Hey y'all! How's everyone doing? Here's the next chapter! The sorting! And lemme tell ya, I should've done a poll of something cause I kept going back and forth with myself the entire time I was writing it. So hopefully it turned out alright and I don't make any of you extremely angry.

Like always, I enjoy comments, in fact I thrive off of positive comments and love constructive critique ones cause it shows an author that their readers are actually paying attention and enjoying their work. Thanks for reading this story! Virtual hugs and cuddles to y'all.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except any OC's that may come up, any world building that has not yet been officially stated by the books and any plot points/structures that have not been used in the books.

Warning: No beta, we die like Stingbulbs.


Chapter 3: A Singing Hat as a Personality Test? Sure, Why Not

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Stepping off the train and joining the crowd of 11-year-old first year students was like being back in school in America all over again. Seth shuddered to himself at the war flashbacks of shoving his way through hordes of teenagers with swinging backpacks (or god forbid, roller backpacks) all separated into stereotypical cliques.

While he had a lot of fun getting back at the jocks and bullies of his schools, he could do without having to deal with them in their entirety. Giving arrogant and entitled jerks what for could get exhausting after a while. And it wasn't like he had an unlimited budget in buying all the supplies he needed for his plots, not without alerting his family to his well-crafted schemes.

The giant man he'd seen with Harry way back when gave the boy a jovial greeting before leading the first year students down a path towards a grotto. Harry informed him and Ron that the man was Rubeus Hagrid, the gamekeeper of Hogwarts and the man who introduced him to the wizarding world.

Hagrid waved a hand out to the many small rowboats all lined up by the water. Stalactites glittered from an unseen light and tree roots weaved across the rock walls. The only other opening in the grotto led to a tunnel long enough to obscure their view of what lay beyond.

"No more than three or four to a boat," Hagrid said before helping some students climb aboard.

Seth, Harry, and Ron all wordlessly decided to get onto a boat together. Once they were all seated, Hagrid walked by to give Harry a wink and pushed their boat off. It leisurely glided across the water's surface.

The three boys sat giddily in excitement as they eagerly stared ahead down the tunnel for their first glimpse of whatever was on the other side. As they emerged from the end of the tunnel, the view that greeted them was breath taking.

A large castle, with spiraling towers and windows glowing gold in the darkness, greeted them. It was a castle larger than any Seth had seen on his adventures, granted he spent more time in caves and forests, but still, a castle! A real castle with towers upon towers set on a cliff side with a long bridge connecting various separate buildings together.

If Kendra were here, she'd start gushing poetry about the way it sat upon the cliff in the moonlight with the stars shining above. But for him, all he could think about were all the nooks and crannies and secrets waiting to be discovered. It was even possible he could spend his entire lifetime exploring and he still wouldn't know everything there was to know. This castle was a challenge and one he couldn't wait to begin.

Soon the boat ride came to an end when they reached the shoreline of the beach by the castle. He and Ron helped pull Harry out of the boat and they followed the crowd of students up the staircase and into the castle.

If he thought the outside was impressive, the inside was insane. Medieval suits of armor, paintings where the figures actually moved and talked to them as they passed, statues of all shapes and sizes, walls that went on for days, and so many doors hiding who knows what in the rooms behind them.

Seth looked around, drinking in all the sights he could, like a dehydrated man finding an oasis after days of wandering in the Sahara. Then he happened to make eye contact with a certain blonde brat. The two engaged in a stare down where the blonde brat looked at Seth like he was some kind of puzzle with missing pieces. Seth stared back with a blank expression for the purpose of unnerving the brat and seeing how long it took for him to look away.

His answer was a few seconds because by the time Seth reached 'three Mississippi' the brat looked away without a word. He had a conflicted expression on his face though and when a bulky boy standing nearby asked him something, the blonde brat shook off the boy's words with a grimace.

Seth was soon pulled out of his thoughts when a severe looking woman dressed in green robes and a stereotypical black witch's hat tilted at an angle walked up to the crowd of first years.

"First years! Welcome to Hogwarts," the woman said with a small smile, "In a few moments, you will walk through these doors and join your new classmates. You will be sorted into four different houses - Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin." She said the last house name with a hint of disdain.

