Chapter 4 - The Sorting Hat's Dilemma

The door was promptly opened by an older looking lady, if Harry had to guess he would say at least in her sixties. She had dark brown hair with a fair bit of grey in it hidden underneath a pointed hat, and looked like she was a very stern woman. Perhaps it was because she wasn't smiling, although he supposed she wasn't exactly frowning.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid beamed.

"Thank you, Hagrid, I will take them from here.

"That's Professor McGonagall, then?"

"That would be her."

"Boy did us kids ever drive her up the wall," said a chuckling James.

Professor McGonagall swung the door open wide for all to see. Harry's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. The entrance hall that it opened to was so big, you easily could fit the Dursley's house inside of it. The stone walls were lit with torches and he could barely make out the ceiling.

The students followed Professor McGonagall through the halls. Passing a doorway, Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of students. They didn't go through that door though. Instead they were led to a smaller chamber off to the side. Professor McGonagall stopped and turned around. The students huddled around nervously, fairly close to each other.

"Welcome to Hogwarts." said Professor McGonagall. "The start of term banquet will shortly begin, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall you will be sorted into your houses. The sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has it's own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are here at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points, while your rule-breaking will lose you house points. At the end of the year the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The sorting ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the school. I suggest you smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

"Why did she look at me when she said that?"

"It's the Potter hair, nothing that can be done about that."

"Great she hates me already."

"I shall return when we are ready for you," the professor finished, "please wait quietly." And with that she left the chamber.

"Notice how she didn't say how we get sorted," Harry said dryly to Ron.

"Fred told me that there was some sort of test. He said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking," Ron said nervously.

"A test?" said Neville who overheard. "They couldn't! I don't know any magic yet!" he exclaimed, several people murmured in agreement.

"I've read ahead in our school books," offered Hermione talking fast. "There might be some stuff in there that could be useful. There was some sort of spell that could jinx people's feet together, do you think that would be useful? Oh if only I read more." she lamented.

And then everyone was talking about what they could do magically, and if it would be useful or not.

"Alright guy's what's the deal with the sorting? People look like they're going to start going into hysteric's."

"Aw I don't know, It's an awfully well kept secret."

"We wouldn't want to ruin the surprise."

Harry raised an eyebrow before sending off an annoyed vibe into his conscience.

"Ooh somebody's not happy," James laughed. "Alright, alright, but you're not going to believe me. All you have to do is try on a magical hat and…voila! It tells you what house you belong to."

"…a hat?" said Harry dubiously. "That's it? No ritual chambers, no fighting trolls, not even a placement test? A hat?"

"Well this hat was created by Godric Gryffindor a thousand years ago and was spelled to read your thoughts to find out what your most empowering character traits are, and then sort you into the appropriate house." said Lily.

"Oh."

"So.. are you gonna tell your classmates about it then?"

Harry looked out at the herd of students that were to be in his year. They were still engaged in wild conversation about how they were going to 'beat' whatever test it was that sorted them into their house.

"Nah. I think I'll just let them be." he grinned.

"Hey James," Hermione called, breaking him out of his mental talk, "what house do you think you'll be in?"

"What?" he said, caught off guard.

"Well, I mean what house do you think suits you," she continued. "I think I'm going to be in Ravenclaw, because it's known as the house of the studious. Neville, said he might be in the Hufflepuff house, they are known for being hardworking and loyal. Ron wants to be in Gryffindor like his brothers, he said, cause they are known for being daring and brave. I think Slytherin is the house of ambitious and cunning people. So where do you think you would go?"

There were more than a few students watching him now, and he thought for a moment, before carefully wording a reply.

"Are not all of us studious? And loyal, brave and ambitious?" Everyone was now quieting their conversation's to listen to him. "We will go to whatever house we do because we want to go there. Nobody here, and I mean nobody, has only one character trait to show the world. We are all capable of being smart, hardworking, daring and cunning. I will strive to excel in all my character trait's, no matter which house I'm in, be it Gryffindor or Slytherin, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. So it doesn't really matter to me."

Hermione looked slightly taken aback at his answer as did most of the students. Many of them went back to there conversations. She stuttered, for a moment.

"O..Oh, well I… I guess we.. will still have all the same character traits after we are sorted. So you're not nervous about the sorting then?"

"Not at all. Although if you're nervous, I will tell you that you will be sorted based on which character traits you identify with most strongly."

"I will? That's good to know at least…hey wait, how do you know that?" Harry froze.

