The dawn of a new day greeted me as my eyelids fluttered open, blinded by the brightening dawn sky. Slightly shuffling the covers off of my body, I raised my back from the comfy mattress and surveyed my surroundings. It was early. My roommates were all still asleep. Not even the intruding gaze of last night remained, probably satisfied with the show I gave yesterday. Hikari was sound asleep by my side, my left arm still entrapped by the soft creature. With no reason to move yet, I simply watched him as he dozed peacefully.
A few minutes passed by serenely. The only noticeable difference was the variant cadence of the resting breaths in the room. A symphony of circadian rhythm, unfortunately one of the performers was out of tune. A deafening silence spread through the room. His façade purposely broken by a slight murmur and rubbing of the eyes. Slowly he looked around the room, his eyes eventually resting on me. Acting as if it was the first time, he asked "Koji, what time is it?" His voice a bit deeper due to just awaking.
"Not sure. Probably around 6:00. Judging by the window." I had noticed there were no visible clocks or alarms in the room. Which I found to be quite odd. We haven't any modern implements like phones on the school premises. How were we supposed to remain punctual without them?
"Oh. Have you been awake long?" You already know for the last few minutes, I mused internally.
"No. I just awoke myself." He gave little recognition to my reply as he gave a very long stretch and yawn in response.
"Hmm. It's a bit early to wake these guys… Think we can get breakfast now?" I wasn't against eating so early, but I was under the impression it might be a bit rude to leave the other two given we had only just become acquainted. I relished the opportunity to get to know them a bit better. I heard having a meal together was a good way to do so. After all, eating is one of the most vulnerable things one could do in front of another. It is an unguarded gesture, even subconsciously.
It's very possible I was thinking too deeply about it. Yesterday made it quite apparent that both Anthony and Terry knew each other before attending this school. They had called each other by their first name, that by itself isn't strange, in fact that's the norm for English custom especially when considering close acquaintances. The strange turn came when they referred to both me and Michael Corner by our surnames. I had initially thought that they referred to my own (although by the nickname 'Koji') to make me feel comfortable. To plant a reminiscent feeling of home. But that made little sense when considering they did the same for Michael as well. Previously I hadn't thought that etiquette like this would be prevalent in informal settings between common youths, something told me another thing was at play. They had insisted on calling me by a moniker based on my family name, despite giving them an alternative that I was used to. I can only assume that, that distinction was important enough to consider. Did they just not judge us as close enough to start calling by first names? It was possible. Was it an early warning not to try and get close to them? I doubt it. Anthony's friendliness and approachability was all-encroaching, it didn't feel like an act. Terry's nervousness and closed off behaviour could be interpreted as a step in that direction. However, as he opened up slightly last night and joined the conversation, I can assume that to be dead-end as well. Taking Ron and Harry's behaviour wouldn't help much in that regard either. Ron, I had known for a month already and shared a home with, it would be strange enough for him to call me by anything less than my given name. Harry on the other hand wasn't at all familiar with magical customs.
Magical customs. That was probably it. Michael didn't show much reaction when called by his family name. If I make supplementary conclusions from that, then the fact they were all from magical families and had an idea of magical society before getting their acceptance letter. That would mean lineage and bloodline were regarded heavily in this place… That conversation before the sorting ceremony would certainly indicate that as well… It was a bit early to say without a doubt. It was also possible that it was a by-product of attending Hogwarts, by all accounts a highly acclaimed academy if the Weasley's words held any water.
That just led to more questions; how would the Weasley family be able to send each and every child to Hogwarts given their economic situation? Did they have financial aid from another? Or was the tuition still surprisingly affordable, despite the notoriety it enjoys?
I couldn't very well ignore the invitation extended to me. "I suppose we could at least check. Maybe one of the prefects will be awake at this time." I motioned to release my hand from the soft clutches of my own personal Grim. A small, tired yip escaped from the creature in return. As quickly as Hikari looked at my arm he fell back on the bed, immediately allowing sleep to take him once more.
