"Gryffindor!" bellowed the hat, and around him the table broke out into raucous applause.

Harry clapped with them immediately, though not without a nudge from Ron. The student had paused at the stool as if stunned, but he quickly placed the hat back on the stool and paced towards the Gryffindor table. Instead of sitting with the first-years he walked past them- then hesitated and made as if to turn back.

"Edward, you can sit here!" called Hermione. She waved him over, and made space for him, squashing Ron and Harry in the process. "Oi!" said Ron, but he took his elbows off the table.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Hermione with a friendly smile. "You're a sixth-year, aren't you, Edward?"

"Um, yeah," said the boy quickly. "And your name?"

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself didn't I?" she said apologetically. "My name is Hermione Granger, and I'm the prefect for sixth-year. You can turn to me with help for integrating into Hogwarts." Harry snickered internally at the greeting while being simultaneously grateful for Hermione's ability to streamline every interaction. It wasn't just them who were curious about the new student after all, and it was better them than Lavender.

"Nice to meet you Hermione, I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Edward replied politely. "Though I know a lot about Hogwarts already." The way he spoke was kind of interesting. It was as if he could be effortlessly polite but was just too tired to keep up the facade. It wasn't a unique expression, but the difference was that Edward looked perfectly well rested and energetic. It was just his voice that gave the opposite impression.

"Have you read 'Hogwarts: A History' then?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Edward said after a pause. "Though not all of it, and there's definitely concepts I struggle with."

"Like what?" Hermione's interest was raised.

"I suppose maybe the characteristics of the houses?" He looked away. "I'll be honest, I thought I would be in Hufflepuff."

A bubble of silence spread outwards from their seats at the table as people heard and strained to hear more. Hermione was quiet too, and so Harry came to the rescue. "Why not Gryffindor?"

"I don't know," Edward responded slowly, as if he was considering every word. "I suppose I've never thought of myself as being particularly brave or courageous, you see. I'm more of an easy-going person." He smiled briefly. "Though I suppose that has its merits."

His feelings mirrored Harry's when he had chosen Gryffindor over Slytherin at the sorting. "I don't know about that. Sometimes bravery means doing what needs to be done, even when you're scared," Harry said thoughtfully. "I'd reckon you showed a lot of courage just by transferring here and starting fresh."

He looked up to see everyone staring at him. "What?"

"Nothing," said Hermione with a smile and turned back to Edward. "I agree with Harry as well. In fact, I don't think a classification of traits is practical either." She continued, "It's probably more about the choices you make and the values you hold dear."

"That .. kind of makes sense," said Edward.

"Exactly," Hermione agreed, her enthusiasm evident. "It's a bit more complicated than just fitting every student into a box. Gryffindor values bravery, but that doesn't mean we don't have other traits. We all have a bit of every house in us, I think. The hat just decides where we'll thrive the most."

Anyone interested had turned away during Hermione's speech, which they heard with such regularity that their brains automatically tuned it out. Ron, however looked thoughtful and Harry himself was secretly impressed all over again at Hermione's ability to put thoughts into words. He had had the same feelings on the matter, and recognized the idea she had vocalized.

Edward, strangely enough, looked even more tensed than before, staring off into a point in space. Hermione noticed at the same time as he did and went pink.

"I didn't- bore you, did I?" she asked stiffly. "Edward?"

"Of course not," he said after a pause. "It's just that what you said reminded me of something." He shook his head as if to shake off the mood. "It's not you- it's me."

Hermione relaxed slightly but Harry could see by her face that she was intrigued. "Well . ." She glanced at Harry, through which he tried to implore her to drop the subject.

Her answer had clearly triggered a memory that was associated with some strong emotions, although Harry couldn't imagine how the Hogwarts houses could make you remember anything like that. Apparently Hermione did too, and he could practically hear the gears clicking as she constructed the question in her head.

Edward was saved from it by Ron. "Hey, Edward, what kind of classes were you taking last year?"

"Mostly the same as Hogwarts, I think. Transfiguration, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts..."

"Which magical school did you go to?" Harry asked before Ron could.

"I was homeschooled, actually."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "Homeschooled? That's different. So you haven't been to a school like Hogwarts before?"

Edward shook his head. "No, this is my first time attending a school with so many other students." Harry could sort of tell. Edward kept to his own space, and he kept turning to look behind him when other students cheered.

Hermione nodded understandingly. "It must be a big change. But don't worry, you'll get the hang of it. And if you ever need help, just ask."

"Thanks," Edward said with a small smile. "I appreciate it."

Ron nudged Harry and grinned. "So, Edward, what kind of things did your guardians teach you? Any cool spells?"

Edward's face brightened noticeably. "Yeah, they taught me quite a bit. My godfather is especially good with defensive spells and dueling. He made sure I knew how to protect myself."

"Not to brag, but Harry here's pretty good at dueling himself," said Dean with a grin.

"Is that so?" Edward replied, glancing at Harry with interest.

Harry shrugged modestly. "I've had some practice. Maybe we can have a duel sometime, if you're up for it."

"I'd like that," Edward said. He was fully relaxed, his eyes shing. "I think I'm pretty good at dueling as well, so you had better watch out."

"Just make sure you're careful. We don't need any injuries on the first day," said Hermione.

Ron rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Relax, 'Mione. We're hardly going to blow up the common room."

Edward chuckled, but his eyes remained thoughtful. "I promise I'll be careful. It's just good to know that there are people here who can keep up."

Harry noticed the way Edward's gaze lingered on him, as if he were sizing him up. It wasn't threatening, but it was definitely curious. Harry couldn't help but wonder what kind of life Edward had led before coming to Hogwarts.

"Do you have any hobbies?" Harry asked, trying to get to know Edward better.

"I like to read," Edward replied. "And I've spent a lot of time learning about magical creatures. My guardians used to have a lot of books on them."

"Used to? What happened to them?"

"Our old library burnt down and most of the books were unsalvageable."

Hermione put a hand to her mouth, Ron winced in sympathy. Harry couldn't imagine his mother's reaction if the library in Godric's Hollow burnt down- if it ever had the chance to, considering the numerous charms placed on it.

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Hermione after she recovered. "But in the bright side- Hogwarts has one of the largest libraries in Britain."

Edward nodded. "I read about that- I'm looking forward to exploring it."

"It's easy to get lost, though."

Someway through their conversation the sorting had ended. Hermione fell quiet along with the hall as Dumbledore gave his annual welcome speech.