Seth frowned at that and wondered how deeply ingrained the social prejudice was if even the adults were sneering at a freaking house of students instead of doing literally anything remotely helpful.

"While you are here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs and accomplishments will earn you points. Any sort of rule breaking or misconduct and you will lose them just as quickly," she stated in a clear, no-nonsense manner with an unsubtle hint of warning. "At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the coveted House Cup."

She paused to allow the first years time to absorb the knowledge given to them. All around Seth, kids whispered to each other in excitement and dread. He merely smiled and nodded along while his mind raced a mile a minute, formulating plans to rack in the points while still being able to break the rules without losing them.

Shouldn't be too hard. Especially since it wasn't like his life was on the line.

"The sorting ceremony will now begin. Please follow me and do be sure not to stray," she said before turning around and walking towards the towering doors that were behind her.

Everyone scrambled to follow her orders, their whispers growing in frequency the closer they got. The woman stood before the doors and they swung open with a flourish.

The first years followed her as they walked into a grand hall with four extremely long tables filled with older students in black robes and colored ties. Four different banners - one in red with a lion, one in blue with a raven, one in yellow with a badger, and one in green with a snake - hung from the rafters. Candles floated about, suspended in the air by magic and the illusion of a starry night sky transformed the ceiling.

Another long table sat at the other end of the hall with many chairs in which adults, presumably the teachers, were seated. In the middle of the table sat a humble throne with only an owl carved at the top for embellishing and an old man with a very long white beard sitting on it. He looked exactly like the Albus Dumbledore on Harry's chocolate frog card and Seth's eyes widened at seeing the famous wizard as the principal of the school.

In front of the table on a mini stage sat a stool with an old, brown pointed hat with many wrinkles.

The first years were led all the way down the hall while other students pointed and whispered at them with zero tact, until they all stood before the stool with the hat. The woman moved to stand next to the stool and pulled a scroll out that she did not immediately unfurl.

For a few moments, the first years stood awkwardly at the front of the hall. Seth glanced around to see if there was some secret test about to be implemented when the seam on the brim of the hat folded into the shape of a mouth. Before he could process what was going on, the hat sang.

"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 of 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 folks 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 first years all gaped in shock after the hat finished singing. All around them, the older students and a few of the teachers applauded the hat that somehow managed to bow in response. Next to him, Ron muttered angrily about 'stupid older brothers' and something about trolls while Harry's jaw was in danger of being permanently detached given how low it dropped to the floor.

When Harry turned his stunned gaze to him, Seth could only shrug. "Of course the whimsical wizards would use a singing hat as a personality test," he sarcastically remarked, "It's magic. Why the hell not?"

Harry snorted in laughter before the sound of a throat being cleared caught their attention and immediately silenced all noise.

"The sorting will now begin," the severe woman announced, "Please step forward when your name is called. Abbot, Hannah!"

And from there, name after name was called prompting nervous kid after nervous kid to step forward and place a wrinkly, talking hat on their head. Then once they were sorted, their new house would burst into rowdy and cheerful applause.

Sometimes the results were immediate, being shouted out as soon as the hat was placed on their head.

Sometimes the results took a long time as if an individual's personality was not clearly defined by one of four distinct traits.

Like when Hermione was called up and her sorting took a good few minutes before the hat finally shouted, "Gryffindor!"

Ron muttered curses to himself. "I thought she'd get into Ravenclaw given how bookish she seemed," he whined.

"Maybe there's more to her than we saw?" Harry tentatively offered, "We only had one conversation with her after all."

Ron sputtered, "B-But Ravenclaw is full of nerds and Gryffindor is for the brave! How are books brave?"

Seth rolled his eyes. "Oh my god! What a shock that an individual can actually have more than one distinct personality trait," he sarcastically remarked, "And for your information, reading books doesn't automatically make you a nerd. I mean, you'll never catch me willingly reading a dull textbook but they're actually surprisingly useful weapons to have."

Ron turned red and shut his mouth, returning his focus to the sorting.

"Malfoy, Draco!"

Seth watched, intrigued, when the blonde brat who's name was apparently Draco Malfoy, stepped forward and sat on the stool. A bunch of students at the Slytherin table started grinning and preparing to clap the moment the hat was placed on his head. However, they all frowned when there was no immediate response.

