Harry and Loki leaned against the stair railing while Neville stood opposite them, his toad safely in his hands. They chattered when the blond boy with two square-shouldered bodyguards stepped next to them. It seemed he had dried himself or got dried by someone else, Loki neither knew nor cared.
"So, you are the famous Harry Potter. My name is Draco Malfoy," he introduced himself with an arrogance in his voice that let Neville huff.
Draco turned around to him. "And you, round face, dull eyes, Neville Longbottom I assume. My father said that it was even questionable whether you are a real wizard or only a squib."
"That is coming from someone who isn't even able to ride a boat properly without any incident," Loki retorted while narrowing his eyes. The other two snickered.
"And who would you be?" Draco demanded to know.
"Loki Laufeyson and if I were you, I'd be really cautious whom I make my enemy."
"That's more likely what I'd say to Potter. It seems that your companions do not fit a boy of your reputation. I could help you sort that out," he said while holding out his hand.
However, Harry just broke out into laughter.
"I think I can manage myself pretty well but thank you."
On hearing that, Draco growled before returning to his other friends.
"I'm sure as hell going to teach you both trickster magic if only to prank the living shit out of that ass," Loki snickered while snapping with his fingers.
Draco suddenly sported red hair and worn clothes. To put the icing on the cake, Professor McGonagall just stepped through the door and behind him.
"Mr Weasley," she said while tapping on his shoulder with the scroll in her hand.
"What did you just call me?" he growled offended while turning around only to be met with the not very amused face of the stern professor. "Oh, I apologise I thought you were someone else."
"Mr Malfoy?" she raised an eyebrow at his appearance but did not say anything else.
"Well, I hope everyone is ready because the sorting is about to start. Form a line and follow me," with that McGonagall turned around and walked through the door into the great hall.
Harry was fascinated by the sight of hundreds of candles floating in the air and the masses of students. On the other hand, Loki was only mildly impressed by the ceiling, enchanted to show the sky outside. Neville looked nervous, not noticing any of that. They heard the bushy-haired girl holding a monologue about something, but they didn't listen.
"Please stay down there," Professor McGonagall said and waited for the last students to arrive.
Behind her on a four-legged chair laid an old and dirty looking wizarding hat. When all the new students gathered a rip opened, the hat began to sing so off-key that Loki quickly tuned it out. Even Harry and Neville tried not to listen. When the hat had finished the hall burst into applause, which Loki flinched at. It seemed that wizards had no idea, what good music was. Somewhere Ron muttered something about wrestling a troll when Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a long parchment floating in front of her.
"I'll now call out your name. When I do so, you step up here, sit on the chair, and I put the hat on you for you to get sorted. Abbot, Hannah!" she called out.
The girl went up and did as the professor said.
"Hufflepuff!" the hat called out after a few seconds.
It went on while Loki took the time to look around for the next target when his gaze fell upon one of the teachers. It was a man in violet robes and a violet turban on his head. He didn't know why, but that man gave him the creeps.
"Laufeyson, Loki!" Professor McGonagall called out.
'Well then, time to get sorted' he thought.
He went up the stairs and sat down. Before the hat blocked his view, he gave Harry and Neville a reassuring smile. Then everything went dark when the hat slipped over his eyes.
"WHAT? Hell no! Is it too late to resign?" the hat exclaimed into his head, which made Loki laugh out loud.
"Yes, I think it is," Loki replied on the same telepathic way with a snicker.
"I should outright refuse to sort you or put you into Slytherin...it would be fun to see what happens then."
"You could do that, but then I'd be obliged to hex you to be the cleaning rag for the worst toilets in the castle," Loki stated as if he was talking about the weather. "And I'm not James and his group of Marauders you were comparing me to. I hate bullying as much as you do. I'm only here to have some fun."
"We will see we will see. The bright side of this is that Dumbledore will be in much trouble," the hat snickered. "GRYFFINDOR!" he called out loud.
Loki stood up, and on the way to the twins, he gave Harry and Neville a thumbs up.
"Longbottom, Neville!"
Neville stumbled up to the hat and nearly fell over, but he could catch himself. It took only a few seconds until he also was sorted into Gryffindor.
Loki, in the meantime, sat with the twins.
"Hey, guys ready to plunge the school into chaos?"
"Always!" they replied when Neville sat next to Loki. "And who are you?"
"N-Neville L-Longbottom" he stuttered.
"He is a bit shy but a good guy so, be nice to him."
Neville blushed upon hearing that. Nobody had ever stood up and defended him.
"We are Fred"
"and George."
"Weasley, nice to meet you too."
When he heard Draco Malfoy's name, Loki looked up only to see that the boy's appearance hasn't changed. That earned him a questioning look from the professor with the greasy black hair, but Loki snickered. It also seemed that Draco was fuming about his momentary appearance.
"What's so funny?" one of the twins asked.
"You see the boy who just gets called for sorting?"
"Yes Malfoy"
"what is it with him?"
Then both looked up and saw what Loki had meant before they both started to laugh outright, which got them quizzically looks from the others around them. They only pointed at Malfoy. It didn't take long before the whole table sat there laughing.
"You didn't"
"do that."
"did you?" the asked between laughers.
"You know the best thing? Before we entered the hall, even Professor McGonagall addressed him by 'Mr Weasley' when she came to collect us for the sorting," Loki replied with a grin.
