The Sorting Hat's Decision

Just as Harry climbed up the steps, people started whispering everywhere.

" Is that Harry Potter?"

" The Boy-Who-Lived? Wow!"

" He looks so cute!"

" Where's his scar? I can't see it!"

" Is that really him? Why does he not wear glasses?"

" Yeah! He looks nothing like the kid on the cover of the Boy-Who-Lived storybooks!"

Harry ignored the whispers as he sat on the stool. When the hat was lowered onto his head, he heard a voice in his ear.

" Oh, a natural Occlumens; how fascinating," the Hat said quietly. " Your shields are impressive, no doubt, but I can still see through them. Not to worry, I can't reveal your secrets. Now, where do I put you? No, Hufflepuff is out. You don't exactly have people you are loyal to, but I can sense that you will be very protective of those you care about. That House won't be suitable considering your reclusive nature. While you are certainly brave, Gryffindor won't do either. You'll probably kill every member of the House within a week if they continue to annoy you. Slytherin would be the best fit for you as you certainly are cunning and ambitious, but I can see that you don't care much for the politicking and system of hierarchy that dominates their House; you would tear them apart. You have a thirst for knowledge and you believe only in merit. Oh, knowledge is power, is it? Well, there is only one place for you, then!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table under the blue and bronze banners burst into thunderous applause as Harry walked towards them. The Gryffindors were looking like they had been cheated. Indeed, the twins, Fred and George Weasley, were pretending to cry loudly as they banged their heads on the table. Harry silently sat down on the bench along with his classmates as the sorting continued.

Albus Dumbledore was quite surprised. This Harry Potter looked nothing like what he had expected him to be. The boy was one of the tallest in his year and looked quite fit. Dumbledore silently observed him for several minutes as he drew conclusions. Physically, Harry looked like any other eleven-year-old wizard (and in comparison, a fourteen-year-old Muggle, as witches and wizards matured faster than their non-magical counterparts, both physically and mentally), but was he emotionally stable after his stay with the Dursleys? He would have preferred the boy to be a Gryffindor instead, like his parents, but that was not to be. Not that Ravenclaw was bad, but it showed that Harry was driven by intellectual pursuits. A boy who was unsure of his place in the magical world would have been easier to deal with. However, this Harry Potter radiated confidence. Seeing him dressed in expensive robes, with the Potter signet ring on his finger, enlightened Dumbledore that Harry was already aware of his heritage.

But that was not what made Dumbledore frown. It was due to the subtle similarities he had observed between two eleven-year-old boys, both of whom were orphans and having grown up in the Muggle world.

The way Harry carried himself troubled him. Such natural grace and poise was something he had seen only in one other person who had been at school fifty years ago. Harry's mannerisms bore an eerie resemblance to the young Tom Riddle. Dumbledore decided to keep a closer eye on the young Potter scion.

Back at the Ravenclaw table, Harry had to admit that the food prepared by the Hogwarts house-elves was quite good. He spoke to his housemates during dinner, but he realised he wasn't interested in befriending any of them. Harry had never had friends before and quite frankly, didn't think he ever would. He didn't see the point in it. Once the food disappeared and the golden cutlery cleaned, Albus Dumbledore stood up.

"Just a few short of term announcements. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all students," the headmaster said. "Quidditch trials will be held two weeks from now, and any further clarifications will be handled by Madam Hooch."

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die of a most painful death."

Dumbledore's eyes observed the expressions of everyone in the hall. After several moments, he beamed. "That's it for tonight. Your beds await you. Good night!"

Harry tilted his head to the side slightly. Who tells someone not to go somewhere unless they wanted a painful death? Something seemed fishy. He didn't have time to dwell on the issue since the first years were instructed to follow a Prefect who would show the way to the dorms.

Harry followed the Prefect to Ravenclaw Tower and was immediately impressed with the common room. It was quite airy and looked peaceful. The best part about being in this House was that he would get a room for himself! When he entered his room, he realised that it was rather tiny, but there was nothing a few enlargement charms couldn't fix. He called for his house-elf who expanded the room to a large size, arranged his clothes in the cupboard and removed other necessities for him to use in the morning. Harry then spent several minutes warding the place with the enchantments he had learnt. They wouldn't hold up against someone like Dumbledore or any of the teachers or even the sixth year students, but these wards were unique in that they were known only to the members of the Potter family. At the very least, he would be alerted if someone was trying to mess with his room. Once done, he stripped off his clothes and went to bed.

The next morning, Harry found himself on the grounds, running around the perimeter of the Black Lake. He had been doing this ever since he was eight, so his stamina had built up over time. After thirty minutes, he felt hot and sweaty. Removing his shirt, he sighed in contentment as the cool air hit his bare chest as he ran and practised martial arts for another hour. Once he was finished with his daily workout, he made his way back to the tower to take a bath. His housemates gave him curious looks when they saw him all sweaty and pink in the face.

After getting dressed, he walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast, following the instructions on the map of Hogwarts which was given to him the previous night by the Prefects. He badly wanted his father's map of Hogwarts, but he didn't know where it was. James Potter's journal said that it was lost sometime during the end of their seventh year, so it was up to Harry to search for it. That was a gem and it would greatly help him.

Harry once more ignored people staring at him as he accepted his timetable from Professor Flitwick. "Mr Potter, the Headmaster would like to see you later this afternoon. Please come to my office when your classes are done," his head of house told him.

"Of course, Professor," replied Harry cordially.

.....

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