A/N: This is a continuation of Chapter 6. It is a little something I whipped up when I was going back over past works. I was actually working on a little piece for the Tri-Wizard Tournament, when this suddenly came to me. So here it is, another snippet from my Jinchuuriki Harry storyline. Chronologically, I'd say this takes place before the event in Chapter 6.

As per the usual, let me know if this is Good, Bad, or Ugly!

'My, my... This is a moment I have been anticipating for quite some time,' said a voice in a young boy's head. The boy in question was the bane of the Wizarding World, the object representation of their fear and the outlet for their hatred. His name, Harry Potter, Jinchuuriki of Lord Voldemort.

The voice in his head was not a malevolent entity. It wasn't his 'inner demon' nor was it an astral avatar of his inner darkness given form. No, the voice inside of his head came from a tattered, somewhat ratty, looking hat. One that had been in service to Hogwarts for years and years, said to be enchanted by one of the Four Founders of the school, the daring and brave Godric Gryffindor. This hat was known to many through out the years as The Sorting Hat, for that was its' primary purpose, to sort those into a house that could help bring out their personality traits, be it bravery and courage, loyalty and hard work, ambition and cunning or even wit and intelligence.

And the fate of one boy, nay, an entire world, was about to be decided as the universe seemed to wait on baited breath.

'You... You have?' Harry mentally asked hesitantly.

'Why yes. You've interested me for a long time,' replied the Sorting Hat, 'And when you've been along as I have, you don't get very interested. Not even Dumbledore or Riddle were as complex a character as you are.'

'Thanks... I think...' Harry hesitantly replied though the more he 'talked' with the Sorting Hat the more his confidence began to return.

'Now, onto why you're here,' said the Sorting Hat. 'Yes... Very interesting indeed...'

Harry began to slightly tremble as the Sorting Hat made a dramatic show of deciding where to put him.

'Oh, relax,' said the Sorting Hat, 'I've never seen one so nervous. Just know, that no matter where ever you end up, you'll be great.'

'B-but... What if I don't want to be great?' asked Harry in a somewhat whiny tone. Many around the Great Hall were whispering in anticipation as the Dark Lord's Avatar waited to be sorted. The scowl on Harry's face left them all speculating what the Jinchuuriki and the Hat could be talking about.

'It's fated to be so. No matter what your destiny will be, you WILL be great,' the Sorting Hat assured him. The thought only made Harry's scowl deepen. 'The question is... What are you going to do with that greatness?'

'I... I don't know...' Harry responded after a moment as the last of his confidence dwindled and his self doubts returned in full force.

'Then let's take a dip into your mind, shall we?' The Sorting Hat went silent for a moment. 'Hmm... Yes... I see it...'

'What do you see?' asked Harry, afraid of the answer.

'Now that would be telling,' stated the Sorting Hat. 'So the question now is... Where to put you?'

Harry gulped as his mind became a total blank.

'Your parents were Gryffindors, your tenant a Slytherin...' the Sorting Hat began.

Harry flushed in anger.

'I am NOT my parents or Voldemort!' he mentally shouted at the Hat.

'You're not, are you,' though it was a question, the Sorting Hat had made it more of a statement. 'Still... That outburst proves you're brace enough to stand up for yourself, or at least your own individuality. Gryffindor would be a good place for you. Yes... They'd make you strong, but is it the right place for you?'

Harry thought about it for a moment. Neville was already sorted there, so he'd have at least ONE friend there. And that Granger girl wasn't too bad until she realized who he was. Perhaps... With time... She'd be his friend?

Then he remembered who else was wanting to be in Gryffindor. That bastard Weasley and his damnable twin brothers. The oldest of the bunch, Percival, HAD stuck up for him, but that was more because it was his duty to do so than him believing that Harry might actually be a decent person if someone would give him a chance. But no, Harry had seen the eyes of the bookish redhead and they were the same as his brothers. Full of all sorts of hatred and malice. In fact, of those present at Platform 9 and 3/4, the only one who didn't look at him with some sort of disdain was the youngest of the bunch, who merely gave him a calculating look, as if she hadn't made up her mind about him yet.

