Hey y'all! How's everyone doing? Here's the next chapter! The sorting! And lemme tell ya, I should've done a poll of something cause I kept going back and forth with myself the entire time I was writing it. So hopefully it turned out alright and I don't make any of you extremely angry.

Like always, I enjoy any comments, except for those that are just full of negativity and not constructive at all. Just give me something to work with instead of just "It's bad." I also appreciate any positive constructive criticism since I'm always looking to improve my writing and storytelling capabilities.

Thanks for reading this story! Virtual hugs and cuddles to y'all.

Disclaimer: I still do not own anything except any OC's that may come up, any world building that has not yet been officially stated by the books or movies, and any plot points/structures that have not been used in the books or movies.

Warning: No beta, we die like Stingbulbs.

Chapter 3: A Singing Hat as a Personality Test? Sure, Why Not

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Stepping off the train and joining the crowd of 11-year-old first year students was like being back in school in America all over again. Seth shudders to himself at the war flashbacks of shoving his way through hordes of teenagers with swinging backpacks (or god forbid, roller backpacks) all separated into stereotypical cliques.

While he had a lot of fun getting back at the jocks and bullies of his schools, he could do without having to deal with them in their entirety. Giving arrogant and entitled jerks what for can get exhausting after a while. And it's not like he had an unlimited budget in buying all the supplies he needed for his plots, not without alerting his family to his well-crafted schemes.

The giant man he'd seen with Harry way back when gives the boy a jovial greeting before leading the first year students down a path towards a grotto. Harry informs him and Ron that the man is Hagrid, the gamekeeper of Hogwarts and the man who introduced him to the wizarding world.

Hagrid waves a hand out to the many small rowboats all lined up by the water. Stalactites glitter from an unseen light and tree roots weave across the rock walls. The only other opening in the grotto leads to a tunnel long enough to obscure their view of what lays beyond.

"No more than three or four to a boat," Hagrid says before helping some students climb aboard.

Seth, Harry, and Ron all wordlessly decide to get onto a boat together. Once they're all seated, Hagrid walks by to give Harry a wink and pushes their boat off. It leisurely glides across the water's surface.

The three boys sit giddily in excitement as they eagerly stare ahead down the tunnel for their first glimpse of whatever was on the other side. As they emerged from the end of the tunnel, the view that greeted them was breath taking.

A large castle, with spiraling towers and windows glowing gold in the darkness, greets them. It's a castle larger than any Seth has seen on his adventures, granted he spent more time in caves and forests, but still, a castle! A real castle with towers upon towers set up on a cliff side with a long bridge connecting various separate buildings together.

If Kendra were here, she'd start gushing poetry about the way it sat upon the cliff in the moonlight with the stars shining above. But for him, all he could think about were all the nooks and crannies and secrets waiting to be discovered. It's even possible he could spend his entire lifetime exploring and he still wouldn't know everything there was to know. This castle was a challenge and one he couldn't wait to begin.

Soon the boat ride comes to an end when they reach the shoreline of the beach by the castle. He and Ron help pull Harry out of the boat and follow the crowd of students up the staircase and into the castle.

If he thought the outside was impressive, the inside was insane. Medieval suits of armor, paintings where the figures actually moved and talked to them as they passed, statues of all shapes and sizes, walls that went on for days, and so many doors hiding who knows what in the rooms behind them.

Seth looks around him, drinking in all the sights he can, like a dehydrated man finding an oasis in the Sahara. He happens to make eye contact with a certain blonde brat. The two engage in a stare down where the blonde brat looks at Seth like he's some kind of puzzle with missing pieces. Seth stares back with a straight-faced expression for the purpose of unnerving the brat and seeing how long it takes for him to look away.

His answer is a few seconds because by the time Seth reaches "three Mississippi" the brat looks away without a word. He's got a conflicted expression on his face though and when a bulky boy standing nearby asks him something, the blonde brat shakes off the boy's words with a grimace.

Seth's soon pulled out of his thoughts when a severe looking woman dressed in green robes and a stereotypical black witch's hat tilted at an angle walks up to the crowd of first years.

"First years! Welcome to Hogwarts," the woman says with a small smile, "In a few moments, you will walk through these doors and join your new classmates. You will be sorted into four different houses - Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin." She says the last house name with a hint of disdain.

