Harry was awake long before the sun finally rose above the hills that surrounded the Burrow; even though he and Ron had been sent to bed early the previous night, Harry had found it impossible to sleep as his excitement at the prospect of finally going to Hogwarts far outstretched any tiredness he might feel.
Ron had fallen asleep quite quickly, something that puzzled Harry as Ron had seemed just as excited as Harry at the prospect that they were finally going to be going to school to learn magic; Harry, on the other hand, had tossed and turned for hours until finally managing to snatch a few short hours of rest, before waking up again long before dawn.
Resigning himself that he was awake, Harry had made his way downstairs to read some of the schoolbooks that he had bought a few weeks ago; Ron and the twins had teased him to no end when he began studying, saying that "Harry was going to be another Percy," but Harry had just laughed it off, there was nothing wrong with being like his big brother Percy, after all, even if Percy was a little stuck up at times.
In truth, Harry loved reading his school books; he found them fascinating and couldn't wait until he got to actually perform some of the things he had read about in his books; currently, he was reading his potions books, Jaya had told Harry how gifted his birth mother had been in potions and charms, and Harry wanted to do his best to make her proud; as the thought crossed his mind, Harry smiled sadly.
Harry had spent many hours listening to Jaya talk about his birth parents when the little elf had first come to the Burrow; desperate to learn as much as he could, Harry had soaked up every word like a dry sponge, desperate for water.
Harry loved the Weasleys, they had taken him in and saved him from his Aunt and Uncle, and he considered them his family. However, there was still a piece of him that desperately wanted to live up to the expectations that he was sure his birth parents had set for him, and he was determined to do precisely that when he got to school.
As Harry turned the page and began reading the next chapter, a snowy white owl swooped in through the open window and landed on Harry's shoulder before nuzzling his face affectionately.
"Hey Hedwig," Harry said happily as he softly stroked her; Hedwig had been a gift from Sirius and one that Harry had loved immediately; Sirius had bought her for Harry after the incident involving Harry's wand as a way of taking the Weasley family's mind off of the fact that Harry had a wand that was a mirror copy of a mass-murdering lunatic. Harry had chosen the owl's name from one of his schoolbooks, knowing that if he didn't quickly select a name, Ginny would make up something awful, much to everyone's amusement.
"I don't have anything for you right now, Hedwig," Harry said softly, "But mum should be up soon, and I'm sure she'll have something for you,"
the owl hooted in response, and Harry laughed at the expression he saw there,
"Now, don't be like that, Hedwig! Today's the day, after all! We're going to Hogwarts, aren't you excited?!"
Hedwig hooted again and gave Harry's ear an affectionate nip before taking off out the open window while Harry smiled after her; Harry would no doubt be smiling all day today, he had waited for this day for so long, and the fact that it was finally here seemed to make his facial muscles unable to do anything but grin.
"Harry?" A soft voice called from behind him, making him turn to see his mother, Molly, descending the stairs, "What are you doing up, dear? There's still a few hours before breakfast."
"Sorry, mum," Harry responded as he put down his potions book, "I was just too excited to sleep, so I thought I'd come down and do some studying before breakfast."
Molly smiled happily at her son as she waved her wand and the oven turned on,
"I'm delighted that you're dedicated to your studies, Harry," Molly replied as she waved her wand again, and the kitchen came to life with the sounds and smells of breakfast being prepared, "But you should remember that Hogwarts isn't just about studying, you should remember to have fun and make some friends too."
"Are you giving me permission to join the twins on their mad escapades?" Harry asked with a mock grin,
"Absolutely not!" Molly laughed back, "This family doesn't need any more pranksters! I swear those two are going to be the death of me,"
Molly and Harry shared a laugh at that before a sudden 'POP' sounded in the kitchen, and Jaya suddenly appeared,
"Good morning, missus. Good morning master Harry," Jaya squeaked warmly, "Shall Jaya get started on breakfast, missus?"
"I have it well in hand, Jaya," Molly replied warmly, "But could you begin stacking everyone's luggage outside? And make sure they haven't forgotten anything. With this many people traveling to Kings Cross, it will undoubtedly be a hectic day, and the less chaos, the better."
