OLD MAGIC

Chapter 6: The Sorting

As the children got to know each other a cart came trundling down the narrow corridor outside. The door was slid open and a pleasant faced older woman smiled at them.

"Anything from the trolley dears?" She asked sweetly. Her cart was loaded with all manner of goodies and sweets.

Harry stared in surprise. Though he certainly had candy from both the forest people and muggles, he didn't recall seeing anything like what was on the cart.

A wistful look passed over Ron's face as he pulled out a small bag of obviously home made goodies from home. "No thanks, I'm good," he said, reluctantly.

"I'd like to try something," Harry said eagerly. He got up and went to the cart to study its wares, selecting at least four of everything. He paid the exact amount, careful not to flash how much he was carrying. He'd been taught how to use muggle and wizarding money so he wouldn't be caught having to ask anyone how to convert it and have them see just how much he had on him.

Taking his haul to his seat, he noted Draco purchased only a couple of things while Hermione chose to get nothing.

Smiling at Ron, he held out the extra items he'd gotten. "Here, share with me and tell me what some of them are."

Ron eyed him in surprise then smiled and accepted the gift. There was a suspicious snort from the vicinity of Draco but Harry quickly diverted Ron before the boy could get angry again.

"Bertie Bott's every flavored beans?"

"Oh yea, when they mean every flavor, they really mean just about everything, like: spinach, broccoli, beets, different fruits, and nastier things like earwax, dust, or vomit. My brother swore he got a bogey flavor once."

Harry grimaced in disgust and set the box of beans aside. Instead he picked up a strangely octagonal box with a pull string. It said 'chocolate frog'.

"Oh those are really cool, the frog is spelled to hop but what's more important is the collector cards of famous wizards inside," Ron explained helpfully, his mouth full of something Harry didn't want to know about.

He pulled the cord and there lay a chocolate frog done in perfect detail. As he stared at it, up it jumped to the window and out, the wind whipping it away.

"Ahh, too bad. They only have one good jump in them," Ron commiserated.

"Oh, I"ve got Dumbledore," Harry announced staring at the collector card that had a very old man with a long beard on it. "He's the headmaster, right?"

"That's right, Harry and he's one of the most powerful wizards in the United Kingdom," Hermione said.

Draco grimaced distastefully at that. It was obvious he didn't think much of the headmaster of Hogwarts. But he wisely said nothing. Harry reserved judgement until he'd met the man himself. He'd been told about the wizard from Hagrid but the half-giant simply said Dumbledore was powerful and could be manipulative if it suited his purposes. Harry had been warned to keep his mind guarded at all times around the man and to use his own judgement on whether he trusted him or not. He promised he would.

After testing out most of the candy, the rest of the long trip was made in silence. Draco opted for a nap as did Ron, while Hermione read a book. As for himself, Harry watched the lovely scenery of Scotland pass by until it got too dark to see anything but the moonlight glinting off the mountains.

Just before they pulled into the station Hermione announced, "we need to get into our school robes," with that she jumped to her feet and went out where others were heading toward the baggage cars to do the same. Once properly attired, they returned to their seats and waited for the train to roll into the station.

When the train stopped finally, steam rising into the night air, the exit doors slid open and the children began to offload. Immediately, a loud voice was heard calling to them. "First years, line up here with me!" Everyone hurriedly headed for the huge figure holding a lantern aloft.

"Come on...all First Years gather here...don't worry about your belongings, they'll follow after...let's hurry up now!" Hagrid called again.

Harry hurried up to the big man and smiled, receiving a broad smile in return. Next to him, Ron said 'wow' obviously never having seen a man so big and tall before. Draco simply eyed the man blandly while Hermione also seemed a bit awed by the half giant.

Once he had all the First Years gathered, Hagrid beckoned them to follow. He turned and like ducklings following their mother, they marched along in a ragged line for a short ways down the platform until they reached the end then turned sharply to the right. Here was a dirt pathway that led through a small woods and down a slight embankment to a dock. Spread out as far as the eye could see was a huge lake that glittered in the moonlight. Tied and strung along the dock were many little boats. Already lighted lanterns on an iron hook affair were affixed to the center of each boat, lighting their way.

"Everyone get aboard a boat now, no shoving," Hagrid ordered.