In fact, his sorting took a few minutes and during those minutes, Draco's face went through a whole range of emotions before the hat finally opened its mouth and announced, "Slytherin!"

However, the usual rowdy applause became one of polite golf clapping. Draco snatched the hat off his head and tossed it onto the stool. He walked as quickly and as dignified as possible while trying to fight the blush that threatened to spread across his face.

Seth turned to see Harry watching Draco with an intrigued expression while Ron looked at him thoughtfully.

The sorting continued without any other hiccups until…

"Potter, Harry!"

The entire hall fell silent and students started whispering, pointing, and side glancing at Harry as he nervously walked up to the stool. The hat was placed on his head and another good few minutes were spent on the sorting.

Harry's lips were moving as if he was speaking to someone, possibly the hat? Though he made no sound so it was anyone's guess to what he was actually saying. The entire hall slowly fell silent the longer his sorting took and anticipation rose, almost becoming tangible from how on the edge of their seats everyone was.

Finally, the hat opened its mouth and shouted, "Gryffindor!"

A relieved Harry took the hat off his head while the Gryffindor table went completely nuts. The red and gold marker students were screaming and cheering and a pair of red haired twins sing-songed, "We've got Potter! We've got Potter!"

Soon the rowdiness died down and the sorting continued.

"Sorenson, Seth!"

A few of the teachers sat up in attention and leaned forward, suddenly intrigued as Seth walked up to stool. Their actions caught some of the students' attention and the whispering and pointing and side glancing started anew.

The hat was placed on his head and he sat there, like an idiot with a dunce cone on his head as everyone stared at him.

"Well, well, I don't believe you're quite as idiotic as you think you are and not as young as you look either," a deep, gravely voice suddenly said in his head.

To his credit, he didn't scream and freeze the hat off his head from the sudden mental intrusion. He bit his tongue and sarcastically snapped back, "And what would you know about all that? You're just a magic talking hat."

"Touché," the hat said, "But my, my, my. I never thought I'd be placed on the head of an American. Don't you have your own school there?"

Seth frowned, highly tempted to say screw it and freeze the hat just so he wouldn't have to answer this specific question again.

"Oh! I see," the hat said, stopping Seth from possibly getting expelled before his first official day which would be a new record, "You're part of the preserves, Fablehaven to be precise...and you're even a Shadow Charmer! Why, I don't think I've ever seen let alone had the chance to converse with one since the 13th century. Very interesting. Now...where to put you?"

Seth rolls his eyes. "Just don't put me in a lame, no fun house. I wanna enjoy my magical vacation and not have the adventures taken away by the fun police."

"Of course, of course, well I won't put you in Ravenclaw. You may be smart but you're not quite as interested in the pursuit of knowledge as your sister. Not Hufflepuff either as while you're loyal, you seem to prefer not to work hard if you don't have to," the hat observed, "However, Gryffindor would be a great house for you. After all, you are a warrior and an adventurer! Your bravery is tried and true!"

"Great, put me in!" Seth exclaimed cause even though green was more his color, red was still cool too.

"However, I also see a cunning mind and a willingness to do whatever you must in order to achieve your goals," the hat interjected, "Perhaps Slytherin would be a better place for you."

"Uh, yeah, no," he deadpanned. "I'd rather not be placed in the house of bullies and the bullied."

"And why not? You have the potential to change the general perspective of that downtrodden house," the hat asked, "It's always better to change something from within than from out."

"Well this is going to be that one time where that's not the case," Seth retorted, "It's all well and good to change entitled brats into civilized human beings who aren't racist as hell but no one else is going to give a shit if the bully suddenly acts all nice and polite. They'd just think something's up and continue to act hostile until the bully gives up and actually becomes a bully and then we're back to square one again."

"And why do you think it'd be better for you to be in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin? You're already friends with a Gryffindor and he is a rather loyal sort so he would not just abandon you because you are in another house," the hat asked, sounding more intrigued than a hat should possibly be.

"Just think about it," Seth said with a grin that unnerved some of the students who happened to be seated nearby, "Wouldn't it be great if the house divisions were taken down because the two greatest rivals in history suddenly became friends with each other? Wouldn't it be amazing and mind boggling to see the Slytherins' public enemy number one befriend them through any and every attempt until they have no choice but to accept?"

