1The next day, Dumbledore called Keanu down to his office. Hermione and Ginny were certain that it was time for him to be sorted. Ron and Katie also accompanied him

"You'd better be in Gryffindor," Katie said. "Or I'll have to kill you."

Keanu smiled. "How does he determine which house I'll be in?"

Ginny spoke up. "It's a hat. Apparently Godric Gryffindor and the other Founders did some complicated magic so the hat could decide which house the students were supposed to be in.

All four of the others then went into a detailed explanation of what each house's qualities were. When they were done, Keanu was certain he'd be in Gryffindor.

"Both of your parents were in Gryffindor," Ron pointed out. Keanu had a feeling that Ron knew a little too much about his family.

"Yea and it was brave of you to come here, knowing that you had to kill or be killed after that prophecy and whatnot." Ginny said.

"But you were also very smart to learn all the spells and stuff so quickly. And you were loyal and hard-working to your studying of piano," Hermione said.

Keanu exchanged looks with Ginny. They were being stealthy and cunning right now to hide everything from the others.

"We're not going to know until we get up there," Ginny said, looking away from Keanu. They arrived at the two gargoyles, and Hermione said the password.

"Fainting Fancy."

Keanu shot Ron a skeptical look. "My brothers' work. You'll meet them once you're officially accepted into Gryffindor."

If I'm accepted Keanu couldn't help but think.

Dumbledore hardly looked surprised to see all the people accompanying Keanu. His blue eyes were twinkling.

"You guessed right," he said to the four. Hermione's eyes lighted up and Ginny smiled. Keanu stepped forward.

Sitting on Dumbledore's desk was an old, frail hat. It looked up at Keanu. Keanu stepped back. They hat looked up at him.

"Don't worry, it's just magic," Katie said.

Keanu smiled nervously. Dumbledore motioned for Keanu to sit down in a comfy chintz chair. He did, and Dumbledore lowered the hat over his eyes.

All was silent for a few minutes, and Keanu felt like an idiot.

Very, very bright!

Keanu jumped. Who's there?

It's me, the hat.

Hat's can talk?

Lived a sheltered life, eh Potter?

Actuall-

I'll be calling you by your birth name.

Ok.

The hat was silent for another minute.

You are very smart...but very loyal as well...and this secret you're hiding from young Mr. Weasley? Very cunning indeed. But, yes, Miss Weasley was right. You are very brave.

I think we can eliminate Hufflepuff, sorry, but you're not hard working enough.

Keanu breathed a sigh of relief.

And, as you may be being very cunning right now, that doesn't seem to be your strong point. You recall the day you tried to lie to your mother about stealing the candy from the store. Slytherins must be very subtle and discreet. Not your best qualities.

So that narrows it down to Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.

Keanu started to sweat.

Gryffindor. Gryffindor.

Gryffindor? Just because all your friends are in it? You'll meet new friends in Ravenclaw.

Keanu shook his head. Gryffindor! I want to be in Gryffindor.

Yes, I can see that. But you are very bright.

What about bravery. I could easily gone back to Canada and never though about Voldemort again! What about nobility?

Fair point. Well, anyhow, I will have to place you in.

The hat didn't speak for a full minute, in which Keanu was shaking in his seat.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Keanu sunk down in his seat out of relief. As Dumbledore lifted the hat off of Keanu's head, Keanu could have sworn that it winked at him.

"That took ages!" Ginny said.

Hermione agreed. "That has to be the longest I've seen! I thought Parvati Patil took awhile, but that had to be a solid twenty minutes, maybe more!"

"It didn't feel like it. It went really fast." Keanu said.

"That's what they all say," Ron said.

"Yes!" Katie said. "We are so going to have the Quidditch Cup this year!"

Dumbledore smiled. "Is he a natural, Miss Bell? Takes after his father, does he?"

Katie nodded absentmindedly. She was already formulating Quidditch routines in her mind.

Dumbledore smiled. "I think there may be a party waiting in Gryffindor Common Room. News travels frighteningly fast in this castle."

Hermione smiled guiltily. Keanu noticed the door to Dumbledore's office was open a crack, as if someone had been listening in, waiting for the news.

Sure enough, when the five returned to the common room, there was a giant party waiting for them. Keanu met all the members of Gryffindor House, and some from other houses. He was eating a Custard Cream, but was interrupted by turning into a canary.

Turning into a canary was the most unusual sensation. He felt like a bird but still thought like a man. He heard the crowd laughing and tried flapping his wings. He rose a few inches off the ground, but his feathers molted and he was a human again. Fred and George Weasley were laughing.

"Get's them every time!" one crowed.

The party ended around eleven. Keanu stayed downstairs until everyone had gone up to bed. He stood up to walk upstairs, but ended up running into Ginny.