"He's rather relaxed isn't he… Probably best not to take him to the cafeteria." He said whilst turning to the dozing dog.
"You aren't scared of him?"
"Dogs don't particularly scare me." That made sense for a muggle, not for someone with magical knowledge. Chalking it up to his unique disposition, I shifted the topic.
"We don't have classes today; does it matter what we wear?" Not a topic that weighed heavily on my mind, I was more concerned with the washing and laundry of said goods than the use of them.
"Probably not. I'd wear the robes just to be sure. I'm not too familiar with the school rules regarding that." He said whilst turning away and searching through his trunk for the school robes he folded away last night.
Figuring it would be a pain if I were turned back from the hall on account of my clothing, I agreed. It wasn't like I had an extensive wardrobe after all, just some basic bits that I had collected over the extended stay at The Burrow. Donning the same robes of yesterday we leisurely made our way to the common room after finishing our respective morning rituals.
Michael leading the way, abruptly halted a few steps from the end of the staircase. His eyes focused on the couch by the fire, which sat a single student. His head a rather familiar memory of the day before. Our guide. I heard a brief low sound, like the grinding of two abrasive rocks.
"Good morning. If I'm not mistaken you, are our prefect; Daniel Whitworth, correct?" The irony of his name wasn't lost on me.
"Hmm?" He blurted out as he looked up from the book he hovered his nose over. "Ah, yes. I believe you were Michael Corner and Kiyotaka Ayanokouji, right?" He asked whilst straightening his back. A knowing look in his eye. Was he waiting?
"I'm surprised that an accomplished student remembered our names, on the very first day no less. I'm honoured." He said with full sincerity, that only made me question Michael's motive more.
"It isn't every year you get sorted immediately. More so when someone sorted themselves. It would be impudent of me not to." Michael snorted in retort.
"So, what can we do for you Mr. Whitworth?" Five-year age gap… Still, there it is again.
"You've got it all wrong! It's what I can do for the two of you, after all I am an acting prefect." Reminding us of his vertical superiority, the prefect aimed a rather pleasant smile towards us.
"We were intending on getting an early breakfast." After a second or two of deliberation Michael gave a polite answer. I was beginning to feel like the weakest link, with my lack of dialogue the entire time.
"The castle is a large place, let me guide the way." It was more of an order than any sort of request.
"That's fine. But what about the other students, won't they get lost?" Something told me that Michael wouldn't have minded getting lost on his way. In fact, I would've been more surprised if his intentions were to immediately travel to the great hall.
"I'm not the only prefect, the others will be around before long. They can manage the larger groups." He said whilst closing his book once and for all, placing it on a nearby desk and gesturing towards us. "Besides there isn't much on the agenda today. If they get lost, so be it." All of us were keenly aware of the contradictory words that left his mouth. Yet, no one was the first to breach that topic. Instead, we filtered out of the room in single file. He strongarmed the conversation and our response, something only possible due to his own position of undetermined influence. It would be best to comply, not that I had any other plans. If anything, this was convenient.
He was moving much quicker than I originally stipulated, it gave me the brief thought that it was preparation. For what? I had no idea. This very meeting, our supposed interaction. It was all predetermined. Now all I needed was the reason, which would soon be revealed. No actions from me necessary.
"As I was saying earlier. You two interested me, that was why I offered this invitation." Invitation, so he says.
"With all due respect, I'm flattered. But I'm unsure as to why you would have found interest in me. My friend I could understand." He played the part of the ignorant but well-mannered friend very well. Too well.
"Only a fool wouldn't give you credit for your achievement. Do you take me for a fool, Mr. Corner?" Daniel asked, indignation rising in his tone.
"I don't see what I've accomplished, it's impossible in such a short time." Apparently he did take him for one.
"The very sorting itself." He said with a measure of finality.
"…" At that Michael grew quiet. Any words would backfire. A look of amusement did flash across his face quickly, however.
