Chapter #9- The Virtue-Finder
"Mr. Dolus." The voice greeted.
Eric turned around and quickly discovered that the voice came from the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. "Professor Potter!" He exclaimed roughly.
"Yes." Potter said as he took a seat and began to absently fidget with his hair.
"Can you please call me Eric?" Eric asked politely.
"Very well... Eric. May I ask you a few questions?" The professor prompted.
"Uhh... yes." Eric agreed.
"When you put the sorting hat on your head, what did it say to you?" The teacher inquired.
"At first it didn't do anything, but than; just as I was about to take it off, it told me I should be in Slytherin." Eric replied as he fingered his wand nervously. He really didn't like being questioned, let alone by a teacher and now he was aware that Mr. Potter was eying his wand suspiciously. Eric was sure Mr. Potter didn't know about where he got it from, but all the same it was worrying.
"I see..." Potter paused continuing to examine Eric with his thick black spectacles; his bright eyes shimmering an unnatural shade of green. "Is there anything else?" He asked.
"Uhh, yes... the hat implied that it knew things about me." Eric continued.
"Yes... is that all?" Potter questioned, still gazing at Eric.
"Umm, yes... one more thing. It told me that it could not sort me and it always had trouble saying my... I mean... my guardian's name." Eric finished.
"Your name is something other than Eric?" The teacher pushed.
"No, my last name..." Eric replied.
"Your last name is not Dolus?" Potter became curious.
"No... I don't know what my real name is." Eric replied truthfully.
"I see... well, we must get you sorted young, Eric." The professor explained.
"Wait... what's that thing on your forehead?" Eric asked as he caught a glimpse of something green just below the teacher's hair line.
Mr. Potter pointed to the mark and gave a dull grin. "This, Eric, is..." The teacher gave a pause trying to think of the right words. He really didn't wish to expose this young boy to the knowledge of the Avada Kedavra curse, so he made up a quick lie. "Oh... it's a birth mark. Why do you ask?" Potter gave a fake smile.
"Oh, sorry" Eric said as he faked his own embarrassment. He knew that Potter was lying to him, but he said nothing.
"Don't worry... but now; to get you sorted." The teacher grinned again, than pulled out a small, flat blue disk. "This, Eric, is one of the more modern sorting devices. I'm trying to get Dumbledore to use it in replacement of the sorting hat, but he's a bit old fashioned." Potter continued. "However, in your case he has given me special permission to use this. Please hold out your wand hand." The professor requested.
"What is it called?" Eric asked curiously, his gaze caught on the object.
"It's a Virtue-Finder. You put your wand hand on the blue surface; it calculates your weaknesses and strengths, than places you in the appropriate house..." Eric watched as the teacher placed his right hand on the blue disk in demonstration. "And than, see!" Potter yelled enthusiastically as a transparent red bird passed through his hand and hovered slightly above it. "Gryffindor..." He smiled, than told Eric to do the same.
Pulling out his left hand and placing it neatly on the small disk, Eric noticed Potter's face scrunch up; apparently quite horrified. Eric grinned, but than focused again on the disk as a large transparent silver snake slithering out from his hand. "What's this mean?" He asked as he brushed his hand through the hovering image.
"Slytherin" Potter said coldly. "Now, you should go and register with Mr. Malfoy, than head to your common room. You'll need sleep for tomorrow." Potter finished, than sent Eric off to the dungeons for registration.
"Mr. Dolus." The voice greeted.
Eric turned around and quickly discovered that the voice came from the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. "Professor Potter!" He exclaimed roughly.
"Yes." Potter said as he took a seat and began to absently fidget with his hair.
"Can you please call me Eric?" Eric asked politely.
"Very well... Eric. May I ask you a few questions?" The professor prompted.
"Uhh... yes." Eric agreed.
"When you put the sorting hat on your head, what did it say to you?" The teacher inquired.
"At first it didn't do anything, but than; just as I was about to take it off, it told me I should be in Slytherin." Eric replied as he fingered his wand nervously. He really didn't like being questioned, let alone by a teacher and now he was aware that Mr. Potter was eying his wand suspiciously. Eric was sure Mr. Potter didn't know about where he got it from, but all the same it was worrying.
"I see..." Potter paused continuing to examine Eric with his thick black spectacles; his bright eyes shimmering an unnatural shade of green. "Is there anything else?" He asked.
"Uhh, yes... the hat implied that it knew things about me." Eric continued.
"Yes... is that all?" Potter questioned, still gazing at Eric.
"Umm, yes... one more thing. It told me that it could not sort me and it always had trouble saying my... I mean... my guardian's name." Eric finished.
"Your name is something other than Eric?" The teacher pushed.
"No, my last name..." Eric replied.
"Your last name is not Dolus?" Potter became curious.
"No... I don't know what my real name is." Eric replied truthfully.
"I see... well, we must get you sorted young, Eric." The professor explained.
"Wait... what's that thing on your forehead?" Eric asked as he caught a glimpse of something green just below the teacher's hair line.
Mr. Potter pointed to the mark and gave a dull grin. "This, Eric, is..." The teacher gave a pause trying to think of the right words. He really didn't wish to expose this young boy to the knowledge of the Avada Kedavra curse, so he made up a quick lie. "Oh... it's a birth mark. Why do you ask?" Potter gave a fake smile.
"Oh, sorry" Eric said as he faked his own embarrassment. He knew that Potter was lying to him, but he said nothing.
"Don't worry... but now; to get you sorted." The teacher grinned again, than pulled out a small, flat blue disk. "This, Eric, is one of the more modern sorting devices. I'm trying to get Dumbledore to use it in replacement of the sorting hat, but he's a bit old fashioned." Potter continued. "However, in your case he has given me special permission to use this. Please hold out your wand hand." The professor requested.
"What is it called?" Eric asked curiously, his gaze caught on the object.
"It's a Virtue-Finder. You put your wand hand on the blue surface; it calculates your weaknesses and strengths, than places you in the appropriate house..." Eric watched as the teacher placed his right hand on the blue disk in demonstration. "And than, see!" Potter yelled enthusiastically as a transparent red bird passed through his hand and hovered slightly above it. "Gryffindor..." He smiled, than told Eric to do the same.
Pulling out his left hand and placing it neatly on the small disk, Eric noticed Potter's face scrunch up; apparently quite horrified. Eric grinned, but than focused again on the disk as a large transparent silver snake slithering out from his hand. "What's this mean?" He asked as he brushed his hand through the hovering image.
"Slytherin" Potter said coldly. "Now, you should go and register with Mr. Malfoy, than head to your common room. You'll need sleep for tomorrow." Potter finished, than sent Eric off to the dungeons for registration.
