Peeking into multiple compartments, Harry found a few free seats with some higher years but wanted to meet other first years.
He went through almost half of the rooms before finding one with other first years that had a free spot. He politely knocked.
“Come in.” A cheery voice.
Entering and closing the door Harry observed the occupants as he introduced himself, again as ‘Harry’. There were three girls.
All of the girls had unmarked black robes like himself, signifying they were all first years.
Another redhead, she was smiling brightly. She was a little chubby but Harry thought it was just baby fat.
The next was a platinum blonde, she had no expression at all. Harry idly wondered if she was just starting occlumency or something.
The final occupant was a brown haired girl who seemed reserved, but he could notice the small smile on her lips, probably from something that was said before he entered.
“All of the compartments I've checked are full already, would you mind if I joined you?”
The bubbly one immediately chirped a yes, the icy one looked about to blurt a no, and the mousey one just shrunk into the seat.
Harry sat near the bubbly one, or Susan as she introduced herself.
After introductions, Harry learned that Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis both wanted to go to Slytherin, while Susan Bones didn't really care where she was put. Harry agreed with Susan.
The ride to Hogwarts was spent chatting about the different houses and watching the scenery out the window.
The girls tried to kick him out of the compartment so they could get dressed in the robes. Harry countered with putting his robes over his outfit. They still wanted to ‘get dressed’ so Harry set his trunk on the ground and told them to knock on the lid when they were done. Harry managed to shower AND get a bite to eat before the girls finally knocked on the lid.
Harry exited to the blushing faces of Susan and Tracy, while Daphne was still blank faced but fiddling with her robes.
“What did I miss?” Was the wrong thing to say apparently.
Susan slapped his shoulder before blushing harder and the other two tried their best to merge with the seats they were sitting on.
The last few minutes of the ride were in excruciating awkwardness.
----------------------------------------
Upon arrival, Harry , ever the gentleman, didn't chase after the first year girls that fled the cabin. It was already dark, but thanks to the enchanted glasses, Harry could make out the dingy little shack… erm train station. Not too far was an old town.
“Firs years here! Firs years!”
The giant man who pestered him before school was waving a lantern, one of the only sources of light.
Harry watched the man count heads… on his fingers, before proudly nodding to himself. “Follow me! Watch yer step!” Does he always yell?
They were led down a carved staircase, overlooking a large lake… a staircase most wouldn't use even during the daytime. There were three people who slipped before making it halfway, only staying up due to all of the others nearby.
Already annoyed after slipping himself, Harry cast a quick floating Lumos, then cast a cleaning charm on the stairs. Both wandlessly of course.
The Lumos and clean stairs sped their descent. They soon made it to the docs, holding small rowboats.
“No more n four to a boat!” right on time with his yell.
Harry sat in an empty boat, wishing to be left alone. The approaching students didn't seem to like that and quickly joined him.
A mini version of Gred and Forge, Hermione, and a shy chubby brown haired boy. Harry noted.
In order they introduced themselves. Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom.
Hermione had not recognized him until the introductions. Ron was already prattling on about quidditch. And Neville was just dragged here by Hermione and looked like he wanted a corner to shrink into.
The boats started moving automatically, soon they were in a lake, with only the moon and the small lanterns on their boats.
Hermione seemed to be thinking out loud. “Who do you think cast that lighting charm and the cleaning charm? I tried looking around but I couldn't see anyone with a wand out. Besides, isn't the cleaning charm a fourth year spell? And I don't even know what that light spell was…”
Harry froze. A wand! He forgot to get himself a wand!
He was so caught up reading and preparing for Hogwarts, he forgot one of the most important things needed for Hogwarts.
He hadn't needed a wand since creating his wandless casting method. He hardly needed words anymore.
Had he let it slip that he knew wandless magic anywhere else? Nobody seemed to notice that time and he was pretty sure he hadn't messed up any other time so he should be fine…
Sighing he finally enjoyed the ride.
-
-
Soon, Harry heard someone from a nearby boat mention the giant squid that would save people if they fell in… and Ron wouldn't shut up about quidditch…
Splash
The other two just narrowly saw Harry wave a hand, and Ron teetering off the side of the boat.
Ron fell into the lake with a splash and soon started splashing up a storm, in an attempt to keep afloat. Harry started to feel bad, did he not know how to swim?
As Harry was preparing to help, ripples formed around Ron, like something moving closer. Then his eyes widened comically large and he screamed… he screamed LOUD. The entire first year heard Ron squeal. Then the tentacles that surrounded him, gently lifted him out of the water and softly set him back into their boat.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
The ride to the castle was made in silence for their little boat. Even seeing the castle for the first time didn't elicit the oohs and ahs that it deserved.
Soon they landed ashore and led up a crummy dirt path.
Harry slunk to the back of the group of overexcited children and picked out a relatively straight branch off the ground. Before stuffing it into his robes and following the pack to the front gate of the majestic castle. It would have made more of an impact if half of the kids weren't shivering because of the cold.
The giant man knocked on the gate, and soon an old lady appeared. Dressed in green robes with one of those silly pointy hats, grey hair and wrinkles galore. She was frowning at the large man and then all of the students. “Is this all of them?”
Hagrid puffed out his chest like he did something amazing. “Of course! Counted them myself!”
She waved at the giant man like shooing a fly, then turned on her heel and went back into the castle. “Follow!” without looking back to see if anyone was actually following.
Harry dearly wanted to NOT follow her, just to see what she would do. But joined the rest of the first years in following the stern lady.