"Er."

However, he was saved from answering when dozens of ghosts, came right through the walls.

"Ahh!" several students shrieked and one outright screamed. The students rapidly backed away from the ghosts who were lazily drifting along and too engrossed in conversation to notice the students.

"I say, we ought to let bygones be bygones, give him another chance." one portly ghost was saying.

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He makes a fool of us all and… why I say, what are you all doing here?"

The students stared at the ghosts and nobody spoke.

"New students!" the ghost called Friar beamed, "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff, my old house."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. Professor McGonagall was back. The ghosts drifted on. She led them in a line through the chamber door into the Great Hall. It was the most marvellous room Harry had seen. Torches all around lit up the room. There were four very long tables beside each other each other, where students were seated. Above each table was a different emblem, from left to right he saw emblems depicting a lion, eagle, snake and a badger. Looking up further he was surprised to see that there was no ceiling. The great hall just opened to the heavens.

"Er, guys? Am I the only one that's noticed that they forgot the ceiling?"

"It's enchanted honey, to always looks like the outside sky."

"Huh."

The students were led between the four house tables and a table that seated all the teachers and staff .

"It's enchanted to look like the outside sky, I read it in Hogwarts, a History." Hermione whispered beside him, looking up as well.

"You're quite right," he whispered low. Looking at the students he missed her surprised expression. Just then he noticed a stool between the first years and rest of the students. And perched atop the stool was a dusty old worn looking hat.

"Godric could have charmed it to last a little bit longer, don't you think?" he said mostly to himself.

"The sky? I don't think he charmed that." she whispered back.

"Not talking about the sky anymore."

"Oh what then…"

Hermione was cut off when the brim of the hat opened wide like a mouth and started to sing in rhyme. It told the students how it was going to sort them into a house that best suited their qualities and described each house to the students. All it asked was that it had to be worn to see inside one's head. When it finished it's song the students all burst into applause. Ron was looking particularly upset about something, his brother's must have been having him on or something.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, please step forward, sit on the stool and place the hat on your head. Abbott, Hannah!"

A young blond girl with pigtails stumbled out of the line and rushed over to the stool and place the hat on her head, which promptly fell down below her eyes. There was a pause and the it opened it's brim wide and shouted,

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table on the far right burst into cheers and applause.

"So I've been thinking."

Professor McGonagall called another name.

"What is it?"

Another girl ran up to the hat, this one sorted into Hufflepuff as well.

"This hat…it looks at our personality traits to decide where we end up?"

A boy was called next. Sorted into Ravenclaw.

"Yes, the hat will determine, which house suits you best. Wondering where you might end up?"

Another girl called up. Gryffindor now had its newest member.

"Actually not really. In the song the hat sang. Mentioned something about looking inside one's head…"

It seems the students were getting sorted faster and faster. Slytherin got their first addition and Hufflepuff got another.

"Well yes, that's how it does it. Otherwise how would it know where to put you?" James' voice now.

Finnegan, Seamus, sat on the stool for a minute before becoming a Gryffindor. Suddenly Hermione turned to him and whispered,

"Wait you said your name was Evans, but…"

Suddenly her name was called and she had to stop her line of questioning. She looked at him with inquiring eyes, to which he just gave a small smile and a shrug.

"Right of course. So… are you going to introduce me to the hat when it's on my head?"

Hermione quickly became a Gryffindor and another student was called.

"Introduce you? What do…oh… OH damn."

He watched as more students were sorted. Greengrass, Hopkins, Jones and Li.

"Longbottom, Neville!" was called and the nervous boy fell on his way to stool which drew laughter. Red-faced, Neville sat on the stool for a whole minute before becoming a Gryffindor. He rushed to the Gryffindor table still wearing the hat, before realizing and bringing it back to Professor McGonagall.

"So.. what now?"

"…not a clue. Think it won't notice us here?"

"With two of you and one of me I'll be happy enough if it can even find me in my own head."

MacDougal, MacMillan, Malfoy, and Malone all went up to be sorted. When Malfoy got sorted to Slytherin he turned back to look at the remaining first years and gave Harry a funny look.

"Why is he…ah, also thinks my name is Evans. Ha."

Moon, Nott and Parkinson were all called. About one quarter of the first years were now left. He did a quick count and found there to be eleven left.

"Any second now." he swallowed.

"Patil, Padma!" and Harry was sure that he would be next. Until,

"Patil, Parvati!" and he thought of how ironic it was that the name that was likely before him belonged to twins. Someone wanted him to sweat it out, he was sure.

