Disclaimer: One Piece and Harry Potter does not belong to me, each belongs to their respective author. At the moment, only Mecha is mine, who is adorable, by the way.

Challenge by TheBlackSeaReaper.

Beta: TheBlackSeaReaper

-.-The Sorting Hat

Ace got off the train followed by Ron and Neville.

He hated that ridiculous and boring tunic, and he was determined that he would do something to it or would burn it at the first chance he got.

Draco and his bodyguards-gorillas had come by; however, Draco stood as far as possible from Ron and didn't look at each other not even by mistake.

This was going to be an intense rivalry, at least for a couple of years.

"Firs' years!" said a voice in the sea of students "Firs' years over here!" Hagrid was approaching with a huge flashlight while the young students began to follow him "All right there, Ace?"

"Aye"

"C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

The little firsts years, clumsily and timidly followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. Nobody spoke much. Neville, sniffed once or twice, Ace was not sure if it was for Trevor or the dark path that now marched.

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. On the edge atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore.

Ace could not help it and quickly jumped into one, with the skills he had acquired in his life in the Grand Line, he was followed by Ron, Hermione and Neville, and the latter had many difficulties to get on the boat.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. Ace looked for the oars, because they were going to cross the lake, there was no other way. "Right then - FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent.

"What! They move on their own, what's the point of that!" Well, all but Ace, who seemed indignant.

"It's more comfortable this way," said Hagrid from his boat.

"You take away all the fun"

In another boat, Draco into a great effort not to laugh, while his bodyguards gorillas keep staring up at the great castle overhead.

Soon they reached the cliff where they crossed a curtain of ivy that hid an opening in the cliff. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which take them to an underground harbor.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands.

Ace went together with the other students by a stone staircase, following Hagrid closely and soon they arrived at the exterior, right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded round the huge, Oak front door. Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face, along with a strange and strong air of authority, and Ace's first thought was that this was not someone to cross, if you want to follow the rules.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. And many of the students could not contain expressions of surprise; the entrance hall was so big you could have fit a whole house in it. "But definitely the Moby Dick was bigger." Ace said.

The stone walls were lit with flaming torches, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Ace could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Ace's cloak, which was unbuttoned most of the pins above, and on Ron's smudged nose.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

She left the chamber. Neville swallowed behind Ace.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" he asked Ron.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

A test? What kind of test? And it hurt a lot... a fight? Against who? Maybe against a monster, but what kind of monster.

Around him, no one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. Ace tried hard not to listen to her, it was annoying.

Then several people behind him screamed.

"What the hell?" Ace murmured.

About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years.

Ace ignore them, right now his mind was focused on the fight that he will have in a few moments.

"Move along now," said the sharp voice of Professor McGonagall. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start. Form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."

Ace got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Seeing that the castle was, well, dark, Ace thought that inside was the same; he never imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting.

Professor McGonagall led the first years up, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them.

The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Ace looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."

Ace stop staring at the magic sky and looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty, everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it, curious of what exactly everyone was waiting. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:

"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 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!"

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Ace. "I'll kill Fred; he was going on about wrestling a troll."

Ace could have preferred the troll; this was too simple, put at the same time very complex. The hat could enter in Ace mind, see his memory, and Ace wonder what house a pirate could fit in. The Chivalry, the loyal, the ready mind, or the cunning. Ace smiled, Luffy definitely could not fit in Ravenclaw.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward 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!"

And Ace continued to wonder about that peculiar hat. How could he read the mind? Could he see everything? Did the student see what the hat sees?

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Ron groaned.

If the hat and the person saw at the same time the memories, it would be fun to see his childhood with Luffy and Sabo and his time with the Pirates Whitebeard.

When Neville, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."

But Ace had one thing clear; he did not want to see the last hours of his life.

Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called; the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, the bodyguard gorillas, looking pleased with himself.

Ace notice that there weren't many people left now. "Moon" "Nott" "Parkinson" then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" then "Perks, Sally-Anne" and then, at last - "Potter, Harry!"

"Damn! That's what I forgot"

Whispers began to overflow the room, and Ace could distinguish some who said: "Potter, did she say?" or "The Harry Potter?"

The sea of students sitting at the tables scanned from one side to another the row of first year students looking to see when Harry Potter would happen to be. But many lost interest quickly when they noticed the comic and little discreet sign conversation between Hagrid and one of the first graders.

Ace, he refused to go, and rightly, he was not Harry Potter so there was no reason for him to pass. But Hagrid had another idea. Which, in outstanding sign language he tried to tell him it was his turn. While Ace, crossing his arms over his head in denial. And then he turned around as if nothing had happened.

