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Chapter 3: The Sorting Hat

Hermione met the couple outside the train doors, just in time to hear "Firs' Years! Firs' Years, follow me!"

Hermione didn't scream, but her eyes did go wide. Also, her hand reached down and grabbed Harry's for just an instant. The two looked at each other, then immediately let go. Harry looked to his right and saw Daphne had noticed their abrupt movement. The young witch looked down at their hands, which were flexing open and shut, and smiled.

Harry gulped. "That must be Hagrid, the groundskeeper; my mum told us about him." The description she had given matched exactly. The man calling was enormous, with wild black hair, friendly eyes, and wearing a moleskin coat. He was holding a lantern and standing on the edge of the lake where a number of boats had been docked.

Daphne grabbed her bag. "Let's go, then," she said, taking a few steps forward. Then she stopped and turned to Hermione "He doesn't bite, you know." Hermione blushed and followed after them.

Harry swerved next to his fiancé. "That was mean."

"Just trying to make sure she knows I'll always be in charge," Daphne replied, grinning.

Harry blushed (he knew what she planned to be in charge of), but didn't say anything else. When they finally got to the boats, they were near the end of the line.

"Four to a boat!" Hagrid called. "Make room, now! Four to a boat! Weasley, watch that rat of your's!"

The new trio got into one near the end with a small, dark haired boy who had a toad instead of an owl. "Neville Longbottom" was the name he gave when the group introduced themselves.

"That would make you the grandson of Lady Augusta Longbottom," Daphne said.

Neville nodded. "Yeah, I live with her."

Harry nodded; his mother had told him that the Longbottoms were stuck in the hospital all the time. She wouldn't explain why just yet, which probably meant dark magic was involved somewhere.

"I take it your grandmother's very important?" Hermione tentatively asked.

Neville nodded silently.

"Lady Longbottom's a tough customer," Daphne said. "She's one of the most important figures in Ministry. It's said she could stare down a dragon and make it roll over."

Hermione's eyes went wide. "Really?"

"Really," Neville said, shivering a little.

Harry realized they needed to change topics. "So, Neville, what House do you want to be in?"

"Well . . . my parents were in Gryffindor, but I don't think I'll make-"

"Why not?" Harry asked. "Because you're not brave enough?"

Neville nodded glumly.

"I don't believe that. Believe in yourself, Neville, or you'll never achieve your dreams." The others stared at him. Harry blushed and looked down. "That's something my mum told me once."

Neville smiled a little. "Thanks Harry."

"Well done," Daphne said, taking his hand. She beamed at him, and her grin widened just a little when she saw Hermione looking at Harry. She looked . . . proud, happy, something else? It was positive at any rate; that was a good start.

"Where do you want to go, Hermione?" she asked.

Hermione bit her lip. "Well, I wanted to get in Gryffindor-Dumbledore was in Gryffindor, you know-but I'm not so sure now."

"Don't want to share a House with Weasley?" Daphne asked.

Hermione nodded.

"I can't say I'm keen on sharing a House with Malfoy," Harry admitted. "But Mum warned me that there was a bad lot in every House. Don't let someone stop you from chasing your dream, Hermione. If you want to be in Gryffindor, go for it!"

Hermione blushed but didn't hide her face this time. "You're right, Harry. I'll do my best to be in Gryffindor, even if it means putting up with Wealsey; I'll do it."

It was an epic moment, the sort which precedes the birth of a legend. Unfortunately, like many such moments, it was ruined by someone from the peanut gallery. Trevor had, for reasons known only to extremely independent toads, wandered out of Neville's lap to investigate a piece of Daphne's luggage, which turned out to be her owl cage. Albert, of course, was not amused at the toad's advances and attempted to attack it, shilling loudly. This, of course, sent Hedwig into a frenzy, and the four friends spent the rest of the trip trying not calm them down . . . and avoid tipping the boat over.

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Harry had to feel sorry for the first generation witches and wizards; listening to the older students, you'd think Sorting was accomplished by how well you could wrestle Trolls without magic. The truth was far less glamorous. You put a magical hat on your head and it decided where you're going to spend the next seven years of your life. Part of him thought the Founders were control freaks.

When the Sorting Hat was presented, the Potter heir groaned its song.

"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"The Hat's just as messed up as everyone else about the Houses. 'Gryffindor's are the best and the bravest; Ravenclaw's are the smart ones; Hufflepuff's for losers; and don't trust those Slytherins.'" The young wizard sighed.

Daphne shook her head. "We haven't even started the year and people are already trying to turn us into enemies."