----------------------------------------
They were led to a small chamber off to the side of a noisy room Harry assumed to be the main hall.
By the time everyone made it and settled down, she was already glaring disapprovingly at everyone.
“Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly,”
She took a moment to glare more at two in the back who were snickering.
“The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts.”
Harry thought about his ‘family’ back home, especially before the goblins intervened. Honestly as poor of a reminder, he should probably treat these people the same way. He didn't really expect many of them to act maturely.
She continued, rudely ignoring Harry's internal monologue. “You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common-room.” Harry internally scoffed.
“The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.” Why is she explaining this NOW? Did everyone not get a talk before joining school? Or a pamphlet or something?
“Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding wizards and witches. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.” Glaring at Neville, a soaked Ron, then a blonde boy, before glaring at the group as a whole before walking to a door to the side and pausing. "I shall return for you when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly.” taking one last glare, she passed through and closed the door behind her.
The noise from the hall momentarily picked up when she opened the door. Are they going to make the whole thing some sort of spectacle?
Muttering about how they will be sorted started filling the room. From duels, to tests, to fighting wolves. People were quite excited with the fighting part, soon the room was filled with people arguing about what monsters they would have to fight. Harry heard griffons, manticores, dragons, basilisks. Before tuning out the chatter.
Already, he found multiple things that needed to be fixed. First, a briefing to people joining Hogwarts. You shouldn't have to join just to know you will most likely bunk with others. Second, maintenance. It's been less than an hour and he has already found issues. Slimy stairs, dingy train station, poor paths. Not to mention this tiny reception area for first years, what if there was double the class size? He didn't know if he had the right to hire or fire staff as a majority inheritor, but the lady who “kindly led” them all here was on his list if he could.
Screams echoed through the small room, nearly deafening a few. The commotion was at the front. Ghosts flying past the new students paused their conversation to comment on the firsties.
“Ah new students, I hope you'll join Hufflepuff. We've been running low the past few years.” he said with a bow.
“Oi don't go poaching my Gryffindors, ya hear?!” shouting in the Hufflepuffs ear. It would've been funny if they weren't in such a small room and he wasn't so loud. Many students winced, and the closer ones covered their ears.
Just then the stern lady opened the door and waved her hand again, shooing the pests away. “Follow!” leading them back to the hall and in front of a large door. She ordered them to line up and opened the door.
----------------------------------------
The great hall was filled with noise, there were four large tables occupied with students. In the back of the hall was a raised table filled with professors if Harry had to guess. Above, there were the banners indicating the four houses, and a beautiful night sky. He was genuinely in awe of the recreation. There were floating candles as well, but those were honestly more of a nuisance, you couldn't properly see the sky with them in the way. Hopefully they were magicked to not drip wax on people.
The room went silent, increasing the first year's nerves. They started to subconsciously gather into one large group, ruining the line.
The stern lady glared once more, like she took that personally. She was already at a stool with a hat atop it. “This,” gesturing at the hat. ”Will be what sorts you into your new houses. When I call your name, you will sit on the stool and put on the hat to be sorted.”
The old man at the center of the table rose. Interrupting the lady and the entire sorting.
Dumbledore, Harry thought.
“A moment.”
He pulled out his wand, pointed it at the drenched redhead. And he was dry. Just like that.
Most students, even older years, started murmuring. Dumbledore just casually used wordless magic to dry a student.
The old man sat back down, “Quiet!” causing all the whispers to cease then nodding to the stern lady.
She pulled out a large scroll and unraveled it, “Abbott- Ha”
“Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.”
The hat sometime during all of the commotion, grew a mouth and proceeded to sing.
Harry ignored the rest of its song to watch the expression on the stern lady's face. Being interrupted TWICE, and taking care of a wet student, something she should've done. Must have damaged her ego. Her face kept changing from anger to disappointment. The song also gave Harry time to observe the people in the hall.
All of the teachers, aside from a large woman and a small half goblin looked annoyed… or constipated, due to the hats song. Harry recognized Severus from his mothers description in the diary. He knew Dumbledore. Aside from Flitwick and the giant man, none of the others he recognized. Turban guy, drunk lady, stern lady, large lady, human scar, glasses lady, pudgy lady, and the beauty.
“Abbot Hannah”
“Hufflepuff!”
Harry didn't care too much about where anyone went, he was more concerned with his own placement. He needed Gryffindor for the plan to have the best chance at success. He was afraid that him being the lord Ravenclaw would force him into Ravenclaw. While the plan would still work there, he would vastly prefer Gryffindor.
“Granger Hermione”
She seemed to have an argument with the hat. Harry could see the corners of her mouth turn into a frown. It took a lot longer for her to be sorted than the others before her. She soon burst into a smile.
“Gryffindor!”
Interesting, maybe they will be in the same house. Hopefully the hat will listen.
Harry went over the plan once more, again getting lost in his thoughts.
“Potter Harry!” the room went silent, as every head turned his way.
He could make out, “The Harry Potter?” and many alike whispers.
Harry approached the stool. Before sitting down, Harry discreetly pulled out his ‘wand’ and cast a quick Scourgify verbally.
The hat changed color from a disgusting brown, to a vibrant orange. Harry, and others who heard the spell felt queasy. That hat was so dirty that it changed colors!
The rest of the hall quickly received the information by way of the infamous Hogwarts gossip mill. And soon the entire hall felt gross.
“Ehem!”
Still frozen in disgust, Harry had to be urged by the stern lady. He sat down and put on the now clean hat.