I don't own Harry Potter or Hetalia.
Chapter 2: In Which There is a Talking Hat
"Ve… Arthur's so mean… He just dropped us off and left…" Feliciano looked down at his ticket.
"He's a jerk, all right! I mean, how the hell are we supposed to find Platform nine and three-quarters?" Lovino said, gesturing to the platforms they were currently standing on. "Platform Nine. Platform Ten. No Nine and Three-Quarters! And it's almost eleven, d*** it!"
"Fratello, quiet down… You're drawing attention to us…"
Meanwhile, Harry Potter was in a similar situation as the twins. He too, was stuck between platforms nine and ten, and was also not quite sure what to do. He did, however, hear an angry voice ranting, and decided to find the source.
Following the voice, he pushed through the crowd and discovered, to his surprise, it was one of the boys from the wand shop, along with his brother. He quickly approached them, pushing his cart along. Hedwig hooted a greeting to the twins' owl as they drew close.
"Excuse me, but aren't you two the ones from the wand shop?" he asked.
"Huh? Oh, it's you!" the one with the lighter hair said. His accent was clearly Italian.
His brother spun around, eyes narrowed, but he relaxed when he saw Harry. "Oh, you… Do you know how to get to the platform?"
"No, but I'm sure I'll figure it out," Harry replied. He looked around, and suddenly heard a woman's voice say, "Packed with muggles, it is…" The speaker was a plump, red-haired woman with several redheaded children. And they had an owl.
"Follow me," he said to the twins, and without checking to see if they were following, he pushed his cart around and headed towards the woman. The rumbling of wheels behind him told Harry the Italian twins were following.
"Excuse me," Harry said to the woman. "Do you know how to… um…"
"Get onto the platform?" she finished. "You must be just starting school, as well! Ron's a first year too," she said, gesturing to the remaining boy (his brothers had disappeared while Harry had been battling the crowd.) "I'm Mrs. Weasley, by the way." She caught sight of the twins, who stumbled out of the crowd behind Harry. "Oh my, do all of you need to get to the platform?"
"Yes, and it's almost eleven!" the darker haired twin said. "What if we miss the train?"
"Don't worry, dear," Mrs. Weasley replied. "Getting onto the platform is very simple. You see, all you need to do is run through the barrier between platforms nine and ten." She pointed to the stone barrier. "Don't worry, it doesn't hurt at all. You can go at a run if you're nervous. Ron, dear, go with this nice boy, will you?" Ron blushed when his mother singled him out, and quickly turned away.
"Come on," he called to Harry. "My brothers do it every year… Shouldn't be too hard."
The two of them faced the barrier with their carts and pushed towards the wall. They went faster and faster… It was too late to stop… Harry closed his eyes for an impact that never came. When he opened them, he saw he was on another platform. Glancing behind him, he saw the twins burst out from the wall, the taller one breaking out into a string of Italian. Above the barrier was a sign that proudly declared Platform 9 ¾ in fancy lettering. On the tracks was a scarlet steam engine with The Hogwarts Express written on its side, smoke already pouring from its funnel, tooting its whistle.
"Hurry, it's about to leave!" Mrs. Weasley, who had come out behind the twins with Ron's sister said. "Ginny, find Fred and George and tell them to help." Ginny nodded and hurried off. With Ron's brothers' help, the twins (the Italian ones), Harry, and Ron managed to get their luggage on the train. Harry and Ron quickly found an empty compartment and sat down, panting. Somewhere, a bell struck eleven, and the compartment lurched as the engine started up. Harry wondered where the Italians had gotten to. Just as he had that thought, the door opened to reveal the very twins he had been thinking about.
"Can we sit here?" the shorter, lighter-haired one said. "Everywhere else is full." For some reason, he had his eyes closed, but when Harry nodded, he navigated his way to an empty seat with no problem.
"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron said, introducing himself.
"Feliciano Vargas," the shorter twin said.
"Lovino Vargas," the other one said a little grumpily.
"I'm Harry Potter," Harry said, introducing himself.
