OOC: Alright, first things first, I just want to say this right now. This chapter has my SI's Sorting, and as such, will likely come off as something of a wank-fest. There are a few reasons for this, but the primary one is something that i've mentioned before, in that it is very difficult for a person to truly examine their own personality and abilities without either fluffing them up, or dunking on themselves so hard there can be no accusations of Mary Sue-ness. It's made even worse for me, mainly because I have done things and been considered things by numerous people around me that fits very easily into at least a loose interpretation of that trope, so even telling the truth sounds very arrogant. Combine that with the fact that I take great effort to know myself inside and out, am very comfortable with who and what I am and what I am capable of, and refuse to lie about even the smallest thing, whether it be to avoid accusations or anything else, and a psychological examination such as the Sorting becomes a very complicated affair, because not only do I have to accurately portray myself, but attempt to accurately portray what an outside perspective on my mind would look like. That takes a certain talent for disassociative thinking, and while I would like to think I'm capable of such, there's no guarantee, and even if there was, most people would not assume it was accurate simply by its nature. As such, keep in mind that there is a very clear dichotomy between what Harry, my SI, says in this chapter, and what the Hat does. Everything the Hat claims about him is something I have had somebody else tell me about myself, often multiple times from multiple people. Everything Harry says or believes is my own personal beliefs and nature, whether I have been told it or not.
If anybody would like to know more about why I believe the way I do, or the things in my life that make me so confident in my intellectual abilities, you can feel free to ask in a review and I'll PM back. I just won't put it here, because the last time I tried that in a public setting, it got called out as arrogant bragging and misunderstood. In the meantime, remember that this is a story, and you don't have to read it if you don't want to. Any Flames or trollish reviews will at best be ignored, and at worst reported, depending on just how bad they are.
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"What's wrong, Draco, is that you were wrong. We are utterly fucked." My friend didn't freak out at the statement from me, despite how much I might feel such a reaction was appropriate. Instead he merely raised a curious eyebrow in my direction, only the slightest of frowns tilting his lips to reveal the worry I had inspired. Draco knew me, knew my ways and how I spoke for varying levels of insanity and or dangerousness. During my studies, that was an important skill to have for anyone around me. So he would likely realize I wasn't talking about an immediate threat, but also knew I was completely and utterly serious. Before the blonde could speak up, however, we were both interrupted by another voice, hissing from a few steps away.
"Language!" A girl with dark-brown hair hissed, and it took me a few blinks of surprise to realize that it was the one I had pegged as a likely Hermiione. She had what was probably the most adorable frownI had ever seen on her face, glaring eleven-year-old grade death in our direction. I blinked again, glancing around to notice that quite a few of our fellow first years had also taken note of the conversation, and most either shared her anger or wore incredulous expressions. Ah, right, a bunch of kids from nineties Britain. They likely weren't so used to cursing. I turned back to Hermione, giving her my best roguish grin, and spoke.
"English." I retorted, before pointedly turning my back on her to look once again at where Illyasviel was being sorted. There was an offended gasp behind me, but I ignored it. Hermione was far from my greatest concern at the moment, and however offended she might be, I could probably wipe that slate clean after literally saving her life in the future. And even if not, I wasn't going to let a possible ally change how I acted because she got offended by the words I used. Either she got used to it, learning an important lesson in the process, or I could work without her.
The next few minutes were perhaps some of the most stressful I had experienced in this life, and maybe even the next as my mind burned with thought after thought trying to understand and predict just what this latest development meant. So, first shocked reactions aside, there were just a few things I knew for certain. Illyasviel von Einzbern existed, and she was here in Hogwarts. The question was, what did that mean exactly? The timelines had obviously been fucked with; Fate/Zero, and the fourth Holy Grail War, took place in 1994, and she should have been about eight years old then. This was three years earlier, and she was three years older. Unless Jubstacheit interfered with her biological progression? Could that even be done to a half-homunculus? Was she a homunculus, or just some Wizarding World analogue? I didn't know. There were as many possible interpretations of a crossover as there were stars in the sky, and given my own nature, things only got more and more complicated. I don't think this was after Kiritugu died, if that was even a thing here, because there was no hint of murderousness in her eyes. I liked to consider myself a decent judge of character, an empath, even, and watching her sit on that stool, Illyasviel von Einzbern struck me as a perfectly normal little girl. Cheerful, excited, maybe a little bit of nervousness, but no deep-seated rage or hatred.
