Sorting oh Sorting

The rest of the train ride, Penelope and I got to know each other. We laughed, we discussed, all in all it was a good time.

Arriving at the Hogsmeade station, the train conductor told us to leave our luggage behind as it would be delivered to the castle for us.

.....

"Firs' years!" Boomed a loud deep voice. "Firs' years to me." Rubeus Hagrid's voice boomed out until all of us had joined him and the older students had started towards the castle. 

A literal giant of a man, this Hagrid, as he introduced himself to us. He stood taller than any no-maj I had ever seen. Even taller than everyone from my family. 

"No more than four to a boat," Hagrid told us after leading us a short walk through the nearby thicket to the side of a great lake. "We will be taking the boats to the castle just like the founders." He told us before we all started filling the boats. 

Penelope and I were joined by another 2 guys. The first, with a coppery red hair looking as if he had just smelled something sour, and the second looked like a real life version of Sid from Toy Story. Percy Weasley and Marcus Flint they introduced themselves as we began our journey.

A short time after our start of the trip across the lake, we encountered a bridge. "Mind your heads," Hagrid called to the group as he ducked. Penelope and I chuckled as we saw several of our year mates duck not realizing that Hagrid's warning didn't apply to us.

....

Hogwarts

....

If this view is what the Founders saw I can't blame them for choosing to settle here.

Our first view of the castle framed by a growing full moon and a cloudless sky was breathtaking. Seeing it all reflected on the mirror like lake was, for lack of a better descriptor, magical. 

.....

"Welcome to Hogwarts. Before the Welcoming Feast, we must sort all first year students into their proper houses. The Sorting Ceremony is very important. While you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. The four houses are called Gryffindor, the brave and chivalrous. Hufflepuff, the kind and diligent. Ravenclaw, the witty and wise. And Slytherin, the cunning and ambitious. Each house has its own noble history, and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. I hope you all will be fine additions to their ranks." Professor McGonagall, a stern middle aged witch with a Scottish accent, told us before we were led into the great hall. A giant room with four very long tables that seemed to divide the four houses. The ceiling enchanted to reflect the sky outside was equally mesmerizing, candles floating by themselves as we filed in.

Professor McGonagall then stepped into a room beside the staff table and returned with a 3 legged stool with an old hat on it.

"Ah, once again it is time for new students to join our illustrious halls....."

....

The hat is unique. I'll freely admit I have no memory of a talking hat in my media and literary memory. Talking animals, talking weapons, sentient weapons, heck there's even a few talking cars, but no hats.

The hat sang a song it had written itself. Music is however subjective and I dare not attempt to repeat it myself.

After that, Professor McGonagall returned to the front of the assembly with a scroll of parchment in her hands. "As I call your name, please step foreword and take a seat. The hat will sort you."

"Edmund Alcott"

Gryffindor came out. Their table began to cheer, as the first student was sorted into their house.

"Abigail Alforth"

Gryffindor the hat called again, much to the joy of the house getting the first two new studentsin a row.

"Penelope Clearwater"

Ravenclaw the hat yelled causing a round of applause from their table as she went and joined them.

"Cedric Diggory"

Hufflepuff the Hat roared after sitting on his head for a moment. Their table erupted into applause welcoming their new member.

"Marcus Flint"

Slytherin yelled the hat after only a second, causing a polite applause from his table as he headed towards it.

.....

"Joshua Myrddin."

McGonagall called out my name, and I headed up for my turn. Taking a seat, I then placed the hat on my head.

"Well well well.... What have we here? A transmigrated American..... Been a while since I have seen one of your lot. Around 90 years or so, and a member of the Myrddin family as well..... " I heard in my head as the hat spoke to me. Wait, you can see all of that? I asked back completely surprised. Not just that the hat could tell but that I wasn't the first one!?

"I'll freely admit that it has happened in the past since you yourself have done so. In fact there have been a number of them over the years, up until the last one." The hat told me. "If I were to name the most interesting difference between you and them, it would be that you are the first who was unaware of this world, that and the data package your mind sent me the moment you put me on." 

What data packet? Does it have anything to do with the clock I see counting down in the corner of me eye? I thought at the hat hoping for more information "HAHAHAHA. Worry not young wizard. All will be made clear in time. Visit me after the sorting after the timer finishes and if you don't know by then, I will explain as you requested, as well as what you asked me to do."

Very well. I agreed with the hat realizing that I had been sitting here for longer than anyone else so far.

RAVENCLAW The hat yelled louder than all of the times before this, shocking everyone in the hall so far. As I walked towards my table, my robe changed to reflect that I had been sorted in with the claws. I noticed several older students studying me as I walked to join the table with Penelope gesturing for me to take the seat next to her

....

