J.K. Rihaku said:
Emerald Blood
The First-Years traversed the dark loch with a set of enchanted boats alongside the Keeper of Grounds and Keys, its waters a calm and unperturbed gelatinous wave; reflections of pale moonlight caught some of it like painted crescents, twinkling and glittering sleepily in the night air.
The stunning vistas of Hogwarts loomed above them, the cradle of British magical lore shining like an amber-torched gem within the darkness of the Scottish landscape. Its countless walls seemed to merge in ways impossible to catch with the eye, constructions, buildings, and wings emerging like jagged growths from its proud central fundament. The castle's towers ranged from heavy stone cylinders with only black-spotted windows to rake-thin spires that only became narrower and slimmer towards the top, ending in majestic prongs. It was constructed in a dizzyingly unreadable pattern, ancient glory laid over ancient glory, with no regard to logic or infrastructure. There was no reverence for the efficiency of space or foolish architectural stability, for those were the problems of men; the castle in front of Harry was constructed by the hands of gods, not men.
There was a certain, merry and wondrous atmosphere to the place; the very air was thick with the same kind of magic that Harry first sensed when he entered Diagon Alley, but with hundredfold munificence and unmistakable razor-blade sharpness; sitting upon that boat and looking upon the looming structure, Harry felt almost as if he'd gone back a thousand years into the past with a time machine, breathing the same enchanted air as the castle's founders; the spark of original thaumaturgical genius once again within the grasp of his mind.
It was enough to say that if magic were liquid, Harry would be drunk on it, in more ways than one.
Beside him, Daphne and Draco both shifted disinterestedly. This sight appeared not to be quite so amazing to someone who'd lived in the Wizarding World for the entirety of their lives. It took some effort for Harry to see through the facade. Beneath those wrinkled brows, high and proud visage, and stiff upper lips, the boy and girl next to him were likewise giddy with excitement that could scarcely be contained. Draco's left boot was unrhythmically and fleetly tapping against the boat as if his body needed some exhaust for its feelings and his adamant refusal to show it on his face all but forced it to manifest it in other ways. Daphne was far better at hiding it, but she was methodically chewing on her lower lip.
Harry chose to sit with them for reasons he wasn't quite sure of.
Hermione's invitation to come and sit with the other students she'd met seemed straightforward and friendly, but the harsh rebuttal that Malfoy doled out, and her inability to respond, suggested he was influential and powerful. There were other indications of such, like the enormous wealth that seemed to match Harry's own. He could even afford two lackeys to follow him around at all times. Malfoy was an important mover and shaker, relative to Hermione's powerlessness and low status. It was a status that Harry couldn't be associated with, on pain of risking himself.
He understood enough from Hagrid's story, especially with the mention that Voldemort descended from Slytherin; Hagrid warned him of the Malfoys as the Dark Lord's followers, but Draco's offer of friendship seemed, despite his contempt towards Hermione, comprehensively genuine. In its own aristocratic way, of course.
In other words, it was an olive branch from the other side; one that Harry was wise and politically adept enough to see. He accepted it and, in doing so, absolved himself from the 'sin' of being the Dark Lord's vanquisher. It was a way for them to rest easy, knowing the Chosen One wasn't after further retribution for his parents.
And it may have frayed his relationships with those he rejected, but it did not close those paths forever. There was some open space for maneuvering left in his corner, but he would need to be sufficiently clever about it.
They made their arrival on the pier next to the castle only a minute later, giving them sufficient time to take in the splendorous sight and breathe in the magical air.
Once they'd unloaded, Hagrid carried the boats into a small docking station to the side with nothing but rope and his own muscles. In the meantime, a wizened lady in a witch's hat approached them, radiating the very air of sternness. She wore a dark emerald robe, its flowing pattern revealing it to be silk with connective golden thread. If she were not to smile friendly upon approaching them, Harry would've called her the archetype of a strict harridan of a teacher, but it seemed like she was more of the demanding, strict, but fair kind.
"Good evening, First-Years," she greeted them loudly, wand at her throat enhancing the volume of her voice to the point where it drowned out the murmurs and the conversations. It was enough to stop those same conversations, heads turning to regard her. "I am Professor McGonagall, and I teach primarily Transfiguration here at Hogwarts. I will, no doubt, work alongside many of you in the coming seven years. In a minute, you will come along with me, and I shall lead you to the Great Hall, where the Sorting Ceremony takes place."
