Hey everyone, good news for once. I'm about four weeks from graduation, at which point I'll have about three months of free time to write. Until the summer however my updates will continue to be far and few in-between. As always please be sure to thank my beta Pixel and Stephanie Forever, who has been the most patient person with my odd writing habits and schedule (Pixel: Pixel's brain sort of stopped working which is why this chapter took so long to do – luckily, they fixed the fault and I am as happy as a Luna Lovegood on sugar). I'm trying my best to get chapters completed earlier, but this last quarter of school has been brutal (Damn you Anthropology!) and I've been trying to work on my original fiction a little. I hope you enjoy the chapter and I'll see you at the end.
Northumberland, UK
1 September 1991
Hogwarts Castle
Entrance Hall
Harry and the rest of the first years peered at the door as it opened, revealing an imposing stern-faced woman. She wore a light green robe and atop her head was a pointed hat. "Thank you Hagrid" she spoke to the giant of a man as she ushered them inside. "If you'll all give me a moment" She waited till they had quieted. "I am Professor McGonagall and I teach Transfiguration here at this school. Now in a moment I will lead you all into the Great Hall, where you will be sorted into your houses. During your time at Hogwarts you will live, eat, and attend classes with the students in your house. They will be like your family, and any bad behavior on your part will cause your house to lose points, on the other hand outstanding behavior will earn you points." She turned and led them into a small chamber off to the opposite side of the hall. "I will be with you again momentarily" She strode back out the door and into the Great Hall.
"Well, ready to face the music Hannah?" Harry whispered to his friend out of the corner of his mouth, smiling slightly at the nervous faces around him.
"Yeah… Although I was thinking these walls wouldn't take more than one or two RPG hits. Let's see how this goes shall we?" She chuckled as a short red head started talking about how one of his brothers had said something about fighting a troll.
"What a numpty." Flora said with a giggle of amusement, nodding her head to the left where the boy stood.
"Indeed, as if parents would let their kids come here if they had to fight a troll. It's bloody…" Harry was cut off as two girls towards the back of the room shrieked in surprise. In an instant Harry and his squad-mates turned on a heel, there arms coming up in a defensive stance. They relaxed immediately when they saw it was just the school ghosts popping through the wall. Fortunately the rest of the first years seemed not to have noticed the group's reaction time.
"I must say my dear Friar that we have given Peeves more than enough chances, we must come down harder on him, lest someone get hurt." This came from an elderly looking ghost, with a cheery smile on his face.
"I know that as well as anyone, however everyone must be allowed a chance, and even if we wanted to come down harder on him how would we? The only one he listens to with any reliability is the Baron. The Baron will only interfere if…" The portly ghost trailed off as he noticed the large group of first years below them. "Ah the first years! I had forgotten the date, I must welcome you all to Hogwarts and I hope to see you all in my house, good old Hufflepuff." He winked and floated up through the ceiling, following his other opaque companions.
"If you'll all follow me now." Again they jumped as McGonagall reentered the room and held it open for them to file out through. They entered a large room with candles floating throughout and the roof enchanted to look as if it was open to the heavens.
"It's enchanted to look like the sky" Harry heard the bushy haired girl in front of him telling the girl next to her. He tuned her out for a moment as he took in the room. Four large tables spanned the room, with a fifth set slightly higher. To his left were tables filled with Slytherin and Hufflepuff students while to his right were the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students. The teachers took up the table at the far end of the hall, with Dumbledore sitting on what could only be described as a throne. He smiled benignly at the children as they walked toward a three legged stool with a tattered wizard's hat on it. As they stopped their approach, a mouth of sorts opened at the brim of the hat, and it began to sing.
