The Provisional Laws of Acquired Behavior or Learning

Authors Note: Also as per the first few chapters Maurice isn't familiar with interacting with his own age group he picked up most of his knowledge from books and comics all of which emphasised gentlemanly behaviour towards the pretty girl. Honestly he just thinks she's really pretty, in a kiddies first crush kind of way.
I made a new website for this fanfiction so I'll be cross-posting, check my profile for more.
Disclaimer: I don't at this time own any published work of Sega or JK Rowling, if I did I'd gut the current Sonic fandom and only allow literate people to contribute cutting the fandom back by 90% and improving the quality by the same percentage.

Disembarking from the Hogwarts express and following the other first years Maurice and Susan took one of the empty boats to themselves which once seated then began to propel itself magically through the water.
Clearing the sight of the boathouse a sea of stars greeted the prospective Hogwarts students, Maurice and Susan gazed across the Black Lake together to the towering castle before them, glittering eerily like a many faceted jewel in the starry night of a Van Gogh painting of the same name.
Seeing it like this Maurice was struck briefly by the momentous moment before him, a new path a new future…
"It's beautiful" Susan breathed Maurice nodded throat dry, he'd seen it from Hogsmeade but on the lake at night the sight was truly mesmerising.
The boats glided silently under the cliffs the trailing moss and vines giving off a luminescent glow.
"It's like a fairytale" sighed Susan the whispers of other first years creating a gentle echo in the underground port.
"Yeah" Maurice nodded.
Susan abrupt pointed at the dock "Look!"
"Oh wow" Just when you think it couldn't get better.
Faeries flittered around the bushes alit by a path of blue ghost fire, lighting the path from the dock to the doors of the castle. Maurice side-eyed the enthralled Susan and had an idea. Alighting onto the dock Maurice turned and made a half bow and offered a hand "Shall we meet our destiny together my fair lady?"
Susan blushed and accepted his hand feeling every inch a princess going to her fantasy castle with her loyal knight.

The moment was lost as the other fist year nosily chattered making their way up the steps but still with a smile both first years walked towards the doors.
A figure stood at the door to greet them with a warm smile.
"Welcome to Hogwarts future students, I am Professor Sinistra of Astronomy, we at Hogwarts hope you will have many happy years ahead at our fine institution."
She honestly reminded Maurice of Whoopi Goldberg the resemblance was uncanny in a sheer dead ringer kind of way.
"In a few short moments these doors will open and you will join these halls as students sorted into one of the houses, so smarten up and put your best foot forward"
Maurice looked around at the others from a frizzy haired girl waging war with a comb and red head with dirt on his nose to Susan who was nervously brushing down her robes at the back, Maurice tightened his collar and stood straight, then the door opened.
Filing into the hall between two tables fifty-one 11 year olds gawked at the golden illuminated hall full of smiling older students.
Maurice glanced up at the enchanted night sky ceiling, idly appreciating the view comparing it to the many times he had slept beneath the sky when travelling and realising that the view was slightly magnified as though through a telescope. Hundreds of floating candles illuminated the hall casting the golden light that warmed the halls.
At the back of the hall there was a raised dais where the professors sat as if holding court over the students, which made sense if the castle really was over a thousand years old.

Sinistra led them to the place nearest the high tables between the four long tables accepting a list from a diminutive professor she turned to the waiting first years. "When I call your name you will sit on this stool and the sorting hat will sort you into your houses after which you will take a seat at your house table."
Maurice gazed at the hat which looked like it was grinning, rather creepily too, Maurice was not looking forward to this not one bit.

"Abbot, Hannah"

The first year near sauntered to the hat as if expecting something and placed it on her head-

"SLYTHERIN!"

-whatever she was expecting it wasn't that as the hat shouted out her house, she looked a bit shocked before making her way to the green table.

"Bluewind, Maurice"

Maurice took a deep breath and stepped forward sitting on the stool to accept the hat as it slid down.

'So you're the source of all the chaos lately, interesting'
Maurice was distinctly uneasy about this entire experience.

'Smart boy, Better be-' "RAVENCLAW!"

Handing off the hat to Sinistra Maurice walked carefully to the Ravenclaw table hiding his wobbly legs from sight unexplainably glad that the odd hat was off his head.
Maurice gathered his wits enough to clap as Susan was sorted into Ravenclaw with him and budged up, she had a odd look about her face like the cat that caught the canary "What's wrong Sue?"
Susan smiled beatifically "Karma" and subtly gestured at the green table toward the rather upset looking first year "That girl made my life miserable as a child, when I got doused by that memory potion I grew up a bit she didn't like the changes I went through. I told her that my Godfather Moody was a former Slytherin and she called me evil"
Maurice levelled an unimpressed gaze at the girl "Looks like the shoes on the other foot now"
An older student interrupted "So how are you finding Hogwarts so far? I'm Nicolas Grimmett, Ravenclaw Prefect"
"Susan Bones"
"Maurice Bluewind, firstie, literally"
Susan lightly smacked Maurice's elbow at the pun and the prefect grinned "The feast will being soon so hold it till then"
"What is everyone looking so shocked" Susan gestured around the hall at the rapidly changing reactions at each sorting.
The prefect pursed his lips as if unsure how to answer and decided to bite the bullet "well you see a few years ago you could usually predict where a student went by their family and bloodline, then it just suddenly changed"

"Macmillan, Ernest" "SLYTHERIN!"

