Well, That Was Quick

Back to the present, the adventure continues. The Sorting Hat is going to be ready to make its decision. Which House will our protagonists go to?

-Extra note: Most kids have name changes, but it'll be easy to spot who's who. Otherwise, you can send me a private message-

"Gah! Wait, who are you?" Goji ran a hand roughly through his hair, shaking off all the filthy rainwater that has clung there.

"I'm Callist of the Moonhidorah sisters, purebloods whose blood stem all the way into the beginning. You know, I'm not usually supposed to be this welcoming, but given the fact that you're still a first-year I can be soft." The white-haired girl replied. There was a certain mixture of humor and sternness in her eyes, and Goji somehow felt an almost motherly sense in her.

Callist held out a hand, signaling for Goji to take it and get up. He complied, still feeling the homely aura that surrounded the girl.

He glanced around as he followed Callist, taking in all the sights the Great Hall has to offer. There were four great tables, each adorned with a different color of tablecloth and surrounded by students of all ages. Things had changed now that it's the millennium ages; even magic couldn't bear to be separated from technology for too much, and at least three Hufflepuff and a Slytherin were checking their phones at their tables.

Suddenly, there was a yelp as the phones of the above mentioned slipped away from their hands and flew into the air, as if blown by a particularly strong gust, and landed beside the feet of the Headmistress of Hogwarts - the stern, powerful witch Minerva McGonagall. Her impassive gaze swept dramatically over the seventh-year rule breakers, then returned to the first-year new arrivals. For a split second, she looked at then fondly and tenderly, as a proud mother would to her children; however, after that second she reverted back to her original, more intimidating posture.

Goji made a silent reminder to tell Rodey how much McGonagall resembled Callist in that way.

His attention was away when something crashed into him. He was nearly back onto ground when Rodey caught him and mumbled an apology.

"Oops, sorry, heh. Got a little bit too overexcited. Anyways, the Sorting Ceremony's about to start." He jibbered.

"No talking, please!" McGonagall addressed firmly.

The Great Hall went quiet with a hush.

"Mr. Longbottom, with the apparent absence of Deputy Headmistress Miss Wren, will you please read each student's name?"

A blond, portly man with large front teeth stumbled hastily towards the Headmistress, the pot in his hand landing onto the ground with a sharp crack, though not as ear-shattering as Goji had hoped.

"My pleasure!" He hastened in reaching for the list of first-year's names.

Goji realized Professor Longbottom did not use his wand.

"Now, Professor Longbottom will address all of you in turn. When it is your turn to come out, please be as quick and quiet as possible. You will be placed under the Sorting Hat and put into your House. After everyone is sorted, the Head boy and girl will escort you to your dormitories, where you are obliged to stay in until the very next morning." McGonagall commanded in a firm tone.

Goji joined Anguirus (who waved at him) and Rodey by the end of the queue of first-years.

"Alcross, Winnborn!" The first name was called. A blond girl with a ponytail gasped and dashed forwards, hastily clambering onto the bench to await being Sorted.

The Hat made a face as it concentrated on Winnborn's house.

Finally, it shouted, "RAVENCLAW!"

Winnborn, excited, sprinted off to her House table.

"The Sorting Hat usually sings a song. Guess this is a special occasion." Goji whispered to Anguirus.

Mosura (ten people away from both of them) gave him a very nasty look and squeezed through the crowd to stand beside Batora.

"Azaweth, Lilithan!"

"Whaddya s'ppose happened to the Deputy Headmistress?" Rodey muttered to his friends.

"I dunno." Goji replied. He had just spotted Biollante a little way in front, pulling hair from a rat she found lurking on the ground. The poor thing squeaked in terror and pain, but its noises were cancelled by Biollante's robes, which were muffled around its tiny muzzle.

Space was somewhere in the side of the crowd of first-years; he was flanked by Destoroyah and another boy Goji did not recognize. Dest bent over and whispered something into Space's ear, and it was a while before the thought registered in Goji that the redhead was talking about him.

With a great roll of his eyes he remembered how Dest seemed to despise him greatly since their first encounter on Platform ¾.

"Enchess, Meghan!" Professor Longbottom blurted, before adding, "I got it right, right?"

Goji had been so intent on attempting to listen to Dest's private conversation that he didn't notice the names on the list reaching 'e'.

"Indeed, professor. The Queen of Meganulon has never been more insulted in her entire life." A stiff, pale girl with a long purple-streaked braid stalked towards the Sorting Hat.