Much better than he would have expected, but far, far less than he'd ever hope for. He knew it would only be a matter of time before she herself followed suit.

Harry's shoulders slumped in defeat as he sighed.

'No... Definitely NOT Gryffindor,' the Hat stated, 'The courage and the bravery are there, in spades even, but those of Godric's flock would be too narrow minded to truly appreciate it for what it truly is. No matter, you would more than embody the traits the lions are often known for. So, if not Gryffindor, how about Slytherin? Other than by the merits of your tenant, I see plenty of cunning and ambition. Your desire to show people the 'real' you, to show them you are not the Dark Lord, the lengths you would be almost willing to go to prove it are very ambitious indeed. And the cunning... Yes, both you and Mr. Longbottom would have made great Slytherins if that prank on your godfather is anything to go by. Ingenious...'

Harry scowled at the mention of pranks. He'd only done it because Uncle Siri wouldn't quit antagonizing Uncle Sev, though it wasn't like his hooked nose, bat-like uncle didn't retaliate or antagonize his "Dogfather", it was just the fact that Uncle Siri had taken it too far. He just couldn't quite get why those two could never get along.

'Yes, ambition and cunning that would even make Salazar envious...' stated the Hat, 'The fact that his Heir is sealed away within you doesn't hurt either. How about it? The House of Slytherin could possible make you more powerful than you could ever imagine. You would no longer have to live in the shadows of those who came before you.'

Harry thought about what the Hat was telling him. Would Slytherin House be the right choice? Sure Voldemort had been there, but then so had Uncle Sev. From what Uncle Sev had said, his mum had almost been put there as well. Could he really rise above their shadows and for a new identity for himself? Harry glanced over at the Slytherin table where he almost immediately spotted the Malfoy Scion, his ape-like sidekicks Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, the rather brutish looking Millicent Bulstrode, the elegant Daphne Greengrass and the newly sorted Pansy Parkinson.

Malfoy was every bit as bad as Weasley, though for different reasons. His hatred for Harry and what he was even surpassed his hatred for the Weasley boy.

The enemy of my enemy, or some sort of rubbish that frustrated Harry to no end.

Pansy wasn't so bad, so long as Draco wasn't around, sure it wasn't as if they were friends or anything, but they certainly weren't enemies either. They were just friendly with one another, constantly sniping at each other as if it was some sort of game. Uncle Sirius teased him about 'first crushes' and 'young love', but Harry always denied those claims as quickly as they came. Sure he thought she was kind of pretty, but that didn't mean he 'liked' her. Even though her nose did look sort of puggish, it was somewhat endearing on her pixie like face. She would never be able to hold a candle to Daphne's classic beauty, but she would be rather pretty as they got older. However, with Malfoy around, Harry didn't think he'd be on civil terms with the Parkinson Heiress for quite some time.

Daphne, on the other hand, was so... Daphne. Even at their young age, she was always so cold and aloof. Harry wasn't sure where she got it from, as her mother was a warm, gentle person, and Astoria was about as open as they came. Even their father, as distant as he was, didn't cultivate as cold a personality as Daphne did. Harry honestly couldn't tell whether they were friends or not. Sometimes she would open up and give him one of the most beautiful smiles he'd ever seen, the next she'd be scowling at him and scolding him for who knows what.

And then there was Millicent. He didn't really know the girl, but with the way she glared at him earlier, he was sure she'd rather not make friends with the lonely Human Sacrifice. In fact, she looked like she'd rather pound his face in. Even though she didn't have the bulk that either Crabbe or Goyle did, she appeared to be FAR more intelligent than they, and even more intimidating. So while she probablly wouldn't buy into the Malfoy agenda, so could be a whole different force to be reckoned with.

And then there was the rest of the school to consider, and the rest of his friends. While they had assured him that they believed him and believed in him, the Slytherin Stigma was still there. Him being in the same house as the one whom resided within him, the one locked deep inside of his own psyche, would only add to the stigma that his shoulders was already burdened with. No, Harry Potter's rise into Slytherin would be social suicide at best, and cries for crucifixion from the Wizarding World at large. The Potter scion was sure the Gryffindors would only be more vicious than if he was in their house. Harry shuddered to think what would happen to himself and those he cared about if he was sorted into Slytherin.

