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They soon arrived at Hogwarts. The castle loomed over the Crown Tundra, glimmering lights above the snow. If the Crown Tundra hadn't been so sparsely populated, Harry would've wondered how the castle was kept hidden. But out here, deep in the cold and the snow, was the perfect place for the government to train child paramilitary forces.

But the castle itself was grand, hewn of ancient stone in days long past, dotted with parapets. The air around it glowed with the light of a thousand years of history, and Harry was all too glad to go to his destiny.

A ten foot tall man, named Hagrid, met them, and led them up to the door. They trundled up to the door, wrapped in their winter cloaks. Hagrid pushed it open, and they filed into the entrance hall. Hagrid departed.

There were lights floating in the entrance hall, high above them. Harry squinted to see what they were. They looked to be a faint purple-blue, a central bulb, with four curling limbs. If Harry didn't know better, he'd have guessed they were—

"Chandelure!" Hermione whispered. "But that can't be right at all. The folklore says that Chandelure consume souls. But if souls are real, then they are the last Pokemon that should be used to light a school!"

Ron frowned. "Every wizard and witch in the past millennium has passed through here. If the Chandelure were eating their souls, wouldn't someone have noticed?"

"That's very astute, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger. There's hope for the both of you yet," said McGonagall, who had entered while they weren't paying attention. "In truth, it is one of the duties of the Headmaster or Headmistress of Hogwarts to support the Pokemon of Hogwarts with the magical power of his soul. He is expected to have enough control to bond with all of the Pokemon of Hogwarts and redistribute their excess vitality through his own magic. A strong Headmaster is one with the castle itself. A weak one is food."

"None of that made any logical sense," said Hermione.

McGonagall smiled humorlessly. "I'm sure you'll have the opportunity to learn the theory in detail. But for now, there are far more important matters."

She cleared her throat, and the first-years grew quiet.

"You are here to be inducted into one of Galar's most sacred and important institutions," she said. "Hogwarts has stood for a thousand years, an unassailable bulwark. We have weathered every storm, and broken to none. In a few scant minutes you shall choose the House you will spend the next four years in, that will define the entirety of your life, all equal in nobility and purpose. Valorous Gryffindor, my own House, for those who seek to strike at the heart of death itself. Dutiful Hufflepuff, for those who seek true comradeship and service to our land. Esteemed Ravenclaw, for those who seek to unravel the mysteries of Pokemon and the terrible secrets they hold. And scheming Slytherin, for those who wish to enforce change from above."

The great doors creaked open behind them. "Single file, please," said McGonagall as she led them into the Great Hall. There were four tables, each packed with humans and Pokemon, sitting and eating side-by-side, as equals. High above them, there were more Chandelure providing lighting, flanked by all sorts of flying Pokemon flitting back and forth.

There was a single long table up front, where the Professors sat, their Pokemon besides them. And standing before the table were four Pokemon.

There was a Delphox to the left. Delphox were red bidpedal foxes that shot fire from their mouths. This one was holding a stick as if it were a wand, and the way its fur drooped looked almost exactly like the robes on some of the teachers. There was a passion in its eyes as it gazed over the incoming students, and it twirled its stick with a flourish.

There was a Slowking standing watch. It was an organism of two parts, a lumbering sickly-looking reptile body puppeted by a dark grey shell. Its head was subsumed by a purple shell, on which was a single emerald gem. From the shell, two sickly eyes gazed at the assembled students coldly.

There was an Alakazam standing on legs that seemed too thin to support its body. Alakazam had a golden head that looked vaguely like an upside-down star, with two tufts of facial hair that looked like a magnificent mustache. Its head was massive compared to its limbs and its body, and it seemed bored. Instead of paying attention to the students, it was playing with a pair of metal spoons, making them levitate and then bending them with psychic power.

There was a Hatterene with long pink and blue hair, wrapping around its form like robes, though its spine was twig-thin. Its head also looked like a witch's hat. It seemed to regard the new students with a kindly look in its eyes.

McGonagall began calling names, and Harry wasn't sure what was going on. The called child would go up to the front, release their Pokemon partners, and stand before the four Pokemon. The Hatterene would spray some glittering pink powder over the student, and after some time, would turn and announce that they were a Gryffindor, or a Slytherin, or a Hufflepuff, or a Ravenclaw, to cheers or jeers, before joining that table.

