Chapter 5- the Sorting Troll
The air was cool and refreshing to Aralas as they jumped off the last runner onto the stone platform. All around them were other students in a sea of black robes and pointed hats. "Firs years, Firs years over 'ere" boomed a deep voice towards the edge of the platform.
Slowly the three friends maneuvered their way through the throng until the caught sight of an enormous man with a wild black beard and two kind beetle black eyes holding a lantern. Aralas approached the giant warily, mindful of the lessons he had learned from his mother about giants. Sure this man was small, but Aralas made a silent promise to himself to stay well away from his mammoths. Because that when giants got mean, was when you threatened their mammoths. "Right no follow me, an' watch yur step, the man called before turning and leading them along a narrow forest path. Neville and Hermione tripped over their feet in the dark, but Aralas ghosted through the gloom, fully comfortable in his natural environment.
"Yeh'll be getting yur firs look o' Hogwarts in a sec" the giant told them. Sure enough they rounded a bend and everyone, Aralas included gasped in awe at the magnificent sight that rose before them. The lake was as smooth as black glass and reflected the magnificence of the many turreted castle with its blazing windows as it rose in all it's majesty from the cliff it was perched on. They were led down to the shore where a collection of boats waited for them "Right now, in you get. No more 'en four to a boat" he instructed. Aralas, Neville and Hermione found themselves sharing a boat with the red head who made sure not to make eye contact with Aralas. The hiant was sitting in his own boat that just barely managed to keep afloat "every one reday?" he asked making a quick check before nodding to himself and gesturing with a pink umbrella as if it were a sword he were using to signal a cavalry charge "FOREWARD" he said and the boats obeyed the command, drifting across the lake smoothly as if they were being pulled across by invisible ropes.
Aralas found himself staring up at the beautiful castle and was reminded of the time his mother had shown him dragons reach at night. The two buildings had the same dominating effect and he smiled, feeling hopeful of the coming year "Watch yur heads now" the giant called and they all ducked down as the boats passed through a thick curtain of ivy that concealed the entrance to a cave that had a large jetty made of stone and was lit by torches. The giant waited till they wete all assembled before he looked at them "right every one still got their things?" there were a few nods and the giant smiled before turning away "right, now follow me" They followed him up a lawn until they found themselves standing on a set of broad steps before a set of massive oak double doors. The giant raised a huge fist and hammered it on the door.
There was a brief moment of silence before the right hand door creaked open to reveal the rather sever looking lady who had shown Aralas around the castle, dressed in emerald green velvet robes. "Here are the fris years Professor McGonagall" he informed her respectfully.
"Thank you Hagrid, you may go to the feast now." The giant smiled at her and made his way throught the doors and vanishing behind another pair of doors.
Lady McGonagall lead them through the massive entry hall that was bigger then even the one at the blue palace and dragons reach combinedand into a little room of to the side. They all squeezed in far closer together then thy woud hsve usually. "welcome to Hogwarts she told them all, here eyes roving over them like Irilith the housecarl's like she was catagozizing them. "The start of term feast will begin shortly, but before you may take your seats, you must be sorteds into your houses.
Her bearing straightened almost imperseptably "there are Griffindor, Huffulpuff, Ravenclaw and Sythering" she told them. "Now while you are here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points" she paused her eyes drilling into them mercillesly "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. I exprct each of you to be a credit to whichever house you are sorted into." She told them sternly in a manner that reminded Aralas of his mother on her more dragonish days.
"the sorting ceremony will begin momentarily" she told them beofer sweeping out in a way that brought to mind a cat leaving a the vacume of her departure, rumours began to spread about the up and coming sorting ceremony.
"My brothers said it hurts a lot, and Fred and George mentioned wrestling a troll" came the voice of ron weasly over the genral hubbub.
At this statement Aralas went so pale that he looked alomost like Malfoy. "they can't make us do that" he cried, causing everyone to look at him "I saw a troll one when I was traveling with my mother to of the reach, guards had been dispatched to drive it away. When we passed by the troll had killed seven of the nine guards and was using the body of one of them to beat the others to death. You don't fight a troll until you have reached at least a mastery in destruction or archery" he told them fearfully.
The others were listening with rapt and fearful faces as Aralas wnt in to elaborate the dangers of a Nirnian frost troll and why they should be avoided at all costs when a girl near the back of the room screamed, making everyone jump about three feet into the air and for Aralas's ha nds to fill with fire and lightning as he adopted a combat ready stance.
"Forgive and forget I always say" a portly ghost of a portly monk said to a taller ghost with a lacy collar popular in the Elizabethan era.
