A/N:
this chapter is for the person who called me a draco fangirl even though the only thing that changed from the book was 'Harry' talking back to Draco instead of just dipping
thank you for your kindness
On a real note, though, Katsuki is immediately forgiving towards younger children. He, even years into his teens when it was clear he was making his own choices, was still given a second chance, so subconsciously, he believes that children deserve them (hence why he didn't murder Dudley, and why he was connecting Draco to himself). He'll continue doing this, but do know that this isn't a 'forgive, forgive, forgive' situation. He'll forgive once or twice, but he's not like Deku. There is a limit to the chances he'll give.
and as for another comment saying that Lily and Tom have used magic as a child so it makes no sense that Katsuki doesn't:
This isn't because he doesn't want to. He would, but he doesn't know how magic works. He's not a child like they are, and no matter how reckless he is, he's not willing to accidentally off himself by using magic that he doesn't understand. Tom and Lily did it because they were children and, although they didn't quite understand it, they were attuned to it. Katsuki has lived a life where powers could be dangerous, could backfire, etc. and he doesn't want to end up messing his own system up, killing someone, killing himself, or something else terrible, which is why he's never genuinely tried to use it no matter how angry he was, so apologies if this wasn't clear :P
Katsuki broke his 'no magic' rule.
After skimming through his charms book - along with the rest of his school books - he learned, within the first chapter, that there were several beginner charms that wouldn't do more than sting his hand a little if he fucked them up. A stupid thing to mention when one was speaking to children who'd likely see it as a go ahead to start practicing - such as himself - but whatever.
Mentioned in several books, though, was something called the 'Trace.' It was an unnoticeable type of spell placed on or near underaged wizards - the 'or' because no one who knew how it actually worked published anything about it - that was akin to some sort of magic tracker. When a child under the age of seventeen attempted to use magic, the 'Ministry of Magic' would be able to track their location and they'd receive disciplinary action for their 'abuse of magic.'
However .
Nobody knew when the trace became active. This meant that Katsuki might not even have the thing - either because he was technically of age spiritually, or because it hadn't been placed on him yet.
Luckily for him, there was an easy way he could test whether or not he'd actually be caught for committing the absolutely abhorrent crime.
The first offence, as the text mentioned, was met with a warning instead of a demand to appear in wizarding court (as long as it didn't cause any real damage, obviously). So, deciding that he could deal with a slap on the wrist, Katsuki tried out one of the easier-looking spells as a test before sitting back and waiting for a few hours. When no wizard FBI burst through his door - or, more realistically, no owl dropped any sternly-worded post through his window - he figured that, for the rest of the summer, he was safe to practice as long as none of his family members were in the near vicinity.
The only unfortunate mishap?
He forgot to use his wand, in the beginning, and ended up practicing his magic without one.
It was pretty damn frustrating since he was used to the ease of sending power through his palms in a brute-force sort of way and magic was nothing like his quirk. It felt more like a fluid coursing through his veins than a power he could call upon, and it required a gentle coaxing that took nearly a week to even start figuring out. Only after he'd managed to figure out the Locking Charm and the Unlocking Charm and had already begun to work on the Levitation Charm - which was still a hit-or-miss kind of thing, with him either barely floating a wobbly scrap of paper a few centimeters into the air, launching it straight into the ceiling, or being unable to get it to budge at all because, while he may have known that he couldn't brute force his way through magic, old habits were hard to break - did he remember that he was supposed to use a wand for all of the spells.
Afterward, he'd managed to get in around a week of practice using the glorified stick, which helped him realize the pros and cons of both methods.
Wandlessly, he was able to call upon more power, thereby making his spells stronger. It wasn't particularly useful for weaker spells - such as the Lighting charm he'd nearly blinded himself after accidentally overpowering the spell - but he knew that, when he started getting to the stronger spells, it'd be far better to cast without a wand. He'd already decided to keep that as a trick up his sleeve instead of revealing it so early, but if he was ever in genuine danger and lost his wand, wandless casting would be his friend.
On the opposite end of the spectrum was (obviously) using a wand to cast, which gave the entire process a measure of control. With one, he didn't nearly blast locks off their hinges when he tried unlocking charms, and although he couldn't get things to float very high, anything he attempted to use the Levitation Charm on didn't have a stroke midair, et cetera et cetera. It required annoying little movements, but at least he was able to forego the incantations. Things were made a little more difficult without the concentration-booster - which was the main purpose of the words, from what he could gather - but he'd already gotten used to it in his last life after learning rather quickly that shouting out one's attack plans was not a good idea if you didn't want to die. Of course he couldn't do that in school either without bringing up some uncomfortable questions, but he wasn't as terrible as faking things as some people he knew, so he could live with that for a while - especially since, although he was still good at wordless casting, it'd only give him a beginner result until he could get a better handle on his magic.
Then, on the night of August 31st, he packed everything - except his wand - into his suitcase before confronting his aunt.
"Aunt Petunia," he said, coming up from behind the woman. He smirked when she jumped, but wiped the expression off his face before she turned around.
"What is it, boy?" she asked, expression as sour as always.
"I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow, so I can get to school. Can you take me?" As much as he hated to ask for a favor from his aunt, Katsuki knew that he needed a lift, and he'd rather not try to hunt down a taxi service.
