A/N: I don't own Harry Potter. I am planning on starting new fanfic alongside the current one. Were it will definitely contain evil Lily and pairing will be Harry/Cho, it will not be harem for sure. Weasleys bashing (except Ginny, she will be like a sister). Any suggestions.
Chapter 11: The Sorting
An hour and fifteen minutes after the Malfoy incident occurred, the Hogwarts Express thankfully pulled into the station on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. By that point, Harry had been so uncomfortable with the staring and the silence from the three girls that even though he pretended to sleep, he couldn't wait for the journey to come to an end.
Harry silently followed the trio to the nearest exit when the train finally stopped. With the house elves in charge of transporting and placing the luggage into their future rooms, he knew the students didn't have to worry about moving any trunks.
As soon as he got outside of the train, Harry deliberately moved away from the trio of girls. He wasn't sure if they were scared of him, in awe of him, or just plain angry with him, but whatever they were feeling, it was enough to make Harry want to give each of them a wide berth.
Within a few minutes, Harry watched the extensive collection of eleven-year-olds gather around the massive frame of Rubeus Hagrid. The moment he saw the gentle giant, he couldn't help but feel thrilled at the sight of the man. As the person who introduced him to the Magical world, Harry always considered the half-giant his first-ever friend. By the jovial manner and apparent gentleness he could see in this world's Hagrid, Harry was happy that this wasn't one of the differences Death warned him about.
"Hullo there, everyone," Hagrid's voice boomed over the gathered children. "My name is Rubeus Hagrid, and Im'a the gamekeeper here at Hogwarts. All you firs' years will be travellin' by boat t'get ta' the castle. Come on now and foller me. Make sure der ain't no more'n four ta' a boat."
As soon as everyone started moving, Harry headed for a boat near the end of the line and as far away from the trio as he could get. Within moments he was joined by another trio of girls, as Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot, and a brunette girl Harry didn't recognize sat down next to him.
In an attempt to be polite, Harry flashed the famous Potter smile at the girls and said, "Hello ladies. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Harry Potter."
When he heard Susan gasp and saw her eyes widen, Harry immediately knew she was surprised by his presence. Apparently, the entire magical community assumed that the eldest Potter was a squib due to its small size. Unfortunately, he had to deal with it a few times while walking around Diagon alley and running into people who knew the Potters.
"Yes, that Potter," he tried to joke at the situation. "The information that is being passed around about me is wrong because I was never a squib. I just had a medical condition that was misdiagnosed. Luckily, I had it treated a few months ago, and now my magic is working just fine."
Susan felt a little guilty for her reaction and smiled awkwardly in return. "Hi Harry," she squeaked out. "My name is Susan Bones, and this is my best friend, Hannah Abbott. It's nice to meet you too."
Harry smiled and nodded at the pig-tailed Hannah and then faced the unknown brunette. He didn't recall who she was from his old world, and he found himself suddenly curious by her presence.
Apparently, the girl could feel the others waiting for her to respond because Harry heard her say, "My name is Blaise Zabini."
The shock he felt at hearing the name was thankfully hidden by the sudden piercing shriek that echoed across the lake. Harry instantly flipped his wand into his hand and stood up as his eyes began to search for the cause of the noise. When he finally saw the girl responsible for the shouting, he saw that she was laughing with the other kids in her boat and quickly realized it was just a joke and not an attack.
By the time he sat back down and returned his wand to the holster on his wrist, Harry looked up to see Susan and Hannah staring at him in awe, while the female Blaise just eyed him curiously. "Sorry about that, ladies. Quick reflexes. I've been practicing with my dad. You know...the Master Auror."
Thankfully his explanation was enough for the girls, and he saw them nod their heads slowly in response. The rest of the trip was held in silence, except for the loud gasps he heard once the Hogwarts Castle finally came into view.
The sight of the gorgeous castle under the pale moonlight was indeed a breath-taking sight, and Harry didn't begrudge the girls their awestruck expressions. He knew in his old world he'd felt the same way when he first made this trip, and a part of him still felt like gasping along with them.
The little boats they were on continued their trek through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face surrounding the school. Soon the first years were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right under the castle until they eventually reached a Magically hidden underground harbor.
