Harry noticed the looks he attracted. Few of them were filled with disdain, but most of them were merely curious. Of course, he didn't receive nearly as much attention as his brother did. The first years were currently standing outside of the great hall, waiting for McGonagal to call them in to be sorted. The excited first years had finally moved on from their buzz over the boy who lived, leaving Luka standing there quietly by his friends Ron and Neville. Even from the distance, he could tell that Luka was nervous. But of course, Luka couldn't confide in Ron and Neville, who would certainly look down on their friend for being 'cowardly'.

Yes, they all knew that Luka would be sorted into Gryffindor, the same way his friends knew that he would be sorted into Slytherin. But this stereotype wasn't really helping at the moment...

Making up his mind, Harry walked up to his brother, to the surprise of the rest.

Luka looked up, and forced a smile, pushing his anxieties away, "Hey, Harry. Excited for Slytherin?"

He joked.

"Doesn't have to be that way, Luka," Harry said, dead sirious, "And it doesn't matter, either."

Luka stared at him, an unrecognizable emotion swirling in his hazel eyes. Before he could say anything, though, McGonagal's voice pierced the hall.

"They're ready for you!"

Harry got in line with the rest of his friends who all gave him looks that said that they would be talking about this after the sorting.

Assuming they were in the same house, that is. Harry wasn't surprised to see the starlit ceiling. Looking past the crowds of various students, Harry smirked when he locked eyes with a certain greasy haired man in the teachers table.

Then the sorting hat sang.

Harry stared at the dusty old hat with wide eyes. James had told them about the sorting hat, but he hadn't told him that it sang.

Just then a shoulder roughly pushed past Harry's. Harry was immediately wary of the red head.

"Out of my way Slytherins," Annoyed, Harry shoved his foot in front of Ron's, effectively tripping the prejudiced boy.

"Slytherin, you say? We haven't even been sorted yet. How do you know that you're not going to be a Slytherin?"

Harry sneered at the boy who'd managed not to fall, but merely stubbed his toe.

Ron snorted, "Me? Slytherin? That's about as likely as you getting into Hufflepuff,"

By now, all of the first years were watching, ignoring the singing hat, and that was saying something.

"How about a bet, then? Of course, that's if you can afford it, Weasley?"

That perked Ron up. He hated it when people insulted his wealth.

"Of course I can afford it. I bet ten pounds that I'll get into Slytherin."

"I bet ten pounds that I'll get into Hufflepuff."

The two of them were faced with laughter, and even the hat stopped, mid song to see what had interrupted it.

"First years? Can you control yourselves," Professor McGonagall snapped, her face red.

By now, even Ron and Harry had joined into the laughter, and struggled to stop.

With a sigh, Professor McGongall started calling students up.

It only took a minute for the hat to sort Millicent into Slytherin, and Draco was sorted in less.

Then it was Pansy's turn. When her name was called, she stepped forward, but then spun around.

"I'm telling it to put me into Ravenclaw,"

She said, before stroding up to the hat, as confident as she could ever be. The words didn't quite register into Harry and Blaise's heads. Not until the sorting hat called out, "RAVENCLAW"

The applause was just as loud as ever, as not many people knew the Parkinson family, and how all of them had been sorted into slytherin for generations now. But they did. Harry and Blaise did.

But Harry didn't have time to think, as it was now Ron's turn.

All the first years grew silent as they watched Ron's conflicted expression as he sat on the stool with the hat lowered over his bright red hair.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Now the hall grew silent. Except for the outraged cries of, "A Weasley? In Slytherin?" But Ron managed a proud expression as he strode down the hall to the slytherin table, to the reluctant applause from his house.

A muggleborn with bushy hair was sorted into Ravenclaw, and there was no surprise that Luka was sorted into Gryffindor.

"Harry Potter!"

Harry was receiving quite a few glares, which he countered effectively with bright smiles.

Nodding at Blaise, Harry walked up to the stool, and let the hat be lowered over his eyes.

"Hmmm... An interesting mind for sure..."

"I would like to become a Hufflepuff, please," Harry thought back, ever so politely. Hufflepuffs were polite. Even though he wasn't one now, he would be-

"Will be?... Oh. I see. You do not believe in this system, do you?"

Damn hat. "Yes, I believe that this pigeonholing thing is stupid. If you put a Gryffindor in Slytherin, he will eventually get all the Slytherin traits. So it doesn't matter where you put me. Except I would benefit the most from being sorted into Hufflepuff. Not that I want the money. I just need the respect of my year mates..."

"I see. By doing this, nobody in your year will be certain about what house you truly belong in. That way, everyone will be able to trust you. Therefore, making you the most popular student. Am I right?"

"Will you stop reading my mind," Harry snapped back. The hat chuckled.

"Never let it be said that I don't know when I'm not wanted."

Out loud, it yelled, "HUFFLEPUFF"

Oh well. Looks like we're tied.