Her grip tightened on the towel she was holding, and she took in a breath. "...Vernon will drive you there in the morning. Don't mention that… school to my Dudley. He…," she pursed her lips. "Doesn't know where you're going." She huffed and turned back around. "Now go to bed."
Katsuki watched her for a moment longer before heading up to his room.
Truthfully, he'd never understood his aunt. He knew that she was jealous of his mother as, despite her ill-talking of magic and his father, she'd never genuinely degraded Lily. She'd been flippant and rude about her, sure, but she never went as far as her husband or Aunt Bitch. Sometimes, he'd even catch her looking at his eyes with a far-off look in her own, which led him to believe that Petunia missed her sister.
She was like a walking contradiction, really. She loved her sister, but hated her more than anything. She treated Katsuki like shit, but she still wanted him to be, in loose terms, safe.
He supposed she was just a bitter, jealous woman who never got to reconcile with Lily before it was too late. Still an unforgivable asshole, but a pretty pathetic one.
(It reminded him of someone, if he was being quite honest.)
Katsuki glanced at his suitcase, and with an annoyed sigh, turned over on his bed. He hated having feelings, sometimes.
On the morning of September 1st, Katsuki was awake by six, and had finished making and eating breakfast by seven-thirty. Afterwards, he retreated to his room until nine-forty-five, and when he heard Aunt Cakeface in the room over, he let out a sigh and went out to find her.
"Aunt Petunia," he said, and like the night before, she jumped and glared at him. Before she could express her annoyance, he reached out and handed her a photo he'd found in his album - one of the few that only featured Lily's image and that didn't have some sort of enchantment on it.
"What is this?" she asked with narrowed eyes, reluctantly taking the item. She then flipped it over in her hand, and he heard her breath catch. "What…?"
"It was in that album you gave me," Katsuki said simply. "There were a few pictures of just my mother. I figured you might want one." He turned around immediately afterwards, unwilling to stay around for whatever she might say. Before he could, though, she spoke.
"Your teacher told me that you had to go to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters," she said in a carefully neutral voice. "You'll need to walk into the barrier between Platforms Nine and Ten to get there." She fell silent. "Don't contact us while you're at school," she finally said, walking away.
Before Katsuki could even comprehend what the hell just happened, he heard a voice call out from downstairs.
"Boy, get down here! We're leaving!" his uncle shouted from the bottom of the stairs. "Now, or we're not going at all!"
Shaking his head, Katsuki grabbed his suitcase - which was fitted with multiple enchantments that made it decently spacious, light, and protected from a good amount of spells, thanks to Snape's 'recommendation' (i.e., he said some insulting words about the other suitcases and reluctantly mentioned that the one Katsuki had eventually gotten was one of the best in the shop) - from his room before heading downstairs.
His uncle gave him a dirty sort of look, but didn't speak as they walked to the car. After Pigsty taunted him for going to school for bad children - something he wasn't surprised about the boy being told, but he was annoyed because it clearly made him think that Katsuki had 'lost' in some way - the two made their way outside, and after Katsuki loaded his trunk into the car, they were off to Kings Cross Station.
The two arrived at ten-thirty, and Uncle Fuckwit, for some reason, wheeled his trunk into the station for him after giving a startled look at its lightness. He must've assumed that it was because Katsuki barely had anything, because he grinned nastily at him. Then, for the first time that morning, the man spoke.
"Well, there you are, boy," he said, looking far too pleased. "Platform nine - platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"
Ah, so he wanted to be an asshole.
"Fuck off," Katsuki replied simply, grabbing his suitcase and walking away before the man's one brain cell could generate a half-witted thought, then weaving through the crowd before coming to a stop in front of the barrier.
Which… was definitely a wall. But was it a magical one, or was his aunt just trying to make him look like a dumbass?
...Well, it's not like he really cared what the people around him thought. They didn't know him, after all.
Katsuki grabbed onto the handle of his suitcase and walked towards the barrier. Then, bracing himself, he stepped into it and—
—His skin buzzed, and he felt his form waver as he slipped right through.
A grin spread across his face as he looked out into the sea of people - most of whom were wearing robes.
He glanced down, half-expecting to see yellow brick. He sighed when he saw that it was a dull gray. "Can't have everything," he muttered, then straightened himself and, as he walked, he began to look around.
To his right was a scarlet steam engine that billowed smoke, sitting under a sign that read "Hogwarts' Express, eleven o'clock. " He briefly wondered why the hell wizards were taking a train of all things, but the question answered itself.
Because, 'Goddamn wizards.'
...There was probably an actual reason, but whatever.
He turned to face the left, where groups of people were clumped across the station. Cats wove in between their legs, owls hooted, and just as Katsuki was wondering if there was a petting zoo within the train station, he abruptly remembered that students were allowed to bring pets to Hogwarts.
Damn it. I knew I forgot something.
His grumbles were cut off when he saw a toad hopping in the direction of the train, and he blinked at the sight.
...Did someone lose a goddamn toad ?
After a moment of contemplation, he followed after the creature and, just as it leapt, he snatched it from the air. The toad gave a surprised croak, and Katsuki grimaced before adjusting his hold on the creature to be less firm.
"Hold still, dumbass. I'm not gonna drop you," he muttered to the animal as if it could hear him.