"The very fact that you were immediately sent to our house is the key. The hat barely sat on your head, and you didn't look too surprised. I'm glad you aren't forthcoming, it's the mark of humility. I'm sure that will serve you well in the future. However, too much is a poison. At the very least you can assume that your fellow housemates see it as a celebration." It depended on the individual. Competence could breed jealousy. Seated in this house pedestalising intelligence, I believed it was natural to worry.
"I see-" Before Michael could finish his thought, he was interrupted by further words from the older boy.
"It's a whole other kettle of fish to sort yourself, regardless of what the hat said. That was seriously impressive, Mr. Ayanokouji." I was averse to attention, even if it was genuine praise. My eyes escaped to my friend, only for the prefect's to do the same. Michael seemed unperturbed. His steps remaining constant and steady, whilst his face seemed distant.
"I was worried. That's what it came down to." I answered for the first time.
"Worried? About what, the school's plenty safe." I had my doubts about that, especially given Hagrid's warning during our travel just yesterday.
"…The same as I told you yesterday. I didn't want to get stuck in a house just because some hat told me to." Was I the aim of his relentless barrage, or was it Michael? It could very well be both.
"You never did say why you thought Ravenclaw would be a good fit."
"The same reason I told you yesterday. It was the house I was most interested in, is that not an appropriate reason?"
"Pop quiz: Who's the founder of the Ravenclaw house?" The houses had founders. I suppose that made sense. It wasn't long ago we bought our textbooks, I hadn't the leisure of skimming them. Meaning almost all the information that in-the-know students had was absent from my brain. I could assume that the surname might be the same as the house name, other than that I wasn't particularly privy to the information.
"…" My only response would be silence in that case. Michael also peered over at me in retaliation. Glad that he was out of the spotlight.
"The real reason?" He posed another question as if expecting that response.
"…The hat convinced me." That isn't incorrect.
"The hat chooses, it doesn't give you agency." He replied, not missing a beat.
"It's choices could certainly make you want to rebel though…"
"What did it tell you?" Unaware of the possible ramifications I didn't want to outright deny a question by a superior.
"It said that I could fit in Slytherin…"
"Is it so bad if you did? I can't say that they don't have their problems, but that isn't good enough reason to reject the decision." So, hatred for Slytherin wasn't omnipresent… Perhaps a feud between Gryffindor and Slytherin specifically?
"…" We continued walking through the corridors and staircases as I reneged any eye contact instead focusing on the floor in front of me. Acknowledging my silence, Daniel decided to alter his angle.
"Why didn't you pick one of the other houses?" I couldn't say it was pressure of the moment. People had seen me and Ron, not to mention Harry together. It would strike them as strange if I didn't immediately say Gryffindor in that moment.
"I don't really hold much courage and I'm not the most social creature on the planet. That left Ravenclaw." Even if I didn't know the founders, it wasn't surprising for me to know the basic characteristics of the chosen houses.
"I can't say I'm happy being the process of elimination... I disagree partially. It would take a bit of courage to speak up in that hall. I can't help but feel like there's more you aren't mentioning." While Daniel did his best to provide the helping hand expected of a reliable prefect, I could only stifle my suspicions.
"…Even if that's the case, I don't feel comfortable sharing more. Please understand." I wasn't about to give sensitive information away so readily. Such discussions were for private settings.
"I see. Sorry about that. I'm a prefect at the end of the day, I need to make sure you guys are taken care of. On that topic, if you have any issues just give me a call. I can't promise I'll be able to resolve it, but I'll try my best to get it to the right people." That eloquent speech rounded up our walk. The doors to the great hall were just ahead, already ajar with few students sat among the large tables for each respective house. "Oh, it seems we've arrived. Remember to come to me if you have any problems. I'll get back to duty." Daniel turned without so much as a look back, leaving as soon as we stepped through the large archway.
He was a convenient, comfortable and amicable upperclassman. Soon enough. His goals with this intervention were clear. He would regard us as uncertain variables on the board. Pieces without rigid patterns until he learnt better. The question was whether this was independently concocted or another's machinations. I couldn't help but feel his questioning was more insistent than the previous night. Was it the location change? What was different between the drawling corridors and the common room of our own house?
