Disclaimer: I. Don't. Own. HP. Or. PJO.
~The Sorting Hat~
000 Alisa 000
I. Hate. Train. Stations.
There's so many people! It feels like I'm in a constantly moving box. People coming from the left, pressing to my right, and pushing past me.
A jolt runs through my body as a group of six pushes past me. No parents. No relatives. Eerily familiar.
I was about to run up to them, but even my Ghost Sight could not find them in the pressing crowd.
"Hey, Alisa!" Hermione gripped my shoulder, and I spun around to face her. "Wanna join us in the train car?"
"Umm... sure..." I answered, climbing in with her and the others.
I looked back once, it's really an unconscious reaction. I couldn't see anything, but my head whipped in the direction I felt the group rushing too.
I shook my head again and followed Hermione to their train cabin.
Impossible. I thought, Probably just a look-a-like, especially since I haven't seen him for over three years.
There was no way Kale would be here.
~0~0~0~0~0~0~
I had my elbow on the edge of the window. The train was so busy, even though we're moving. Some were crowding around a old lady with a cart full of Halloween treats. Some of the younger kids ran outside the train cabins.
If I wasn't blind, it'd look like I was staring at the scenery outside. But I am, and I wasn't. I was thinking about the Kale look-a-like. His body touched mine for less than a second so I didn't really get a good image of him.
I turned my head towards my cabin mates. Ginny was having another argument with Ron, something about her and Harry, I think. Harry was sitting contently on the seat opposite mine. He was staring out the window, his fingers intertwined with Ginny's.
Ron sat opposite Ginny, which meant he was beside me. Hermione was on Ron's other side and was trying to get Ron and Ginny to stop arguing.
"I'm just saying...!" Ron said, "You wouldn't want to see me and Hermione snogging now, would you?"
"Well," Ginny snapped, "You were the one that walked in without knocking!"
"Ron, you already said you were okay with it! Stop arguing!" Hermione said.
"Well, I said I was okay with the fact that my sister and my best mate were dating!" Ron exclaimed, "I'm not bloody okay with the fact they were snogging in public!"
I tapped Ron's shoulder.
"Wha- Hey!" he complained. I just smacked his head.
"Are you sure your brain's working?" I said, "If you're okay with them dating, then you should be okay with them kissing!"
"Wha-?" Ron started, but I cut him off.
"Some people are trying to concentrate, and you're being a pig-headed snot-nosed imbecile!" I shouted over him, "And the next freaking time you start an argument with stupid reasons, you'll be hearing worse!"
The cabin fell silent, all of them stunned. Even Harry stopped sight-seeing to look at me.
Ginny's face broke into a grin, "I'm liking you better every second!" and then put her head on Harry's shoulder, causing Harry to smile contently and Ron to fume silently lest he wished to meet my wrath.
I smiled at her, "Well, I hope you don't mind me liking your brother, less and less."
She laughed.
"'Ey!" a tall, lanky boy peeked in, "We're almost there!"
Everyone looked at the newcomer, "Hey, Neville." they chorused.
"Who's that?" He said, "And why's she wearing a blindfold?"
If they could've seen it, I would've rolled my eyes. "That," I said indignantly, "is a person with a name."
"Oh, sorry." he said, stretching out his hand, "I'm Neville Longbottom, and you are?"
"Alisa McKenzie," I said, shaking his outstretched hand, "Blind American exchange student."
"How old are you all?" I asked, something dawned on me. They seemed too old to be students...
"We're all nineteen, except Ginny, she's eighteen." They said.
"But, shouldn't you all have graduated by now?" I asked.
"Well, we should, but last year, Hogwarts was being rebuilt after Voldemort was defeated." Harry said, "Um.. you do know Voldemort, right?"
"Yeah, I wouldn't be going to Hogwarts without knowing one of the most world-changing events there is, right?" I said, "Chosen One?"
Ron smirked, "Look at that, Harry! Even in America you're famous."
"Oh, not really," I said, nonchalantly, "I just studied up before coming here."
Hermione nodded, "Good for you, but we should all be changing now."
~0~0~0~0~0~0~
After we all changed, Ginny, and the rest of them, followed the 2nd to 7th years.
Hagrid, a large half-giant, had dragged me towards the first years.
I glowered as Ron snickered at me.
The sun had set hours ago, and I felt calm as we rode the enchanted boats across. There was a commotion at first, some student refused to go into the water. I didn't really pay much attention.
I felt calm, but my sight was limited to the boat. My senses were on overdrive the whole way.
We landed on a short strip of land that ended at the castle wall, Hagrid led us inside where Professor Mcgonagall, I think she's the headmistress now, led us to the Great Hall.
The castle was... breath-taking. It was infinitely more breath-taking than Gringotts. The Great Hall was absolutely magnificent. Hecate told me that the roof was enchanted to look like the sky, but I couldn't see it. Obviously.
We came to the front where a oddly misshapen hat sat on a stool. A huge tear in front suddenly opened, some of the first years gasped.
A weirdly old voice echoed from the hat.
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.
...The hat was singing. I didn't know whether I should be surprised that it can speak or horrified by the singing...
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
So this was the famous Sorting Hat...
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.
...Nothing you can't see, huh, I thought to myself, we'll see about that.
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 in 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 folks 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!
The hat had finally stopped singing, thank the gods, Mcgonagall pulled out a scroll, and called out, "Abbington, Elodie!"
A thin, willowy girl with long hair came up, she was very nervous. I could "see" her shaking. The hat was placed on her head, I could hear slight mutters and whispers.
"Ravenclaw!" it shouted suddenly, causing some of the first-years to jump.
The girl breathed a sigh of relief as she joined a long table full of loud, cheering students.
Mcgonagall continued on the list, calling out names and the hat would call out, "Gryffindor! Ravenclaw! Slytherin! Hufflepuff!"
Some kids' sorting took longer than others, while some of them were sorted the moment the hat touched their heads.
Soon, the amount of students dwindled, and I noticed something.
Oh, crap.
"Students, I have an announcement to make,"
It took all my control not to attack the boy five feet away from me, at least, not until I was sure.
"We have accepted an Exchange Program, and these three students have come from America."
Not yet. Not yet. Not yet.
"All of them will be in their sixth year."
Not sure yet...
"We will Sort them, however, for they did not have any Sorting in America."
"Firstly,"
I knew, if this was him, he'd be first.
"Amante, Kale."
Why in the world is Kale here?
Wait, so that was him in the station?
Who was he with?
I breathed in, thinking, Kale... It might not be him... Doubtful, but there's a chance it isn't.
The hat was placed on his head, it took some time, but it finally exclaimed, "Gryffindor!"
I held back until she called the next name.
Half of me begged that it wasn't, the other half begged that it was.
"di Angelo, Nico."
It's him.
I was stunned for a moment, then I lunged at the lanky boy about to climb the steps, screaming bloody murder.
A/N: Okay, I got a review saying they didn't understand how Alisa turned blind.
It's simple really,
(1) Alisa spent a whole three years in complete darkness. You know how when it's really dark and you're accustomed to it, when someone suddenly turns on the lights, you're "ARGH! MY EYES!". So imagine living a whole three years without light and suddenly going into bright sunlight.
(2) In those three years Alisa's been subjected to Kronos' essence, which affected her eyes (Since they're the only sense she can't use, she didn't notice). These two combined, permanently blinded her eyes.