'Hmm... Perhaps not...' the Hat mentally said to Harry was he considered where to place Harry. 'Let's see... Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw... Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff... Huffleclaw? Ravenpuff?'

Harry's expression became a bit confused by the Sorting Hat's musings. 'Let's dig a little deeper, shall we... Yes... You're no stranger to hard work, are you boy? Severus has seen to that, and fierce loyalty to those you consider your friends... However, your loyalty only goes so far. But you are also intelligent. Not quite as much as either Granger or Moon, but certainly far more than your average student. Definitely enough for any Ravenclaw. So which is it Potter? Loyalty and hard work or wit and intelligence? You would certainly bring much long awaited glory to either house should you accept either one. But would either one accept you?'

'What do you mean?' asked Harry with a confused expression on his face.

'You are one of a kind, Potter. There hasn't been one such as you in well over two centuries,' replied the Sorting Hat, 'I have no idea where your mother attained the knowledge of sealing, much less THAT particular rite. Entities such as yourself are only heard of in stories and legends. Aberforth Dumbledore has only read about someone like you and he is one of the foremost experts on demonic rituals, and the seal used to contain the Dark Lord within you is far beyond anything he has ever come across. Master Flamel is the only living soul today who has encountered one such as you and he killed him.'

Harry paled at that revelation and tried to sink lower into the stool.

'You are nothing like your predecessor, you have little to worry about, at least where Master Flamel is concerned,' the Hat assured him, though unsuccessfully. 'So which shall it be?'

Harry steeled himself as he thought of where he thought he'd like to go. Sue was in Hufflepuff, of course so was Macmillian. But he really didn't know anyone in Ravenclaw House, though that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps he could get a new start? Then again, Sue was one of his best friends, and she made no secret about that on the train. Would people treat her differently because of him? Should he distance himself from her, or try to protect her? He was pretty sure Sue wouldn't like either of those all too much.

'Very well,' the Hat said.

'Wha-?' Harry mentally asked dumbly, 'B-But I haven't chosen yet!' Harry was frantic now.

'Haven't you?' You and I both know you'll be happiest in...'

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Many in the Great Hall were astonished by the announcement. How was it possible? What had happened? After a considerable amount of time, far longer than any sorting anyone could ever remember seeing, the child avatar, the embodiment of the most feared Dark Lord in recent history had ended up in Hufflepuff of all places.

Even so, unlike other sortings, there wasn't much fanfare for Harry, but then he'd expected as much. Of course his friends made no secret who they were. Neville was clapping loudly, and Daphne gave polite applause, though, in contrast to the rest of the house, Susan was actually standing and cheering for Harry, with her friend Hannah reluctantly joining in as well. There were others in the Great Hall that clapped, but Harry recognized almost none of them.

Harry looked back at the Head Table and saw Dumbledore applauding in congratulations. He couldn't help but smile brightly at his grandfather figure. Scanning the table he saw a genuine look of surprise on Uncle Sev's face that was mirrored by many others. Though one woman looked like she was about to go into shock. In all likeliness, Harry figured, that was his new Head of House. He'd find out later.

Harry had a small smile on his face as he hopped off the stool. Unfortunately, it began to fade and became more than a little bit forced as he approached his new house mates. Many of them were glaring at him coldly and his walk towards his table slowed.

Susan was having none of that, however, as she grabbed him by the arm and practically forced him to sit with her, as she regarded those around them with a glare that was nearly as intimidating as any he had ever seen from her Aunt Amelia. Harry's smile was a little less forced.

He then turned towards the head table where he saw Dumbledore clanking a glass as he stood.

"Well, Mr. Potter, I daresay that is the longest sorting in Hogwart's History. There for, I am going to award Hufflepuff House, 5 points," he then smiled at Harry and sat down.

Harry couldn't keep himself from blushing and cursed his pale complexion as many turned to him in astonishment. He was grateful when he heard Professor McGonagall clear her throat, bringing the attention back to the Sorting where it belonged.