Chapter Ten…
The Blood Stone - Part 4!
(The Sorting!)
1st of September - Hogwarts:
Harry, Ron and Ember were lead by Hagrid to the boats that took them to the castle known as Hogwarts. In Harry's and Ember's minds, the sight was awe-inspiring and amazing. It felt as if they had came home after being away from it for years. The boat ride was about twenty minutes long. After the boat ride Hagrid lead them to huge, oak front door, where he knocked on it three times.
The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in an emerald-green robe stood there. She had a very stern face, leading Harry to believe that she wasn't someone you wanted to be on the bad side of. Harry knew that he would have to be very careful with this witch, and try and not get on her bad side.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid greeted.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." The witch announced primly.
She pulled the door wide. The Entrance Hall was easily large enough to hold all of the first years, giving them plenty of room. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right - the older years had likely taken a faster route, Harry guessed - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the main hall. The first years crowded in peering about nervously, and standing closer together than they would have been normally.
Professor McGonagall saw Harry and the cat that he was holding and must have recognized who he was, like everyone else, as she said, "Mr. Potter, I don't know if you knew this, but you should have left your cat on the train." The children sniggered at what they assumed was a safety blanket of sorts for Harry. "It would have been safe and would be in your dorm by the end of the night."
"I know that Professor, and if she was a normal pet I would have, but Aneira isn't a normal pet; she's my familiar." Harry said politely.
"Please Mr. Potter do not lie to me, you're too young to have a familiar." Professor McGonagall said sternly.
Harry's eyes narrowed. "I realize the oddity of the situation, but I don't enjoy being called a liar, Professor. There should be a spell you can use to check, if you'd like to confirm it." He suggested.
Professor McGonagall was of two minds, she didn't want to be made a fool of, if he really was telling the truth, but then again, young Mr. Potter thought that his cat was his familiar. The spell that he spoke of was easy to cast, and would easily clear things up quickly, so she pulled her wand out and cast the spell. To her shock, the spell proved that Aneira was indeed Mr. Potter's familiar. "I must apologize, Mr. Potter you are correct she is indeed your familiar. I shall inform the other Professors about this, as she'll need to be near you as much as possible until the bond is fully formed. You're the first student to have one at a young age in at least two hundred years or so. If you need anything, please let me know and I'll see what I can do for you."
The other students looked at Harry in awe and jealousy for having a familiar at a young age, but he ignored the looks as he replied, "Thank you Professor."
"Now that that's out of the way; welcome everyone to Hogwarts." The Professor declared proudly. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House Common Room.
"The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and then there is Slytherin." Harry spotted a bit of venom at the word of Slytherin, as if Professor McGonagall hated that House for some reason. "Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours.
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose.
"I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." She instructed before she left the chamber.
"How exactly do they Sort us into Houses?" Harry asked Ron, who jumped at his sudden question. He'd apparently been lost in his thoughts.
"I don't know mate, some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking." He answered.
"If it is from him, then it's more than likely a joke…" Harry assured him confidently.
As he waited he looked around and saw that everyone else looked worried or stressed; some even outright terrified. No one was talking much except Hermione, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. His eyes rolled back to the door; any second now Professor McGonagall would come back and he wouldn't have to keep denying the rising level of panic he was experiencing. He blamed the other kids; if only they would calm down.
"I don't know what our world is coming to," Harry heard Draco Malfoy say to those who would listen, most likely trying to sound big or something, "why are they entertaining these Mystics so much."
"I know what you mean Draco," said a female voice, "they are trying to change our way of life to fit their into ours, all because ours seem updated. What right do they have to change our ways? They shouldn't even be allowed to be in our world, nor at Hogwarts."
As Harry turned round to see who was talking to Malfoy, he saw a girl with dark brown hair and soft features, but her striking green eyes give her a bit of an edge. Not only that, but she had a pig-face sort of face. Harry sighed at this, and asked "Again Malfoy? For someone who wants to be in Slytherin, you really don't know anything about cunning do you?"
"What are you talking about Potter." Malfoy sneered at the young Potter.
"Simply put Malfoy, you are airing out your thoughts like a Gryffindor." explained Harry, "A true Slytherin and Heir to the Malfoy Family, you should keep your thoughts and beliefs to yourself. Otherwise people wouldn't want to deal with you in the future, as they'll know you can't keep your thoughts and beliefs to yourself."
This made Malfoy and the pig-face girl give Harry dark looks, as he was nothing more than a Half-Blood, and they were Pureblood, and he was talking down to them. What is worse is that the others were giggling at him because of this. Before Malfoy could say anything, several people behind them screamed.
