4 Hogwarts Express and Sorting Hat (edited)
Harry journeyed to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters via floo, finding an empty compartment. He was early, and the platform was sparsely populated. He pulled out a book on Runes, a newfound interest, and began reading, anticipating a lengthy journey.
Just before eleven, a group of redheads arrived at the station. Harry had researched them, discovering their impoverished status and their reputation as Blood Traitors among old families. They were devout followers of Albus Dumbledore and proud Gryffindors.
As Harry delved into the logic of runes, a knock interrupted his thoughts. An Indian girl, Padma Patel, stood at the door. She and Harry shared the compartment for their journey to Hogwarts.
Their conversation revealed many aspects of the broader wizarding world. Harry learned about various magical communities, with Asian countries being powerful members of the IWC. Many British muggle-borns migrated due to better opportunities in other magical communities like America and China.
Padma's family was globally dispersed, primarily engaged in trading both magical and muggle items. The world perceived Britain and some other Magical European countries as having a blood purity view, which emerged a few centuries ago as the number of purebloods started to dwindle.
When asked why she chose to study here, Padma explained that her family had a tradition of world travel, and they selected Hogwarts, one of the oldest magical schools. She mentioned that the Hogwarts Library hosts more books than any library in the world due to the Ravenclaw family's knowledge hoarding.
There was a legend of a Hidden Library of Ravenclaw, which hosts rare books from the destroyed Library of Alexandria, Nalanda University, and even from ancient Egypt. Harry was intrigued as there was no such legend in the canon, and he resolved to find the library.
They discussed various other topics and Harry was even more excited to visit Hogwarts as Harry had a lot of meta-knowledge and he wanted to test the room of requirements to gain access to the Ravenclaw Library.
Soon their train passed London and the countryside flew by. Harry waited for Hermonie to come according to canon but they were not disturbed by anyone except the lunch lady. Harry thought that most things would be a lot different but it was not a problem as If things got bad he would just run from the Britian. Harry knew that he was not the protagonist of this story Neville Longbottom, He was chosen as the child of prophecy not him.
Soon a voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out onto a tiny, dark platform
Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Neville?".
Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.
"C'mon, follow me — any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
They followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much.
Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."
There was a loud "Oooooh!"
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Padma were followed into their boat by her twin and a girl named Lavender Brown.
"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then — FORWARD!"
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.
"Everyone here? asked Hagrid then he raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.
The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry remembered his interactions with her and gave her a smile which she didn't respond to.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the ordinary house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right — the rest of the school must already be here — but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall.
"Please wait quietly."
She left the chamber. Harry was impressed with her professional behaviour and found it quite fitting as it would make an impression that I had a relationship with the deputy Headmistress.
"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" someone in the back asked.
"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."Ron replied. Harry was amused that some things from canon didn't change.
And suddenly there was a loud sound as about twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying:
"Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance —"
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost — I say, what are you all doing here?"
A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years. Nobody answered.
"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"
A few people nodded mutely. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."
"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."
Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.
"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."
Harry got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Padma behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.
Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."
It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open onto the heavens.
Harry looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool, she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.
Noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth — and the hat began to sing:
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
Harry was amazed as the hat was not only a historical but a semi or completely Sentient artefact. It was like an AI completed thousands of years ago by the founders.
The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.
Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. Harry also noticed that parchments had many more names than movies or books and the Hogwarts also had many more wizards too.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"
A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment pause —
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.
"Bones, Susan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit
next to Hannah.
"Boot, Terry!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws
stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.
"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender"
became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with
cheers; Harry could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy
next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the
hat declared him a Gryffindor.
"Granger, Hermione!"
Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her
head.
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat
When Neville Longbottom stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing
fires all over the hall.
"Longbottom, did she say?"
"The Neville Longbottom?"
Soon Hat declared"GRYFFINDOR!" for the boy who lived as he for the loudest cheer yet. Harry could see the Weasley twins yelling, "We got Longbottom! We got Longbottom!"
Harr could see Neville basking in the fame as he sat on the Gryffindor table with Ron. He was quite displeased as Neville was much different from canon Harry. His fame has surely gone to his head.
There weren't many people left now. "Moon"…, "Nott"…,
"Parkinson"…, then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil"…, then "Perks,
Sally-Anne"…, and then, at last —
"Potter, Harry!"
Harry soon sat on the stool and Hat was placed on his head."Very Interesting Mister Potter you are the 4th person who came to Hogwarts with their past life memories. Amazingly, everyone from a different world and yours was much more interesting as it told you about these world events by children's books." said the Hat.
Harry asked-"You won't tell anyone will you?" No Mr Potter my magic doesn't allow me to disclose the secret even if the person is going to destroy the Hogwarts. Hat said-"So much curiosity you will do very well in Ravenclaw Mr. Potter"
Harry replied"I have no problem with it but we need to move fast it has already been few minutes since you started reading my mind"
"Very well Mr Potter I wish you very good luck in your endeavours and a hint that you are going on the correct path" Hat said then shouted "Ravenclaw as Harry Made his way to his new Housemates.
Harry sat on the table with other Ravenclaw as the sorting was finished. Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.
Harry has to say Dumbledor truly a showmen and he truly knows how to use his old grandfather persona whenever required.
"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!
"Thank you!"
He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not as Dumbledor causally established himself not as a teacher but as a wise but crazy grandfather to various 11-year-olds.
Soon food was on the table and Harry was not too pleased as it was too bland for his taste.
When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding…
As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, Harry found Ravenclaw was not as loud as Gryffindor. They usually had books even on the table and most of them talked in small groups.
At the teacher's table, Severus Snape looked at the son of his most hated enemy and the girl he was obsessed with (not that he ever realised that). It infuriated him to even look at the brat. How dare he come to Hogwarts?
The brat did not look like a clone of James Potter. Oh, he definitely was his son, as he had inherited some of his looks, but he was a lot better looking than James Potter and that made him incredibly jealous. The boy must have done something to the sorting hat. How else would Gryffindor James Potter's son be sorted into Ravenclaw?
He would make sure that Harry Potter was taken down a peg or two. Besides, there was no way the son of James Potter could be smart
Voldemort sat thinking quietly. Harry Potter was not how he had expected. He learned that the headmaster found the boy in a muggle orphanage and was abused by his relatives. He knew that the Potter family properties were heavily warded. When he was young and was studying the various pureblood families, the Potter family had intrigued him. They were notoriously secretive and highly mysterious, not to mention immensely old and filthy rich.
That was why he wanted to target the Potter first but Barty had informed him that the Longbottom child was performing accidental magic when he was just three months old. So he decided that since the child was very powerful, the prophecy must be about him.He would gain a body first and then take care of Longbottom as for Potter he will join him or he will die . After all, he was Lord Voldemort, the greatest wizard of them all.
Soon the feast ended with Dumbledor's manipulative last words (or a test for BWL) and Harry made his way to Ravenclaw Tower his Housemates.
."
