Harry Potter and the Goblin King Notes: Well then. After an entirely unreasonable delay (which I say "I'm sorry" for from the depths of my heart), here we have the first "real" chapter of this little story. It's not exactly a long chapter -- something else I feel I should say I'm sorry for. I usually don't like things as well that are short chapters. But try as I might, this didn't want to be any longer.
Hopefully I'll manage to put another chapter up within a day or two. All that said, I want to give a huge thanks to everyone who reviewed the prologue to this peice.
Also: Whoever it was that e-mailed me about archiving this... please e-mail me again? I had a bit of a problem, and lost the e-mail before I could respond.

Disclaimer: (this would be the part I forgot in my first posting) I don't own them. Everybody is already claimed except for the students I mention as being sorted before Toby. They're mine, I suppose, except Talcott, who owns himself, and Mr. Diedrick, who also owns himself. Please don't sue me, I have nothing except a lot of plastic toys and a copy of Black & White.

Harry Potter and the Goblin King

The Arrivals
or
A Sort of Welcome

For the first time since he had begun his time at Hogwarts, Harry Potter found himself seated, on time, with no truly remarkable or unpleasant happenings having occurred between boarding the Hogwarts Express at King's Cross Station, and settling in to watch new students be sorted. It seemed there was nothing to keep him from enjoying the welcome feast. He was sitting, of course, with Ron and Hermione. Around them, speculation ran high as to why there was an empty seat next to Professor Dumbledore.

"After all the trouble there's been, I wouldn't be surprised if even Dumbledore couldn't talk anyone into taking the DADA position," said Hermione. In the trio's experience, Hogwarts had never been able to keep a teacher for the Defense Against the Dark Arts class for more then two semesters at a stretch.

"Snape would take it in a second. It would be getting someone creepy enough to replace him for Potions that's the hard part," Ron said.

Looking carefully over the teachers, Harry noticed that Snape looked -- as always -- unhappy. As if aware he was being studied, the professor turned, noticed Harry, and began to look in even more ill humor. "Snape'd be happy -- happy as he could get, anyway -- if Dumbledore had let him have it. It's probably another Auror. Been detained tracking down some Voldemort supporters or some such thing." His friends, and indeed every other Gryffindor within earshot cringed. Hearing the Dark Lord's name made them more uncomfortable now then it ever had in the past. The idea that He-who-must-not-be-named might be up and walking was enough to make anyone's skin crawl; no one wanted to have to entertain the notion.

Before Harry could apologize (though he did not feel he should have to), the new students began to file in for sorting. The battered hat was placed upon the three-legged stool that was ever its place of honor. A hush fell over the room. Teachers and older students waited eagerly for the hat's wisdom; new students merely waited -- nervous -- for whatever was supposed to happen next.

A long tear near the hat's brim opened, and the hat began to sing:

North or South
East or West
As anyone should know,
Those students here
At Hogwarts
Call one of four their home.
Bold and brave
Like northern wind
Some live in Griffindor;
But sly and smooth
As Southern vine
Would love Slytherin more.
In the East
The sun works hard
Like those in Hufflepuff;
And to the west
The clever moon
Likes Ravenclaw enough.
But how to know
Which house to choose
For students new to all?
That's my job,
As Sorting Hat,
I get to make the call.
Just settle down,
And put me on
I'll see where you'd go best;
I've not been wrong,
Not once you see,
So put me to the Test!

As Allendale, Mary nervously approached the hat, Ron leaned close to Harry.

"Must have been a more exciting summer then usual," he said. "That wasn't as good as last year's song."

Hermione hissed at both of them to be quiet, drawing more attention away from Diedrick, David then might have been without her efforts. From the staff table, Hagrid smiled at the three of them. Then he mouthed something that looked suspiciously like "Wyverns."

"Did he just--"

"No he didn't, Ron." Harry whispered quickly. "Don't even think it."

Starr, Talcott was just sitting down to be sorted when Hermione suddenly leaned across Harry so she could speak to both boys. "I still can't figure out why there weren't any new DADA books on the list for this year."

Ron scooted closer to his friends, to make it easier for the three of them to keep talking without disturbing anything. "You think we're just going to get out of it? I'd rather just get out of Potions."

Harry shook his head. "Not with Vold -- er, not with You Know Who around. They've got to have a DADA class, at least for the first years." He gestured to the shortish, dark haired boy now making his way toward the Ravenclaw table. The thought was a sobering one, and the three friends sat quietly through the rest of the sorting.

The trio was a bit surprised when Dumbledore stood as if to address the Hall before the Sorting Hat had been cleared away. Idle chatter quieted as the Headmaster began to speak. "There is one more student who needs to be sorted. A Transfer student--" Dumbledore cut himself off as the room started chattering again, wondering if it was someone from Durmstrang or Beauxbatons. While Hermione and Harry shared a look of surprised, Ron shut his eyes and feverishly whispered something to himself. When the din had been given a moment, Dumbledore cleared his throat and began speaking again. "I expect that no matter what the house he is put in, he will be treated as one of our own. I especially hope the fifth-years will keep a watch on him, as he will be studying with them. In any case, perhaps you can all learn a bit about the way American wizards do things."

Harry nudged Ron hard in the ribs. "Relax," he whispered. "It's some Yank, not Krum."

Ron sighed with relief, then scowled. "I wouldn't have cared if it was Viktor stupid Krum," he insisted. Hermione glared at him, and he hastily shut his mouth without saying anything more.

Harry frowned at the two of them. "I think he graduated anyway."

The three turned in their seats, along with everyone else, to get a look at their transfer student. A boy with straw-colored hair nervously stepped toward the hat, even as Professor McGonagall was calling, "Williams, Toby." As he picked up the hat, and placed it on his head, the murmering started anew.

"He hardly looks old enough to be a first-year," muttered someone.

Another voice commented that, "I hope he's not in our house; I wanted to win the cup this year."

The quiet voices were just starting to reach an unacceptable volume when the hat announced, "Gryffindor!"

Toby hurriedly made his way to the Gryffindor table. The Sorting Hat was cleared away, and the hungry students turned their eyes again to their Headmaster.

Looking absently around the room, Dumbledore cleared his throat. "There is someone else I would have liked to introduce to you. Unfortunately, he does not seem to have--" something down the hallway caught his eye, causing an abrupt change in discourse. "Ah, here he is now." Professor Dumbledore settled back into his seat, leaving the students as confused as ever.

There was a tinkling of nonexistent bells, and a snowy owl larger then Hedwig flapped gracefully into the hall. It landed in front of the staff table, and slowly became a lithe man with white-blond hair.

"An Animagus," Hermione gasped.

Ron scowled, muttering, "Great Merlin. He looks like a Malfoy."

"Look," said Harry mildly, "the American's fainted."

~*~

Thank you for reading. It would make my day exponentially better if you reviewed, but you don't have to. I know how it is.