...Though considering the fact that he could talk to snakes, maybe that wasn't such a far-fetched idea.
"Gran, I've lost my toad again," he heard out of the blue, and he spun around to see a round-faced boy with a sullen expression.
"Oh Neville ," the old woman next to him sighed.
Katsuki glanced down at the toad in his hands and back at the boy before heading over to them, clearing his throat to catch their attention.
"Oi - is this yours?" he asked, and the boy froze in place before gasping.
"Trevor!" he cried out, taking the toad from Katsuki's hands. He then seemed to realize what he'd done and flushed. "O-oh, I'm sorry. Um… I didn't… Ah…"
...Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it.
"It's fine," Katsuki said, pushing away the thought of emerald-colored eyes. "It's your pet, anyways."
The boy stared at him for a moment, and the woman - who was probably his grandmother - spoke up. "Neville…" she said simply, and the boy seemed to reboot.
"Oh, uh, thank you!" he squeaked out, blushing even more than before. "Um…" He glanced at the woman before facing Katsuki once again. "I'm Neville Longbottom."
Katsuki opened his mouth, then paused. There was no real reason he had to tell others he was Harry. Even if they found out, he could just say it was a nickname…
"Katsuki," he eventually replied.
"Oh, um, nice to meet you. And thanks. Again. Sorry."
Katsuki saw that his grandmother was grimacing and took pity on him. "It's fine. See you," he said, plastering on a probably terrible-looking smile - because, even though he'd been slammed into another body with softer features, his facial muscles still didn't quite cooperate with nicer expressions - before walking away. He probably could've stayed, but he was never good at actually speaking to people without being an asshole, so he decided to get to the train as quickly as possible. He speed-walked in the direction of the vehicle, passing by an excessively large family of redheads on his way over.
He dragged his suitcase up the steps with relative ease - though with enough effort that made Katsuki determined to start properly working out again instead of just going for jogs along the forest, now that he could start eating decent food - and immediately headed towards the end of the train so he didn't have to stop at every compartment to see if they were full.
Several minutes after getting himself settled, the door of the compartment slid open, and a red-headed boy - who was likely the ginger he remembered from the story - stepped in. "Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing to the seat across from him. "Everywhere else is full."
...He was pretty sure that wasn't true, but he supposed it didn't really matter.
"Go ahead," he replied simply, catching sight of a smudge on his nose.
"Hey Ron," a voice greeted, and Katsuki turned to see that another two redheads - twins, to be precise - were standing in the doorway. Obviously, they looked practically the same but, having specifically trained himself to spot behaviors and features of people, he was able to see that one was just slightly taller than the other, and his twin had a straighter, longer face than him. Additionally, the shorter one had a calmer posture and stood just slightly behind his brother, who likely had the more commanding presence of the two.
"Listen," one of the twin - Thing 1 - said, "We're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."
Ron's expression soured and his shoulders tensed. He probably disliked bugs, or at least spiders. "Right…"
The other twin - Thing 2 - glanced in his direction, looking curious. "Who are you?"
"Katsuki," he replied simply, and the other piped up.
"Katsuki who ?"
"Unimportant."
Thing 1 raised a brow. "Katsuki Unimportant? What an odd name."
Ha ha.
"Well then, it was nice meeting you, Katsuki Unimportant," Thing 1 said. "But George and I have a tarantula to see."
The youngest redhead paled, but the boy who was apparently George mirrored his brother's grin. "Yes, of course, Fred. Goodbye, Ronniekins. Hope to see you in Gryffindor, Unimportant!"
Both boys then gave mock bows at once, then darted out of the compartment, slamming the door shut behind them.
He stared at the door for several moments before he heard Ron - Carrot-Top, he decided to call him - speak up. "How come you said 'unimportant'?"
Katsuki withheld a sigh. "Because it doesn't matter."
"Why not?" Ron pressed.
"Well, I could've said my last name was Fuckoff, instead," he offered, and the boy flushed.
"Sorry…"
Katsuki rolled his eyes, hating that he felt bad. "It's fine. Were those your brothers?"
The boy startled, then nodded. "Fred and George." His expression twisted slightly. "I've got three more, too - all older. I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left - Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."
...Did people here just dump emotional baggage on others within five minutes of meeting, or was that just a Ron thing?
Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat, gray-brown rat that caused Katsuki to startle slightly, remembering when Peter had turned into a similar-looking creature on his first birthday.
"His name's Scabbers and he's useless. He hardly ever wakes up," Ron said, frowning. "Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff- I mean, I got Scabbers instead."
...Well, that was kind of… really stupid. His family clearly wasn't well-off, but judging from what the boy was saying, he really got the short end of the stick. Katsuki understood rewarding their son for doing well, but if that made it so that their youngest son got an even worse deal, shouldn't they have treated him with something… less expensive?
He glanced at the redhead, who looked slightly embarrassed as he stared out the window. While he seemed pretty jealous of his siblings, he didn't seem to actively dislike them or his parents, so he could only assume that his relationship with his brothers wasn't like Katsuki's with his cousin. More than anything, it was probably just too many people in one household, and not enough income being brought in. Maybe some poor spending habits, too, but nothing that was meant to make Ron's life harder.