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 room burst into raucous applause as the hat finished its song, and McGonagall took her place next to the stool. "When I call your name, you will sit on the stool and you will be sorted." She took a long scroll of parchment and began to call out names. "Hannah Abbott" Harry nodded encouragingly to her. She walked forward with her head held high, and sat on the wobbly stool as the hat descended over her eyes. She sat for a moment before the hat called out, "GRYFFINDOR" The house of the lions began screaming their approval as she walked over to them and took her place towards the end of the table. The next half dozen students were called forward, and Harry made sure to note who they were and where they went but ultimately wasn't paying attention. He snapped up when he heard Flora's name called out. She moved quickly as she walked from the back of the group to the sorting stool. The hat took considerably longer than it had with some, but ultimately called out "RAVENCLAW". She made her way quietly over to the house of the Ravens, her face pensive. Harry made a note to ask her about that later. Hestia was next and took a considerably shorter time than her sister, eventually being sorted into Hufflepuff. Her smile was as large as it normally was, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Then Harry must had to wait, and wait, and wait. Until finally Parvati Patil had made her way over to the Gryffindor table, and his name was called. He did his best to show none of the nerves he was feeling as he approached the teachers table. As he sat there McGonagall dropped the hat onto his head, and it slipped over his eyes.
"So, another one of these 'Cadets' eh? And the famous Mister Potter this time. Your whole band would have done well in Slytherin, as I told Ms. Carrow. You however will go on to do a great many things Mister Potter, and nowhere in this school will that be easier for you to accomplish than in Salazar Slytherin's house. However I suspect that much like Ms. Flora, you will be willing to fight me on that placement no?"
"I'd not only fight you, but I'd end up putting you in a washing machine"
"I believe I would like to see you try"
"With detergent" Harry said and he got the distinct impression the hat shook violently with fear.
"Alright… Alright…" the hat said. "You'd much rather be in… Gryffindor… with the young Ms. Abbott. Well I can certainly see why, do take heed not to be too dense in the matter if you please"
"You can read my mind"
"Yes – though I have to say it is kind of roomy in here"
"Get! Out! Of! My! Mind!"
"I have the power and right to read your mind in order to sort you best"
"Not today…" and Harry projected the thought of him taking the hat and introducing it to a pair of sharp scissors"
"Fine you petulant child! Very well – better be GRYFFINDOR!" The last was shouted for the hall to hear, and as Harry began walking to where Hannah was sat he began contemplating the sorting hats words. 'Not too dense in this matter' what the bloody hell does that mean. He shook his head and turned to Hannah, intending to ignore it for the time being and simply be happy sitting next to his best friend. He nodded to Hestia and Flora where they sat, and turned to the teachers table where Dumbledore was rising.
"Hello all of you, returning students and new students alike, and welcome to another wonderful year at Hogwarts. I'll have to continue my announcements after your all fed and watered, lest there be riots. Without further ado, pip squiggle pop and squeak." With that odd combination of words, mountains of food began appearing at all spots on the table not occupied by a student. Bowls of mashed potatoes, plates of grilled fish, platters of shepherd's pie, and flasks of pumpkin juice. Harry and Hannah left conversation for the moment and began filling plates, trying to add some vegetables to their plates, but finding very little in the mix. They tried to find some other sorts of fruit juices, but ended up drinking water as neither of them liked the Pumpkin Juice. The two friends allowed themselves to indulge when they spotted Chicken Kiev – both were very partial to it back at the Academy. After ten minutes of eating, they turned and began talking in hushed voices about the next steps.
"We'll have to find a way to meet up with the others in a discreet fashion. Probably bi-weekly intervals, before breakfast if we can manage." Hannah was saying, taking sips from her goblet as they talked.
"We'll have to give it a day or two to learn the routine, see when people wake up, and begin learning the layout of the castle. If we're lucky these first few days nobody will be up as early as we usually are. We'll also have to find a good spot to meet." Harry was pondering the few locations that they'd seen so far. "Nothing usable yet, we'll have to use class tomorrow to pass the word to Flora and Hestia."
"We'll have a hard time getting them alone without it rousing suspicion. From what the Colonel said, houses don't interact much." Harry nodded, sitting back from his plate to think. He was forced to stop when the food simply disappeared and was replaced by dessert. Harry was almost instantaneous in reaching for the treacle tart, while Hannah reached for a Bakewell tart. After another five minutes or so of feasting the dishes cleared and Dumbledore stood once again.
