AN: Italics are thought. If it is in quotes, it is the one being Sorted. If it isn't in quotes, it is the Sorting Hat.
Disclaimer: I own as much of Harry Potter as you do, unless you are J. K. Rowling, in which case I own a distinct bit less than you do. I also do not own the lines used in here from the Sorcerer's Stone book.
The group of first-years filed into the Great Hall, mainly in a line two or three people wide. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville looked around in amazement, including the ceiling that looked like the sky, although Matt just glanced up, as if he was accustomed to impressive skyscapes. "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read it in Hogwarts, a History," Hermione said.
The hall was very long, with hundreds of floating candles along the edge of the room, along with a few fireplaces and many tall, glass windows. There were four long tables in the room. They were in two groups, one on either side of the hall, with a large space between the two groups. It was in this space that the first-years stood.
Professor McGonagall brought out a four-legged stool and placed it on the steps at the front of the room, the ones that led to the raised end that had the teacher's table. She put an old, pointed wizard's hat on it, one that had many rips, folds, and patches in it. Suddenly, two folds appeared midway up the point, and a rip opened near the brim, and the hat began to sing.
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts sorting hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you,
Where you ought to be.
You might belong to Gryffindor
Where dwell the brave of heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you're a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin,
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
With that, the hat's mouth closed and the Great Hall burst into applause. Professor McGonagall opened a scroll and said loudly, "When I call your name, you will come to the front and put on the hat. It will declare your house, and you will go sit at the appropriate table."
With that, she began calling out names. "Hannah Abbot" was first, and was placed into Hufflepuff. "Matthew Ban-" she began before Matt coughed loudly, interrupting her. "Matthew Ban-" she tried again, but Matt coughed again. "Matth-" she tried once more, but Matt didn't let her get as far before he coughed. "I'm sorry, is there a problem, Mr. Ban-" she tried to ask, just before Matt coughed over his last name again.
"Yes, Ms. McGonagall," Matt said. "There is a problem. Remember one of the conditions my parents and I set when we agreed that I would be coming here? And remember when I came a few weeks back to meet the teachers? I'm not using my real last name right now, I'm using the name Drake. You can call me Mr. Drake, but not my real name. Not yet."
Professor McGonagall looked flustered, as she had never had anyone interrupt the Sorting, nor answer her like that. "Very well," she replied, "I will address you as Mr. Drake."
She continued the Sorting with "Susan Bones", who went into Hufflepuff. There was also a "Terry Boot", who went into Ravenclaw, and "Mandy Brocklehurst" was a Ravenclaw as well. "Lavender Brown" became the first Gryffindor, and "Millicent Bulstrode" became a Slytherin. After that, it became a mix of houses until after a few other people, "Matthew Drake" was called.
Matt stepped up to the stool and confidently put on the Sorting Hat. Hmm, the Sorting Hat said inside his head, I see intelligence. "So, Ravenclaw?" Matt thought. No, because there is also loyalty, the defining characteristic of Hufflepuff. "Really? I thought that their defining characteristic was that they didn't fit anywhere else, that they were the house of the rejects," Matt replied. For some odd reason, most people think that.
But anyways, back to the Sorting, the Sorting Hat said. You could go into Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, or Gryffindor. You are also cunning, but not very ambitious. You also are brave, very brave. I am at an impasse here. I cannot sort you alone. Do you have any input to give? "Yes, I want you to put me…."
Matt took the hat off of his head and turned to Professor Dumbledore. "It says it wants more time to think about me. It said to continue with sorting the rest, and after the rest of the first-years are sorted, it will get back to me."
A murmur went throughout the hall, as this was unheard of. Nobody had ever been so hard to sort that they were put aside until last! Some murmured that, maybe, he couldn't be sorted, so the Hat put him aside to tell him after everyone else.
"Well," Professor Dumbledore said loudly to everyone, "it appears we will have to follow the wisdom of the Sorting Hat and sort the rest before we sort Mr. Drake!"