The Sorting Ceremony. On the train ride over, Draco was kind enough to explain the details to Harry.
There were four Houses that one could be sorted to in Hogwarts. There was absolutely no way to change one's House or belong to two or more Houses at once. Being sorted into one meant you'd be a member of that House for the rest of your education. Each House was the idealistic abstraction of one of the Founders, representing the virtues, values, and traits they most valued, and providing certain benefits to those same people. Any student under the aegis of Ravenclaw, for example, had access to their House library; one that was nearly as expansive as the Great Library, but far more convenient to use.
Out of the Houses, naturally, Slytherin is the best.
Something told Harry that when Draco said that, it was bias speaking. It was apparently the house of ambitious people and schemers, but Harry thought: does that not defeat the purpose of scheming? To be marked as one of the people most predisposed to it was like a coating of warning to people who'd be vulnerable to such schemes.
But then again, Harry supposed, that would be nothing to someone with true ambition or a true schemer. A true schemer was able to overcome any obstacle in their plan through a back-up or by adapting on the fly, no matter how irritating it was.
For example, Harry struggled with not having more than one pair of clothes for the majority of his life, but he found a clever solution when he was eight. Since the Dursleys offloaded their daily tasks of domestic activity onto him, one day, when doing laundry, Harry started channeling his powers - that he did not yet know to be magic back then - and did the same on every single laundry day ever since. Over time, the clothes he'd been doing this on accumulated a magical charge that was attractive to fleas and moths... all except his one, good set, which he concealed on the same day that he informed his uncle all of their clothes were moth-eaten and they needed to buy something new.
As much as Uncle Vernon disliked the mere sight of Harry, he could not fault the boy for something that was abjectly and clearly not his fault, unknowing that this was exactly the case. Either way, Vernon bought Harry and the entire family new clothes and Harry used the other, older pair for wear only when the Dursleys weren't around.
Not like it mattered. Uncle Vernon started warming up to him in only a couple of months after, once Harry found all the right hooks in the man's personality. Harry no longer suffered from lacking multiple articles of clothing since then.
Admittedly, that solution used Harry's magical powers - an unfair advantage - but he considered that to be resourcefulness, nonetheless. He assembled and found a channel for his powers that he did not for sure know he possessed, and through doing so, he achieved success.
How many unfair advantages could he gain in Slytherin to offset the schemer's visibility? Would it be better to hard-press the Sorting Hat into assigning him elsewhere, but maintain his link with Draco and Daphne in order to reap maximum benefits? That seemed almost prudent, but Harry could see neither of the paths as the truly correct; neither shone with that ingenious spark of unmistakable, righteous certainty that he knew would deliver him onto a throne of maximum leverage.
It was a hard choice, but maybe the Sorting Hat would know. Draco claimed that despite being a mere artifact, it did actually try its best to help the students find where they belonged.
Soon enough, McGonagall led the First-Years up the stairs from the dock and into one of the biggest courtyards that Harry had ever seen. It was a large garden with fountain-statues of various Headmasters and the Founders, and it was bigger than the largest London city park that Harry ever had the pleasure of walking. It was surrounded on all sides by corridors that splintered off and led to bridges or different wings, but McGonagall led them into the courtyard and through its largest cobble-path, flaming braziers on both flanks.
This led directly into a gate which seemed to be connected to the very heart of Castle Hogwarts. A short walk down the largest corridor, up a set of stairs, and the Great Hall loomed in front of them. McGonagall ordered them to wait for a moment, then went back in, presumably to finish some arrangements or herald their late arrival to the castle.
Harry's absentminded daydreaming was cut off.
"Look at them, Potter," Draco suddenly whispered seethingly, nodding up and ahead with his chin. "Do you see? Red hair, freckled mug... That's Ron Weasley and that one next to him, looking like he's about to fall over and cry, is Neville Longbottom."
Daphne scoffed quietly, as if deeply unimpressed by the very sound of those names.
"Both Purebloods, and yet, both of them blood-traitors," Blaise spat on their side. He'd been a hanger-on, mostly speaking with Milicent and Pansy; Harry understood it was a different clique, but aligned with Draco's own. He was sharp enough to catch onto the fact there was some political enmity in there; possibly, they were emulating their parents' own rivalries.
Well. That didn't bode too good.
"You'll find some Wizarding families, even those of purest breeding, are inferior to others," Draco continued; blatant propaganda, but one that Harry nodded along to quietly, pretending to receive their sacrament of purity. "The Weasleys for example, are scum. And Longbottom is just a sad, whining incompetent. Don't associate with them."
