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Quearic: Well, I'm glad to hear that. I hope you'll continue to enjoy it as the story progresses.
-Disclaimer, Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling and Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is owned by Hajime Isayama. I own nothing.
Chapter 4: Arrival
September the 1st needed to hurry up and arrive already. Harry knew that most kids would wish for the exact opposite, but with how things were going for him on those days following his trip with Hagrid to Diagon Alley, he was anxious to leave the house for an extended time because of the behavior from his relatives was starting to scare him.
He was sure that Aunt Petunia would have thrown a fit at the sight of him bringing an owl into her house, and sure enough, she looked ready to screech; but she didn't. She had looked to be fighting internally with herself over the matter before she came to a decision.
"Keep that thing outside or in your room! I don't want it flying around the house."
Harry easily complied with her demand, knowing that it best not to look a gift horse in the mouth. He had dismissed it as nothing more than dumb luck… until things started getting more unusual.
After meals, Harry found that the leftovers piled onto his plate were of greater quantity than he had ever gotten before. Dudley still ate everything given to him, but that was no surprise. What was, were the number of chores Harry found himself limited to. He was still cleaning dishes and doing laundry, but for cooking and gardening, his aunt seemed to have suddenly developed a greater affinity for them (the latter even came without a desire to spy on the neighbors).
The Dursley's themselves hardly seemed keen to even interact with him, which they hardly ever did. But when the time did come, Harry could not there was still that aggravated tone they reserved for him, but they almost seemed to be reigning it in. The usual commands of, "Go fetch the paper," "Sort out the laundry," and "Sweep up the hall," all lacked the usual "boy" at the end.
Then there was Dudley.
His baby gorilla of a cousin had cornered Harry before he could exit the house to say, "Don't go outside today. We were going to chase you down to the playground today."
"Uh, why did you tell me that?" Harry almost expected to be hit as a befuddled expression came across Dudley's heavy face.
"...Because I don't know. You'd just end up beaten like a loser as always. Even if you try to fight, you'd get embarrassed. Stay inside like always."
It had seemed that Dudley's warning had also been trying to serve as some sort of protection, albeit, in his own Dudley way of doing it. That was what made it so weird, that was what made it so… freakish.
The word Harry despised, was now properly fitting for the people surrounding him. But the thing that made the whole situation truly freakish was the idea that none of the Dursley's were doing this of their own will.
Knowing now that he was a wizard with magical powers, Harry began wondering if he had somehow put them under a spell without knowing it. If he could make a glass disappear, vanish to the top of a roof, change his teacher's hair color, and mentally speak with a girl from a foreign island, surely he was capable of this.
The whole house seemed so different to him now that anticipating his journey to his new school was what was keeping him as sane as he could be. Aside from his new owl companion, of course.
'She is adorable,' Ymir said in his mind as he filled his owl's water dish in her cage. 'Have you decided on a name yet?'
I've been thinking.
'I would hope you've been. You can't just go around calling it "owl." What have you thought of?'
Well… the name Kruger really sticks out to me. He didn't know why it just did.
'Kruger, huh?'
Do you not like that name?
'Not at all. I actually think it's rather fitting.' He thought she sounded a bit pleased.
Good to know. But the more I thought of it, I think it doesn't really fit a female owl. The snowy-white owl turned its head, observing him fondly with its amber eyes. I had also been thinking of Hedwig.
'Hedwig?' she repeated the name. 'What made you think of that?'
I was reading through that History of Magic book. I just saw the name in there and thought that it sounded nice. "Hedwig," he said out loud.
His owl looked at him, almost to say that she approved of the name choice. But still…
"Hedwig Kruger," Harry added. His owl seemed accepting of both.
'You're giving her two first names?'
No. I just gave her a last name.
'And you didn't use your own?' she was probably going to elaborate on that, but she seemed to rule against the urge. 'Alright then. She's your owl.'
What about you? Do you have any pets? Harry wanted to know. Hagrid told him owls were birds of prey so they would hunt for their own food, but Harry knew he had a responsibility as a pet owner now any advice was welcome.
'Well… there are horses in the stables.' She sounded a bit hesitant to say that, maybe because of the prior reveal that she did have wealth attached to her name. 'I've been out riding with them before, but that's about it.'
No cats or dogs?
'No.' Her answer was surprisingly quick. 'I mean, I think dogs are cute and all, but I've always been a little scared of them.'
Harry thought back to his own fear of dogs because of Uncle Vernon's brute of a sister Marge and how he had to sleep up in a tree to avoid getting torn to pieces. Yeah, I guess I can relate. What about cats? Are you afraid of them too?
'No, cats are just jerks.'
Kuffufu! Harry mentally laughed, smiling physically as well. Sure. If you say so.
'I'm not saying that they're not cute, I'm just saying that they're jerks.'
Harry pictured a younger version of her trying to pet a cat only for it to spit and hiss her way as its hair stood on end. The context was lost to him, but it seemed plausibly funny all the same.
Well, I hope you're at least okay with seeing cats. I'll be going off to that Hogwarts school pretty soon, and I'm pretty sure other students will have them as pets.
'That's none of my business if they do or not,' she stated. 'It doesn't bother me at all, unlike some other things.'
Do you mean the houses? Harry wanted to clarify.
'I guess.'
Hm. Are you still on about how people would judge just for being in one house or the other?
'Don't you think that it's stupid? You shouldn't have to worry about something like that or to even think that way. To just judge an entire group of people because of something that happened long ago that doesn't even affect you now, how is that fair?!'
She spoke with more fire than necessary. Hey… this is about what happened with your island, too. It wasn't even a question. She had made mention of such back to the visit to Diagon Alley.
'...I guess you can say that, yeah.' She sounded like her sudden spark of fire had died down.
I thought so. What uh, what is the story behind that, if you don't mind me asking.
'It's a bit of a long story, and one with two halves but one truth.'
That sounds like just about every long story out there, Harry goaded. If it's something that bad you don't have to tell me everything, just whatever would help me understand, I guess.
'...' she took time to mull it over. 'If I had to pick a beginning the farthest back in time, I guess you can say it all started over 2000 years ago.'
That had to be back during the times of the Romans and Vikings, Harry thought. People were mad at your island for something that happened that long ago?
'It's like I said, people are petty,' she reiterated. 'But yes. It was back when tribes of people were still very numerous. People took one another as slaves from wars, built empires that expanded the land, wiped out enemy armies, the tribe that claimed Paradis did the same as any other before or after.'
That sounds just like basic history, Harry noted. Your island is, or was hated for something that humans all over did in the past? It did sound stupid.
