7 Welcome to Hogwarts

[AN: Again sorry if you find grammar mistakes and typoss. This is the last one today. Thank you, thank you for reading... thank you for the votes...]

She brought me to a vacant cabin.

"Here we go. I'll place your things here." She said as she hovered and placed my things at the luggage space on top of the window.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Ah… I forgot to ask your name."

"Meryl Llyabeth… call me Meryl. And I belong to Gryffindor house."

[AN: Pron. Li-ya-beth or La-ya-beth]

"Alfred Stanford." I said as I shook her hand, "Hope we can be friends. See you in Gryffindor."

"Haha… Are you sure you're going to Gryffindor?"

"I am 100% sure."

"And where does your confidence came from?"

Duh~ I am the MC in this Harry Potter universe. I almost blurted.

"Mmm… I just know."

"Haha… you're funny. Anyway, I have to go now. If there is something you need, you can look for me."

"Okay, then bye~"

After 15 minutes, the Hogwarts Express train starts to move. We are now heading our way to Hogwarts.

I came to make friends with 3 other children whose names are Patrick Starman, Desmond Travers and Elise Barginson. We talk about children's stuffs, well, they did. I can't bring myself to talk about Hogwarts stuffs, of how excited they were. Ehem.

[AN: Patrick the starfish, haha…]

3 hours of travel and finally we arrived at Hogwarts station.

From here, I could finally see the famous castle.

The big old castle that sat atop the small rocky mountain. The castle has a massive building at the center with many towers surrounding it. One can see its giant silhouette under the moonlight.

[AN: I can imagine a comet making an arch above it. If you know what I mean.]

We then went by a boat crossing the lake. It was a scene when Harry Potter first came to Hogwarts. Its sight is truly magical – it is fitting to call it fantasy.

Anyway, this is very exciting. I mean, I could start my own adventure in HP (Wizarding) world. Just thinking about being the main MC filled me with happy thoughts! I mean, the possibilities are endless.

First, I will be sorted to Gryffindor house, learn exciting magic, explore the castles dungeon, go sightseeing at the forbidden forest, and become the greatest wizard of all time. Just the thought of it makes me excited!

Well, I still have to survive the wizarding war with Lord Voldie.

Oh Voldie, can you please spare my life?

Wait… why not go to America? While Voldie is terrorizing Europe, I can seek refuge in America… I know Lord Voldie is big in Europe, but I doubt his influence in America.

Right, I had decided, I will go to America.

[AN: You have to understand that this is just a rant of still confuse MC. Him saying he would become the greatest wizard, but then, he would avoid Voldemort by migrating to America. Still, the story is progressing and who knows what will happen. This is dark, believe!]

"Here we go! Come on, come on… off the boat." The boatman shouted.

"First year, first year… follow me!" A teacher I supposed. Thus, we followed him.

Damn, the castle looks very old and mystical. Can I slap myself now and see if I am dreaming? [AN: How about a bullet in the head?]

Nope, this is real. How many times will I get over this fact?

We soon arrived under the big iron door that made us look like a bunch of dwarves.

"Everyone, gather around… gather around. Ehem… I welcome you to the great hall of the castle. It is where we have our feast. Now everyone, I want you all to mind your manners."

As he said that, the door screeched open – it was packed with people. The entire hall is big enough to accommodate the entire school population and it even have some room to spare. It was a grand looking structure illuminated by thousands of floating candles and above is a ceiling that reflects the sky outside – thick dark clouds covered the entire night sky with the moon right at the center. Gargoyles and other grotesque sculptures decorates the pillars and its walls.

Upon entering, we received the warmest welcome as we were greeted by loud cheering.

We walked forward and came to a halt towards the steps where the teachers can observe us. There were sitting at the long table, all of them are facing towards us and there's around 70 of them.

The number of teachers and students is many times more than the original. With around 70 teachers and more than 5,000 students.

[AN: Well, of course, Voldemort will murder two-third of them.]

There I saw the sorting hat on top of the chair.

Oh, this is it! I'm going to be sorted!

An old woman dressed in witch garb is holding a scroll. She went towards the sorting hat.

"Alright everyone, as I call your last name, please come forward… we will now begin the sorting ceremony."

And the sorting begins.

The entire process only took less than a minute.

The names are called, they will sit in the chair and the sorting hat is placed as seen in the movie.

I observed them as they go, sit and then get sorted. Everyone then clapped their hands as though it was the most amazing thing to have ever happened. Ah children.

My last name starts with letter 'S', so it will take for a while.

I didn't take into mind everyone's name, since it's hard to remember all of them.

But two names had caught my interest, the name Alphard Black and Nicolai Lestrange.

For all we know, Black is a famous last name in Harry Potter. Just mentioning it will have the same effect as mentioning 'you-know-who'.

And Lestrange, like, Bellatrix Lestrange? That creepy woman got me goosebumps everywhere.

Alphard Black, Nicolai Lestrange… I wonder who they are.

Then, another familiar name was called. A name that others may have forgotten at the annals of history, but it is one name that I cannot forget ever since I realized the world I came in – the name Tom Riddle!

"Slytherin!" Shouted by the sorting hat and everyone applauded.