Still, he ended up telling the boy about Pigsty. anyway. It seemed to make him happier, at least, and it had him chattering away for a while. It was kind of nice, being able to hear constant rambling, as stupid as it sounded. He had forgotten what it was like to have so many people around him, all talking about different things that Katsuki, for the most part, couldn't give two shits about, but was proof of the lives around him. He didn't even realize he missed it, until now.
After a while - during which a lady with a cart full of food came around, leading Katsuki to pay for some for him and Ron - the door was opened once again, revealing Neville, who looked teary-eyed.
"Sorry," he mumbled, "but have you seen a toad at all?" He then saw Katsuki and flushed red. "Um…"
"You lost him again?" Katsuki asked, only to grimace when he realized how rude his question sounded. "Sorry, where did you lose him?"
"I… um…" He breathed. "He got away when the cart lady came in, I think… I didn't notice until a bit ago."
Katsuki stared at the boy for a moment before standing up. "Come on, then."
Neville startled. "H-huh?"
"We're gonna find your toad." His eyes flicked towards the confused boy. He's probably not in any of the compartments since most people aren't leaving them anymore, so he's probably either in the hall or near the front or back."
"Maybe near the compartment for pets," Ron piped up, glancing between Katsuki and Neville. "I'm sure it's been opened a few times."
"Oh… well, um, you really don't have to–"
"It's fine," Katsuki interrupted. "I'll go towards the front, you can go near the back." He glanced back at the redhead. "You can check to see about the pets compartment you were talking about."
Ron stared at him for a moment before slowly nodding, and Neville did the same.
"Alright then, meet back here when you're done," Katsuki said, then began walking off towards the front of the train, scanning the area for lost toads.
He'd only been walking for a few minutes when he caught sight of a bushy-haired girl - who Katsuki thought might be Harry Potter's third friend - who was exiting a compartment. She paused when she saw him, then spoke up. "Excuse me, you haven't seen a toad, have you? A boy named Neville's lost one."
...Damn, Trevor had sent a lot of kids on a wild toad chase, hadn't he?
"I'm looking for him right now," he said. "I figured that he probably went down the hall instead of in any compartments."
The girl blinked, then tapped her palm against her face. "You're right," she muttered. "They wouldn't have been open…" She remained silent for a moment before nodding. "Right then, I'll come with you."
Before Katsuki could even open his mouth to reply, she turned around and began looking through the hall, and the blonde was suddenly reminded of a bossier version of Ponytail.
Whatever , he decided, and picked up the pace and scanned the halls.
"So what's your name, anyway? And are you a muggleborn, too?" the girl asked suddenly. "I'm Hermione Granger. Nobody in my family is magic at all, so I was very pleased to receive my letter - especially after learning about Hogwarts' reputation."
"...Katsuki, and no, my parents were wizards. I was raised by muggles, though."
"Oh, that's odd," she said. "Why's that?"
He suddenly realized that he shouldn't have said that last part. "My parents died."
Hermione froze for a moment, then turned around. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I was just curious."
He simply grunted, brushing off her apologies. She frowned, but after looking him over for a moment, she began speaking once again.
"Right. Well," she said, spinning around and continuing to walk. "Have you done any magic yet? I've practiced a little so far. I've read through all of the schoolbooks, too. I especially enjoyed the one for charms, though I also got a book called 'Hogwarts: A History' that's very interesting. I've re-read it twice already."
Being used to Deku's rambling - shut the fuck up, brain - Katsuki was unphased. "I've practiced a few - only the basic ones though. And I've skimmed the textbooks, if that's what you mean. 'Hogwarts: A History,' too."
She paused, looking absolutely delighted. " Really ? I found it incredibly interesting. I heard there were a bunch of secret passages, and something called the 'Forbidden Forest,' and—"
"Wait," Katsuki interrupted, catching sight of a brown creature.
The girl stopped speaking and turned around, only to gasp when she saw the toad. "Is that him?"
"Looks like it," the blonde replied. He then began inching closer, and as soon as Trevor noticed him, he grabbed it once again, ensuring that his hold was gentle.
"We should get him back to Neville quickly," Hermione said as they began walking. "I wonder why he ran away, though."
Katsuki shrugged, looking towards the end of the train. From where he and Hermione stood, he couldn't see Neville or Ron.
"So, what house do you want to be in?" Hermione asked as they continued moving. "I've been asking around, and I hope I'll be in Gryffindor - it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad…"
Since he'd read 'Hogwarts: A History,' he actually did know what the houses were. Unfortunately, he still had no goddamn idea which one he'd be in. Racoon-Eyes made him take a test once and he'd gotten Gryffindor, but that thing had like six questions and, somehow, he doubted that it was an accurate representation of what being 'sorted' would actually be like.
"I'm not sure," he answered. "They all sound fine to me."
Hermione frowned. "Even Slytherin? I'm told that it's no good. Produces all sorts of dark wizards."
Katsuki's expression twisted. "That makes no sense," he said shortly. "You can't judge an entire group on a handful of people's actions."
He knew, from experience, that those lines of thinking usually led to needless conflict and, in his world, often led to the creation of dissatisfaction within society. Those with certain types of quirks, for example, were cast out for being 'villainous,' and, more often than not, it was because of this that they became villains in the first place. It was a stupid, neverending cycle that caused more problems than it solved.