'They made many enemies because of it. After a war that caused the tribe to seclude themselves solely to Paradis, those who were left behind were forced into submission by the surrounding nations. They were treated as second-class citizens, forced to wear bands on their arms when going outside the ghettos, and forced to conform to self-hating propaganda for the sins of their ancestors. There was even an attempt to wipe out the entire population of Paradis by using indoctrinated children who shared our blood to invade the island. Until the time I was born, this was all still an issue.'
It had been going on for that long?! Harry felt a fool for not even knowing what Paradis was until she had started talking to him. How come I never learned this at school? England isn't a country that was part of this, was it?
'No, not England,' she said, much to his relief. 'It's like I said, Paradis is small enough that no one really bothers with it.'
Yeah, but still, what you just talked about, child soldiers, discrimination, attempted genocide… those are some pretty heavy topics. How could the rest of the world not talk about all of that?!
'Tell me, have you heard of ignoring history?' Ymir asked.
The saying that goes "those who forget history are doomed to repeat it."
'No, but that is good. I mean when history gets so bad that people just don't want to talk about it, to forget about it because it was so shameful. Do you want to talk about brainwashed kids killing people? How about a tribe of people that wiped out an entire army and then burned a village down? Are those things you would want to talk about when there is no positive spin to be had?'
It was all so bleak when she phrased it as bluntly as that. At the normal grade schools he and Dudley attended before this upcoming year, they had mostly focused on English history and how they once had one of the most expansive empires ever. Their ancestors had probably caused trouble themselves, but that was never the focus of the lessons.
No. I wouldn't.
'It's just all the same, really,' she continued.'But, it's over now. There is no war with Paradis anymore. I am free of a future of suffering. And soon enough, you'll be free of this place.'
Not soon enough, Harry jokingly complained to lighten the mood a bit. But hey.
'Mm?'
If you don't mind me asking, what ended the war with your island? How do you fight against hate that runs that deep for that long?
'...' she thought about it for a minute. 'People just had to realize what's most important.'
It was with that that Ymir left him to ponder for the rest of the night. And even as the days turned into weeks, he still found himself thinking about it.
There was a city near the sea. He couldn't tell from which way he was approaching it, but it seemed to be getting closer. He spared no thought if the people living there could see him or not; they probably would very soon.
Now, he seemed to be facing the ocean. If he was in the city now, he could not tell. What he could see was a giant plume of steam rising from the indigo water somewhere out on the ocean. He couldn't see, but he would have thought that the water itself was evaporating from some immense heat. Something massive was coming.
A warm light was hitting his face and Harry found himself shutting his eyes tighter to try and block out the early morning sunrise. If for nothing else, to try and get a few more minutes of sleep so he might see what that had been coming from the ocean.
Giving in to the light, Harry opened his eyes and reached for his glasses. Maybe the next time he went to sleep his dream would pick up where it left off.
By the time he had finished getting dressed, Harry remembered what day it was. September the 1st.
Ymir, guess what.
It took a second and her response was quite lax. 'Huh…? Wha? What'sit?' he must have woken her up early.
It's the first day of September. Hogwarts. Remember?
'Mmmm… terrific. I'm going back to bed for a few. A girl needs her sleep.'
Harry wanted to argue to her that it wasn't that early, but a glance over to the small clock he had read that it was still a few minutes before 7. No doubt that only his aunt and uncle were awake right now; Dudley was still probably lazing around in sleep. He decided to forget about it and let her get up herself.
Going downstairs, the two Dursley's were going about the usual routine of cooking and eating. Uncle Vernon had just finished a full plate so he was probably in a good mood. An ideal situation to ask for a ride to King's Cross.
"Uncle Vernon?" Harry asked.
"Hn?" he grunted, not bothering to spare a look over at Harry.
"It's the first day of September. The train to my school leaves at 11 today. They're expecting me to go and I don't want to miss the train." Harry didn't intentionally mean to make it sound threatening - well, maybe a little- but he just needed it to be a reminder that something might happen if the school didn't see him there on the first day.
Uncle Vernon's grip tightened around his mug at the mention of the school. "A ride, you… freghissh rubbhhhuu... " he seemed to be fighting with himself if he should deny Harry's unspoken request, yell at him, or just play nice.
"Bah!" he exclaimed. "Give me an hour. Have your things ready. I've got stuff I need to do in London anyways."
"Er, right. Um, thank you." Harry felt the need to wash his mouth with soap for having to actually genuinely thank the man.
"Rrhmm," Uncle Vernon evidently felt the same about having to drive him.
Making sure he had all of his books, sets, and robes packed up in a trunk, he put Hedwig's cage on top of it. He had his two wands stashed in his pockets, for once grateful that the larger size could conceal longer items.
By the time Uncle Vernon was ready, he didn't rush Harry like he normally would, continuing the trend of abnormality, but he also made no move to help Harry load everything up into his car either. That was believable. Once that was done, they began their drive to King's Cross.
They rode in silence. Uncle Vernon said nothing to Harry, and Harry said nothing to Uncle Vernon. It was mutually ideal. By the time traffic allowed them to arrive at the station, the car clock read five minutes after nine.
Harry loaded his belongings onto a cart once inside, remembering what McGonagall had told him about how to get onto the platform.
"You're all set then?" Uncle Vernon asked, making sure nobody he knew was around.
"Yes," Harry simply answered. "Platform 9 ¾, I know how to get there."
Uncle Vernon sputtered a dumb laugh. "Platform 9 ¾. Rubbish." With that, he waddled back to where he had parked his car.
Harry heaved a scoff at the man as he left. "Good riddance," Harry muttered while steering his cart further into the station.
The voice of Ymir sounded to him as he walked through the crowd. 'Hey, you're here already?'
Oh, just waking up, are you? Harry teasingly asked. The beauty sleep must have been worth it.
'Ha. Ha.' She laughed sarcastically. 'And just so you know, I also had some things I needed to do before enjoying my favorite pastime, talking with you.'
You mean like steering clear of any jerk cats?
'I don't have to talk with you, you know.' She was probably crossing her arms with a light scowl on her features if Harry had to guess.
Fine. I yield. He relented
'You better.'
He rolled his eyes. Hey, I see platform 9 up ahead. We're close now.
'"We're?"' she repeated. 'You're close. I'm still on Paradis.'
Oh, you're very funny.
'Aw, thank you. Now you know what I think of you.'
Ha. Ha. It was his turn to convey his displeasure.
'Not so funny, is it?'
