Chapter 4 - The Sorting

Before getting off the train, Hermione smiled apologetically at Chomper and returned him to his Pokeball. This was the first time she had placed him in his Pokeball since the day she had gotten him.

Disembarking from the train, the two young trainers stuck close together, as they were the only person that the other knew. They followed the instructions given on the intercom to leave their luggage on the train. They went to stand by the giant of a man, with a Lampent, who was calling for all of the first years to gather around him.

They followed the big man and his Lampent to a small fleat of Lapras's. They climbed onto one. They shared the Lapras with two of the boys from the train, a black haired boy with glasses and a redheaded boy with a smattering of freckles. The fleet started to glide over the water at the big man's command. They gasped at the sight of the castle that appeared after they passed under some ivy.

After the Laprases docked, they clambered off the dock.

"Anyone missing a Froakie?" The huge man asked, holding up said Pokemon.

"Trever!" Neville exclaimed. After he returned his Pokemon to his Pokeball, they followed the Lampent's light up to the castle. The big man knocked on the grand front doors of the castle. The doors opened a moment later, revealing a stern old lady.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." The large man proclaimed.

The professor simply nodded firmly and let the man pass by her. She then beckoned for the first years to follow her. She led them to an anti-chamber off of what Hermione assumed to be the Great Hall. The professor then descended into a seemingly well practiced speech. Hermione listened with rapt attention. She absorbed the information like a sponge even though she had already read about it in Hogwarts, a History. As soon as the professor finished her speech, she left them in the room to prepare the hall for them.

A cocky looking, white-blond haired boy approached the skinny, black haired boy from earlier. "Hey Potter, you still hanging around the rift-raft, are you?" The blond said.

Hermione's head shot up. Potter? As in Harry Potter? As in the boy that saved everyone from the evil Voldemort who wanted to rule over everyone and believed people like her shouldn't be Pokemon trainers? Was that who the black haired boy was? He was here? But then, his parents had come here for their schooling, so of course he would come here to. She couldn't believe that she would go to school with someone famous.

She had, of course, read all of the books that mentioned him as soon as she was old enough to learn of what he had done. Or rather, what his mother had done. It must be sad growing up without your parents. He was supposedly going on adventures and living the good life, for an orphan at least. So why did he look so small? He looked like he needed someone to protect him. Hermione would do her best to be his friend and help him through any troubles that he might have, she decided with a nod. It was the least that she could do for him for what he sacrificed.

"You seem to be the only 'rift-raft' around here," Hermione said stepping closer to the opposing boys. She ignored both Neville's insistent tugging on her sleeve and the blond boy's bodyguards standing on either side of him.

"Who are you? I don't recognize you. What is your family name?" The blond boy asked rudely. "My father will hear of this." He commented.

"My name is Hermione Granger," she replied proudly. She wouldn't let him get to her. "My parents are dentists and you seem to be a bully." She continued. After her experiences as a child, it was easy for her to pick out a bully from the first meeting alone.

"Oh, a Mudblood, are you?" He responded, ignoring the gasps his words caused. "We don't need your kind of filth around here," he sneered.

Knowing that she had just been called a slur based on her parentage, she was about to respond when the professor came back, called for their attention, and told them to form two lines, then follow her into the Great Hall for their sorting.

Suddenly, nervousness made itself known. She felt like she might be sick. To make herself feel better, she started to recite some of the facts that she had memorized.

It turns out that a Gothitelle sorted the students. That seemed easy enough. She didn't actually have to do anything.

When it was her turn to be sorted, she confidently walked up to the Gothitelle. The stared into each other's eyes. It suddenly seemed as if everyone else had simply disappeared. The two of them were the only ones in the room.

Four figures slowly materialized out of thin air. They were her, only older. One in blue, one in green, one in yellow, and one in red.

"Do I pick?" She asked.

To her surprise, the Gothitelle responded in words rather than gestures. "Yes," said a surprisingly deep voice. "Your as intelligent as Rowena was, as ambitious as the rest of them, as loyal as Helga, and as brave as they come. You could fit in well in any of the houses, so you get to choose which one you prefer."

