On board were a boy and a girl. The girl had jet-black hair paired with navy-blue eyes that projected a mask of neutrality. Her high, sharp cheekbones only reinforced that impression. To my right stood a boy with pale blonde hair and ruby-red eyes. A slight grin adorned his lips. The swaying of the boat pulled me from my thoughts.
A cheerful voice sounded: "Umm...hello everyone, I'm Cedric Diggory, nice to meet you all." "Since we're going to be spending seven years together, I hope we'll get along well!"
What a coincidence. Cedric Diggory, Champion of the Triwizard Tournament, and heir to a rich empire in Magical Britain that specializes in transportation. In six years he dies at the hand of Peter Pettigrew, to an Avada.
The eleven-year-old boy with curly brown hair and eyes radiated unconditional cheerfulness. I took a step back because of the enormous emotions that came from his direction. His cheerful greeting had not had the expected effect. Even after three seconds nobody answered...
The boy with the ruby-red eyes felt anticipation and a bit of excitement when Cedric mentioned his surname. With the girl, I felt not the slightest trace of emotion. Her face showed complete indifference.
Hm, strange...
Cedric, who was waiting for a response, began to feel uncomfortable. His state of mind instantly changed from cheerful to embarrassment. He awkwardly opened his mouth, thought for a moment, and finally decided not to speak.
The boy who radiated excitement suddenly felt a little fear and quickly introduced himself. "Hello, Diggory. I'm Lucien Selwyn, nice to meet you. If you want, you can call me Lucien."
A cheerful smile spread across Cedric's face, as he had given up on getting a response after there had still been no answer after five seconds. "Haha, only if you call me Cedric, Lucien!"
"Then nice to meet you, Cedric." Lucien Selwyn replied, with a slight grin playing at the corners of his mouth. Lucien turned to me and the indifferent ice statue to my right, who were still listening in silence. It was clear that I could not stay out of this situation for long. I took off my wizard hat, made eye contact with the two of them, and introduced myself.
"Mordret Noir, a pleasure to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, Noir!" Cedric replied cheerfully, his facial expression and the emotions he radiated in sync.
Lucien Selwyn repeated Cedric, although his state of mind radiated a hint of disgust. Huh, a blood supremacist? How will he react when I say that I am a descendant of the pure-blood family Black? My distant facial expression probably startled the pair, as they turned to the girl.
The girl turned around. She pulled her hands out of her robe pockets, and hands surrounded by gloves were revealed. Her dark-blue eyes, framed by long and thick eyelashes, scrutinized Cedric and Lucien without any emotion. "Octavià Dolohow", she spoke, in a rough voice. Both widened their eyes in shock at the mention of her surname. Pure terror could be seen on their faces and in their emotions. The intensity of the emotions I sensed from Lucien and Cedric respectively made me reevaluate Ocatvià Dolohow.
Dolohow? In the first four volumes, no Dolohow family was mentioned. From the corner of my eye, I looked at the eleven-year-old girl again. Was her father a famous criminal, or what? Perhaps a particularly notorious member of the Deatheaters or a current criminal wanted by the Ministry..., if even eleven-year-old children knew him, that was not implausible...
Lucien Selwyn's reaction did not fit my assumption that her father was a member of Voldemort's gang. As a pure-blood who already firmly believes in pure-blood superiority at such a young age, shouldn't he instead feel more positive emotions than terror? After all, this is a witch who shares his ideology...
After a brief moment in which I thought about how I could handle the current situation, I decided to break the silence, which was only being drowned out by conversations from the other boats.
"Merlin, you look as if she's the daughter of Grindelwald himself. I mean, apart from her gaze that could freeze the lake, she can't do anything to you at the moment..."
Octavià's eyes, which had previously been directed at the pair of young wizards, turned towards me. She narrowed her dark-blue eyes, which resembled my transformed ones very much, in confusion.
Lucien jerked his blonde head around towards me. As if unable to understand my completely absurd thought, he spoke in a quiet tone that bordered on a whisper. His attempt to keep his voice low so that Dolohow would not hear him, failed miserably. His volume increased in a crescendo.