Sure, whatever, have it your way. He continued on to where he came to the barriers between platforms 9 and 10. This is it then.
Slowly maneuvering his cart to a better position away from the crowd of people, Harry stopped a short way away from the central barrier and stared straight ahead at the hard brick that awaited him just a few meters away.
'So, you just have to charge it?'
That's what McGonagall said to do, right?
'And you're sure it's this barrier? What happens if it's another one?' She did bring up a very good point.
Well… I hope Hedwig can forgive me. His owl also had her sights set on the brick wall ahead.
Trotting his legs, Harry took a running stance and then kicked off in a beeline for the barrier. Nobody was blocking his path, he was on a crash course straight for the wall, nothing could stop him now.
As he neared, Harry reminded himself this was what he had to do. This was why he came here. He shut his eyes. And his body felt much bigger - stronger. He very well could have been wearing full body armor, nothing could hurt him. His legs kept on carrying him straight towards the closing gate. The people standing below might have just been some troublesome ants, they could not stop him. The feeling of steam building up inside him was about to burst, the same as this gate. He was-,
'Harry! Open your eyes!'
Huh? Her voice had brought him out of his trance and when he did, Harry found himself having to turn his cart at a near-impossible angle to avoid crashing into a wall. Harry thought that he might have just chickened out of running straight into the barrier, but his perception soon changed when he noticed where he was now.
King's Cross had gone and he was now on a singular train platform that hosted a scarlet and black steam engine that read Hogwarts Express. A sign directly above his head read 9 ¾. He had made it.
And by the looks of it, he wasn't the only one.
Nearer to the train, Harry saw a few dozen families gathered to see their children off. Some were dressed quite casual, looking no different from any of the people he had seen wandering about outside. In stark contrast, there were also people wearing an absurd combination of clothing that didn't match at all. It was as if they had just seen some clothing they thought would go together and haphazardly put it on. Then, there were people who didn't care to disguise themselves with fashion and instead wore robes not too different from how McGonagall had presented herself.
'Well this is certainly quite the crowd,' Ymir remarked as he wheeled his cart over to one of the passenger cars. He made sure to mess his hair up so it hid the scar on his forehead. He doubted that this was as crowded as it would get, so he made haste to board quickly.
Some members of the train staff helped Harry lift his luggage aboard as he picked a compartment closer to the front of the engine. He had noticed that many of the older kids were securing compartments more toward the back and the middle seemed to be a mix of every kind of student. He figured that would have been inconspicuous, but he saw what looked to be a giant tarantula in one of the compartments, and taking his suspicion of Ymir's fear of animals into account, he avoided it.
With his trunk secure above him and Hedwig's cage resting next to him, Harry took a glance out of his window to observe the further assembling crowd outside of the train. More people had begun to trickle in. Watching the new arrivals come from the dead-end of the barrier was a bit startling to see and made him wonder if he had looked that bizarre when he made his dash.
'Looks like a lot of kids showing up,' Ymir astutely observed.
Yeah, I guess there is, Harry couldn't deny.
'Are you going to ask anyone to sit with you?'
No.
'Ah. A great way to make friends.'
I mean, I was sitting here first, anyone who shows up would have to ask me if they could join, right? Harry even posed that as a question. Back in his old school during lunch, he would always ask kids at tables if he could join - they always said no so he ate alone in the halls most of the time.
'Uh, I guess so?'
You don't even know? Harry was sure that she would, she seemed far more sociable than he was. How do you act around your friends then?
'...Well…'
Hold on, Harry stopped her. You do have friends, don't you?
What kind of question is that?! Of course, I do!' She sounded only mildly offended that he would ask such a question. 'I know a few other kids my age. A few stable hands, but they're older than me. And there's you, of course.'
That was certainly a comforting thought. So… I am your friend then?
'Eh? Of course you are. Why? Did you think that we weren't after all the time we've been talking?'
Well… I wanted to think that we were, Harry confessed his previous rumination. From seeing people like Piers and some of Dudley's other gang, I know what a friend isn't, not the opposite. Does that make sense to you?
'It does. So get used to having me around to show you otherwise.' Perhaps if she wasn't on a secluded island somewhere, Harry would like to think he'd have another person to occupy this compartment with.
He smiled. Yeah. I could get used to that. Just promise to be more direct when you think something is obvious. Whatever this connection is, I can't read your mind.
'A tempting offer, but one that I can't agree to fully just yet,' she answered.
Why not?
'Because figuring stuff out on your own sometimes is better than just being told something you may not believe fully,' Ymir answered only semi-cheerfully. 'Besides, I am still a girl. Not saying what we fully mean is key to making others work to figure it out. Those who put in that work show that they really care.'
That sounds… really stupid.
'That's life.'
Your life, maybe, Harry mulled as he went back to watching more people appear onto the platform. If I have that attitude along with being an apparent celebrity, I'd pretty much be asking for-
A small mass plopped itself onto his head.
Running a hand through his messy hair, something jumped down and onto his lap. Harry stared down at it, and the toad just stared right back.
"Rbbikk," the toad croaked before jumping off his lap and out of his compartment. Hedwig swiveled her head to watch the small critter escape.
'Asking for a toad on your head?' Ymir asked, but Harry could easily hear her stifling her laughter.
Or something else. Harry made sure the compartment door was closed shut before sitting back down. I don't want to come across as being a snooty celebrity or something. That's just asking to be disliked before school even starts.
'Ok. Fair enough. Just try not to be disliked then.'
Any words of advice for that one aside from not acting like my cousin?
'Hmm…' she thought about it. 'Don't be fake.'
Fake? Harry parrotted. How so?
'Well… don't go around acting like someone that you're not. Like being overly nice and wanting to help everyone more than yourself.'
That sounds an awful lot like selfishness.
'I'm not saying to not be nice to people, just don't go valuing them more than yourself because you want them to like you. Help yourself before you can help others. Besides, selfishness is more human than selflessness.'
...Alright. I'm not sure about that last part, but I can get behind what you said before that. Harry couldn't debate her on that. Aside from that one kid in the robe shop, I don't know anyone from this school. If they're expecting me to be some grand magician, they need to see that I'm no better than they are right now. And if they treat me just as another classmate, I'll do the same for them.
A knock sounded on the compartment door before it opened to reveal a boy more on the pudgier side and a rounder face that was beaded with nervous sweat.
"Um, hullo," he waved nervously, but also a bit relieved that Harry was the only one present in the compartment.
"Hello, yourself," Harry observed the other boy who failed in his attempt to fully hide his nerves. "...Is something the matter?"
