Haku: -looks around and hides-
Y. Haku: What are you hiding from?
Haku: HOMEWORK MONSTERS!
Y. Haku: I think you've been at school too long, Hikari.
Seto: -sighs-
REVIEW REPLIES:
Haku: I'm finding that replying to reviews takes up time and space, and most people probably just skip them anyways. THEREFORE, they're going to be at the bottom of my fics from now on.
Seto: This will be more efficient, as the people who want to skip the reviews can do so easilier, and everyone else can read their reply after the fic.
Y. Haku: Also, it's kinda pointless replying to a review that just says 'Update', or 'update soon.' So they shall get ignored from now on. This is just to make it less of a hassle when managing our replies.
Haku: So for the review replies, scroll to the end.
DISCLAIMER:
I don't really see the point of this anymore, I mean it's kind of obvious that I don't own... I'm just another sheep...
~~~
Confusion with the Sorting Hat.
~~~
"Firs' Years! Firs' Years over here!" Hagrid called over the crowd of bustling people, and Mokuba struggled to make his way towards the man. Tenshi squalked with distaste and took to the air as a student stepped on her tail, landing rather disgruntledly on Mokuba's head. Finally pulling away from the throng and falling into step next to Harry and Ron.
"Any more Firs' Years? Come on then, follow me!" Hagrid led them down a path where there was nothing but pitch-blackness on either side of them. Mokuba shook slightly. Though it was childish, he didn't like the intense dark on either side of him. He wasn't the only one though, all of the first years were silent, some of them were shaking, and the boy who lost his toad gave a loud sniff that made several people jump. Tenshi was still sitting on Mokuba's head, regal and proud, and not in the least bit afraid.
A few times, Mokuba nearly slipped on hidden tufts of grass, and loose stones, but He made his way through the dark, and from somewhere up ahead, heard Hagrid call, "Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec."
The troop rounded the corner, and an almighty "Oooooh" Escaped all of them except Mokuba. Sure, the school was a castle, and the whole building was lit up. Big whoop. He'd grown up in a mansion that was nearly the same size. Mokuba was more impressed with the feat of building a castle on top of a high cliff than anything else. From what he had heard, the castle was built a thousand years ago, and lugging the stones up that hill would have been hard. Tenshi rolled her eyes at him and flapped her wings, shooting sparks off them as an avid reminder.
"Oh, right, Magic." Mokuba said, with a look of dawning comprehension. Tenshi jumped down off his head, in a way that clearly said, 'Well DUH.' And fell into step next to him.
They had made their way to a small harbour as Mokuba was pondering, and about 50 little black boats were moored, obviously there to take them across the great expanse of black water. Harry and Ron moved ahead of him, and got into a boat, where they were quickly joined by the Hermione girl, and the boy who kept loosing his frog. "Or was it a toad?" Mokuba thought out loud, as he hopped into another boat by himself. "Come on then Tenshi!" He said, as the griffin hadn't moved. She was still sitting on the edge of the lake, looking sulky and refusing to budge.
"Tenshi?" The lapping of the waves came closer to her, and she hissed, moving back a little out of fear or distaste, Mokuba couldn't tell which. Mokuba rolled his eyes, and stepped out of the boat, picking her up gently, and carrying her back to it, sitting down again. Tenshi sent him a sour look, and tried to stop shaking. Mokuba rolled his eyes. "It's just a little water Tenshi."
She sent him a clearly affronted look after this, one which Mokuba interpreted as "A LITTLE water? It's a whole frigging lake FULL of water, and you call it a LITTLE water?" He rolled his eyes, as the boats set off. The boats were silent, as the merrily lit castle loomed steadily closer.
Hagrid's voice called over the fleet, "Heads down!" As the first boats reached the face of the cliff, and they all complied. They passed under some low hanging Ivy, which concealed another small harbour inside the base of the cliff. There was a loud rustling noise as they clambered out of the boats and onto a pebbled shore. Tenshi fluttered her wings and landed a little higher up the shore than they were, looking at the retreating boats with distaste.
"Oi! You there, is this your toad?" Hagrid called to the forgetful boy, who ran forward, blissfully crying "Trevor!" Tenshi re-took her position on Mokuba's head as they trooped up a tunnel, coming out onto a sweeping lawn, just outside a pair of oaken doors. Hagrid lifted a large fist, and knocked three times on the double doors.
They swung open at once, and a witch around late middle-aged came sweeping out of them.
"The firs' Years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid supplied her, and she looked about, peering intensely at each one's face.