"That's a Dolohow, a Dolohow! Her whole family should be exterminated. Do you not know what her family, especially Antonin Dolohow, has done? The Ministry has declared the Dolohows an Abomination against the great Mother! Heh, what am I supposed to expect, fucking uneducated half-blood..."
Hm, Antonin Dolohow. Interesting.
Octavià did not even flinch at Lucien's harsh words. It seemed as if these words were nothing new to her. Through my Legilimency, I also sensed nothing. Cedric surprisingly said nothing. A complicated expression appeared on his face.
I raised my eyebrow."Who told you that I am a half-blood, Selwyn?"
Lucien frowned. I ignored his inner unease and continued speaking unconcernedly.
"The Inner Gifts of your Selwyn family are also not to be underestimated. Without a doubt, they are not inferior in value to the Dolohow family, and have great potential. By that logic, shouldn't the Selwyns, or rather every family with a Dangerous Gift, be given a Dementor's Kiss, since they could potentially do something in the future?"
The ruby-eyed boy's brow furrowed further as he tried to understand my logic. After all, he was only an eleven-year-old boy, intelligent without a doubt, but still a child.
Cedric tentatively spoke up.
"Lucien,...I mean, Noir isn't wrong. Every Inner Gift can cause harm in the right hands. The Peverells are a good example of that. Their Inner Gift granted them authority over life, but in their hands it unfolded into a tool of harm and blasphemy..."
Lucien sighed in annoyance."Whatever. Don't annoy me anymore with your twisted logic, Noir."
He gave me a dark look and turned towards the bow. Lucien watched the landscape, which pulsed with pure Magical Particles through my eyes. Cedric studied both of us with a divided expression on his face. Ultimately, he positioned himself next to Lucien and left the rear of the small boat, with me and Octavià.
Octavià watched me from the corner of her eye. Unfortunately, I could not sense her emotions, but I could easily guess what she was wondering about.
Internally, I shrugged and put my wizard hat back on,...my eyes concealed again. The total of thirty-five boats, with four students each, arrived at a bridge. Hagrid, who was alone at the front on a boat and raised his large lantern, led our group.
His deep voice thundered into the evening twilight. "Heads down!" Of course, only he ducked, due to his enormous height, which was over 3.5 metres. His warning was amusingly, only directed at himself.
Loud voices expressing admiration and amazement reached our boat. My future classmates stopped their conversations with each other and looked forward, emotions in their eyes. The first witches and wizards stationed behind Rubeus Hagrid had their eyes and mouths wide open and stared at the horizon. Every time a boat passed the bridge, the passengers' mouths opened in collective amazement. Our boat as well, the last boat, passed the bridge.
On the horizon, a breathtaking castle stretched into the sky. The castle was built on a large hill in contact with the famous Black Lake, in which a giant octopus lived. Towers built in Gothic style, which were connected by bridges, rose sky-high. A large tower that I could only see by stretching my neck broke through a cloud that hovered particularly low that evening. On the various levels, which were equally chaotic and structured, large windows adorned the walls, looking out over the Black Lake. Even the cathedral "Notre-Dame" before it was burned down, (seen from Francois' memories), could not hold a candle to Hogwarts.
I too widened my eyes like my numerous predecessors, but my mouth remained closed.
An almost invisible dome that stretched over all of Hogwarts caught my attention. It rose over Hogwarts to more than two thousand metres high before descending again on the other side of Hogwarts. The first boats were already beyond the 'barrier'. Another boat occupied by four chattering witches glided into the barrier without any problems. What the hell is that? An enormous Protego spell? No, wait, this must be the permanent Magical Barrier that makes Hogwarts so 'safe'. Strengthened and improved over a millennium, up to today. Only I can probably see it with my Magical Sight.
From the corner of my eye, I examined Ocatvià, Lucien, and Cedric. Their attention was still completely fixed on Hogwarts. This was the perfect moment to find out which Inner Gift Octavià possesses as a member of the Dolohow family, which the Ministry fears so much. I adjusted my wizard hat and concentrated on Octaviá's figure. Skillfully, I let Magical Power flow from my reserve into my eyes. This procedure became more familiar with each use, causing my Magical expenditure to decrease.