The other three boys stared at him. Ron's mouth dropped open and his gaze went to Harry's forehead. "Do you really have… you know…"
Harry nodded and pulled back his bangs, showing the scar. Ron's face held an expression resembling awe.
The twins, on the other hand, were not looking at Harry with awe. Their eyes (or Lovino's, at least; Feliciano's were still closed) held something like… scrutiny? It was like they were sizing him up. It made him uncomfortable, but the feeling vanished almost as soon as he noticed it.
"Well, nice to meet all of you!" Feliciano said happily.
"Hey, Feliciano, are you from Italy? I thought only wizards from the UK attended Hogwarts." Harry asked.
"Originally, yes," Feliciano replied, coming up with a lie on the spot. "But our parents died when we were nine and we were taken in by a British man named Arthur."
To stop the conversation from going into touchier subjects, Lovino directed the conversation to Ron. "Ron, you're from a wizarding family, right?" Ron nodded.
"Wow. Then you must know loads of magic already," Harry said.
"No, not really…"
Apart from a brief encounter with Malfoy and his thugs Crabbe and Goyle, the four spent an enjoyable train ride to Hogwarts, all four quickly becoming fast friends. When at last the train screeched to a stop, the four hurried out, pockets filled with leftover sweets.
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" A huge man, the same man Feliciano and Lovino had seen with Harry in Diagon Alley, towered over the sea of black robes. Ron stared at him.
"Blimey, he's huge," Ron said.
"That's Hagrid," Harry replied. "Don't worry, he's actually really friendly."
The four struggled through the crowd, following the giant man. Hagrid led them down to a dark, smooth lake. "No more tha' four to a boa', now," Hagrid said. Harry and Ron had been separated from the twins, and ended up in a boat with Neville Longbottom, the boy who lost his toad on the train. Feliciano and Lovino found themselves in a boat with Draco Malfoy and Crabbe (to the twins' displeasure.) At a command from Hagrid (who was in a boat by himself), the boats began to glide by themselves over the dark, smooth water.
"You'll be getting' yer first view of Hogwarts just around the bend, here," Hagrid said. The boat rounded the bend, and Feliciano let out a little gasp, while even grumpy Lovino's eyes widened as they took in the massive castle. It was huge and majestic, and light poured from the many windows.
"Heads down!" Hagrid yelled as they passed under an arch. When they reached the shore, in a sort of little bay under the castle, everyone scrambled out of the boats. They clumped together in groups while Hagrid checked the boats to make sure no one was still in a vessel. As they waited, Feliciano and Lovino pushed their way over to Harry and Ron.
"Oh, hey, you two," Ron said. "Where'd you go?"
"We got separated, duh," Lovino replied. "And we had to ride with that blonde ferret."
"Blonde ferret… Malfoy?" Harry asked. The twins nodded glumly. They didn't get a chance to talk anymore as suddenly Hagrid yelled out, "Anyon' lost a toad?"
"Trevor!" Neville said gratefully, opening his hands to receive his pet.
"All righ', everyon' follow me," Hagrid said, leading the way up a few stairs to a pair of sturdy wooden doors. He knocked on them three times. They were opened by a stern-looking witch, with graying hair tied back in a tight bun and glasses perched on her nose.
"The new firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said.
"Thank you, Hagrid," McGonagall replied. "I'll take them from here." She led them into a large foyer. "Please wait here while we get ready."
"This place is so cool!" Feliciano said, gazing(?) around him. "Isn't it, fratello?"
"It is pretty impressive," Lovino said grudgingly. "But St. Peter's Basilica is much better."
Harry wasn't exactly sure where or what St. Peter's Basilica was, but at that moment, pearly white figures entered the room through the walls. The ghosts startled the already-nervous first years. One girl even screamed.
"Oh? What's this? New first years, aren't you?" a chubby ghost said. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?" He grinned. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff. My old house, you know."
Just then McGonagall came back into the room. "Move along, now," she said to the ghosts. The friendly ghost winked at the first years before following the other ghosts through the opposite wall. McGonagall turned back to the first years.