Once the boat came to a complete stop, Harry jumped off first and politely reached out to help Hannah, Susan, and the shockingly female Blaise Zabini. Death's warning was never as evident as when Harry heard the brunette girl say her name because Blaise was actually a guy in his world.
Thanks to his self-imposed exile from the other students at Hogwarts, Harry never got a chance to know most of his peers in his old world too well. While there wasn't much he could say about the Slytherin boy from his first time at Hogwarts, there was no mistaking that the person in question was definitely a male. After his most recent meeting with Death, Harry found himself wondering how similar the female Blaise would be to her male counterpart.
After the three girls had safely disembarked from the boat, Harry led them to the Castle doors, where he knew ProfessorMcGonagall would already be waiting with the other first years. Once Harry and the girls finally joined their peers, the stern Transfiguration teacher made a final check for any more students and then ushered the group quickly into the small antechamber at the entrance of the Castle.
There she proceeded to give them a well-rehearsed speech on the virtues of each of the noble houses they would be sorted into, and at this point, Harry was quick to zone her out.
Eventually, the speech ended, and Harry was thankful when the Gryffindor Head of House finally led them into the Great Hall. There she had the gaggle of nervous children lined up alphabetically while the rest of the school looked on quietly.
At the sight of his peers' actions, Harry remembered this was supposed to be his first trip to Hogwarts as well, and so he did his best to imitate his fellow first years by gawking at the floating candles and expressing his excitement at the sight of the bewitched ceiling.
The whispered chattering that rumbled throughout the Great Hall quickly descended into a solemn silence once McGonagall placed the patched and frayed Sorting Hat onto the three-legged stool in front of the first years.
While his fellow first years waited nervously for The Sorting to begin, Harry turned his attention towards the Professors gathered at the head table. His eyes narrowed dangerously at the sight of the stuttering fool Quirrell, and it took all his resolve not to attack the man immediately.
When he noticed the man staring intently at one of the first years in line, Harry followed the Professor's line of sight and winced once he saw the BWL massaging his head in pain. The tell signs of a Legilimency attack from Voldemort were easy for Harry to identify, and now he is confident that the Quirrell of this world was possessed by the Wraith form of the Dark Lord.
Once Harry was pretty sure that the DADA teacher was indeed a Voldemort lackey, the man's presence in the Castle was enough for him to assume that the Dumbledore of this world was as manipulative as the one from his old world. As the Headmaster of Hogwarts, the wards around the Castle would have alerted him to the possession right away. The fact that Quirrell was sitting at the table right next to him was enough for Harry to believe that the Philosopher's Stone would be used to test Neville this year.
At the thought of his god-brother, Harry returned his attention to the gathered first years and once again found him in the crowd of eleven-year-olds. From the little he learned from his mother after Frank and Alice Longbottom died in this world, Augusta quickly took over custody of her grandson.
In the days immediately following the Longbottom deaths, Agusta had allowed his mum to visit her godson on the weekends without any hesitation. But after Neville turned four, she suddenly became incredibly paranoid about her grandson's safety and placed the Longbottom Manor under the Fidelus. Ever since that day, she only made trips out of the family Manor to deal with business in the Wizengamot and kept Neville hidden from the rest of the world. Which sadly included Lily Potter as well.
Harry was suddenly startled out of his thoughts as the whole hall burst into applause for the end of the hat's song. Once the clapping came to a close, Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a large roll of parchment in one hand and the sorting hat in the other.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said sternly, her eyes daring anyone to be disobedient. "Good. We shall begin. Abbot, Hannah.
Harry watched the blonde girl eagerly make her way to the sorting hat and put it on. Her knees bounced in excitement as she waited for the hat to make a decision. As soon as the hat shouted out HUFFLEPUFF, the table full of badgers erupted in applause and welcomed their newest member.
The following person to be called was Alexandra Black. No sooner was the hat on her head did it shout out RAVENCLAW. To be honest, Harry wasn't particularly surprised by his choice. Harry knew she was brilliant and an excellent fit for the House of the Intelligent
from his counterpart's memories and his own brief interaction with his betrothed.
Harry could accurately predict most people to their houses as the following few names were called. So far, the only words he had a problem with were those that didn't exist in his old world, like Jessica Boot. Apparently, Terry Boot had a twin sister in this world, and unlike her Ravenclaw brother, she was sorted into Gryffindor.