The name and function of her Inner Gift constructed itself in my mind.
I quietly drew in a breath in surprise. Greed, this Inner Gift allows her, upon contact with Magical Creatures, to steal Inner Gifts for an indefinable amount of time. An additional Inner Gift in her arsenal was called: Stealing Magic. Through my improved Magical Sight, no further information beyond the name of the stolen Inner Gift could be seen.
The slight movement of her figure made me quickly end my observation. In a flash, I pulled most of the Magical Power back out of my eyes and used the last bit of Magical Power in my eyes for the eye transformation from gold to dark blue. The speed at which Magical Power moved through my body warmed my body.
After a short observation of Octavià, I concluded that she had not noticed my 'investigation'. My heart, which had taken on an unusually rapid pulse, slowed noticeably. My Inner Mind, which was still occupied with the revelation of which Inner Gift or Gifts Octavià Dolohow possesses, did not calm down at all!
'Geer' Without a doubt an Inner Gift with the potential to be one of the or the most powerful Inner Gifts ever. The ability to steal is...broken. She could simply extend her hand, and bam, my Inner Gift is gone... No wonder the Ministry wiped out her family.
Our boat had already crossed the Magical Barrier of Hogwarts while I was still lost in thought. After getting out of the boat, we followed Hagrid, who had arrived at the enormous Hogwarts gate, grabbed the enormous knocker ring, and let it fall onto the gate three times. The dull sound made the ground tremble.
After a few seconds, the Hogwarts gate opened without the slightest sound. With a wave, Hagrid motioned for us to follow him into the interior of the castle. The ceilings and columns that decorated the corridors emitted a constant flow of Magical Power that invigorated me. Unknown runes appeared on the stones. From time to time, Magical portraits hung on the walls and watched us curiously. A few that looked particularly old were sleeping or immobile.
At the top of a large staircase, where most of the incoming first-years were already waiting, stood Professor McGonagall. She was talking to Hagrid; unfortunately, I could not hear her because of the conversations my future classmates were having.
Meanwhile, I had taken off my wizard hat.
The murmuring suddenly grew quieter when I felt a Magical Pressure, Presence?, from Professor McGonagall. An enormous amount of Magical Particles flowed from her body, creating an 'authoritative aura'. Fascinated, I observed the effect.
The desired effect Professor McGonagall wanted to achieve was successful, as the approximately 140 young witches and wizards immediately became silent. Professor McGonagall reduced her, what I had named: "Magical Pressure", a little, whereby the metaphysical burden became lighter.
"Welcome, future students, I am Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, and also your future Professor of Transfiguration. Whether because of your deep roots, your talent, or recommendation, you have all been accepted based on the criteria of the school board. I warn you, however: Our faculty rewards effort and results, and punishes laziness and deficits. Regardless of your ancestors, talent, or sponsor, only results count."
She breathed briefly, while she assessed all the students, myself included, from head to toe.
"As I hope all of you know, Hogwarts was founded by four witches and wizards who were far ahead of their time. Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor, and Salazar Slytherin decided to divide students into respective 'Houses' based on pronounced character traits. Each House has its own rules and privileges, which are meant to promote your strengths and talents. That is why it is extremely important to decide from your own heart, as your decision cannot be reversed."
Ever since I received my Hogwarts letter, it had been clear to me that I wanted to be sorted into either Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. Now I am leaning more towards Ravenclaw, since I have now learned that House traits are actively encouraged. A stereotypical Hufflepuff is loyal, faithful, friendly, modest, and often seeks new friendships. Cedric Diggory, standing smiling to my right, is a perfect example of that.
I would probably suffer a Burnt-Out after a week because of too many Social Interactions. After one, I would have died by Suicide or, God forbid, thrown my roommate through the window with a telekinesis push.
Ravenclaw, which approves of wisdom, originality, individuality, thirst for knowledge, and also a bit of eccentricity, is a much better decision. A paradise without any screaming children or a hyena named Sister Isabell.