"In just a few moment's time," she said, "You will enter the Great Hall to be Sorted into one of the four Hogwarts houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, or Ravenclaw. The Sorting is very important, as you House will become your 'family' at Hogwarts; you will eat, sleep, and take classes with them. Do you all understand?"
"Sort of!" Feliciano piped up cheerfully. Lovino clamped a hand over his brother's mouth.
The professor regarded him with a small smile, then turned and pushed the huge doors open. As Professor McGonagall led the students down the center of the hall, another professer placed a tattered old hat on a stool. To everyone's surprise, a rip on the hat's brim opened like a mouth, and it began to sing. When it finished, Harry, Ron, Feliciano, and Lovino all began to feel nervous, but for two very different reasons. Harry and Ron were worried about what house they would be in, while Feliciano and Lovino were worried about the Hat finding out about what they were.
"When I call your name, come up to the stool and put the Hat on. The Hat will then shout out the name of your house," McGonagall instructed. She began reading from a scroll. "Abbott, Hannah!"
Hannah walked up to the stool and put the Hat on. After a few seconds the Hat proclaimed, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
Harry noticed the Hat sometimes shouted out the house quickly, while other times it considered for a while before deciding. As his turn drew closer and closer, Harry began to feel nervous. What if the Hat didn't put him in any house at all? What if he just sat there for ages and ages, until finally McGonagall plucked the hat off his head and told him there was some mistake, and that he'd better get back on the train?
Finally, Professor McGonagall called, "Potter, Harry!" As he walked up, he heard whispers from the assembled students.
"Potter? Did she say Potter?"
"Like, the Harry Potter?"
"Is it really him?"
Feliciano watched passively as Harry nervously walked up to the podium and put the Hat on. It considered him for a very long time before finally yelling, "GRYFFINDOR!" He inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Gryffindor seemed like a good house. As McGonagall continued on, he mentally told himself: I must get into a house that helps the mission. Nothing else matters. Harry Potter's safety is priority.
"Vargas, Feliciano!" Feliciano walked up to the podium. Even though there was nothing to worry about, nervousness still pricked at his mind. His heart started beating faster than its usual speed, which was already faster than normal humans. He sat down on the stool and picked up the ragged old thing. The world went dark as the hat slipped over his eyes. Yet strangely, the Hat did not say anything for a good ten to twenty seconds. Though Feliciano did not know it, the Hat was dealing with something it had never come across before.
The Sorting Hat reached into the boy's mind, expecting just another normal mind to sift through. Instead, it was plunged into a pit of what seemed like millions of minds, their voices screaming out around him, memories and personalities flashing back and forth. What was this? The Hat struggled out of the "pool", and, for the first time ever, it had to force itself to turn to the boy's mind, and establish a link. The voices faded into background noise. Yet once it found the boy, it was bombarded by millions of memories, surrounding it like a thick fog. Finally breaking through, it saw the mind. Finally, the Hat could ask, "Who… no, what are you?"
The boy hesitated, and then replied, "I'm Italy."
"A… country?"
"Si," the boy, no, Italy, replied. "And I am here on a mission. To protect Harry Potter."
"So, you want me to put you in a house that will support your mission."
"Si."
"Very well," the hat said, and turned to Italy's personality. "Hmm… You are very difficult, even more than Harry Potter himself. However, you will not fit in Gryffindor. But you are very intelligent. Not just for the pursuit of knowledge, but also in manipulating your enemies. Do not let yourself get overwhelmed. Your years here will be hard, but this is the best house for both you and your mission." The hat finally shouted its answer to the crowd.
"SLYTHERIN!"
At the Gryffindor table, Harry's hopes fell. How, why, was cheerful Feliciano in Slytherin? He watched the brown-haired boy take off the hat and skip to the Slytherin table with a happy smile on his face. It just didn't make sense. But to the twin of the one who had just been Sorted, it made perfect sense as McGonagall called, "Vargas, Lovino!"