Excited chatter filled the night air as the children climbed into the small boats, four to each. Hagrid had a boat to himself. Without anyone paddling them, the boats took off and glided smoothly toward a lighted castle set on a high hill. Hogwarts was an awesome sight lit up that way and looking so imposing.

Looking down into the dark water a moment, Harry caught sight of a mermaid who smiled up at him. He grinned back but told no one what he'd seen as he returned his eyes toward the castle as they got closer.

As each boat reached the dock, Hagrid urged them to climb out and gather a little ways off until everyone had arrived then he turned and led them up a long path upward to a huge pair of wooden doors that hung open. He halted beside the door and gestured for the children to go on ahead of him.

They walked across a large foyer then climbed a broad staircase that turned twice before getting to the top where a tall, thin, older woman stood waiting, dressed in a long dark green robe trimmed in black and wearing a black pointed hat with a feather in it.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall. In a few moments you will pass through these doors and join your fellow classmates. But, before you do, you will be sorted into your houses. They are Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. Your houses will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn house points and rule breaking will cost points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points wins the house cup. Now follow me and we'll get you sorted." Finished with her speech the professor turned around and everyone dutifully followed her the rest of the way up the stairs to another set of doors that also stood open.

As Harry walked with the group, he frowned in thought. The idea of separating the students into houses and having them compete against each other made him unhappy and concerned. It seemed too much like the involuntary separation that occurred in muggle schools. The formation of cliques (jocks, geeks, rich, poor, druggies, and troublemakers) were common there and caused hurt feelings, anger, hatred, jealousy, arrogance, bullying, and low self esteem to reign supreme.

Of course, he had no problem with healthy competition in the spirit of learning new things, making friends and having fun. However, just separating whole groups of students into separate houses and make them rivals of each other for a trophy at the end of the year, to his mind, was unproductive, would cause bitterness and hatred that could last a lifetime, and served no useful purpose to society as a whole.

He would have to watch this situation carefully and not get sucked into it no matter what house he was placed in. His attention was drawn back to the moment at hand when they stepped into the huge hall.

It was amazing! He had been told what to expect but it just wasn't the same as actually seeing the place. It was simply incredible. He stared at the ceiling just like all the others, in absolute awe.

That's because it looked like there wasn't a ceiling as the night sky shown above them with moon and stars and a few clouds passing by. Harry heard Hermione explain to another that it really wasn't open to the sky, it was simply spelled to look that way. Well, however it was done, it was amazing as were all the thick white, lighted candles that hung in the air above them.

When he could draw his eyes back down from the marvelous spectacle, he noted they were walking down the center aisle of the room and on either side of them were long rows of wooden tables where the older children sat watching and chattering about the newcomers.

As they reached the front, before them was a raised dais where another long table sat, behind which, were the teachers of Hogwarts. At the center was the headmaster. Before their table, sitting on a plain wooden stool, was an old, brown, pointed hat that drooped.

"Stand along here...hurry now," Professor McGonagall ordered, gesturing for them to spread out in a ragged line before the teacher's table. "Your attention please! Headmaster Dumbledore has a few words to say to you all."

The man with the long beard, tall, pointed hat and bright robes, rose to his feet and stared at all of them a moment before saying in a pleasant, grandfatherly voice, "Just a few important things you need to know, the Forbidden forest is off limits to all students and there are some closed corridors on the upper levels of the castle which are not to be explored unless you wish to experience a slow, painful death." Still smiling benignly, he took his seat again.

'What kind of message was that? No welcome, just a warning where not to go. How very strange,' Harry thought, confused.

"When I call your name, please come forward and sit on the stool," McGonagall instructed, holding a sheet of paper before her eyes with one hand and reaching out to pick up the hat with the other. "Susan Bones..."

A rather plain looking girl, tall for her age, came up and sat down. The professor placed the hat on her head which was soo big it dropped far enough to cover her eyes. She grimaced at the smell of it but sat still. A voice muttered softly for a moment which startled her though she had known what to expect, her mother having prepared her, then the hat announced loudly, startling those first years who didn't know the hat could speak at all.

"Hufflepuff!"

There were cheers from the table where that house sat and kids were waving her to join them. With a look of relief, she got up, removed the hat and set it down before hurrying to sit with her new housemates.

