Edward and Ron followed Mrs. Weasley, Fred, George, Ginny, and Percy into King's Cross Station. Fred and George were whispering under their breaths, grinning, while Percy admired his new badge. Ginny was frowning, because she wasn't old enough to go to Hogwarts yet; but since Mr. Weasley worked, she had to come with them.
Ron glanced at Edward, then did a double-take. "Why are you calm?! We're going to Hogwarts! Finally!"
"Just because I look calm doesn't mean I'm not excited," Edward replied amusedly. "I just don't want to make a fool of myself."
"You? Never," Ron snorted. "You have another thing to be excited about, too; you might meet your twin today."
Wordlessly, Edward nodded.
He wasn't sure how he felt about meeting Harry. Happy, yes; he was his only living relative that wasn't a muggle. Nervous, maybe; many things could go wrong, if he wasn't careful. Excited, yes; Harry, according to Remus, had grown up with his terrible aunt and uncle, and Edward could make him happy.
"Careful," Mrs. Weasley said sharply to Fred and George, who had almost run their trunks into a group of Muggles. "I swear, if you run into another Muggle like you did last year, on purpose, I will personally send you straight home!"
"But Mum," Fred groaned, "we still have loads of jokes left!"
Edward stifled a chuckle and rolled his eyes.
"Mum, can't I go?" Ginny asked with a frown.
"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet," Mrs. Weasley ordered. "All right, Percy, you go first."
The prefect marched forward. Edward watched as a crowd of tourists passed in front of the platform as he disappeared through to the other side.
"Fred, you next," Mrs. Weasley said.
"I'm not Fred, I'm George!" said Fred indignantly. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother?"
"Fred, that's rude," Edward said calmly. "We're going to be late."
Fred and George scowled at him comically before Fred darted towards the platform. His twin followed soon after.
"Excuse me," said a nervous voice.
Edward turned, then froze.
A familiar black-haired boy was walking up, pushing a trunk ahead of him, a cage perched on top with a snowy-white owl. His green eyes were worried, and the exact same as Edward's own.
"Hello, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, not realizing who it was. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron and Edward are new, too." She gestured to them.
"Wait, did you say Edward?" the boy demanded, looking over at him. "You're not -- you can't-"
"Yes, I'm your brother," Edward said, keeping his voice calm instead of delighted.
Ron grinned, and Mrs. Weasley looked startled and pleased.
Harry grinned widely. "Hagrid said you looked like my mother, but I didn't know what she looked like."
"You didn't have a picture?" Edward demanded. "I was told our aunt and uncle were horrid-"
"You don't know the half of it," said Harry, and he hugged Edward.
Startled, Edward slowly hugged him back. Then Harry released him and said awkwardly, "Er, I still don't know how to get on the platform."
"Not to worry," said Mrs. Weasley, smiling. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten."
"You won't hit it," Edward assured him when Harry looked alarmed. "It's best not to think about it. Close your eyes if you're nervous."
"You've never done it before," Ron accused.
"I'm relaying the advice Bill and Charlie gave me," Edward returned, still calm. "Ron's oldest brothers," he added at Harry's confused look. "They've already left Hogwarts. Would you like to go first?"
Harry nodded bravely. "See you." He gave Edward a delighted look, then raced towards the barrier.
He disappeared a moment later.
"Your turn, Edward," Mrs. Weasley said with a warm smile.
Edward nodded politely, then rushed forward.
He found Harry waiting for him on the other side, staring at the scarlet train.
"How anti-magic are our aunt and uncle?" Edward asked, making Harry jump.
"Very," Harry snorted. "I didn't even know I was magic -- or have a twin -- until Hagrid showed up, scaring the Dursleys out of their minds."
Edward gave a crooked smile. "I'd like to have seen that. Is it true that we have a cousin?"
"A spoiled cousin who's litterally as fat as a horse," Harry snorted. He changed the subject. "Who were you with?"
Ron came rushing through the barrier at that moment, almost crashing into Edward. "Sorry!" he yelped.
"Let's move," Edward suggested. "We're in the way." He led Harry and Ron over to the train.
Edward opened the door and helped Harry lug his trunk into the train first, but it was really heavy, and they almost dropped it on Harry's foot.
"Need a hand?" asked a voice, and Edward turned to see Fred grinning at them.
"Yes, please," Harry panted.
"Go away," Ron muttered under his breath, and Edward cast him a sharp look.
