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Warning for Cobra Kai crossover with HP and a slight bit out of character. The word count is 2,135 words. I hope you all enjoy Tory Nichols: Gryffindor Student.
"I'll always be there for you," Sam had said when my mother got that new job in England of all places. That had been on the day that we'd said goodbye. More than likely for good.
But as I stood in line with the new first years of my new school Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, yes I'd found out I was a witch because my mom's new job don't judge, I was surprised to see a familiar set of crystal blue eyes staring at me from down the line.
"Sam," I mouthed as she caught the girl's eye.
Sam nodded with a huge smile.
"Ladies," the Headmistress or Headmatron or however she'd introduced herself to Sam, me, and the first year, "is this something that can't wait until after you've been sorted?"
"Do you always attack people you've just met?" I asked, countering the question with one of my own. I folded my arms over my chest and looked at the older woman. She might intimidate all the rest of these kids but she didn't intimidate me.
"You are not being attacked, Miss Nichols," the woman replied, pulling glasses down the bridge of her nose and looking at me over them. "However, you will find yourself in detention if you feel the need to attack a teacher here at Hogwarts verbally or any other way."
"Are you…."
I could feel a familiar hand slip into mine and looked over to find that Sam had made her way to my side.
"Now if there are no further interruptions," Professor McGonagall asked, raising an eyebrow at me as she raised her glasses back into position, "can we continue with the Sorting Ceremony?"
"Go ahead," I said, nodding my head.
The rows of students in front of me groaned in exasperation. It was apparent that no one had ever sassed off to this teacher before.
"You'll have to forgive Miss Nichols, Minerva," the man with the half-moon glasses said, smiling at me kindly. "Sadly schools in America allow much more than our schools do. I'm sure that she doesn't mean any disrespect."
"She doesn't," Sam said, interjecting on my behalf. "This is just the way that Tory is most times."
Minerva as the woman was just named glared over at myself and Sam. Or at least that was how it seemed to me. That could just be the way she handles her disrespectful students as I was just called.
"Shall we start with our new older students?" Dumbledore said, smiling and waving towards Sam, Anthony, and me in turn.
"Alright, Professor Dumbeldore," Minerva said, nodding to the chair with a rather beat-up-looking hat sitting on. "When I call your name you will come up to the front and put the Sorting Hat on your head."
"But it looks so beat up," Anthony LaRusso said, looking at the hat as though afraid it would crumble to dust in his hands at the first touch.
"It's survived hundreds of thousands of Sortings before now," McGonagall told him. "Now, shall we begin?" No one seemed to answer so she went on to call the first name which we all knew alphabetically would be Anthony before she even said his name. "LaRusso, Anthony."
Anthony looked between me and Sam before stepping forward. He walked over to the small stool that was sitting in front of the Head Table. Picking up the Hat like it would crumble into tiny hat particles at the hardest of brushes he scrunched his nose before putting the hat on his head.
The hat was silent but from the look of Anthony's face, I could tell something was happening. He looked like he was going to either puke or have a heart attack. I wanted to yell at the teacher in front of me to take the hat off the boy and sort him some other way. But as I opened my mouth to state my desire to spare Anthony any further fear the hat spoke causing me to jump in surprised fear.
"Hufflepuff!" It cried out as loud as though it had a loudspeaker thrust under its wherever the speech had come from.
A table of witches and wizards dressed like normal boys and girls erupted into cheers of excitement. They all seemed very pleased that Anthony was sorted into their table? Or did they call them Houses or something like that?
"LaRusso, Samantha," Minerva called, causing Sam to look at me in alarm.
"Don't worry," I told her, nodding to where Anthony was chatting away with some bronze-haired boy who'd just welcomed him. "It doesn't seem to have any effect on Anthony. You'll be fine. Plus I'm next." I chuckled nervously trying to take my own advice and not be nervous.
"I hope we're sorted into the same house," Sam said, smiling at me hopefully as Minverva lead her away and up to the sorting stool.
"Me too," I whispered. I could feel the nerves building up.
It didn't take that long at all for Sam to be sorted. In fact, the hat had barely touched her head before it spoke up.
"Ravenclaw!" It cried and the table next to the one Anthony had joined erupted into applause.
I gave Sam a thumbs up as she walked over to her new classmates. I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as a dark-haired girl started to chat with Sam. I could see Sam pointing my way and waving. I waved back and could see the dark-haired girl smile and wave too. She seemed nice enough perhaps we could be friends?
"Nichols, Victoria," Minerva said, looking at me.
"Tory, actually," I corrected her, walking past her after taking a calming breath. I then placed the hat upon my head.
It felt much heavier than any other hat that I'd ever worn in my entire life. Like it had the weight of a computer or something put inside the fabric. But the fabric was much softer than I thought it would be. It definitely didn't fall apart in my hands like the rest of us had thought it would.
"Interesting," a voice said in my head.
"Yeah," I answered back. "Isn't it? What did spike the trolley food with drugs or something? Are you actually a hallucination?"