Several more students were called and sorted. Hermione and Ron ended up in Gryffindor and Draco went to Slytherin. Harry didn't miss the headmaster's searching gaze as he watched the sorting closely. He had a feeling the man was looking for him. Hagrid had told him that he'd taken the responsibility of caring for Harry without permission or knowledge of the Order of the Phoenix. He'd already been briefed to not tell anyone where he'd been all this time for his safety and the safety of the non-human magical community.

Harry understood very clearly why and it made him sad. It was one of the things he argued with Magorian about and fervently hoped to change if he could.

Suddenly his name was spoken. He pushed through the line of kids in front of him and stepped up to the stool. McGonagall eyed him in surprised confusion. This boy didn't look like a child of Lily and James Potter...what was going on?

Harry took a seat on the stool then allowed his glamor to fade away, like mist over water.

Stunned gasps and exclamations filled the air as everyone stared in shocked surprise. The formerly blond, blue eyed boy was now a messy raven haired kid with emerald green eyes and a distinctive scar on his forehead.

Draco gaped in stunned disbelief. The way the kid's disguise disappeared with such ease spoke of controlled power and a firm grasp of magic which someone his age shouldn't have been capable of. Where had he been to learn such a skill?

All the wizarding children had heard about the Potter child and the doubts as to whether he was dead or alive. The Daily Prophet had, that very morning, asked, "WILL HARRY POTTER APPEAR? Harry Potter, the boy who lived, should be eleven years old by now. Will he show up at Hogwarts or did he die like everyone suspected when his parents were killed? Only the first day of school will provide the answer!"

The question had been answered alright, but there were many others the Hogwart's teachers wanted answered, the main one, where had he been all this time and who had raised him? Of course, Professor Snape knew but wasn't telling. His face remained made of stone but inside he was laughing at them all. Dumbledore was utterly stunned. He had hoped Harry would show this year but never dreamed he'd be so skilled. Who had been teaching him?

"How did you do that?" McGonagall blurted.

"I had excellent teachers."

"But why disguise yourself?"

"To keep me safe from my enemies."

Harry's short uninformative answers made her frown but before she could ask anything else, Professor Dumbledore interrupted her.

"I believe such questions should wait for a more appropriate and private time, Minerva. Please continue with the sorting."

"Oh, yes...of course..." She said, blushing a bit at forgetting herself. She stepped forward and placed the hat on Harry's head and stepped back, her mind swirling with questions.

"Greetings young forest dweller. I have been awaiting your arrival with much anticipation. You will do great things and our world will be better for it," The hat said ponderously

"I hope I don't disappoint you, sir," Harry answered mentally, a bit embarrassed by the hat's assessment of him.

"Believe me, you won't. As for sorting you into a house, I find myself in some difficulty, Harry. Each house has a certain characteristic but you possess all of them in equal measure so how can I decide which is best for you? Have you a preference?"

"For my purposes, Gryffindor should do fine."

"Excellent choice," the hat agreed then shouted. "Gryffindor!"

Though a bit uncertain about Harry, the Gryffindors still cheered and felt honored to have been chosen as the boy-who-lived's house. Smiling, Harry removed the hat reverently and set it down on the stool before heading to his new house.

The sorting continued without any further surprises and when everyone was seated, Dumbledore announced. "Welcome all to Hogwarts! May your time with us be an enjoyable one. The house elves have outdone themselves for you, please, enjoy the feast."

He made a grand, open armed gesture and the tables instantly filled to groaning with all manner of food. The first years' eyes were wide with amazement but quickly turned to hungry eagerness, filling up their plates high with food. The air filled with the chatter of happy voices.

As the children dug into their dinner, Dumbledore and McGonagall traded uneasy looks. The mystery of Harry Potter had dulled their appetites, their thoughts totally focused on the many questions they needed answers for and the mild annoyance of having to wait to get them.

How had the boy learned to use a glamor so skillfully? What else was he capable of and where had he been the first part of his life? They would need to pull him into the headmaster's office and have a talk with him as soon as possible.

As they ate their dinner, Hermione and Ron sat on either side of Harry, acting as a buffer to all who wanted to badger Harry with questions. Though burning with questions themselves, the two knew if they wanted to be friends of Harry's, they would have to wait until he was willing to talk to them so kept their conversation to the food and their new temporary home away from home.

After dinner, they were escorted by Ron's older brother, Percy, who was rather pompous and full of himself, to their new quarters. He lead them up multiple staircases and hallways causing many to feel lost and confused.

"Stay close, the stairs have a habit of moving on their own," Percy said, blandly.