Blinking, I escaped my wild thoughts.
"Behind this gate is the Great Hall. There you will be sorted by the Sorting Hat into your future Houses. Afterwards, we will eat dinner. Questions?"
Nobody raised their hand under Professor McGonagall's authoritative gaze. I noticed from the abundant emotions my future classmates radiated (which, by the way, were slowly giving me headaches) that some wanted to raise their hands but did not dare.
"No? Excellent, then we shall now enter the Great Hall. I will call you forward in alphabetical order, where you will be sorted."
Her wand materialized in her hand with a flash, she waved her hand and the doors opened. Without hesitation, she stepped into the Great Hall.
On the left and right, two enormous tables had been set up each, and on the enormous benches, which were more than 50 metres long, the students sat sorted into their Houses. On the right side were the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables. Gryffindor and Slytherin were on the left. Above in the air, lit candles floated, bringing light into the great hall. The candles faded in comparison to the Enchanted Ceiling.
The evening sky was reflected down from the ceiling. Stars, galaxies, shooting stars, without light pollution, one could lose oneself in the evening sky. Hermione Granger's voice sounded in my mind:"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."
How long until I can cast such an enchantment?
The younger students looked at us curiously. Eager to see which House we would join. The older ones ignored us; they had experienced this procedure too many times. In Ravenclaw, more than half were reading books, the tradition of etiquette regarded as superfluous. Gryffindors talked quietly among themselves; every few moments a few friends laughed loudly. The Slytherins sat straight-backed with Perfect Etiquette; no conversations seemed to be allowed. Hufflepuffs eyed our group curiously. Even from this distance I could feel their welcoming and friendly emotions.
My headache worsened.
At the teacher's desk, in the middle, sitting on a chair not unlike a throne, sat the famous Albus Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard in Magical Britain, defeater of Gelert Grindelwald and, not to forget, a person with too many names. He wore a Red Hat, which was an unusual combination with his blue robes. He stroked his long-grown beard, which shone silver. His blue eyes looked out over his half-moon spectacles. At the right angle, one could believe that his eyes shimmered.
Professor McGonagall stood in front of the teacher's desk, beside her a stool on which an old-looking hat lay.
The Hat suddenly moved, opened a large fold that served as a mouth, and sang:
Oh, I'm the Hat that sees within,
Before your tale can even begin.
Four founders shaped my ancient thread—
Now let me look inside your head.
Let's start with those who dare to stand,Bold of heart, come stand with me,Where courage burns for all to see.I seek the brave, the ones who dare,To face the dark without a care.Not strength alone, but daring true,The nerve to see a battle through.So if your heart beats wild and free,Come find your home in bravery.
But not all fire burns the same—Some warmth is quiet, soft, and tame.Kindly souls, I welcome you,Whatever gifts you're bringing too.No test of blood, no narrow door—Just open hands, and nothing more.I prize the loyal, patient, true,The steady hearts that see things through.So if you're fair and kind and just,My house will hold you in its trust.
Now turn instead to those who seek,Not with their hands, but minds that speak.Sharp of mind, I call to thee,Where wit and wisdom run so free.Not just the facts you've learned by heart,But how you think, and where to start.I prize the curious, quick, and keen,The ones who question all they've seen.So if your mind's an eager flame,Come learn with those who share your name.
And last, a fire that burns unseen,Beneath the calm, a sharper sheen.Cunning minds, come find your place,Where wit and will together race.Not blood nor birth, but drive and fire—The hunger climbing ever higher.I prize the ones who plan and scheme,Who chase the edge of every dream.Resourceful hearts that will not bend,Ambition sharp from start to end.
So don't be afraid, and don't be shy,I'll look in your head, I won't be a spy.Whichever house calls you your own,You'll never really be alone.
The whole hall clapped loudly. A few wizards from Gryffindor even waved their wands, and confetti and rainbows fell from the sky.
Professor McGonagall simultaneously waved her wand, and the rainbows and confetti disappeared.