"Thank you Hagrid, I will take them from here." He nodded politely and ushered for them to follow her, which they did with some trepidation. She led them into the large entrance hall, complete with marble flagstones, and Mokuba suddenly got a pang of homesickness, for his similarly designed, yet somewhat smaller entrance hall of his own mansion. They were crowded into a small chamber, and McGonagall stood above them, looking down with a kind of severe warmth that Mokuba had thought only his brother could pull off.
"Welcome to Hogwarts." She said, addressing them all. "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 your 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. ((Haku: Hurry up with the speech already McGonagall!)) While you are at Hogwarts, Your triumphs will earn you House points, while any rule-breaking will loose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.
The sorting Ceremony will take place in a few moments. I suggest you smarten yourselves up before then. And," Her eyes rested on Tenshi, who was half asleep after the speech, "I would like to take this time to remind you that there are to be no pets in the Great Hall." Tenshi sent the woman a most distressed look, and refused to move.
"But she won't let me out of her sight, McGonagall-sensei!" Mokuba was equally as distressed with the idea that he and the griffin would part. "Please let her stay with me?"
McGonagall sighed, but the faintest traces of a smile lingered around her eyes and mouth. "Very well then, she may stay with you, on the condition that she does not disrupt proceedings." Tenshi sent her her best, "I'm a little angel, would I ever do that?" Glance, before twittering happily.
"I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." With that, she turned, and was out of the room in one swish of her cloak.
Mokuba instantly made his way towards Harry and Ron. They were talking about something, but Mokuba couldn't make it out. "...But I think he was joking."
Mokuba blinked as he looked at them, hearing the Hermione girl talking at her usual pace to his left, about spells and which ones she might need for the test.
Harry looked up and smiled weakly at Mokuba. "I haven't been this nervous in awhile."
Mokuba laughed. The boy was funnily enough very calm. Maybe because he was keeping his imagination under check, and he wasn't thinking about all the things that Magic could do. Something which others were having a hard time coming to terms with. Harry's eyes travelled past the Japanese boy, and fixed themselves on the doorway, with an air of absolute doom.
Mokuba blinked in surprise as several people around him jumped, or screamed. He turned towards the direction of the noise, and saw about twenty pearly-white people had just streamed through the back wall. "Ghosts!" Whispered the Hermione girl quietly. Mokuba shrugged, He'd seen scarier things than that.
They appeared to be having a conversation, but quickly cut it off when they saw the new students. Mokuba lost interest in the ghosts at this point, and silently thanked every strange occurrence he'd ever come across that he didn't think this was anything out of the ordinary. Compared with some of the things he and his brother had been through, the transparent people were a walk in the park. Tenshi sneezed somewhere above him.
"Move along now." The McGonagall lady was back. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to start." The ghosts moved off through the opposite wall. "Now, students, get into a line."
Mokuba fell into place behind Harry and Ron. The students made their way through a long hall, past four long tables, and up to a platform at the front of the hall. There, they stood, the older students peering at them curiously. Penelope Clearwater waved from her seat at one of the tables, and Mokuba waved, (Somewhat apprehensively) back. McGonagall walked past them, carrying a stool and a frayed, patched and dirty old wizard's hat. Mokuba blinked and watched it curiously, something he noticed that other people were doing too. Tenshi flicked her tail, there was a soft splutter from one of the candles that were floating overhead, and then the brim of the hat open wide, and proceeded to... Sing?
Mokuba blinked, and did a slight double take. The Hat was singing, in what it obviously thought was a very musical voice.
"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge by 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 aught to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor
Where dwell the brave of 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,
These 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 it song. Mokuba snorted. It wasn't nearly as good, or as magical as he'd expected, though he didn't say anything. Next to him, Harry looked even more nervous, though Ron looked somewhat relieved. "We've just got to try on a hat. No big deal! It's just a hat!"
Mokuba snorted at him. Yeah, a hat that sings badly, and can look inside your head. He thought to himself, the remark somewhat snide. No big deal. Just got to try on the strange, magic hat. Tenshi rolled her eyes and dug a claw into his head slightly, in an action that said 'be nice.'
"I'm starting to think you can read my mind Tenshi." He whispered quietly to the bird.
McGonagall walked forward, a long roll of parchment in her hands. "When I call your name you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." Mokuba nodded. It was simple enough. "Abbot, Hannah!"
