CHAPTER 7:
THE FEAST
After disembarking from the train, Aerith and Jenova reluctantly left Harry and Ron in the hands of Hagrid. Both women were startled to see what was pulling the carriages they (and the older students) were taking to Hogwarts: bizarre, skeletal horses with bat-like wings. When they mentioned this face to some of the students they were travelling with, they were then told, by most, that there was nothing pulling the carriages. A few did admit they could see something pulling the carriages, provoking an argument that Aerith and Jenova stayed out of.
They had a carriage to themselves, and Aerith remarked to Jenova, "Why are these creatures invisible to most of these students and not others?"
"I don't know. Perhaps one of the staff might know. Hagrid loves weird creatures, this seems right up his alley," Jenova mused. "I presume that they're harmless, relatively speaking. Otherwise, they wouldn't have them near the students."
They soon reached the castle, and were escorted to the Great Hall, a magnificent vast room with four gigantic tables corresponding to the four Houses, with a fifth table for the staff. The ceiling had an enchantment to look like the sky outside, and candles floated in the air. It was certainly impressive. They recognised the Weasleys already seated at the Gryffindor table, sans Ron of course. Aerith and Jenova sat with Sprout and Flitwick flanking them. Aerith noted that already many students were looking curiously at them.
Aerith was closest to Flitwick, and leaned over to him, and asked, "Those horse-things pulling the carriages…what were they?"
"Oh, you could see them?" Flitwick asked. "Those are Thestrals. They are creatures who can only be seen by those who have witnessed death, and understood what it meant."
"So Harry won't have a problem seeing them," Jenova remarked, having heard Flitwick's response.
Sprout looked at Aerith and Jenova in horror. "What has he gone through?"
"A lot," Jenova said laconically. "Aerith, what would have been the first death he saw?"
Aerith pondered the question. He did watch Scarlet dying at Barrett's hands (or rather, his gun-arm), but there were earlier ones than that. The Snow-Woman was one possibility, especially as he had killed her himself to save Aerith and Elena. Then again, Aerith couldn't dismiss the video of her father, Gast Faremis, dying. True, the video didn't show him actually dying, but it was a possibility.
"Probably the Snow-Woman," Aerith finally said. "Or perhaps the video my father left me. He didn't actually die on-screen, but…"
"That may have been enough," Flitwick said solemnly. "To witness death at such a young age…"
"He's been through a lot," Jenova reiterated. Dumbledore had told them that Sprout and Flitwick knew a little of what had happened, but they only knew that Harry had gone to another world. They didn't know about Sephiroth, or Shinra, or that Jenova was the legendary Calamity from the Skies from the myths of the Cetra Exodus.
The two watched as ghosts filtered in through a set of doors, albeit without opening them. Aerith and Jenova had encountered ghosts back home: indeed, Aerith remembered fighting through the Caves of the Gi with Cloud, Nanaki, and Bugenhagen. But these spirits were benign, though they were told that there was a troublesome poltergeist by the name of Peeves they had to look out for.
Aerith resolved to meet some of them when she could. She had been briefed on a few of them, namely the House ghosts. There was the convivial Sir Nicholas, known as Nearly Headless Nick (due to the rather nasty way he was killed in a botched beheading) of Gryffindor. There was the jolly Fat Friar of Hufflepuff. There was the rather solemn and lugubrious Grey Lady of Ravenclaw. And there was the bloodied and forbidding figure of the Bloody Baron.
"How many ghosts are there in this castle?" Aerith asked.
"Nobody knows exactly," Flitwick said. "And the number does change. But aside from the four House ghosts and Peeves, there's Professor Binns, whom you've met, and…oh, there's Myrtle. She's infamous for haunting a girl's bathroom in the school. Poor thing, rather overwrought and filled with self-pity. And then there's…"
Dumbledore chose that moment to call for silence. Not long afterwards, a different door to the ones that they had entered in opened, and McGonagall strode in, the first years in her wake. Aerith spotted Harry in their midst, along with Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Draco.