"Jaya is on it!" The little elf squeaked happily before disappearing with another 'POP,'
"Will Sirius be there?" Harry asked,
"I'm sure he will be," Molly replied happily, "I doubt he would want to miss seeing his godson off to his first year, after all."
Harry smiled happily at the words, and his short black hair took on its usual appearance of shoulder length and blood-red as Molly watched with a smile; this was shaping up to be the best day of Harry's life, and it wasn't even breakfast yet.
XXXX
A few hours later, Harry was happily pushing his cart next to the rest of his family; Ron was chatting endlessly next to Harry about how they'd be sorted; apparently, it was some big secret, though the twins had told Harry and Ron that they needed to fight a troll, making the pair laugh at Harry and Ron's fearful expressions.
They were nearing the entrance to the platform when Harry suddenly stopped, noticing that his shoelace was untied and not wanting to trip. He bent down to tie it as the rest of the family moved ahead, apparently not noticing that he had stopped and fallen behind.
"Hello, freak…." A voice whispered close to Harry's ear; instantly, Harry felt the blood turn cold in his veins, and he began to shake as memories that he had hoped never to revisit began to rush through his mind.
Slowly, Harry turned to face who had spoken, wishing with every fiber of his being that it wasn't who he thought it was; a moment later, his wish was dashed as he looked into the grinning face of Vernon Dursley.
As Harry looked at the figure who had once haunted his nightmares, Harry noticed that Vernon looked like a shadow of his former self; Vernon's flesh hung off of his body as though he had lost a lot of weight far too quickly, his hair was far grayer than Harry remember and was balding quite severely, but the worst thing was Vernon's eyes, that looked bloodshot and manic as they gazed down on the scared boy.
As Harry struggled to breathe, Vernon smiled at him, and Harry saw that his uncle's teeth had turned a foul yellow in the last few years since Harry had last seen the man,
"Aw, what's the matter, Freak? Have you nothing to say to your uncle?"
"W-what are you doing h-here?" Harry asked as his long red hair shortened and turned white, making Vernon's lip curl in disgust,
"I see I was right," Vernon sneered, "Living with your own kind has made you even more of a freak than you already were!"
Harry flinched from the words as though struck and Hedwig began to hoot angrily at the man who was insulting her master. Harry felt his eyes start to water with unshed tears. He would not cry in front of Vernon Dursley, never again!
"I'm not a freak…." Harry muttered as he slowly rose to his feet,
"What was that?!" Vernon asked with a scowl,
"I said I'm not a freak!" Harry said louder, mustering the courage to look his uncle in the eye, even as the boy's body shook slightly.
"Oh yes, you are!" Vernon snarled back as he reached forward and grabbed the shoulder of Harry's shirt, "You and the rest of your kind took everything from me! Even after I took you in out of the goodness of my heart and tried to break you of your abnormality!"
"You hurt me…." Harry mumbled back, his rising panic taking over his ability to speak,
"You deserved it!" Vernon snarled back, "Freaks like you have no place in this world! Your kind should all be exterminated! Down to the last child!"
Harry gulped quickly as his uncle's rage washed over him. A few people looked at the two in interest for a moment but quickly decided not to get involved and moved on; Harry looked fearfully for his family as Vernon continued his rant, spittle flying from his mouth,
"I lost everything because of your kind! My wife and son! My career! My house! And it's all your fault!"
Harry tried to pull away, but Vernon tightened his grip and stepped closer so that Harry almost gagged as the smell of alcohol hit him.
"Now, here is what is going to happen," Vernon said in a dangerously low voice, "You're going to leave with me, and we're going to go somewhere where your fellow abominations can't find us."
"No," Harry said in a fearful squeak, "No, I'm not going with you,"
Vernon smiled nastily for a moment before leaning in closer,
"I've got a gun in my pocket, boy," Vernon said in a cold whisper, "You so much as think about calling for help, and I'll kill your freak family first, THEN I'll kill you as well."
Harry paled instantly, and his voice died in his throat as Vernon smiled dangerously at him before nodding and rising back to his full height,
"Now, let's go, brat," Vernon sneered, "Leave the cart and the ruddy bird behind. You won't need it anymore where we're going."
Harry felt tears begin to slide down his cheeks as he gazed down at his feet, made worse by the hoots of indignation that were coming from Hedwig, who was desperately trying to either draw attention to what was going on or escape her cage and attack Vernon.