"Well, no - I'm fine, I mean. I was just… you see, or maybe you didn't see… there was something I was looking for and… have you seen my toad around here?" he finally got to the point after beating around the bush.
"Your toad?" Harry made sure that's what he had said. "There was - that was your toad?"
"You've seen Trevor?!" The boy certainly became more composed at the news. "Where?"
"Right here," Harry affirmed. "I got a real good look at him once he hopped off of my head."
The boy sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, sorry about that. Trevor gets worried pretty easily and he usually wanders off. Where is he?"
Well, this might come as a bit of a sore blow. "I didn't know he belonged to anyone," Harry began. "He hopped off me and left the compartment. He isn't here anymore."
As expected, the boy's round face fell with disappointment. Harry thought that this boy may even be on the verge of tears. "Oh. Well, um… thank you for letting me know. I'll uh, go look somewhere else."
"I didn't see him that long ago," Harry felt himself saying. "He probably didn't get too far. I can help you look, if you'd like."
"...Really?" the boy almost sounded hesitant. "You'd do that?"
"I should have realized he belonged to somebody," Harry said. "Students are allowed to bring toads."
'Now you're going toad hunting?'
You don't have a problem with that, do you? Harry questioned her. Helping someone before myself.
'Agh! I didn't mean to not help anyone. Besides, he needs help finding his pet. Your owl is safe and secure and well-kept. I say you've already helped yourself when it comes to properly taking care of pets, if that's how you want to look at it.'
Harry decided that he very much did.
"Oh, um, I'm Neville Longbottom by the way," the boy properly introduced himself as the two of them exited the compartment.
'Pfft!' Ymir snickered to him. 'I'm sorry, but… is that really his last name?'
Oh, you're very mature, Harry chided her but tried not to laugh himself. If some of the kids here were like Dudley or his gang, Neville would be bullied mercilessly.
"Well," Harry bit back a laugh. "I can say that I'll never forget your name anytime soon. I've never heard one like that before."
As expected, Neville turned a light shade of red. "Yeah, uh… the name is from a line of wizards, most of them must not have thought a lot about it at the time."
"From what I've seen, a lot of wizard names are pretty unique," Harry recalled. "Until a few weeks ago, I've never heard of names like Hagrid, McGonagall, or even Dumbledore. They're a pretty far cry from a name like Smith."
'Like the commander?' Ymir asked.
Uh, sure. There were probably multiple Smith's in the navy and history for that matter.
"Oh, you're from a muggle family?" Neville asked before blanching. "I mean, there's nothing wrong with that! You just seem much more composed than me and I thought that - nevermind! I just realized I haven't asked you your name yet."
"How about I tell you when we get back to the compartment?" Harry offered while dodging the question. "For now, let's just try to find your toad."
"Oh, sure, alright," Neville easily agreed to those terms.
'Are you planning on using a fake name?' Ymir asked.
Why bother? Harry countered. One way or another, people are going to find out. If Neville turns out to be some crazed fan, better to have him see me as just a regular person before, right?
'See? You are learning! You picked up on what I left unsaid.' She seemed pleased with herself. 'If it's right, or not, I can't actually tell you.'
Well wasn't that a comforting thought.
Hearing some voices coming from a nearby compartment, Harry gave a knock before someone on the other side opened the door. It saw a sandy-haired boy along with three other kids, two girls and another boy.
"Hullo," he greeted in an Irish accent. "The two of you looking for a place to sit?"
"Hi there," Harry greeted back. "Thanks for the offer, but we're here looking for Neville's toad," he motioned over to the shier student. "None of you have seen something hop by, have you?"
"I haven't seen any toad," the Irish boy shook his head. "What about you, Dean, you see anything?"
"Sorry, mate," the other affirmed.
"You've lost your toad, Neville?" one of the girls with auburn hair asked him by name.
Neville's embarrassment deepened. "Uh-huh."
"I haven't seen anything either, but I thought I heard another girl yelp from a compartment down the hall," she offered. "But if he's not there, Hannah and I will let you know if we spot anything." The blonde girl next to her nodded as well.
"Oh, ah… alright. Thank you, Susan."
"Of course," she replied.
"Yeah, thanks," Harry said as well. "Which compartment did you say that yelp came from?" Susan pointed to one opposite further down. "Want to check it out, Neville?"
Neville wordlessly nodded.
"Best of luck to ya, mate," the Irish kid encouraged before he went back to conversing with the other three.
Harry closed their door for them before walking ahead with Neville.
"So, looks like you already know some people here," Harry pointed out. "That gives you a leg up over me."
Neville just sort of nodded his head. "Susan's aunt and my gran get on well enough. When my gran hosts events, her aunt is usually there. I've only seen her a few times, and we never really talked much. I never really know what to say."
"Just like you are to me right now," Harry specified.
'He means talking to girls,' Ymir corrected. 'There's a difference.'
What are you talking about? I talk to you like I would anyone else. What was she even talking about?
Stopping outside of the compartment, Harry gave another knock before there was an answer.
"Who is it?" a girl's voice called from behind the door.
"Hi," Harry said to no one. "We're looking for a toad that escaped, we just wanted to know if you've seen it."
There was a pause before the compartment door began to slide open. A girl with dark-brown hair and hazel eyes greeted them with a scrutinizing look on her face. She looked back between Harry and Neville before she ultimately settled on the latter of the two.
"It is your toad, I take it?"
Neville avoided her gaze and nodded.
"You've seen him then?" Harry asked.
"Oh, yes," she replied almost sarcastically. "I got a very up-close look at him when he jumped up on my head." Her expression shifted to more of an annoyed deadpan.
Neville looked to just want to melt into the floor carpet and be done with it.
"Believe me, I know the feeling," Harry tried to assure the girl. "Neville here is really upset about losing him, he didn't mean to be a bother to anyone, really." Her gaze swept back over to where Neville hung his head in shame. "So if it isn't too much to ask, can you tell us where he might've gone? We'll be out of your hair after."
"Hmm…" She considered his offer.
Another voice called from inside the cabin. "Tracey, who is it?"
"Someone who's here to answer for something," the girl, now known as Tracey, replied before opening the door fully for them to enter.
There was one other occupant seated, a blonde girl with icy-blue eyes. On the compartment floor was an overturned cauldron.
"Guess who this is," Tracey asked the other girl.
"Hm. Well, I know that that's Longbottom," she replied.
Neville offered the meekest of waves. "Hello… Greengrass."
"Another person you know, Neville?" Harry asked.
"More along the lines of brief acquaintances," she corrected. "My parents are faintly familiar with his grandmother." She observed them. "Why did you stop by?"