Maurice observed the first years getting sorted and indeed they looked a bit jumpy as they eyed the sorting hat with trepidation.

"Malone, Roger"

The prefect perked up and scanned the crowd of first years with a surprised air "That's odd…"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"What's odd?" asked Susan curious.
"I was expecting someone else before him, maybe that family sent him to another school… eh its nothing"
Nicolas the Prefect continued explaining the sorting hats off behaviour "Anyway rumour goes that the hat either went on strike or was cursed, it used to sing at every welcoming feast but stopped a year or so ago, though I think all the students agree that's no great loss, terrible singing voice. To make up for it nowadays the first year approach to the castle looks quite beautiful after the change as you saw earlier"
Maurice nodded teasingly side-eying Susan "Sue really liked it" who elbowed him.
Just then a upswing in noise in the hall dragged their attention to the sorting "What's going on?"
"One of the students didn't show" hissed another Ravenclaw first year "Weren't you paying any attention?"
Maurice blinked disinterested "No" and turned back to Susan.
The teacher at the head table called for silence and Professor Sinistra continued calling out the next name on the list.

"Rivers, Oliver" "HUFFLEPUFF!"

After a while of listening to the student being sorted ending on Blaise Zabini "SLYTHERIN!" and hearing no more upsets all were seated and the Professor at the head table arose.
"Welcome new students of Hogwarts and to our returning students, welcome back. I am Acting Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, Professor of Transfiguration After the feast I have a few announcements to make until then dig in"
Maurice blinked as the tables near creaked at the sudden appearance of a banquet fit for a medieval king and his court.
Grabbing some sausages Maurice settled in to eat as he listened to Susan and the other first years interrogate the prefect who was happy to answer their questions "…and the one with purple robes sitting to the right of Potions Professor Horace Slughorn is Professor Quirinus Quirrell who teaches Muggle Studies, his field trips are legendary."
Another sixth year student spoke up "We went to see the Hiroshima Peace Memorial in Japan last year, before that we went to Walt Disney World Resort and before that we went to the watch the Atlantis shuttle launch in America-"
"Did he say where we're going this year?" Interrupts another student.
"They usually decide by November it's the reason so many people sign up for the class in third year, bribing the students with a fun break somewhere exotic"
Maurice let the noise wash over him occasionally interjecting a point but content to let Susan lead the way.
By the time desert had arrived Maurice was leaning slightly against an indulgent Susan who was sipping some hot chocolate and talking about the ministry reforms with another student.

The figure at the head table rose tapping a fork against a goblet creating a loud attention grabbing ringing sound.
"Now that we've all eaten and I have your attention its time to go over the school rules and news. Firstly for those of you who don't know I am Professor Minerva McGonagall and current acting headmistress in the unavoidable absence of Headmaster Dumbledore due to ICW matters. Secondly the point system of previous years will no longer be used"

Instant uproar.

"Settle down! This is because the point distribution enchantment which was tied to the house point hourglasses was damaged the previous year and after examination by half a dozen experts has been judged irreparable. No replacement has yet been devised"
Eyeing them as if daring the students to protest Professor McGonagall continued speaking.
"Next onto some staffing changes, we have Professor Lucretia Prewett of Transfiguration and Professor Ignatius Prewett of Defence Against the Dark Arts. Professor Sinistra will be taking the position of Gryffindor Head of House and Professor Filius Flitwick will be the new acting deputy Headmaster"
Chattering started up again silenced by the intimidating scotswoman's glare.
"The list of banned and restricted objects and enchantments has been updated and copies will be posted in each dormitory later tonight, all brooms brought into the castle will be inspected as part of the Ministry's new Broomstick Serialisation Act tomorrow in response to the recent upswing in unsafe fakes in the market"
Startled, Maurice glanced at Susan who only gave a weak smile.
"Worry not all brooms will be returned in the condition they started in without curses or a equally quality replacement offered free of charge to the affected student. Or else." The slightly savage grin on the scotswoman's face seemed to reassure the students who were fellow flying fans.
"Incidentally this year thanks to the Nimbus Racing Broom Company Hogwarts has been gifted with 30 Nimbus 2000 brooms exclusively for games and practice, Now that's it for the announcements its now time for bed, first years follow the prefects to your dormitories"