The Sorting Ceremony and Tyson
Today was the first day of everyone's arrival at Hogwarts, which meant the Sorting Ceremony for the new students. The very same ceremony Percy and Harry had gone through the previous year. Though this time they would be watching it alongside the other students, seated at the Gryffindor table.
They had been at the castle earlier than the rest of the students, helping Hagrid spray poison on the school's cabbages, since there seemed to be an infestation of carnivorous slugs. At least they had something to do while they waited.
It seemed Hagrid had grown rather fond of Tyson after learning he was a first-year student and seeing his size, which could easily pass for that of a third-year. Maybe the half-giant had mistaken Tyson's race, but it was better for him to believe Tyson was another half-giant than to learn he was actually a Cyclops.
Meanwhile, Harry, Percy, Ron, and Hermione, who had arrived with the rest of the students, were waiting at their table when they finally saw this year's new students enter.
Among them, of course, the one who stood out the most was Tyson, who was a head or two taller than everyone else, making plenty of students stare as he walked by, cheerfully waving at Harry and Percy the moment he spotted them.
Following Tyson—or perhaps using him as a shield as they walked—was a long line of first-years entering the Great Hall with frightened expressions.
Ginny was among them.
She was easy to recognize by the color of her hair, which immediately gave away that she belonged to the Weasley family.
When she looked toward Harry, she immediately jerked her eyes away with a start and kept staring straight ahead, though the way she was walking had suddenly become rather noticeable.
Behind her came the rest of the first-years, some nervous, others completely fascinated as they looked around the enormous hall illuminated by thousands of floating candles.
Besides Tyson and Ginny, whom Percy and Harry already knew from Ron's house, there were two other new students who drew quite a bit of attention.
The first was a girl with waist-length blonde hair, completely tangled, untidy clothes, and a gaze that somehow made you feel she wasn't entirely in her right mind.
Especially because she suddenly turned around for a moment after feeling Harry's gaze on her and stared directly at him for several seconds without even blinking as she continued walking.
It was a gaze full of curiosity.
Then it vanished just as quickly, and her attention returned to Tyson walking ahead of her.
To the point where Tyson seemed to feel her staring, making him somewhat uncomfortable as he tried to ignore her and focus on the Sorting Hat instead.
The other was a brown-haired boy carrying a large camera, snapping pictures every three steps until Professor McGonagall, who was leading them, turned around and confiscated it.
At least until the Sorting Ceremony was over.
He also looked toward Harry, and the moment he saw him, his eyes grew so wide they looked as though they were about to pop out.
He immediately began searching for his camera, forgetting it was now in Professor McGonagall's hands.
Then the boy simply stared at Harry, as though trying to burn the image directly into his memory.
"No matter what you say, Harry, I think Hogwarts really suits you. Full of magic and weird people," Percy said, unable to help noticing the exact same things as his brother.
Harry let out an annoyed sigh.
Only because he couldn't really argue with that.
During the Sorting Hat's song, Harry couldn't help but ignore it completely.
Just like Percy, who was probably thinking about something stupid, like how he could sing better in the shower or something.
Instead, Harry looked toward the teachers' table.
Well, how could he not?
Hermione, who hadn't said a single word to him since they'd sat down, was staring only at the new professor seated among the others in the Defense Against the Dark Arts chair.
It was that famous Masked Hero.
Wavy blond hair, rather flashy and extravagant clothes, and an air that seemed to scream, I'm handsome.
Though it was impossible to fully confirm that, since he wore an elegant golden masquerade mask decorated with delicate engravings that revealed only his blue eyes and his dazzling smile, with perfectly white teeth that never seemed to stop gleaming, almost as though the mask had been designed specifically to highlight that one feature.
Then again, Hermione wasn't the only one.
A great many of the girls throughout the Great Hall looked exactly the same.
Without saying a single word, he merely raised one hand in a graceful greeting to the entire Great Hall, as though he were completely accustomed to receiving that kind of attention.
Maybe not being able to see the man's whole face only made it even more exciting to imagine just how handsome he really looked beneath the mask.
Or something like that.
Harry wasn't entirely sure. The only thing he knew was that the man seemed to enjoy having everyone looking at him far too much, which was rather strange for someone who wore a mask to hide his face.
Then there were the other professors, of course, including the Headmaster.
And the professor so dearly loved by every Hogwarts student, Severus Snape.
