AN: This story is a combined effort, written by AJ Freas and Elipsa, a mother daughter collaboration. This has already been written completely, so I'll be posting every Monday and Friday. There is a total of 62 chapters. Hope you all enjoy the ride!
'Samuel!'
'Sir Gryffindor?'
'I thought I asked you to call me Godric?'
'Dear me…'
'What's wrong, my friend?'
'Have you forgotten?'
'What? That I prefer you call me Godric?'
'No, Sir. You were only to be reincarnated if the school is in trouble. Don't you remember?'
'I received most of my memories when I turned eleven, and I am still going through them all. It's only been a couple of weeks. The school is in trouble? Oh… yes, I remember Rowena going on about some such thing once…'
'You weren't listening.'
'You know that woman could lecture for hours.'
'Well you should have listened. Had you done so, you'd know that the only reason you'd be reincarnated was if the school was in trouble.'
'What threatens our beloved school?'
'I'm unsure.'
'Hmm. Well then, shall we get on with this?'
'So eager to leave me to these idiots? I haven't had a decent conversation since you all left me the first time.'
'Nonsense, you've had conversations with our… erm… past versions?'
'None. I haven't seen any of you in an age. I'm tossed aside and left to rot.'
'You're not rotting, Samuel. Rowena made certain of that. You're well looked after.'
'I'm dropped onto a shelf and forgotten. I'm of use one night a year and then back to the shelf I go. My brain is rotting from disuse!'
'You have no brain. You're a spirit and you agreed to this position. We did not force this upon you.'
'Must you bring that bit of bad memory back? I'd rather forget about the life I once had.'
'It wasn't much of a life, though. You were dying.'
'And this is living?'
'It was your choice.'
'Be that as it may, this imprisonment is no life.'
'I could try to figure out how to release you, but you'll die. Is that what you want?'
'I…'
'Well, you think on that. In the meantime, I believe we have a bit of business to attend to. Tell them I'm Gryffindor and get on with it.'
'I could put you in Slytherin's House.'
'Don't be daft. Sal would be incensed.'
'I can put you in Hufflepuff.'
'Now that wouldn't be too much of a hardship, but Helga may raise an eyebrow and think of all the teasing I'd endure from Sal if he ever found out that I no longer fit my own house.'
'You'd never be in Ravenclaw.'
'Was that really necessary? Who was smart enough to tie your soul to my hat?'
'Dowager Ravenclaw.'
'Blasted hat. Just say Gryffindor, Samuel.'
'I suppose you don't want to know of the other?'
'Other? Other what?'
'…'
'The other ? You mean to say we're all here at one time?'
'One other so far by my count.'
'One? Well, I'm sure the others are here as well if two of us are. Who then?'
'I'm not telling.'
'What? Why not?'
'You called me a blasted hat.'
'I didn't mean it.'
'You called me daft.'
'I did not. I said not to be daft. It isn't the same thing.'
'You were implying it.'
'Semantics, still not the same thing. Why are we arguing now? Simply tell me who is already here and then say Gryffindor.'
'You're awfully demanding for a child.'
'Now you're just being cruel.'
'Yes. Yes, I am. I get bored.'
'I'll do my best to come visit.'
'I don't believe you.'
'I'll endeavor to keep my promise.'
'You've said that before.'
'Samuel…'
'…'
'Samuel Harrison!'
'Fine.'
'Well?'
'Duke Slytherin is here.'
'Truly? Where is… well, no, he'd be already sorted into his own house, who is he?'
'Davis.'
'Davis?'
'Mhmmm…'
'Fascinating. She's rather fetching.''
'Now who is being daft? Duke Slytherin would skin you alive and use your parts for potions.'
'You say such kind things.'
'I do my best.'
'Thank you for the information, Samuel. Can we get on with the sorting now then?'
'In a hurry are we?'
'We've been conversing for some time now. I'm sure everyone in the room is wondering if I even belong here.'
'Now wouldn't that be something. Sir Godric Gryffindor, Knight and Champion of Hogwarts, too daft to be sorted into his own house.'
'You really are bitter.'
"You try existing for a millennium, only spoken to once a year and see how well you hold up.'
'You're absolutely right. Think on it, Samuel. If you want to be released, I will speak with Sal and see if we can figure out Ro's ritual for you.'
'…'
'Samuel?'
'I will think on it. In the meantime,' the slit of a mouth on the Sorting Hat opened so Samuel could call out, "Gryffindor!"
A/N-Ajellah: Welcome to a new joint story by Elipsa and AJ Freas. This idea struck, I wrote a one shot and it kinda bloomed as most of our stories tend to do. Mind you, this is the only chapter that will be strictly dialogue, but the banter between Samuel Harrison aka the Sorting Hat and Godric Gryffindor was simply too much fun to muddle it up with loads of narration.
Samuel Harrison/Sorting Hat... SH / SH... see what I did there? Yeah? Yeah, well at the time I thought I was crafty... Hope you enjoy the ride.
A/N-Elipsa: this will not be a retelling of HP from the founders point of view. Things will be changed. There will be mentions of M/M, F/F, M/F relationships. There will be nothing graphic written about these relationships.