"Perks, Sally Anne!"

"Seriously?"

He watched as Sally Anne was made a HufflePuff. His eyes went to Professor McGonagall's eyes. He watched as her eyes widened almost imperceptibly, and her lip gave a light twitch and he knew he was next.

"Potter, Harry!"

"Here we go."

The hall suddenly broke into small pockets of whispered conversations.

"Harry Potter did she say?"

"The Harry Potter."

"Which one is he?"

Harry didn't step out immediately. In fact he didn't even blink. The students were looking at the first years trying (and failing) to find a lightning bolt scar on a male student. There were only five boys and three girls left on stage. Professor McGonagall was looking at each male student trying to figure out who Harry was. She quickly dismissed Ron, his red hair a dead giveaway. She turned to the next student, looking at him. He was dark-skinned though and she passed him over. The next student she looked at for a moment. He had somewhat dark hair, but she passed him on too. Another student had light brown hair and was heavier set and her eyes went by him too. Finally she turned to Harry. She looked at him for second before her eyes suddenly narrowed then widened, and he knew she found him. She opened her mouth to call his name again, but he beat her to it by taking one step forward.

Slowly, but with collected calm, he made his way to the front of the stage. He stared down the students as he walked forward with his jaw set. The students ceased their whisperings as each one felt that they were being watched. He stopped beside the stool. Not taking his eyes off the students he slowly reached out with his right hand and lifted the hat off the stool. With both hands he carefully placed the hat on his head, not bothering to sit down. Rather than let it fall below his eyes, big as it was, he held it in place with one hand and put his other hand on his waist. Then still staring out at the audience he snapped his eyes shut.

"Well, well aren't we dramatic. I say lad, you can lighten up a little bit, I think you're scaring the students."

Harry said nothing.

"Not much for talking then? Very well let's see what we've got here. Huh, that's odd, it's like you're coming from three different places at once…"

Suddenly the hat broke off.

"Impossible!" it hissed.

"And yet here we are." Harry said simply. The hall was breaking out into more hushed whispers. About 20 seconds had passed already. Professor McGonagall nervously glanced at the staff table were Professor Dumbledore was watching, seemingly holding his breath. Come to think of it, she thought, everyone was holding their breath it seemed.

"This..this shouldn't be. This can't… not in the history…" the hat was whispering louder now and students were listening in to it's mutterings, as were the teachers.

"Will this be a problem?" Harry said, plainly.

"A problem?! You've got…" suddenly the hat seemed to realize how loud it was getting and it dropped it's voice to an indistinguishable whisper. "Three of you in there, and you are the one that wants to know if there's a problem?!"

"Yes."

The hat gave a loud sigh of agitation.

"Alright, I guess if I can find the parts of you that are you…yes that should work, let's see which of you is the one I'm looking for…ah.

"Knew you could manage." A minute had passed. The students were fidgeting, though with every sentence Harry spoke he gained their attention again. Everyone was waiting to see what would happen.

"Alright, you've proven you've got courage. With this influx of information you can have on demand, everyone will think you to be knowledgable… though even without it, you seem to have a sharp mind. What else, oh yes a great thirst to prove yourself, and definitely hardworking, how about that. Don't think I've ever seen a student so evenly split between all four houses." the hat said speaking up at the end in wonder.

Professor's Dumbledore and McGonagall shared a look at that. As did a few hundred students.

"Alright kid, you've really got me here, so I tell you what, I'm going to do something I've never done before. I want you to look out at the tables and I want you to tell me where you want to go."

"Are you sure?"

"Not even a little bit. But there's a twenty-five percent chance you will be choosing the best house for you, which is what I would have done.

"Very well, I will choose."

Professor McGonagall's eyes widened. Several students jaws dropped and students began whispering to each other.

"Did he say he's going to choose?"

"I think he did!"

Suddenly Harry snapped his eyes open. He brought his hand down with the hat in it and scanned the tables one by one, ignoring the whisperings. On the left, the Gryffindors, a feisty looking bunch, talking loudly. Next to them the Ravenclaws. They seemed to talk fast and trade facts back and forth. Beside them the Slytherin's, talking in low voices watching his every move. On the very right the Hufflepuff's, looking at him in wonder and chattering much like family. After a moment he once again placed the hat over his head.

"I'm ready." he said simply.

"Very well." and then it spoke powerfully more so for him than any other student.

"GRYFFINDOR!"