Hermione didn't need to think it over, "Gryffindor, please," she said immediately.

"Alrighty then," he, because the Gothitelle could only be male with that voice, continued as the people in the hall seemed to reappear, "better be Gryffindor!" The last word was ringing in her head as the Pokemon pointed at the table of the house that she had been hoping for.

The sorting continued with Neville and Harry Potter joining her in Gryffindor. By the time it was over, Hermione was anxious. She hadn't gone this long without Chomper since she got him. Was he hungry? Was he uncomfortable in his Pokeball? Was he feeling okay?

As the food appeared, floated in by many psychic Pokemon, older students started to release their Pokemon. She turned to an older boy with an important air around him. "Are we allowed to release our Pokemon from their Pokeballs?"

"Of course we are! But each student is only allowed one Pokemon out at a time." He responded to her questioning.

With a relieved smile, she thanked him and released Chomper into her lap. It took a while, but soon the trainer Pokemon duo noticed stares headed their way. At first, they thought that it was people staring at Harry Potter since he is famous, after all. Then they realized that he was getting looks too, but there were definitely people staring at them.

Confused, Hermione leaned over to Neville who was sitting next to her. "What are people starting at?" She questioned him.

Glancing around, he replied. "I think that they are looking at Chomper. Remember when I said that Gibles are rare?" Here he waited for a nod before continuing. "Most people never get to see them, so they are most likely curious."

"I see, thanks Neville." Hermione responded.

After the meal, Albus Dumbledore, who she assumed was the headmaster from recognizing his picture and matching it with his appearance, stood up to speak. "Hello and welcome to Hogwarts for those that are new and welcome back for the rest of you. I would like to remind you to not go into parts of the forest that is sectioned as above your year level. Pokemon are not allowed in the hallways, and only one of your Pokemon is allowed to be out and about at a time inside the castle. Oh, and the third floor corridor on the left side is forbidden to all who don't wish for a very painful death. Prefects, please escort the first years to your common rooms."

Everyone returned their Pokemon to their Pokeballs. They traversed many hallways and climbed many steps. Finally, after what seemed like forever to the tired eleven year olds, they reached their destination. "The entrance to the common room is guarded by a Jynx. The password is the only way to get in. It changes every month on the first, so be sure to keep an eye on the notice board in the common room. The password is Sand Veil." As the older boy from earlier said the last past, the portrait that he was standing in front of opened. A Jynx came into view in the now revealed passageway.

As they entered, the first years saw Litleo scattered around the room. There were at least a dozen, if not more. "Your first task as a Gryffindor, before going up to bed, will be to find a partner in a Litleo from the common room." Said the red haired prefect that had led them to the common room. "The boys' dorms are to the left and the girls' are to the right." He finished, indicating the two stairways, the boys' leading down and the girls' leading up.

Nodding to show her understanding, Hermione started toward the nearest Litleo once she was sure he was done talking. The Litleo took one look at her and ran in the opposite direction. Feeling bad and thinking Chomper might be the only Pokemon to like her, Hermione went to sit on one of the couches.

She called out Chomper to hold, seeking comfort from his familiar presence. After a few minutes, she noticed, or rather, Chomper noticed and indicated to her, a lone Litleo had jumped onto the couch and was staring curiously at them.

"Hello there," Hermione stated softly as to not startle the little Pokemon. She moved Chomper onto one of her legs, the one farther from the Litleo, and she offered her other leg, the one closer to the Litleo, to the feline. Slowly, the Pokemon crept forwards, toward them.

Eventually, the Pokemon carefully crawled onto Hermione's leg and plopped down. Petting both Pokemon on her lap, she asked the Litleo what its gender is. She found out that the Litleo is a male. Then Hermione asked if the Litleo wanted to become part of the team. He happily nodded his consent. Hermione took out a Pokeball and offered it to the Litleo. The Litleo pressed his nose against the button and willingly let himself be caught.

Calling the Litleo back out, Hermione questioned him on what he might like to have his name as. After much trial and error on her part, they finally ended on Eshwick.

Heading up to bed with her partners, both new and old, she found the room with her trunk in it and went to bed.