"See for yourself," Tracey answered for them as she lifted the cauldron from the floor to reveal a singular toad underneath.
"Trevor!" Neville exclaimed as he went to scoop up his pet and hold him securely.
"Oh, so he belonged to you?" Greengrass asked, not sounding too surprised. "I guess that isn't too surprising."
"You might want to look into getting him a better cage," Tracey offered indignantly as she sat back down.
"He didn't give you too much of a scare, did he?" Harry asked seeing that neither girl seemed too happy at the moment.
"Of course not!" Tracey scoffed.
"I thought she was about to ruin her new robes," Greengrass stated blandly.
"Huh?!" Tracey looked aghast at the companion. "I did not! Besides, you were the one who caught him with a cauldron because you were scared."
"I did that because you were freaking out first," she countered. "I had to calm you down somehow."
Both boys watched the exchange of banter between the two. Ultimately, it was Neville who spoke first. "Well… ahem, thank you - both of you for uh, finding him. I'll be sure to um… keep a better eye on him."
"I would hope so," Tracey folded her arms, giving Neville another scrutinizing glance.
"And if not, best hope you get sorted into the same house as… I'm sorry, I don't think we caught your name," Greengrass directed toward Harry.
"I'm… just someone helping Neville to find his toad," he replied, not lying exactly.
"And I'm sure that everyone has a name, unless you think it too embarrassing," she pushed.
'Well doesn't she seem intuitive.'
"I mean, I do have a name like you, but I'm pretty sure Greengrass isn't your first," Harry tried to avoid the question.
Tracey looked to hide a snicker while Neville appeared openly flabbergasted. Greengrass appeared neutral. Without sitting up, she presented her hand.
"Daphne Greengrass, if you prefer."
Harry just stared at her hand. Bit of a weird way to shake.
'No,' Ymir spoke to him. 'You're supposed to kiss her hand.'
Why? Harry asked, hiding his embarrassment better than Neville could.
'It's proper etiquette when greeting a lady,' she explained.
What for? Harry argued back.
'To show respect. I know all about it, all right. Just do it.'
Taking her hand, Harry lightly kissed her knuckle before letting go. She almost looked impressed.
"I take it you're a half-blood then?" she asked.
"What about it?" Harry asked, almost defensively.
She evidently noticed his change in tone. "You can relax. Seeing you with Longbottom and knowing pureblood etiquette, I thought you might be. Besides, I wouldn't be sitting with Tracey here if I cared about your blood status."
Tracey looked over. "Soon to be one of the few half-bloods in Slytherin."
"And if the rumors are true, there's more than you may think," Daphne supplied.
"You… actually want to be in Slytherin?" Neville tentatively asked.
That earned him another glare. "And if I do? My mother was a proud Slytherin when she was in school. But if you're the type to believe those silly rumors, I don't have the breath to waste on you."
"The rumors that anyone who comes out of Slytherin is evil, you mean?" Harry asked, just to clarify.
"That would be the one," Tracey huffed. "You've obviously heard about them, too. Believe any of it?"
"Not really."
"Just as I - really?" she looked at him curiously.
"Well, I haven't really met any Slytherin's," Harry explained. "The person who told me about them was a former Gryffindor."
Tracey rolled her eyes. "Well that figures."
"What do you mean?"
"The rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin is legendary," Daphne then explained. "Even the two founders themselves were said to bump heads every now and again. My father actually wages that a majority of students from both houses just want to be left alone but just get caught up in the drama."
"That sounds just like any school clique," Harry voiced out loud. "Being left alone doesn't sound all that bad, honestly."
"Are you looking to get into Slytherin, then?" Tracey asked. "Just for curiosity sake."
"I haven't really thought too much about what house I'd like to be in," he admitted, feeling all three sets of eyes on him.
"Not at all?" Daphne further asked.
"I mean, I thought about each house, but I never really pictured myself for any one of them," Harry clarified. "Just so long as I can learn magic, not be bothered, and maybe make a few friends, I don't really care what house I'm in to do that."
"Huh," Tracey huffed. "Well just so long as you can tolerate a slimy snake, don't be too much of a shut-in." Harry just nodded in a bit of uncertainty.
"That is a bit of a bold outlook to have," Daphne seemed to agree. She observed him. "You never did tell us your name."
"I guess I didn't," Harry admitted as he and Neville had already opened the door. "I guess I'll just have to see the two of you around school to tell you." With that, they left.
As soon as they had left, Neville seemed in almost complete awe. "I… you actually… you actually talked to them like that?"
"Like what?" Harry asked. "I just talked to them like people. Is it because they were girls?"
"Wh- no! Well, maybe a little," Neville didn't even appear to know how to properly convey his thoughts. "I mean, you didn't know who Daphne was, did you?"
"How could I? I just met her." Harry replied very straight forward.
"No," Neville shook his head. "What I meant was, do you know what her being a pureblood means?"
"Both of her parents are wizards," Harry stated.
"Okay… but you do know about how wizarding society works, right?" Neville continued to push the topic.
"Only a little," Harry confessed. "I was told there is a Ministry that makes the rules and everything, but I don't know where it is or who is even in charge of it."
"A lot of purebloods, that's who," Neville elaborated.
"And… was that the minister's daughter, or something?" Harry asked.
"No, but her family does have sway in the Wizengamot," Neville said.
"The what?" 'The what?' the both of them evenly thought.
"Uh… basically a council of wizards from different families or high standing," Neville did his best to explain. "Her father is on there and so is my grandmother and Susan's aunt."
"Then you're a pureblood, too?" Harry guessed.
"Yeah… me too," Neville almost seemed embarrassed by that, by Harry figured he was a person who was easily shy.
"So what's the big deal then?" Harry asked of him. "I'm talking to you just like I did to her and you don't seem to mind."
"I don't - honestly!" Neville assured him. "Just… there are some families that value tradition more than others."
"Families like hers?" Harry asked as they neared the compartment again where Hedwig waited dutifully for their return.
"...Not exactly. But I'm sure you'll see some of them, just expect most of it to be from Slytherin."
"If they leave me alone, I really don't have a problem with them," Harry affirmed yet again. "You heard what they were saying, most students only really buy into that feud when they get wrapped up in trouble or drama."
"Trouble usually has a way of finding me, though. You've already seen."
"Believe me, I think I know what you're saying."
After getting back to the compartment, Harry offered Neville to join him considering the boy would probably lose Trevor again if he didn't have another pair of eyes to keep track of him. They did sit in silence for a few minutes as the train finally made its way to leave the station, until Neville finally asked the question that had been so far unanswered.