McGonagall then left the students waiting, before going to where a stool was standing, and bringing it forward. Perched on top was a rather battered hat. Ah, yes. Dumbledore had told them about the Sorting Hat, though he had asked them not to tell Harry, if only to not spoil the surprise. It was an initiation ceremony of sorts.
Then, the Sorting Hat began to speak, a rip near its brim moving like a mouth. No, not speak. Sing.
Aerith and Jenova shared a look as they listened to the song. It wasn't too bad, considering, but the Hat sang in a rather scratchy voice. However, once it had finished, they applauded with the others, if only for politeness' sake.
McGonagall came forward with a roll of names, and told them to sit on the stool and put on the hat when their name was called. One Hannah Abbot was the first to be Sorted, and she went into Hufflepuff, the Hat bellowing the House for all to hear.
As the Sorting went on, they noticed that some people took some time to be Sorted, and others were Sorted instantly. Cheers went up from each table during each Sorting. The first child to be Sorted that Aerith and Jenova recognised was Crabbe, who turned out to have the first name of Vincent. He got Sorted into Slytherin.
Harry's name was called. There were whispers when he answered to the last name of 'Gainsborough', and not 'Potter'. He looked understandably nervous, and his eyes flickered towards Aerith and Jenova. Aerith gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. Then, he sat on the stool, while McGonagall placed the Hat on his head…
Hmm…interesting…very interesting… murmured a soft voice into Harry's mind. And difficult, too. You have all the qualities of the Houses, you know. Bravery, loyalty, a keen mind, and a thirst to strive. Talent, and you have already proven yourself in battle too many times for one so young. Even with the taint of the Calamity's cells within you, and the dark experiences that you have faced, you are still pure of heart in many ways, Harry Gainsborough. So, where shall I put you?
Harry sent back, in his head, I know ambition and cunning aren't bad. But Voldemort tainted Slytherin forever. I don't want to be seen as the next Voldemort, so not Slytherin, please. I want to be seen not as the Boy Who Lived, but as the Boy Who Strived. And I want to be with friends.
And you've already made some. You'd do well in any House, even Slytherin. But you've proved your valour most of all, against this Sephiroth. I see it all, the pain you have fought through. Any House would be good for you, but it had better be…
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Harry took the Hat off, got off the stool, and walked over to the table, getting the loudest cheer yet, Aerith and Jenova noticing that it was the twins who led it more than any other. Obviously, his new name was somehow known in the Wizarding World. She'd have to ask Dumbledore about that.
Not long afterwards, one Gregory Goyle, the other of Draco's minions, got sorted into Slytherin.
Hermione took only a brief time to be Sorted, and Jenova and Aerith were both surprised when the Hat Sorted her into Gryffindor. Hermione seemed rather bemused, but joined the Gryffindor table.
Neville Longbottom was the next one they recognised being Sorted. The poor boy was seated there for a long time, before the Hat yelled out "GRYFFINDOR!" With what looked like a relieved look on his face, Neville scurried off, only to be called back. He was still wearing the Sorting Hat, after all.
The Hat barely touched Draco Malfoy's head when it shouted "SLYTHERIN!" Not much of a surprise there, though both Aerith and Jenova noted that, while many of those at the table looked sinister, others just looked calculating or impassive. Aerith for one was amazed that many people would want to be Sorted into that House, after what Voldemort did with it.
The Sorting went on for a little while longer, though the only name that Aerith and Jenova really paid attention to was Ron. He went to Gryffindor, much to his relief. They did note that the last one to be Sorted, a dark-skinned boy by the name of Blaise Zabini, went into Slytherin.
Dumbledore got to his feet, beaming with benevolent charm and pleasantness. "Welcome! Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"
There was some cheering and clapping, and more than a little laughter. Aerith knew, however, that while Dumbledore was eccentric and jovial, she also knew of the darker side to the man. He liked cultivating an air of eccentricity and near-madness. Perhaps it distracted him from his pain as much as it distracted his enemies from his true ability.