Hermione paused thoughtfully, not even seeming to notice his rudeness. "I suppose… I still don't think I'd do well there, though. Maybe as a third choice. I'd probably do even worse in Hufflepuff. I must admit that I'm not very patient, and I'm all for hard work, but ah… Only with certain things, I think." She opened her mouth to continue, only to straighten. "Ah, Neville and another boy are over there. We should hurry - you all still need to change soon."
The two sped up slightly, and when Neville spotted the toad in his hands, his face lit up. "Trevor!" he exclaimed like before, though this time, Katsuki actually had the chance to give the animal back. "Thank you!"
Ron glanced at Hermione before facing Katsuki. "Where'd you find him, anyway? Was he in the hall like you thought?"
"Probably halfway to the front from here," Hermione answered for him. "He was just sitting there. He might've gotten tired, or just wanted to relax." She paused, turning towards Neville. "You might want to get him a terrarium, if you don't have one. He might be more willing to stay, then."
Both Neville and Ron looked lost in her rambling, but the former nodded.
"Right then," she said, "You three should get dressed soon. I'll see you all later." She then walked off, leaving a very confused Neville and a sour-looking Ron.
"I hope she's not in whatever house I get…," he muttered, and Katsuki scowled at him.
"Don't be an ass," he said, startling both boys. "She was just excited."
Ron looked like he wanted to protest, but when Katsuki's gaze hardened, he swallowed his words. "Fine, then. I guess we should get changed." He turned around and re-entered their compartment, and after following behind, Katsuki turned to face Neville.
"...If you want, you can come back when you're changed," he offered, withholding a sigh. He figured that, if nothing else, the boy was tolerable, but it was Deku and Eijiro's jobs to befriend literally everyone he saw, goddamnit, not his .
Neville flushed. "Ah, okay… I'll uh, see you, then," he replied awkwardly before running off with his toad.
"...He's pretty skittish, isn't he?" Ron asked, looking out the door before sliding it closed.
Katsuki simply shrugged, digging through his luggage. Neville reminded him a lot of Deku when he first came to U.A., and although he didn't want to create false expectations, he imagined he'd turn out similarly.
Just as he was finished pulling over his robe, the door slid open yet again. He turned, frowning when, instead of Neville, he saw three boys - one of whom he recognized - standing in the doorway.
He opened his mouth to speak, only to pause when he saw Katsuki. "Are you the one I met in Madam Malkin's?"
Katsuki grimaced, remembering the awkward incident. "Yeah. Katsuki."
He looked him over, then spoke up once more. "Hm… Well, you were rather rude, but I suppose I can forgive you for now. These are Crabbe and Goyle. And I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
He heard an echo of Dunce Face introducing himself as "Bond, James Bond" , and Ron snickered to his side.
God damn it, Carrot-Top.
Draco turned towards him, expression becoming more haughty. "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."
Ron, whose face turned as red as Eijiro's hair - shut up, shut up, shut up - scowled. "Yeah? Well my dad told me that you Malfoys were on the Dark Side."
" Blood traitor, " Draco hissed.
" Death eater, " Ron responded, butting his head forward.
"Kindly shut the hell up," Katsuki said before either could get another jab in, and both boys' heads jerked in his direction. "Both of you are being assholes for no goddamn reason. Maybe instead of spouting off whatever you were told, try and actually look at each other. Neither of you are your parents, and it's fucking stupid to think otherwise." He let out a deep breath, wondering just how he of all people had become the peacemaker. "So stop fighting like preschoolers and act like the wizards in training you're supposed to be. Deal ?"
Draco glared at Katsuki before pursing his lips at Ron. " Fine ," he forced out. "Weasley."
Ron's expression was similarly annoyed. "Malfoy," he acknowledged.
After another few seconds in which Katsuki wondered if he was about to see a cowboy-esque standoff play out, Draco huffed and turned around.
"I suggest you refrain from butting in other people's business before you say something you regret ," he said, shooting the other blonde a look before walking out. "Crabbe, Goyle." After saying their names, both boys followed, and after they slid the door shut, Ron immediately whirled around.
"I don't get why you did that at all," he scoffed. "The Malfoys are-"
"Maybe the Malfoys are something," Katsuki interrupted, "But Draco is a child. He hasn't done anything to warrant your reaction, and until he does, he'll continue to be innocent." Even if he is an asshole.
Both boys stared each other down, when suddenly, a voice piped up from outside the door.
"Um," Neville's voice said, "Can I come in?"
Katsuki glanced at Ron once again before rolling his eyes. Sooner or later, he'd have to get over himself. "Yeah."
The boy opened the door and took one look at them before frowning. "Did something happen?"
Ron crossed his arms and looked away.
"Don't worry about it," Katsuki replied, and although the boy looked worried, he reluctantly nodded.
The three boys remained silent for all of two minutes before an announcement for the train's estimated arrival time sounded, and immediately, Ron perked up and began talking about the houses. Then, five minutes later, the train came to a stop and all three exited, only to bump into Hermione.
"Oh, hello. I was waiting for you. People are running up and down the halls, trying to get out first. I don't quite understand why, though, since we'll all get there just fine," she said as they all began walking.
"Everyone's probably excited to see Hogwarts," Neville offered after a moment. "Or… nervous, I guess."