"So what is your name, then?"
"Hm?" Harry looked over at him.
"Your name," Neville repeated himself. "You never actually said what it was."
"Oh, I guess you're right," he feigned ignorance. "It's nothing special, really, just Harry."
"Just Harry?" Neville repeated. "No last name?"
"I do, but if I'm just calling you Neville, I'd like it if you just called me Harry."
"Uh… alright, Harry," Neville said. "I guess it really doesn't matter. Loads of other people our age probably have that name."
"Oh. You think so?"
"Probably," Neville sounded sure. "Because of Harry Potter and what happened there. You've heard of him, haven't you?"
"I've heard what other people have said about him," Harry answered. "I wouldn't really believe too much of it. Some of that story seems really shoddy to me."
"...Uh-huh…" Neville slowly nodded. "I'm not really a crazed fan or anything, but I think it would be nice to meet him."
"Really? Why's that?"
Neville sort of haphazardly shrugged. "Just to talk with him mainly. We are godbrothers, after all."
"Wait - what?!"
'Eh?!' Ymir sounded equally confused.
Fiddling with his fingers, Neville said, "Our moms were pretty close from their time at Hogwarts. When I was born, his mother agreed to be my godmother."
Harry was left finding his words alone. "I didn't - nobody ever mentions that it those stories." What were even the odds of sharing a compartment with someone remotely connected to him?
"That isn't really well known," Neville explained. "But… concerning someone who just wants to be treated equally, I thought you ought to know." Neville wasn't looking at him, but Harry thought there might have been a passing smile in his eyes.
"I… that's not…" now it was his turn to be the uncertain one. He sighed in defeat. "How long have you known?"
"Not long," Neville answered. "I uh, started noticing something was weird back when you were talking to Tracey and Daphne. You seemed… bolder than you should've. You had never met them but you still didn't act any different. And uh…" Neville made a pointing motion toward his hair. "Your hair moved. I can um, see your scar."
"Darn," Harry muttered as he moved his hair back in place as best he could.
'I guess there's more to him other than just a scared kid,' Ymir observed. 'What do you think of him?'
"You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" Harry wanted to know. "You seem like a pretty shy kid and that would bring a lot of attention on you if you were found sharing a compartment with me."
"No! Oh no!" Neville frantically waved his hands. "No, I wouldn't do that. If you wanted a bunch of attention on you, you'd probably be near where some of the older students are. You uh, don't really seem to want a lot of attention yourself. Plus if you thought you were better than everyone, you wouldn't have helped me to find Trevor. Um, thank you again for that, by the way."
"Yeah… it was no problem," Harry allowed himself to relax back into the seat.
Neville fidgeted in his seat. "This isn't uncomfortable for you, is it?" he then asked.
"Huh? Oh," Harry messed with his hair some more. "I guess I'm just processing some things like a godbrother that I never knew I had."
"No one you were staying with the past ten years told you?" he asked.
He shook his head. "I've been with my aunt and her husband; both muggles."
"But still, families of wizards who don't have magic are allowed to know about some things," Neville informed.
"My relatives hate magic," Harry kept the bitterness to a minimum. "Until I got my Hogwarts letter, I never knew magic was real. They wanted it that way. They wanted me to be their idea of normal especially when weird things happened."
"Weird how?" Neville curiously asked.
"Like suddenly vanishing to my school's roof, my hair growing faster than usual, making glass vanish," he listed. "Now I know."
Neville seemed almost in admiration. "You would have done well if you were growing up with my gran. She was always thinking of ways for my magic to show. My uncle even dangled me out a window once hoping I would fly or bounce back up."
"Seriously?"
He nodded. "Um, yeah. A lot of people thought that I was a squib until my magic finally showed itself."
"I'm sorry, a what?" Harry asked.
"Squib," he repeated. "A person born from wizard parents but doesn't have magic themself."
"Oh," Harry simply said. "And is there a reason why it sounds close to squid?"
That almost elicited a small chuckle from the other boy. "I uh, couldn't really tell you."
Seeing Neville really start to open and express himself a bit more, Harry decided to ask a more personal question. "So, if we're godbrothers like you say we are, maybe you can help me figure something out."
"What's that?" Neville asked.
"Do you know why I wasn't left with your mom when I was orphaned?"
At the mention, Neville seemed to become more sullen as he pouted slightly. "Both my parents are in a hospital. They were attacked a little after You Know Who was defeated. That's why I live with my gran."
That was certainly a blow. "Oh, I'm… I didn't mean to bring back painful memories."
Neville was silent for a pause before shaking his head. "You didn't know. I'm not mad. My gran always says to be proud of who they were and to do things that would make them proud of who I'll be."
Harry just nodded along with the other boy as they sat in silence for a little while after that. Their quiet was eventually broken by a knock at the compartment door to reveal an elderly woman pushing a trolly full of colorful sweets.
With some of the money he still had saved, Harry got them a variety of candies that included names like Licorice Wands, Pumpkin Pasties, and some Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. Harry thought that the name might have been a bit of an exaggeration, but he was proven wrong when he ate one that tasted what he assumed to be venison jerky.
They continued to eat their candies as the sight of the English countryside passed them by.
They were visited yet again, this time without a knock as the door slid open to reveal a semi-familiar face to Harry. It was the kid he had met back in the robe shop, already dressed in the garments in question and being flanked on either side by two larger students who reminded Harry a great deal of the gorillas he had seen while at the zoo.
'Him again?'
The blonde boy stared right at Harry, a half smile working its way onto his pale face. "So, have you been hearing the rumors that have been spreading around?" he asked as an open question. Harry didn't answer so he continued. "People were saying that they saw a boy who lit the description of Harry Potter in this part of the train. I'm a bit disappointed I didn't recognize you when we last met."
He stepped forward so he could enter. "I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." He spoke with great pride at hearing his own name. "And you must be Harry Potter."
While Neville almost appeared rooted to his seat, Harry stood up so he could properly face the boy now known as Malfoy.
"Well, it's hard to hear these rumors when I've been right here for most of the trip," he replied. "And how would people know what Harry Potter looks like if he's been missing for ten years?"
The two gorillas looked at each other blankly while Draco seemed amused by his response. "Even the basic of information is known about him. He's a boy our age with dark hair and green eyes like his parents. You fit the description quite well."
'Big deal,' Ymir sounded from his head. 'Other people probably look the same.'
"I guess I do," Harry didn't deny."But I'm sure other kids must look like him, too."