The next name to be called was Su Li. Harry remembered her sorting from the old world because it was almost as long as his own. She eventually admitted that it took a lot of time convincing the hat to put her in Ravenclaw. When he saw the hat placed on top of her head, Harry was surprised by the eager shout of RAVENCLAW by the hat that followed.
Harry was pulled from his musings once he heard the name of his other betrothed being called out by McGonagall. The Daphne of his world was commonly known as the Ice Queen of Slytherin, and from the brief bit of time he'd spent around the girl in this world, he was more than sure their personalities were a match. He was expecting Daphne to be sorted into the Snakepit, so it came as a big surprise when the hat shouted out RAVENCLAW instead.
Between Daphne and the female Zabini, Harry could easily see why Death's warning was so crucial for him to heed. Despite how many accurate predictions he'd already made, there were still several new students and old students defying the norm from his other world.
With this new information at the forefront of his thoughts, Harry realized he had to be careful in dealing with the people of this world. If he didn't want to lose a potential ally or make an enemy out of one, he would have to give each person a fair shot at a new first impression.
The names following Daphne flew by quickly until the one everyone had been waiting for was announced. "Lord Neville Longbottom."
As soon as his godbrother's name was called, Harry, along with the rest of the hall, was stunned by the title that came with it. Neville had never taken up his Lordship as a first-year in his old-world. Since he was the Boy-Who-Lived in this world, Harry could see Augusta's hand clearly in this maneuverer. By granting him his emancipation and allowing him the Lordship early, the Dowager Longbottom had made Neville nigh untouchable at Hogwarts. Sure, he might deal with some hazing or minor duels in the hallways, but no one genuinely attacks a Lord of a Most Ancient and Most Noble House. For someone to attempt that, well, not even Lucius Malfoy's influence could keep that person out of Azkaban.
"Oh my god, that's him. He looks so cute."
"I can't believe he already has his Lordship."
"Do you think he actually did any of those things in the books?"
Thanks to years of practice he received during his childhood celebrity tenure, Harry had no trouble ignoring the multitude of people whispering about the Boy-Who-Lived. When his eyes zeroed in on the boy reaching for the sorting hat, Harry saw him entirely for the first time, and he was startled by the differences this Neville had to his own.
While this world's Neville matched the old Neville in height, that's where the physical similarities came to a crashing halt. The Neville in this world was much thinner than the chubby eleven-year-old Harry had once known, and it was apparent he was in excellent shape. By the way, the boy walked to the stool; Harry could tell he was filled with a sense of purpose. It wasn't the arrogant swagger that Malfoy used, but it was the confident step of someone who knew exactly what they were capable of.
Along with everyone else in the hall, Harry looked upon this sorting with keen interest. At the three-minute mark, it had long ago surpassed the sorting that the old Neville had undergone. Just before the five-minute mark, the sorting came to an end, and the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR."
Harry had to force himself not to glare at the Weasley twins as they jumped up and began singing, "We got Neville. We got Neville. Yeah, we got Neville."
A part of him knew that he would need to give all of the Weasleys a chance in this world, but a more significant amount couldn't forget how each and every one of them pretended to care about him just so they could leach from his fame and fortune.
Soon the sorting began to pick up the pace, and as he got closer to his own name, Harry wondered if the Hogwarts book of words was updated after he accepted his own Lordships. His question was soon answered when he heard McGonagall call out, "Lord Harry Potter-Peverell-Gryffindor-Emrys."
Harry ignored the myriad of whispers that erupted after his Lordships were announced. As he made his way to the sorting stool, he could see the stunned expressions on the professors' faces at the head table, but none interested him more than that of Dumbledore. The shock was clearly evident on the old man's face, and when he saw the Headmaster's eyes narrow dangerously at him, Harry knew the man was busy calculating how to use him in his little games.
While Harry concentrated on the teachers' reactions, the Great Hall girls were focused on him. At 5'4" and with two months of rigorous exercise under his belt, his muscles rippled under his blue and silver Acromantula dress robes, and he cut a striking figure on his way to the stool. From the confidence and power his stance seemed to exude, girls of all ages were quick to admire him. If a hall survey was taken at that moment, the more considerable consensus would agree that the emerald-eyed youth was good-looking now and would be devastatingly handsome by the time he grew up.