"Oliver Wood"

Gryffindor called the hat for the final time that evening, as McGonagall took the stool and the hat and left the room. All told, there were around twenty eight of us who had been sorted. Four into my house, eight into Slytherin, six into Gryffindor and the other ten into Hufflepuff.

I assume that normally the classes would be much bigger, but entire family's were wiped out in the last war. Some lineages gone entirely many of their bloodlines being over if they hadn't married into other families.

According to Grandfather, there are likely many in my generation who will have as many inheritance opportunities as I do. According to him, the war was lead by some kind of zealot nutjob claiming to promote ideas of supremacy of purebloods and the suppression of the non magical as well as the non human magical races. 

This maniac and his followers wiped out more family lines than the previous Dark Lord did back around the World War periods. He further went on to say that the numbers of students should increase exponentially from my fourth year on.

Witches and Wizards can live very long lives naturally and the truly powerful ones can go on for a couple hundred years if nothing happens to them. The Headmaster was 106 this year, and if nothing unexpected happened, he could easily double that number. Wild.

The dinner was truly a feast, but very traditional and English. I might have to find a way to see about my own food after I go through what Jack sent me if this is the normal supper here.

...

I won't get into the specifics of the rest of my first year, just a quick overview.

First, Wizards are insane.

Gryffindor students might be at the helm of that insanity, but that doesn't excuse the other houses.

Second, I now understand the looks Jack kept giving whenever Grandfather talked about the educational standards at Hogwarts. I will need to seek his council after I get home. If I am correct, they have really started to slack since at least when Jack was here.

Third, Hogwarts teaching staff is a bit of a mixed bag. It's only appropriate to mention the heads of houses.

Professor Flitwick, my own head of house. Former dueling champion, Master of Charms, baker of some of the best snacks in the world. If I had to choose between him and Garrick Ollivander as to who is my favorite wizard so far, its an easy decision. He his my favorite hands down. He has such a passion for teaching and he covers the material in a way that it makes it obvious he's honed his craft to the highest of standards.

Professor McGonagall, head of the lions, is very much a lion in her own right. One of the few registered animagus in Britain, she too like Professor Flitwick is a true Master of her craft. If you were to look up no nonsense in a dictionary, her picture would be standing there staring you down.

Professor Sprout, the head of the badgers, is one of the most terrifying women I've ever met. Others might be fooled by her genuine sweet and friendly disposition, but I'm from Alabama and I know her type well. Stay on her good side, because if the older students are to be believed and how quickly her house falls in line she's much more than meets the eye. She'd have gotten along great with Leena back in my previous life. I imagine they could sit there, sharing a cup of tea and discussing plants and the best ways to dispose of lost causes.

Snape, professor that he might be. Master of potions that he absolutely is, and defacto head of the snakes, shouldn't be allowed around students who are less than college aged. He's absolutely brilliant, however he doesn't understand how to teach. That or he's trying to force students here to fear their own cauldrons. I had a shop class back in the day that started us with watching the dangers of using oxyacetylene tanks for cutting, then using them the same day. I promise you, we spent most of that time watching the tanks for sparks.

Next is a bit of an odd duck. He doesn't carry himself like any of the other wizards here. He's an independent associate professor for both Runes and Arithmancy. Taller, medium brown hair kept short, mild tan yet still pale. He looks like the actor how played Peter Vincent in the vampire movie Fright Night. He wears red and white converse, with a blue suit and red tie and a brown trench coat under his robes. Either no one else has seen the oddity or their better at hiding it than I think they are. Rather than professor, he prefers to be called Doctor. So far he has had an interesting reaction to my last name, but hasn't spoken with me yet. I'll need to keep an eye out.

Third, Professor Binns either had some serious concerns about Goblins, or is being forced to teach like that. If I'm not mistaken, he might be teaching like that in protest, as grandfather described him as being one of the most lively teachers here when he was a student, and his descriptions don't even slightly resemble the ghost he has become.

Fourth, There have been a handful of students in each house keeping an eye on me and other first years who are first or second gen magical families. They are all fourth year or higher students. If I'm not mistaken they're also first or second generation as well. They also seem to be practicing occlumency if their reserved expressions are anything to go on.

Fifth, Slytherin is in trouble. The house might present a strong front in public, but there is clear discrimination if you know how to pay attention. It's like watching a live action political chess game where the rules heavily favor one side.

Sixth, I'm convinced there's something odd going on. Witches and Wizards in each house are mildly more antagonistic than should be expected, just by being in different houses. It gets worse as the years go up. They strange students I noticed previously seem to be the least affected. The most affected however are like the worst possible representation of their house. This will need further review later.

....

Additional Author's note.

I frequently throw some extra info on the authors thoughts portion if you tend to skip over those when reading. I'll try and fix any spelling errors, grammar errors, and flow errors when I encounter them.