From the author: :D Again.
AN from SonofLuffy: Written by J. R. Tancredo.
Disclaimer: If only we owned this...
Chapter Seven: Castle in the Clouds
As the train pulled into the station, the whistle sounded. And kids began to pile out.
"Farst Yars! Ovar 'ere! Farst Yars! Right dis way!" boomed a familiar voice. Harry merely had to look up to see the outline in the distance, of a man towering over everyone else. As Harry approached, Hagrid looked down and smiled, stupidly, at him. "Wai, 'ello der, 'arry Po'er! Fancy seen you 'round dees part, ho ho ho! Truf be told, after I dropped off de Sour-Sir's Stone wif Professy Dumbleedore, I gwan ask 'im f' come down yer, and pick up all the wee farst yars, meself! Ho ho ho! 'e said t'was okee dokee, so long as I ding tell ya f' Professy Severs working wif Voldymork! Oh Blimey, I shud'na said dat! I shud'NA hab said dat!"
Harry, very confused by this revelation, exchanged, "Don't worry, Mr. Hagrid. I barely understood a word of it anyway."
"Mistah Hagreed?" Hagrid boomed, "Mistah Hagreed was me da! Well, actucatiolly, Hagreed was me ma's people, me da died right befo' I started school. And den me ma…wait a mint! I shud'na said dat! But dat was when I got me spaider argalarg, and he got me kicked out fir killin some girl in the bathroom, but it wudnt me! I did'na do't (sob) it wudnt 'im eeder, I swore! Wait! I shudna said dat!" At this point, Harry had already tuned him out. One can really only put up with that for so long. "…And den Searies Black dun sold yir dad f' Voldymork…" Harry was started to fall asleep standing up. "…And den Barty Crutch juneyor tortured them Longbottoms plumb crazy..." Harry could not handle much more of this. "…So Voldymork chopped 'is soul into sax paces and 'id dem in famous objects dat are all on display in a museyum…" Everyone was obviously gathered, the older students were already to the castle. "Den Severs done plumb go to rescue ya, but ya parents waz already dead, and he saved ya, broughtcha 'ere, and I took ye' to yer aunties house so you could grow up 'appy and normal instead o' bein famous! Oh I shud'na said dat!"
Harry hadn't heard a word after "actucatiolly" or any sounds that resemble words in that woodsman language. "That is great Hagrid, but I think we are all ready for our second year at this point."
"Ho ho ho! O' mistah Po'er, yew are soo funnah! 'ere, I dun plumb baked ya'a cake! No raison, just 'coz!" And from nowhere, seemingly, Hagrid produced a cake in a box that had "Welcome Professor Quirrel" written on it. "Ah baked it me-self!"
"…Thanks Hagrid, I will always treasure it…" Said Harry trying to be as nice as possible to this frighteningly large simpleton. He went to set the cake on his luggage, when it slipped and bounced, and fell into the lake. "Oh no!" Harry shrieked, worried that this walking brain anomaly would be mad.
"Don'che worry fer nuffin, 'arry! I gwan ge'dit back fer ya!" Hagrid yelled, jumping into the water after the cake.
At that point, a creepy old dude walked up from behind them, with a cat on his head.
"Sorry about that, my pretties, follow me to the boats, if you will. I am Mr. Filch, the groundskeeper."
"About time!" whispered Blaise to Harry and they shared a laugh.
As the boats seemed to sail themselves on no wind, Harry was even more entranced by the castle, which, rising up from the fog, appeared almost a castle sitting on a cloud. The beauty and wonder of the candles in every window was truly a splendor of magnificence and grandeur. Every stone was perfect on the castle, the dull grey color under the moon perfectly reflected its lunar luster, and by fires burning bright, you would have mistaken them for fireflies, dancing in the dark. The radiance reflected onto the lake as well, and a nearly translucent light illuminated the sky so well, it was an aura of everything that was good and right in the world. Trees surrounded the lake on one side, stretching all the way over around the castle, back to the station, and back to the lake. They were the impenetrable wall that protected this amazing place from all the evil that was back home. No one would ever find him here. He was safe.
Finally the boats arrived at the castle dock, and Mr. Filch led the students in. The hallways wound this way and that way; up down, and back around. After an hour of walking, finally, they arrived at a chamber, in which a lone old woman stood. Filch nodded to her, and exited.
At closer look, she was fair skinned and almost white hair, possibly in her sixties, maybe seventies. As with most wizards Harry had as of yet seen, she wore a black robe and pointed hat. She stood aloof, yet relaxed, likely due to the extra hour of waiting caused by Hagrid. When she spoke, dignified, and eloquent, in such a soothing and melodious voice, Harry at once, was no longer nervous at all. She was like an old grandmother, caring and kind, but quite possible batty and 7 brooms short of a quidditch team.