As soon as Harry sat down on the stool and placed the hat on top of his head, he was surprised he didn't hear the hat's voice echo within his mind. He was just about to ask McGonagall what was wrong when he listened to the hat called out, "Lord Peverell-Gryffindor-Emrys, could you please lower your Occlumency shields?"
Harry winced at the number of gasps he heard throughout the Great Hall. He knew he had forgotten to do something, and now the whole school was aware of one of his talents. Quickly dispersing his shields, he immediately felt a foreign presence in his mind and said, "Hello, hat."
"Thank you for lowering your shields, my Lord. Now my young Lord, let us see what's in your mind. Hmmm...a dimensional traveler? That's incredible. You were also the Boy-Who-Lived in your own world, and you defeated by the age of sixteen? That is absolutely remarkable, Mr. Potter. You must have been quite the powerful Wizard. What's this? Merlin's balls, you're a Storm Elemental?! And the Champion of Death? How in the world am I supposed to sort someone like you?"
"How about you announce of me being Lord Hogwarts by claiming Emrys Lordship, and please request Lady Hogwarts to arrange a chair for me in the center of the staff table."
"Now, my lord, how can I go against your wishes." Hat answered and chucked.
"Hogwarts, today is the return of the owner, master, and Lord of the land on which the school is made. Today after many years of my patience. Lord of Hogwarts has returned. It is the wish of the Lord for everyone to gather in the Great Hall after dinner. Chosen by Myrddin Emrys or Merlin Ambrosius himself and magically accepted by the spirits of all the founders. Please welcome Lord Harry Potter-Peverell-Gryffindor-Emrys-Hogwarts." Everyone was stunned in silence. No one said anything at all; everyone could hear pin drop silence. "Lady Hogwarts, please create a chair of Lord on the staff table, and please ask elves to prepare Lord's room."
"Of course. My Lord, welcome to your home." Lady Hogwarts greeted Harry.
"Pleasure, my lady," Harry says in a respectful voice. As soon as harry responds, a more giant chair that shows the authority is placed between Headmaster Dumbledore and Deputy Headmistress appears.
Harry gets up from the stool, sits on the chair, and speaks. "Deputy Headmistress, please continue the sorting; everything will be cleared after the dinner. We wouldn't want the students to be hungry, wouldn't we, Headmaster."
"Of course not, my boy," Dumbledore replies, and sorting continues.
He turned his attention back to the last of the sorting and took careful note of where all the new and old faces were going. By the time the last person was sorted, Harry was surprised that the female version of Blaise still ended in Slytherin. He thought a female version would mean she'd end up in a different house, but he was wrong.
With the sorting now complete, Harry watched Dumbledore stand up to make his standard Start of Term speech and cringed when he heard the Headmaster's fake grandfather act. After learning about all of the old man's manipulations, it always disgusted him how easily he fell for the man's kind persona.
"The very best of evenings to you!" Dumbledore orated in a strong and powerful voice. "To those of you who are just joining us, Welcome to Hogwarts. To those who have already been here, Welcome Back. Another wonderful year of magical education awaits all of us, and I know we will all have a great time together. Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And they are...Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you."
Once the Headmaster was done with the opening speech, Harry fixed a plate of steak and vegetables and quietly ate his dinner. As the conversation at the table slowly began to pick up, he was casually watching the students, and his curiosity was instantly piqued by the Boy-Who-Lived.
Thanks to the lessons he learned in the Time Chamber, Harry could tell Neville had been trained with proper pureblood etiquette. His manners were exquisite, and the confidence he interacted with other people was a far cry from the chubby boy who thought he was a squib.
What amazed Harry the most was that Neville was definitely embarrassed by all his attention, yet he wasn't shying away from it. It was clear to him that while the boy was obviously aware of his fame, he wasn't used to the adulation in public. Yet like a natural leader, he accepted the praise but didn't allow it to let him become arrogant. Overall, Harry was quite impressed with the new Lord.
Once the feast finally came to an end, the tables were magically cleared, and Dumbledore rose to make his final announcement.
"Before everyone leaves for their beds, I have a few starts of term notices that I wish to announce. Please note that the Forbidden Forest is strictly forbidden for all students in the first years. Also, our caretaker Mr. Filch, wishes me to remind you that the number of items prohibited on the Hogwarts banned list is now at 372, and a copy of it can be found in all common rooms. Finally, this year the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is completely out of bounds to anyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. That is all. First years, please follow the Prefects to your common rooms. Good night, everyone."