"Felt like we were on trial, huh?" He muttered. I wondered if he would still play pretend.
"You can say that again."
"Felt like we were on trial, huh?" Wow. That may actually be the funniest thing I've ever heard. What's this my lips are actually turning upwards at the ends. Is this a smile?
"Hey! Stop looking at me like that! I'm not something you stepped in, man!" My smile must not have been reaching him, I'd have to make it more obvious.
"Sorry, you said something so funny I just had to let you know."
"…You looked at me like something you picked up off of the floor."
"That's where the bar is." That's a real joke.
"Oh, so you're the funny guy now, huh?" Always have been. Sarcasm was my number one specialty. Quickly followed by everything else. It was quite fitting given the location I currently resided.
Exchanging quite frankly unimportant topics of conversation we found a desolate stretch of the Ravenclaw dining table. Magically, food appeared in front of us. I wasn't a particularly picky eater, but I did wonder how they handled those with dietary restrictions. Did the food come accustomed to preferences when a person sat? That would involve all sorts of complicated problems, not just having all kinds of food on standby for that event. I was tempted to simply wave it off as 'it's magic' but in that case what was this school even going to teach us? Theory was just as important as practical learning; we should be learning the exact mechanism of spells.
Not only that. This couldn't possibly be an active spell… In the sense that this wasn't cast by a person as soon as I entered and sat at the table, it must be a process that works automatically. Otherwise at least a single person or entity let's say, must be present at all times and ensure the correct meals are delivered without a single mistake. Human error existed, even in magic folk.
"You had a full muggle upbringing, didn't you?" That question came across the table whilst we both begun to eat.
"Yeah. I've only known about magic for a month or so. That obvious?"
"Not knowing the house founders certainly doesn't help you."
"That's…a good point." Before a silence could creep between us, he initiated another question.
"Shifting topic a little bit. You were in the boat with Harry Potter weren't you, how did you end up meeting him?" An abrupt change. To knock me off balance?
"I found him in a train cart with Ron." My inept response shown his hand. Willingly. He was done with the façade, for now.
"I see, I take it you knew Weasley before departing on the train?" Safe to say my guess was correct. He also must have been paying attention to the year's roster.
"Yeah, actually. How did you know?"
"Judging by the fact we could barely get a word out of you when we first met, it's not too hard to imagine you having trouble initiating if you didn't know either of them. How come you were split up from Weasley?" He asked innocuously, taking a bite of toast as if to punctuate the normality. He could've easily added that the Weasley was a pure-blood family, if family lineage mattered. Which made me rethink that hypothesis for a moment. Annoying. It was as if he was purposely doing it. Smoke and mirrors if I were being deceptive and direct confrontation if I were guileless. It was a layered assault.
"That… Sorry, I'd rather forget."
"I see, sorry for asking so much. I was curious. I take it that was why you took the decision into your own hands."
"…You aren't wron-" I cut off and immediately redirected my gaze from the door, instead looking down to my platter. I wasn't expecting him here so early. It made it look much more natural though. Michael following his original thought track looked towards the door in his peripheries. A snake-clad student appeared in grand fashion, stalking towards the Slytherin table with two boys following quickly behind.
"Koji." I looked up to meet his face once again. "My bad, I brought up a sour topic. I apologise."
"It's fine. You were just curious. I'm just hoping I don't get much more attention."
"Being the first man on the moon does that to you."
"Hardly that impressive. The closest example would be the first chimp in space. Few should even remember the name."
"Still in space, it's no wonder it got some attention. I think you'll be fine. After all, there's the announcement today. It should take people's minds off of it."
"I hope you're right." Our conversation truly did devolve after that. Continuing for a good half hour until the hall was much louder and the capacity increased. Only for another headache to cross the horizon.
