Disclaimer: Guess what folks, I still don't own Harry Potter, any of the characters therein, or any of the ideas expressed in any of the Harry Potter books. I am making no profit out of producing this and just waste my own time and the time of anyone who decides to read this. Please don't sue me, I'm poor. Thanks.

The New Kid

The boy sat down placing the sorting hat on his head. Everyone knew that this wasn't the average situation for this. This boy wasn't a first year. His age made that obvious, and there was the idea that his experience would also prove more evidence to the fact. He sat silently as the sorting hat which had probably seen better days chattered away at him.

"I could put you in Hufflepuff. A lot of good wizards come from Hufflepuff." The hat spoke to Blake.

Blake spoke softly, "I'm sure they do."

"They really do. They are just, and Loyal. I'm sure you'd like it there."

"I've been known o be judgmental perhaps another house…" Blake spoke softly.

The sorting hat thought of this for a moment, "Well…Slytherin are cunning and resourceful. They can use almost anything to their advantage. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to accept you into their ranks."

"Yes, but they might take advantage of me, which I wouldn't be able to stand."

"Well there's always wise old Ravenclaw. You did come all the way here just to learn, so that sounds like a very good placement for you." The sorting hat spoke.

Blake spoke softly into the hat again, "I came because I had to. My parents wouldn't let me go without learning magic. They told me that this would be a good school, and it isn't like I'm afraid of meeting new people or not fitting in."

"Ah you're brave. I'll put you in Gryffindor."

"Perhaps you should just pick somewhere at random for me to go. It isn't like it really matters. They won't accept me no matter where I go. I'm sure this Gryffindor is no different than the others. I'm sure a wise old hat like you will pick a good place for me to be." Blake spoke. He was getting a little irritated with the hat, but it was just a hat after all.

"I can't do that, I'm the sorting hat. I put people where they belong, and you belong in…"

☼

There was silence for another moment before the sorting hat spoke, "This student goes to Gryffindor!"

Blake stood up, took off the hat and sat it back in the chair. He then looked back to the great hall where he was met by complete silence which was slightly frightening after so much chatter from that hat. Slowly the Gryffindor table began to clap to welcome their newest member, telling Blake where it was that he was heading. The Slytherin table appeared to be glaring at him. He was very glad that the sorting hat had not chosen them. The Hufflepuff table just seemed very happy, which he found unnerving. Some of them looked serious, but they probably would have attempted to assimilate him into their team completely and brainwash him into being something that he wasn't. That and the name was a bit of a turn off for him. That left Ravenclaw and Gryffindor which were the only ones now that he didn't think he would have minded being in. Ravenclaw once he had heard about them being all about education just weren't quite what it was that he was looking for. Gryffindor was the only one that he knew nothing about, so they were the logical choice.

He had been hoping to end up in Gryffindor anyway. Those rumors about a Fred and George who were troublemakers somehow appealed to him. Those were the kinds of people that he wanted to meet. He wanted to enjoy the time that he was spending here, and since he heard that these people that he had heard of had left the school he was pretty sure that he wouldn't have found people like that anyway. He was just going to have to hit the books and try not to attract too much attention while he was in the school. It was better that he stay away from these people rather than try to pal up to them. It was most likely that none of them wanted to be his friend anyway, so why even bother entertaining the thought? It didn't matter anyway, his parents had sent him here to learn, not to make friends. If they had wanted him to make friends they would have put him in a normal school where his knowledge of magic would have made him special.

Hermione stared at the boy as he sat down at the end of the table. It was like he was trying to avoid people. He really didn't seem to have very much team spirit, and she wasn't quite sure why he would be picked for their house. The Gryffindor house had always been good with its team spirit and teamwork. Of course Fred and George had quit, but they had always been an odd pair. She wasn't even sure why she was thinking about this boy and wondering why he had been picked to go here. She had another boy that she should have been worried about and that was Harry. He had been crying, and she had to find out why.

Harry waved a hand in front of Hermione's face, "Hermione. You know the food is up, right?"

Ron spoke softly, "Don't say that too loudly. She might decide to go on another holy quest to save the house elves again."

Harry laughed as Hermione started her bickering explaining how house elves were people too. This was the way things were supposed to be going. Ron was supposed to be criticizing Hermione and how she was always worried about those house elves and how they were being treated, and Hermione was supposed to flip out about it and almost attack Ron on the whole situation. Everything was as it was supposed to be.

"Well, if it isn't Potter…How is your doggy friend doing these days?"

The laughter stopped and most of the table went silent as Harry stared at the food in front of him, "Malfoy…"

Draco sneered, "I hear that he had to be put down. That must have broken your heart."

"That's enough Malfoy! You don't need to come all the way over to this table just to bother Harry! Why are you even here?" Hermione slowly got up as she snapped at Draco.

He smiled softly, "Well, it looks like the mudblood is standing up for Potter. He can't speak."

It was at that moment that a fist came crashing into the side of Draco's head knocking him into the ground. Blake glared down at the blonde boy as he struggled to get back up. The punch that he had delivered to the loud mouthed Slytherin was almost as instantaneous as the teachers getting up and heading over to take them both away.

