Chapter 4: The Sorting Hat
"Hello" – Normal Speech
'Hello' – Normal Thought
"Hello" – Non-Human Speech
'Hello' – Non-Human Thought
DISCLAIMER: Unfortunately, I do not own the rights to the Harry Potter or Naruto franchises. Nor do I own the rights to Hogwarts Mystery or Hogwarts Legacy. Wish I did though.
The first years were ushered upstairs into the castle; As they went upstairs, they were all stopped by an elderly woman, Professor McGonagall. The woman smiled at the first years. "Welcome to Hogwarts, in a few moments you will pass through these doors and join your classmates, but before you can take your seats you must be sorted into your houses," the professor said as the first years looked at each other before looking back at the professor. "The houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Now while you are here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you house points, any rule-breaking and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup," McGonagall explains.
Soon the moment was interrupted when a first-year boy found his toad and yelled out "Trevor!" as he rushed in and grabbed his toad. The professor looks at the boy with a raised eyebrow; The boy, embarrassed, mutters "Sorry," and returns to the group. McGonagall shook her head, "The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily," she said before walking away. All the first years began to talk excitedly about which house they would end up in. Soon everyone went quiet, as a boy of their age with slick-back blond hair, whom Josh recognized, spoke above all others.
"So, it's true then, what they're saying on the train, Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts," the boy said. The students heard what they were saying and murmured about this, while a blond-haired girl with cold blue eyes and a serious face listened intently. "This is Crabbe and Goyle," the boy said as he pointed to the other two boys by his side, "And I'm Draco Malfoy" he introduced himself, though he frowned as Ron snickered at him.
"Think my name is funny, don't you? No need to ask yours, red hair, and a hand me down, you must be a Weasley, you'll soon find out that some Wizarding families are better than others Potter, don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort, I can help you" he said as he held his hand out. Naruto, Ron, Josh, and Hermione glared at the boy and Josh held Naruto back before he got anywhere near him. Harry responded to Draco: "I think I can tell who the wrong sort is for myself, thanks" Harry said as he frowned at the boy. Draco seethed in anger and was about to say more before Josh then spoke out. "I remember you. We met at Madam Malkin's," This had many eyes turn in his direction. But before Draco could respond, Professor McGonagall returns and smacks Draco's shoulder with rolled-up parchment. Draco returns to his group, not before glaring at Harry and his friends one last time.
McGonagall announces that the students are ready to enter the hall. As every student begins to enter the hall, Naruto accidentally bumps into a girl. "Whoops, sorry about that," Naruto said to the girl. The girl in question was a blond girl with cold blue eyes and a serious expression, and the girl turned to Naruto and said, "Don't worry about it" and she just walked with the rest of the students. Naruto hurried back to his group and saw the hall. He and the other students were amazed by what they saw on the ceiling and thought it was the night sky when Hermione mentioned that the ceiling was bewitched to look like that.
They soon arrive at the steps leading up to the head table. McGonagall stops the upcoming first years, and mentions "Before we begin to sort you, Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words." Dumbledore stands up and welcomes everyone before beginning to warn them all that the dark forest is forbidden to all students and that the third-floor corridor on the right is out of bounds. All of the students were pretty shaken by that warning. Now then, McGonagall came back with a pretty long list, a stool, and a hat. "Now then, when I call your name, you shall come forth and I will place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your house" McGonagall stated as she opened the long scroll. The first person to go was Hermione Granger. Now Hermione was nervous at first, but Naruto assures Hermione that she'll be fine. She goes up and the sorting hat talked and had just sorted her to Gryffindor. Everyone cheered as she walked to the table with the other Gryffindors. The next person to go was Draco Malfoy, who was sorted into Slytherin. The odd thing was that the sorting hat barely even touched his head when sorting him. Soon the next person to go was Susan Bones, who was sorted to Hufflepuff. As she was getting sorted, Harry's scar was burning, and he noticed a man with greasy black hair looking at him. Naruto asked Harry if he was okay while Josh looked concerned, but Harry shook it off and assured them he was fine. Now the next person to go was the blond hair girl with cold blue eyes (now named Daphne Greengrass) that Naruto encountered and she was sorted to Slytherin, but what surprised Naruto was that after she got sorted, she had a neutral face as if she didn't care which house she went to or maybe there was something else, but Naruto shakes off that idea as Ron was about to go up.