"Hmm… I suppose I can understand that. I- hm… Neville, where's your toad?"
The boy paused, then paled as he looked down at his empty hands. "Trevor!" he cried out, looking distraught.
"Mate…," Ron muttered, and honestly, Katsuki couldn't help but agree.
"Oh, don't worry Neville, he's probably just outside. I'm sure we'll find him," she reassured as they stepped out of the train.
Before the boy could reply, they heard a voice come from the other side of the crowd.
"C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" an incredibly tall man called out, sporting a wide grin under his beard.
"Oh, wow, he's very tall," Hermione commented. She then frowned thoughtfully "You know, I think he might be the gamekeeper. I read about him in the newest edition of 'Hogwarts: A History.' They list all of the staff members in it."
"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," the man called over his shoulder as they followed him down a steep path. "Jus' round this bend here."
There was a cacophony of 'oos' and 'aas,' and although he didn't join in, Katsuki was admittedly impressed.
Beyond a glittering black lake was a steep mountain with a vast castle perched on top. Although it wasn't fully visible just yet, from a first glance, it seemed to be expertly made. Warm, glowing lights were lit around the medieval-looking constructions, and just being near it made his skin buzz, leading him to believe that the castle itself was magical.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid announced, gesturing towards a small fleet of boats by the shore.
Although Neville still looked upset, he joined Katsuki, Ron, and Hermione in the boat, with all of them looking around to see if they could spot the toad in the dark.
"Everyone in?" Hagrid shouted, standing in his own boat. He looked around, nodding to himself when he saw that everyone was settled. "Right then - FORWARD!"
All of the boats set off at once, almost seeming to glide across the shining, black water.
...Which seemed to have an incredibly large shadow in it, now that he looked closer.
"Is that a fucking squid ?" he let out, and Hermione frowned at him before looking into the water.
The girl startled, staring at the shadows herself. "The book did mention one…," she muttered. "But still…"
Both Neville and Ron looked rather pale, but luckily for them, they were already nearing the cliff. After a shouted warning by Hagrid, the students all bent their heads as they pushed through a curtain of ivy, which led into a dark tunnel that seemed to take them underneath the castle, and then into a harbor where the boats docked.
As they climbed out of their boats, there was a sudden shout of, "Oy! Is this someone's toad?" and they all turned to see Hagrid gently plucking a toad from a boat.
"What a lucky toad," Ron muttered as Neville claimed his pet.
The man looked vaguely amused, shaking his head before heading up the steps to the castle. By then, Neville had rejoined them. "Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" He didn't bother to wait for a response before knocking three times on the castle door, which swung open in an instant.
An emerald-clad woman with a stern expression stepped outside, raking her eyes over the crowd with a stern expression.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." The woman then proceeded to explain the house system and ended with a look at those who looked more unkempt than others - including himself. "I shall return when we are ready for you," McGonagall said. "Please wait quietly."
"How do they sort us into houses?" Neville asked nervously once he was sure she'd left.
"Apparently there's some sort of test," Ron said, face scrunching up. "Or that's what Fred and George said, anyways."
Hermione frowned. "What kind of test? If it's a written one, I'll do fine. But if it's anything physical…"
Several screams and gasps suddenly sounded out, causing Katsuki's gaze to snap up. Twenty-or-so ghosts - who were pale and slightly transparent - streamed through the wall, gliding across the room to talk to each other. Dunce Face would be frothing at the mouth if he were there, knowing his obsession with the paranormal.
For a minute or two, the ghosts only glanced over at the first years, up until one with a ruffly outfit spoke up. "I say," he said, breaking off whatever he was previously saying, "What are you all doing here?"
"New students!" another ghost exclaimed. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?" When a few people nodded, he smiled. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! It was my old house, you know."
McGonagall interrupted with a sharp voice and, after the ghosts floated back into the castle, she herded everyone inside. Candles - thousands of them, he thought - floated above long, stretching tables where the older students sat. The ceiling was a deep black that was filled with glittering stars and gave off a strong buzzing feeling.
"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside," Hermione murmured. "I read about it in 'Hogwarts: A History.'"
Katsuki briefly wondered why they didn't just use glass before promptly realizing that, even if the material was unbreakable, it was still see-through and it probably wouldn't be the best idea to allow people to look in on the students from the roof, if they managed to get above it.
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty," a voice sang out, causing everyone's attention to fall upon the old hat at the front of the room.
"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 at 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 folk 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!"
...Goddamn wizards.
Applause rang out within the hall, and as the hat bowed - which Katsuki was pretty sure hats were not supposed to do (along with singing), but what did he know, right? - Ron whispered angrily about the fact that his brothers lied to him to a queasy looking Neville.
Professor McGonagall stepped forwards and cleared her throat, holding a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"
A blonde girl stumbled out of the line and when she fell into the stool, the hat fell over her head. Barely a moment passed before the hat shouted out. "HUFFLEPUFF!"
As what could only be the Hufflepuff table clapped, Katsuki stared at the front of the room incredulously. "A hat ? A fucking hat tells you where to go?"
Hermione frowned at him. " Language ," she muttered, and the blonde couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"Bones, Susan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted again, and how the fuck did this even work?!