"Bones, Susan!" Professor McGonagall called. An auburn haired witch walked up and sat on the stool. The instant the hat was placed on her head-

"Hufflepuff!" The badgers began cheering for their newest member.

"She's pretty," Daphne noted.

Harry turned to her and grimaced at the thoughtful look on her face. He always did so ever since that incident when they were six years old . . .
/]
[/POTTER MANOR; 1986:

Harry was beginning to wonder if this was a good idea. He looked down at the shoebox he held in his hands. It didn't look like much.
/]
[/He was out in the yard with Daphne, her back yard, that is. Her father was at work, and her mother was going over some papers, muttering things that sounded like bad words to herself. He and Daphne were all alone.
/]
[/The two of them were standing in front of her mother's flower bushes. "All right, Harry," she said, "Mom says it likes to hide behind these thick bushes. You just convince him to come out and get in the box."
/]
[/Harry frowned. "Are you sure about this, Daphne?" Maybe telling her he could talk to snakes had been a bad idea; the girl had been acting weird for the past two days.
/]
[/"Of course I'm sure!" she declared, folding her arms. "My mum's been complaining about it for weeks! If we can get rid of it, she can go back to enjoying her garden, and the elves won't have to kill it. Two birds saved with one stone."
/]
[/Harry signed and crawled down to the lowest level of the flower bush. "Hello," he hissed.
/]
[/For a moment, there was silence. Then, "What do you want?" someone hissed back.
/]
"Um, I was wondering, eh, if you would get in this box for us?" [/Harry asked sliding the box up to the bushes.
/]
[/Again, there was a moment of silence. This time, the snake asked, "Why should I do that?"
/]
"Well . . . you've been bothering Daphne's mum a lot, and she might want the House-Elves to kill you," [/Harry offered weakly. it sounded better in his head.
/]
[/The snake said nothing, but Harry heard it slither out from its hiding place to where he was kneeling.
/]
[/"It's coming Daphne," he called, smiling. "I think it's-OOOOOOOOOUCH!" he cried as the snake bit him.
/]
Returning to the present, Harry cringed rubbing the scar on his right hand. That little adventure had ended with the two of them being forbidden to see each other for a whole week and months of supervision before they were allowed to be alone again. He also got a warning from his mum to be careful what he and Daphne got involved with in the future. A lesson he may not have learned very well . . .

"What are you doing, Daph?" he whispered.

Daphne turned to him, smiling even wider. "Miss Bones is the last heir of her house, you know?"

Harry groaned. His fiancé was trying to set him up with other girls, and the year was just beginning.

Hermione looked at them both, clearly wondering what they were talking about. [/If she only knew, Harry thought.

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"Potter, Harry!" Professor McGonagall called.

Harry walked up to the stool, doing his best to ignore the people whispering around him. As soon as the professor placed the Hat on his head, head he heard it whispering to him. "Curious, curious. Plenty of courage, mmmmmm, not a bad mind either . . . and a thirst to prove yourself . . . But where to put you?

"Slytherin," Harry whispered to it.

"Slytherin, eh. Yes, you could do well there, but are you certain-you could be great in Gryffindor."

Harry thought of his father, of Hermione who was sitting at the table under lion banner. Then he thought of his mother, of Daphne, and of himself. "I'd rather be a Slytherin, please."

"If you're sure," the hat responded. "SLYTHERIN!" it called out.

This did not exactly go over well. The Gryffindors loudly shouted out complaints and the Slytherin's-well, they didn't say anything, but none of them looked happy to see him, except Daphne, who moved over to let him sit next to her. Oddly enough, this meant he was also sitting next to a pretty girl named Tracy Davis.

"What are you doing here, Potter?" Malfoy seethed.

"Sitting, Malfoy, this is my House now, same as your's."

"You don't belong here!" the ponce growled. "You're a halfblood!"

Harry copied the other boy's sneer. "I'm a halfblood form an Ancient and Noble House. That's still better than you, Malfoy."

The blond fumed, but said nothing. Harry leaned back a little in his seat; this was going to be a long year.

Under the table, he felt Daphne take his hand in her's and squeeze gently.

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Okay, I know some of you were miffed I skipped ten years, but I wanted to get to the meat of the story ASAP. I am, however, planning to do more flashbacks, so keep your eyes peeled for them in the future.

Sorry if I seemed a little confusing with Daphne. She really does love Harry and wants to help him. The problem is, her "help" may do more harm than good. A major conflict here is her desire to help Harry get powerful alliances, while Harry wants to live a normal life with a close circle of real friends.