Magic of the All Hallows Eve

Talks with a Hat

After quite a long conversation between the three friends, Neville realised yet again that he'd lost Trevor. 

"Let's ask everyone in each compartment", the girl whose name was Hermione Granger suggested ad got up.

"Wait I want to try something I've read", and he stretched out his hands and called to the toad's aura in his mind and said, "Accio", in a whisper.

The toad was rather a bit of a sight which few from the compartment of one Ronald Weasley at the other end of the train and went zooming across the carriages leading to awed laughs from boys and squeaks and screams from the girls.

It landed a bit more tidily in Harry's extended hand and Harry happily handed it over to Neville.

"Where did you learn that from? It wasn't in the course books or the books I've taken from the bookstore in Diagon Alley! How could you do that without a wand?!", she asked as fascinated as a five-year-old getting an extra large chocolate hamper.

"It is to be expected from a person who had willingly cast a Fien—", he got a hard elbow in the ribs, "cast summons to get his books as a seven year old", Neville said.

"Anyways, we're nearing the platform. So would you please move out while we get dressed?", Harry abruptly changed the conversation.

They were greeted by an enthusiastic Hagrid at Hogsmeade station and sat in a boat shared by a freckly redhead first year named Ronald Weasley. Apparently he was somehow the sixth kid of his family with one more arriving Hogwarts the next year.

When Professor McGonagall told them about the sorting, Draco Malfoy asked about the 'son of James Potter' with a tone of malice in his voice.

"Oh, Harry Potter. You shouldn't make friends with the wrong sort, should you?", he said pointedly to Hermione and Ron, "I can help you there", and offered his hand.

"Don't worry, Malfoy, I can easily figure it out myself. Rather, I should help you there, instead of befriending gorillas who can't be proper bodyguards", he said while he'd secretly flicked his wand to conjure a rat inside Vincent Crabbe's shirt who was horridly taking it off while the others rolled with laughter.

"Think honestly about it. Aunt Cissy did have a rather kind heart as long as I remember", Harry said and stepped back.

When they entered the Great Hall, it was exactly like in his father's memories he'd shown him in the DMLE pensieve many times he'd taken him to his office. But still Harry was gaping and sighing at the magnificent sight before his eyes. Hermione, however was busy saying the facts about the bewitched ceiling rather fondly.

"Do you know it was bewitched by Lady Rowena Ravenclaw herself to mimick the sky as the Headmaster wishes to? It was used earlier to teach students Astronomy when Hogwarts offered Masteries after NEWTS before the Ministry took control and seized the tradition", Harry replied to her, who was awestruck again.

After a lot of people were called out, with Hermione and Neville going to Gryffindor, Harry for the first time realised just how much the letter P was down in the Latin Alphabet.

"Potter, Harry"

The Great Hall became a bit quiet to see the sorting of the son of the legend. He wore the hat which almost covered his eyes and waited.

"Hello, Hat of Gryffindor", he called quietly.

"Oh, quite a smart lad, you are. Bravery and courage flows through your veins like you were born with, yet you are extremely ambitious to prove yourself beyond your father's fame", the hat called musing.

"I don't think like that!", Harry snapped.

"Oh, you can't hide it from me. You want to establish your name, yet you want to do it to help the deprived. I've never had a more difficult sorting"

"Then maybe I can just ask you to put me in Gryffindor", Harry said calmly.

"You're sure? Slytherin and Ravenclaw are much better choices for you. You won't succumb to the pressure nor subjugations of your peers to follow anything. But you would still be lonely as you are now. Maybe —"

"Alright, put me in Ravenclaw if that's what you want. But I want to be with some of my peers who were actually kind to me"

"Still? Why, wouldn't you be able to seek glory from Slytherin, whose tongue you speak better than English? Or would you like to pursue knowledge as much before becoming the inevitable Master?"

"What Master?", Harry asked a bit curiously.

"Why, haven't you been told? Master Harry James Potter, the tongue is not mine to say. So, Mister Potter, you're finally accomplished something which hadn't happened since the year your father had sorted"

"What?"

"That again, you might know after your sorting. So maybe I can just fulfil your own wish? Tell me Mister Potter, for the list this year goes on till the last letter in English"

Harry hadn't thought of this at all. What did he himself really want? The more he thought about it, the more he got frustrated. He then remembered what hs mother had told him the next morning after the Fiend fiasco, 'When in doubt, just think what values you cherish in your heart, before making the decision. No one is completely dark nor light, but what you choose to show more in yourself is the only thing visible to others'

He didn't want to be a complete egghead, nor did he want to be some glory-seeking 'Lord'. He didn't care whether he wanted to be with an overly large group of loyal companions. He wanted to be brave, to cherish friendship, not fealty, to cherish passion, and not cunning ambition.

"I want to be in Gryffindor", he said in a happy whisper.

"Then so mote it be, Mister Potter. We'll cross paths very soon", the hat smirked before shouting, "GRYFFINDOR!!"

He kept the hat honourably at the table and descended down the stairs quietly towards his table, although the deafening noises across the table made it a bit hard to do so. He sat beside his brother in all but blood, Neville, who himself had taken quite a long time to get sorted.

"You were perhaps the longest sorting in the history of Hogwarts!", Hermione said in an amused tone.

"You took longer than Hermione, who took nearly five minutes", Neville said in a calmer tone.

"Hey Potter, what were ya talkin' to the Hat 'bout while getting sorted, eh?", Seamus asked in his think Irish accent.

"Just a pleasant conversation about values and choices", he said casually, but Hermione's expression grew from amusement to comprehension.

"Hey, mate, you were the first Hatstall in like 30 years", Dean Thomas said after just getting sorted t the table.

"I was that long?", Harry asked, completely bewildered.

"Nah! A hatstall is typically one more than five minutes. You were double that", Neville said, patting his back.

"Brilliant. The hat was right about what he said", Harry said and smirked.