Seth frowns at that and wonders how deeply ingrained the social prejudice was if even the adults were sneering at a freaking house of students instead of doing literally anything remotely helpful.

"While you are here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs and accomplishments will earn you points. Any sort of rule breaking or misconduct and you will lose them just as quickly," she states in a clear, no-nonsense manner with an unsubtle hint of warning. "At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the coveted House Cup."

She pauses to allow the first years time to absorb the knowledge given to them. All around Seth, kids whisper to each other in excitement and dread. He merely smiles and nods while his mind races a mile a minute, formulating plans to rack in the points while still being able to break the rules without losing them.

Shouldn't be too hard. Especially since it's not like his life is on the line.

"The sorting ceremony will now begin. Please follow me and do be sure not to stray," she says before turning around and walking towards the towering doors that were behind her.

Everyone scrambles to follow her orders, their whispers growing in frequency the closer they get. The woman stands before the doors and they automatically open with a flourish.

The first years follow her as they walk into a grand hall with four extremely long tables filled with older students in black robes and colored ties. Four different banners - one in red with a lion, one in blue with a raven, one in yellow with a badger, and one in green with a snake - hang from the rafters. Candles float about, suspended in the air by magic and the illusion of a starry night sky transforms the ceiling.

Another long table sits at the other end of the hall with many chairs in which adults, presumably the teachers, are seated. In the middle of the table sits a humble throne with only an owl carved at the top for embellishing and an old man with a very long white beard sitting on it. He looks exactly like the Albus Dumbledore on Harry's chocolate frog card and Seth's eyes widen a bit at having a famous wizard be the principal of the magic school.

In front of the table on a mini stage sits a stool with an old, brown pointed hat with many wrinkles.

The first years are led all the way down the hall while other students point and whisper at them with zero tact, until they all stand before the stool with the hat. The woman moves to stand next to the stool and pulls a scroll out that she does not unfurl.

For a few moments, the first years stand around awkwardly. Seth glances around to see if there's some secret test about to be implemented when the seam on the brim of the hat folds into the shape of a mouth. Before he can process what's going on, the hat sings.

"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave of heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folks use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!

The first years all gape in shock after the hat finishes singing. All around them, the older students and a few of the teachers applaud the hat that somehow manages to bow in response. Next to him, Ron mutters angrily about "stupid older brothers" and something about trolls while Harry's jaw is in danger of being permanently detached given how low it's dropped to the floor.

When Harry turns his stunned gaze to him, Seth just shrugs. "Of course the whimsical wizards would use a singing hat as a personality test," he remarks sarcastically, "It's magic. Why the hell not?"

Harry snorts in laughter before the sound of a throat being cleared catches their attention and immediately silences all noises.

"The sorting will now begin," the severe woman announces, "Please step forward when your name is called. Abbot, Hannah!"

And from there, name after name is called prompting nervous kid after nervous kid to step forward and place a wrinkly, talking hat on their head. Then once they're sorted, their new house would burst into rowdy and cheerful applause.

Sometimes the results are immediate, being shouted out as soon as the hat is placed on their head.

Sometimes the results take a long time as if an individual's personality is not clearly divided into four distinct personality traits.

Like when Hermione was called up and her sorting took a good few minutes before the hat finally shouted out, "Gryffindor!"

Ron mutters curses to himself. "I thought she'd get into Ravenclaw given how bookish she seemed," he whined.

"Maybe there's more to her than we saw?" Harry tentatively offers, "We only had one conversation with her after all."

Ron sputters, "B-but Ravenclaw is full of nerds and Gryffindor is for the brave! How are books brave?"

Seth rolls his eyes. "Oh my god! What a shock that an individual can actually have more than one distinct personality trait," he sarcastically says, "And for your information, reading books doesn't automatically make you a nerd. I mean, you'll never catch me willingly reading a dull textbook but they're actually surprisingly useful weapons to have."

Ron turns red and shuts his mouth, returning his focus to the sorting.

"Malfoy, Draco!"

Seth watches, intrigued, when the blonde brat who's name is apparently Draco Malfoy, steps forward and sits on the stool. A bunch of students at the Slytherin table start grinning and preparing to clap the moment the hat is placed on his head. However, they all frown when there is no immediate response.