"My dear friar haven't we given Peeves more than enough chances? He gives all of us a bad name you know " the ruffed ghost told the monk exasperatedly "furthermore..why hello who are you?" he asked finnaly noticing the masses of terrified first years and the elf standing infront of them all eith his hands filled with fire.
"Oh new students!" cried the monk smiling jovially at them all "I do hope to see some of you in Huffulpuff. My old house you know." He told them before being shooed out by an irate looking McGonagall who had returned holding a roll of parchment.
"Now form an alphabetical line all of you" she informed them only to frown as Aralas took his place near the front of the line "Mister Stillglade what are you doing, your place os with the S's" she told him.
Aralas blinked at her "But I am, S comes right after k in the alphabet" he told her in a bewildered voice.
McGonagall breathed deeply "In this world S comes after t which it precedes Q, so if you could take your place with the others that would be much appreciated" she told him sternly.
There were some snickers from the other children as Aralas looked hopelessly around until another kid with the last name of Smith waved his hand and gestured for Aralas to stand next to him.
By this time Aralas's face was a dark bronze as he blushed in embarrassment and then followed the others as McGonagall lead the way from the room into the great hall.
The doors opened and the students gasped in awe again. The enter ceiling appeared to be gone (though Aralas heard Hermione whispering to another student "it's not real sky, it's just bewitched to look like the night sky. I read about it in Hogwarts a history.")
Four long tables were illuminated by floating candles and at each table a pair of colours seemed to be prominent.
They halted at a gesture from McGonagall who left and returned bearing an extremely battered hat that looked like something his mother had fished out of a tomb and a three legged stool.
She placed the hat on the stool and stood back. There was a moment of silence where everyone craned their necks to look at the hat. Then a long rip near the brim opened like a mouth and the hat burst into song. True an extremely scratchy and out of tune and song but a song none the less:
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 then me.
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.
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 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,
Where you'll meet 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."
The hall burst into applause and the knot that had been forming in Aralas's chest loosened, all they had to do was try on a hat. If this were Nirn it would have probably involved some kind of maze that hade several different answers depending on the qualities they were searching for.
He relaxed as McGonagall stepped forward with her list and read Abbot, Hannah" a blond girl ran forward and after having the hat placed on her head, was sorted into Hufflepuff.
After that Aralas tuned out except for Hermione's the hat was settled in her head and the hat seemed to grumble to itself for a few moments before it cried "GRIFFENDOR" and the beaming Hermione made her way to the table that was cheering and dominated by red and gold ties.
Neville was also sorted to Gryffindor, and the boy was so relieved that he ran towards the table with the hat still on his head. He had to trot back to the stool amid the laughter of the other students before Aralas tuned it out again, only vaguely notice the hat scream out "SLYTHERIN" after just barely touching Malfoy's head.
Eventually he heard his name "Stillglade, Aralas" the teacher cried and her made his way up to the stool. The hat was placed on his head and fell all the way down to his shoulders, bending his ears uncomfortably.
"Oooh, now there's something you don't see every day" a voice that sounded suspiciously like the hat said inside his head. Immediately Aralas cleared his mind and pushed the hat back out, it felt too like what his mother had described as Daedric invasions and he kept him barriers up to hold the voice outside. "Common lad, I can't sort you unless you let me in" the hat told him "If it makes you feel any better I am bound by an oath to keep everything I find confidential."
Slowly Aralas lowered his barriers and the hat resumed his sifting "oh my, oh my, oh my." he muttered "you have quite a few terrifying memories in here young man, Wolves attacking you, bandits attempting to kidnap you... WHAT THE HELL? IT BIT ME" The last part was out loud and everyone stared at the hat in astonishment.
"Sorry" Aralas thought at the hat as he wrestled his dragon back into his subconscious from where it had leapt out to repel the intruder.
"Good lord you have had a strange upbringing… courage to make Gryffindor jealous, loyalty that would make Hufflepuff blush , a brain that would make Ravenclaw an equal, and a hunger for power that would put Salazar to shame... you would do well in any house" the hat told him more quietly.
"I want to be with my friends" he told the hat firmly.
"Are you sure?" the hat asked him slyly "In Slytherin you could be truly great, but with loyalty like that Hufflepuff would be the place for you."
Aralas scowled "Gryffindor Now" he commanded.
"Fine, fine" the hat huffed sulkily "GRIFFENDOR!" it shouted to the entire hall. There were cheers and applause as the lions welcomed their newest member and Aralas walked happily to sit next to Neville and Hermione who had saved him a seat.
The rest of the first years were sorted, including Ron Weasely who was sorted into Gryffindor, much to Aralas's annoyance.