"Now, Headmaster, aren't you forgetting something. I said I would like to say something after dinner, and if I recall correctly, you agreed."
"Sorry, my boy," Dumbledore replied.
"Professor, I am not your boy, nor did we know each other before Hogwarts. Please refrain from using such words. You can call me Mr. Potter or else by complete name. Whichever you prefer." Harry turned towards students and started speaking without waiting for Dumbledore's reply.
Harry saw all ghosts; elves and students were paying attention to him. "Now, I know everyone is curious about the sudden development. Many from Pureblood and Half-Blood families would know that I was declared a squib. While it is not true, I had a rare medical condition in which my core was twisted among itself and got bounded. It is a sporadic disease. After years of searching, I was able to find the cure, and I am here now, standing in front of everyone. There will be a few changes in Hogwarts from the day after tomorrow. The changes will be discussed in the staff meeting tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. If the staff member is not present without a legitimate reason, they would be fired, including Headmaster. Now second thing Professor Snape and Headmaster Dumbledore, you will not use legilimency on students. If I would get a piece of news about you using legilimency on students without their consent, you will be fired. You could give an oath or have a ghost follow you during your interactions with students. Are we clear? Third, I don't want the Headmaster handling more than 1 position; the same goes for Deputy Headmistress. In handling many positions, your workload increases, and you neglect complete duties. It will be discussed during the meeting, and the remaining news will be declared tomorrow after a staff meeting. Please, prefects, escort students to their dorms. Thank You, Goodnight."
After everyone left, only Neville was standing.
Harry was surprised when the boy looked at him and said, "It's good to finally meet you, Mr. Potter. I know Aunt Lily often tried to arrange some time for the two of us to meet, but my gran was adamant about not having people over. Sorry I didn't get a chance to see you before today."
Harry remembered his mother telling him that once Longbottom Manor went under the Fidelus, Augusta refused to let anyone know the secret. She wouldn't even let Lily go over and visit Neville. For the past seven years, she'd been exchanging letters and gifts with Neville through a Gringotts authorized mailbox.
"It's not your fault, Mr. Longbottom. My mother told me about the circumstances behind your disappearance, and as far as I am concerned, you have nothing to be sorry about."
"Thanks, and please call me Neville."
"You're welcome, Neville, and please call me Harry."
"So, how come you took up your Lordship so early, Harry?" Neville asked, curious about the reason.
"It was a chance to activate an Ancient and Noble House, and I thought it would be useful when my dad takes his seat in the Wizengamot. Since I've assigned my proxy to him and my uncle Padfoot, they both now have extra votes to work with."
Neville could understand the political ramifications of the move, but what surprised him was the second Lordship. From his own Genealogy research, Neville was well aware of the Potter connection to the Peverell's. He just never knew they were connected to the Gryffindor and Emrys.
"I get how you got the Peverell Lordship, but how are the Gryffindor and Emrys connected to the Potters?"
Harry grinned and replied, "Simple, Potter family secrets."
"Potter family and their secrets, aren't they," Neville asks.
"You know Neville, Potter family, and its secrecy," Harry replies.
After a few moments of silence, Harry wondered why Neville took up the Lordship. "How about you, Nev? Why did you take the Lordship so early?"
"Protection," Neville replied honestly. "Since I was a kid, I've known about me being the stupid Boy-Who-Lived, but since I spent all my time at the Manor, I didn't have to worry about people trying to hurt me. Once I convinced my gran that I wasn't going to be homeschooled anymore, she decided if I had my Lordship, it would help deter most people from trying to hurt me. If it meant getting out of the Manor, I was more than willing to do it."
Soon the pair began speaking of lighter things, and Harry learned how different this Neville was from his own. His gran had gotten a special permit to get the boy a wand two years early, and she hired tutors to teach him all of the core subjects. While the new Neville was only adequate in Herbology, he apparently was really good at Transfiguration and DADA.
When he thought about how prepared the Boy-Who-Lived already was, Harry knew it was in his best interest to speed up his god-brother training. Between Dumbledore's manipulations and all the threats Neville would face over the next few years at Hogwarts, Harry wanted to make sure his god-brother would be prepared enough to live through it all.