The first years were confused by that comment until they stairways high above them move from side to side with no rhyme or reason. Equally intriguing were the portraits they passed . These were huge oil paintings in elaborate frames of people from older times. What made them odd was, instead of being still, they actually moved and said hello to them. It was weird and cool at the same time.

Finally, the tired students were stopped before a painting of a fat woman in Victorian clothing. She asked for a password and Percy gave some huge mouthful of a word that was going to be a challenge for the children to remember. When the portrait swung open, they were greeted by a huge room done up in rich shades of red and gold and filled with stuffed chairs, couches, bookcases, desks, and a huge fireplace.

"This is the common room where you can do your homework, congregate, and play games. Girls dorms are up those stairs to the left, the boys are on the right. Your belongings are already at the foot of your bed. You have an hour before curfew. If you have any serious needs, bring them to me and I will contact Professor McGonagall who is our house leader. Anyone up past curfew will cost us points," Percy told them then left them to their own devices.

Harry sighed, ignored efforts made by some of his new classmates to talk to him and made for stairs to the boys dorm. He wanted to take a shower and get ready for bed before the crowd arrived. Fortunately, everyone respected his privacy...at least for the moment.

In the Slytherin dorm, Draco admired the rather expensive furniture and the incredible window that looked into the underwater world of the lake. He already knew they were in the dungeons but hadn't thought one of the dorms would actually be covered by the lake. That was so cool! However, there were some that felt claustrophobic being in the dungeons and complained bitterly at the lack of a window to the sky.

Draco snorted. Better stop whining now. No one is going to listen nor care. But he didn't say that aloud. The one thing he'd already noticed about this house was how cold, self centered, and unfriendly much of them were. Fortunately, there were a small number of fairly decent guys and gals, but the majority were downright nasty. Living here was going to be a trial. For just a moment, he wished he could change houses but quickly shoved that melancholy aside and studied his new home.

The color scheme of the room was silver and green with an emphasis on snakes. Their images were on the walls and ornaments around the room. He grimaced at that, not having a real liking for the cold blooded creatures much. But as he overheard the rising tone of anger from some of the older students, snakes seemed to be the perfect mascot for them.

It seemed their were upset by the fact Harry Potter was indeed alive and many were the speculations as to where the git had been hiding. Discussions ran hot as to how he'd managed to hide his true appearance without the use of polyjuice and how he did what he did when he was supposed to be as green as the rest of them in magical skills.

Draco was disinclined to participate in the angry debate. He didn't know what he felt about the trick Harry had pulled. He'd thought the boy had been someone important or even from his own bloodline, but never dreamed he would be the boy-who-lived, the survivor of a vicious attack by Voldemort.

Should he make friends with the boy or treat him as the enemy this house insisted he was? His own first impression of Harry was of a nice person who didn't seem to have an evil bone in his body. A far cry from the kids he'd been forced to be friends with by order of his father.

Thinking of his father made him unhappy. Lucius Malfoy was a brilliant but hard man who felt the Dark Lord was his ticket to power and wealth. If he found out his son harbored thoughts of making friends with the one who was his Lord's mortal enemy, he'd be beat black and blue and disowned. The last part didn't worry him as his mother had wisely set aside money for him in another name. But the threat of harm from his father did give him pause.

He sighed and stared gloomily out the window looking into the dark lake that presently mirrored how he felt inside. No matter what his true feelings might be about Potter, he had to pretend they weren't friends at least openly. If he did make friends it must remain a secret or the consequences for him would be dire.

His mother openly stayed firmly on the fence on the issue of the Dark Lords plans for wizarding kind which kept her safe...for now. As for him, he pretended to go along with his father's wishes, though all he really wanted was to enjoy life and make friends. The pure blood issue just didn't interest him.

Home was a mind field of traps that he got tired of trying to avoid. It was too much like living with a spell trap...never knowing what would set it off. It didn't make for a pleasant or happy place to be most of the time which was why he didn't fancy going home on vacations.

However, school wasn't that safe for him either as it wasn't far enough away from his father's machinations, so wishing he could stay on school grounds until he graduated wouldn't protect him. What he wouldn't give for a safe sanctuary for him and his mom.

Shrugging off those wishful thoughts, he left the hotly arguing snakes and went to his dorm room to go to bed. Tomorrow was going to be very busy.