Draco didn't seem deterred. "I'm sure. But I remember what you said back in Diagon Alley, about your parents being dead, how you didn't give your name, and now I see you're associated with…" he spared a glance over at Neville who was still rooted to his seat. He almost sneered. "With someone of pureblood status. And I'm willing to bet if you combed your hair, there'd be a scar on your forehead. Of course, you could deny it but when the sorting ceremony happens, everyone will know for sure,"
"And if I was?" Harry asked, maybe breaking the cover he had been trying to keep. "What would it matter if I was? You don't seem like you would bring protection to ask for an autograph."
Draco looked over at his two boulders. "Don't mind Crabbe and Goyle. They're only here to keep others in line if need be." The two of them cracked their knuckles for emphasis. "And I wouldn't stoop to any level for an autograph. No. I'm here to offer a helping hand."
"How so?" Harry asked. "Showing up with two guards doesn't seem very friendly if that's what you're after."
A flicker of annoyance flashed across Draco's eyes. "Crabbe, Goyle, go wait outside for a few minutes," he instructed. "Let the gentlemen speak."
The two of them wordlessly agreed and stepped outside the compartment.
"So," Draco began again, "I am right in assuming you are Harry Potter then?"
"My name is Harry, but it's like you said, it'll just come out anyway during the sorting, won't it?"
He seemed mildly impressed. "I can admire not giving everything away to someone you've just met. But you'd be foolish to turn me away before hearing what I have to say."
"Which is?"
"A chance to become better acquainted with our society," Draco offered. "I've spoken with some of the girls you've met, she said you have somewhat of a basic understanding, but lack refinement. I think you'll find I can help you there."
'Or you can just ask me. I grew up with this stuff, too.'
"I'm not against learning more about wizardkind," Harry said. "You obviously know more about that than I do." Draco looked pleased to hear that. "But being some aristocrat isn't really who I am."
"Don't be so quick to dismiss," Draco narrowed his gaze. "Assuming that you are Harry Potter, which I highly suspect you are, you'd be a fool to not think about what I have to offer. The Malfoy name carries a great weight with it. For someone who's been out of the loop, some help can go a long way." He extended his hand. "Besides, you don't want to go off making friends with the wrong sort."
"The wrong sort?" Harry repeated, not really liking where he was taking this.
"Those who would turn their backs on years of tradition. People who have no prior knowledge of magic coming to our world and wanting to change it to fit their needs. You'll see for yourself soon enough."
Harry stared at him. "I don't really care who I make friends with. Just so long as they respect me, I'll do the same for them."
Draco scowled at the response. "It isn't wise to go and turn down an-," he was caught by surprise when Harry did take his hand.
"And if you're willing to do the same and try not to sound superior when talking to me who's just as ignorant as some of these newcomers, I'll at least hear what you have to say," Harry told him. "Does that sound good to you, Draco?"
The other boy was clearly taken aback, not used to having a deal made in such a manner. Eventually, he gave a small shake of his hand before drawing back.
"I'll see you around school then," he said as he prepared to leave. "Oh, one more thing," he paused at the door. "Like everyone else, use my last name. A name as recognized as Malfoy should be treated with respect." With that, he left.
Once the door closed, Neville finally seemed to breathe again.
"You… I'm sorry, but I can't tell if you're reckless or actually a genius. No one talkes to a Malfoy like that."
"I kinda figured," Harry sat back down. "He does seem like a spoiled brat who gets everything he wants."
"Of course he is! He's a Malfoy."
"So I take it he wasn't just boasting when he was talking up his name?" Harry guessed.
"His father's real close to the minister," Neville informed. "They're an old pureblood family with the wealth to prove it. His father was supposed to be a big supporter of You Know Who. And you just made friends with his son."
'I'm with him on this one,' Ymir agreed. 'That kid seems like an idiot. Why waste your time with him?'
"I'm not friends with him," Harry simultaneously answered both of them. "I'm just not doing anything to make him hate me. If he keeps up that obnoxious attitude, I won't bother with him at all. And a certain friend of mine knows all about not judging people because of something that happened to their family in the past."
'Oh, you're going there, are you? Hmph. Fine. Just don't expect me to be nice to him.'
You can't talk to him.
'Well don't expect me to say nice things about him to you.'
"If you say so," Neville replied, unsure if that was a smart move or not. "Hey, uh, you think we should change into our Hogwarts robes now? We still have time, but I don't want to forget."
Agreeing with him, they put their robes on and went back to lightly chatting. By the time they finally arrived at the next train station, it was already dark.
Neville told him that they were to leave their trunks and stuff in the train and that they would magically be brought up to the castle after the welcoming feast, or so he had been told by his gran. Giving Hedwig a snack before he left, Harry and Neville exited the train amongst the sea of other students all dressed in Hogwarts robes.
"Firs' years over here! Firs' years this way!" a familiar voice was calling out.
Harry easily spotted the massive form of Hagrid standing near a dock and waving a lantern. The assembled mass of first-year students formed a crowd around the giant of a man while the other students went further ahead to where a line for carriages began.
Approaching the dock, a large row of boats had been neatly lined for their convenience.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid instructed as he began helping load the students into separate boats. Harry and Neville found themselves in a boat with a pair of girls who looked to be twins with dark-hair and eyes.
Once every student had been loaded on, Hagrid sat in a boat by himself and pointed his large, pink umbrella across the dark waters of the lake where they were docked. As soon as he did so, Harry felt a lurch in their boat as they began to move behind Hagrid and across the water
The lantern at the bow of their boat lit the way through the dark of the night. Evidently, it must have illuminated more than just the water; Neville was clinging to the boat for safety.
"Problem?" Harry asked.
"I… thought I saw something move under the water," he mumbled out.
"Where?" Harry searched for it himself.
One of the twins joined in. "Oh! There!" she pointed off to the side. "What is that?"
Quickly turning his head, Harry expected to see the face of a giant human beneath the surface, ready to pick up their boat and haul it the rest of the way across the lake. Instead, he saw what looked like a tentacle of some kind.
Did they have a squid living in a lake?
His attention was drawn away from what lurked underneath the water to what lay ahead as he heard multiple gasps of excitement as the "ooh-ing" and "ahh-ing" began. Directly ahead of them was a massive stone castle.
The turrets were tall and strong, the towers seemed to stare at them during their approach, and the light from hundreds of candles from inside beckoned them closer with every invisible row. This was Hogwarts Castle.
'Impressive,' Ymir remarked.
Yeah, Harry agreed. Do you have any castles like this on Paradis?
'Well, there's Utgard Castle, but it's more of a ruin now than anything. Nothing like this.'
