Chapter 5

Nico POV

We were lead down the middle of the hall, hundreds of pairs of eyes following our progress toward a four legged stool with a tatty old hat sat on it. In an attempt to avoid the people starring, I looked up to see the ceiling was bewitched to look like the night sky outside - I tried to imagine Annabeth's face if she could see where I was.

We came to an abrupt halt in front of the stool. Professor McGonagall walked toward the teachers table and picked up a scroll, but remained silent, now the attention of everyone in the room was on the hat - almost like it was going to have a song and dance. It seemed that most of the first years shared my confusion as a rip near the brim of the hat opened like a mouth and it started to sing... No really, it started singing.

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.

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
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 hall was filled with applause as the rip in the base of the hat re-sealed itself. Professor McGonagall walked toward us with the scroll, and said,

"When I call your name, I would like you to make your way foreword and try the hat on, the hat will then decide which house you will be in. Once it announces this, you will take your place among your housemates ready for the feast to begin.

"I would also like to take this time to welcome our two new exchange students from America who will be joining us for the year and taking classes with the second years, we will be sorting them first." She paused for a moment before calling out, "Campbell Edwin"

Edwin stepped foreward and sat down for McGonagall to place the hat on his head. It was barely on his head for five seconds before calling out "SLYTHERIN", Edwin made his way accross the hall to join Draco, Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise.

"DiAngelo, Nico", now it was my turn, I swallowed and stepped foreward. My legs felt like led as I climbed up onto the dais and toward the stool. I wasn't born into this world, like Edwin, what if the hat refused to sort me because I wasn't a wizard? My doubts were cut short as I reached the stool and sat down, ready for the hat to be placed on my head.

hmmmm, what do we have here? Another Demigod, where to put you.

A voice, which I presumed was the hat, sounded in my head, I had wondered how it decided what house we were to be in.

Lots of bravery, completed many quests, seen many horrors - done them too. Yes, ambitios, Ghost King, you will go to almost any ends to complete your tasks, to gain your fathers approval - he doesn't see your true value, you have the will to prove yourself. Yes, yes, you could so easily fit into Gryffindor or Slytherin. You do t have a bad mind either, speak a few languages, know your stuff, what you can and can't do. Hmmmm, no, you have already made your mind up, I believe, yes, better be SLYTHERIN

The last word, it shouted for the whole hall to hear, the Slytherin table (lead by Draco) were cheering me, I walked toward them and took my place between Draco and Blaise, across from Edwin who was sat between Crabbe and Goyle with a girl in our year called Pansy Parkinson. Now the first year sorting was about to begin, but all I could think about was food.

After what felt like an age, 'Waters, Isaac' joined us in Slytherin and 'Young, Elissa' went to Hufflepuff - it was over, surely the feast would now begin. But nooooooo, the head teache (an elderly man with a long white beard, dressed in colourful robes and half-moon glasses) stepped forward to a golden owl lectern to make a speech.

"Professor Albus Dumbledore", said Draco, "headteacher, totally insane, father's been trimg to get rid of his for years"

"that bad?" I replied, earning a grin from my housemates.

"Welcome back, welcome back", he began, "to another year of magical education at Hogwarts! I trust you are well rested and ready for a year of learning, I hope your heads have made room for more knowledge to cram in. But for now, I know you will all be hungry, so I have but two words for you: tuck-in"

With his words, the golden plates in the middle of the tables filled with food, we immediately set about to Carving it up between us - needless to say, Crabbe and Goyle took the most - personally, I took a few sausages, some chicken and roast potatoes. It was lovely, probably one of the best meals I've ever eaten.

We were just coming to the end of the main course when Blaise pointed to a boy with messy black hair and glasses and a red head walking into the hall to join the Gryffindor table,

"Isn't that Potter and Weasley?" He said

"Yeah, it is," replied Draco, "wonder where they've been." Our questions weren't answered just then, but a man, who I presumed was a teacher, in black robes, sallow skin and shoulder length black hair. Draco told me he was professor Snape, head of Slytherin house. It wasn't long before Potter and Weasley were carted off, out of the hall, by Snape. This definitely further lightened the mood of the Slytherins feast, apparently they had been responsible for us losing the house cup last year.

The pudding was just as good as the main course, that is exemplary. I hoped the food is always as good here - but seeing as this was a feast, I doubted it would normally be quite so fantastic.

All too soon, the feast was over and we were sent to bed, O followed the other Slytherins back to the common room, behind an apparent dead end. The passoword for this term was 'Aconite', better remember that so I don't get stuck outside of the common room. At the prefects word, the wall slid aside, revealing a green room full or armchairs and skulls. What few windows there were seemed to look out into the lake.

Pretty much as soon as we got into the room, we headed straight up the boys staircase to our dormitory that had a sign on the door that read, Second Year Boys, we went in. Our stuff was already by our four poster beds and we just flopped onto them, drew the curtains around them and got into our pyjamas before staying up late into the night talking and getting to know each other.

A/N sorry the end is a bit rushed, I forget to save to so I had to totally rewrite it.

I hope you enjoyed it and I hope to en back soon!

- HermesCouncellor