Harry absently watched the scenery fly past the compartment window as his mind wandered to the possibilities of how far magic could go. Bringing back the dead? Possible. Change the limits of time? Time travel? Time pauses? Possible, unlikely but possible. As he thought about these things, his fingers absently wandered over his bruised, and likely broken, ribs out of habit.
His thoughts were interrupted by his compartment door slamming open and a redhead boy walking in. Harry raised an eyebrow at him in question but kept everything else behind a carefully placed face of neutrality.
“Mind if I sit here mate?” Harry didn't reply. “I'm Ron by the way, Ron Weasley.” Harry nodded and went back to his window watching, this time genuinely watching the world rush past him.
“Uh, what's your name mate?” Harry looked over at the boy before sliding a hand over his throat and then mouth. Apparently Ron understood and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill.
“Why don't you write it down for me then?” Harry glanced at the parchment and quill before shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head, indicating he didn't know how to, or didn't want to, write his name.
Ron looked at Harry skeptically before shrugging and pulling out some sweets.
“D’you want one mate?” Harry shook his head politely before grabbing a book out of his trunk and reading it silently.
The small room was silent, no uncomfortably so though, but Harry could feel Ron's gaze linger on him every now and then. The silence was interrupted yet again by a bushy haired girl.
“Have either of you seen a toad? A boy called Neville has lost one.” Harry noticed a note of what sounded like superiority in her voice, and a hint of bossiness too.
He looked down at his book and an idea popped into his head. Grabbing another book on spell work, he showed the girl the page he was looking for and her face lit up in surprise.
“A summoning charm, what a great idea, uh, what's your name again?” Harry stared at her with his mask back in place but Ron saved him.
“He doesn't speak or write. I'm Ron though, Ron Weasley. What's your name?” Harry noticed the girl had no small amount of disgust in her face when Ron spoke.
“I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger. I'm a muggle born but, oh there are so many books to read about magic. It really is amazing isn't it? A whole other world hidden within one.”
“I'm a pureblood from a family of Gryffindors.” Hermione’s face lit up at the sound of a house and she sat down opposite Ron.
“I want to be in Gryffindor too, apparently all the great wizards were in it. Oh and apparently Harry Potter is going to be in our year. I wonder if he'll be in Gryffindor. What if he went into Slytherin?” Both Ron and Hermione shivered at the thought.
Harry tried to ignore them as they started to conspire about the amazing, wonderful, inspiring saviour of the wizarding world. In other words, himself. Harry snorted in his head.
If only they knew.
Hermione left to go help Neville again, Harry continued to read and Ron played with his rat. The rest of trip for Harry was nice and uninterrupted.
***
Harry stood in the great hall as they waited for the sorting to start. He didn't listen to the song the hat sang nor did he really pay attention to the sorting, he just wanted his to be over with.
“POTTER, Harry”
The silence that followed his name was so big you could have heard a pin drop. Harry found it too loud.
He started to walk up to the stool and saw the shocked faces of Hermione and Ron before the hat was slipped over his head and he was plunged into darkness.
So… Mr. Potter? I have waited a long while to sort you, young child.
You knew I was coming? How?
Harry knew that if the hat could smirk it would be doing just that right now.
It is not everyday that I can feel the power of a person so easily Mr. Potter, and I've been able to feel yours since birth. You have plenty of power and potential, young child, it just depends on how you use it. What path you'll choose.
But… Wait… Harry froze. No… You can't know… He'll kill me if someone finds out- The hat cut him off.
What is exchanged between child and hat is between child and hat. Not even the Headmaster or minister has authority to get information out of me. Only the founders of Hogwarts.
But, they're long dead. Aren't they? The sorting hat chuckled.
Their bodies are long dead but they still live in spirit, building and me. Harry froze again.
So they-
Yes Mr. Potter, they know. Goosebumps trailed over Harry at thought of eight people now knowing what happened to him.
Now. Back to the reason I'm on you, Mr. Potter. The sorting… Courage, Bravery. Yes. Thirst for knowledge, oh yes, definitely. Loyalty but to only those who deserve it. Hmm, plenty of self preservation and resourcefulness. You’re a hard sort Mr Potter. I believe the you would hide best in the house of the loyal. Harry smiled slightly and agreed.
“Better be… HUFFLEPUFF!”
Harry slowly lifted the hat off his head and found the entire hall silent and staring. He saw a few Hufflepuffs stand up and start clapping which brought everyone else back to life and start clapping too.