4 (Alyssa) [They/ he]
“Firs’ years! Firs’ years this way!”
The man was massive. A giant, maybe genuinely part giant.
He was in brown clothes, likely made special to fit him properly, and he was holding a large lantern that glowed a welcoming orange.
He had peach skin, small beady black eyes, and long, thick brown hair. He had a long beard and mustache as well all curled and frizzed. Partly tangled, a little scorched on places perhaps from some kind of magical creatures.
Smiling softly I smiled, allowing the cool night air to wash over me for a moment before starting after the group. I wasn’t far behind, Ron and Harry turning as I headed up to them.
“Aren’t you cold?” Ron asked and I shook my head.
“Not really no. I’ve always liked the cold even.” I shrugged. “It’s nice.”
“Sure.” He shook his head as they reached the edge of a large lake.
“No more than four to a boat!” The large man shouted and the group split; Harry, and Ron climbing into one boat; Hermione, Nevil, and myself into a second.
The night was beautiful, the massive castle a shadow ahead, dark due to the sun setting behind it, windows spots of orange light. As I looked up at the sky I smiled as he located Virgo, taking in the other constellations around it.
“Taking in the starts more than the castle?” Hermione asked, a genuine amusement to her voice. “You’re going to love astrology.”
“Watch yer heads!”
Quickly the trio ducked as they came up to a cliff, through a tunnel hidden by ivy into a large underground harbor where all the students clamored out. Quickly the large man led them up a long passageway into the shadow of the massive school and then up first a stone staircase towards the massive oak doors of the massive sandy brick school.
“Everyone here?” The man scanned the crowd before knocking on the doors. It wasn’t long before it opened, McGonagall taking everyone in quickly. “The Firs’ years Professor McGonagall.”
“Thank you, Hagrid, I’ll take it from here.” She responded, lips thin as she pulled the door open, leading them in.
The entrance hall was massive, walls decorated with torches, roof too high to really make out. The floor was a cool gray, flagged, and a marble staircase ushered them to the higher floors. As they headed up, the droning of conversation hit Alyssa’s ear from a door to the left where the other students likely were, but McGonagall lead them into a small empty chamber off to the side. Everyone had to stand rather close, and for the first time Alyssa felt the nerves that he could see in several of the other students.
What was the initiation going to be like? How would they know where they belonged?
“Welcome to Hogwarts.” She said, “The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting Ceremony is important because while you are here your houses will be something like your family. You will have classes with the rest of your house, you will sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house’s common room.”
“The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history, and each has produced outstanding Wizards and Witches. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumph will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the house cup which is a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.”
“Wait. We’re being sorted into houses based on what? And were expected to only mingle with those of our own… That’s tracking. It’s predetermining who we are going to be based on underdeveloped minds. I get the house system for points, and for ease with classes, but to expect-“
“Alyssa!” Harry hissed, smacking my head.
“I’m just saying the stay completely within your own house thing feels, wrong to me.”
“It’s a simplification Mx. Wayne, of course you may have friends outside of your house.” She shook her head. “The sorting ceremony will happen in a few minutes in front of everyone; I expect you all to smarten yourselves before then, as much as you can.”
“Smarten?”
“Clean yourselves up.” The sigh was exasperated, but her soft smile informed me that the mistake was fairly simple.
“Oh. Right.” I nodded, shifting my hat slightly before giving a nod.
“I will return when we are ready for you, please wait quietly.” As McGonagall headed out Harry shot me a cool glare.
“Really? Tracking?”
“Think about it. Each has specific traits associated with it, it just… Feels like tracking, which is ineffective for learning. I also said I get the reward system.”
“So, what do you think that the ceremony will be?” Ron asked.
“It’s in front of people, so it shouldn’t be that intensive. But I don’t know how they expect to do that.” I shook my head.
“Fred said it hurts but I think he was joking.”
“Hermione, no one really knows much magic yet, it’s not going to be that kind of a test. If it was then it would be tracking; like proper tracking based on perceived educational skill, and just wrong. Illegal in some places actually.”
“Oh…”
It wasn’t too long before McGonagall returned, leading the group into a massive hall. It was grand, beautiful, and brilliant. The roof was charmed to reflect the sky outside, beautiful, and brilliant. The room was lit with thousands of candles, four long tables running a large amount of the hall, where the rest of the students sat. The tables were adorned with golden plates and goblets, and at the other end was another. All the teachers were sitting along it, and McGonagall lead the group here, with them all lining up in front of the teachers, in front of everyone else.
“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
For I'm a Thinking Cap!”
“When I call your name, you will come forward. I’ll place the hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses.” McGonagall called, unrolling a scroll. “Abbot, Hannah!”
The girl was short, the nervous type. She had pale peach skin, warm brown eyes, and long blond hair held in two low pigtails.
“Hufflepuff!”