"Prejudices are not quite so easy to be overwritten as you think," the hat remarked.

Seth's grin grew wider. "Well I am a rather stubborn and persistent fellow, like an annoying pest that won't go away no matter what you do as my sister always says. And besides, it'd be easier for rivalries to end if a Gryffindor were the one to extend their hand then a Slytherin. They're too hot headed to have any ulterior motives after all."

The hat burst into laughter, both in his mind and out loud, surprising everyone in the hall, especially the teachers who had never seen the hat laugh before.

"How very cunning of you," the hat complimented.

"Thank you, I try," Seth responded smugly.

The hat smiled. "Very well then. Your house will have to be-"

"GRYFFINDOR!" it declared more boisterously than it ever had before.

The Gryffindor's clapped and cheered though a bit more subdued than usual as Seth hopped off the stool and plopped the hat onto it with a cheeky pat.

He made his merry way over to the Gryffindor table and plopped himself between Harry, who grinned brightly at him, and Hermione, who smiled shyly.

When Ron got called, as soon as the hat was placed on his head, it immediately shouted Gryffindor without any form of discussion to be had. Ron scrambled over to the table and sat across from them, relief plain on his face.

The sorting soon ended with Zabini, Blaise ending up in Slytherin.

Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat.

"Welcome, students new and old, I am your headmaster, Professor Albus Dumbledore," Dumbledore announced, "I won't hold you any longer as I'm sure all of you are famished. So I only have these words to say." He paused like the dramatic wizard he was before shouting. "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

A bunch of students laughed while others commented on how amazing, yet mad, the headmaster was. Then loads upon loads of fancy dishes of all sorts suddenly appeared in the gold and silver plates and bowls situated in the center of the tables.

Light conversation was made throughout as everyone stuffed their faces with delicious food and varying amounts of dignity.

"Hey, umm...guys?" Harry suddenly asked, drawing Seth, Hermione, and Ron's attention to him.

"Yes, Harry?" Hermione said as she delicately placed her cutlery down. She grimaced when Ron responded as well around a mouthful of chicken. "Don't speak with your mouth open," she snapped at him and huffed, "Honestly."

Ron rolled his eyes and grumbled in response but closed his mouth to chew and swallow. "Something wrong, Harry?"

Harry hesitantly pointed over to the teacher's table at a thin man with sallow skin, a large, hooked nose, and greasy black hair. The man stared at Harry with dark, penetrating eyes, not even bothered by the fact that he was noticed. "Who's that man over there? He's been staring at me for the past few minutes."

"Let's see, an older man staring at a little kid for a prolonged period of time?" Seth tapped his chin thoughtfully, "He's either a pervert or a stalker."

Harry grimaced and Hermione rushed to reassure him. "Well I don't believe he can be either. Wouldn't he have long been fired if that were the case?"

"Don't know," Seth shrugged, "This is a magical school after all, the rules could be different or the laws stuck in the middle ages considering we're using quills of all things as our pencil substitute."

Hermione's expression turned thoughtful while Harry slowly turned green.

Ron tapped his chin in thought, "Let's see, black hair...a large hooked nose...looks like a greasy bat...I believe that's Professor Snape," he concluded, "He's the potion's professor and a mean old git who pampers his house, the Slytherins, and always finds ways to punish Gryffindors."

"Well that sounds awfully rude and prejudiced of a professor," Hermione stated with a frown.

Seth sighed and opened his mouth to make a sarcastic comment when a cold spike of darkness cut him off. He glanced sharply in the direction of the dark feeling and frowned when he only saw Harry who was rubbing at his scar.

"You okay, Harry?" Seth asked, growing increasingly concerned over the dark feeling he was getting from the thin line of scar tissue.

"I'm fine," Harry said, "Just my scar started hurting all of a sudden. It might be all the magic in this place since I've been told it's a magical scar."

"I've never heard of a magical scar having reactions like that," Ron chimed in, brow furrowing in worry.

"You should let a professor know if it's still hurting you," Hermione suggested.

"Honestly guys, I'm fine," Harry reassured, "It's not even hurting anymore. Probably just stress or something."

"If you're sure," Hermione said unsurely.

"I'm fine," Harry declared firmly, ending the conversation right there and returning back to his food with a slight grimace.