As Harry took a step toward Vernon, Harry suddenly heard a voice that made his head snap up in alarm,
"Harry?"
Harry quickly turned to face his brother Ron who had come back to see what was taking Harry so long, and seeing his brother's white hair and the look of panic written across Harry's face, Ron instantly knew something was wrong; as Ron zeroed in on the man next to Harry, Ron's face went as white as Harry's hair as the boy recognized Vernon.
"You…" Ron breathed,
"This doesn't concern you, freak!" Vernon called angrily, "This is between my nephew and me!"
"Ron," Harry said in a scared voice, "Please, he's got a weapon! Just go!"
Ron chewed his lip in indecision for a moment as Vernon's hand began to trail to his pocket,
"I'd listen to him if I were you, freak."
With a sudden nod, Ron turned and fled back down the station while Harry watched wide-eyed,
"I guess your 'family' doesn't care about you as much as you thought, boy," Vernon chuckled.
Harry's eyes instantly watered as the words hit him like blows, and Vernon began to laugh cruelly as he pulled Harry's shirt as attempted to drag the boy away; before either of them had taken a step, however, a voice rang out across the station that made Harry look back with hope and fear in equal measure.
"Harry!" Sirius cried as he ran toward the boy; behind him ran Ron and the rest of the Weasley's as well as Dora and Andromeda, all looking equally afraid, except for Sirius, who looked positively murderous.
"Stay back!" Vernon cried angrily as he swung his arm around Harry's body, holding the boy in front of him like a shield. A moment later, Vernon pulled a small pistol from his pocket and held it to Harry's head, making Sirius stop suddenly and glare at Vernon; at the sight of the gun, the station descended into anarchy as people began to scream and run away in terror.
"Let. Him. Go," Sirius said in a growl that seemed almost feral,
"One more step, freak, and I'll blow his brains out!" Vernon replied in an almost manic voice, "I'd be doing the world a favor! One less of YOUR kind polluting this world!"
"Let my brother go, you bastard!" Dora yelled angrily, attempting to charge Vernon but held back by her mother, who was staring in horror at what was happening,
"STAY BACK!" Vernon screamed, spittle flying from his lips as he began to slowly edge backward, dragging Harry with him, "I'LL KILL HIM, I SWEAR IT!"
"You hurt so much as a hair on his head, and I'll make you beg me to kill you long before I finally do," Sirius growled, making Vernon pale.
"You freaks cost me everything!" Vernon snarled, pressing the barrel to Harry's head, who winced in fear, "I'm taking this brat as recompense for that!"
"You're not taking my son anywhere!" Molly snarled back, taking a step forward,
"NOT ANOTHER STEP!" Vernon screeched, pressing the barrel into Harry's head,
"Mum…." Harry said in a scared voice,
"Don't worry, sweetie," Molly said in a calm voice that was clearly forced, "Everything's going to be alright, I promise."
Vernon laughed in a crazed manner at Molly's words as he continued to edge back,
"You shouldn't lie to the boy!" Vernon cried as he pulled the gun away from Harry's head and instead pointed it at Molly, "I'll kill him and everyone here before I hand him over!"
The threat of violence to the woman who practically raised him was too much for Harry to bear, every good thing that Harry had ever had, had been taken from him by Vernon, and now his uncle wanted to take his mother for him too? No!
Gritting his teeth, Harry stomped down hard on Vernon's foot, making his uncle howl with man and quickly release the boy, who ran straight into Molly's arms as Sirius charged Vernon with a look of pure rage on his face for the man who had threatened his godson; a moment later, Sirius tackled Vernon, and the two fell to the ground hard, and the pistol fell from Vernon's grip and flew across the floor a few feet away.
As Molly quietly sobbed in relief into Harry's shirt, Sirius began to pummel Vernon anywhere he could as Vernon tried to deflect the blows and get away from the barrage; a moment later, Sirius dragged Vernon to his feet and delivered a powerful blow to the man's jaw that knocked Vernon to the ground with a painful, "Oomph."
