Chapter 9

"Ladies first!" said the Doctor, gesturing towards Amy.

"I don't think I'm a witch," she said, but allowed the hat to be placed on her head.

As soon as it touched her red hair, the hat said, "Though your river flows to a very distant shore, the Sorting Hat still knows that you're a Gryffindor!"

"It talked," said Amy.

The Doctor was laughing. "What does that mean? What's a Gryffindor?"

"There are four schools at Hogwarts, created by the founders of the school. Students are sorted according to the attributes they admire the most. Congratulations, Amy! You are indeed a witch," said Dumbledore.

Amy blushed and removed the hat, passing it to Rory, who pushed it away. "Don't give it me…I'm a Squib."

"C'mon, put it on."

Rory shook his head. "My whole life, I've struggled to come to terms with the fact that I'm not magical. My own mother thinks I'm a freak. She loves me because she has to…she tolerates my remaining in the house, but I know she wishes I would go away."

"I'm sure that's not true."

"You haven't been here very long, Amy. Squibs are encouraged to go live with Muggles, because it's supposed to be easier on us, and I understand why. Despite dedicating my life to the study of magic, which I love, I don't even qualify to work at the library. That's how strong the prejudice is against Squibs. I do odd jobs around town, but I can't afford to live on my own. Still, I've enjoyed my life, limited though it is. I've accepted my place, even if it is in an attic, with a ghoul."

"Well, maybe I haven't accepted it. I think you're amazing, Rory. Weasley or Williams, magic or not, there's no need to limit yourself. Just try on the hat…for me?"

"Fine," said Rory, and put it on.

The hat spoke up immediately. "Rory the Roman, of course it's you! Loyal and kind, courageous, too. To say you're bold isn't enough…you're patient as a Hufflepuff!"

"Goddamn it, no!" shouted Rory, yanking off the hat.

"Hufflepuff is a perfectly respectable school, young man," said Dumbledore.

"I'm a Weasley! We are all Gryffindors."

"I'm sure your family will understand, considering the circumstances."

"No, we'll tease him mercilessly," said Ron.

"Well, I'm happy for you. Okay, your turn, Doctor," said Amy, rubbing her husband's back to console him.

The Doctor took the hat hesitantly. "Is there something to that…a whole family being sorted into the same house? Biases that run that deep?"

"We take it pretty seriously, yes," said Hermione. "And even though nobody wants me to say this out loud, the school houses breed competition that is not always healthy."

"Amy's a Gryffindor, Rory's a Hufflepuff," the Doctor pointed at Ron, "I assume you're a Gryffindor."

Ron nodded smugly.

"Gryffindor," said Hermione. "But I was nearly Ravenclaw."

"Gryffindor," said Harry. "Nearly Slytherin."

"Gryffindor, as well," said Dumbledore.

Everyone turned and looked at Snape. "Slytherin," he said.

A slight hush fell in the room. The Doctor nodded and said, "Let me guess…Voldemort is a Slytherin, and his followers are largely Slytherin?"

"Yes," said Dumbledore.

"Very interesting. Forgive me if I'm being impolite, but you don't make it to over one thousand without getting really good at reading body language, and it's clear to me that nobody here trusts Professor Snape, except for Dumbledore, who trusts him with his very life. So, the question is…is it because he's a Slytherin? There must be more to it than that."

Harry looked at the floor. Snape's eyes darted at the Headmaster, who said, "Perhaps you should go check on those potions now, Professor."

Snape didn't hesitate. As soon as he was out of the room, Dumbledore said, "Professor Snape is a spy for us inside of Voldemort's inner circle. He used to be a Death Eater, but he defected. Some are still reluctant to accept where his true loyalty lies. The reasons for doubt are largely personal, and largely misunderstood."

"I'd love to understand. Care to explain it to me, fully, for once, sir?" asked Harry, vehemently.

"It isn't for me to say."

"Convenient, then, that you just dismissed him. Sir."

"Harry, why did you say 'nearly Slytherin'?" asked the Doctor.

"When I was sorted, the hat said Slytherin would take me far. But I asked to be in any other house, because I'd just met a really obnoxious Slytherin, and a really friendly Gryffindor," he said, smiling at Ron. "Then, the next year, I put the hat on and it reminded me that I would've been good in Slytherin. I think it's because of my connection to Voldemort. How he tried to kill me, and everything."

"Tried to kill you? Not trying?"

"Oh, right, of course, you don't know."