How could he have forgotten something as simple and important as tell Hagrid to make sure they call him Ace at Hogwarts.

By then, Hagrid had raise from his seat and in an unsuccessful attempt to go unnoticed, advanced on tiptoe from his place to where Professor McGonagall was. Many of the students made a great effort not to laugh, while Hagrid whispered something in the ear of the professor.

"What?" Exclaimed the professor, only to be pulled over by Hagrid that whisper again "Why would I have to do that?" More whispers "This is ridiculous"

Hagrid returned to his seat while Professor McGonagall just sighed before looking at the list on the parchment, "Portgas D. Ace"

Ace left the line, while multiple small murmurs were heard in the room; he sat on the stool and stood in silence while the professor placed the hat. He was a pirate; a pirate was not afraid of anything and he was ready to face the Sorting Hat.

"Oh, a Pirate!" said a voice in his head "not heard from one of you in a while, especially one with so many qualities, where you will go now ... You have courage, you are loyal to yours, have a quick mind, even if most of the time you're a knucklehead, you did not got to be Second Commander of Whitebeard only by your strength, and finally Determination. Though you have a huge loyalty and a spirit of fellowship unrivaled, you lack the patience of a true Hufflepuff as the fair play which is not a surprise. And even when you could be creative that is not enough for this world standard, let's be realistic. That leave Slytherin and Gryffindor, and you have many traits of a Slytherin, but I am afraid that you lack of self-preservation"

"What do you mean by that?" thought the young pirate

"I only say what I see in your memories. Which leaves us with GRYFFINDOR"

Ace listened as this last word was shouted across the Great Hall, and the Gryffindor table burst into applause. Ace took off the hat, handed it to the teacher, and then provide a little bow in gratitude.

In the table, the Weasley twins shouted "Well done, Ace" While the boy sat next to Neville and instead of watch the rest of the ceremony, he began to observe his surroundings: Many eyes were on him, and whispered among themselves. This was not good, certainly they had noticed, even though Potter and Portgas started with the same letters, Potter was alphabetically before Portgas.

Soon came Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. A second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" Neville clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to Ace.

"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley Pompously across Ace as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

"Oh! So hungry" murmured Ace as he let his head fell down on the table.

"But you just eat on the train!" Ron exclaimed. But Ace did not respond.

George, or was Fred? Who sat next to Ace just mumbled "he is asleep"

"That was fast" murmured someone.

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. "Is the food ready?" Ask Ace rising from his sleepy moment.

Ron seems ready to say something but, he notices the food that has just appear, and seeing how Ace began to eat, quickly decide to eat before the food runs out.

For Ace, this was one of the liveliest meals he had in a long time, between the talks with Nearly Headless Nick, the ghost of Gryffindor, and the talk among students, first years trying to meet one another, wondering where they were, what they did before coming to Hogwarts and families. Other talked about what they had done in the summer, where they had been and some other concerned in the classes that they would begin the next day (Percy Weasley and Hermione Granger). Ace was sure he could get used to this. It was not the same, but there was a hint of camaraderie that warms his heart.

At last, the food disappeared, even when Ace was still eating, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent. "Ahern - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you:"

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils." Really he should not have told that to Ace, anything prohibited was equivalent to an invitation for him "And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins and Ace found himself smiling at them.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, 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 the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch." Quidditch? What the hell was that?

"And finally, I must tell 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." Now, that was the worst thing to say to a young pirate of the Grand Line.

"He's not serious?" Neville muttered to Percy.

"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere - the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that." Ace loved that forest with every word he heard "I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Ace noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"

Ace choose the first tune that came to his mind, which happen to be Bink's no Sake.

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.

Ok, bad idea, that sounded very weird.

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

"A, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Ace was probably the only first year awake enough to be surprised by the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, even when he was full of food.

They climbed more staircases, many yawning and dragging their feet, and some wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt. A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.

"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves - show yourself"

A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered. Ace laughed.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?" There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross- legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.

"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"

He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.

"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.

Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.

"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."

At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman, probably more that Dadan, in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she said.

"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it - Neville needed a leg up - and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.

Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase - they were obviously in one of the towers - they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas and fell into bed.

"Great food, isn't it?" Ron muttered through the hangings. "Get off, Scabbers! He's chewing my sheets."

Ace was going to say something else, but soon noticed that Ron slept like Neville. Ace set his sights on the roof, this was problematic: He did not feel sleepy at all.