"Hatterene must be using the move Magic Powder," Hermione muttered, "to give a Psychic-typing to the students. But why?"

Soon enough, she was called. She stood before the four Pokemon for a fairly long time. Then, she turned and walked to the Gryffindor table with the face of someone who had just had yet another of their worldviews shattered.

And then it was Harry's turn.

The Hatterene sprayed the Magic Powder over him, and he felt a sudden disorientation. The lights shining above, of the Chandelure, now shimmered with hunger. He could see all around him, as if with a sense not of his eyes. He had no easy reference point for any of this—it was as if the world was suddenly blazing with color but he had been born blind.

The students in the Great Hall, behind him, were like a veritable rainbow of light, fiery reds and watery blues and leafy greens. The head table pulsated with stars and volcanoes and blizzards bound in human form. And the four Pokemon before him were very old, and very wise. He could see their minds and their spirits, brilliant before him.

The Slowking, its spirit an diseased green, was the first to speak in Harry's mind, its voice a hollow rasp that echoed in the skull. "A Potter. So the line endures. I would have this one for Slytherin, if he is attuned to greatness.."

Harry balked. He couldn't go to Slytherin! It sounded boring, like Grunnings but with people who could use magic, but who chose not to. What sort of life was that? Were you really serving your country if you were never at risk of dying in the line of duty?

"He's definitely not one of mine," said the Alakazam, its voice like the vibrations of a plucked taut string. "Too… brave/foolhardy."

The Hatterene swooped over to him. "Were you raised in the muggle world, perhaps, dear?"

It was probably a silly question, Harry considered, because they were all psychic, and he was at least temporarily psychic, so it stood to reason that they were currently capable of seeing into his mind, as they were also talking into his mind. Because usually Pokemon didn't talk. This was almost certainly telepathic communication, which was a blessing as it meant no one else could hear them.

"Well of course," said the Hatterene, its voice like Christmas baubles, "Discrete, confidential, and thorough. But it's only polite to treat this like a conversation, dearie. Everyone deserves that decency."

This last bit appeared to be developed towards the Alakazam and the Slowking.

"The Potters rarely are ever mine," said the Alakazam, with a hint of offense.

"This one's mother could have been," said the Hatterene. "She had quite a number of Ravenclaw tendencies. Pity about her."

Harry wondered how they would've know his mother, then realized that if she had been a witch and gone to Hogwarts, they must have sifted through her mind, just as they did with every other student. These four Pokemon had been in mental contact with every witch and wizard to pass through the halls of Hogwarts in… well, he didn't know how long lived they were, but decades at the very least. But why was it taking so long? Surely they knew where he wanted to go.

The Delphox growled. "What do you want of life, boy?" it said, its voice vulpine and masculine, a throaty bark. "Do you truly want a life that's nasty, brutish, and short? A life where you can hear your heartbeat in every second in every day? Is that what you really want?"

That sounded like Gryffindor. But the problem was… Hermione Granger had been sorted into Gryffindor, even though she was, frankly speaking, a nerd of the highest order. And Harry's mother had also been sorted into Gryffindor, even though she apparently had Ravenclaw tendencies and was born of muggles. And Ron had described Gryffindor as a house of people who were all but destined to die, even though his brothers had achieved great successes.

"We can't discuss the sortings of other students," the Alakazam said. "It's a matter of honor and security."

To Harry, that was as much confirmation as he needed. He wasn't a complete idiot. Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori implied that there was a fatherland to die for, and the people that composed it. But he was starting to suspect that Gryffindor had two purposes. In song and story, it was a house for noble heroes, who led the charge on the battlefield, heroes who were willing to throw away their lives for the greater good. There were those who strode victorious, with fire and steel and physical might — battlefield commanders. Yet there was also the matter of those who strove for victory against impossible odds, those who threw themselves into the storm no matter the risk, a way for muggleborn upstarts to prove themselves, a place for those society would not miss — grunts.

"Interesting," said the Alakazam. "That might be the first time a Potter came to that conclusion on his own in my lifetime. Maybe he could be one of mine."