The others looked at each other helplessly but decided to follow his example and go back to their food. Seth paused in the middle of his dissection of a delicious shepherd's pie when the chicken on Ron's plate took on a peculiar sheen and the boy immediately spat out the bite he took of the chicken leg in his mouth.

"Ugh! Why does my chicken taste like plastic?" Ron protested.

Seth heard some snickering coming from his right and he turned to see the red haired twins hiding gleeful smiles behind their hands as they gazed at Ron in amusement.

Ron noticed and frowned. "Oh come on, guys. It's the first day. Couldn't you have waited until tomorrow?"

"Sorry," one twin said.

"Not sorry," the other twin said.

Another red head with a Prefect badge glared at them.

"Fred! George! What did mother say about pranking on the first day?" the red haired Prefect demanded.

The twins merely smiled in amusement as if the Prefect were just an insignificant puppy barking up at the lazy cat sitting high up in the tree where it couldn't reach.

"Don't be such a spoil sport, Perce," Fred, or maybe it's George, said.

"Yeah, Percy," George, or maybe it's Fred, said, "Mum's not here and she won't be hearing nothing about anything at all if you know what's good for your books."

Percy gasped in shock but he backed down with only a stern glare and a huff. Ron continued to grumble until Fred, or George, rolled his eyes and waved his wand. The chicken lost its strange sheen and presumably became regular chicken again. Ron dug into his food as if nothing ever happened.

Fred and George grumbled petulantly as they went back to their food.

"You know you should've at least denied your involvement," Seth commented nonchalantly, "Or you could've turned his food back to normal and made him look insane."

The twins paused their eating to stare at Seth in question.

"An American?" Fred, or George, asked.

"What's an American doing here?" George, or Fred, asked. "Don't you-"

"Yeah, yeah, we've got our own school but I'm here cause of legal issues since American wizards are all wet blankets trying to take the fun out of everything," Seth dryly responded, "And their rules suck but I've better things to do with my time and energy than throw their government into chaos. That's what my family's for."

Fred and George continued to stare at him before they looked to each other. A silent conversation passed between them and it ended with the two nodding firm in some sort of agreement. They both grinned widely at Seth.

"My name's Fred but you can call me Gred," Fred said with a dimpled grin.

"My name's George but you can call me Forge," George said with a smile that's all teeth.

"We are lovers of fun, inventors extraordinaire, and solemnly swear that we are always up to no good," the twins sing-songed with their arms thrown over each other's shoulders.

Seth grinned, feeling nostalgic and a bit homesick as the twins greatly reminded him of Newel and Doren though without the obsession over portable TV's and C batteries.

"Seth Sorenson's my name," he said, "And chaos is my game. I'm always down to explore and break the rules as long as no one gets hurt in the name of fun."

The twins grinned back.

"Well then, Monsieur Seth, I think-" Fred said.

"That this will be the start-" George said.

"Of a beautiful friendship," both twins crowed together.

Seth smiled widely in response as Percy and Ron both felt an inexplicable chill run down their spines.

Soon the feast ended and the food, no matter the state of consumption, disappeared. Ron stared sadly at the empty spoon in his hand that once held a large mouthful of treacle pudding.

Dumbledore stood up from his seat again and the entire hall quieted down.

"Now that we are all watered and fed, I have a few start of term announcements to make," Dumbledore announceed. "First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all students no matter the year as a few of our older students should remember," he said with a pointed look at Fred and George who smiled innocently in response and had Seth snorting as a result.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the Caretaker," he said with a wave to the sneering old man hunched over and gently petting the hissing tabby cat in his arms, "To remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors."

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madame Hooch," he said before his expression turned gravely serious. "And finally, I must warn you that this year, the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

A few students laughed nervously as others whispered to each other over what the headmaster could possibly mean. The teachers also looked rather serious at Dumbledore's warning. Seth smiled to himself because someone telling him not to do something just made him want to do it more. He had also been through more near death experiences than someone his age should've been going through so what was one more?

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore exclaimed, doing a complete 180 form serious to cheerful at the drop of a hat.

He flicked his wand and a long gold ribbon appeared above the teacher's table. The ribbon glowed brightly as words appeared upon it.

"Everyone pick your favorite tune," Dumbledore instructed, "And off we go!"

