YYF14: Hey, peoples! Chapter 6, I think. Nekosune, thanks for reviewing. Okay, I'm not going to be putting up two chapters today because I'm almost at the part where I left off and need to keep writing, and I think that it's better to get one a day for a few days than two one day and then none for five. So, with that said, here's chapter 6!
"Whoa, that's the school?" Yusuke asked incredulously. "It's a castle!"
Hermione nodded. "Yes, it's very old. Now, I need to tell you two something, and you have to pay attention. Since this is your first year, you're going to have to go on the boats with Hagrid, while we go with the rest of the kids our year. Just follow the rest of the first years into the hall, and get Sorted. You'll find out what that is later," she added, as Yusuke was about to ask. "We don't have time to answer questions. Just follow what you're told, and I hope you get into Gryffindor. That's what we're all in," she said, pointing to herself, Ron, and Harry. "Good luck."
The voice came over the speakers again, instructing the students of what to do, and telling them to leave their luggage on the train, as it would be taken up later.
"Does that mean I have to leave Puu on the train?" Yusuke asked. "He's my animal, but he doesn't have a cage or anything."
"He'd follow you anyway," Koenma said. "You might as well."
"No, I'll take him," Harry offered. "I'll keep him until you get Sorted. Then, if you're in Gryffindor, you don't have to worry about where he is."
"Thanks. C'mon, Koenma, we have to go."
The two boys left, and Puu settled himself in Harry's arms. Ron blinked.
"I think he understood what was going on."
"Well, he isn't a normal animal, so he might be able to," Hermione suggested.
Ron shrugged. "Whatever. Let's just get off of the train."
-----
Yusuke and Koenma got off of the train and started looking around for this Hagrid person. They had been told a lot about him from Harry and the group, including the fact that he was fairly large, so he should be easy to spot.
"Yusuke, I think I see him."
Yusuke turned around to see a very large man walking along the platform.
"Firs' years! Firs' years, over here!" he called, beckoning towards the students coming off of the train. Yusuke sighed.
"Well, I trust this is Hagrid," he said. "But they could have told us he was ten feet tall!"
"You've battled bigger people, Yusuke," Koenma pointed out as they followed the rest of the students.
"Yeah, I know. I should have expected something like this from a magical place anyway, but still… it's weird."
"I don't deny that, Yusuke."
Yusuke smiled. Koenma was definitely in a better mood than he had been on the train, thank goodness. After a few minutes, they came to a stop in front of a lake.
"How are we supposed to get across this?" Yusuke asked, a little annoyed. It seemed really stupid to lead them to a lake when they had a school to get to.
"Be patient, now," Hagrid said to no one in particular, and whistled. To many people's surprise, a fleet of boats came towards the shore.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, getting one boat all to himself.
Everyone got into a boat, and there were four in every one, except for one. No one would sit with Yusuke and Koenma for some reason. Maybe it was because they looked older than they should and the first years didn't trust them. Whatever reason it was, no one really minded. Hagrid gave another whistle, and the boats set off for the castle, all of the students looking about themselves in awe.
-----
Back with Harry and the gang, they got into one of the coaches, making sure to close the door before anyone else could join them. Malfoy had been close by, and they didn't want to have to deal with him.
"Do you think that the new students would be able to see the creatures pulling these?" Harry asked thoughtfully once they had started moving.
"I doubt it, Harry," Hermione replied. "Didn't you say that you had to see someone die to be able to see them? Do you really think that they would have seen someone die?"
Harry shrugged. "I dunno, I was just thinking."
"Speaking of thinking, do you think that they'll get into Gryffindor?" Ron asked.
"I hope so. We've gotten to be good friends with them. It would be annoying if they got Sorted into Slytherin or something," Harry replied. His friends agreed.
When they reached the school, they quickly got to their seats. The first years would be here soon, and then the Sorting would begin.
"Get outta the boats now, an' follow me!" Hagrid called, once the boats had landed on the opposite shore. He led them along a short path, up to a large door. He knocked, and an old woman opened the door. She had a stern look on her face that even Yusuke respected.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said. The woman nodded, and Hagrid left, the woman beckoning the students to follow her.
They followed her down a long hallway, then through another large door into a large hall, filled with the rest of the students.
"Wow… that's a lot of people…" Yusuke murmured. Koenma agreed, and then their attention was captured by the old woman who was probably giving instructions.
"Once your name is called, you will go up to that stool there, and put that hat on. It will tell you what House you will belong in, and you will go to that table. Understand?"
Some students nodded, and the woman took out a list, reading out the first name. A girl stepped out of the line, and timidly walked up to the stool, putting the hat on. It came down over her eyes. Silence reigned in the hall for a few seconds, then a rip in the hat's brim opened, and it shouted a word.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Yusuke's eyes widened at the fact that the hat could talk. The girl quickly took off the hat, and hurried over to a table, where the students were clapping and cheering.
The Sorting continued in this manner until Yusuke and Koenma were the only people left in the line. An old man at the head table stood, and all chatter stopped.
"This year, we have two students joining us from Japan," the man said. "They will only be here for one year, and they are coming into fifth year as they are too old for first. I expect you all to be considerate and help them in any way you can."
He sat down, and Professor McGonagall beckoned to Koenma. He nervously came up, and put the hat on his head. He waited, and suddenly, a voice spoke up.
"Hmm… a different kind of person this year… a challenge…"
Koenma stayed silent as the hat muttered incoherently to itself.
"Ah, immortality… you might do well in Slytherin. They want immortality."
Koenma remembered that Malfoy was in Slytherin, and shook his head.
"Please not Slytherin, please not Slytherin, I want to be in Gryffindor, that's where Yusuke'll be, and where my other friends are…"
The hat stayed silent for a moment, then made a sound like it was making a final decision.
"Well, you do have courage for when you need it… it seems like you should be in… GRYFFINDOR!"
The last word was shouted out to the entire hall, and cheering erupted from the table on the right. Koenma hurried to the table and found a seat next to Harry and the others. It was now Yusuke's turn to be Sorted.
"Hmm… Much courage in this one, been through a lot…" Yusuke blinked.
You're reading my mind?
"Well, of course. How else would I sort you? What would I go on?"
Good point.
"Yes, well… ah, you have proved yourself worthy for… GRYFFINDOR!"
More cheering erupted from the Gryffindor table, and Yusuke hurried over to take a seat beside Koenma. Harry gave Yusuke Puu back, who was chirping happily.
The old man stood up again.
"Well, now that the Sorting is over, I have a few words before we can eat. First off, to the first years, my name is Professor Dumbledore, and I am the headmaster here at Hogwarts. There are some rules that cannot be broken- such as, no one is allowed into the forest on the grounds, as there are some creatures in there that are deadly. Werewolves, acromantulas, things like that. Now, you may eat."
As he sat down, the plates magically filled with food, evoking gasps of surprise from the first years. The surprise was quickly overcome, however, by the fact that they were hungry, and could marvel at the magic later.
YYF14: Well, I admit to doing almost exactly the same for he Sorting, but I don't care. Oh, and about the update, I MIGHT update again today if I get some writing done, so hope for inspiration! Anyway, see you when I see you, and revew if you wish!
