Chapter Five: The Sorting Hat


Title: Harry Potter and the Phantom Hourglass

Chapter: 5

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy

Parings: Sorry, only frivolous friendships for now.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I do not own the pieces of text I've taken from the book.

Description: Crossover with Legend of Zelda. The Phantom Hourglass has been handed down since its beginning, until finally it makes its way into the hands of a boy named Gabriel. He fights alongside Harry Potter, and soon discovers a darkness that has been waiting to exact a deadly revenge.


Harry seemed a bit nervous, and Ron looked a bit pale under his freckles. Gabriel said nothing, and even Aria seemed on edge. Gabriel and Harry crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd pushing through the corridor.

The night air was breathtakingly cold the group stepped out of the train. Somehow they managed to push their way out of the train to join the rest of the students on the train platform. A steep narrow path stretched out before them and they looked at it with both awe and fear. Then Harry heard a familiar voice rising over the squabbling students.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" It was Hagrid. "All right there you four?" Hagrid's big hairy head could easily be seen over the sea of heads.

They nodded as more kids filed out of the train and followed the rest of the children. Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a really wet, narrow, and steep path. It was so dark that everyone in Harry's little group thought there be thick trees around them. It was deathly silent the whole way there except for the few times a boy named Neville, who kept losing his toad, sneezed and sniffled.

Then, finally they reached the docks after the crowd let out a loud, "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened up all at once to reveal a wide black lake. Beyond the lake on a high mountaintop decorated spectacularly with several sparkling windows, was a beautiful castle with many spiraling turrets and towers.

"No more than four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing a several little boats floating on the edge of the lake. Harry and Ron slipped into the front of one while Gabriel and Aria crawled into the back. As soon as Hagrid was sure everyone had gotten into a boat, he called out, "Right then – FORWARD!"

And the little fleet of boats moved off all at once, gliding across from the lake, which was as smooth as glass.

"So," said Gabriel, "I wonder what awaits us in there?" His wide gold eyes looked up at the castle before them. Ron shrugged and said nothing but Aria had something to say. "I'm not quite sure, but I'm not getting much of a bad vibe from this place as I was with the Malfoy kid."

"That's a good sign isn't it?" Said Harry leaning over to Gabriel.

"Yeah. Most of the time." Harry paled slightly and said nothing the rest of the way.

.oOo.

After the boat ride was done, all the children stepped out of their respective boats and watched as the giant man knocked his knuckles three times against the towering doors. They opened automatically, revealing a wide, almost golden, wood staircase reflected in the marble floor below it. At the top stood a tall witch with auburn hair in emerald green robes and a very stern face.

"Definitely not someone you'd want to cross now would you?" Gabriel whispered to Harry, who nodded in response.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid. "Thank you," she replied curtly, "I will take them from here." Hagrid sort of bowed and then left the children at the foot of the stairs.

As soon as everyone was settled in the room, Professor McGonagall turned around to face them.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she announced. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. While you are here, your house will be like your family. Points will be awarded for academic achievement and other triumphs. However, any rule breaking, and you will loose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup."

She paused to clear her throat and then continued. "The Sorting Ceremony will begin soon. Do try to make yourselves look a bit smarter before then." She turned around and before she left she said, "I will call for you when we are ready."

As soon as she was out of sight, several sighs could be heard and many started to shift their feet.

"So," said Harry, leaning over to Ron, "what do you reckon is the sorting ceremony supposed to be?" Ron shrugged. "Well, Fred says it's some sort of test, something painful, but I'm sure he was just joking, as always."

"Well if it is, you'd better be careful then Potter," shouted a voice from the crowd. Several gasps erupted from the crowd at the name Potter and the children parted to show a pale blond-haired boy with two large boys behind him. "Why don't you mind your own business, Malfoy!" Gabriel shouted, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"I'm sure you'd like that." Malfoy smirked. The lights from the candles flickered brightly in Gabriel's eyes, making it look like they were filled with an inner fire. Just before Gabriel could say anything, McGonagall appeared behind Malfoy, making him jump. "We're ready for you," she said in a low voice, "Now form a line and follow me."

After they had formed their line, they walked out of a chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Everyone in the group gasped at the sight of it as they entered. A good few thousand candles lit the enormous hallway that held four long tables where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers sat.

Behind them, Harry and Gabriel heard Hermione whisper to a more or less bored Aria, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History." Aria could also be heard muttering something like, "And I'll bet you're the only one who has read it," under her breath.