In fact, his sorting takes a few minutes and during those minutes, Draco's face goes through a whole range of emotions before the hat finally opens its mouth and announces, "Slytherin!"

However, the usual rowdy applause became one of polite golf clapping. Draco snatches the hat off his head, tosses it onto the stool, and walks as quickly and as dignified as he can while trying to fight the red blush threatening to spread across his face.

Seth turns to see Harry watching Draco with an intrigued expression while Ron looks at him thoughtfully.

The sorting continues without any other hiccups until…

"Potter, Harry!"

The entire hall falls silent and students start whispering, pointing, and side glancing at Harry as he nervously walks up to the stool. The hat is placed on his head and another good few minutes are spent on the sorting.

Harry's lips are also moving as if he's speaking to someone, possibly the hat? Though he makes no sound so it's anyone's guess to what he's actually saying. The entire hall slowly falls silent the longer his sorting takes and anticipation rises, almost becoming tangible from how on the edge of their seats everyone is.

Finally, the hat opens its mouth and shouts, "Gryffindor!"

A relieved Harry takes the hat off his head while the Gryffindor table goes completely nuts. Students are screaming and cheering and a pair of red haired twins singsong, "We've got Potter! We've got Potter!"

Soon the rowdiness dies down and the sorting continues.

"Sorenson, Seth!"

A few of the teachers sit up at attention and lean forward, suddenly intrigued as Seth walks up to stool. Their actions catch some of the students' attention and the whispering and pointing and side glancing start anew.

The hat is placed on his head and he sits there, like an idiot with a dunce cone on his head as everyone stares at him.

'Well, well, I don't believe you're quite as idiotic as you think you are and not as young as you look either,' a deep, gravely voice suddenly says in his head.

To his credit, he doesn't scream and freeze the hat off his head from the sudden mental intrusion. He bites his tongue and sarcastically snaps back, 'And what would you know about all that? You're just a magic talking hat.'

'Touché,' the hat says, 'But my, my, my. I never thought I'd be placed on the head of an American. Don't you have your own school there?'

Seth frowns, highly tempted to say screw it and freeze the hat just so he won't have to answer this specific question again.

'Oh! I see,' the hat says, stopping Seth from possibly getting expelled before his first official day which would be a new record, 'You're part of the preserves, Fablehaven to be precise...and you're even a Shadow Charmer! Why, I don't think I've ever seen let alone had the chance to converse with one since the 13th century. Very interesting. Now...where to put you?'

Seth rolls his eyes. 'Just don't put me in a lame, no fun house. I wanna enjoy my magical vacation and not have the adventures taken away by the fun police.'

'Of course, of course, well I won't put you in Ravenclaw. You may be smart but you're not quite as interested in the pursuit of knowledge as your sister. Not Hufflepuff either as while you're loyal, you seem to prefer not to work hard if you don't have to,' the hat observes, 'However, Gryffindor would be a great house for you. After all, you are a warrior and an adventurer! Your bravery is tried and true!'

'Great, put me in!' Seth exclaims cause even though green's more his color, red's still cool too.

'However, I also see a cunning mind and a willingness to do whatever you must in order to achieve your goals,' the hat interjects, 'Perhaps Slytherin would be a better place for you.'

'Uh, yeah, no,' he deadpans. 'I'd rather not be placed in the house of bullies and the bullied.'

'And why not? You have the potential to change the general perspective of that downtrodden house,' the hat asks, 'It's always better to change something from within than from out.'

'Well this is going to be that one time where that's not the case,' Seth retorts, 'It's all well and good to change entitled brats into civilized human beings who aren't racist as hell but no one else is going to give a shit if suddenly the bully acts nice and polite. They'd just think something's up and continue to act hostile until the bully gives up and actually becomes a bully and then we're back to square one again.'

'And why do you think it'd be better for you to be in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin? You're already friends with a Gryffindor and he is a rather loyal sort so he would not just abandon you just because you're in another house,' the hat asks, sounding more intrigued than a hat should possibly be.

'Just think about it,' Seth says with a grin, 'Wouldn't it be great if the house divisions were taken down because the two greatest rivals in history suddenly became friends with each other? Wouldn't it be amazing and mind boggling to see the Slytherins' public enemy number one befriend them through any and every attempt until they have no choice but to accept?'