That made them laugh even harder until Dumbledore called out to be quiet, but that only helped a bit.
A few others were sorted before it was Harry's turn.
"Potter, Harry!"
The whole hall went quiet while Harry stepped up to the hat and sat down. The hat didn't even touch the boys head.
"GRYFFINDOR!" it called out with a slight panic in his voice.
It seemed the hat had taken his not so empty and subtle threat to heart, Loki thought while making space for Harry to sit. The whole Gryffindor table in the meantime was roaring that they had Potter in their house. Loki doubted that they would say it anymore if they knew what he was up to, but he shrugged and gave Harry a welcoming grin.
"Hey guys" Harry greeted them. "What did you tell them to cause such an uproar Loki?"
"Why do you assume that it was me?" he asked with his angelic smile. However, that would only fool an idiot, therefore probably Malfoy, Dumbledore and perhaps the youngest Weasley boy.
"Because despite knowing you for just a few hours, I learned enough about you to know that you must have something to do with this, if even remotely."
Loki laughed. "You got me. I told them about what happened before we entered the hall or rather showed them."
With that, he took a look at Malfoy who now seemed to be back to normal again. What a shame.
It was when the second last Ronald Weasley was called and then sorted into Gryffindor. Funnily he couldn't sit far away enough from Loki to his liking, so he ended up next to the bushy-haired who they got to know was Hermione Granger. It looked like Hermione tried to introduce herself to Ron when he barked at her that she should mind her own business and should leave him alone. Harry flinched at that thinking about what Loki told him on the train about this particular boy. It seemed he was right.
The last student was sorted, and the headmaster welcomed them before saying four totally unrelated words. Loki looked at Dumbledore and then at Harry and made a movement that indicated that he thought the headmaster was more than a bit mad. After Dumbledore sat down again, food appeared on the tables. It was everything one could ask for, and so everyone started to eat.
"So what are you planning for this year?" George asked.
"What do you mean? Something like that?" he asked with an innocent face.
Loki snapped his fingers visibly, but it seemed that nothing happened. Not until they heard gasps from the Slytherin table and snickers from the others. Some students even laughed outright. So the twins swept their gazes through the hall when they saw it. Their eyes grew wide before they nearly fell off the bench from laughter. Harry and Neville looked around when their look fell on the professor who sat on the very far end of the table.
Harry saw him before, a professor with greasy black hair who looked at him with hatred in his eyes. He couldn't explain it because he never met the professor before. The said professor had bright pink clean hair bound to twin pig-tails on the back and wore robes in very bright pink.
This could compete with the cardigan some woman called Umbridge at the Ministry had worn when Loki was there to temper with their records so that he could attend Hogwarts.
Harry couldn't help it but also started to laugh because the professor looked like he had been slapped with a fish...repeatedly.
"WHO DID THIS?" the professor roared which earned him more laughter from Loki.
"When I get to know who did this, he gets kicked out of the School before the year has even started!" he could make a guess who did it, but he had no evidence.
The professor took out his wand tapped his head with it and returned to normal. Well mostly, because some pink streaks remained in his hair, but the professor didn't notice before he sat down again with a growl. Dumbledore meanwhile coughed into his hand, seemingly having problems not to laugh too.
"You are crazy!" the twins stated.
"No one pranks Snape."
"and gets away with it."
"But it was hilarious!"
"And I have it on good authority that he has no evidence against me," Loki snickered.
Shortly after that, the food on the table disappeared, and the desert appeared. Loki was in his own personal heaven, so he dove in leaving everyone astonished about how much he could eat.
At the staff table in the meantime, McGonagall had a hard time fighting the growing headache. She thought that it was the twins, who pranked Severus but she had observed them. Not one of them had had a wand in their hand, so this one time they were innocent. But who was it then? Perhaps the same who let Malfoy look like the youngest Weasley? She had a distinct feeling that this would become a very long year. She would have to restock her liquor.
After the dinner, Dumbledore stood up and gave a few words of advice.
"To the first-years, the forbidden forest is called that way for a reason, it is forbidden to anyone. Some of the older ones should remember that too," he said with a gaze towards the twins who made an innocent face.
"Second Mr Filch our caretaker asked me to remind you that no magic is allowed in the corridors as well as several items. A full list of those hangs at his office door.
"The Quidditch trials will be held in the second week. Anyone interested can go to either Madam Hooch or their respective head of the house.
"At last, I must mention that this year the corridor on the third floor on the right hand is out of bounds to everyone who doesn't want to die very painfully."
Hearing that Loki looked alarmed. Who would have something in a school full of children, that was this dangerous? He would have to investigate this if only to take care that no one got hurt.
"Before we go, let's sing the school song, everyone in his favourite tune!"
He flicked his wand, and the lyrics appeared above him. After that, a cacophony of what was supposed to be music echoed through the hall. Again, Loki wondered how wizards could call that music. Everyone ended at a different time the twins the last as they sang it along with a slow funeral march, which let Harry snicker.
"Ah music, a magic incomparable. And now off you trod, bedtime!"
With that, the student started to move, every house to its own dorms the Prefects leading the first-years. On the way, Harry, Neville, and Loki talked about the day. Yes, this was a very great start and the year could only get better, that they were sure off.