"No, Miss Nichols. I'm not a voice from your head. I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat." It had gone silent for a minute after that. For a hot second, I thought it was going to say that there was some mistake. I wasn't a witch and should be sent home. But then the voice was back again. "You've got a lot of pent-up anger in you."
"If you lived the life that I have you would too," I reasoned with the hat. Perhaps I was going crazy. I was trying to reason with a hat.
"You've also got a pretty good brain in your head," the hat said, causing me to smile. "You're very cunning. But do you truly belong in Slytherin?"
"Is that where you put Sam?" I asked, wondering if Sam was nervous that we would be put into separate houses.
"No," the hat mused. "But I don't think you belong in Ravenclaw with your girlfriend either. You definitely aren't a Hufflepuff."
"What are the choices then?" I asked, feeling a huge press of dread. I had wanted to be sorted into the same house as Sam was.
"Gryffindor seems to fit you well but I think you would do better in Slytherin," the hat said, pausing as though to think for a second. "What path do you think you would like to choose?"
"Slytherin seems to be the place where they put all their juvenile delinquent kids," I said, feeling my cheeks heat up. "I'm not that person anymore. I've grown out of that. Sam has helped me grow out of that."
"I see," the hat said, sounding like he…it….they were taking everything I was saying.
Gryffindor would work better. Sam had called me her brave lady knight when we'd dressed as medieval royalty last year for Halloween.
"Do you think maybe I could be put in Gryffindor?" I asked, trying not to sound too hopeful in case this conversation was being broadcasted to the whole hall.
"Only if you are sure that is what you want," the hat said, taking a beat to allow me to confirm or deny what I wanted.
"It is," I said, smiling.
"Gryffindor!" the hat called to the rest of the room.
The table next to Sam's erupted into applause as I made my way over to them. I smiled as I sat down in the seat across from Sam's. She looked over at me and gave a huge grin and thumbs up.
"Welcome to Gryffindor, Miss Nichols," a redhead boy said, grinning at me. "I'm Gryffindor's prefect. Percy Weasley. If there is anything you need feel free to come and ask."
"Um….thanks," I said, grinning. "Also, I prefer Tory to Miss Nichols or Victoria."
"Tory!" Sam chided as she turned to face me with a smile. "You never change do you?"
"Would you want me to?" I asked, smirking at her as she turned around and the rest of the sorting took place.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" one of the first-year boys asked, after joining the table. The sandy hair boy was leering at me like I would date an eleven year.
I pointed over my shoulder at Sam. "I'm dating her," I said, smirking and ruffling his hair. "Plus I'm too old for you kid."
I heard him muttering as he walked off to join the rest of the first years. But I didn't pay him any more mind. The rest of the table seemed to have gone perfectly silent and were staring at a kid that was sitting under the Sorting hat.
"What's wrong with that kid?" I asked, Percy as I looked from him and then back to the kid under the sorting hat.
"You don't know who he is?" another redhead asked, from further down the table. He must have been related to Percy because he quieted under his brother's glare.
"I don't know who he is," I said, looking back at the boy. He seemed to be having a conversation much as I had had with the sorting hat. So it wasn't just for people who just found out they were a witch or wizard. It was for everyone.
"Gryffindor!" the hat cried out.
The table exploded into a raucous round of applause and I looked around confused. They hadn't been that happy when I had joined them. What gives?
"That's Harry Potter," Percy told me, grinning as he shook hands with this Harry Potter person. "He's the boy who defeated the Dark Lord."
"Oh," I said as though this was perfectly rational. "That makes sense." Not really, I thought as I watched people ask the boy question after question once the rest of the sorting had finished. He seemed as much a fish out of water as I was.
"Hey," I called, causing the people pestering the kid to turn and look at me. "Lay off! He's just a kid and he's trying to enjoy his dinner."
"He is a kid," chided one of the older students, glaring at me. "But he's also a kid who defeated one of the most notorious dark wizards ever."
"So…." I cocked an eyebrow.
As the feast wore on I found myself talking with Percy, his friend Oliver, and Sam. It felt strange to have made friends with people right off the bat. But Percy seemed like a nice guy. A bit of a nerd if you ask me but a nice nerd. Oliver was one of those guys who were more into talking sports than anything. He really got a kick out of Sam and me talking about karate. We even promised that we'd teach him a few moves if he wanted us to.
But every once in a while a spared a look over my shoulder towards the boy, Harry, who apparently killed some dark lord. He seemed to be taking everything excitedly. But there was something so sad about him. I made myself a vow right then and there that I would protect him if I was able to.
Not too long after the feast had been cleared away and we sang some strange song we were dismissed to go to our common rooms. Tomorrow was after all the first day of a new school. Perhaps I should turn in early. Actually be on my best behavior and not get myself into trouble.
Nah, I thought as I followed Percy and the first years out of the Great Hall. This was going to make for a very interesting first night indeed.
I hope you all enjoyed Tory Nichols: Gryffindor Students as much as I enjoyed writing it.