"Now that we've all enjoyed this wonderful feast, I must take a moment to remind you that the Forbidden Forest will continue to be, forbidden. Mr. Filch has kindly reminded me that there is a list of banned items on the door of his office should one wish to peruse them. Finally I must ask that all students stay away from the third floor corridor on the right hand side, as it is forbidden to all but those that do not wish to die a painful death." He paused as everyone began looking at one another in a panic. "Now off to bed, all of you." Harry and Hannah followed a rather pompous looking red-head out of the Great Hall, and up a large amount of stairs. He kept prattling on about staircases and how they liked to change. Throughout the whole of the trip, Hannah and Harry had a whispered conversation about what could be in the third floor corridor. They decided to ignore it to the best of their abilities.
They reached a long corridor with a painting of a large lady, dressed in a pink nightgown. "Hello Gryffindor's" Her voice was soft, and she had a kind demeanor about her.
"Hello Lady, caput draconis." The red-head was the one that spoke. "Thank you" He muttered as the portrait swung open. Once they were in the lightly lit common room he turned to them, "That was the fat lady, the portrait that guards our common room. To enter you need the password, which changes month to month. See me, another prefect, or professor McGonagall if you need to know the password. The boys dormitories are located up those stairs on the left, the girls is on the right. Do not enter another genders dormitory without permission from one of the residents." He nodded to them and went over to one of the overstuffed armchairs near the fireplace. Harry nodded to Hannah as they split up to go to their dorms. Once Harry was in the boy's dorm he was greeted by two of the other boys that had been sorted.
"Hello, I'm Seamus and this is Dean. It's good to meet you." Seamus held out his hand, which Harry took and shook.
"It's good to meet you as well, excited for class?" Harry was trying for polite conversation.
"Yeah, I'm just bursting to learn some magic. I'm a muggleborn you see, so I just can't wait." Dean was bouncing from one foot to the other. Harry nodded, with a light grin forming on his features.
"I'm excited as well, but I wish we could play quidditch our first year." Seamus had the same air of excitement around him, but it was undercut by a bit of disappointment.
"I'm just sad they don't have any sort of football club, that's what I'm going to miss." Harry and his squad often played a few footie games on the weekend with the other cadets. He was going to miss the exercise.
"Maybe we can rig something up, I don't think I can wait till June to play another game." Dean looked downright thrilled that there was someone else that liked football.
"You support West Ham?" Harry noticed a posted Dean attached to one wall.
"Yeah"
"Then perhaps you can explain why they lost to Notts County"
"It was only two goals we lost by" Dean frowned.
"You still lost" Harry pointed out. "From what I heard and read in the paper, you'll be hard pressed to beat QPR"
"We'll beat them easily" Dean protested with a laugh.
"Winning one out of four games…" Harry shrugged as he opened his trunk. "I predict that you will be relegated by the end of the season"
"God…" Dean groaned, "Not another United supporter"
"As much as I would love to listen to Match of the Day, I'm going to head to bed you two, it's been a long day." Harry and Dean nodded in agreement to Seamus' statement, both going for their trunks that were set at the foot of four poster beds. Ten minutes later and the three were settled onto their beds, Harry with a book open and the other two with their curtains drawn. With a small creak the door opened and Neville, if Harry was getting the name right walked in, Harry nodded to him and gestured to the other two beds. The boy nodded in understanding and quietly got ready for bed. It wasn't another minute when the door banged open and Ron Weasley walked in. Harry could see Dean sit bolt upright at the noise.
"Why's it so dark?" The boy asked.
"Racist" Dean muttered.
"Maybe cause we're tryna fecking sleep." That was Seamus' drowsy mumble.
"C'mon it's our first day at Hogwarts, you can't sleep just yet." The boy obviously didn't have to wake up early to get to Kings Cross that morning.
"Bugger off, it's been a long damn day. Get changed and go to bed." That was Dean, angrily punching his pillow before laying back down.
"Fine" He seemed to have accepted defeat, as he walked into the bathroom to change. Harry lay back and stared at the dark wood panel at the top of his bed, before taking off his glasses and closing his eyes.
I'm sorry this is so late, it's almost my finals week and I'm desperately trying to graduate in a few weeks. Thankfully after another few weeks the only thing impeding my writing will be myself and work. I'm going to try and include Dean and Seamus a bit more than was done canonically, I think there is a lot of untapped potential there.
Thanks again to Pixel and Stephanie Forever, for putting up with me, and giving me a kick in the ass on occasion to finish a chapter. Please do check out some of their work. I'll see you all next year.