Chapter Two:
"Nico di Angelo? Is there a Nico di Angelo here?"
The voice was coming from an area swarming with eleven year olds, where a man twice the size of any mortal stood, armed with a pink umbrella and a grin. Nico shivered, recognising a slight scent of monster about him as he approached. The stranger was not exactly... intimidating, just too close to those that were for his peace of mind. He waved to Luna and continued on.
When he reached the man, the giant introduced himself as Rubeus Hagrid, gamekeeper of Hogwarts. Nico vaguely remembered Luna mentioning him. She had said that, while kind, he had a fetish for dangerous creatures, believing them cute. He vowed to himself to attempt to get along with him, as Luna did, but avoid his 'pets' at all costs. He'd had enough of monsters to last a lifetime.
Hagrid led him, with the first years, towards a glittering black lake, swarming with boats. Nico froze, wondering how he was meant to cross this, when it was forbidden for him to enter Poseidon's territory. Realising that he was the last one on the shore, and everyone was looking at him expectantly, he dropped a drachma in the lake and clambered in, silently praying for safe passage.
Thankfully, Poseidon seemed to be in a good mood, and he didn't drown, though a giant squid appeared reluctant to let him go without surveillance; sea creatures would never trust him. When they reached the school, a tall woman, with black hair in a strict bun - somewhat reminiscent of Athena - was waiting on the steps.
Nico took a moment to gaze around at the school, which, while impressive, paled in comparison to Annabeth's Olympus, before following her up the stairs. She led the group to a large entrance hall, with the same medieval air as the outer walls. He watched in quiet fury as a line of ghosts floated through the hall. They had fled Thanatos, and were a disgrace to the dead. His father, he knew from Chiron, had allowed this school six ghosts, including a poltergeist, but they had ignored the limit, with more than twenty that he could see. He swore that someday, he would send these traitors back to the Underworld, and Punishment.
He slipped behind the stern witch, praying that the ghosts would not recognise him as their King, else his quest would be foiled before it began. Fortunately, they were too deep in discussion to notice him, much less realise what he meant to them. They passed through the far wall without incident, and Nico released a breath he didn't know he was holding.
He listened quietly, as the kids around him speculated fearfully on what test they would have to perform to be sorted. Laughing silently at some of the more outlandish ideas, he thought back to what Luna had said. Try on a hat; that was the best wizards could come up with! Not nearly so interesting as the signs received at camp!
He was shaken back to where he was as the woman, whom he later learned was Professor McGonagall, opened another set of heavy wooden doors into the Great Hall. The background buzz of noise peaked, and he watched as hundreds of students in dress-like black robes craned their necks to look at the newcomers. For the first time, he realised that he was the only one not in uniform. How he didn't notice that before, he didn't know. Blame it on the ADHD! He supposed his lack of uniform was to make him stand out as a transferee, as if he wouldn't already among these short eleven year olds.
He saw an enormous ceiling above them, one that appeared to be decorated with starlight. According to the bookish looking boy in front of him, it was enchanted to look like the sky outside. They should see the Zeus cabin. Gazing around, he counted four main tables, decorated with red, green, yellow or blue hangings, evidently representing the four houses. He also noticed a smaller, grander table at the back, containing the teachers. At the centre, was a tall man.
He had an overlong silver beard, garish purple robes and an obviously faked twinkle in his eye that Nico could see from where he stood. The man radiated safety and wisdom, and Nico didn't trust him.
McGonagall brought forward a low, three legged stool, and a tattered black wizard's hat. Nico shook his head in exasperation when it started singing. He'd thought he'd escaped the talking objects of the Hecate cabin when he left camp!
'In times of old, when I was new,
And Hogwarts barely started,
The founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted.
United by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning
To make the world's best magic school
And pass along their learning.
"Together we will build and teach"
The four good friends decided.
And never did they dream that they
Might some day be divided.
For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
Unless it was the second pair
Unless it was the second pair
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw,
So how could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why, I was there, so I can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.
Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those
Whose ancestry's purest."
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose
Intelligence is surest"
Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those
With brave deeds to their name."
Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot
And treat them just the same."
These differences caused little strife
When first they came to light.
For each of the four founders had
A house in which they might
Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance, Slytherin
Took only pure-blood wizards
Of great cunning just like him.
And only those of sharpest mind
Were taught by Ravenclaw
While the bravest and the boldest
Went to daring Gryffindor.
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest
and taught them all she knew,
Thus, the Houses and their founders
Maintained friendships firm and true.
So Hogwarts worked in harmony
for several happy years,
but then discord crept among us
feeding on our faults and fears.
The Houses that, like pillars four
had once held up our school
now turned upon each other and
divided, sought to rule.
And for a while it seemed the school
must meet an early end.
what with duelling and with fighting
and the clash of friend on friend.
And at last there came a morning
when old Slytherin departed
and though the fighting then died out
he left us quite downhearted.
And never since the founders four
were whittled down to three
have the Houses been united
as they once were meant to be.
And now the Sorting Hat is here
and you all know the score:
I sort you into Houses
because that is what I'm for.
But this year I'll go further,
listen closely to my song:
though condemned I am to split you
still I worry that it's wrong,
though I must fulfil my duty
and must quarter every year
still I wonder whether sorting
may not bring the end I fear.
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
the warning history shows,
for our Hogwarts is in danger
from external, deadly foes
and we must unite inside her
or we'll crumble from within
I have told you, I have warned you...
let the Sorting now begin.'
He sighed in relief when the song ended, and waited as the others stepped forward, one by one, and tried on the hat. He barely listened as it shouted out their new House, too worried over what the hat would see in his head. To know where you most belonged, it would have to see more than surface thoughts and memories, into the deepest secrets he kept. It would see who he really was; see the war, the angry revenge, the death, the Underworld. This hat could potentially reveal his entire life story to that man with the beard and the twinkle, ruining his chance of succeeding.
"Yes, yes, a wonderful sorting, as always, but we have another," said the man, in a lilting voice that was far too sweet. "For the first time in over a thousand years, Hogwarts will be playing host to a transfer student from America. He shall be joining the fifth year, and I would like you all to welcome him to our humble school. Nico di Angelo, please step forward to be sorted."
Nico hated the man already. He understood that he had to tell the students what was going on, but that didn't mean Nico had to like it. He stepped up to the stool, and waited as McGonagall lowered the hat onto his head. It slipped over his eyes slightly, and he stiffened as he lost sight of the hall. He couldn't afford to not know what was going on, not on a quest.
"Hmm, difficult, very difficult," the hat whispered in his mind, forcing Nico to fight a shiver. "You are even more difficult to place than young Mr Potter all those years ago. Although, I suppose he was less averse to letting me into his memories. Let's see what you are hiding then, young one"
Nico's eyes widened as the hat entered his memories, watching them rush through his mind. all the anger, the hatred, the fear. The desperation, the determination, the screams of war. He felt the hat trembling on his head, seeing more than it ever expected it would. When it finally reached the Underworld, and the Fields of Punishment, it ripped itself from his mind.
"Gryffindor, for staying sane. Good luck young hero," it whispered, before shouting out, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Nico tramped towards the cheering table, weighed down by the ache of almost forgotten memories. He wouldn't be sleeping tonight.