"Oy, George! C'mere and help!"
The other twin came over, making Ron roll his eyes, and they helped Edward, Ron, and Harry shove their three trunks onto the train.
"Thanks," Harry said, pushing his hair up.
"What's that?" George asked, pointing at Harry's scar.
"This is my twin," Edward said with a sigh, rolling his eyes. "And it's rude to stare," he added severely when the twins gaped.
"Fred? George? Ron?" came Mrs. Weasley's voice.
"Coming, Mum!" Fred called back, shaking himself. "See you, Ed. Come on, Ronnie."
Ron growled in response but followed, waving to Edward.
"Come on," Edward said to Harry, "let's save a compartment for Ron."
Harry nodded and gave him a curious look as they stepped onto the train. Soon they found an empty compartment, and they sat down.
"So who were you with?" Harry asked again.
"One of my foster families, sort of," Edward explained. Harry looked confused, and Edward said, "I was supposed to be adopted by Remus Lupin, one of my godfathers, but he didn't have enough funds to take care of me the whole year. So once a month I stay with the Weasleys."
"'One of your godfathers?'" Harry quoted, frowning. "I thought one was the limit."
"Usually, but our father wasn't really orthodox," Edward said, smirking. "I have three godfathers."
Ron found them at that moment, scowling. His nose was red and smudged with dirt.
Edward raised his eyebrows but said nothing, just nodded to the seat next to Harry. Ron gave him a grateful look and sat down.
"Hey, Ron."
Fred and George were standing outside the compartment.
"You're going to find your friend Lee, aren't you," Edward guessed, rolling his eyes.
"Smarty-pants," Fred snorted. Edward raised an eyebrow. "He's got a giant tarantula -- wonder how many girls we can terrify."
Edward rolled his eyes, but he couldn't do anything. "Harry, this is Fred and George -- that's George, not him -- and this is Ron. They're my sort-of foster brothers."
"Hey," Harry smiled. "Does that make you my sort-of foster brothers, too?"
The twins looked awed, but Ron said, "Sure, if that's all right with you."
Harry stared at him a moment, but nodded.
"Go look at Lee's tarantula, if you're not going to stop staring," Edward said irritably, when Fred and George didn't move.
"Right, sorry," George said with embarrassment. "See you later, then?"
"Bye," Harry replied, and Ron said, "Good riddance" under his breath.
"Ronald, that was rude," Edward said sternly when the twins had gone.
"Yeah, but they didn't turn your teddy bear into a giant spider when you were two," Ron growled, "or stick your head in a toilet, or make you eat-"
"I get the point," Edward interrupted calmly. "Let's steer the conversation towards safer waters."
"I heard you live with Muggles," Ron said at once, looking relieved. "What are they like?"
"The Dursleys are not 'safer waters,'" Harry snorted. "They're horrible -- well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."
"Five," Ron sighed irritably.
"Six, technically," Edward reminded him, smiling crookedly.
Ron smirked at him, then continued. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left -- Bill was head boy, and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes and Percy's old rat."
Ron reached into his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.
"I would have gotten an old wand, but Ed helped pay for mine." Ron glanced at him. "This is Scabbers, by the way. He's useless, he hardly ever wakes up."
"I didn't have any money until a month ago," Harry said, "and I had to wear Dudley's old clothes. The Dursleys never gave me any birthday presents, either-"
"Oh, that reminds me," Edward interrupted, opening his trunk. "Hagrid told Remus about your lack of affection at home, so I got you something." He rummaged a moment, then pulled out a book.
"Er," said Harry, frowning, "I'm touched and all, but a book-"
"It's not just any book, Harry," Ron snorted. "It's about Quidditch."
Edward handed the book to Harry and smirked. "Besides, that's not all I got, so don't complain. I figured you'd be the type to not like books, so I also got you a sneakoscope." He pulled the cylindrical object out of his trunk and handed it to Harry. Instantly, it began to spin, wail, and flash.
Quickly, Edward pulled a pair of socks out of his trunk and tossed them to Harry. "Put it in there!"
Harry did as told, and the sneakoscope silenced. "What is it?"
"It's supposed to spin and light up when someone's being untrustworthy." Ron sighed, looking guilty. "Percy said it was rubbish stuff only tourists buy."
"Ron," Edward asked sternly, "what did you do?"
"I planted my beef sandwiches on Fred and George, okay?" Ron said irritably. "You know I hate beef."