As Sirius stormed toward the fallen muggle, Vernon suddenly kicked out, striking Sirius' knee and making Harry's godfather hit the ground painfully as Vernon scampered toward the fallen gun; as he reached it, Vernon turned with triumph in his eyes and aimed at Sirius as Harry watched in horror,
"NOOOOOOO!" Harry screamed as Vernon grinned and squeezed the trigger,
"STUPEFY!" Andromeda yelled angrily a moment later, sending a red jet of light to shoot out of her wand and strike Vernon in the chest, which lifted him from the ground and slammed him into the nearby wall, where he slumped to the ground a moment later, unconscious.
XXXX
An hour later, Harry sat quietly in a compartment aboard the Hogwarts express; Ron sat across from him, whilst Dora was seated next to Harry and had the boy in a vice grip as though she would never let him go, all of them thinking about the events that had just transpired.
Aurors had descended upon King's Cross almost immediately after Andromeda had knocked Vernon out and had immediately begun obliviating every muggle they came across while questioning the Weasley's, Tonks', and Sirius about what had happened; Vernon had been taken into custody for the crime of attacking a magical child, while the children were hurriedly rushed through the gateway and aboard the train, lest they be left behind.
Fred and George had offered to stay with Harry and Ron after what had happened, but Harry had refused, telling them to go spend time with their friends. The Twins had tried to argue, but Dora had bluntly told them, "Get lost before I curse the both of you," making the twins disappear in a flash before flashing a grin at Harry and Ron, who felt a little better.
For the next hour, not much was said between the three; Dora and Ron tried to cheer Harry up with jokes and such, but Harry was still shaken after what had happened and silently watched out the window as the countryside rushed by.
"Excuse me?" A voice said suddenly, making the trio turn to the door of the compartment as a bushy-haired witch appeared, "Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost one,"
"Sorry, I haven't," Dora replied cheerfully, "But if we see him, we'll let you know!"
"Thank you so much!" The witch replied with a smile before exiting the compartment and heading further down the train.
"Not sure why he wants it back," Ron said a moment later, "If I had a toad, I'd try and lose it as soon as I could,"
"Hey now, be nice," Dora said with a smile as though she agreed with Ron,
"Dora, if you would rather hang out with your friends…." Harry began before he was cut off,
"Nothing doing, little brother," Dora said with a grin, "I'm staying right here with you!"
Harry smiled back at Dora and made his hair turn bright purple to match hers, which made her smile warmly at him.
As Ron pulled his exploding snap set, the three began a game, and Harry felt himself feeling better than he had previously; the three were on their fourth game when the door to their compartment rattled open again, and the trio looked up expecting to see the witch again, only to be confronted by someone else entirely.
"What are you doing here?" Ron asked angrily at the blonde-haired kid who had entered and was standing in front of what Harry could only assume were gorillas disguised as children,
"Now that's not very nice, Weasel," Draco sneered, making Ron's cheeks turn crimson,
"Now's not the time, Malfoy," Dora replied softly.
"Yes, I heard of what happened," Draco replied, "Quite pathetic that the boy-who-lived can't even protect himself from a filthy muggle."
Before Ron or Dora could do anything, Harry spoke in a soft voice that seemed to echo throughout the compartment,
"Why would you say such a hateful thing, Draco? Have I offended you in some way?"
Draco seemed taken aback at the question and seemed unable to respond for a moment before his sneer returned.
"Your very existence offends me, Potter! You come from noble stock and instead surround yourself with blood traitors and animals. How sad how far the Potter house has fallen,"
Dora and Ron seemed about to jump to their feet when Harry slowly rose to his and approached the boy, who looked wary for a moment before realizing he had his bodyguards with him.
"My name is Weasley, Draco. And is that what your father told you?" Harry asked softly,
"Of course!" Draco sneered,
"But you are not your father, Draco," Harry said softly, making Draco frown, "You don't have to make the same mistakes as him."
"My father is a great man!" Draco countered angrily, "We should all aspire to such heights!"
"Just because he's powerful doesn't mean he's good," Harry replied softly, "He is filling your head with lies and hatred instead of letting you make your own decision regarding such matters."
Ron and Dora's mouths dropped open comically at Harry's words. A moment later, Draco did the same as Harry continued in the same soft tone,
"You should think for yourself and make your own opinions about people,"
"And why should I do that?" Draco sneered back,
"Because if you let go of your father's vile rhetoric, you would be able to call me your friend," Harry said with a small smile.