"I will now call the first person." A list materialized in her hands."Cassiopeia Abbot"
A girl of small stature with bushy brown hair stepped nervously forward. Hesitantly, she sat down on the stool. Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her. Not even five seconds later, the Hat shouted loudly:"Gryffindor!"
The named table clapped loudly. Cassiopeia, shocked by the result, ran to the table. Her witch robes transformed with red accents, and the insignia of a lion appeared on her chest.
The procedure repeated itself again and again. "Ambrosia Bulstrode, Slytherin!",..."Amanda Clarke, Gryffindor!",..."Godfrey Corvinus, Slytherin!",..."Barnaby Crouch, Ravenclaw!"
"Cedric Diggory", Cedric Diggory stepped forward with a confident, if nervous, posture. Barely had he touched the Sorting Hat when it cried out:"Hufflepuff" The following clapping was deafening. As a farewell, he gave me a smile, which I returned with a nod.
The fifty-first name was that of Dolohow. After a longer time, she was sent to Ravenclaw.
"Erasmus Greengrass", a member of the 28 Sacred Families. His ancestors did not hold their breath for long, as after only a short moment he was sent to Slytherin. The next name made my eyes widen."Abraxas Malfoy", platinum-blonde hair and grey eyes. I examined my potential cousin. A few of my features could be seen in his.
"Slytherin!"
With a neutral facial expression, he joined the ambitious snakes. I watched his back as he walked away.
After some time, a name sounded for the 59th time."Mordret Noir!" I walked towards the stool. Professor McGonagall nodded at me. I closed my eyes and tried to detect a change in my mind. After a few moments, I felt the weight of the Sorting Hat. It did not take long for him to speak.
'...Ah, what do we have here? I haven't seen this in a long time.' An old voice sounded in my head.
'What do you mean?' I thought. A cold shiver crept down my spine.
'Hm?, you don't know? Didn't your Cursed ancestors explain it to you?'
'I thought you could look into people's heads? As a Sorting Hat that sorts according to character traits, shouldn't you have abilities similar to Legilimency?" I replied.
'That's the problem, dear Modret Noir, I cannot sense your Inner Landscape in your head. You know, a millennium ago these people were called, Cursed of the Mother. Haha, unable to sense or channel emotions, born and tailor-made for war. You natural Occlumens' are not unlike Alchemical Creatures. Empty, lifeless, Apathetic, only your, your obsession has not driven you insane.'
My obsession? What the hell is he talking about?
'You know...your obsession. What brings you joy? What would you do anything for? For your future Potions Professor, it was a girl. Hah, a Cursed of the Great Mother who is crazy over a girl, a disgrace for you natural Occlumens'! I'm telling you, a disgrace!'
My future Potions Professor? Professor Snape, is also like...me, a natural Occlumens?
'Yes, lad. That is him, but you should not take such a...pathetic role model for yourself. Take Salazar Slytherin, the greatest of the four Hogwarts founders. He was a genius, I tell you, especially outstanding, even for a natural Occlumens, he was the best in his domains. I mean, just look at me! His greatest Alchemical Creation! Mother Magic was so impressed by him that she gave me a soul, haha, can you believe it?!'
What a soul? After a brief moment of consideration, I postponed these thoughts until later.
Salazar Slytherin, natural Occlumenter, genius of his time, should I perhaps choose Slytherin after all? There, I could get closer to Severus Snape, and perhaps learn something about natural Occlumens from him. No, too unlikely, his attitude towards students is terrible. Self-pity would not accomplish anything either. After all, it would not work with me either. In Ravenclaw there is a personal library; with some luck, I will find something about natural Occlumens there. Besides, I should not reconsider my well-planned decision just because it could give me small short-term advantages. In the long term, the problem would solve itself with a little effort...
'Excellent, Mordret. Then I suppose it is Ravenclaw...'
"Ravenclaw!", the Sorting Hat shouted loudly.
[Words: 3904]
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[A/N: I just noticed that Cedric Diggory arrived at Hogwarts a year too early in my story. So, the change should be: Cedric Diggory's entry into Hogwarts is 1989 ―> 1988]
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