16: Show.

"Potter, Hadrian James!" shouted Headmistress McGonagall finally, causing the crowd of students to start whispering, some even standing up from their seats to get a better look.

"Look, it's Potter!" one boy pointed to the incoming Harry Potter. 

"Why did teacher McGonagall say Hadrian, shouldn't that be Harry?" a girl asked another. 

"I don't know, you can't see much of the scar mentioned in the books either," the girl said, seeing that there was barely a trace of a scar on the boy's forehead. 

"Do you still keep those books? There was a scandal some time ago, they were said to be forgeries. Even Mrs. Potter came out and said her son didn't have a dragon or save Atlantis," replied a nearby boy who was listening. 

"But isn't he the savior of the magical world? Shouldn't he have adventures like Gilderoy Lockhart?" said the first child to speak, her eyes fixed on Harry Potter as if she wanted to see something interesting. 

This situation made the boy back off a bit, he didn't want to mess with his classmate. There was a consensus that one shouldn't spend too much time with Gilderoy Lockhart's fans, as these young women were dangerous.

There were rumors of boys being beaten in the dark for a while after teasing a girl for reading one of the man's books, or of boys ending up naked in the school corridors after saying something against the author. 

So, lest he say something that would get him beaten or stripped naked before he even got to his room, our boy was smart and had better concentrate on the show that was going on. 

"Mr. Potter, only toads, mice, cats, and owls are allowed as pets. Snakes are forbidden," said Headmistress McGonagall as she held the Sorting Hat. 

"That's not a snake, not a real one," Harry Potter replied, causing another uproar in the dining halls.

"What a cheeky boy, lying to the teacher like that," said someone jealous of the attention Harry Potter was getting, he was at the age where he wanted to impress the girls. 

"That snake looks real, it's even got its tongue stuck out," said a fifth-year young girl.

"Yeah, maybe it's his pet and he doesn't want to give it up. But that means he could go to Slytherin," said a seventh-year boy. 

"He can't go to Slytherin! He defeated You-Know-Who, his people came from Slytherin," said a boy who didn't know that Death Eaters came from all Hogwarts houses, not just one. 

"Mr. Potter, this is a real snake and a poisonous one, you can't have dangerous pets in school," teacher McGonagall pointed out in a much more serious manner. 

Harry, fed up with the whole situation, just rolled his eyes. He was a child who knew how to respect adults, but if he had learned anything from his mother by watching her so much, it was not to put up with the nonsense of stubborn people.

Even Astreo had his complaints, that's why they got along so well, they were both like opposites who understood each other. 

Then, to end the subject quickly, he looked at Astreo, who covered his mouth to hide his laughter, but when he saw the expression on his friend's face, he quickly understood what he had to do. 

"Headmistress McGonagall, Harry is right, it's not a real snake, it's a mechanical puppet I made," Astreo snapped at him. 

Ignoring the serious look his mother was giving him from the teacher's table, little Astreo stepped ahead of all the children and approached Harry, to whom he looked for help. 

The friends could understand each other simply by looking at each other, then Harry just started whistling, no, speaking Parseltongue. The people, who at that moment were muttering and talking loudly, became completely silent. 

They were astonished and frightened. The chosen boy was whistling strangely, no, he was speaking bloody Parseltongue! How could the savior of the English magical world speak that vile language? 

The other houses, however, were in chaos, while in Slytherin, the upperclassmen looked at each other before muttering to themselves so as not to be overheard. 

"Look! It was obvious the Potter boy wasn't normal!" said a fifth-year Slytherin.

"He beat..." Instead of saying his name or nickname, the girl left it up in the air who she was referring to, but the others understood her. 

"Yes, even though he is a half-blood, he has noble blood in his veins. The Potters probably have Slytherin blood in them, it just makes them that much more special," said a young seventh-year who felt smart for coming to this conclusion. 

"He could end up in our house. If he does, what do we do?" asked a seventh-year girl. 

"Treat him like a normal student, he may be special, but Slytherin is a house where we all have to climb from the mud to the top," said the seventh-year prefect, ending their little meeting.

The snake, under Harry's command, approached Astreo without any dangerous reaction. Astreo then drew his wand and tapped under the mechanical puppet's chin, causing mechanical clicks to be heard. 

Then, before everyone's eyes, the snake's metal casing opened, revealing an intricate web of gears, rods, and even some metal wires. He then replaced the casing with a resounding click. 

The snake then seemed to come to life, coiled affectionately around its master's neck, constantly sticking out its tongue, and even turned its gaze toward Professor McGonagall, as if mocking her. 

"Well, Minerva, it seems we have some talented children in our midst this year," Dumbledore, seeing that the situation was not progressing, stood up and said those words to shake everyone out of their stupor. 

"If I could, I would give both young people 50 points for having such wonderful magical talents. Remember, young people, that the Parseltongue is not just a symbol of evil, as we associate it. 

In India and Eastern countries, Parseltongue is used to cure the most difficult magical illnesses, and the most terrible curses, and even to create the most powerful protections. 

