As Robert had roughly assumed, the trip towards Hogwarts was exhausting. All the children on the train, for the most part, running cabin to cabin, meeting new people, constantly making conversations, and all the others things they did to waste away the time, enabled them to utterly kid all their excess energies. Even the sweets had meant nothing, in the long run.
At the end of the trip, with the train coming to a stop, the children were escorted from the cars. The children, new to Hogwarts, were escorted to some boats by a literal giant of a man. With the orders coming from the giant, whose name was Hagrid, they were told to get in the boats, four people max in each of the small crafts. With the sun slowly start to set, darkness added a hint of mystery for the final part of the trip that the first years were on.
"Watch yer head," exclaimed the giant Hagrid.
Ivy dangled from above, that for the giant, necessitated the need for watching his head. As for the children, the leaves were barely in the reach of hands, if they were raised to their maximum height. Though, with the words uttered by their temporary guardian, most of the children adhered to his words, and attempted to duck their heads.
"Is he daft?" questioned the dark haired girl, Cho.
In a slightly derisive tone, John said "Most be. Maybe all his growth went to his height and not his brain. Look how tall the bugger is."
"Hey, that's a bit mean," Katie said as she tried to defend the groundskeeper.
Quickly, before he could be further scolded, John said, "It's a joke."
"John, I don't know you that well, but can you please think before you speak?" Robert, the 'adult' of the group attempted a small bit of chastisement. In truth, his thoughts agreed with John, but was smart enough to utter the words out loud.
"Who made you the boss?" John questioned, in a way to defend himself, though he did know that he was in the wrong, at least for this instance.
'Sigh, why can't children have a filter? I'm exhausted and just want to get some sleep.' At least for Robert, his filter was working. Those thoughts would not have been a boon in keeping John's current aggressive nature in check. "I'm not trying to give you orders or anything, just some advice."
John's cousin defensively added, "Robbie is only trying to stop you from putting your foot in your mouth."
Her words worked, but not in the way she was hoping for. It did not halt his anger, as his anger was fueled by frustration of being tired, but it did at least get him to start brooding, quietly. John, like most of the children, on their fateful journey to Hogwarts, was cranky. In all truth, Robert himself was exhausted, both physically and mentally, all caused from the long journey.
The silence in the boat inhabited by Robert, the two girls, and the sulking John, remained silent for the rest of the trip.
With Robert's mind no longer having to process the conversation going on with his boat mates, he took to gazing around the landscape. Unlike the lands that he normally visited, at least since his new sense came to life, the land leading on towards Hogwarts was becoming more and more infused with magic. And, unlike with the life that he normally saw, people, the magic was primarily without the taint of what he still considered, dirty magic. Yes, the taint was still there, but the flora, with some exceptions, was untainted. There was the ever present taint of dirty magic paving a path through the nature, as the human made trail, of course by magic, followed along the river.
In the short distance ahead, a huge blob of magic appeared, unseen by all but Robert. It was a bridge, made of cobbled stone. The bridge itself, like the path connected to it, had some of the taint on it, but it was not the bridge itself that was the source of magic that commanded Robert's attention. Instead, it was an enchantment on the bridge that billowed down beneath it that was the source.
"What the heck is that?" Robert questioned himself, out loud.
Turning her head towards Robert, Katie asked, "You say something?"
"Sorry, just thinking out loud."
The journey on the boat had nearly taken an hour, allowing the sun to sink completely behind the horizon, darkness encompassed everything. Behind a copse of trees, and one last small bend in the river, an illuminated Hogwarts came into view. The only source of light, excluding the small lanterns on each of the boats, drew the eyes of the young children to the castle itself.
In their weary state, the children looked at the looming castle. In an unknown place, and in the darkness, the brightness that the castle gave off, was an inviting and comforting thing. Weary and apprehensive, the castle that they were now looking at, was their new home.
Robert, though, was different. He was not some naive eleven year old child. The psychological maneuvering was not hidden from him. He recognized the game that staff were playing with the children.
The game was first started, even before they had left on their journey on the train. Then the second part was the length of the journey, wearying the children out. And with the darkness encroaching, and then taking over, the third part of the game played out. Finally, the place that the children were now going to call home for the majority of the year, warmly invited them to feel at comfort. And it worked for the most part.
Even to Robert, the castle they called Hogwarts, seemed inviting.