"And now you know," the Delphox said. "This is what Gryffindor is about. To be strong and noble and loyal. To throw your life on the line… and to know that you will live while you order your brothers to die. Many can't stand that burden, when they realize it. They choose the blaze of glory for themselves, saving the people they have grown to love, and all Galar must honor them for their sacrifice."

"There's always Slytherin," said the Slowking. "It's always an option for the Eight. And you would find another sort of greatness there."

Harry thought of the Sacred Eight, which Ron had mentioned in his poem. He remembered his own name, Potter. But there was also a Bones and a Brown, and they had chosen Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. Only a Greengrass had chosen Slytherin. He was free to choose his own destiny, in theory, and what did Slytherin offer that Gryffindor didn't? It seemed that Slytherins told people to die without ever risking death themselves — but where Gryffindor did it from the front lines, Slytherin did it from the comfort of their manors.

Better to know the price.

"Your choice is as good as made," the Delphox said, and it raised its wand into the air and shot a burst of flame that was wicked away by the Chandelures.

All told, at the end of the sorting, Ronald Weasley and Dean Thomas had also been sent to Gryffindor. Harry wondered whether Ron had stumbled across the truth, and whether it was his place to tell either of them — or if doing so would risk the security of Galar and all they longed to protect. Draco Malfoy, and his friends Crabbe and Goyle, had been sentenced to Slytherin. A Smith went to Hufflepuff, though frankly it was a fairly common last name and it didn't necessarily mean he was of the Sacred Eight. The four Pokemon cleared away, and moved to sit at the head table once the ceremony was over.

Harry hadn't been keeping great track, but he had a rough idea of the first years in Gryffindor. There was him, Ron, Hermione, and Dean. There were also two boys named Seamus Finnegan and Neville Longbottom, two girls named Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, and two girls whose name he didn't catch.

The Headmaster stood up. He was dressed in a deep crimson robe and had a long grey beard. He also was wearing a pair of fox ears, that looked like the Delphox.

"On behalf of all Galar," he said. "I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, welcome you to a new term at Hogwarts. Once again, we are guarding numerous treasures that could end all life on this world as we know it, so I urge you all to be cautious when travelling between classes. I hope that by the end of this year we shall have no more than ten total deaths."

Harry laughed. Dean laughed. Hermione laughed. A few other first years laughed. But no one else did.

"Omne humanum genus morte damnatum est," Dumbledore said gravely. "The entire human race is doomed to one day die. And with that truth above us, I urge you all to eat and make merry, and enjoy the most of your youth. That is what the philosophers of man have said in ages past. But what does Delphox say? Yip yip yip yip yip yip yip!"

The Gryffindor Delphox glared at him.

Harry gasped as food appeared on the table as if by magic. "Wow, how did they do that!" he shouted, mostly rhetorically, because the answer was probably magic.

"The same underlying principles as Switcheroo, Ally Switch, and Teleport," said an older boy. "I'm Percy Weasley. I'm a prefect for Gryffindor, so if you have any questions, come to me."

Harry nodded. "Are you Ron's brother?"

"Ah, so you know Ron," said Percy happily. "I do wish he'd cheer up. I know Gryffindor wasn't his heart's desire, but I do think this is the best place for him."

Harry wondered whether Percy expected Ron to become a hero or to die or possibly both, but decided that the dinner table was the wrong place for such a conversation. He inspected the dishes. They were mostly vegetarian, with a few standouts like Slowpoke tail and other renewable meats.

Harry frowned. "No sausage or pudding?"

Percy shook his head. "You grew up in the muggle world, I presume? That would be highly unethical. Pokemon raised in areas with enough magic become fully sentient, and Hogwarts is far enough from other civilisation that we need our own farms. Hence, vegetarianism is necessary."

"But with modern preservation techniques—"

Percy grimaced. "I didn't want to bring this up at the table, but all Pokemon, regardless of magic, have some form of intelligence, even if it's not human-level. And believe me, none of them want to die. And when we can elevate them in intelligence with trivial amounts of effort… if there's a moral quandary that can be resolved by a sacrifice as small as vegetarianism, our society will make it, because there's a lot of sin we cannot send away."

