Chapter 5

Hogwarts, 1973

It didn't take long for Professor McGonagall to come back and let us inside the hall.

After the door opened, in front of first-years stood an enormous room with four long table disposed one parallel to another.

On the other side of the room there was a smaller table perpendicular to the other where some adults, who Gilderoy presumed to be his teacher, sat.

Having this said, few people bothered themselves to look around, because they preferred to look at the most eye-catching feature of this hall, namely the ceiling.

It was clearly charmed to look like a sky, a sky too beautiful to be real one could say, which together with the many fluctuating candles managed to illuminate the whole hall.

"I must say that the architect who projected this place was quite accomplished" commented Allanon, distracting Gilderoy from further admiring the ceiling.

The young boy decided then to look at the hall again.

He could see the many eager students who looked at the first-year with curiosity, probably wondering about who, among these new recruits, will join their house.

"Where is the trial" asked Gilderoy confused about the lack of any magical beast, obstacle course or enigma that could test the abilities of the first-years.

The only thing that seemed to be out of place was the strange and filthy hat that stood on a stool in front of the teacher's table.

"Now before we begin Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words" said the witch, while placing herself at the side of the hat.

"I Welcome all of you to Hogwarts. Before we start the sorting ceremony I would like to introduce to all of you our new teacher of defence against the dark arts Professor Thatcher and our new caretaker Mr. Filch… Thank you" He said before sitting down.

The man did not say a lot, but all students revered him.

After all he was the man who defeated the previous dark lord and put an end to a war that devastated the whole world.

He looked older now and his hairs were mostly grey, he also had a small grey beard that he was growing, and some wrinkles could be seen on his face, but no one would have ever had the guts to underestimate the man.

Suddenly the silent that had been formed by Dumbledore's speech was interrupted by a horrible voice, that had the guts to sing, uncaring of the sufferance of the listeners.

"A new batch of student came this year

to the Hogwarts to me dear,

but no one should be afraid

as they all will find their place.

Your qualities I can see

and your new house I shall decree!

For ages that's been my role

pursuing one and single goal:

for this school divided in four

to keep shining more and more.

There's no hiding for cunny faces

Or escape for gutsy menaces.

I'll turn all your plans into sand

and you won't receive a helping hand.

So don't wait and put me on,

so that my judgment can come forth!"

"Perfect, another guy who likes to enter the minds of young children without a shred of guilt" commented Gilderoy.

"One day, when you'll be able to read other's minds you too will be the same" replied Allanon.

"Well, in my case they should be happy that someone as great as me entered inside their mind, while you two are an old man and a dirty hat, not the kind of people one would want in their mind." Said Gilderoy and Allanon abstained from further replying.

"When I call you name, you will come forth. I shall place the sorting hat on your head and you will be sorted in your house" said Professor McGonagall as she held the pitchy hat with one hand and the list, with name of the students, with the other.

Most children seemed to be relieved, while others, especially Gilderoy, were disappointed of how normal the ceremony looked to be, after all the hype that was made about it.

"How am I going to stand out like this?" asked himself Gilderoy, unwilling to have such a normal entrance.

"Abbot Aaron" called the witch.

"His parents must have really wanted him to always comes first with such a name and surname" though Gilderoy as a blond haired kid slowly walked to the stool.

"But it seems he didn't appreciate this, as he is trembling. What a waste of an opportunity" added Gilderoy.

"Hmm… a lot of shyness, but a love for knowledge. Ravenclaw!" yelled the hat.

Like this, other names were called and slowly twenty-eight of the sixty-five students had been sorted in their houses.

"Lockhart Gilderoy" called professor McGonagall and Gilderoy, with a serious expression and a raised gaze, walked toward the stool.

He wasn't given any chance to stand out, but at least he will walk toward the stool in a cooler way than anyone else!

Before sitting he looked at the hat, that was now on the stool and before putting it on he used a cloth he had in his pocket and cleaned at least some of the dust that was inside of it.

When he put the cloth away it was full of dust and Gilderoy was sure that it would have taken more than a simple cloth to clean that mess.

"We don't have a lot of time child, be quick everyone put up with the filth" said McGonagall.

With a resigned look Gilderoy too put on the hat and sat down.

"My hairs…" lamented in his head the kid.