Quickly her robes shifted, gaining yellow and bronze as she headed over to the table.
“Bones, Susan.”
She was short, with pale almond skin and angular amber eyes. Her shoulder length hair was strawberry blond, wavy with short bangs.
“Hufflepuff!”
Terry Boot; a bulky boy with olive skin, short brown hair and angular brown eyes, and Mandy Brockelhurst; a porcelain skinned, slim girl with long brown hair and brown eyes, were sorted into Ravenclaw -robes gaining bronze and blue coloring.
“Brown, Lavender!” The girl was tall, with deep mahogany skin, and curly dirty blond hair.
“Gryffindor!”
Slytherin gained its first new member in Millicent Bulstrode; a fair skinned man with shoulder length pale brown hair and darker brown eyes. His robes quickly gained green and silver in turn. The two that followed him; Michael Conner and Stephen Cornfoot; similar peach skin and brown hair the former had blue eyes the later brown, were both Ravenclaw.
“Crabbe, Vincent.”
He was a short boy, sneering. He had blotchy peach skin, and deep green eyes. His hair was short, bushy, and brown. The hat had hardly touched his head when it called out the house.
“Slytherin!”
Tracy Davis; dark olive skin, green eyes under frameless glasses, and wavy dark brown hair, was also a Slytherin.
“Entwhistle, Kevin.” He was a shorter boy with medium golden skin, short brown hair, and bright blue eyes.
“Ravenclaw!”
Justin Finch-Fletchly; deep fawn skin, brown hair, and eyes, was another Hufflepuff. Seamus Finnigan; pale, freckles, bright carrot hair, was a Gryffindor.
Anthony Goldstein went to Ravenclaw, with Gregory Goyle going to Slytherin.
“Granger, Hermione.”
As she headed forward the crowd began whispering, but it didn’t really seem to faze her as she sat. The silence lingered longer this time before the hat made up its mind.
“Gryffindor!”
I nodded as I headed to the table of red and gold, Daphne Greengrass; fair skinned, golden blond hair and hazel eyes, headed forward, a momentary pause before she was placed in Slytherin. Quickly Wayne Hopkins, and Megan Jones joined Hufflepuff, and Sue Li joined Ravenclaw.
“Longbottom, Nevil.”
As he headed forward, Trevor leaped out of his pocket the student body laughing as a sharp eyed Ravenclaw scooped him up. Quickly Nevil took his place, the hat taking a moment before deciding.
“Gryffindor!”
Ernest Macmillan was another Hufflepuff.
“Malfoy, Draco.” Part of me expected the hat to immediately shout Slytherin, but the silence caught me of guard. As it dragged a little several students began whispering, and after two minuets passed, some of the teachers were even exchanging looks before the hat shouted the one word.
“Slytherin!”
The house clapped as before, as did the others, but there was a look of deep-rooted confusion on the boy’s face as he took his place.
The next group I hardly paid any attention to, just their names and houses for her mental count, no longer even really minding to put what they looked like to mind. Rodger Malone, and Lily Moon were Hufflepuff, Theodor Nott and Pansy Parkinson were Slytherin, then there was one Ravenclaw- Padma Patel- and four Gryffindor, Dean Thomas, Parvati Patel, Abigale Pecton, and Sally-Anne Perks.
The house clapped as before, as did the others, but there was a look of deep-rooted confusion on the boy’s face as he took his place.
The next group I hardly paid any attention to, just their names and houses for her mental count, no longer even really minding to put what they looked like to mind. Rodger Malone, and Lily Moon were Hufflepuff, Theodor Nott and Pansy Parkinson were Slytherin, then there was one Ravenclaw- Padma Patel- and four Gryffindor, Dean Thomas, Parvati Patel, Abigale Pecton, and Sally-Anne Perks.
“Queen, Harrison.”
The students began muttering again and I knew why. That wasn’t the name anyone had expected, but it wasn’t hard to put two and two together as to who he was. They knew this was ‘Harry Potter’ that this was their supposed savior and they all wanted him in their house.
As Harry sat a dead silence filled the air. A minuet passed, then a second and then a third. Harry had closed his eyes, though there was a look of calm to his face as if he was discussing the pros and cons of the housed with the hat.
As a fourth minuet passed the muttering started up, and even I felt confused. By the hat’s own definition Harry was a Gryffindor, there was no doubt about it. But they could suppose his intelligence could lend him towards Ravenclaw, ands his family orientation towards Hufflepuff. A fifth minuet hit before the hat finally spoke.
“Gryffindore!”
The school quickly cheered, clapping as Harry made his way up to Hermione.
The next batch mattered little to me as well. Georgia Rivers and Sally Smith were Hufflepuff, Sophie Popper was a Slytherin, Dean Thomas was a Gryffindor, and Lisa Turpin was a Ravenclaw.
“Wayne, Alyssa.”