"TAKA!" A pair of red-haired devils encroached from the Gryffindor table all the way to where I was sitting. That was enough to grab a bit of attention from the surrounding students, which quickly turned back to what they were doing. A serpent's eyes rest on our gathering, in wait to strike at the opportune moment. A momentous occasion I was remiss to avoid.
"Fred. George. I have a bad feeling about whatever you have going on in those heads of yours."
"Oh! No need to be so excited at our arrival, honorary brother! We have need of your services once more." I was unsure whether the title referred to our housing situation or their more nefarious tendencies.
A pompous voice sounded out behind us. "What's this an honorary Weasley? Now that's an oxymoron if I've ever heard one." With enough volume to gain the attention of a good portion of the table. Intentionally.
"Oh, it's the infant dragon. I heard a funny rumour of you just yesterday y'know. What was it brother? He ran for office?" George said purposely scratching his head, making up some inane lie.
"Oh, I know what you mean dear brother. He had the runs in front of an audience. That's what I think you mean." The students nearby stifled a snicker at their antics.
"There was no such thing! It was you two gangly twats. And no wonder with the company you keep, surprised you can even take in another with the meagre earnings your family makes. Manage to get a deluxe bed with the chickens, jap?" Fancying his luck more against an unresisting opponent, such provocation came my way.
"What makes you think it was us?" The twins answered in sync. "Couldn't be us. Never us. We're too scared of your father when he hears of this." Their voices immediately taking on a higher pitch towards the end of the sentence.
"The common insult, only because your father can't change anything. He has no power. If you want to play it that way. Here." A solid mass dropped onto my unfinished plate. The students nearby shuddered away and tried to get some distance between them. The mass wriggled and writhed, hissing erupting from its mouth. "Honorary Gryffindor, right? I just love it when that so called confidence and courage is stained by the pathetic display of you right now. So, what sort of reaction will you show me?"
The twins and Michael reached for their wands discreetly trying not to incite the creature as it slowly spiralled and inched closer towards me. None of my aids attempting a hex or curse for fear of inadvertently harming me.
It swayed hypnotically, as it reached closer and closer towards me. Staring into my eyes as it neared my face. My body was stock still, the only movement being of my chest as my lungs heaved breath after breath into my body. The moment that lasted a lifetime.
The snake stopped approaching, simply looking into my eyes. Waiting for something. Probably its master to take him back. Injuring me on campus should've been an obvious demerit, and it wasn't venomous, so it wasn't the end of the world. Is what the logical portion of my brain was saying anyway.
The silence breathed through the hall, all eyes on the Ravenclaw table as the incident progressed. The infant dragon as he was called, simply scooped up the snake looking warily between myself and the animal all the while.
"That was pretty Gryffindor to me. How about you brother?" The resident pranksters jovially talked to each other.
"You expect anything else from Taka?"
Attempting to regain any semblance of power the Malfoy heir quickly turned once again to insults. "What's up, you end up shitting yourself? Haha! Should've expected that from a Weasley in all but name, relying on the destitute to shelter you. Should be ashamed of yourself…" Unsure of whether I was ignoring him or not, he surprisingly walked back to his table with little more than an incident. His eyes focused on the snake whilst he retreated, muttering something along the lines of 'them not being worth my time'.
"…"
"Koji? You good?" Michael looked fairly concerned over the other side of the table. Fred and George however looked to be entertained beyond all belief.
Silence continued to spread over the hall, like a dense fog.
"…I was paralyzed from the fear." The entire hall roared out in laughter. Whether that was at my pathetic display or not I was unsure. It wasn't very kind, though.
I could feel the same venomous gaze resting on my head once again. I had gained an admirer, one that I was all too displeased to have.
"Haha! Koji, I think you might've been a shoe in for Gryffindor." Michael said whilst chuckling to himself.
"Seconded." Both of the twins exclaimed in unison.
My sincere actions as a confused and scared student only received abundant guffaws and laughter from the audience. Vitriol and scorn were soon to come from the opposition. This would hardly be the last of this incident. Of that, I was sure.