He spun around, only to gasp, which was mirrored by several people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. Harry had read about ghosts being at Hogwarts, but reading about them and seeing them up close were two different things. They seemed to be arguing. A fat little monk continued on from what he'd been saying, as if floating through the wall hadn't interrupted their conversation at all, "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost-I say, what are you all doing here?" A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.
Nobody answered.
"New students" The Fat Friar crowded, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"
A few people nodded mutely.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old House, you know." The Friar boasted.
"Move along now, the Sorting Ceremony is about to start." A sharp voice sounded. The ghosts looked over and saw McGonagall had returned, so they drifted away again, once more arguing over whatever they'd been arguing over before they met the first years.
"Now, form a line." Professor McGonagall told the first years. "That's it, now follow me."
After they did so, with Ember holding onto Harry through fear, the massive set of double doors opened and they walked through them, they lead to the Great Hall. Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up there, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them made the first years even more nervous, which annoyed Harry even further as he couldn't help but feel nervous as well. Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."
Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. It had a certain charm to it though, and Harry found he could easily imagine a wizard of old wearing it, both into battle and just around town.
He noticed that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat; he stared at it too, wondering what this was about. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and to Harry's shock, the hat began to sing:
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.
"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry. "I'll kill Fred; he was going on about wrestling a troll."
"You're the one that believed him." Harry whispered back with a grin. "You did say he and his twin were pranksters, and this seems like a golden opportunity to prank you."
Before Ron could say anything, Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah"
There was a lot of tension in the air, and whoever this girl was didn't seem to be moving. Harry thought about what to do, to lighten the mood up a bit. Although he hadn't gotten far in his wandless magic, he was able to do a few spells from Curses and Counter Curses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies). Over the month since he got the book, he practiced on his family and people at the Asylum.
Harry didn't use ones that would be pointed to him, or that magic was used, unless it was on his friends and family, sticking to Hair Loss and Jelly-Legs since the former wouldn't start to happen until Harry left for Hogwarts and the latter could be written off as a sudden case of clumsiness. He used practice spells too, but all of them could be written off in one way or another.
After some thought, Harry knew who he was going to prank and with what spell. Slowly, to make sure no one would notice him, Harry cast a hair loss spell. Unlike the ones that had a time delay on them, as soon as he cast the spell Dumbledore's hair popped off of his head and face with an audible *poof* sound. The sight was amazing… at first no one dared to laugh, but then from the far right of Harry he heard laughing. Looking over he saw that Ron's brothers Fred and George were laughing, and soon everyone else was laughing too.
"Mr. and Mr. Weasley, how dare you prank the Headmaster!" Professor McGonagall said sternly.
Between laughs one said, "But we didn't Professor…"
"…We're neither that brave nor foolish to prank the Headmaster." The other twin continued while the first dissolved into laughter again.
"But whoever it was…"
"Is amazing!" they said together.
It took Dumbledore standing up and calling out, "Thank you… please calm down. To whoever is responsible for this prank, well done and congratulations to you, now please let us continue the Sorting…"
"Indeed, let's continue with the sorting." McGonagall agreed. "Abbott, Hannah"
A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of the line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes as she sat down. A moment's pause before the Sorting Hat shouted out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.
"Bones, Susan"
"HUFFLEPUFF" Shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.
"Boot, Terry"
"RAVENCLAW"
The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.
Mandy Brocklehurst went to Ravenclaw too, but Lavender Brown became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.
Millicent Bulstrode then became a Slytherin.
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin"
"HUFFLEPUFF"
To ignore his growing apprehension, Harry studied the habits of the Sorting. Sometimes the Hat would send the students on their way instantly, while other times it would take longer. Seamus Finnigan, for example, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the Sorting Hat declared him a Gryffindor.
"Granger, Hermione"
Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.
"GRYFFINDOR" Shouted the Hat after several moments, which made Ron groan.
When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his cat, was called, the Hat took a long time to decide where to put Neville. After a while the Sorting Hat finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to Morag MacDougal.
When it got to Malfoy's turn, he swaggered forward when his name was called… this made Harry smirk as he decided to prank him. So with a wave of his hand, he cast a spell which made all of Malfoy's clothes to disappear. Which Harry regretted as soon as he did it, as the young Malfoy wore no underwear. The prank, whilst it also worked, back fired on him. This made him and many others ill, 'Eww… not the best well thought out prank.' Harry thought to himself, slightly ill.
"Weasleys!" shouted one of the professors. The said professor, was a thin, spider-like man with a large hooked nose and greasy black shoulder-length hair. He ran towards Malfoy and conjured a robe for the boy to wear. "You have done it now, I'll see you expelled over this."