Harry swallowed. This was a heavy conversation. Something about it perturbed him as well. He decided to change the subject. "So, what is being Gryffindor actually like?"

Percy smiled bashfully. "To tell the truth, for the past few years I've been taking classes with the Hufflepuffs and the Slytherins. I wanted to be a hero when I was your age, but my talents lean more towards people managing than Pokemon managing. So there's hope for Ron yet. I didn't bring it up at home because it was shameful, frankly, but now that he's here I can give him some hope."

"All of this sure is complicated," Harry said.

Percy chuckled. "You have no idea. Every time you think you've figured Hogwarts out, it throws a new surprise at you."

Harry couldn't argue with that. He scanned the Great Hall just one more time, taking it all in, how there were Pokemon everywhere, sitting besides their humans, in the air, playing in the spaces between tables. He even saw a pair in a dark corner, though there was something off about them.

"What is that Grimmsnarl doing with that Perrserker?" Harry asked. The two were glaring over the entire student body from a dark corner. The Grimmsnarl was rubbing its claw on the Perrserker's spiky helmet-like fur. The Perrserker was perring.

"Oh, those?" said Percy. "That's Argus Filch and Mrs. Norris."

"But those are human names," said Harry. Muggle trainers often gave Pokemon nicknames, but it was still rare to see Pokemon with both a first name and a surname. The kinds of people that treated their Pokemon like biological family usually had some kind of pathology.

Percy grimaced. "Harry, it's an open secret that wizards are somewhat… everyone's cousins with everyone, so to speak. It's necessary, you see, to try and make sure the next generation is as powerful as possible to have the highest chance possible of surviving the Dynamax Storms. Sometimes, some branches of the family tree start to get a bit too tangled, and the babies don't come out as wizards. Sometimes that means they can't use moves at all-basically muggles. We say that their lines "squib out." Other times, they go too far in the other direction, and they're… well, you see Filch over there."

This was more information than Harry had ever wanted to know. This society clearly had some serious, serious problems. Luckily there was a perfectly normal society that this society was in charge of dying for.

"Is there a Mr. Norris?"

"What? Oh, no. No, no, no. Mrs. Norris is Filch's partner. I don't think either of her parents are human."

"But…" said Harry, his mind racing into unholier and unholier directions, "they're not in the same Egg group. And if Filch has a human mind…"

"Mrs. Norris is Filch's partner Pokemon, but now that you bring it up…" said Percy, looking a little green, "I find it best not to dwell on such things. Enough of this! Our conversation has gone to far too many unsavory places. Like I said, Hogwarts has many surprises. So tuck in to your dinner!"

It seemed in no time at all that all the food had been eaten, and everyone's belly was swelling. Harry got up to stretch, but Percy put a hand on his shoulder. "Not just yet. There's still one more main event."

"What? More?"

Percy nodded. "An exhibition battle, to demonstrate the heights to which we can aspire."

Dumbledore stood. "One final battle for tonight. In memory of our ancestors, and of our fallen brothers and sisters. I call to the stage Everus Epans and Filius Flitwick."

There was a certain ceremony in the air as two men rose from their seats at the head table. The other teachers filed off, while a number of Pokemon appeared to remove the head table and clear a space for a battle.

Everus Epans was a man with a prominent hooked nose and greasy dark hair. He was clad in robes that might have been emerald green once, but now looked almost black.

Filius Flitwick, on the other hand, was extremely short. His outfit looked like a blue jumpsuit, that was almost skintight.

"For those of you who are first joining us," Dumbledore said, "Professor Epans is our master of Potions and Pokemon medicine, and Professor Flitwick is our master of battle flow control. Now, Minerva, if you would join me in casting the Isolation Room?"

Professor McGonagall nodded. The two of them raised their wands, and a shimmering dome appeared around Epans and Flitwick.

"That's meant to isolate the effects of any Pokemon attacks," Percy said, "and protect all of us, of course. In a pinch, it can substitute for environmental objects, so a Pokemon might draw from the Isolation Room instead of generating rocks, for example, ex nihilo."

"The battle shall be three against three, at once," said Dumbledore. "Full trainer participation, to the point of yielding. Both wizards, release your Pokemon."