One everyone was seated, Dumbledore stood up "I have a few words I would like to say before our feast. And here they are Nitwit, Oddment, Blubber, Tweak. Thank you" he sat down and instantly the four long tables were groaning under the weight of hundreds of dishes. Platters filled with various meats caught Aralas's attention ad he fell on them, heaping his plate high with several very raw stakes and other pieces of protein. Everyone started at him curiously as he dug into his food, devouring it in quick and efficiently neat bites.
"Is the headmaster mad?" Hermione asked a red headed boy who introduced himself as Percy Weasely the prefect.
"Oh he is quite mad" Percy assured her jovially "but extremely brilliant as well."
Aralas looked up from his steak at Hermione "So he's had one conversation too many with Sheogorath. As long as he stays peaceful then I don't care" he told her before diving back into his steak.
Hermione looked at him in confusion "Sheogorath?" she asked mentally leafing through the book he had lent her.
"Daedric prince of madness" Aralas told her after swallowing.
"Oh" she said a little weakly, her eyes still riveted on the pile of rapidly disappearing food on his plate, she was astonished how quickly and neatly he was devouring his food as well as the complete lack of a vegetable anywhere.
Abruptly, half way through his third steak he pushed his plate away and sat there nibbling on a piece of salami and looking around the hall. As his eyes roved along the top table he say the giant Hagrid in animated conversation with an incredibly short teacher who kept ducking the giants emphatic hand gestures.
A few seats down sat a sallow skinned man with long greasy black hair, black robes an incredibly hooked nose and an expression darker the Alduin's soul. Next to him sat a weak looking man in a purple turban who seemed to be stuttering and looked extremely nervous. Aralas felt a vague sort of itching around his forehead scar and absently scratched it. "Excuse me, Percy" he addressed the red head politely, when the red head looked at him Aralas gestured to the hook nosed teacher "who is that?"
Percy craned his head to see above the other student's heads. "Oh that professor Snape, head of Slytherin house" he told Aralas settling down to his shepherd's pie again.
"What does he teach?" Aralas wondered still watching Snape glare around the hall as if everyone there had insulted his mother.
"Potions, but everyone knows it's the dark arts he fancies, he's been after Quirrle's job for years." Percy told him.
Aralas shrugged to himself and turned his attention back to the conversation happening at his table. "I'm half and half" a young blond boy was saying "me dads a muggle, mams a witch, bit of nasty shock for him when he found out" a few people giggled at that and looked at Aralas with open curiosity.
"What about you?" another boy asked "are you a half-blood?" they looked at him and Aralas felt the need to breathe deeply, why were they all so obsessed with blood? He wondered. But he decided to tell them.
"My mother is a Bosmer from Valenwood, my father is dead" he told them, the last bit an omission of a sorts.
"Oh I'm so sorry" said one of the girls who had darker skin almost like a Redguard.
Aralas shrugged "I live with my mum and her shield-sister Aela outside Falkreath and my Godsmother Serana comes by often despite how far it is to travel from castle Volkihar." He said and reached for a large piece of prosciutto which he sliced up with his fork and continued to nibble on.
"Shield sister?" asked an older red headed boy sitting next to an identical version of himself.
"My mother is the Harbinger of the Companions, a fighter's guild in Skyrim. Everyone in the guild depends on each other in battle as if they were family, hence the title shield-sibling. Aela the Huntress volunteered to be my mother's steward after I was born so she could look after me better." He told them.
"What kind of a last name is "the Huntress" the blond boy asked.
"Last names are a rarity in Skyrim. Usually titles or clan names are used as markers, that or your town of birth. Aela is a renowned archer and hunter in Skyrim, thus her name The Huntress." Aralas explained tiredly.
By this time everyone was nearly full and the decimated platters vanished from the table leaving the plates glittering and clean.
Then the desserts appeared. Everything one could ever imagine in the realm of sugary confections was there. Aralas looked along the line of sweets and felt slightly ill at the sight of so much sugar, sweets were a rarity back home, so to be confronted with the smell of so much sugar made his stomach turn a little.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked him after catching a glance at his face.
"The smell" he told her "it smells to sweet" Hermione looked a little confused "my sense of smell is better than a humans, and I'm smelling tons of sugar… we don't have a lot of that on Nirn. Sure we have sweets but we mostly use honey back home… it's a little overwhelming" he told her.
Hermione looked at him sympathetically and looked along the table "all of these are made with plants aren't they?" she asked him and he nodded before shrugging "I wish I could have a sweet roll but I don't see one, don't mind me Hermione, enjoy your dessert."
With another sympathetic look she went back to her treacle tart and Neville put a hand on Aralas's shoulder "the feast is almost over anyway" he reassured his new friend and showed Aralas his empty plate "I don't much like dessert either" he said by way of an explanation.
