Ch. 34

"To which subject?" Albus asked the hat.

"All of them."

Oh. Apparently his day could get even better. Noweveryone knew he was in the big power leagues and was carrying around a load ofknowledge. So much for the background tactic.

Feh, are you a shadow mage or not? You need the practice.You'll do well. Enjoy history.

A still-shocked Professor McGonagall took the hat off hishead. Harry looked up at her and then towards the Headmaster.

"Have a seat wherever you wish, Mr. Potter. Afterthe sorting I'll come talk with you."

"Mr. Potter, your power and potential are great;whatever your plans to do with it, do it wisely. Come visit me sometime so wemay converse more on this subject. And if you're nice, I just might give youthe latest Quidditch scores as well," the Hat said.

Harry nodded his head once to the animated headgear andthen numbly made his way to the Gryffindor table and sat next to his friend,Hermione.

The Great Hall had been quieted by this latestdevelopment. The sorting hat had nevertalked out loud unless spouting its annual song or announcing the House namefor a first year. Many students just thought it sorted people. And now itwanted to talk with that Herman Potter kid? Hester Potter? Harry, that's it.Harry Potter.

"Harry?" Hermione started as the sortingcontinued. "Are you all right?"

"Apprentice," Harry managed to get out."What the hell is that? I mean, I know what it is, but how does that workhere at Hogwarts? How am I supposed to get an education?"

"Harry, don't worry about it so much. There havebeen lots of apprentices here at Hogwarts. Why, I remember reading there havebeen 56 apprentices here in the last nine centuries."

"Hermione, I read that too. And of those 56, 44 ofthem were apprenticed afterthey graduated."

"Yes, yes, I remember that. But the remaining 12were all apprenticed while they were still students. See, precedence."

"Hermione, do you recall exactly when they wereapprenticed?"

"Of course I do. Eleven of them were apprenticedafter taking their OWLS."

Harry nodded and added, "And they were allapprenticed to one subject to allow them to finish school."

"Turner, Pam!"

"But what happened to the last one?" Parvatiasked, more interested in this conversation than the sorting.

"H. and R. Hufflepuff-stuff!"

"Yes, Hermione, what happened to the last one?"Harry said. He already knew. He'd known for a long time ever since he met theman.

"He, uh, went on to become a little famous."

"How famous?" Lavender queried.

"The kind of famous that doesn't die."

"Huh?" Lav looked at the girl she was sittingacross from - Parvati, who also shrugged her shoulders.

Hermione signed in resignation. "According to Hogwarts, A History , theonly other student designated an apprentice in his first year was NicolasFlamel. This happened about 700 years ago. And according to rumor, Mr. Flamelis still alive. That's one of the things he's famous for."

"Weasley, Ronald!"

"Wow, Harry, that's great. You're going to befamous," Lavender gushed.

"Gryffindor for you, you little tool!"

"I don't want to be famous," Harry groused."I want to be normal."

"Like you'd know what it's like to be famous,"Neville sneered.

"You still seeing skidmarks, Longbottom?" Harrysmirked.

Neville didn't reply and instead simply seethed at theindignity of having his own underwear pulled over his head on the train whilehe'd been wearing it at the time.

....

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