The girl raced forward and put on the hat, it slipping down past her eyes. There was a moment's pause, then the hat shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Bones, Susan." McGonagall called, as Hannah raced off the stage, towards a table that was applauding enthusiastically.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" The girl ran forward, and the sorting proceeded in much a similar way, with 'Boot, Terry' and 'Brocklehurst, Mandy' Becoming Ravenclaws, "Brown, Lavender' becoming a Gryffindor, 'Bullstrode, Millicent' Becoming a Slytherin, and 'Finch-Fletchley, Justin' becoming a Hufflepuff.
Then it was the strange girl from the trains turn. 'Granger, Hermione' raced forward and sat upon the stool, and it was a little while, before the hat called out, "GRYFFINDOR!"
"Kaiba, Mokuba." There was a sudden hiss throughout the Great Hall, as the Muggle-borns turned t one another, asking questions such as, 'Not THE Seto Kaiba's brother?" Mokuba flinched. Stupid reflected glory.
He took up the hat, and looked up expectantly at Tenshi. She refused to move from his head. "Please move Tenshi, it's only for a minute. Then you can sit back down."
She still refused to budge. Some of the people in the hall were laughing at him, and the hat in his hands seemed agitated. "PLEASE Tenshi? I'll sneak you some chocolate later?" This did it, and the griffin jumped down happily, allowing Mokuba to sit upon the stool, Tenshi slinking around his legs, as the hat slipped down around his eyes.
Then came the voice, whispering softly in his ear. Hmmm... You're an interesting one... So many qualities. You would do well in any house... So difficult. Mokuba blinked into the darkness of the hat.
Excuse me?
Take it as a compliment, kid. I've never had this much difficulty placing someone. You're brave, Gods yes. And resourceful too. Loyal as well, especially where your brother is concerned... so where to put you? Outside, he felt Tenshi getting slightly agitated.
Please hurry up, or my griffin might attack you. He could have sworn he felt the hat tremble slightly, as if in laughter.
Your griffin will not attack me little one. But you, you are very confusing. Cunning, brave, intelligent, and loyal, so where to put you?
Wait, what's this? The hat sounded startled, like it had just found something. So well hidden, so well hidden, but it means that there's only one place for you. Yes. Your place is with the others in...
~~~
Haku: MUAHAHAH! I'm EVIL!
Y. Haku: And we would like to take this moment to apologise for not sorting Mokey, when we said we would about 3 chapters ago. But at least he's got the hat on his head, right?
Haku: Right?
REVIEW REPLIES:
First of all, this review that I wasn't very happy with.
Someone- I appreciate what you are saying, if you are saying it in a friendly way, as a warning from one Fanfiction writer to another. HOWEVER, how am I supposed to let my readers know that I can't update in any other way? I can't exactly email them all, for it is a waste of my time, and I know that some people read, but don't actually REVIEW, therefore, I don't have any means of contacting them.
Also, I could have updated my profile, but how many people, in honesty check that every week, when the author is on their alerts? So in that case, I would need a note saying, "Check Profile please." Thus, leaving a note.
So can you see where I am coming from? It is exceedingly difficult for me to get a message out any other way.
I apologise for any annoyance that I might have caused you, which brings me to the second part of this reply.
If you didn't mean it that way, then (this is exceedingly rude, but needed...) GO TO HELL! ^_^
Have a nice day. ^_^
Mimiheart- Sorry then... I thought I left enough clues throughout the fic. -Collapses-
Destiny's Dragon- Gyahh! That's where I want him, but I had to revoke my vote to make it fairer.
Dagger5- Evanescence ROCKS! -Is listening to her hits of summer CD- Uggh! Justin Timberlake! -Hides, and changes it to a depressing song-
Toxic=^^=- I'm glad you like what I do. And no, I'm not from England, I'm from the great Land Down under. AUSTRALIA FOREVER!!! -Has an incredibly big sense of National Pride-
Chaos Valkyrie- ^_^ I don't understand why though, I mean his character is so adorable, and because he's a lesser character, you can take grater leniencies with his character. He's gorgeous too... And he shares a birthday with me.
Mimiheart- -giggles- Mommy mode! -Huggles yew- Thanks for understanding!
Darkness' Blue Ice- ^_^ I always try to put in a twist with my fics. It makes them that much more interesting. (Also, I hate the Cliché stuff...)
~~~
Haku; Well, anyways, POLL UPDATE:
Gryffindor: 6
Ravenclaw: 5
Hufflepuff: 3
Slytherin: 2
Haku: Looks like Gryffindor's gonna get it. -Waterfall tears- I WANTED RAVENCLAW DAMMIT!
Y. Haku: Anyways, Read and Review?