"You….you'd be my friend?" Draco replied softly, his eyes wide as Harry nodded,
"I have seen what people can do when consumed with hatred," Harry said in a sad voice, "And I have seen what it can do to people if you let it. So, if you're willing to stop listening to your father and instead form your opinion, I will call you my friend as long as you act appropriately."
The compartment was as quiet as a grave before Draco finally cleared his throat in apparent awkwardness,
"I will think over your proposition, Pot….Harry," Draco said softly before turning and leaving the compartment; as Harry sat down again, Dora and Ron stared at him as though he had grown a second head.
"What was that?!" Ron asked suddenly, making Harry frown,
"What was what?" Harry replied,
"Why would you offer to be Malfoy's friend?! His father is a Death Eater!"
"Yes," Harry replied, "His father is, but that doesn't make him one."
"I think it was very noble of Harry to offer his hand in friendship to the kid," Dora said with a smile,
"But…but he's a blood purist!" Ron cried in exasperation, "He'll no doubt end up in Slytherin with the rest of the slimy snakes!"
"So?" Harry asked, "Am I to just judge him based on what his father has done? Or should I instead try to show him a better way? Perhaps what I just did will make all the difference."
"When did you get so philosophical?" Dora asked with a grin,
"I have seen enough hatred to last me a lifetime," Harry replied sadly as he gazed out the window, "If I can help someone see a better way, shouldn't I at least try and do it?"
Ron continued to stare at Harry as though the boy had lost his mind, while Dora smiled at Harry in admiration,
"So, shall we continue our game?" Harry asked as he turned back to the board in front of them.
XXXX
Hours later (or so it seemed), the train finally pulled into the station, and the trio was separated as Dora walked to the nearby carriages and Ron and Harry walked toward a very tall man who was shouting for all the first years to follow him.
"All firs years follow me!" The tall man yelled before turning and walking to a group of small, docked boats, "No more'n four to a boat! Come on now!"
Harry and Ron were quickly joined by the bushy-haired witch from earlier, who introduced herself as Hermione Granger, and a small, scared-looking boy named Neville Longbottom."
"Did you find your toad?" Harry asked warmly,
"Oh, yes," Neville replied with a small smile, "He was hiding in the bathroom, almost got flushed,"
Ron laughed at that, making Neville turn red with embarrassment before Harry punched Ron hard in the shoulder,
"Be nice," Harry said, earning a smile of gratitude from Neville.
A moment later, Harry's breath was taken away as Hogwarts came into sight,
"It's so beautiful…." Harry breathed in awe as the others in his boat nodded their head in agreement,
"Head's down!" The tall man called from the front as the boats entered a cave; ducking his head, Harry felt a small bump a moment later and raised his head to see that they had docked,
"Everyone out, now!" The tall man called cheerfully before leading them up a staircase to a pair of giant doors. Raising his fist, the tall man beat on the door three times before stepping back.
Before Harry could ask what they were waiting for, the doors opened, and an elderly witch in a flowing black and green robe stepped out; as Harry looked at her, he made a mental note that this was not someone to get on the wrong side of.
"The firs years, Professor McGonagall," the man said gruffly,
"Thank you, Hagrid," Professor McGonagall said quickly before turning to the children assembled before him, "Follow me."
As the children quickly followed, Harry grew excited as they approached the Great Hall, only for his excitement to change to confusion as they passed the entrance and instead entered an empty classroom.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said once all the children were assembled before her, "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family. Your triumphs will earn you house points, while any rule breaking will result in the loss of said points. A the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup."
McGonagall cast a stern gaze at the assembled children for a moment, and Harry felt a cold sweat begin before the Professor continued,
"I will return momentarily for you all. Please wait here until then and try to smarten yourselves up as best as you can.
Hushed whispers broke out almost as soon as the Professor left, and Harry twitched fretfully as Hermione began to rattle off to Neville what she had learned from her schoolbooks and what spell she might need to be sorted appropriately.
A moment later, Hermione let out a shriek, and Harry's head shot up to see what had startled her, only for his face to pale as two silvery ghosts glided through the walls close to the children.