"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! I am Professor McGonagall, and on the other side of these doors await your classmates. But before you can join them, first you must be sorted into your houses. They are Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Slytherin, and…uhm…Pufflepluff or some nonsense like that. Wait, let me sing the rhyme.
"For courage, to Gryffindor, burning Bright
In power, Slytherins are simply best
Over wisdom will catty Ravenclaws fight
And…Hufflepuff will get stuck with the rest
"That is it, Hufflepuff." The old lady, who quite likely owned more than 10 cats, finally recalled. A clear tone of disdain was in her voice. "I will check to make sure they are ready for you, though I think two girls have fainted from hunger, and a professor may have died of old age" the professor informed as she passed through the massive double doors before them.
Slytherin, Harry thought; now that sounds creepy.
Draco stepped up next to Harry, "You better join us in Slytherin. Parvati and I are legacies; Blaise is a legacy from the equivalent house in Pigfarts. You have never heard of it, it is on Mars. Or some silly nonsense like that. I think he is from Germany, or one of those other silly, uncivilized continental countries. Your parents were from a lesser house if I recall, but you probably got a good enough mix of their best sides to warrant your place in the crowning glory of this hog-pen."
Harry was somewhat concerned by this. If it was not already enough, that all of this was more likely to be a hallucination than a reality; now his new friends were showing a new side that was rather unsettling. Maybe I would be better in Gryffindor, after all, I am very courageous. More courageous than any of these other fools. Yes! I will be a Gryffindor! I will be famous because of my courage, and with all my power, anyone who stands against me will be torn asunder! Harry mused to himself. Yes, he was a griphagradaba.
McGonagall returned through the door, "We are ready for you now. Follow me."
Passing through the massive portal, they entered what Harry would later realize to be a mess hall. But the first time entering, it was anything but. It looked more like a throne room, with four long tables stretching the length of the room, and at the opposite side, a fifth and final table, at which were seated some older wizards. Along the walls were countless torches that did not quite burn, merely glowed. The tiles were dagged and checked in a black and white alternating pattern, yet they still radiated a living essence, too. The ceiling, one would swear was actually the sky, but Harry could see the arches holding up the "sky". It was truly astounding, the way the clouds actually moved, and the way the stars shone through it. Harry heard a very annoying voice begin to talk about Hogwarts: A History, and then a gruff voice shout "Shut up, nerd!" Harry had to laugh at that.
The wizards along the four rows were uniform. The only differences were in the patches they wore on their breasts. One was yellow, the next blue, then green, and lastly, red. Could people really be labeled so easily?
The children were led up to the front like livestock on the auction block. There they stood with everyone staring at them, until the batty old bat that led them in, produced a scroll from her robes. Harry was in pure amazement at everything that was going on in this room. The paintings danced and moved. A chorus of frogs sang off to the side.
McGonagall addressed them, "before we begin, Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words." She nodded, and stepped to the side.
Sitting in the middle of the fifth table, an old, yet great looking wizard stood.
"I have a few start of term announcements. First, the Dark Forest is off limits to all students. Second, I must advise all students to avoid the right-hand corridor upon the third floor. The price would be…severe."
McGonagall began to read off names from her list and students came forth to be sorted. Harry was not listening at this point, as everything was far too distracting.
"Hrba pddr"
Harry barely heard, as he was staring of into space.
"Harry Potter"
This time it was slightly clearer.
"Harry Potter!" The witch shouted, looking right at him.
"Get up there!" whispered Draco as he gave Harry a good shove.
Harry was apprehensive. This was it. He was to be sorted, and filed into one house for the next seven years, and that would determine his fate. How will it decide? What if it puts me in the wrong house? What if Vernon was right and I am not special, after all? He walked forward and sat on the stool. Maybe I belong in Hufflepuff, with everyone else who was not good enough to make into one of the real houses. All these thoughts were racing through his mind. He could not take it. He looked around, many witches and wizards alike were leaning forward in their seats, eagerly. Have they all heard of me? Is everyone that interested in me? I do not want to let them down…
He felt the hat placed upon his head, squirming slightly, and he realized he was not the one shaking, but rather, the hat was.
"Interesting!" it said. The hat said. The hat was talking to him! Harry began to quiver, as he could feel the hat looking into the deepest darkest spots of his mind. "Very interesting! Strong mind, plenty of talent. A hunger for fame; and a thirst. A thirst to prove yourself! But where to put you…" the hat mused in Harry's head. "Ah, I think I have just thing for you,"
It paused and then said...
-end-of-chapter-
Thanks for reading! Oooooh... Cliffhanger. We want to see what you think Harry's house will be. What do you think it will be and why? What do you think of McGonagall and also the awesome use of AVPM? If you don't know what it is... Go. Look. It. Up. Now. And go watch it. I love it. :D What do you think so far? Put your thoughts, concerns, questions, etc. in the review box below. Thanks again!