41. Sorting Ceremony
Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said.
"Abbott, Hannah!"
Hannah went to sit on the stool, put on the hat, which fell right over her eyes. A moment's 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 happily.
Harry was happy to see them sorted into Hufflepuff, as he felt that was really the house most suitable for both of them. Moreover, with this he would also have a solid connection with their house.
The sorting continued and Harry paid attention to each and every student. He observed everyone closely, no matter how important or worthless they were in the movies and books.
"Greengrass, Daphne!" Only a few paid attention to her sorting not knowing its significance.
Harry could hear Draco bragging that Daphne being his future wife would surely go to Slytherin.
"RAVENCLAW!" Shouted the hat causing Draco to stumble. Murmurs and mutterings started among other would be Slytherins. Daphne paid no heed to anything and went to sit on the Ravenclaw table maintaining her ice queen persona.
"Granger, Hermione!" Both Dumbledore and Snape, paid special attention after listening to her surname.
"RAVENCLAW! " Again applause sounded from the Ravenclaw table.
"Goyle" "MacDougal" " Malfoy " There weren't many people left now.
"Moon" … , "Nott" … , "Parkinson" … , then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" … , then "Perks, SallyAnne" … , and then, at last —
"Potter, Harry!"
As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.
"Potter, did she say?"
"The Harry Potter?"
"He is so cute!"
"And handsome -- like a prince Charming"
Harry cringed at that last line. Dumbledore too was wide eyed in surprise seeing Harry's new look.
Professor McGonagall placed the sorting hat on top of Harry's head. Instead of waiting for the hat to say anything, Harry asked--
"Hey mr. Hat! Since you know that you are patched and frayed and extremely dirty, I mean you yourself admitted that you are not pretty, then why don't you ask anyone to clean and repair you? Please don't get offended, I'm just curious.. "
"Hmm interesting.. You are the first one in all my life that has asked this question.
To answer your question, in today's Wizarding world, no one is capable of repairing me as I'm not any ordinary hat which can be mended with just some spells. There are extremely complex enchantments placed onto my body and using magic on it will either have no effect or would lead to my destruction.
As for why I didn't ask anyone to clean me.. I was waiting for someone to ask this question instead of accepting everything as it is. It was a bet between Godric and Rowena. Rowena wanted to include self-cleaning enchantment onto me but Godric thought that it was unnecessary as students and teachers would obviously clean me from time to time. Rowena made a bet that nobody will even think about cleaning and even if someone thinks about it they will not bother to try getting the answer.
You can call me Francis, just don't tell anyone else about it. If you have free time, you can call me. I'll ask Fawkes to take me to you. Now onto your sorting as you have already broken the record for Hatstall-
Originally it was very difficult to sort you, and I would have been torn between Gryffindor and Slytherin. But just this question already made me decide where you belong. Better be-"
"RAVENCLAW!" at Fancis' shout the whole Ravenclaw table erupted into loud applause.
Harry could see, Gryffindor's shouting- impossible, Slytherins frowning, Hufflepuff being Hufflepuff and clapping. He noticed the situation at the teachers' table was also interesting. Flitwick was clapping loudly, Dumbledore sat up straight on his seat with a surprised expression, Quirrell did his best acting of being awkward and scared, and Snape frowned and glared at Harry.
Harry stood up and pulled off the hat. Putting it on the stool, he looked at professor McGonagall.
"Professor, Mr. Hat wants to be cleaned without the use of magic."
"Pardon??"
"Umm.. yeah.. He said he has worked for Hogwarts for so long but people don't even keep him clean. So, he told me, he wants to be cleaned without magic." Harry elaborated.
McGonagall looked towards Dumbledore and then Francis just snorted in response.
Harry went to sit next to Hermione at his house table where everyone started introducing themselves to him. Harry patiently talked to everyone while also using his observe ability to look at most of the students as well as the teachers.