Idiosyncrasy |Harry Potter

Chapter Nine

"Look at me," he signed to the child. Zakari's eyes met his before glancing back down at the man's hands. " I am sorry, I know you are upset. Going home is not going to solve the problem. You cannot give up over one problem."

Zakari lifted his hands to protest with the older man but Franklin placed his hands over his for a moment to tell the boy to let him finish.

"You have to try." Franklin told him. "Try. If you do not like it, then I will talk to your mother about you going home. But try first."

"All the other children think I am weird." Zakari signed back to Franklin.

"You have to give them a chance. You have to learn about them and they have to learn about you."

What Franklin told him made sense, but Zakari was still upset. Rather than dwelling on the moment, he gave a small nod of the head in agreement to continue on with the ceremony. He could see the impatient look on some of the children's faces that had yet to be sorted. Among the remaining students, was Jean and when he looked in her direction, she gave him a thumbs up to encourage him to continue.

He let out a small smile before pulling the hat back down over his head and dropping his hands down to his side.

The hat began to speak again in his mind, something he would not get used to ever.

"Very similar to your mother with attitude of yours..." The Sorting Hat muttered. "Very similar to both of your parents, I see...hmm..."

Zakari wasn't sure what was up for debate. If he was very much like his parents, then why wouldn't be sorted into Slytherin right away?

"Just because it was the house of your parents, it does not necessarily mean it is the house for you. You may just as well if not better in Gryffindor."

"No." Zakari internally snapped at the hat. He wanted to be in Slytherin to prove a point.

People apparently liked Gryffindor as it was, many strove to be place into the house, but Zakari didn't want to be in the house most liked. He wanted to help improve the Slytherin house so that others would strive to be in that house as well and not be deterred by a group of wizards that had brought shame to the house. If his parents, specifically his mother could grow up to be great people in the community, people needed to know and see that. He wouldn't able to get his point across if he was sorted into the other houses.

"You are quite ambitious though, so perhaps you'll prove me wrong and excel in Slytherin."

"I plan on it." Zakari informed the hat.

"Are you sure?" The Hat questioned and then paused waiting for Zakari to change his mind, but the boy was set in his ways.

"Yes."

"Very well...."

Franklin watched as the Great Hall had become silent once more as all eyes were on the boy who must have been debating with the hat mentally. He could see the boy's lip twitch in slight irritation and he was sure there was some internal battle going on.

Moments later though, the Hat became animated as it opened it's mouth to let it's voice echo into the Great Hall.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Professor McGonagall removed the hat from Zakari's head and the boy's raced to Franklin for confirmation to make sure the Hat hadn't changed it's mind last minute and sorted him into another house.

Nodding his head, Franklin finger spelled out Slytherin to the boy and watched as Zakari's face lit up in victory. As he hopped off the stage causing Duncan to leap up and wag his entire body happily now that his master was in a better mood.

The interpreter followed Zakari over to the Slytherin table where the boy sat on the end, while Franklin did, it appeared that Zakari didn't notice some of the fellow Slytherin students scooting away from him, but if he did, he certainly didn't care in that moment. He had gotten what he wanted and while things hadn't gone so smoothly in the beginning, he was hoping that everything else would work out for the better.

Duncan pawed at his master's knee until Zakari paid attention to him, requesting to be helped up. Zakari chuckled before reaching down and lifting the dog into his lap, as soon as the dog was seated comfortably, he continued to watch the rest of the sorting.

He had no interest in what the students around him were whispering about, but Franklin grew ever so curious as he heard one word being thrown around constantly.

Crow.