Finally the dessert too went the way of the earlier feast and the survivors vanished, leaving the tables and dishes spotless once more.
Dumbledore stood, the candle light sparkling off of his beard and half-moon spectacles. "Now that we are all fed and watered I have a few start of term announcements to make. The forbidden forest on the grounds is exactly that forbidden, the list of banned items has been increased by seven items. To see the full list, look ether on your common room notice boards, the door of Mr. Filch's office or just as the Weasely twins..."
Here the twins yelled loudly "YEAH WE MADE MOST OF THEOSE ITEMS BANNED!"
Dumbledore chuckled before continuing "Also I would like to inform 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."
There were some chuckles and Aralas sat up straighter with a strange glint in his eye "is he serious?" he asked Percy who frowned.
"I think so, though he usually lets us prefects know why a place is out of bounds." Aralas shrugged and turned back to the headmaster.
"And Finally before you head off to bed, let us sing out school song, feel free to use whatever tune you wish" he told them pulling out his wand and causing a purple ribbon to fly into the air and form words. Aralas smiled and bellowed to the tune of Ragnar the Red:
Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald,
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling,
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot.
It was chaos of the greatest kind, Aralas looked out of the corner of his eye and saw Sheogorath balanced on a rafter conducting the masses with a massive grin on his face and his eyes twinkling. Dumbledore waited until everyone had finished, even the Weasely twins who had sung it as a funeral dirge.
"Ah Music, the greatest magic of all" he said wiping away a tear. "Now off you tot" he told them.
Immediately Aralas found himself being herded along with the other first years through the corridors up to one of the towers where an massive portrait of a rotund lady in a pink silk gown. "Password?" she asked.
"Capet Draconis" Percy said rather pompously and the portrait swung to the side revealing an entrance.
They filed through into a spacious circular common room filled with comfortable looking red chairs and tables. A large fireplace dominated one wall and the others were filled with scarlet and gold tapestries. Everywhere Aralas looked the motif of a lion was roared, lounged, pranced or fought.
"Welcome to Gryffindor tower, this is where you will sleep and spend your off hours. Boys dormitories are up the stairs on the left, girls the same on your right. You will find that all your belongings have already been brought up. Now off to bed."
He instructed and Aralas found Hermione "Good night" she said to both him and Neville.
"See you in the morning" Aralas replied before leading the way up the left hand staircase. The boy's dormitory was circular and had five four poster beds with crimson drapes and coverlets.
Snowpaw looked up from bed near the window "what took you so long?" he demanded, yawning.
"The feast was several hours" Aralas told him as he opened his trunk and pulled out the armour stand and weapons rack that had been magically stored in there.
The other boys gaped at him "why do you need those?" a boy named Dean asked ogling the small imperial sword and shield that had been his nameday presents.
"To stay in shape, if my skills fall then I'm going to be in huge trouble when I get home" he told them reaching deeper in and pulling out a large white wolf pelt which he laid on the bed.
The boys stared at it as Aralas pulled on his sleep pants "Is that a wolf?" Ron asked.
Aralas nodded "yup, this is Faskus [fuzzy], mum got him for me when we were heading home after my naming ceremony." He told them kneeling at the side of his bed and bowing his head.
The others watched in confusion as he began reciting a prayer to nine divines with weird names. "Are you religious?" A boy named Seamus asked from his bed.
Aralas nodded again "when the gods make a habit of interfering with your family, it pays to keep on their good sides" he told them before he climbed into bed, snuggling into the wolf fur like a comfort blanket with the large grey kitten curling up next to him.
"You mean she bought you that fur?" Ron asked still stuck on the fur, his jealousy raising it head.
Aralas snorted "of course not. It attacked our carriage and she killed it, skinned it and once we got home tanned it and gave it to me."
He pulled up where the wolfs head was and poked his finger through a hole in where the back of the neck would have been. "She got him with an arrow through the mouth, clean kill." The others save Neville shuddered and climbed into bed.
"Night Neville" Aralas called.
"Night Aralas" came the sleepy replied.
Once the dormitory was quiet, Aralas pulled out a small amulet and poured a little touch of his magica into it. The sapphire in the center glowed and he heard his mother's voice singing to him his favorite lullaby that she had recorded for him. "Alduin's wings, they did darken the sky, his roar fury's fire and his scales sharpened scythes" his eyes grew heavy and he drifted off to sleep.
A/N-
Holy Auriel sorry it took so long, I got run over by a bus that called itself "real life" I don't like him. Anyway sorry it took too long… I think this chapter may be a little odd, I was tippsy when I wrote it, though my beta seemed to think it was ok.
Hope you continue to enjoy
Safe travels, Trojan Seeress.