On the other hand, it is truly incredible that young Sinistra can create such delicate dolls, tell me, could you make a Phoenix for me?" asked Dumbledore kindly, making Astreo's eyes sparkle with excitement. 

"Of course, I would! For a price, of course. But you'll have to wait for me to order it for the Malfoy heir, someone who has noticed my abilities, won't you?" Astreo resolutely dragged Malfoy into this, who was stunned to see that everyone was looking at him, even the teachers. 

"Indeed, I was going to order a peacock, you'll get the details tomorrow," Draco said quickly, causing many people in his house to look at Astreo with fervor. 

Yes, even if he was a filthy half-blood, he had something special, didn't he? And a mechanical animal might be expensive, but if it was as down-to-earth as the Potter heir's snake, it would be cost-effective, since they wouldn't have to factor in food or complicated care. 

Poor things, they didn't know the macabre plan the little head of Astreo had hatched. Since he had his technology that he knew no one could imitate, his craft had been refined over decades and was the envy of industrialized countries in its second life. 

So the plan to make money was simple: dominate the quality market, better than the possible imitators that would emerge. And to maintain it, like anything mechanical, sooner or later it would need minor adjustments or repairs. There he would be, waiting for the sweet money in his hand. 

Harry's selection proceeded as usual, and although it took a little longer than the others, the end was obvious to everyone. Then, when the Sorting Hat called out 'Slytherin', he received a huge round of applause from his table, which was now his house. 

Though the other houses reacted weakly, at least they had understood that Harry Potter's talent for speaking with snakes was not a symbol of evil, though they were more sympathetic, it would be many years before the stigmas of that language would be removed from the English wizarding world. 

"Sinistra, Astreo!" sounded the voice of McGonagall again, calling our young protagonist to put on his hat. 

But as Astreo slowly made his way to the hut, a metallic screech echoed through the auditorium. Soon, a blue-feathered, ruby-eyed eagle descended from the owl's entrance overhead. 

Though detailed, its inorganic nature was recognizable. When the mechanical puppet landed on its shoulder, it began to emit a melody similar to that of music boxes. 

The tune, a version of the now-familiar Hedwig theme, accompanied young Astreo as he walked with his head held high, ignoring the angry look on his mother's face that would worry him later when he regretted his current choices. 

"That's a nice tune, boy," said the Sorting Hat as it was placed on Astreo's head.

"Thank you, I didn't compose it myself, but I thought it was appropriate. I have many songs for my eagle to play, would you like to hear them?" asked Astreo to the Sorting Hat. 

"I would love to. But it will be later, I must choose your house, young man," then the hat began to flutter as it examined Astreo's features. 

Contrary to what you might think, the Sorting Hat didn't get inside your head, it examined more esoteric things like your magic and aura. Yes, your mind could lie or be tricked, but your essence could not, that was impossible to hide. 

"Boy, you are so bold that it could be considered bravery, so you qualify for Gryffindor. You have an unusual experience that would allow you to navigate the subtle currents of Slytherin. You are patient and care deeply about those close to you, even if you don't show it, so you would also qualify for Hufflepuff.

However, there is a strong desire for knowledge, for innovation, for creation. This makes you a perfect Ravenclaw. So, which house would you like to go to?" the Sorting Hat asked Astreo, who took the situation seriously and began to think. 

Fortunately, he had the Gift of Mercury, which made his mind much more agile than normal. He considered many different factors before choosing the house where he knew he would be much more useful and suitable, cliché though it might be. 

"Sort me out at ....." Astreo muttered the house he had chosen, causing the Sorting Hat to let out a loud laugh that could be heard by all present, who looked on with interest. 

"That's a good choice! RAVENCLAW!" at the sound of the Sorting Hat's words, the castle's magic responded. 

Each time a student was chosen for a house, his or her uniform responded, taking on the details of that house. This was not the work of the teachers but of the castle itself. 

When the Sorting Hat said Ravenclaw, Hogwarts reacted by momentarily covering Astreo's body with its magical power, changing the details of his clothing to show the details of his house. 

This situation made Astreo's strong magical sense go haywire for a few moments, but he was able to reach the Ravenclaw table properly before resting his face on the table. 

"Are you all right?" a female voice asked Astreo, who touched his temples tightly in discomfort. 

"Yes, I'm just dizzy with excitement," Astreo replied quickly. 

After a short while, he felt much more comfortable when he realized that there was a girl behind him, probably a year older than him. Seeing the prefect badge on the girl's robe, as well as her blonde hair, he had an idea who it might be but held back any comment. 

"Well, I hope that's all it is. You put on an interesting show," the girl said before going to her seat. 

Soon, food appeared on the table, making all thoughts of Astreo turn to the most important thing at the moment, EATING! 

---------------------------

AN: Astreo is a kid with several dangerous doses of sugar in his blood, he doesn't think much of the fact that his mom is sure to be mad at him, at the end of the day, that's Astreo's concern for the future.