"Boot, Terry!" was the next name, and he was placed in 'Ravenclaw' along with "Brocklehurst, Mandy." "Brown, Lavender" was a Gryffindor, "Bulstrode, Millicent" was a Slytherin, "Finch-Fletchley, Justin!" was Hufflepuff, "Finnigan, Seamus" was a Gryffindor, and Katsuki was confused as hell as to why and how a literal hat was placing students with their groups.
"Granger, Hermione!" McGonagall called out, and the girl next to him startled. A smile spread across her face and, after sending a glance towards Katsuki, she practically ran to the stool before jamming the hat on her head.
By the third minute, mutterings of a hatstall began circling about, and Katsuki frowned. "The hell is a hatstall?"
From behind him, a haughty voice spoke up. "It's when a Sorting takes more than five minutes because that ratty hat can't figure out where to put them," they said, and Katsuki turned his head to see none other than Draco Malfoy. "It's never happened to a pureblood , though."
"Maybe it's because the stuck-up ones don't have enough personality," Ron muttered, and Draco sneered.
"You're one to talk, Weasley. All of you are sorted into the idiots' house, aren't you?" he mocked.
"You-"
"Shut the fuck up before I jam your wands so far up your asses you'll be tasting wood for weeks," Katsuki said, already feeling a headache coming on. Was this how people felt whenever he and Deku argued?
Neville - along with a few others around them - let out a horrified choking noise, and Draco and Ron looked both stunned, slightly green, and indignant.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat finally shouted, cutting off whatever Draco might've retorted with. Hermione, it seemed, was shy of a hatstall by only a few seconds.
Ron's horror turned into sourness, only to revert back immediately when Katsuki sent him a glare.
"Longbottom, Neville!"
Neville paled even further, and Katsuki had to catch him when he nearly tripped on his way out of the line.
"You'll do fine," he said, and the boy gave him an unsure glance. "You will," he reaffirmed, and Neville stared at him for a moment longer before nodding and heading off.
It was a full two minutes before the hat shouted, but when it did, Neville seemed torn between joy and terror. "GRYFFINDOR!"
When he stood, his gaze settled upon Katsuki, and the blonde raised a brow before tapping on his head. Neville frowned confusedly for a moment before flushing and handing the hat back to McGonagall - who looked more amused than anything - and running off to the lions' table.
After "Macdougal, Morag" was called, it was "Malfoy, Draco," and the boy's lips curled into a smirk. He didn't spare a glance before he was swaggering off to sit down, and the moment the hat touched his head, it called out, "SLYTHERIN!"
"Figures he'd go there ," Ron huffed, looking sour.
Katsuki inhaled. "Shut the hell up, Carrot-Top."
The red-head paused and turned towards him, looking incredulous. " Carrot-Top? "
"Ever notice how goddamn ironic it is that you criticize Slytherins for being prejudiced?" he questioned, ignoring the boy's exclamation. "It's called being fucking hypocritical . Knock it off."
Ron's expression twisted. "But he-"
"But nothing . I can admit that Slickback is a brat, but he's not a fucking villain," Katsuki shot back. "Stop trying to turn him into one before what you say comes true." When he saw Ron's frustrated expression, he narrowed his eyes. "Or do you want others to look at you and see a poor twat who will never amount to anything? The extra brother. The useless one," he said, watching as the boy's face turned red in a mixture of embarrassment and anger. " Or do you want them to see you as Ron, who's more than a side character? Who will do something great instead of standing in the background?" The boy's expression slowly changed into something more abashed-looking, and Katsuki rolled his eyes, lightly punching him in the arm. "Just think about what you say next time. No need to make yourself look like a dumbass when you're not one."
Ron stared at him for a moment before swallowing and nodding. Katsuki knew that he'd still have problems, but he could forgive an eleven year old for taking his time to understand. Even he got a second chance, after all.
"Potter, Harry!" McGonagall shouted, and Katsuki's decent mood vanished as soon as the hall broke into whispers.
" Potter , did she say?"
" The Harry Potter?"
Fuck.
Katsuki took in a deep breath before stepping forwards, and Ron shot him a confused look.
"Didn't she say Potter, Harry?" he asked.
The blonde grimaced. "Surprise," he muttered, and the boy paused before his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. Katsuki quickly moved before Ron could do more than sputter, and when he glanced towards the Gryffindor table, he couldn't help but notice that, along with the rest of the hall, Hermione, Neville, and the Weasley twins all seemed to be going through different phases of shock.
His skin crawled with all of the gazes pointed in his direction, and he couldn't help but scowl as he hurried towards the stool.
McGonagall eyed him for a moment, eyes lingering on his hair and eyes before she gestured for him to sit. When he did so, she dropped the hat onto his head, and he immediately found himself stiffening when his skull buzzed and a voice echoed within his mind.
"Now, now, calm down," the hat - the fucking hat - said. "I'm not going to do anything to you."
Katsuki took a deep breath. 'Likely fucking story.'
"How crude," the hat commented amusedly. "But I'm telling the truth. I cannot spill a student's secrets to anyone unless they wish me to, even if the headmaster demands I tell them. I know it may be difficult to believe considering my fantastic personality, but all I was made for was sorting."
'And how do I know you're not just lying?' Katsuki questioned, ignoring the hat's extra comments.