Departing from the boats, the children followed the Keeper of the Keys, Hagrid, towards the grand entrance of the castle, their new home. As they approached the castle, the doors quickly swung open, both at the same time, and speed. Either mechanically, or magically opened, inviting inside the castle. The witch, dressed in emerald green robes, and a stupid pointed hat, guided them in.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am the Deputy Head Mistress, Professor McGonagall. The start of the term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room."
Professor McGonagall had either practiced this speech numerous times, or had instead given it numerous times, and in how matter of fact she had given the information, all without any pause. And yet, like the rest of the dog and pony show, the children bought into her spiel. They all, even Robert, followed in her wake, as they were led to one final room, to wait until she called them to follow her again.
In the dimly lit room, Robert tried to tamper down his magical sense. Hogwarts had an overabundance of magic infused throughout it, that like when he first opened his new sense, he was getting overwhelmed by too much input of information. Every single piece of the castle that he had seen so far, had been invaded by magic, clean and tainted.
As a way to attempt to ignore his magical sense, Robert looked around the room, at the children that were part of his school year. Including himself, there were barely over forty children in the room. Some, attempting to act self-important, others lost in their thoughts, some scared. And very few of them, Robert knew.
Several minutes passed as the children were waiting in the room, as patiently as they could. Small cliques could already be seen forming around those that they knew. Now if those cliques could stay together, after having been sorted into their houses. Emotional manipulation done to its best.
"Greetings children. Welcome to Hogwarts," an adult male voice echoed.
Looking around the room, to find out who was speaking, Robert for the first time in either of his lives, saw his first ghost. It was what could have been only assumed as an older middle aged man, dressed in a hooded robe with a robe-like belt around his waist. This was the ghost with the moniker of Fat Friar, a friendly looking man, well a ghost to be exact.
Before more could be said by the apparition, the Scottish witch reentered the room, "We are ready for you now, follow me."
Like goslings, they followed the witch into the Great Hall, which to any mind, was a spectacular display of antiquity and magic. The magic, most notably, was the ceiling, enchanted to show a simulacra of the sky of the outside, clearly showing bright stars. The antiquity, the architecture itself was in full display, showing off carved reliefs of different creatures, spaced consistently throughout the room. If someone was in the know, the would realize this castle predated the muggle equivalent style of castle by several hundred years.
Four long tables ran the length of the room, seated along them were wizards and witches all dressed in robes colored according to the houses they were a part of. In front of those tables was a raised part of the room, with one more table, with room for about twenty people, all being the only adults in the room. On the dais, in front of the professors' table, was a stool, with one ratty looking witches hat.
As the children all arrived before the platform, the center most man, and presumably oldest person in attendance stood up to deliver a few words. "I have a few start of term notices I would like to announce…" On droned his words for a few minutes. He spoke of a few rules in restrictions that the school enforced.
After his words, the witch, Professor McGonagall picked up the hat. Startling all the first years, including Robert, the hat began to sing, in a horrendous manner if Robert was to give his opinion. It was just one more piece of wander and awe that the school used to manipulate the children into having the feeling of being part of the school.
Professor McGonagall, after the hat had finished it's song, said, "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." Looking at the list, she called the first name, "Belby, Marucs."
It was a slightly pudgy kid that nervously stepped forward and seated himself on the stool. McGonagall lowered the hat on the boy's head, which was quickly announced to be part of Ravenclaw. With the announcement from the hat, one table that was colored in blue and bronze, cheered loudly, greeting their new raven.
The next person after the first boy, was one of the few people that Robert knew, who he shared the train ride to Hogwarts with, Katie Bell. Like the boy before her, McGonagall set the hat on her head. Not quite as quickly as with Marcus, but Katie was soon sorted into Gryffindor, the table colored with scarlet and gold.
After two more children were sorted, both sorted into Ravenclaw, one being a scrawny boy of no distinguishing features, and Cho Chang, Robert was called up to the stool. Like three of the four previously sorted children, he assumed that he was going to be sorted into the house of Ravens. It was looking to be a strong start for the intellectually inclined house.
As the scruffy hat was set on his head, he waited…
And waited…
And waited some more…
Waiting patiently for the hat to announce the house that he was to be part of, he just sat there. After what seemed to be nearly an eternity, with a sigh, the house called out, "Hufflepuff."
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I was going to initially have him be sorted rather quickly into Hufflepuff, but due to his magic sense, and how it is going to work, I needed to set some things into place, using the Sorting Hat as the delivery.
Also, sorry for not posting yesterday. I was having computer troubles, and was too lazy to work on them....oops