He became self-conscious, so Hermione spoke up. "Harry is famous as 'the Boy who Lived'. Voldemort cast the Killing Curse on him when he was a baby, but it rebounded. Voldemort was nearly destroyed as a result, but he slowly gathered his strength and now he's back to try again."

"If the curse didn't work before, what makes him think it will work this time?"

"Voldemort is insane."

"Why is he doing this?"

"There is a prophecy," said Dumbledore. "Which says that Harry-"

"Shhh!" said the Doctor, leaping from his chair. "Shhh, don't tell me! Harry, have you read the prophecy?"

"Not the whole of it. It was destroyed."

"That's good…that's very good. Now, you must understand, things like prophecies, they are only in your mind. They are quantum entities, which exist only while you are observing them. Prophecies are always self-fulfilled. It might take a group of people, but we are all fulfilling fate."

Harry's eyes were wide. "So…fate does exist?"

"There is causality and there is destiny. They are intertwined, in this timey-wimey blob."

Dumbledore was studying the Doctor very keenly, in a way that was not as friendly as before. This didn't escape the Time Lord's notice. "Anyway," he continued, adjusting his bowtie, "Although I'm not so sure I like this four houses thing, the Sorting Hat is cool…and I'm too curious not to know."

He put the hat on. After several seconds of silence, the Doctor asked, "Did I break it?"

The hat grumbled and said, "Just a minor fit of pique. Your mind is really quite unique. I find I need some extra time to come up with a clever rhyme."

After seven full minutes of continued silence, Dumbledore cleared his throat and said, "This can now be deemed the longest hatstall in Hogwarts history."

Harry suddenly clutched a hand to his forehead and cried out. He clenched his teeth against the agony of Voldemort attempting to invade his mind. The visions were on him in a flash, and left just as quickly. The Doctor gently moved his hand aside and looked at the scar on his forehead. "Is that what hurts? May I?"

Harry nodded. The Doctor aimed the sonic screwdriver at the scar and activated it. Something about the bright green light it emitted made Harry draw in his breath sharply. "I won't," said the Doctor.

"What?"

"You said 'don't hurt me,' in snake, just now."

"I did?"

The Doctor laughed. "We're still speaking snake, Harry."

"We call it Parseltongue. It's usually genetic. How do you know it?"

"Oh, for a Time Lord, it isn't so odd. I'm also fluent in horse, dolphin, mongoose, and human baby. Now, I think we're scaring everyone, so maybe we should switch back to the Queen's."

Harry glanced around. Everyone was indeed staring, and Dumbledore looked especially concerned. The Doctor checked his sonic. "Again, two kinds of magic at work here, but this time they are in balance. The destructive force is in there, but it's not spreading."

"That's good to know," said Harry, sitting up and rubbing his face.

"Dumbledore, I had another vision. Voldemort and a few Death Eaters…including Snape…are torturing someone. A man I don't recognize…can't tell if he's a Muggle or wizard. I don't know what Voldemort wants from him. It's like he's…confused. Why would he show me that?"

"The last time he sent you such a vision, it was to draw you out. Do you remember any other details?"

"It doesn't seem relevant, but I got a glimpse of a red phone booth."

The Doctor felt as if he'd just plunged into ice water. He exchanged a look with Amy, and stammered, "He's my…I…I know that man. I have to go to him. My TARDIS can trace his."

"There's more than one time machine?" asked Harry.

The Doctor nodded, pacing erratically, as if he wasn't in full control of his limbs, then headed for the door.

"Wait! This is exactly how Voldemort lured me into a trap last month. If he learned that you're on our side, he may be drawing you there to kill you," said Harry.

"There's a chance, yes."

"We'll come along," said Amy, rising, holding Rory's hand.

"No. Remember when he said he was my problem? It's true. This is my problem, and I'm going to deal with it, alone."

"Doctor, I know you're upset, but this situation is bigger than-"

"I need you to stay here, where it's safe."

He froze on the threshold, then spun around and said, "Healing magic…Dumbledore said healing magic."

The Doctor pointed at Amy. "This is how you can help me. The Master, the drums in his head, brainwashing, remember what I told you, describe it to them and look for a magical solution."

Amy nodded, and the Doctor ran through the door. "I wonder if he realizes he's still wearing the Sorting Hat," said Ron.

"Why can't you ever be serious when you need to be?" chastised Hermione.

Harry suddenly sprinted after the Doctor, yelling, "At least take my Cloak of Invisibility!"