Lovino stalked up to the stool and jammed the Hat onto his head. Remembering the length of time the Hat had spent on his brother, he remained silent as the Hat battled through the voices and minds of his citizens and through his storm of memories, even more than Feliciano possessed. Finally, he sensed it had succeeded.
"Are you a country as well?" the Hat asked in his mind.
"Hmph. So you figured it out," Lovino replied. "Si, I am Italy."
Lovino could sense the Hat's question before it asked. "But your brother was Italy."
"He's North. I'm South. I'm going to assume he also told you about our mission?"
"Yes," the hat replied. "I took a risk in placing him in Slytherin," it confessed. "There was no guarantee you would fit in Gryffindor. But it seems it was a risk worth taking. Although you do not typically show it, you have a great amount of bravery and loyalty in you, especially to your brother. In this house, you can also befriend and keep an eye on Harry Potter. GRYFFINDOR!"
As he took the hat off, he heard the Hat whisper, "Good luck, South Italy."
With the Hat's farewell ringing in his head, Lovino quickly hurried to the Gryffindor table and sat down opposite Harry. Turning his attention back to the front, he realized the next student would be Ron.
It didn't take long for Ron to be declared a Gryffindor. Lovino breathed a sigh of relief as the nervous, red-haired boy scrambled to sit down. Finally, the Sorting ended, and Professor McGonagall took the hat and stool away. Professor Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts, stepped up to the podium.
"I have only a few words to say before we eat," he declared. "Nitwit! Blubber! Tweak! Thank you!" He returned to his seat.
"Is he mad?" Harry wondered across the table.
"No, he's brilliant," Percy Weasley said. "Then again, maybe he is, just a bit. Potatoes?"
Harry's and Lovino's jaws dropped open at the exact same time, though Lovino quickly shut his. The platters in front of them were suddenly overflowing with food. Lovino suddenly recalled the last time England had fed someone his food; Prussia had been in the hospital for weeks. If England's food was bad enough to nearly kill a nation… he shuddered and picked up his fork. No one was dropping dead yet, so maybe it was okay.
At the Slytherin table, Feliciano appeared to be completely oblivious to the murderous looks several other Slytherins gave him as he acted and talked like his usual, cheerful self. Like Lovino, he had been apprehensive of the food at first, but when he tried it, it proved to be edible, and dare he even say it, tasty. He was disappointed that there was no pasta, though. Feliciano could tell what almost every Slytherin was thinking: How did this idiot end up in Slytherin?!
When the last crumbs faded from the plates, Dumbledore stepped up to the podium and started to talk. Lovino lost interest after the first few words and tuned the headmaster out. He was mostly just listing the rules, anyway.
When Dumbledore finished his droning, he made sure to stay close to Harry as Percy led the Gryffindors out of the hall. They walked up staircases, through hidden doors, and through more hallways. They were walking up another staircase when they encountered a floating bundle of sticks.
"Peeves. A poltergeist," Percy whispered to the first years. He said to the bundle, "Peeves! Show yourself!"
There was a cackling laugh as Peeves flickered into existence. "Hee-hee! Oooh, ickle first years!" Peeves swooped over the students, dropping twigs on them.
"Peeves, if you don't leave us alone I'll call the Baron!" Percy threatened. Peeves stuck out his tongue, blew a raspberry, and disappeared with a small pop! The sticks clattered to the ground. Percy shook his head. "The only one who can control him is the Bloody Baron. He doesn't even listen to us prefects." Lovino privately imagined what would happen if he dropped Peeves into Germany's house, and hid a smile.
Finally Percy led them to a large portrait of a fat woman dressed in a pink dress. "Password?" the Fat Lady demanded imperiously.
"Caput Draconis," Percy said, and the portrait swung open, revealing a cozy common room lit by a cheerfully crackling fire. There were plush chairs and tables scattered around the room. Two staircases led up to the dormitories. Lovino filed up the stairs with the other boys, and took in the dorm room. When everyone was in bed, he waited to hear the heavy breathing of the sleeping boys before finally allowing himself to relax. He sighed in the silence. This was going to be a very tiring year.