He waved his arms around like a conductor as all the students and some of the teachers burst into song. Seth decided to go with a pop rhythm based off of the pop phase Kendra went through not even a year ago.

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now, they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

Just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot."

Everyone finished at different paces with Fred and George finishing at last as they were singing to the rhythm of a slow funeral march. Everyone clapped, though Dumbledore clapped the loudest.

"Ah, music, a magic beyond all that we do here. " he commented with actual tears gathering in his eyes, "And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Gryffindor first years all followed after Percy who led them up multiple flights of stairs that moved this way and that until finally they arrived at a plain looking corridor. They walked through the corridor until they reached a portrait with a fat lady dressed like she was from Ancient Rome and was sipping wine like a heathen.

"You need a password in order to enter our common room. It will change every month and will always be posted on the board by the door. Also, no students from other houses are allowed in our common room nor are you allowed to be in theirs," Percy explained before turning to the portrait. "Fortuna Major."

The Fat Lady bowed her head and smiled. "Welcome first years and I hope you have a good night's rest."

Percy led them all inside into a circular room with multiple couches and chairs lined with soft pillows all situated by a fireplace with multiple tapestries and portraits hanging off the walls. A large portrait of a lion sat above the mantle of the fireplace, which had a small fire burning without any signs of dying any time soon. It was very warm and cozy and, of course, very red with trimmings of gold.

"Girls are to the right and boys are to the left," Percy said before sternly warning, "And don't even try to go up the stairs of the girl's dormitory if you're a boy. You'll be sliding straight into the fireplace if you do."

The boys chuckled nervously while the girls beamed in response. Then the two groups split off from each other and went up towards their respective dorms.

Seth followed the group of boys that slowly decreased in number until only six of them were left. They all stood before a door with a gold metal plate fixated by it. He saw his, Harry's, and Ron's names on it, as well as the names of Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, and Dean Thomas.

The six boys entered the room and they, sans Seth, gaped at the cozy looking canopy beds with red curtains each paired with a small dresser and cabinet set against etched wood walls with spots open for decoration or pictures.

Seth made a beeline for the bed with his trunk set against the base. He quickly opened his trunk to take out his pajamas, which he'd conveniently left near the top, and jumped onto his bed.

"Sorry guys but introductions will have to wait till tomorrow," Seth declared unapologetically, "Sleep is way more important right now so good night!"

He then swung the curtains close as the other boys mumbled their good nights and chuckled at his declaration. He swiftly changed into his pajamas and pulled the covers over himself.

Seth stared up at the top of his bed, smiling in excitement as he slowly fell asleep to the sounds of the other boys chatting the night away.


Alright so I was fighting myself a lot while writing this chapter because which house Seth ends up in basically controls a lot of important elements in the story. At first I thought I should put him in Gryffindor cause he's a brave warrior and an adventurer and such but there's also the fact that he could be in Slytherin because he's known for being cunning and arguing his way out of punishment. I even started thinking about how it'd be great if Seth, who's a cunning yet brave Shadow Charmer, gathered a following in Slytherin and dismantled the social hierarchy with the help of Harry, Hermione, and a reluctant Ron and Draco.

Then I remember all the stories I've read where a character from Slytherin helps change the school's perception of the house through their actions and interactions with others (cough Draco or Harry cough). And I've yet to see one where a Gryffindor goes out of their way to humble the Slytherins and extend their hand out in the name of friendship (not romance, forbidden or otherwise) from the very beginning while also telling the other houses off for being so rude to Slytherins and pushing them to be evil when some of them probably didn't want to be.

Plus it'd be easier to redeem a lot of the Slytherins, like Draco, in the eyes of the other houses if a Gryffindor were the one to break down the prejudices first considering they're part of the house who perpetrated the prejudices in the first place. I mean, sure the Slytherins didn't help but a hot headed, leap before you think mentality won't make any progress against a mindset that focuses on finding your weakness and taking advantage of it while never admitting to your own in fear of looking weak and dropping to the bottom of the totem pole. Gotta read between the lines with these Slytherin folk and Gryffindors are definitely not the best at that. Also, I thought it'd be an interesting convo with Harry who also almost got sorted into Slytherin.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed reading and I'll see you all in the next chapter. Until next time!