The ceiling did indeed look like the night sky with dark blue inky blackness stretching from corner to corner and the occasional bright star among the faint arches that were the only indication that it was not a skylight.

Then the group watched as the professor placed a four-legged stool in front of them. On top of the stool, she placed a old, gray, and very, very frayed wizard's hat. There were several faded pink, blue and black patches in many spots on the hat, and one rip on the brim had not been patched up yet. But then the hat twitched.

"G- G- Gabe?" Harry whispered. Gabriel didn't even register that he had said anything. Then 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 you 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 in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at 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 wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've 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!

There was a thundering round of applause as the hat finished. Harry tugged on Gabriel's sleeve nervously. "Gabriel?" "What?" "So all we have to do is put on that hat and it will tell us where to go?" "Looks like it. Ron told me that his brother Fred was going on about having to wrestle a troll. This sounds a lot better than what I was thinking of…" Harry nodded meekly and his stomach turned over as the professor said something about calling names and a little girl in pigtails walked up to it.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" It shouted and she went an sat down at a table on the right. Another girl went to Hufflepuff as well then two more went to Ravenclaw. This process went on for a while (Hermione Granger became a Gryffindor at which Ron cringed and then groaned) and then it came to Malfoy.

He sat on the stool and smoothed out his robes haughtily. The hat was struggling to not touch his head as it practically screamed out, "SLYTHERIN!" Many others were called up but then the crowd of people dwindled to Gabriel, Aria, him and a good few others. Then, the professor called his name.

"Potter, Harry!"

For a good long while he sat up there, he fears from before growing steadily worse. But, as he chanted under his breath, "Not Slytherin, not Slytherin," the hat had made its choice.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry sighed with relief as he scrambled down the step and into the table he had seen the last Gryffindor go to. He watched as Aria went up there, her face calm and confident. The hat boomed, "GRYFFINDOR!" and she walked just as confidently down to the Gryffindor table.

Then it was Gabriel's turn.

A voice in the back of his ear could just be heard over the many whispers from the students in the hall. "You… just like your father, you have a lust for strength. Yet this lust is not the strength a Slytherin would covet… not enough of their ambition. And, you've a mind for learning as well…"

The hat continued to mutter for even longer than the time Harry had been up there. When Gabriel finally had enough of it he mentally yelled, 'Put me in Gryffindor already!'

"GRYFFINDOR!" It boomed once more. Gabriel gratefully took off the hat and ran to latch himself onto Harry, who immediately fell over when he did so.

As soon as the Headmaster (who was rather strange acting) got up and said a few words (then sat back down rather suddenly), conversation began to fill up the hall once more.

"Harry," said Gabriel, taking a bite out of some mashed potatoes, "Did that hat say anything umm, well, strange to you?" He blinked. "As a matter of fact, yes. It said something about me being someone great…" He sort of stopped talking and he took a bite out of some steak. Gabriel continued to prod him.

"Well that's normal, isn't it? Anyone can be great… right?" Harry turned his back to Gabriel. "Well, I don't know… he that being in Slytherin would help me be great. Why do you ask?"

"Because," Gabriel muttered rather gloomily, "it told me that I was, well…"

"What?"

Gabriel sighed, puzzled. He bit his lip, not sure if he wanted to tell Harry what the hat had said. "It just told me I'd have to look after myself, that's all." "Is that a death threat?" Gabriel shrugged. "It could be. I don't know for sure."

Harry turned his head to the side, about to ask another question, but was interrupted by two red-haired boys sitting nearby. Gabriel decided he would keep it to himself, what the Sorting Hat had said. After all, what in the world was the Phantom Hourglass anyway?


Vikki: Why am I always ending these chapters on very gloomy notes? (Note: This is only in part a Zelda crossover. Bellum will team up with Voldyshorts and so on, and of course, the Phantom Hourglass will be present. But other than that, there's no Zelda, Link, or any other character's from the Phantom Hourglass.)

Gabriel: Not to mention the death threats…

Vikki: You'll live through this book… that doesn't mean you will in the seventh…

Yami Vikki: You'll go that far?

Vikki: Just to prove it to you; I might.

Gabriel: Oh boy…

Vikki: So, like a good little minio– um reader, please move your mouse to the green review button below and click it.

Yami Vikki: I would… she giving the computer this crazed, murderous look...