Students nearby took to turning to their respective groups, no doubt discussing the event that just transpired. I was just thankful to have less eyes on me. The immediate problem now was the watchful gaze of my new friend. Who was slowly forming his own conclusions on my actions. Filing away my behaviour and forming his own plan of action going forward. No doubt questions roamed in his head. One could practically see the text appear behind his eyes. Why Ravenclaw? Was that fear or apathy? What was his relationship with the Weasley family? Most importantly; did he share my same concerns? Was he an enemy?
In due time I would lead him to answers to all of those questions. I was already well on my way to do so.
Vigilance could only last so long. The conclusion you find yourself is the most trustworthy. That was my advantage.
"I'm glad you ended up in a different house though, Taka."
"Did you not want to be in the same house?" Michael seemed genuinely confused, they were different years so it wasn't likely we would be directly competing against each other often. Different houses must mean some sort of competition between them, otherwise there'd be no need for the distinction. Class syllabus wasn't varied by house from my knowledge, so it was clear that competition was the goal. The very fact the dinner hall was split by house to discourage interhouse mingling was evidence for this. There wasn't a strict seating plan, but it was clearly discouraged.
"Oh, we would've been more than fine if he were in Gryffindor. I can't lie. It'll be more fun against him, though." George had a competitive streak whilst we stayed at The Burrow. Fred wasn't nearly as enthusiastic to openly compete with me, but also never shied away from the action. Quickly supporting his brother whenever the opportunity appeared.
"Restrain yourselves a bit. Half of the reason I escaped to Ravenclaw was to avoid whatever pranks you plan on pulling." Calling it an escape wasn't an exaggeration. It was clear I belonged anywhere but Gryffindor.
"Y-You tricky little git!" I doubted they could openly cause distress to a student of a different house, especially in a lower year without repercussions.
"Careful, Taka. That just means we can't be obvious about it. Don't think that's a failsafe." Fred as always was quick on the uptake.
"…Now you understand why I picked Ravenclaw?" Michael merely nodded in understanding.
"They can't be that bad, right?... Right?" I didn't bother answering that question. The twins simply laughed ominously before turning back to their home table. They approached the two friends I had met on the ride aboard the Hogwarts express. The raven haired and red headed boys both threw a quick wave my way as they continued to chow down on their breakfast. They should be fine, Ron had Harry, so he'd manage. Harry had, well as far as I know the entirety of wizarding Britain at his behest. Safe to say he could take care of himself or find several hundred people willing to take care of him. I was more worried about myself at the moment. Aforementioned concern would continue for some time, no doubt.
Gradually it seemed as if the entire hall was filled with students. Nearly no space was present on any of the house tables. Anthony and Terry had also joined us soon enough. Whilst Michael filled them in on the activities of this morning. I couldn't help but notice the anticipation of a few teachers at the staff table. Some of the older students mirrored this behaviour. One of which was Daniel Whitworth who had joined the hall once again after guiding the first years to breakfast. Although there weren't any direct orders not to leave the hall, it was clearly discouraged. For one the doors to the great halls were closed once again. The watchful eyes of the teachers surveying the students as they continued their meal.
When the majority of students had finished eating and the noise from neighbouring conversations reached a new height, the headmaster arose from his seat. Gesturing to the lectern, approaching steadily. Conversations immediately dying in response to the movement.
"I trust you all had a good night's sleep. Thank you to all the prefects, instructing the new first-years. Now that everyone is present and had their fill, we shall start the first announcement." He said calmly, ensuring he provided eye contact to every house over time. "It is my great pleasure to announce that with the success of the previous year's, our sister school will return to Hogwarts once more. Their arrival is mere moments away, please do give them a warm welcome." His eyes glinted with interest as he addressed the crowd. He waved his hand lazily towards the centre of the room a recognisable seat and hat appeared in the centre of the room.
Sister school? Why wasn't I notified of this? Is it a new programme? Why didn't they arrive yesterday?