With a burst of light, Epans and Flitwick released their Pokemon. Epans released an Arbok, a Swoobat, and a Gliscor. Arbok was an oversized purple cobra with a fearsome semblance of a face on its body. Swoobat was an odd bat with a fuzzy pale blue collar and a heart-shaped snout. Gliscor was a flying purple scorpion that looked like it was wearing an old-timey Dracula costume.

Flitwick, on the other hand, released a Dedenne, a Klefki, and a Lucario. Dedenne looked like a knockoff Pikachu, Klefki was a keyring with a face, and Lucario was a bipedal jackal.

"So, Harry, Ron," said Percy, "what do you think of this matchup?"

Hermione butted in. "I would think Professor Epans has the advantage. A few Earthquakes from his Gliscor would wipe Professor Flitwick's entire team."

"You must be Muggleborn," Percy said with a smile to show he meant no malice. "But in battles between wizards, the ground holds no power."

As he spoke, Epans, Flitwick, and their Pokemon started glowing with a faint light, green for Epans, yellow for Flitwick. Then, they lifted a few inches off of the ground.

Harry frowned. "Levitating them with Telekinesis? Won't that make them easier to hit?"

"Passively yes," Ron said, his mood having improved, probably from all the food. "But, see, Flitwick and Epans will be actively maneuvering them around. Epans only needs to care about Arbok, since Swoobat and Gliscor can fly, but Flitwick needs to care about Dedenne and Lucario. Maybe Klefki too, I don't know if it can actually float. So I'd say Epans has the advantage here."

"Good analysis, Ronald!" Percy said. "But I would add that in a sense, this sort of fine control is Flitwick's specialty, so his choice is not necessarily a liability, and he's only using Telekinesis on his Lucario. The other two are being electromagnetically levitated by a Magnet Rise technique."

Harry frowned. "But then it would seem like Flitwick has the overwhelming advantage. He's got two steel types that have been immunized to ground attacks, against two poison types and a ground type. Unless… what other spells do Flitwick and Epans know?"

Ron hummed and tapped his cheek with a finger.

Percy smiled. "Watch and learn."

The two wizards were circling each other, slowly at first, but constantly picking up speed, until the two of them were circling through their arena several times a second. Harry watched, mesmerized, as the two of them didn't seem to do anything. It was less than a minute, but it felt like eternity.

"The battle is often won before the first spell is cast," said Percy. "A benefit that sadly doesn't carry over into the Dynamax storms."

Epans swept his hand before him, and a wave of water flooded towards Flitwick. Flitwick, however, raised a wand, and two nearly-invisible shields appeared in front of Klefki and Lucario. Dedenne was buffeted by the water, but it squeaked in joy.

And then it released a wild, uncontrolled blast of electricity, conducted towards Epans by the summoned water. Flitwick extended a third shield for himself, but Epans seemed to be caught off-guard by the counterattack. But his Gliscor flew between him and the electrical surge, blocking the shock from reaching Epans and his Swoobat without much harm. Alas, Epans's Arbok hadn't been so lucky, and now it was looking a bit worse for the wear, yet still able to fight.

The two trainers started to circle each other again, assessing their next steps.

"So, what do you think just happened?" Percy said.

"That looked like Surf, then three Protects, and then a Discharge," said Hermione.

"I don't think that was Surf," said Harry. He was gaining a new respect for Hermione, even though he'd initially dismissed her for dismissing battles. "Why would Flitwick only protect his steel types if it was Surf? And it didn't seem to hurt Dedenne, so it wasn't meant to do damage."

"If I wanted to," Ron said, "I would've had Swoobat use Heat Wave. I think that was Soak."

Percy nodded. "I think so too. A risky play by Epans, to try and remove his opponent's poison immunities altogether by changing them to water-type Pokemon. But Flitwick countered by only allowing the attack to affect his fairy-type Dedenne, removing its weakness to poison, and then grumpiggybacked on the protection by having Dedenne use Discharge."

"Well, four out of five isn't too bad," Hermione said.

"It might seem that way, but the difference between Soak and Surf is massive," Percy said. "A small detail like that could be the difference between life and death."