"Hello, what are you all doing here?" One of the ghosts, dressed as though he were starring in a Shakespearian play, asked,
"Um…well, you see, sir," Harry began before he was interrupted by the second ghost, who was dressed as a monk,
"Ah, first years, are you?" The monk asked, smiling as the children nodded, "Excellent, hope to see some of you in my house, home of those who value loyalty above such trivial things as ambition or recklessness."
The first ghost looked offended and opened his mouth to respond when Professor McGonagall reappeared and gave them a stern gaze which made the ghosts quickly vanish through a nearby wall before turning her gaze on the children,
"We're ready for you, now. Follow me."
Feeling oddly as though his legs had turned to lead, Harry got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.
Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."
It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.
Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool, she put a pointed wizard's hat. Unfortunately, this hat was patched and frayed, and extremely dirty.
For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on, and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true And unafraid of toil;
Or yet, in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.
"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered angrily to Harry. "I'll kill Fred!"
"Not if I get to him first!" Harry replied with a grin, "He and George have had me worried for months now!"
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"
A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause -
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.
"Bones, Susan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.
"Boot, Terry!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.
" Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see his twin brothers catcalling.
"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. Perhaps it was Harry's imagination; after all, he'd heard about Slytherin, but he thought they looked like an unpleasant lot. He was starting to feel definitely sick now.
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Sometimes, Harry noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others, it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.
"Granger, Hermione!"
Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat.
When Neville Longbottom, the boy who had lost his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."
Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"
Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with themselves.
On and on, the sorting went, and Harry began to feel very nervous; what if the hat put him in a different house than his family? What if he wasn't put in any house and was instead told that he had to leave as he didn't have any of the qualties that the hat had sung about?
Finally, Harry's name was called, and he slowly strode toward the stool, trying desperately not to show how nervous he was as he sat down and the hat was placed over his eyes; around him, the hall echoed with whispers as everyone craned their necks to get a look at the boy that they had heard and read so much about.
The boy who had saved the Wizarding world, only to be rewarded with abuse for years from those whom he was placed with before being adopted by the Weasleys.
Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, A my goodness, yes, and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?"
"If you could, sir," Harry said slowly, "I should like to be with my family,"
"Are you sure?" The hat replied softly, "You have an excellent mind and a thirst to learn that I've rarely seen. You would do well in Ravenclaw,"
"Thank you," Harry siad with a blush, "But I still want to be with my family."
"Very well, then, Mr. Weasley," the hat said before bellowing out,
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The hall erupted in cheers as Harry happily walked towards the table where his brothers were sitting; Dora looked disappointed that Harry wouldn't be in the same house as her but gave Harry a thumbs-up all the same. A moment later, Ron joined him and sat next to Harry, a huge grin seemingly plastered on Ron's face.
Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.
Harry looked down at his empty gold plate. He had only just realized how hungry he was.
Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms wide open as if nothing could have pleased him more than seeing them all there.
"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! But, before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"
He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not.
"Dumbledore's still as mad as ever," Harry laughed as he began to dig into the food that had suddenly appeared before him,
"Did you expect any different?" Ron replied with a laugh as he filled his own plate.
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The rest of the night passed in a blur for Harry as he eagerly ate the delicious food before him and got to know the students that he would be learning with for the next seven years. A strange thing occurred halfway through the feast; as Harry was eating and listening to his fellow housemates talk, he suddenly looked up towards the staff table to see a man in black robes glaring at him while talking to another teacher wearing a purple turban.
A moment later, a terrible pain shot through Harry's forehead, and he quickly raised his hand to it, but a moment later, the pain was gone, and Harry stared at the man in sudden trepidation.
"Hey, Percy," Harry called, "Who's that man in the black robes?"
"That's Professor Snape. He's head of Slytherin house and is notorious for favoring them,"
"What's he teach?" Ron asked as he reached for another piece of chicken,
"Potions," Percy replied, "But everyone knows that his real ambition is to teach Defense Against The Dark Arts."
Harry stared at Professor for a moment more before quickly turning his eyes back to his meal.
Dumbledore delivered a speech at the end of the feast about how they were not allowed access to the third floor lest they "Die a most painful death."
Harry's mouth had dropped comically at that, and he had shared a look of horror with Ron before Dumbledore rattled off a few other announcements and bid them goodnight.
Afterward, the new first years were shown to their common room, and Harry, exhausted beyond words after the day's events, promptly collapsed as soon as his head hit the pillow.