Ron was initially nervous given how the hat sounded rather indignant, but luckily Ron got sorted into Gryffindor as everyone cheered for him. Now then it's time for Naruto to go up as he got called to be sorted. As McGonagall places the hat on Naruto, "Hmmm difficult very difficult, I've seen that you have suffered much pain and sorrow through your whole life, and you are ambitious to be seen by others as yourself, and I have sensed something dangerous inside you… I could place you in Slytherin…" the hat said to Naruto. "Can I go to a place where I can make friends… real friends?" Naruto asked the hat. "Hmmm… despite the pain and sorrow, I see bravery in you… a will of fire perhaps… in that case better to be… GRYFFINDOR!" the hat said. Everybody cheered as Naruto went to the Gryffindor table and sat between Ron and Hermione. Now the next person to go was Harry Potter and everyone was silent as he went to be sorted. Just like with Naruto, the hat was about to consider sorting Harry to Slytherin, but in the end, sorted Harry to Gryffindor as he didn't want to be in Slytherin. Everybody cheered as Harry got sorted in Gryffindor and he sat next to Ron.
"Joshua Forest," McGonagall called, as all eyes fell on the final person to be sorted. Josh sat down and McGonagall placed the hat on his head. Silence fell. Ten seconds… twenty seconds… then as Joshua closed his eyes the hat began to speak. "Well, I've never had a challenge of sorting someone like you in all the time that I have existed. Someone who can fit like a perfect piece in any house," This got everybody's attention. A student who could fit into any house? It seemed unheard of. "Plenty of courage, intelligent without question, loyal to a fault, and quite ambitious as well. But I wonder, what is it that drives you, boy?" Josh remained silent; his eyes still shut. He seemed to be having a mental conversation with the hat because the hat spoke once more. "I see… Very well… Best be GRYFFINDOR!" The hat was removed from Josh's head among the cheers from Gryffindor house, and Josh found his seat next to Naruto.
After the sorting, Dumbledore announced the beginning of the feast. As soon as Dumbledore announced that, every table was filled up with many kinds of food. Naruto and Ron had stars in their eyes when they saw the food and soon everybody dug in. While everybody ate, the group decided to get to know each other, although Naruto remained kind of secretive about his past as he was unsure whether to tell them the whole truth. Harry and Josh knew Naruto was uncomfortable about sharing certain details and assured him that he could tell them when the time was right, to which Naruto thanked them. Harry later learns from Josh about the professor who was looking at him, and he's Professor Snape who is the head of Slytherin House and teaches potions but prefers defense of the dark arts. Josh then proceeded to explain his outburst against Malfoy and told the others about his meeting with him at Madam Malkin's. Later a bunch of ghosts fly through the halls such as Nearly Headless Nick, the Bloody Baron, and the Fat Friar. As the feast goes on for another half an hour, it soon ends as everybody from their respective houses leaves for the dorms. The Gryffindors begin leaving the Great Hall to go to their common room, and as they go up the moving staircases, they notice some paintings that are moving and greeting the new students. Before they arrive at Gryffindor Tower, however, a ghost carrying walking sticks gets in their way. "Ickle firsties. Oh, what fun," cackled the ghost, or rather the poltergeist as he threw the walking sticks at them. "Peeves! Enough, or The Baron will hear about this!" yelled Percy. Peeves proceeded to blow raspberries before dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head before floating away, cackling all the while. "Be careful around Peeves," Percy warned. "The Baron is the only one that can control him. He won't even bother listening to us prefects," They finally arrive at the tower, and a portrait that seems to be a door asks for the password. Percy replies "Caput Draconis" to which the door opens, and the entire house marvels at the common house. They are led to their respective dorms. The boys and girls were separated into their respective dormitories. The first-year boys found that their stuff was placed by the bed they would call their own. The boys spoke animatedly to each other, excited about beginning their adventures in Hogwarts. Soon enough the exhaustion of the travel and the amount of food began to catch up with them, and soon enough they were all asleep.
A/N: The gang has been sorted. I know. Not another Gryffindor! I thought about putting him in other houses, but I didn't want to alienate him from the gang. I did think about keeping the Forest line in Ravenclaw, but it would just ruin the Ravenclaw Horcrux storyline. That and any other house just didn't seem to fit the character I was building for Josh. Also, I decided to bring Peeves back. It wasn't right that they left him out of the movies, and it would be a lot more fun. Till next time, MoBi out!