The headmaster's arm flicked towards the far wall. The great doors to the hall flung open with a gust and the… environment was different. A great expanse of crystal-clear water appeared beyond the door, several Torii gates cascading like dominoes in a blank expanse. A group emerged in the expanse; each time they passed a Torii gate they became exponentially closer to the entrance. The small dot on the horizon was quickly becoming a visible group of students of a particular origin. Japanese students. If I think of it that way… A few more things line up now. Number one amongst them; my attendance is related to their presence.
Students roughly my age along with a few around the twins' age were escorted by a slew of staff. Nearly all of them with distinct Japanese features.
"My students, welcome our sister school Advanced Nurturing High School. You will be taking classes together with these students for the next year." A warm small applause reached the crowd from the staff table, slowly followed by the students of each house, resulting in a large wave of applause swallowing the entire hall.
There weren't many students, not nearly as many as the first years from Britain anyway. Especially when considering there were multiple year groups involved.
"Greetings, Director Sakayanagi. I trust you had no issues with the transport."
"It was smooth sailing to say the least. 2nd and 3rd years join your respective tables. 1st years prepare for the sorting ceremony." An older man with a distinctive shade of white hair said whilst approaching the staff table, where a single seat stood beside the headmaster's. "Mashima-sensei, you have the floor." Strangely enough, despite knowing and understanding both I couldn't distinguish whether English or Japanese was being spoken.
The stocky man approached the centre a few strides from the hat and stated authoritatively. "Approach when I call your name. Sakayanagi Arisu!" The same name, first no less. That can't be coincidence.
A small girl holding a cane approached the seat. Reservedly removing the beret that neatly sat above her hair she scooted the sorting hat onto the silver-lilac locks adorning her head. The hat muttered to itself before eventually settling on a final choice. "Gryffindor!"
Her speed approaching the Gryffindor table was slow, on account of her condition. She was received with a quick round of applause and cheers. Sinking onto the bench with poise she was immediately accosted by the girls nearby that attempted to have a conversation.
"Ichinose Honami!" Long hair fluttered by as she approached the stand. What appeared to be blue butterflies appeared in the air around her as she sat. "Hufflepuff!" Erupted from the hat almost instantly. My gaze focused on her as she retreated to the house table. Why? I wasn't sure. My body felt compelled to. Even at the beginning of puberty I guess I wasn't immune to thoughts and fancies.
"Ryuuen Kakeru!" A boy with a defiant look in his eyes slinked towards the chair whilst chuckling to himself. "Slytherin!" I guess that was to be expected…
Several other names came one by one as they switched between the respective houses. Including one, the only one student with glaringly different characteristics. A young black student joined the Slytherin house.
"Shiina Hiyori!" What could best be described as some sort of human sized fairy walked to the stand. White hair that cascaded down her back in curls and eyes that reflected like gems in the light. Her head cocked to the side musingly as she stuck the hat on looking out at the crowd. "Ravenclaw!" Practically skipping to the table, she took an empty space near the edge and looked back to the sorting ceremony.
"Horikita Suzune!" A young girl with black hair approached the stand with a cold, distant look on her face. A growing personification of the Yamato Nadeshiko. Grace and duty were practically etched into her features. I noticed the faint whisperings she uttered whilst placing the hat on her head. "Gryffindor!" A repressed smile gripped the edge of her lips, before once again being drowned out by the stoic cold.
As the last few names drawn to a close, I couldn't help but notice a pattern. 15 first years. 4 for Gryffindor, Slytherin and Hufflepuff respectively. 3 in Ravenclaw. The ratio of male to female almost completely even in each house.
My misgivings were correct. It was a conspiracy. The board was set. An unknown game beginning. My heart rate accelerated slightly. The only thing left to discover; what will be their opening move?
I couldn't wait to find out.
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Word count: 5926
Bit of a long one. I tried not to make it too obvious, but yes other COTE characters are becoming involved in the story. This'll be the start of the major changes to the canon.
Let me know of any thought or feelings on the story so far, such as the chapter length. If they approach this size again, I could be convinced to separate them into multiple parts if that's more convenient for readers.
Until next time.