Houses and Temporary Homes
The now named Minerva gave a small cough then nodded, "Right," she turned back to face the remaining students, "First years!" she called to once more gather their attention, "When you hear your name please come forward and sit on the stool," she held up a ratty looking old pointed hat, "I will place the sorting hat on your head and once your house has been decided you will join them at their table." she smiled, "Once again the houses are Gryfindor," the table under a red and gold banner depicting a roaring lion cheered, "Ravenclaw," now it was the table under the blue and black banner with a soaring eagle, "Hufflepuff," the table under the yellow and black banner with a raised badger let out a woop, "And Slytherin," while the table under the silver and green banner cheered others could be seen glaring at them.
Harry's eyes slightly narrowed at the continued glares and whispered comments, he didn't like this, looks like he's be sending an owl to Mum sooner than he thought.
"Now then lets start with Amilia Abott!" a small mousy looking girl soon walked up to the stool, sitting down and having the hat placed on her head, only for the hat to come to life and start talking.
"Hmmm, lets see what we have here, yes yes, I guess it better be GRYFENDOR!" the red and gold table erupted into cheers.
"Next up we have," Harry tuned out the next several names, instead opting to whisper to Draco.
"You never answered Ron," he nudged the blonde gently, "Why where dumb and dumber glaring at you?"
Draco's face turned a soft red, "Their fathers work closely with mine, he was paying them to keep tabs on me so I'd make friends with the 'right sort' here at school," Draco looked away slightly ashamed, "Mother was hoping we'd meet again too, she enjoyed the talk she had with yours at the robe shoppe that day," his face blushed darker, "I had fun then too."
Harry beamed at the other boy, "Good then we're friends now," he stated happily.
Draco opened his mouth to argue, but a name being called stopped him, "Hermione Granger!"
"Ron and I met her on the train," Harry idally commented, "Interesting girl, I wonder what house she'll get."
"Hmm, let's see," the hat began seeming to squint one way then another, "Hmmm" Hermione started looking a little worried, "Make it GRYFFINDOR!" once more the red and gold table erupted into cheers.
Once more the boys tuned the names out, "Anyway you were saying Draco," the platinum blond gave Harry a sideways look.
"What do you mean we're friends now?" Draco asked in an awed sort of curiosity, his mother hadn't been happy with him when she'd learned what he'd said just before Harry had gone running out of the robe shop. He hadn't been kidding she had truly enjoyed her conversation with Harry's own mother, Draco was secretly hoping his mother could make a friend too.
Ron gave a small chuckle, "If it makes you feel better he did somthing similar with me and my brothers after we showed him and his mum how to get on platform 9 3/4."
Draco didn't get a chance to reply as at that moment his name was called, "Draco Malfoy!"
Draco walked up, more than a little nervous, his mother had told him stories about her cousin Sirious and how the family had been torn apart after he'd been sorted into Gryfendor, and his father was absolutely adamant he'd be in Slytherin. As he sat down on the offered stool he held a small breath, praying for Slytherin so that his father was happy. The hat hadn't even touched his head before shouting out the name of the green and silver house, and for the first time Draco, and the other boys, were highly aware of the crowd's reaction. As Draco walked to his new table every other house booed and hissed, it was only his father's strict voice echoing in his head that kept him from crying the way a few of the other first years were.
Harry was not happy, in fact he was down right livid, and the temper he'd learned from his mother was starting to show, "If they don't stop that," Harry warning growled at Ron, "Then I'm going to make them by sewin' their lips together."
Ron shivered, not sure what to think of the small southern twinge Harry's voice had picked up, a twinge he knew for a fact had been learned from the boy's mother, a woman who much like his own Mum, was someone he never wanted to piss off. "I'll see if the twins or Percy will help send an owl to your mum after dinner," was the red heads only reply, though it was probably the smartest and safest thing he could have said.
After that both boys began to take notice of how certain houses were treated, Gryfendor was the loudest when they received a new member, with Ravenclaw second with loud clapping, though some of the other houses rolled their eyes when a new Raven was called. Harry twitched everytime a Hufflepuff or Slytherin was called, as those were the houses whose first years received the harshest welcome. Hufflepuffs were laughed at, usually by the first two houses, until the next name was called, and Slytherins were booed off the stage, all while the teachers did absolutely nothing about it.
"Mum's going to eat that man alive," Harry concluded at one point, after yet another young Hufflepuff and Slytherin bursted into tears and no one did anything (McGonigal was planning Albus' murder over and over in her head but knew she couldn't change generations worth of issues in one night) though before Ron could ask for any clarification Harry's own name was called.
"Harry Potter!" a hush fell over the entire hall, Severous (who had returned several names ago and slumped further into his chair with every sobbing Slytherin, his teeth clenching at every hissed insult) suddenly sat up straighter, as did Professor Quirrell, Dumbledore seemed to lean forward in clear anticipation. Harry walked up to the stool, clearly feeling the effect of every eye on him, he gave Minerva a smile when she patted his shoulder softly before she placed the sorting hat on his head.
As Harry sat there listening to the hat go on and on about which house he should be in he couldn't help but feel a little awkward. Finally an answer came, "Better make it, GRYFENDOR!" the hat finally exclaimed. As Harry walked off the stage to the sounds of cheers and applause, he caught a glimpse of Dumbledore's smug face, yeah his Mum was going to eat that man alive.