"Mind yer heads!" Hagrid called back to all of them as their boats passed underneath a low-hanging tree branch. They seemed to have arrived at a boathouse of sorts on the shore of the lake.
Once all the boats had docked and all the students had been unloaded, Hagrid led them up a zigzagging stone staircase that had been built leading right up to the castle itself.
When they arrived at the top, Hagrid opened a set of doors for them which brought them up to an entry hall of sorts where Professor McGonagall awaited them in front of another set of doors. Her gaze was as stern as it had been before, perhaps using it to root out future troublemakers.
"The first-years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid dutifully reported.
"Yes, thank you, Hagrid. Please go and take your seat. I have a few things to say beforehand." Nodding at her instructions, Hagrid entered the doors behind her, making sure they didn't peek past him.
"Now, if I have your attention, please," McGonagall began. "In a few moments, you will enter through these doors and join your classmates. Before that can happen, you must be sorted into your houses. There are four named after Hogwarts founders, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. While you are here, your house will be like your family. Do well and strive forward and you will earn house points. Any rule-breaking or tomfoolery will cost points and earn a detention. By the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the House Cup." She looked to see if anyone raised any questions. "That is all. Wait here until I return."
She too entered beyond those doors.
'Feeling nervous?' Ymir asked.
Anxious, really, Harry answered. Things had been pretty smooth sailing so far. After this, he would have to go about dealing with people knowing who he was and he doubted he could avoid the attention forever. I don't want to end up being involved in a bunch of drama, that's all.
'Hm. Such a small thing that is always so hard to grant. I guess it would be a good time to say that I wish I was there now.'
Say it all you want, it isn't going to come true, not unless you have magic too.
'...' She was silent. 'I'll be here in spirit, nonetheless.'
The doors creaked open and Mcgonagall stepped back out. "We're ready for you now."
Letting the doors open fully, she led them into a great hall of sorts where four long tables ran parallel to one another each seating a variety of students. Above each table was a banner of different colors along with an animal. There was scarlett with a lion, blue with a raven, yellow with a badger, and green with a snake.
At the furthest end of the hall was a table that sat a conglomerate of witches and wizards including Hagrid. At the very center sat an ancient-looking wizard in bright, colorful robes, a long white beard, half-moon spectacles upon a nose that looked to have been broken a few times before, and a pair of twinkling blue eyes.
Continuing their walk down the aisle of tables, McGonagall stopped at a stool that had been placed before the dias where an old tattered hat rested. "When I call your name, please come forward to be sorted." She pulled out a list of names. "Abbott, Hannah!" she read off.
Harry recognized one of the people from the train nervously step forward and sat down on the stool as McGonagall put the hat on her head. After a moment, a seam ripped open above the brim of the hat as it yelled out for the hall to hear.
"Hufflepuff!"
The table with the yellow banner gave a generous round of applause as they welcomed the newest member of their house.
"Bones, Susan!" McGonagall read off. Shortly after, Susan was making her way to join Hannah over at the Hufflepuff table.
More names were called off and Harry recognized Tracey from the train taking her seat to be sorted. "Slytherin!" the hat declared and she went to go and join the green table. Taking a closer look at the table, Harry noticed that many of them had a very sullen look about them and barely welcomed their newest arrival with any clapping whatsoever.
When Neville's turn came he almost tripped going up, something that earned chuckles throughout the hall. When he had been sorted to Gryffindor, he was so anxious to get off the stool, he took the hat with him causing McGonagall to chase him down. That earned even more laughter.
Name after name was called until she got to "Malfoy, Draco!" the hat had barely touched a single hair on his head before it called out Slytherin. Malfoy looked very smug about it.
Not that much longer now, Harry realized as she started moving into the P's.
The twins whom they had shared a boat with were actually divided, one going to Ravenclaw and the other to Gryffindor. She was close now.
Finally, "Potter, Harry!"
The hall went silent when she called his name. Then the whispering began.
"Harry Potter?" "That's what she said, right?" "He's here? He's actually at Hogwarts?" "Where Is he?" "Can you see him?" "Where?"
Harry tried to take a calming breath. Let's just get this over with then.
Walking forward through the crowd, he caught sight of a few surprised faces from some of the unsorted students around him. Taking his seat on the stool, he let McGonagall put the hat down on his head and his vision went dark as the brim obscured his sight.
"Well, this is interesting indeed," a voice that wasn't Ymir's said in his head.
Are you… the hat?
"Indeed I am, but you don't sound so surprised," the Sorting Hat noted. "Hm… yes… you're no stranger to hearing a voice that isn't yours, are you?" it asked rhetorically.
'Wait… can he hear me too?' Ymir asked but got no response.
What do you mean? Harry asked for her.
"Your mind is a peculiar one. I sense another presence from somewhere within but I'm unable to tell from where. Rest assured, it doesn't seem malicious."
'He hasn't seen me angry.'
Look, uh, Mr. Sorting Hat, what exactly do I need to do to get sorted? Harry tried to get back on track.
"You? Just sit there for now. In order to decide where to put you, I need to get a read of your personality, your goals and desires, your past experiences, everything that makes a person who they are." Harry felt the hat shift further down his head.
"Now, let's see here. Hmm. Alright. Yes. I see. Oh yes, there's much there. Very much. What's this… of, I see, yes that is something. What about… ah, very well. Hm? Oh? Peculiar. Very peculiar indeed." It felt like over a minute of listening to the hat.
Excuse me, Harry said to it. What exactly are you doing now? You didn't take this long with anyone else.
"I was doing as I told you, I was looking through some memories and from the looks of it, you have quite a lot up in your head, yes indeed."
Well, I don't mean to rush you or anything, but I'm sure there are other students waiting to get sorted as well. Can't you just… put me wherever?
"I could, but I could end up making the wrong choice."
Wrong choice? Harry repeated. Isn't your job to know where someone goes?
"Do you know where you belong?" the Sorting Hat asked him. "You can always choose yourself."
That's an option?
"It is. It's not one often picked almost young students are too unsure of themselves to make a choice of that gravity, they simply let themselves be told where to go. From what I've seen, you'd prefer to have the option yourself, am I correct?"
Harry focused solely on Ymir. Any advice?
'The choice is yours,' she simply said. 'If it's worth anything, I heard a saying that goes, "you never know how things will turn out, so choose whatever you think you'll regret the least."'
Her words resonated in his heart. Alright then.
A/N: Thank you for reading. Next Chapter: getting a taste of school life reveals the negative impact of a famous name. Chapter 5: Teachings.