"I'll take that into consideration," Harry coolly answered. It wouldn't do to appear a fool; blatant acceptance was being a sheep, blatant refusal was being a traitor. Stay in the middle, advance your interests, hint that you're also a player rather than a pawn.
He wondered, absently, where that placed Harry in the blood hierarchy. According to his own knowledge, his father was a Pureblood, and his mother was the square opposite. Did that mean Harry's purity was square in the middle? Were they hoping to salvage his bloodline by crafting him into a meticulous supporter and marrying him off to someone?
Harry took a long glance at Daphne, who appeared to be coldly staring daggers at Weasley and Longbottom. He looked away before she could notice.
A minute later, the doors to the Great Hall opened before them, yawning open like titanic jaws and revealing the Great Hall. It shone lustrously with the light of floating candles, white tallow frozen and unmelting, with four tables as long as the Hogwarts Express splayed across, with a fifth table for the faculty at the very end. Instead of a ceiling, the Great Hall appeared to have a ghostly mirror reflection of the night's sky, twinkling white and blue stars like the dust of crushed opal. The First-Years stepped into the Great Hall in a pair of neat, long rows.
It seemed like the Sorting was about to begin.
---
On the last turn, the winners were Daphne Greengrass and Draco Malfoy, as well as his two goons: Crabbe and Goyle.
On the Hogwarts Express, Harry studied and confidently learned to cast the Fire-Making Charm, Wand-Lighting Charm and its Counter-Charm, as well as the Softening Charm which he tested on his seat to some very comfy results.
You currently have 56 Hallows. Spend them wisely.
Which House did the Sorting Hat place Harry into? No option is well and truly exempt, as the Hat takes personal opinion into account when making its decision; however, Harry is destined for Slytherin, both in his personality and in the Mark of the Equal. As such, every option other than Slytherin shall cost you.
Each House offers a unique perk to its students; in Harry's case, due to his personal traits, some of them offer extra perks with special functions. The House Ghosts and Heads of House offer their own perks, and if any of them ever change, these perks may change as a result.
[ ] Slytherin - The House of the Serpent.
*Founder: Salazar Slytherin
*Head of House: Severus Snape (Gain +50% modifier to learning Potions due to the Potion Master's true genius in the subtle art and exact science; Severus may overcome his dislike of you in time, which is a very good thing)
*House Ghost: The Bloody Baron (Peeves will never bother you; the Baron is willing to tutor worthy Slytherins in the subtle craft of intrigue)
*Valued Traits: Ambition, leadership, self-preservation, cunning, and resourcefulness
*Elemental Correspondence: Water
*Famous Slytherins: Voldemort (local boogeyman and dark lord extraordinaire), Aleister Crowley (mystical weirdo, later caught by Aurors and put in Azkaban for trying to breach the Statute of Secrecy), Merlin (greatest Wizard in known history; only allegedly: the timelines are inconsistent, and Merlin may well have lived and died centuries before the Founding)
*Perk: The Noble Hydra - Gain a +10% modifier to learning individual Potions recipes, +10% modifier to learning Occlumency and Legilimency, and a starting 250 Political Capital that can be expanded and spent on various tasks. Enables advanced strategic and political play. If you make extensive use of this, people in other Houses might not like you quite so much anymore.
*Extra Perk: Heir of Slytherin - Learn how to open the Chamber of Secrets, sooner or later. As the name implies, it holds many fascinating secrets that can only be learned by the Heir. It also holds a servant who may be of use to you...
[ ] Ravenclaw [12 Hallows] - The House of the Raven.
*Founder: Rowena Ravenclaw
*Head of House: Filius Flitwick (Gain +20% modifier to learning Charms, +10% modifier to all learning; Flitwick teaches favorite students some of his personal combat spells; he is a master duelist)
*House Ghost: The Grey Lady (Helena Ravenclaw never speaks to anyone other than her dear Ravenclaws; she will impart great wisdom and advice onto you in your time of need)
*Valued Traits: Intelligence, knowledge, curiosity, creativity, and wit
*Elemental Correspondence: Air
*Famous Ravenclaws: Gilderoy Lockhart (awesome hero with the nicest smile and good hair), Ignatia Wildsmith (inventor of Floo powder), Garrick Ollivander (he made the wand you're using and probably every other wand anyone has ever used and will ever use in the British Isles)
*Perk: The Intelligent Owl - First-Years do not have access to the Hogwarts library and require a permission slip for any book. Instead, you gain immediate access to House Ravenclaw's personal library, which is as expansive and comprehensive as the Hogwarts library, but vastly more convenient to use and much closer to your sleeping quarters. In addition, gain a +10 modifier to learning Transfiguration and Charms, and reap double benefits from personal, extracurricular study.
