megan Jones, Jason Turner, Olivia Buttons, Wayne Hopkins, Juliet Rivers."
Several people Harry didn't recognize hurried forward and were each given a sheet from the stack of paper, before the professor gave the remaining students paper from a different stack she seemed to produce out of nowhere. Once Harry had his he realized it was a timetable which had 'FIRST YEAR – GROUP ONE!' emblazoned boldly atop the page. Harry kept a tight grip on his timetable to be sure he wouldn't lose it as all eyes turned back to their head of house, who had begun to speak again.
"Now, due to… past incidents, your year group is perhaps the smallest Hogwarts has ever seen. As a result, we felt a change would be necessary to be certain we would have decently sized classes. So we set up two groups from the first years who will learn, containing twenty students each. Quite by coincidence, this is five students from each house in each group. You will find out who will be in your group from other houses when you go to class tomorrow." She explained, eyes scanning over them all. "If you don't have any questions, you may go to bed now. Do try to be awake by seven in the morning though, as the prefects will be showing you where each of your classes are being held at that time. If you have siblings in other houses, please follow me to the corner, if you have questions but no sibling, please wait on the couch."
No one waited, everyone satisfied with what they were told so the only ones who approached the head of house were Harry and a brown haired girl Harry believed to be Juliet Rivers. She looked up with a smile.
"Ah yes, Miss Rivers, I believe you have a fifth year sister in Ravenclaw?" She asked the girl first, who nodded. The professor then turned to Harry, surprising him when she didn't just call him Potter. "Mister Potter-Granger, your sister was sorted into Gryffindor earlier, yes?"
"Yes Ma'am." Harry nodded, and the professor stood tall, regarding her students kindly.
"Well then, both of you should know that you are in fact allowed to sit at the other house tables during breakfast, so if you want to join them at any time feel free. The only exception to this is during school feasts, although for certain feasts exceptions may be made…" She gave Harry a sad look at this and he suddenly had a feeling there would be a Halloween feast in the future. "I must also ask you to try to stay at your own table, at least for the first week. Try to get to know your fellow Hufflepuffs first and get used to your place in the castle. Understood?"
Both nodded and she beamed, before pulling the Rivers girl aside for a moment, telling her something privately so Harry wouldn't hear before sending her off to bed. Then she turned to Harry, who was the only one left in the common room now.
"Now then Mister Potter, I must ask that you do not abuse this knowledge I'm about to give you, for I am only giving it to you in case of emergencies or if your sister has an urgent need of you for some other reason." She told him seriously and Harry straightened up, not wanting to disappoint her. Not just because she was his head of house but because she seemed like a very kind woman and he would feel bad if he upset her. "The common room for the Gryffindors is located behind the portrait of The Fat Lady, up in Gryffindor Tower. The password this year is 'Caput Draconis'. Do you promise you won't abuse this knowledge for ill intent?"
"I promise, professor." He said seriously nodding. Her stern looked softened and she smiled.
"I am glad to hear it then. I must say, I was very surprised to hear you'd be joining my house, Harry. I remember both your parents." She smiled, which only grew as Harry's head perked up. "I know what you'll ask, and I promise if you ask later I'll tell you a bit about them. For now though, it's late so I'll just say I really thought you'd be a Gryffindor, but I promise I'll make sure you thrive just as well here, okay?"
"Okay." Harry nodded, smiling despite himself as she waved him off to go to bed. "Thank you, professor."
"It's no trouble dear. Oh and Harry?" She spoke up, getting the boy to stop and look back. "Like I told the others, if you need anything at all, just approach me about it. Even if it's just the pressure of so many people knowing you getting to you, it's what I'm here for, alright?"
"Alright." Harry's smile grew, knowing for sure he'd gotten one of the good teachers as he walked up to his dorm. "Goodnight, Professor Sprout."
"Goodnight, Harry," came the soft voice from behind him, as he stepped into his own dorms. He found five four-poster beds lined up and the other students all already asleep or trying to sleep. Not wanting to disturb them, Harry went to the last bed still unclaimed, where he noticed his stuff was already waiting for him, sitting down. He placed his timetable on the small end table next to him and pulled off his glasses, laying down with a sigh.
He was finally at Hogwarts. With that happy thought, he drifted into sleep.
…..
…..
…..
…..
"He's here! My charge, he's here! It's-"
Harry woke with a start, jolting up. He vaguely caught the glimpse of something pink in the corner of his vision but when he turned to look nothing was there. Looking around, he realized it was still the middle of the night.
"Probably just a bad dream…" He muttered to himself breathlessly, putting his head back down to his pillow. He soon drifted off once more, blissfully unaware of the pink mist that covered the top of him like a protective shield.
He didn't dream again for the rest of the night.