"I think the new boy is defective." Draco snorted as Snape helped him get back to his feet.

Blake narrowed his eyes in rage, "I think if I hear the words mud and blood come out of your mouth again in the same sentence I'll hit you again." Professor McGonagall was pulling the boy back with a forceful hand that he didn't fight against. He slowly turned and followed her submitting as he knew he was supposed to.

Snape slowly pulled Draco to Madam Pomfrey's medical wing, "That would have been a hefty sum of points deducted if they would let me start before classes did."

Ron stared at Draco for a long moment, "Blimey, did you see that? I don't think Draco is hurt too badly…kind of too bad about that, but that was bloody brilliant!"

Hermione normally would have scolded Ron for finding humor in other's misfortune, but it was Malfoy, and she was far too shocked to even think about it. She had just been insulted by Draco, and that boy that she had only talked to for a few seconds had come up and beat him into the ground…literally. No one other than Harry and Ron had ever done that, and they had both had a hate for Malfoy right from the start. Things were getting a little confusing for the brown haired girl.

☼

Blake sat silently in McGonagall's office. She was sitting opposite him at a large table being just as silent. She looked like she was waiting for him to provide an explanation to his actions. She also looked like she had a very long time to wait, which was convenient, since Blake really didn't want to talk about it. That boy bothered him a lot more than most of the other ones and he had deserved everything that he had gotten. He was stupid and narrow-minded and if it hadn't been him that had punched the loud mouthed little dweeb then someone else would have.

"You don't seem to have very much to say for yourself. Either that or you are waiting for me to talk." McGonagall spoke softly and calmly. This wasn't the sort of calmness that Blake had been expecting, but he had heard it before.

He looked at the leg of the desk in front of him, "That boy was being an idiot."

McGonagall adjusted her glasses on her nose and looked at the boy through them, raising one thin eyebrow, "And what exactly was it that you were being by punching him?"

"The word just comes to my mind, but you are probably thinking barbaric and violent." Blake spoke, continuing to stare at the leg of the desk.

McGonagall looked down at some papers and shuffled through them, "And why is it, do you suppose, that those words would come to my mind?"

Blake continued staring at the leg of the desk. It was like he was trying to melt it with his thoughts or something, "Because I am the new kid and acting out is usually a way in which the new kids attempt to get attention so that they fit in." He looked up at her, "You know what. I've heard all of this before. That loudmouth Slytherin boy was calling that girl-"

"Yes, I know what Draco was calling Hermione, and I know that I don't know you well enough to know if we are going to have a lot of meetings like this in my office, but I do know that you haven't had enough time to get to know either Draco, or anyone else. You can't justify hitting people. I don't know what your last school was like but we will not accept violent acts like that here at Hogwarts! Do you understand me?" She remained perfectly calm and collected through her entire speech.

Blake nodded, "We have an understanding…I just don't know what it is that we are going to do about this."

McGonagall took off her glasses and put them on the table, folding her hands over each other on her desk, "Well mister Allendale, was it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I don't know what it is that we are going to do about this. You are going to be around both Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger for a great deal of time. Perhaps I should take them into my office and we can discuss what action we should take as a committee." McGonagall spoke with that same eerie calmness to her voice, "Of course Professor Snape would also have to be present."

Blake shook his head, "There is no need for that kind of action professor. I promise that I will not hit this Malfoy character without good reason."

"Good reason or not, you will not hit Draco Malfoy again. I don't want to hear about it, do you understand? You will spend all of your time in the Gryffindor common room and sit at the other side of all of your classes from him if it is necessary to prevent any conflict, do you hear me?" McGonagall spoke, "You've got a week of cleaning duty with Filch."

Blake raised an eyebrow. That was unusually lenient. Cleaning duty was one of the less difficult punishments that he had been forced to deal with. Was this professor joking with him or something? This couldn't be right. He was afraid to say anything for fear of receiving a harsher punishment, but he couldn't believe that he was getting off with hall duty. That was way too simple.

"Something wrong Mr. Allendale?" McGonagall spoke. She had replaced her glasses and was writing on a piece of paper as she spoke to him.

Blake blinked, "Well that's…um…"

McGonagall nodded, "It is like I said. I don't know you well enough to punish you too harshly. Of course your parents will be notified of this outburst."

Blake nodded quickly, "Of course. That only seems fair."

McGonagall continued writing. A tense silence filled the room as Blake stared at her and she continued to write. He stared at her waiting for something else. There had to be something else. With this he'd just get a howler from his mom and some cleanup duty. That was nothing. Why was this professor being so lenient with him? It didn't make any sense.

"Was there something more Mr. Allendale? You are free to go. Filch will come get you to do hall clean up during your noon break, maybe one day in the morning or evening. I'm sure that is easy to understand." McGonagall continued writing on the parchment.

"Um…Professor…perhaps this isn't the proper time to ask…" Blake shifted uneasily in his seat.

McGonagall looked up at the boy, "Yes?"

"I hear your team is in need of a beater."