The food appeared before them on their plates, and Aerith began to eat. She watched Harry, even as she occasionally spoke with Flitwick on various subjects. He proved to be surprisingly knowledgeable about technology, in general terms at least, and hoped to look at Cait Sith, who was currently in the luggage (and probably not happy about it).
Soon, the feast was over, and Dumbledore stood once more. "Now that we are all fed and watered, a few start-of-term notices need to be given out. First years should note that the forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds. And a few of our older students would do well to remember this." Aerith noted that his twinkling eyes were looking at the twins when he did so.
"I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker, to remind you that no magic is to be used in the corridors between classes." Dumbledore then gestured to the other side of the table. "Professor Quirrell will be this year's Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. However, he is far from the only new staff member." He then gestured to Aerith and Jenova. "Madam Aerith Gainsborough will be assistant healer in the hospital wing. Professor Jen Calamitas will be assistant teacher for Defence Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration."
There was some polite applause, and more appraising looks. Dumbledore continued, discussing Quidditch tryouts. Finally, he said, "This year, I must tell you that the third-floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to suffer a most painful death. I must emphasise that the danger is real, and deadly.(1)"
Jenova and Aerith shared another look. That must be where they were hiding the Philosopher's Stone. They were meeting Dumbledore later to deal with enhancing the defences for it.
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore said. Jenova and Aerith noticed that Flitwick and Sprout had rather fixed smiles now.
Jenova, thinking quickly, used one of the spells that she had seen amongst her studies of the textbooks. Flitwick, Sprout, and Aerith found their hearing dimmed somewhat, and didn't have to endure the full volume of the school song, with the lyrics sung to whatever tune that the students wanted. She noted, with some perverse amusement, that Harry had his hands clapped over his ears.
The song finished, though the two Weasley twins were straggling along, apparently singing the song to the tune of some slow funeral dirge. Once they had finished, Dumbledore said, "Ah, music, a magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime! Off you trot!"
"That was not music," Jenova hissed. "Even heavy metal is music by comparison."
"Heavy metal?" Sprout asked.
"Muggle music," Aerith explained. "A friend of ours told me it's the same here as well as where we live." Sirius' innocence was not well known amongst the staff, with only McGonagall, Snape, and Hagrid knowing. "Very loud and powerful, sometimes cacophonic. There's a remix of the battle music from Loveless that's a good example.(2)"
Jenova grinned her shark-like grin. As much as she played the part of an elegant, aristocratic woman, she shared with Sirius Black, as well as the Weasley twins, a desire to prank woman. She would love to see what the reaction would be if the school was woken up by the metal version of Those Who Fight. Perhaps Peeves might be amenable to helping out?
Aerith noticed the grin on Jenova's face, and shuddered. What was she up to?
CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS:
Of course, a lot was transcribed, or paraphrased, from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. I deliberately left out the two songs, with the Sorting Hat song being used a ridiculous amount of times in fanfic.
Now, I decided to leave the Sortings as they are in canon. But I decided to have a different conversation between Harry and the Hat this time around. And in case you're wondering how the Hat can see into Harry's mind when the Legilimency used earlier didn't work, well, it's because the Hat works in a different way to Legilimency, I reckon.
And Jenova is beginning to show a pranking side to her. Oh shit. Hogwarts isn't going to know what hit it.
1. One complaint that I see is that Dumbledore's warning is more of an enticement to the curious. I decided to add this further bit of dialogue to show that Dumbledore means well enough. It won't stop the curious, though.
2. You may have guessed from the subsequent bits, but they are referring to the Final Fantasy VII battle theme, which exists in-universe (as does the victory fanfare) as the music to Loveless. Specifically, Aerith is talking about the Advent Children remix of the battle theme, which, incidentally, is bloody awesome.
CHAPTER 7 SOUNDTRACK:
Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! (Dumbledore being frivolous): Misato, from Neon Genesis Evangelion, composed by Shiro Sagisu. It took me a while to come up with a theme for Dumbledore when he's being happy, or at least acting it. Then, inspiration hit me. Like Misato, Dumbledore is a leader with many failures behind him, and puts on many masks for his work. Oh, and he is pretty unhappy in love.