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Again, the whole tenses thing, can you tell me? Even if it's just; you got your tenses wrong.

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or Harry Potter

Chapter 4: Back to Hogwarts

"Smith, Leo"

His name was read out by a hairy, giant of a man who towered over the first years; in fact the man seemed to tower over just about everyone and everything in the great hall in which he stood.

Leo wobbled up the few steps that lead to a rickety, old stool, which stood, uninvitingly at the centre of everyone's eye line, and when he said everyone, he meant everyone; he had never seen so many people. All the resident students of Hogwarts were in that hall, and they all were staring at him. Leo shook; he hated being the centre of attention.

As Leo sat on the stool, he looked up at the giant who briskly picked up the scruffy, flee ridden hat, and put it clumsily on his head. Leo gulped, he felt the hat's eyes on him, 'There's nothing hidden in your head, the sorting hat can't see….' Leo had heard the hat's speech, and for some reason, those words rung through his head more than the rest making his heart throb.

"Oh dear, do I make you nervous?" Leo jumped, where had that come from?

"I can see why though," the voice continued, Leo looked around; non-one else had heard that, they were all still at their tables waiting for something to happen, then he realised, the hat of course! Only an idiot would have missed that. But what did it mean; 'I can see why though'?

"Don't worry, don't worry, I am sworn to secrecy, but your head, I've never seen one as enthralling as yours before, not since…well that's another story." At that the hat seemed to quiver, something Leo had never felt nor seen a hat do before, but then he'd never heard of a hat that could speak before.

"What are you talking about?" Leo screwed up his eyes, as if he were trying to force the words out. The hat shook its point, it seemed nervous.

"You don't know? Well I wouldn't blame you for forgetting, but no we've wasted enough time as it is!" The hat seemed very eager to change the subject.

"Let's see," it continued "you're incredibly brave, very loyal and extremely selfless; you'd have all the makings of a great Gryffindor if it weren't for….." The hat paused, and for a second it seemed nervous again, "no I've made up my mind, GRYFFINDOR!"

The last word was shouted so all the hall could hear, the table on the far left cheered, and supposing that was where he was meant to go, Leo almost chucked the hat off and hastened over to his cheering classmates.

Was it his imagination, or in the last moments that he'd had it on his head, had the hat sighed? Was it glad to be rid of him? And what secret was so bad that even Leo himself had forgotten it? He'd only been here a few hours and already he was confused.

Leo shook it off, maybe this time the hat had been wrong, even a talking hat couldn't be infallible; it must have its off days. No, that was it; the old hat had just got confused, there was nothing strange or different about Leo, he was just an average eleven-year-old boy; well apart from the fact that he was a wizard, of course.

Leo sat down, but on doing so, he felt eyes on the back of his head. On instinct he turned.

"Yes?" A black haired boy looked back; he was around 15 years of age, medium height, and with piecing, blue eyes.

"You're in my sister's year." It wasn't a question.

"And?" Leo was confused what was this boy getting to?

"Keep your hands off her okay? Or you'll have me to answer to!" Leo must have looked stunned, because a girl sitting across from him gave the dark haired boy a shove.

"Lay off him James, he's only a first year." She said, sounding more grown up than she looked.

"And you're only a third year so butt out!" Exclaimed the so called 'James'

"And yet she's still cleverer than you." Another voice now, the owner had jet black hair and a cheeky grin.

"Stop being a prat Albus, I'm trying to look after our sister!"

"I can look after myself!" A small girl, around Leo's age had been watching the conversation, "You're talking as if I'm not here," She looked at the older boy "and just 'cause you're older, doesn't mean you can control me James!"

"Well said Lily, but shush!" The other girl hissed, and they all looked over to the waning crowed of first years which remained in the middle of the hall.

"Weasley, Hugo!" The giant grunted, and a tall boy that looked very similar to the girl that had defended Leo, stepped up to the hat. The hat barely touched his head before shouting "Gryffindor!" The black haired boy next to him laughed,

"Oh he's defiantly a Weasley!" He grinned, and looking back at Leo, he said, "I give you permission to be friends with him."

"Stop being an ass James, he's allowed to be friends with whomever he wants!" the girl looked at Leo, "I'm Rose," she reached across, shaking his hand.

"Leo"

"Well, Leo these are my cousins Albus and James, feel free to ignore James as much as possible he has the tendency to be a bit of a clot pole!" At that a chill ran down Leo's spine, where had he heard…..For a moment the world went fussy, the boy, Hugo, sat down receiving a strong pat on the back from his older cousin, but Leo ignored them, something, someone had caught his eye, slowly he raised his head to the teacher's desk.

Then, suddenly, he remembered.