After a few other people, Hermione was called to be sorted. After some deliberation, the Hat placed her in Gryffindor. The Gryffindor table clapped as she sat down at the end, near the older Weasley siblings.
The sorting continued on, with what seemed to be an even mix of Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, Slytherins, and Gryffindors. Of the few that Matt knew, Neville was next. When his name was called, he walked to the front and had the Hat placed on his head. After about half a minute, he was put into Gryffindor and sat near Hermione and the other Weasleys.
Draco was the next one sorted from the ones Matt had met. The Sorting Hat was placed on his head, and after a few minutes he was placed in Slytherin. The timing of how long it took him to be sorted seemed to throw him off, as evidenced by his frown on the way to the Slytherin table.
The sorting continued in a normal fashion until Harry Potter's name was called. The Great Hall broke out into whispers that were even louder than when Matt was put aside for last. While Matt couldn't see his face, Harry seemed to not be happy at one point, until he was finally put into Gryffindor.
At this, the Gryffindor table exploded, almost literally, with applause, as Harry took the hat off and walked to sit down next to Hermione and Neville. The two Weasley twins were yelling loudly how they "got Potter!"
Ron Weasley was the last one to be in the regular order of sorting, and he was almost immediately put into Gryffindor with the rest of his family and friends. "No surprise there," Matt thought.
Finally, it was back to Matt. He didn't even put on the Hat, just looked at it and nodded. The Hat seemed to nod back and yelled out, "Matthew Ban- I mean, Matthew Drake is going into the house of GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table applauded, while not as loud as for Harry, still louder than for the others, probably due to the fact he was an oddity in sorting and that meant he was special, Matt realized.
Professor Dumbledore gave a speech about Filch's forbidden items, and that the Forbidden Forest, was surprisingly, forbidden! It seemed that everyone had heard this speech before, as nobody was paying too much attention to it.
However, when he mentioned the third floor corridor, everyone perked up, Matt noticed. "Finally, the right-hand corridor on the third floor is off-limits to all who do not wish to die a painful death. On that cheery note, to bed!" Dumbledore clapped his hands and everyone got up and went to the dormitories.
The first years followed Percy Weasley to the Gryffindor dormitories. They stopped in front of a painting of a…. larger lady wearing pink. "Tell the Fat Lady the password to get into the dormitories," Percy said. "They will change moderately often, so check the bulletin board in the common room for the password. The password for now is 'Caput Draconis'." Matt sniggered at the password, wondering if Dumbledore set it just for him, or something.
They entered the impressive common room, decorated in gold and red, with comfy chairs spread throughout and a fireplace between the two staircases. Percy pointed out the boys' staircase and the girls', then left them and went out the door.
The six first-year boys climbed the staircase to the top of the tower, where a sign on the door said "First Years". They entered the long, rectangular room to find six four poster beds with maroon curtains. There were windows in between each bed and one on the far side of the bed on the far side of the room, with a bedside table below each window for each person. The staircase was on the far right side of the room, looking at the beds.
Seamus claimed the bed closest to them, and consequently the stairs, by running and jumping face first onto it, with his back up. Dean took the one to the left of that, Neville took the one to Dean's left, Harry took the next one, Ron was on Harry's left, and finally, Matt took the one on the far left end.
They all changed into their pajamas, with Matt changing on his bed with the curtains closed, and then went to sleep, most of them dreaming of discovering previously-unknown magical talents the next day, while Matt was dreaming of things very different.
AN: Well, this has worked out pretty well so far, I'd say. However, I have made some freaky discoveries. I started this before I had finished Bones of Makaidos. However, I have recently finished it and begun Song of the Ovulum. I noticed many of the things I randomly chose or made up for this story are similar to the canon. However, that doesn't mean this fits with the canon of Song of the Ovulum. A good rule to follow so far is, "Assume it is noncanon until otherwise specified."
I'm still experimenting with POV, so if it seems skewed right now, that's why.
On another note, I would appreciate it if anyone would like to be my beta. Because when I read it, I might be reading what I meant to say instead of what I actually am saying.
Until next update, whenever that is, "Onward into the future!"