Chapter Whatever
The gates of Hogwarts were as spectacular as ever.
They entered the amazing place with shoes clicking against the floor, all the children whispering to each other as they entered the fantastic castle of magic.
Someone made a comment about battling a troll, but Harry was too transfixed by Professor McGonagall in front of them, talking about houses and points.
Alas, his old Prof.
After a ghost spectacle full of, well, ghosts, they entered the Great Hall, where students of all four houses stared at them, whispering among themselves as they sat tall.
Harry felt slightly bitter about that. He had no idea why.
Then he saw Alex, sitting at the Ravenclaw table, looking at them curiously. He waved cheerily at them, and they blushed and ducked their head as the Sorting Hat was brought in.
“Abbot, Hannah!” The Sorting had begun.
Of course, Riley just had to be deadnamed.
“Granger, Hermione!” McTeacher called.
A loud, dramatic (and obviously hurt) gasp resonated throughout the Hall.
“How dare you!” Abra cried, pompously marching towards the tall Professor. It was almost comical.
Harry held Riley as he sobbed painfully, crocodile tears that weren’t entirely fake welling up in his eyes.
“You just deadnamed him! How dare you!” Omg, Abra was on full dad mode. Yas!
“His name is Riley Jean Granger, and if you don’t change that soon-” Da Malfoy was cut off.
“I will see to it that it shall be changed personally.” Dumbles said from the Middle Chair.
“You better!” Riley snapped, and sniffed, before going to the Sorting Hat and sat down upon the stool. The Hat began judging him.
After a while, a spontaneous “Hufflepuff!” came out of the tear that was Xander’s mouth.
A few more people were called, before the name “Malfoy, Abra!” was announced.
The Hat stiffened. “Griffindor!” He called.
Silence shocked the Hall.
Harry whistled loudly, clapping with all his might. “Go, Abra!”
The boy did a mock bow before sitting at the table, giving Harry a huge thumbs up.
Then it was finally, after a few more torturous minutes, “Potter, Harry!”
The Boy-Who-Loves had an idea suddenly pop into his mind. He marched purposefully towards the stool, and sat down.
It lasted bearly a second, Xander clearly agreeing with him.
“Slytherin!” Once again, nobody seemed to know how to clap.
Harry huffed. How rude.
He made a table appear at the other end of the Great Hall, and gestured for Alex, Riley and Abra to follow him, and as his clothes gained the Slytherin crest and green and silver accents, he smirked a Slytherin smirk.
Taking the seat that faced the front diagonally, the other three sat down with him, Alex shrinking away from the attention.
In the kitchens, a similar table appeared.
No-one said anything of this, unsure of what to say at the predicament, and Harry hummed as Abra took his hand.
“Marry me,” he said Siriusly.
Sighing, Harry once again told him, “When we’re older.”
Perhaps the round table would grow with time, perhaps the four houses would no longer have their own tables.
All would be due.
After they were all told the Forbidden Forest was out of bounds, blah blah blah, food finally appeared upon the awaiting plates of many.
Stuffing his mouth with a sausage, Riley said, “Hogwarts is the best!”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Abra scolded.
Swallowing, Riley said sheepishly, “Sorry.”
Then, because Harry was Harry, Death’s Master said with his mouth also full of food, “It’s okay.”
Abra swatted at him.
“Hey!” Said Harry, affronted.
Alex hid a smile behind their goblet.
“Don’t you start.” Harry grumbled to Riley once he had swallowed, who was grinning like nothing could hold him back.
The fantastic four continued on chatting (or in Alex’s case, watching them bicker) for a while, until Dumbles announced to everyone that it was time to head back to their common rooms.
Sighing as though he regretted doing so, Harry stood up. “I’m off to Slytherin. See ya’ll later.”
Crying, pleading for him to stay, Riley got onto his knees before him and hugged his legs. “Please, don’t go!”
“I must,” said Harry, dramatically putting his hand to his forehead, tilting his head to the ceiling with eyes as mere slits.
“Okay.” Riley shrugged and got up.
“Bye!” A series of ‘goodbyes’ followed him in wake.
Humming to himself, he wondered what the future would hold.
Ah, well. Best to leave that up to the Fates.