This seemed to catch a few people’s attentions; likely the muggle born or half-blooded students as I took my place.
“What a fascinating mind, guarded against things like this. Not innately, you were trained. It’s impressive from someone raised outside of the Magical world.”
“Of course it is. I don’t really want you in my mind, and I doubt that you want to see in my mind.” I responded equally mentally. “I do not appreciate this test; I’m still leaning to calling this tracking in some capacity. Maybe not intellectually, but it still feels like it fits.”
“I see. Your slow to trust, and your very intelligent. Those are the markings of a Ravenclaw. And yet there is a deep mental scaring that I can read, even with your guards up as much as they are. There is a darkness in you that Slytherin is keen to seeing.”
“So your going to be honest about thinking that Slytherin is the dark house there are the evil people are going? No you know that’s not how it works, but it is a good show. The headlining evils are extremely ambitious, and most likely mentally ill. Is that an excuse? No. But really there is a deference between someone like Voldemort are different than the fun rouges. Even then it’s an unfortunate situation, it’s a house that got completely fucked over by early signs of actual Sociopathy.” Pausing I took a few calming breaths before nodding. “It genuinely means nothing.”
“Is that truly what you think of that house?”
“I don’t know what you are trying with that house, but I know your going to put the loose threads into that house. I mean Crabe and Goyle are goon types, but I guess those you want playing the villains will need goons. That just proves a point for me, this dose not matter. Though it dose also give a massive fuck you to anyone who is ambitious, who fits the house traits. It’s the house with the down right bias of blood rights and its being held back because of it. Truly fuck any good person who ends up there am I right?”
“I like your type of person, someone who questions things. But I can tell the fact that I am drifting towards Ravenclaw. Why don’t you want to be put there I wonder.”
“Gee I fucking wonder. It’s almost like I would be seen as a smart-ass and nothing past that. No one would like me. I wouldn’t be changing anything, it would be confirmation bias. That goes against everything that I stand for, it wouldn’t be as fun now would it? Not to mention that would just solidify my theory even more. Its just tracking based on the perceived personality of under developed mind, and the bias surrounding those personalities.”
“Oh, I see. Of course there is much more to you than just those two things. I know that you care for your family and freinds. I can see the passions you had, and the pains of the loss.”
I hadn’t really noticed my guard slipping but at that point he hardly cared. “Of course, I do. I would do anything to protect them.”
“A weapons master, and… Ah, that’s the darkness that you were hiding. A cult history. Unfortunate how they marred you, molded you into something that you don’t even understand. Are you good or evil I wonder?”
“I’m not evil. I’m sympathetic to those who deserve it.”
“Loyal, compassionate. Hufflepuff traits. But that house would suit you ill. It would overwhelm you.” The hat noted.
“How so?”
“Because it would likely be overwhelming to you. And you could easily say how you wouldn’t play into the steryotype.”
“I actually doubt that, but your right I suppose. I Don’t really feel like I could fit comfortable in Hufflepuff for my own bias, and they are arguably the best house. Its the least stereotypes, save being generally good people, and where the people who don’t fall into the others. At least thats where I understand for now.”
“Which leaves only two. Gryffindor; the house of the brave, and Slytherin; the house of the cunning. They both suit you well, and yet, they don’t. But you don’t believe in the now, you don’t believe in the stereotype and the base level you want to be sorted based on something deeper. So, I have a single question to ask of you.”
“Very well. We’ve been here for a bit, how long, three and a half minuets?”
“Nearing that yes.”
“So what is the question?”
“Which one?”
“Batman.”
“It depends.”
“Dose it?”
“Well, somewhat yes. I’m not stupid. It would take a lot to take him down and I know the answer I give will tell you where I belong. In the long term I could say I would take the mantle of Batman, but that’s because I know Grayson doesn’t want it, and I want to keep his legacy strong. I want to give Gotham the hope it needs. Short term I could say I would hunt down whoever did it but… If it was them… if it was the order, then that would mean that they are trying again to bring back their god and I couldn’t allow that.” I shook my head, crossing my arms. “I don’t believe in killing to get my way, to solve crime. But it’s possible that if I managed to prevent myself from being whipped by turning into the Incubus, then somehow someone else might turn into an othered. And in that case, I would kill them. I would kill any monster that got in my way.”
As the hat laughed I felt a chill run down my spine. Four and a half minuets.
“Noble, so very noble.”
“You knew that from the start. That this isn’t just about my personality, it’s about my role with everyone around me.”
“Oh what a fun student. I think you are going to be incredibly interesting. That’s why I’ve let you have this.”
Five minuets.
“You don’t care about the deeper things. This is all a game to you. I do wonder what it be like. Let’s see how long I last in this little game of you and the the founders came up with. I’m willing to put on a show it that’s what you want.” I gave a small smirk. “Lets put on a show for everyone.”
“Alright, lets.”
“Gryffindor!”