*Extra Perk: The Clever Bird - Gain a starting 100 Political Capital that can be expanded and spent on various tasks. In addition, Harry's learning of all extracurricular subjects is increased by 10%, and he gains a minor discount to all specialty forms, advanced forms, or signature forms of the spells he learns. Creating new magic has never been this easy?
[ ] Gryffindor [36 Hallows] - The House of the Lion.
*Founder: Godric Gryffindor
*Head of House: Minerva McGonagall (Gain +10% modifier to learning Transfiguration, and a permanent +5 to all Free Transfiguration rolls. Her strict enforcement of discipline means Harry's WILL automatically grows over time, and it booms explosively with every detention he is assigned)
*House Ghost: Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (He's pretty much willing to spy for you and help you get away with pranks or other clandestine operations. In a place like Hogwarts, this is far beyond invaluable)
*Valued Traits: Bravery, daring, nerve, and chivalry
*Elemental Correspondence: Fire
*Famous Gryffindors: Albus Dumbledore (big on dragon science, defeated Gellert Grindelwald who was basically magical proto-Hitler doing the racism before Voldemort even figured out it was cool), Minerva McGonagall (she is famous because she is strict and something I guess), James Potter (your dad; war hero, died protecting you)
*Perk: The Call of Heroism - Answer the plea wherever it is. House Gryffindor prides itself on its good will. If you act heroically, the spirit of Godric will smile upon you, and bestow countless, subtle blessings. For example, the survival of certain dangerous situations will be near-assured if fate's strings are correctly arranged. Due to the burning fervor of Gryffindor, earn a +20% modifier to learning combat spells, including offense and defense.
*Coincidental Perk: Headmaster's Favorites - It's no secret that Dumbledore loves the absolute shit out of Gryffindors despite being an otherwise strict militarist and advocate of purging all former-Death Eaters regardless of their consent to what they did. Being a part of this House doubles the effective odds that he'll take you in as a part of his personal Elite Class. In addition, at the end of each year, he will make up some bullshit to give Gryffindor additional House Points. Barring exceptional situations where a House is ahead of Gryffindor by entire hundreds, Gryffindor always wins, and with that, comes the constant privilege of additional food and research credits that boost your progress explosively.
[ ] Hufflepuff [36 Hallows] - The House of the Badger.
*Founder: Helga Hufflepuff
*Head of House: Pomona Sprout (Gain +20% modifier to learning Herbology; Professor Sprout takes good care of her cute little students and might be willing to act as a confidante and personal tutor, if you... impress her)
*House Ghost: Fat Friar (Gain a bunch of mildly useless semi-religious trivia; the Friar is unwilling to spy for you on others or help in mean pranks, but he will help you on a daily basis in other ways, such as showing you the fastest way to class, secret passageways, staving off Peeves, or even speaking with the professors on your behalf)
*Valued Traits: Hard work, dedication, patience, loyalty, and fair play
*Elemental Correspondence: Earth
*Famous Hufflepuffs: Newt Scamander (wrote the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them books), Artemisia Lufkin (first female Minister for Magic), Kevin Brown (in/famous in some circles for freeing a bunch of House Elves and leading an attempted coup against Dumbledore, which failed terribly)
*Perk: Together United - Hufflepuffs stick together like glue. If you're a Hufflepuff, consider every other Hufflepuff - present and former - to be a Good Friend and willing to wholeheartedly aid you in trivial tasks, and in perilous tasks with minimal convincing. Hufflepuff upper-years protect the icksy firsties from bullying, for example.
Many times, the entire House is known to have come together en masse in what can only be described as epic, treacherous events. For example one time in 1201, the Noble House of Hufflepuff declared war on pretty much the entirety of Asia because Genghis Khan murdered the parents of one Hufflepuff. If you're wondering how Genghis Khan died, it wasn't pneumonia; it was at the end of a thousand vengeful wands. It's almost like a certain online board that comes together to fight large threats; if you're a Hufflepuff, you basically have an army.
As a minor demerit, you are expected to help other Hufflepuffs in the same way they help you.