"Well, I suppose you don't. But you'll only draw more suspicion if you try to up and leave," the hat mentioned casually. "And apologies, but I must enter a student's mind to sort them properly. If you comply, this'll go by much quicker, and you won't have to deal with someone else in your head."
Katsuki considered his words for a moment before slowly nodding. 'Fine. But tell me how sorting works, first.'
"Very demanding, aren't you? But very well, then," the hat said. "Mostly, I'm able to discern personality. I can see memories as well, but only the strong, important ones. Nothing so trivial as a person's crush, or anything of the sort. This information is used to sort the student into their proper house, based on where they'll flourish best."
The blonde found his lips curling downwards. 'And you do this when children are eleven ?'
The hat hummed. "I understand your concern, and in some ways I agree - young children aren't very independent beings. However, this is how it's been for years, and despite this little issue, I've never been wrong." Katsuki rolled his eyes at the hat's complete confidence, and it laughed aloud. "As if you aren't arrogant in your own right, Katsuki Bakugou."
Katsuki's shoulders tensed at the mention of his name. 'You said-'
"I think your name is a rather important memory, don't you?" the hat interrupted. "Now, if you don't mind, the sorting must proceed." Reluctantly, Katsuki backed down, and the hat hummed. "Alright, then. Be prepared to feel a bit ticklish." The blonde's brows furrowed momentarily, only to shoot upwards when he started to feel something rummaging through his mind. It took every ounce of self control not to boot the hat out, and he forcefully focused on the light humming coming from the magical object.
"Hmm… Let's see… Rather intelligent and driven, but not as interested in academics itself as you are in the results your research produces… A bit eccentric, too… But I doubt you'd fit very well in Ravenclaw. You're not the most refined of people."
'Fuck off,' Katsuki thought, and the hat huffed in laughter.
"Exactly." There were several more moments of off-pitch humming before it spoke again. "Incredibly hard-working, and even more loyal than that… But you're a bit grey, aren't you? Oh, and not patient in the least. No, no, you wouldn't do right in Hufflepuff."
'I'm starting to think you're taking a longer time just to insult me,' Katsuki snarked.
"I am."
'Has anyone ever called you an asshat before?'
The hat actually laughed aloud, and Katsuki suppressed a huff of annoyance.
"I don't believe anyone has," the hat replied in amusement. "Ah, but moving on…," it continued, its chuckles dying down. "You're incredibly determined, and you certainly have a lot of nerve. Not very chivalrous, but a true embodiment of bravery. Yes, you'd fit perfectly in Gryffindor…"
'Well then-'
"But," the hat continued. "Maybe too perfectly."
'The hell does that even mean ?' Katsuki asked, incredulous despite himself.
"I sort not on where you fit best, but where you'll grow best," the hat remarked. "And you've always been a Gryffindor, haven't you? Showing bravery throughout your life, you're as prideful as a lion, if you excuse my pun, and you've always been very impulsive. Even your arrogance would fit well within the house…"
'...And?'
"And that means you've already learned to be the best Gryffindor you could be - especially considering, if I might add, the way you went out." Katsuki flinched, and the hat continued. "You're so very Gryffindor that it would be nonsensical to place you among them. I'm sure you could still learn, but just how much?" The hat hummed. "No, it wouldn't be right to place you there. Instead… Well, you've always been ambitious. Clever, cunning, and resourceful, too. But you never had the chance to truly see those ambitions come true, did you? More than anything, though, I believe you'll do well for the children of the house. Someone different - someone truly willing to challenge rooted opinions. Yes, yes… I think you'll do well in-"
"SLYTHERIN!"
tbh i want to rewrite this chapter over and over and over again because i feel like i portray bakugou terribly but ive done it several times already and this is probably the best we're gonna get, sIgH
the only person i feel like ive written decently was hermione, and thats only because she talks like i think
I do like the sorting, though. Hopefully I got my reasoning for putting him in Slytherin across. I agree with several others that say he'd realistically be a Gryffindor, but he's already had the life of one - why would he need to be placed there again?
Plus, I happen to be a Slytherin so B)
ahhh anyways, 3 things to address:
1.) He doesn't forgive Petunia. He still dislikes her - hates her, really - but, although he probably wishes he could be sometimes, he's not entirely heartless. On top of that, he subconsciously sees himself in others, and often accidentally thinks 'well, I was a terrible person and got a bunch of chances, so..."
and
2.) (again on Draco) I don't actually like Draco very much. Don't get me wrong, I *do* like his character, but he's also a dingus. I'm struggling to ensure that he's not too terrible, but he's still pretty rude, which is a goddang difficult balance. If you couldn't catch what was happening with him, because Katsuki keeps lecturing Draco, the latter doesn't really like the former very much. He'd probably mention telling his father if he wasn't interrupted. So no, I'm not trying to be a Draco forgiving fangirl, but I also don't *hate* the kid, and he's literally eleven so I think he deserves some sort of redemption - especially since so many people I see writing these types of fic just drag on him for ages. It gets annoying, after a while, to see grown adults bullying someone who's not even a teenager yet instead of trying to help him. Meh.
3.) Because of the story, Katsuki is difficult to write. I'm trying my best, but he keeps turning philosophical and I don't know how to fix it. I apologize for being an idiot, but hopefully it'll get better ;,D
anyways #2
Thanks for reading!