"Ravenclaw!" I frowned as the hat suddenly shouted out, disturbing me from my thoughts. Ravenclaw. That might suggest a Magus background, or some sort of mindset similar to it. Pursuit of knowledge at the cost of all else and such. Or it could just mean a girl who liked books, or had been distilled with some twisted sense of wisdom by her similarly twisted father. Again, I couldn't know for certain, and as the girl stepped down towards her new House table, the edging of her robes shimmering into a deep royal blue, I studied her. There was nothing there to further define the decision, so with a grimace I pushed the thoughts into a tiny box in the corner of my mind for further study. Beside me, Draco shifted, apparently catching my expression.
"You going to be alright, Harry?" He asked, eyeing me warily, and I shook my head just a touch. To be honest, I didn't know. With a crossover being in play, everything I thought I knew about the world was gone, and all my plans were threatened to the point of extinction. I didn't even know what all had changed about the setting. How close was the Magus Association to the Wizarding World, and how had they influence each other so far? What version of the Kaleidoscopic worlds were they even based off of? Was that the only crossover element, or had I landed in the center of a nexus of worlds? The last one, at least, I didn't have to worry too long about, as shortly after, McGonagall called another name I recognized, though it took me a moment to place it.
"Gremory, Rias!" The name tingled on the edge of my brain as I watched one of the students I had noted step up, the beautiful red-head who hid in our train compartment. Rias Gremory, eh? That was… HIghschool DxD, if I recalled correctly. I flinched at the faded memories, barely noting as Draco's frown deepened in response. Goddammit, that was even more worrying, if anything. Devils, Fallen, and Angels, not to mention a whole slew of otherworldly organizations and pantheons to contend with was not something I wanted. My knowledge was already limited when it came to the Nasuverse and how it might interact with Harry Potter, but DxD blew even that out of the water. I could maybe dodge the Grail Wars, if I just stayed out of Fuyuki and maybe Romania, but the Three Factions were everywhere. Even Kuoh only became a battleground because the key players were there. And with a high-class devil's tendency to hunt down powerful pieces for their peerage, there was no way I could avoid being targeted by her. My annoyance at that fact was enough I almost missed her getting sorted into Hufflepuff after just a few second, but still I filed the knowledge away. It made sense; For all that she was a Devil, there was little else about the girl to suggest other houses. No great cunning, desire for wisdom, or grand courage, but she was certainly a mother hen to broken people. When one Himejima Akeno, the dark-haired girl I had seen with her earlier followed a name or two after, I was even less surprised. That was her Queen piece, if I recalled correctly, so deep and abiding Loyalty was a given.
Jackson, Perseus!" McGonagall called out a few moments later, and by this point I was well enough into my thinking state that I didn't even flinch at the name, though I recognized it easily. How could I not, after it had so heavily shaped my childhood? Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the first book series I ever decided to be my favorite. Eyeing the dark-haired, green-eyed boy stepping out of the crowd, I mused quietly on his presence. The Olympians weren't too much of a concern, not compared to the rest of the bullshit I had to deal with now, but it was curious that he would also be a wizard. Ancestral Hecate blood on his Mother's side, perhaps? It would make sense for the Goddess of Magic to somehow be wrapped up in the Wizarding World and its origins. I also had to wonder if the kid knew about his godly heritage yet. Demigods weren't really in danger until twelve years old, when their blood started getting stronger from what I recall, but the introduction to magic could have prompted Sally Jackson into spilling secrets early. He, too, was directed to the House of black and yellow. Given his fatal flaw, that too was expected. Hufflepuff was going to be an absolute juggernaut this year, I imagined.
After that, there were no more interesting names for a while, though I kept a keen eye on the last person to set my plot senses tingling, that wet-haired boy in chinese clothes. My memories were old and vague, but I dimly recalled something about water of differing temperatures being important in some story or another. If he truly was related to that redhead on the train, was it his story? I couldn't know for sure, and so turned away to focus once again upon the Sorting. Everything seemed to be proceeding apace, as far as I could tell. Hermione Granger went to Gryffindor, a shame but not unexpected, and Draco found himself in Slytherin as well, though with a much longer period under the hat than in canon. I didn't begrudge him that- Slytherin was not an inherently evil House, regardless of what people said, and he seemed pleased enough with the choice. Then it came to my turn.