"Thanks for cleaning me, but it was a useless thing. Do you seriously think those little elf don't try to clean me? Or some headmasters didn't use on me some charms to not make me deteriorate? Unfortunately, I was made to be always dirty and old. It was a "prank" pulled by Godric Gryffindor. After Rowena understood what he did, she cursed him to look like a goblin for a whole month. Unfortunately it was too late, it would be easier to make another talking hat, than taking that particular charm out and luckily for me people thought it would be too much of a waste" explained the hat and the story surprised most of the students.

One of Hogwarts mystery was revealed just like that, although some professors already knew the story.

"Now let's see what we have here. You are a cunny boy, but at the same time you long for adventures. You also likes to read and find new knowledge. The only certain thing is that you won't fit in Hufflepuff as your pride wouldn't allow you to stay in that place, where equality and friendship are essential" said the hat as loudly as always.

"So, Hufflepuff is the worst house" commented Gilderoy in his mind.

"I never said tha…" tried to say the talking hat, but he was interrupted again by a thought of Gilderoy.

"If it is the only house which is not worthy of me, obviously it is the worse" after hearing his world the talking hat opted to ignore them and go on, as he could see that the kid was totally convinced of what he said.

"Where was I? Ah yeah, hmm in which house should I put you"

"The best one obviously" interrupted another time Gilderoy.

"There is no better house, all have their pros and cons. Just like the founders had their talents and weaknesses" replied the hat.

"So, you did not have a favourite among the founders?" asked in his mind Gilderoy.

The hat got caught by surprise when he heard the question of the boy.

He indeed had a favourite, but he needed to appear impartial and admitting that, wouldn't do him any favour.

"Since you have such a beautiful mind I think it would be best to cultivate it where knowledge thrives… Ravenclaw!" Gilderoy than got up and put down the hat on the stool, but before leaving he smirked and whispered a few words.

"The beautiful lady obviously" there were many stories about Rowena's beauty, differently from the other founders who were known to be either bald, filthy or fat.

"I don't what you are talking about" replied the hat.

For the first time the hat had doubts about his sorting; he feared to have sent a snake among the ravens.

Soon Gilderoy reached the table, where people applauded him and looked at him in awe, he didn't know the reason, but he still accepted happily the reverence.

"Phew he didn't catch me" commented Allanon.

"Where did you hide exactly"

"I turned into grass and hid among the memories of you smiling at the mirror for hours. Just as I tough, he evaded those boring and useless memories. Who better than an expert legilimens like me, could predict the moves of another mind reader" bragged Allanon.

They then entered in a discussion about the utility of practising one's smile every morning, till the table was filled with food and ghost appeared in the hall.

"This is a lot of ghosts for a school" commented Allanon.

"Are you familiar with ghosts? Ah right, you are one" joked Gilderoy.

"Don't compare me to those things. My previous self is in the afterlife and technically I have a physical mass which is the book." Rebutted Allanon.

"Anyway this reminds me of the great battles of my time. At the end there were always some guys on both sides that unable to go to the afterlife remained on earth as ghosts" added Allanon looking at the multitude of ghosts that fluctuated around them.

"So, ghosts live forever?" asked Gilderoy.

"Being a ghost is not what I would call a life. Some people would compare it to torture. Either way normally they do not. They would last only for a few years and if they don't put a remedy to what anchored them to earth they would then dissipate and disappear. This castle must have some kind of magic that allows them to not dissipate" explained Allanon.

"Wow, you are an hatstall" said a older student as he looked at Gilderoy.

"What is an hatstall" asked Gilderoy, understanding from the expression of the guy that this thing was probably the reason some people admired him for previously.

"It is a rare occurrence. When one student takes more than 5 minutes to be sorted, he is called hatstall. It means they have qualities of more than one house, and sometime these students become great. Although it can also mean nothing. For example Peter Pettigrew from Gryffindor is also a hatstall, but the only notorious thing about him is the company he hangs out with" commented the student.

"As expected, even in an anti-climactic sorting ceremony like this I was still able to shine" though Gilderoy in his mind as he smirked and pretended to pay attention to what the guy in front of him was saying.

(I'm sorry for not posting any new chapters for either Genius Gigolo Gilderoy and Teen Lion the past two days, but this is my last year of high school and I need to prepare myself for both my final exam and the one I'll need to do to enter university. All the pressure I've been feeling is piling up and between studying and recovering the hours of sleep I lost, I've been unable to write any chapter. I'm truly sorry for the inconvenience and I'll do my best to make sure this doesn't happen again.)