"But Professor Snape, we didn't do this…" said one of the twins, looking ill at the idea.
"... And we would never do such a thing…" said the other twin, who too looked ill, and who for the first time was honest about not doing such a prank. A cute/hot female yes, but a bloke, not in the wildest dreams would they do so.
"... Especially with a male student, as this might happen…" said the first twin.
"If I find out it was you two or someone else, I'll see that person expelled faster than they imagined." said the professor known as Professor Snape, he went on to say, "Come on Draco, let's get you sorted." And with that, he lead the boy to the stool and he would be Sorted, as he was being lead, Malfoy muttered that his father would be hearing about this.
It was several minutes before anything was heard, during that time there were whispers about what happened to Malfoy and who would do such a thing. Some even joked about what a small prick he had. After a few minutes, the first thing that they heard from the stool was not the Sorting Hat, but Malfoy, "How dare you think of putting me into that House, wait until my father hears of this!"
The Hat said out loud, "He was right, you are a Daddy's Boy." Harry could see Draco's neck and chin - the only part of his face visible - turn pink as laughter filled the Great Hall. "No matter, you wouldn't last for long in that House with the way you act so it better be SLYTHERIN!" The hat announced with a put-upon sigh.
As Malfoy removed the Sorting Hat he gave Harry a glare, as if blaming him for what the Sorting Hat said. Granted it kind of was, but it was still worth it. Now everyone knew Malfoy was a Daddy's Boy.
There was a few more names before his name was called, he did find out that pig-face girl was called Pansy Parkinson.
"Potter, Harry!"
As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.
"Potter, did she say?"
"Is it really Harry Potter?"
The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.
'You know, it's not normal for an eleven year old to want to model themselves after beings of pure evil…' Harry heard a voice in his head point out dryly.
'Who's there? Who's in my head?' Harry demanded.
'It is I, the Sorting Hat.' The voice of the Sorting Hat said in Harry's head. 'Now, as I said, it's not normal to model one's self after beings of pure evil…'
'Well I'm not exactly normal.' Harry replied dryly. 'Besides, aren't children supposed to have role models?'
'True, look at that imaginary sister of yours. What normal person would create someone like her? And look at your Asylum, what normal children would create such a place. Although you are doing some good in a twisted way, giving protection and a roof to sleep under for those who want it. As for the role model, that's one way of looking at it, yes, but I think we're at an impasse here; you honestly see nothing wrong with it and I, according to the guidelines sewn into my very brim, am compelled to convince you otherwise.' The Sorting Hat explained. 'At this rate we'll be here all night and I don't think either of us wants that.'
'True, I hope you'll keep what you learn from my mind to yourself.' Harry ceded. 'I'm sure your role model isn't a pile of ash.'
'I have spells placed on me that prevent me from telling anyone what I find in a person's mind.' The Sorting Hat said calmly. 'Besides, I have a really pissed off bit of crazy in here kicking me in the metaphorical quad to get me out… I mean, you didn't hear that. Let's get on with this sorting, shall we?' The Hat's 'voice' grew strained, for no discernible reason to Harry.
The hat hmm'd and haw'd for a little while before it finally said, 'You could do well in all four houses: with how you pretend to be this Maverick, running your Underground Asylum and plans for it, should that you have the cunning, resourcefulness and the ambition to do well in the House of Snakes. But I dread what you would do to those who would attack you because of you being the Boy-Who-Lived.
'Now, you have the brains for Ravenclaw, and wanting to learn more about magic and the House of Ravens will help you learn how to do wandless magic better. Although I am worried about how the Ravens would react should they learn that the knowledge was going to be used for darkness, although it wouldn't be for the first time someone being a Raven used the knowledge they gained there for darkness.
'And you have the courage, pulling a prank on Albus proves that, no first year would do that. And you don't back down to anyone or anything. Although you wouldn't do anything unless it benefited you somehow, but when you decide to do something, unless you no longer see a benefit, you don't back down.'
'There a difference from being brave and foolishly brave,' Harry admitted to the Sorting Out, 'I will not go out foolishly and find trouble if it means putting my life at risk, if I can I will run for it. I will only fight if I see it benefits me. But don't get me wrong, if one of my friends or allies are attacked, I wouldn't think of running. I'll do what I can to protect them.'