"Potter, Harry!" McGonagall called out, and finally, I stepped from the ever-dwindling crowd to approach. The Professor handed me the hat, smiling kindly, and I nodded back before looking down at it. I wasn't exactly thrilled about what would happen next. MY mind was a sanctuary, the one place where nobody but me could gaze. And yet, it had to be done, so with an outward calmness I didn't really feel, I sat down and put on the hat, allowing it to slip over my eyes.
"Well, well, well. What have we here?" I heard a voice say, not unexpected but still startiling in its suddenness. It was an ancient thing that voice, old and gravelly, but still possessing all the wonder of a child as it whispered into my mind. I shivered, before focusing on my purpose here.
"Hello, sir." I muttered under my breath, knowing it was unnecessary but speaking aloud anyways. It was a habit of mine to think aloud, and conversation should not be held in complete silence either. "I trust I will not need to spell things out for you?"
"Yes, yes, the usual threats." He murmured back distractedly, and I got the distinct impression of someone waving their hand in dismissal. "I must say though, your mind is quite uncommon, even considering the circumstances. It is rare to find such a clear dichotomy of thought in old men, let alon those as young as you." I smiled at that, just barely holding back a snort. I understood exactly what he meant, of course, but it was always interesting to hear an outside point of view, even if only for reference.
"Would you care to elaborate?" I prompted quietly, though there was no need. That was part of the game, after all, and I would enjoy playing it for all it was worth. The hat hummed in my ear for a moment, before acquiescing.
"Well Gryffindor is right out, as I'm sure you're aware. Courage and confidence are two very different things, you ten more towards the latter. Ravenclaw as well, despite appearances. For all your fascination with literature, it is the imagination you value, not true knowledge or wisdom Stories to gather, weave, and spread back out again to the joy of all." I nodded, understanding. These were all things I knew as well, of course. I took great effort to understand myself and the way my mind worked, so there was little the Hat could share I was not already aware of.
"So Hufflepuff and Slytherin then?" I asked, following the logic and prompting him ever forward. They were the Houses I had tested for before, after all, in my old life. It was inevitable, and fit the word dichotomy quite well. Even Gryffindor and Slytherin were not so naturally at odds with each other, despite their regular conflicts.
"Yes." The hat confirmed after a moment, sounding more surprised that he was not surprised than anything. He knew my thoughts, knew how my mind worked, so it was not a surprise I would come to the conclusion so easily, but that very nature was what had prompted this aside in the first place. I could almost pity the hat for having to experience it, if he did not sound so fascinated. There were reasons I so easily admit to being insane, after all, and this was but a tiny faucet of that.
Hmm," I hummed quietly, mind whirling as my curiosity flared. "And what is it that's caught your attention, exactly?" I asked. It was easy to imagine, but I wanted to hear the words from him, see it the way the Sorting Hat saw it.
"Well since you asked so nicely…" He began, again that phantom sensation appearing, this time of a sly smile. "First is Slytherin, House of the Ambitious and Cunning. The latter cannot be denied, as you think in such twisty paths even I find it hard to follow, and for all the simplicity of your dream, it is certainly grand. You would thrive there you know, a viper among snakes, the shadow to serve the light." My lips twitched at that, and I did nothing to quench the small ember of pride in my was not untrue, though I found the Hat's description to be somewhat exxaggerating. How could I not surpass all those around me, with three decades of experience and maturation to their one? I was clever, yes, and intelligent besides, but not a genius by any stretch. My greatest asset was a willingness to use what brains had been granted me, rather than wallow in vapid and shallow concerns like most children, both in this life and the one before. I actually thought about things, when driven to a purpose. The same could not be said about most others. Still, that was unimportant, so I instead focused as the Hat continued on.
"Now Hufflepuff traits, those are interesting to find side by side with those of Slytherin. Your loyatly, though rarely tested, is sharp, and when given a task you ensure it is done completely and done well, without hesitation. And then there is your kindness, of course…"
"I would not call myself kind." I interrupted, though it was not a protest, and he had clearly prepared for it regardless. As such, it was not a surprise when the Hat merely chuckled, once again that sensation of a sly smile invading my mind.