'Prejudices are not quite so easy to be overwritten as you think,' the hat says.

Seth's grin grows wider. 'Well I am a rather stubborn and persistent fellow, like an annoying pest that won't go away no matter what you do as my sister always says. And besides, it'd be easier for rivalries to end if a Gryffindor were the one to extend their hand then a Slytherin. They're too hot headed to have any ulterior motives after all.'

The hat bursts into laughter, both in his mind and out loud, surprising everyone in the hall, especially the teachers who've never seen the hat laugh before.

'How very cunning of you,' the hat compliments.

'Thank you, I try,' Seth responds smugly.

The hat smiles. 'Very well then. Your house will have to be-'

"GRYFFINDOR!" it declares more boisterously than it ever has before.

The Gryffindor's clap and cheer though a bit more subdued than usual as Seth hops off the stool and plops the hat onto it with a pat.

He makes his merry way over to the Gryffindor table and plops himself between Harry, who grins brightly at him, and Hermione, who smiles shyly.

When Ron gets called, as soon as the hat is placed on his head, it immediately shouts Gryffindor without any form of discussion to be had. Ron scrambles over to the table and sits across from them, relief plain on his face.

The sorting soon ends with Zabini, Blaise ending up in Slytherin.

Dumbledore stands up and clears his throat.

"Welcome, students new and old, I am your headmaster, Professor Albus Dumbledore," Dumbledore announces, "I won't hold you any longer as I'm sure all of you are famished. So I only have these words to say." He pauses like the dramatic wizard he is before shouting. "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

A bunch of students laugh while others comment on how amazing, yet mad, the headmaster was. Then loads upon loads of fancy dishes of all sorts suddenly appear in the gold and silver plates and bowls situated in the center of the tables.

Light conversation is made throughout as everyone stuffs their faces with delicious food and varying amounts of dignity.

"Hey, umm...guys?" Harry suddenly asks, drawing Seth, Hermione, and Ron's attention to him.

"Yes, Harry?" Hermione says as she delicately places her cutlery down. She grimaces when Ron responds as well around a mouthful of chicken. "Don't speak with your mouth open," she snaps at him and huffs, "Honestly."

Ron rolls his eyes and grumbles in response but closes his mouth to chew and swallow. "Something wrong, Harry?"

Harry hesitantly points over to the teacher's table at a thin man with sallow skin, a large, hooked nose, and greasy black hair. The man stares at Harry with dark, penetrating eyes, not even bothered by the fact that he was noticed. "Who's that man over there? He's been staring at me for the past few minutes."

"Let's see, an older man staring at a little kid for a prolonged period of time?" Seth taps his chin thoughtfully, "He's either a pervert or a stalker."

Harry grimaces and Hermione rushes to reassure him. "Well I don't believe he can be either. Wouldn't he have long been fired if that were the case?"

"Don't know," Seth shrugs, "This is a magical school after all, the rules could be different or the laws stuck in the middle ages considering we're using quills of all things as our pencil substitute."

Hermione's expression turns thoughtful while Harry slowly turns green. Ron taps his chin in thought, "Let's see, black hair...a large hooked nose...looks like a greasy bat...I believe that's Professor Snape," Ron concludes, "He's the potion's professor and a mean old git who pampers his house, the Slytherins, and always finds ways to punish Gryffindors."

"Well that sounds awfully rude and prejudiced of a professor," Hermione states with a frown.

Seth sighs and opens his mouth to make a sarcastic comment when a sharp spike of darkness cuts him off. He glances sharply in the direction of the dark feeling and frowns when he only sees Harry who's rubbing at his scar.

"You okay, Harry?" Seth asks, growing increasingly concerned over the dark feeling he was getting from the thin line of scar tissue.

"I'm fine," Harry says, "Just my scar started hurting all of a sudden. It might be all the magic in this place since I've been told it's a magical scar."

"I've never heard of a magical scar having reactions like that," Ron chimes in, brow furrowing in worry.

"You should let a professor know if it's still hurting you," Hermione suggests.

"Honestly guys, I'm fine," Harry reassures, "It's not even hurting anymore. Probably just stress or something."

"If you're sure," Hermione says unsurely.