Dumbledore who is seated right beside an old man (perhaps the current headmaster) merely eyed Tom Riddle.

Tom... Tom Riddle… that kid in the train is Tom Riddle?!

Oh sh**… no wonder he's such a nasty kid. So he is Tom Riddle!

Now I get which timeline I am in, so it turns out, I am in the same year as Lord Voldie!

Coincidence? Coincidence my a**. That's Bulls***!

Wait, wait… if I, if I kill him before he becomes the most dangerous dark lord in the future… just what if… then, I can save the lives of countless people, right?

Murder.

Can I really kill a person?

Besides, if the act failed or it will be traced back to me, then I may be sent to Azkaban. Azkaban is a terrible place. I don't want to be sent there.

I heard that, it isn't that hard for the ministry to identify a murderer. They can look for evidence in the most unnatural ways.

But if need be, that I have to murder him, I need to have an extensive plan or else, I will be hunted by the ministry.

I can't tell them that I did it for the sake of the lives of many people. I can't tell them that he will become the greatest threat in the wizarding world.

No, it won't work that way. The risk is greater.

Right now, all I can think of is 'get strong' kind of thinking.

If I can't hope to defeat him, then it is better to flee and wait for Harry Potter to kill him.

For now, I have to avoid him. [AN: Yah do your best.]

"Alfred Stanford!" The professor called.

Alfred Stanford? That's my name, "Yes, that's me right here!" Half-running, I came to the front. It seems because of it, I momentarily forgot about the matter with Tom.

I sat at the chair and the sorting hat was place on my head.

"Ha!" The hat exclaimed that startled me.

It seems that, it's his habit to exclaim whenever it feels surprise. It also did it during Tom Riddle's turn.

"So what is it?" I eagerly asked, "Am I going to be sorted to Gryffindor?"

"Gryffindor? No… It is all here in your head. There's plenty of talent and the drive to learn. There's a little bit of courage too… You also have great desire for power… and fame. Ah yes, there's cunningness. You have a knack for it and I should say, it is your dominant nature."

"I am cunning? I didn't know… since when?"

"Well, you're a funny little fellow. But it is all here. And there seems something about you, I can sense it. You have secrets in you."

"S-secrets? No I don't." I panicked.

"Yes, I can vaguely sense something deep hidden in your little head. Tell me, what is it that you are keeping?"

"Can you really read mind?"

"In some cases, I can. But this time is an exception. I can't completely read your mind."

"Ah, I'm glad." I sighed in relieved.

"Being able to cleverly hide such secret and avoid the prying eyes of an expert by masking your actions and thinking with great deal of mischief and folly. Very clever, I applaud you. In all this time, I never encounter such case and I sorted almost every famous wizard in Europe."

"I don't know what you're talking."

"Come, tell me your secret. I never had been this curious before. So hurry…"

"No, I don't have something to tell you."

"Come on, there is only the two of us. I can keep a secret or two."

"I didn't know that a hat can be this obstinate?"

"Like I said, I was never an obstinate before. Afterall, you are an exception."

"Alright…" I paused, thinking of something, "Alright, my secret is… um… I was born… I was born a handsome young lad."

"Curse you! Sadly, there is no house for shamelessness, if there is, I will put your name in the number one list."

[AN: But can he contend with Zang Xuan for the number 1 spot.]

"Oh you flatter me too much."

"Hehe…"

"What's so funny? Why are you laughing?"

"It seems that you are trying to avoid a fellow?"

"Who?"

"Tom Riddle?"

"Hey! What are you thinking?"

"That is my secret."

"You're not thinking of sorting me into Slytherin, are you?

"How did you know? Can you read mind too? You're a clever child. Indeed, I am planning to sort you in Slytherin."

"But I'm not a pureblood! I should go to Gryffindor. Hurry up and sort me to Gryffindor. We've taken too much time. Look, that old witch is getting impatient already!"

"Che~ you're not the one to scold me. Besides, it is in my power to sort anyone to any house. And if I say, you are a Slytherin… then you are a Slytherin!"

"Like I said, I'm not a pureblood. My parents are muggles!"

"Have you seen me taking some of their blood to test their purity?"

"Maybe you did. Like how a mosquito take blood."

"No I didn't! I never taken a drop of blood. Blood has nothing to do with my decision. Pureblood and muggleblood, they're all the same. However, I can indeed sense some greater power running to what you known as pureblood and halfblood alike. But that's not the point. It is about individual personality factored by their talents and potentials. If you don't know, each house is divided by personalities – eccentric I must say. Yet indeed, their eccentricity is their strength. And if you're not satisfied, then let me tell you something, you have power way beyond your age. You are much powerful than any other pureblood! In all of my experience, there is only one person with exceeding power than his peers. And you even surpassed that person."

"Who?"

"Merlin. And he's a muggle by blood. A muggleborn. A mudblood!"

"But not Slytherin… not Sytherin… please, not Slytherin." I tried doing what Harry did, thinking it'll work.

"Hehe… this is payback brat." Then he loudly exclaimed, "Better be Slytherin!"

And it caused a major uproar.

F***ing old hat!

"Hold on!" One of the professors at the table hurriedly jump and voiced his objection, "He is a muggleborn!"