"Many would, however, and why not? You offer anything within your power freely and without the expectation of recompense to those around you, and even strangers may benefit should you happen upon their distress. What is that, if not kindness?" The Hat was, I thought with a small spark of amusement, both taunting me and trying to sweet-talk me at the same time. He wanted me to go to Hufflepuff, and for all he knew I would not change my mind on the matter, his words might still sway the balance of where I ended up. I would almost be offended, if it weren't a reasonable attempt.
"Practicality." I answered, this time smiling fully. "I need little and can make do with less, but still find myself with more than either category. What use are resources if they simply remain still, doing nothing and achieving nothing? Better that they improve the lives of all those around me, that my own may be improved in turn."
"And yet your natural inclination is to seek that betterment in others before looking to your own benefits. Would that not be considered kindness?" I chuckled, shaking my head slightly, but there was nothing more to argue against. We had both said our piece.
"Perhaps, perhaps not, " I half-conceded, smile widening. "Words are but wind, and so change direction with every speaker. That is why we must judge ourselves, for who else knows our entire story but us?"
"And how do you judge, then?" The Hat asked after a moment's pause, making me raise my eyebrows in amusement. Of course it would come down to this, because the Sorting was more than a test of your personality, but your desires as well. The problem was that I couldn't quite decide where I wanted to go, at the end of the day. He had the right of it, after all. I could manage well enough in both Houses easy enough, and was mature enough to recognize nether could define me fully. So I did something I had not tried to do since very early in this life. I lifted my head, looking out over the Great Hall where hundreds of young Witches and Wizards held their breath waiting for the verdict, and I looked.
Something that should be known about my past is that even before being reborn in this world, I had believed in magic. I had experienced things that could not be easily explained otherwise, and neither science nor religion provided convincing arguments against its existence. Moreso, my whole family possessed… gifts, if you will. Perhaps I was simply mad and could not tell the difference, or perhaps I simply got lucky, but more than once I had predicted a future that came to pass. Nothing concrete or specific, just flashes, moments in time, emotional states of being, and relationships between people I had never known before and those I loved. They were all things and concepts that could not be easily defined, and yet could not be explained away, and so I believe.
When I looked for my future that day, I saw two paths. Two possibilities open to me, one each for the two Houses I had been offered. In one I saw myself sitting alone, leafing casually through a dark leather tome as I relaxed beside a stone fireplace, long rows of bookcases stretching out behind me and my robes edged in emerald green. The weight of the moment pressed on me, imparting half-spun thoughts and fleeting emotions. It was a calm moment, quiet and comfortable. I would be happy there, I knew, a proud man who had achieved his goals and could live his life in simple satisfaction.
Then there was the second vision. IN it I stood upon a wide open field of green grass, examining something beyond my sight with a serious but confident expression.a blade in one hand and at my side someone else. I couldn't make out a face, the form shifting from moment to moment, but there was warmth in their presence, a steadying effect that left me relaxed and happy. Pride welled in my heart as I faced whatever it was with strength and conviction, the golden edges of my robes glinting in the sunlight. This was not a man who had settled down after achieving his goals, nor was he calm. There was an excitement there, pulsing just beneath the skin as a slow smile started to grow on his face. And beside him, the person followed, joined by several more spreading out behind as they started to move forward. An adventurer, never seeking chaos but embracing it all the same.
I looked at the visions, weighing each in turn and judging my own heart as it twisted between. They were equally enticing, equally worthy, but in the end, I could only choose one. When I did, there was no need to voice it. The Hat heard, and as he did, he smiled.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" He roared out, sending a wave of shock through the hall. Beneath the hat, I grinned, even as my slowly whirling thoughts settled. So be it.
XXX
OOC: Because I know someone's going to ask, yes I truly believe in my vague ability to predict the future, but it will not be affecting the story beyond the occasional influence on Harry's choices. I will neither confirm it nor deny it as an actual superpower the SI may possess, and it will mostly take the form of metaphors and loosely-formed concepts. It is a part of me and my personal mind-set, but I recognize there is no solid proof for its existence, and so will not attempt to claim it as real for the purposes of this story.