"I'm fine," Harry declares firmly, ending the conversation right there and returning back to his food with a slight grimace.

The others look at each other helplessly but decide to follow his example and go back to their food. Seth pauses in the middle of his dissection of a delicious shepherd's pie when the chicken on Ron's plate takes on a peculiar sheen and the boy immediately spits out the bite he took out of the chicken leg in his mouth.

"Ugh! Why does my chicken taste like plastic?" Ron protests.

Seth hears some snickering coming from his right and he turns to see the red haired twins hiding gleeful smiles behind their hands as they gaze at Ron in amusement.

Ron notices and frowns. "Oh come on, guys. It's the first day. Couldn't you have waited until tomorrow?"

"Sorry," one twin said.

"Not sorry," the other twin said.

Another red head with a Prefect badge glares at them.

"Fred! George! What did mother say about pranking on the first day?" the red haired Prefect demanded.

The twins merely smile in amusement as if the Prefect were just an insignificant puppy barking up at the lazy cat sitting high up in the tree where it can't reach.

"Don't be such a spoil sport, Perce," Fred, or maybe it's George, said.

"Yeah, Percy," George, or maybe it's Fred, "Mum's not here and she won't be hearing nothing about anything at all if you know what's good for your books."

Percy gasps, shocked, but he backs down with only a stern glare and a huff. Ron continues to grumble until Fred, or is it George, rolls his eyes and waves his wand. The chicken loses its strange sheen and presumably becomes regular chicken again. Ron digs into his food as if nothing ever happened.

Fred and George grumble petulantly as they go back to their food.

"You know you should've at least denied your involvement," Seth comments nonchalantly, "Or you could've turned his food back to normal and made him look insane."

The twins pause their eating and stare at Seth.

"An American?" Fred, or is it George, asks.

"What's an American doing here?" George, or is it Fred, asks. "Don't you-"

"Yeah, yeah, we've got our own school but I'm here cause of legal issues since American wizards are all wet blankets trying to take the fun out of everything," Seth dryly responds, "And their rules suck but I've better things to do with my time and energy than throw their government into chaos. That's what my family's for."

Fred and George continue to stare at him before they look to each other. A silent conversation passes between them and it ends with the two nodding to each other. They both grin widely at Seth.

"My name's Fred but you can call me Gred," Fred says with a dimpled grin.

"My name's George but you can call me Forge," George says with a smile that's all teeth.

"We are lovers of fun, inventors extraordinaire, and solemnly swear that we are always up to no good," the twins singsong with their arms thrown over each other's shoulders.

Seth grins, feeling nostalgic and a bit homesick as the twins greatly remind him of Newel and Doren though with less of an obsession over portable TV's and C batteries.

"Seth Sorenson's my name," he says with a grin, "And chaos is my game. I'm always down to explore and break the rules as long as no one gets hurt in the name of fun."

The twins grin back.

"Well then, Monsieur Seth, I think-" Fred says.

"That this will be the start-" George says.

"Of a beautiful friendship," both twins crow together.

Seth smiles widely in response as Percy and Ron both feel an inexplicable chill run down their spines.

Soon the feast ends and the food, no matter the state of consumption, disappears. Ron stares sadly at the empty spoon in his hand that once held a large mouthful of treacle pudding.

Dumbledore stands up from his seat again and the entire hall quiets down.

"Now that we are all watered and fed, I have a few start of term announcements to make," Dumbledore announces. "First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all students no matter the year as a few of our older students should remember," he says with a pointed look at Fred and George who smile innocently in response and has Seth snorting as a result.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the Caretaker," he says with a wave to the sneering old man hunched over and gently petting the hissing tabby cat in his arms, "To remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors."

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madame Hooch," he says before his expression turns gravely serious. "And finally, I must warn you that this year, the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

A few students laugh nervously as others whisper to each other over what the headmaster could possibly mean. The teachers also look rather serious at Dumbledore's warning. Seth smiles to himself because someone telling him not to do something just makes him want to do it more. He's also been through more near death experiences than someone his age should've been going through so what's one more?

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore exclaims, expression doing a complete 180 form serious to cheerful at the drop of a hat.

He flicks his wand and a long gold ribbon appears above the teacher's table. The ribbon glows brightly as words appear upon it.

"Everyone pick your favorite tune," Dumbledore instructs, "And off we go!"