Epans's Arbok opened its maw and spat out a barrage of stomach acid, hitting Flitwick's Pokemon. The light around all of them faded, and they started to fall from the air. Epans's Gliscor dove towards the ground, preparing to cause an Earthquake.

Flitwick reached for his Pokemon, lifting them with Telekinesis, but just as a glow was starting to appear around them, he was slammed against the wall of the Isolation Room by a psychic force. Epans's Swoobat had used Psychic against him, and Flitwick was unable to act as his Pokemon took the full brunt of Gliscor's Earthquake. But at the last second, as it was falling, Klefki had twinkled with a fey light, and now a series of shimmering barriers appeared to divide Flitwick's team from Epans's.

"Is that allowed?" said Hermione, staring at where Flitwick had been slammed against the wall.

"Yes, it is," said Percy. "There's no point in training if you pretend that you're invincible. So, Harry, what do you think the current state of the battlefield is?"

"I'm guessing that was a Gastro Acid, so Flitwick's Pokemon no longer have their Abilities and so they weren't levitating anymore," said Harry, using the Battle Science terminology for what was in reality a much more complicated process. "Klefki's put up Light Screen or Reflect, so the damage done by Earthquake might be less than expected and Epans might be at a disadvantage. But Klefki probably won't be able to make any more moves if it's targeted, and what about Flitwick himself?"

"He'll be fine," Percy said. Indeed, Flitwick was now hovering warily above the field himself, and all three of his Pokemon were staggering to their feet.

"How come they're not shouting out their orders?" Hermione said.

"Psychic link," said Percy. "Epans might be dependent on his Swoobat to relay orders, but Flitwick's psychic enough to do it himself. It keeps your opponent ignorant of your intentions."

Epans had taken advantage of Flitwick's temporary stagger, and all three of his Pokemon were directing a barrage at Flitwick's Klefki. The Reflect and Light Screens before them were weakening the attacks, but not by enough. Flitwick's Lucario had jumped into the air and created multiple afterimages of itself, using Double Team, and it had started to punch the air, audible pops following every punch. It was pure chaos. When the dust settled, both Flitwick's Klefki and Epans's Arbok were unconscious, barely twitching, and the trainers recalled them to their Pokeballs.

"Klefki and Arbok are unable to battle," Percy said in a hushed voice. "So now Epans has Swoobat and Gliscor, while Flitwick has Lucario and Dedenne, and dual screens. But Dedenne's been changed to a water-type."

Swoobat started flapping its wings, buffeting the Light Screen and Reflect, pushing them out of the way so there would be a clear path to hit Dedenne and Lucario. But Lucario charged forward, powered by righteous anger or some other superstitious nonsense, striking Swoobat straight in its heart shaped snout in Retaliation for its fallen teammate. Dedenne was riding its back, sharing its energy, using the Helping Hand technique that Harry had recognized earlier. With that strike, the Swoobat fell out of the sky, and Epans recalled it. But it had done its job, effectively clearing the Light Screen and Reflect from the field. Now, Epans was down to just his Gliscor and himself.

Epans raised a hand, and parts of the Isolation Room above them split off. They were shaped like rock shards, and they fell towards Flitwick and his Lucario. Flitwick raised his hand, and a wide guarding barrier appeared above them.

"Igor, Sky Uppercut!" Epans shouted. His Gliscor swept forward, and punched Flitwick's Lucario through the barrier into the path of the falling rocks, and Dedenne along with them.

"Follow it with Earthquake!"

The Gliscor slammed the Lucario and the Dedenne into the ground hard enough to cause it to shake. When the dust settled, Lucario and Dedenne were unconscious. Now, Flitwick was up alone against Everus Epans and a Gliscor.

Flitwick raised his hands. "I yield," he said, his voice refined despite its high pitch. "Well fought, Everus."

Everus relaxed, and his Gliscor returned to its ball. Flitwick recalled Lucario and Dedenne as well. "The same to you, Filius."

The two of them bowed deeply to each other. McGonagall and Dumbledore relaxed, and the Isolation Room dropped. McGonagall was wiping her brow and muttering to herself.

"And with that," Dumbledore said, his voice echoing through the Great Hall, "I welcome you to a new year at Hogwarts!"