Harry and Percy had thought that maybe this year they'd get lucky and Snape would resign after not getting the Defense Against the Dark Arts position.
Or perhaps Fluffy's bite had left him so traumatized that he'd never be able to teach again.
But unfortunately for them, there he was, sitting with that expression of utter disdain for the entire world. He somehow looked even grumpier than the previous year, if that was even possible.
With Harry so lost in his thoughts, the Sorting Hat's song finally came to an end, and the Sorting of the new students began.
Then Harry realized he was the one making fun of Percy for the exact same thing.
It even seemed Percy had paid more attention to the song than he had.
"I think it was a little off-key this year," Percy commented.
So Harry quickly focused again and waited to see which Houses the new students would end up in.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long parchment in her hands.
"When you hear your name, come forward, place the Sorting Hat on your head, and wait for its decision."
The Great Hall immediately fell completely silent, everyone waiting eagerly to see who their new Housemates would be.
"Creevey, Colin!"
Colin was the same boy who had been carrying the camera earlier, which was now in Professor McGonagall's hands. He looked so nervous he nearly tripped climbing onto the small stool. He placed the Sorting Hat on his head, and it barely remained there for a couple of seconds.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The scarlet table erupted into applause.
Fred and George even let out a celebratory whistle while Colin grinned from ear to ear before running toward his new House.
After Colin came a few more children who, to be honest, were fairly irrelevant. At least to Harry and Percy right now, who were focused on hearing which House Tyson would end up in.
Though both of them had a pretty good idea.
McGonagall lowered her eyes to the parchment again after another child had been sorted into Slytherin, earning applause from the snakes.
"Jackson, Tyson!"
A murmur swept across the Great Hall.
At last it was Tyson's turn.
And perhaps because Percy was fairly well-known—or perhaps because he was Harry's brother—the moment everyone heard the familiar surname, they all looked toward Percy.
Then they looked at Tyson, who was even taller than Percy.
And... broader.
Then they looked back at Percy again, as though trying to compare the two.
Percy couldn't help feeling slightly annoyed by this.
Sure, Tyson had his surname, but that had simply been something their mother came up with so Tyson could enroll at Hogwarts.
It wasn't like he was actually his brother or even his relative.
Of course, he would never say that.
It might make Tyson sad.
Only Harry seemed amused as he imagined everything going through Percy's head, all of it perfectly reflected on his face.
And for some reason, it felt like people had been comparing Tyson and Percy quite a lot lately.
Tyson walked forward a little nervously, easily towering over most of the first-years.
The Sorting Hat dropped onto his head, almost completely covering his face.
The instant it touched Tyson's head, the Sorting Hat's eyes flew wide open.
Well, not its actual eyes, since it didn't really have any.
But the wrinkles that usually formed its eyes and mouth stretched so far that, for a brief moment, it looked like nothing more than an ordinary hat.
"Harry, can you create an illusion for the Sorting Hat?" Percy asked immediately, afraid the Hat might discover Tyson's true identity.
Harry feared the same thing.
He even pulled out his wand at once, ready to cast an illusion using the Mist.
Fortunately, the Sorting Hat recovered from its exaggerated shock almost immediately.
As though...
As though someone else had done exactly what Harry had been about to do.
Then it shouted loudly enough for the entire Hall to hear.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The Hufflepuff table burst into enthusiastic applause.
Tyson looked disappointed for a moment that he hadn't ended up in the same House as Harry and Percy.
But seeing the warm welcome the Hufflepuffs were already giving him, he couldn't help but smile.
He waved at Harry and Percy before happily making his way toward his new table, where the students quickly made room for him.
Harry couldn't help frowning immediately.
"Nicely done, Harry. Though Hufflepuff... I thought you'd send him with us, but it's not a bad choice. They're more his kind of people," Percy commented with a satisfied nod.
"No," Harry said, still frowning. "It wasn't me."
Percy turned to look at him.
But seeing the serious expression on Harry's face, it was obvious he wasn't lying.
Their confusion didn't stop the ceremony from continuing.
In the end, the blonde girl who had stared at Harry earlier turned out to be Luna Lovegood and was sorted into Ravenclaw, while Ginny, of course, just like her brothers, ended up in Gryffindor.
But Harry wasn't really paying attention to that anymore.
Instead, he couldn't stop wondering who had just used the Mist.