He waves his arms around like a conductor as all the students and some of the teachers burst into song. Seth decides to go with a pop rhythm based off of the pop phase Kendra went through not even a year ago.

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now, they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

Just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot."

Everyone finished at different paces with only Fred and George who were singing to the rhythm of a slow funeral march. Everyone claps, though Dumbledore claps the loudest.

"Ah, music, a magic beyond all that we do here. " he comments with actual tears gathering in his eyes, "And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Gryffindor first years all follow after Percy who leads them up multiple flights of stairs that move this way and that until finally they arrive at a corridor. They walk through the corridor until they reach a portrait with a fat lady dressed like she's from Ancient Rome who's sipping wine like a heathen.

"You need a password in order to enter our common room. It will change every month and will always be posted on the board by the door. Also, no students from other houses are allowed in our common room nor are you allowed to be in theirs," Percy explains before turning to the portrait. "Fortuna Major."

The Fat Lady bows her head and smiles. "Welcome first years and I hope you have a good night's rest."

Percy leads them all inside into a circular room with multiple couches and chairs lined with soft pillows all situated by a fireplace with multiple tapestries and portraits hanging off the walls. A large portrait of a lion sits above the mantle of the fireplace, which has a small fire burning without any signs of dying any time soon. It's very warm and cozy and, of course, very red with trimmings of gold.

"Girls are to the right and boys are to the left," Percy says before sternly warning, "And don't even try to go up the stairs of the girl's dormitory if you're a boy. You'll be sliding straight into the fireplace if you do."

The boys chuckle nervously while the girls beam in response. Then the two groups split off from each other and head up towards their respective dorms.

Seth follows the group of boys that slowly decrease in number until only six of them are left, standing before a door with a gold metal plate fixated by it. He sees his, Harry's, and Ron's names on it, as well as the names of Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, and Dean Thomas.

The six boys enter the room and they, sans Seth, gape at the cozy looking canopy beds with red curtains each paired with a small dresser and cabinet set against etched wood walls with spots open for decoration or pictures.

Seth makes a beeline for the bed with his trunk set against the base. He quickly opens his trunk to take out his pajamas, which he'd conveniently left near the top, and jumps onto his bed.

"Sorry guys but introductions will have to wait till tomorrow," Seth declares unapologetically, "Sleep is way more important right now so good night!"

He then swings the curtains close as the other boys mumble their good nights and chuckle at his declaration. He swiftly changes into his pajamas and pulls the covers over himself.

Seth stares up at the top of his bed, smiling in excitement as he slowly falls asleep to the sounds of the other boys chatting the night away.

Alright so I was fighting myself a lot while writing this chapter because which house Seth ends up in basically controls a lot of important elements in the story. At first I thought I should put him in Gryffindor cause he's a brave warrior and an adventurer and such but there's also the fact that he could be in Slytherin because he's known for being cunning and arguing his way out of punishment. I even started thinking about how it'd be great it'd be if Seth, who's a cunning yet brave Shadow Charmer, gathered a following in Slytherin and dismantled the social hierarchy with the help of Harry, Hermione, and a reluctant Ron and Draco.

Then I remember all the stories I've read where a character from Slytherin helps change the school's perception of the house through their actions and interactions with others (cough Draco or Harry cough). And I've yet to see one where a Gryffindor goes out of their way to humble the Slytherin's and extend their hand out in the name of friendship (not romance, forbidden or otherwise) from the very beginning while also telling the other houses off for being so rude to Slytherin's and pushing them to be evil when some of them probably didn't want to be.

Plus it'd be easier to redeem a lot of the Slytherin's, like Draco, in the eyes of the other houses if a Gryffindor were the one to break down the prejudices first considering they're part of the house who perpetrated the prejudices in the first place. I mean, sure the Slytherin's didn't help but a hot headed, leap before you think mentality won't make any progress against a mindset that focuses on finding your weakness and taking advantage of it while never admitting to your own in fear of looking weak and dropping to the bottom of the totem pole. Gotta read between the lines with these Slytherin folk and Gryffindors are definitely not the best at that. Also, I thought it'd be an interesting convo with Harry who also almost got sorted into Slytherin.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed reading and I'll see you all in the next chapter. Until next time!