"I thought we don't have any queens…?" Rodey asked.

"She probably made that up." Anguirus replied nonchalantly, successfully ending another hushed argumant from breaking out.

Professor Longbottom looked insulted. Due to his kind nature, however, he shrugged it off.

It was no sooner Meghan donned the Sorting Hat did it give an echoing cry of, "SLYTHERIN!"

She tore off toward her House table and sat down promptly, a smirk playing on her pallid features.

Everyone in the first-year's crowd gaped at the proud girl. How was it that such a young girl was besmirching Hogwarts already?

Headmistress McGonagall shot a furious glare at Meghan, who merely stared back. Neville Longbottom started fiddling with his thumbs, an awkward and apologetic smile on his face.

"Sh-shall we continue?" He asked.

"Of course." Minerva answered swiftly.

"Freefyre Jr., Zilla!"

A thin, energetic boy sprinted off to get Sorted.

"RAVENCLAW!" Came the usual shouted reply. The Hat took a while; the boy was not easy to be sorted.

"Freddie, Lynn!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Fellyn, Kaitlin!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Harper, Kiyru!"

The boy next to Space gave a start and said something urgently to him before rushing off.

Everyone waited tensely for Kiyru's Sorting to end; it seemed to take a long time.

Finally, the Hat decided upon Ravenclaw.

Seeing there is going to be a very long time before he gets Sorted, Goji decided to zone out for a while. He thought about his family, his anscestors, and the stories Dagon told him about legendary creatures that fought in an ancient war, and how they lost, and paid a price…

"Jacks, Donny!"

...A being saved them by allowing them to manifest into a diverse type of magic...

"Ryuu, Kaida!"

...That hides, dormant, awaiting, until one generation where the soul will rise again…

"Oasis, Susie!"

...His family had been pretty ancient, too. No doubt during the time of those 'kaiju'. All the branches it had developed, the diversion from hundreds of years ago…

"Odessa, Jirass!"

...Wait. Jirass?!…

A long-haired, fair girl walked confidently forwards to get Sorted.

If only in ancient family albums, Goji recognized her.

She seems to have an idea who he was, though, as she started towards Gryffindor she met eyes with him. There was a hint of surprise in Jirass' eyes, and a meet-me-later-we-have-to-talk look. Then Goji realized with an audible sigh that he had missed his cousin's and Rodey's Sorting. No wonder it was so quiet. But never mind, he still had his own.

It was only a matter of minutes before Goji's name was called. His legs don't usually get pressured by standing up for long periods of time, but he linked this enhanced durability with his pure-blood identity.

The Hat was soon on Goji's head, not quite so snugly. A resonating sound filled his brain as it began to decide.

'Hmm, a nice match for Slytherin, although not at the moment, but in a few years' time, yes, yes…'

'What if I don't want to be in Slytherin?"

Goji's eyes flitted just in time to meet Space's narrowed ones at the Ravenclaw table, where he gained an odd sense someone was using a quietened variation of Legillimency on him.

'Of course, of course. Well, no-one wants to be in Slytherin. No-one in your family. But some end up there anyway. I see Gryffindor is the only other option, boy. Not to be insulting but you neither seem too bright nor soft.'

'Gryffindor, then.'

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Goji winced for nothing; the Sorting hat's declaration was barely audible from his perspective.

He left the stool, feeling jumpy, then settled down at his House table.

A sharp tap on his back jerked him out of his thoughts.

"Rodey! Warn me next time!" He hissed.

"You're in the House of Brave, too?" It was audibly and physically clear Rodey was very excited.

"Err...yeah."

"Yes! I wonder if we'd be able to share dorms?!"

"Probably…"

And he started on a whole new set of stories about Quidditch.

The crowd of first-years were getting smaller and smaller. When the last Hufflepuff was sorted, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

But just when McGonagall was about to make her Welcoming Speech, a sudden interruption occurred.

The candles decorating the Great Hall flickered; confused and frightened whimpers sounded; and then, the candles all blew out.

Somebody screamed.

There was a brilliant flash of flame that failed to enlight any candle.

Tripping noises, people hitting things, objects crashing to the floor, and portraits complaining accompanied the hurried rush to the dorms.

This race for safety was the most thrilling thing that happened that day, however amidst all the chaos Goji thought he saw a flash of robes disappear into an empty corridor.

An empty corridor that lead to an abandoned but fixed classroom.

That once held the Mirror of Erised.