'I agree with you about not running in without thinking, just wished other Gryffindor's as they get old think the same.' the Hat told him, 'But not running from trouble when your friends or allies need you, would do you well in Hufflepuff, and you're not afraid of hard work when it is needed. But the thing is you don't give out your respect, trust or loyalty freely, they have to work for it, but once they have it you'll honour it fully and help them where you can. But if they betray you, I dread what you might do to them.'
'Only fools would give their respect, trust and loyalty freely,' Harry told the Sorting Hat, 'doing so without the other person earning it is foolish, as the other person could only be using you. So I see it that to stop people betraying be so easy, they first have to earn my respect, trust and loyalty. Whilst it won't stop betrayal all together, it weeds out most who would, as most wouldn't want to spend the amount of time it'll take to gain my trust and loyalty, only to betray it. So many in history have died because they give their trust and loyalty so freely. And should someone betray me, I can be honest and say I don't know what I do and hope not to find out.'
'For someone so young you are wiser than others of your age,' the Hat told him, 'not many would think like that. And you are right, blind loyalty can get you killed, I just wished people realize this. Now where to put you, you fit well in all the Houses, but at the same time you do not. But by far, out of the four House, I think you would fit best in Slytherin.' It finally decided.
Harry was quick to reject the idea; he disliked the thought of being in the same House that Voldemort was in, and having to put up with Malfoy, killing him would be exhausting. 'I'd light Malfoy on fire in self defense within a week. Slytherin and Hufflepuff are out, Slytherin people will always keep an eye on me, as Slytherins are considered Dark. Whilst Hufflepuff would be a good place for a true Slytherin, seeing that they are considered weak and duffers, it won't work for me. As I have a bad temper, and should someone piss me off too much, I might lose control and people will know how strong I am. And so, people will keep an eye on me because of that.
'Ravenclaw might have been fine, as it would be the most useful of the four Houses, but Gryffindor would be the best. As not only would people suspect it because my family was in Gryffindor, but I might already have a friend and a possible friend in Gryffindor, just put me there.' Whilst Ron wasn't in Gryffindor yet, Harry felt that he had a good enough judge on Ron's character to say for certain that he was a shoo-in for the red and gold.
'And am I to assume I would suffer an unfortunate fire related accident if I were to send you to Slytherin against your wishes?' The hat asked, sounding both amused and resigned. It didn't even try and say that Ron wasn't a friend, but a tool to fool people, who knew what Harry might do if he did.
'No comment.' Harry replied, trying and failing to keep a smirk off his face.
'Very well'
'In that case you crazy little pyromaniac,' the Hat grumbled, before saying out loud. "Better be GRYFFINDOR…"
TO BE CONTINUED!
Author's Note: Here ends the fourth part of the new saga of The Blood Stone Saga, I would like to thank you for reading it, and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. I would love to get any ideas and suggestions you might have. If you don't like the story… don't bother about leaving a hate review… it doesn't affect me or how I will be writing in the future, then I'm not interested. If you feel that there needs to be a little improvement then please point that out to me and any suggestions how to the story better. I'm also after ideas for what should happen in the first year, so I hope you'll help me out there.
Don't suspect another fast update, this was fast as it was already written, and I just had to edit it so it fits how the story is now. The next chapter will take some time, as it is a new one that I have to start to write from the start. So when you read next time on Overlord Vulcan, let me know any ideas you might have.
I'm also still looking for ideas for pranks, and I hope you can help with this as I'm wanting a few magical and non-magical ones. Please help me out here, as I'm after some ideas and would like to use some of them soon.
Seeing that so many are against the idea of the Confundus Charm, I would like ideas of how Harry's friends become Dark and join him. Any and all ideas are welcomed.
Those who like Melody, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about her, she'll still be in the story. Ember hasn't taken her place, in fact Ember is too shy to do what Melody will do. As long as nothing pops up, or I change my mind, Melody should still be Harry's first and the lemons will start in the second year.
I do have a request, I'm looking for first year fics, where Harry is Dark and is a Gryffindor (if possible,) if you know any that's NOT slash or Harry as a female, please let me know. As I would like to gain a few ideas as to what to do now he is sorted into Gryffindor.
Either way, I would like to thank you once again for reading and I hope you spare a few minutes to leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter, and any ideas you might have for the future chapters, and any powers you would like to be used in the story. And so you know, there's a poll on my fanfiction profile, that'll decide which story I should work on next, I hope you leave a review of you can't vote, and if you can, please do so.
Next time on Rise of Overlord Vulcan: In the next chapter, it'll be right after Harry being sorted into Gryffindor, like in the book. But we'll have Harry being called to see Harry being called to see Dumbledore, and we'll learn about Embers past. (If you got any ideas to add about her past I would like to hear them.)