"We're alone now," she crooned into his ear. Keanu smiled mischeviously and pulled Ginny into his arms. Soon they were kissing unstoppably.

"Ginny," Keanu said, pulling apart a few minutes later, "We need to stop."

Ginny looked disheartened.

"For tonight. I have classes tomorrow," Keanu reminded her. Ginny brightened a bit.

"We'll, I'll see you tomorrow, I assume," she said.

"Definitely," Keanu replied and they went up their separate staircases.

Four weeks later, Keanu was preparing for his OWLs. He was aiming for an OWL in Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Astronomy, Ancient Runes, Arthmancy, and Care of Magical Creatures. Hermione was confident he would get all of them.

"You've been studying really hard. As long as you don't mess up like, the color changing and growth charms or something idiotic like that..."

He and Ginny were still carrying on their secret relationship. They'd had many close calls lately, like Hermione coming down the stairs, or Ron sleepwalking. But luckily, neither of them had caught Ginny and Harry together.

Finally, the day of the OWLs came. Professor Marchbanks, one of Dumbledore's personal friends, who had even given Dumbledore himself the OWLs, came down to do Keanu.

The written exams took place first, and they were very easy for Keanu. The practical exams were tougher. When he came out of his first, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were all waiting for him.

"Well?" they all asked.

Keanu shrugged. "I accidentally made tea in the teapot that I transfigured from a squirrel."

Hermione looked devastated, but Ron and Ginny guffawed.

The same thing happened after Charms. "I accidentally levitated the plate a little to high..."

And Defense Against the Dark Arts, "I accidentally had my Patronus attack some blonde haired kid."

Ron and Ginny found this hilarious. Apparently the boy was Draco Malfoy, an evil Slytherin, who was only staying to keep up the impression that his parents were not supporting Voldemort. According to them that deserved bonus points.

In Herbology, Keanu accidentally beheaded a fanged geranium. And in Care of Magical Creatures, one of the Jack Russells he was supposed to separate from the Krups had attacked him.

But other than that, Keanu felt he had done excellent.

After eight weeks of being introduced to the magical world, September first came rolling around. Keanu and his friends were already waiting in the Great Hall when the rest of the school entered. Keanu saw Parvati Patil hug a brown haired girl, and Katie Bell give a black haired boy a kiss on the cheek. He also noticed that the tables were very empty.

The Sorting Hat was sitting on a three legged stool in the front of the four tables. Once all the students had quieted down, a door to the left of the Head Table opened, and in came a handful of timid first years. The Sorting Hat opened its mouth.

The destruction comes nearer,

And the day of doom for this school is clearer

The only way to save ourselves and friends

Is for the separate houses to make amends.

Gryffindor, house of the brave.

Needs to connect with Ravenclaw, who will save.

Hufflepuff, house of the loyal, needs to try

To be kind to Slytherin, house of the sly.

And Gryffindor and Slytherin will link

Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw will think

But trust must go around

for this school to be safe and sound.

But that day is not yet here

so let's prepare for another year.

I come here to sort you

And that is what I will do.

Scattered applause echoed around the room. Hermione raised her eyes at Ron, who was
looking at the hat. Keanu shrugged this off, and waited as the new first years were sorted.

After Zackowski, Nicola and James were sorted into Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, respectively, Dumbledore stood up. He looked grave, but smiled all the same.

"There is a reserved time for speech making, and unfortunately, now is not the time. Tuck in."

Keanu grinned. The plates stayed empty for a second longer, then food appeared out of no where. The first years gasped. Keanu grinned again; he was used to this now.

After a thorough helping of chicken wings, and a delicious batch of treacle tart, Keanu watched the food disappear and the plates and silverware magically clean themselves. Keanu turned his attention to Dumbledore, who had stood up.

"I am please to announce a new addition to our teaching staff. Nymphadora Tonks,"

A pink haired girl glared at Dumbledore.

"Nymphadora Tonks, who prefers to go by her last name only, is the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. My, we sure do go through them, don't we?"

Dumbledore's chuckle abruptly ended and he turned to a more serious tone.

"As many of you have probably noticed, the House tables are somewhat empty. It seems that more students than I had thought have chosen to stay away from Hogwarts this year. I am sure that many of you noticed the change in the Sorting Hat's song. It is very true. We need more than anything right now to join together. That said, I have a new rule in place immediately following this speech. Any student trying to prevent intra-House relationships will be placed in detention. Also, in light of Voldemort's reign, an eight PM to six AM curfew will be instigated. Any student found wandering the castle during this time will be placed in detention, unless other circumstances have earlier been cleared. If the student is found wandering the castle twice, they will be placed in a suspension, which will consist of the student being pulled out of the school for a previously agreed amount of time with their school supplies. That said, let us disperse to our common rooms."


I didn't like this chapter, and I'm sure you know why. Umm, thanks to all my reviewers, and good night!