"It's cool," Harry said, smiling. "Thanks, Edward."
------------
At half past twelve, Edward heard a clattering outside, and a witch opened the door. "Anything off the cart, dears?" she asked, smiling.
Harry leaped off his seat, and Edward followed, but Ron looked down at his feet. Edward decided to get Ron a couple of chocolate frogs and some of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.
When he got outside, Harry was staring at the treats. "What are these?" he demanded. "Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans? Chocolate Frogs?"
"I'd be careful with Every Flavor Beans," Edward chuckled. "They litterally mean every flavor. I once got onion."
Harry got some anyway, as well as every other treat on the cart. Edward took some Cauldron Cakes and Pumpkin Pasties, plus a few Chocolate Frogs for Ron, and followed Harry back inside.
"Hungry, are you?" Ron snorted when he saw what Harry had purchased.
"Starving," Harry replied fervently, unwrapping a Pumpkin Pasty. "The Dursley's didn't give me any breakfast."
Edward frowned. "That's terrible."
"Meeting you two has more than made up for it," Harry replied, smiling. Edward smiled back.
Ron was staring longingly at one of Harry's Licorice Wands.
"Oh, right," Edward said quickly, and he tossed him the Chocolate Frogs he'd bought. Ron stared at him. "You really didn't think I'd eat those, did you? You know I hate them."
"Why?" Harry asked confusedly. Then he looked alarmed. "They're not real frogs, are they?"
Ron snorted. "No, they're just charmed to look like frogs."
"They may as well be, which is why I don't eat them." Edward opened a Cauldron Cake.
"Here, you can have some," Harry told Ron. "You gave your food to Fred and George, and I can't eat all of this."
"But-"
"Ronald, eat," Edward said calmly. "It's not going to kill you."
Ron cast him an irritated look but grabbed a Chocolate Frog. "Dang it, I got Morgona again."
"What?" asked Harry.
"Chocolate Frogs have cards in them, and wizards apparently collect them," Edward replied, stifling an eyeroll. "Ron's got about five hundred, but he's missing Agrippa and Ptolemy."
"You're not interested in collecting?" Harry asked him curiously.
"They're peices of paper," Edward answered calmly. "No, I'm not."
"They're not just peices of paper, Ed!" Ron said indignantly, and Edward rolled his eyes. Harry snorted.
After a long while, in which Harry collected several cards, there was a knock on the door. A small round-faced boy appeared in the doorway, looking anxious.
"Sorry," he said nervously, "but have you seen a toad at all?"
Edward, Harry, and Ron shook their heads, and the boy wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"
"Try looking in wet places, like the lavatory," Edward suggested in a calm voice that automatically made the boy relax.
"Thanks," he said, and left.
"Don't know why he's so bothered," Ron said boredly. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk. He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," Ron snorted. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look...." He pulled his new wand and his old gray rat out of his pocket and raised his wand.
The compartment door slid open again, and a bushy-haired girl stood there. "Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one," she said in a bossy sort of tone.
"We've already told him we haven't seen it," Edward told the girl politely before Ron could retort. But she was looking at Ron, having seen the wand in his hand.
"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see then," the girl said with a smirk.
Edward sighed with annoyance, but Ron and the girl ignored him.
"Fine," Ron grumbled. He pointed his wand at Scabbers. "Sunshine daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow."
Nothing happened. Scabbers remained asleep and stubbornly gray.
"Are you sure that's a real spell?" the girl asked skeptically. "Well, it's not very good, is it?"
"It was given to Ron by his older brothers, who are very mischeivous," Edward said before she could continue. "I'm not surprised."
Ron looked outraged. "You could have told me that before I tried it yesterday!"
"You should know by now that they like a good joke," Edward told him sternly. He turned to the girl and said, "I'm Edward Potter."
The girl looked startled but she said, "I'm Hermione Granger. Who are you two?"
"Ron Weasley," Ron said irritably.
"Harry Potter," said Harry, obviously stifling a wince.
"Are you really?" Hermione asked delightedly. "I know all about you, of course -- I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."
"Am I?" Harry asked, looking dazed.
"Hermione," Edward interjected before she could say anything else, "you're clearly very intelligent; why don't you go back to helping Neville find his toad? I'm sure he'd appreciate your help."
His tone was calm and smooth, and she flushed. "Yes, you're right," she said quickly. "Also, you'd better change, we'll be arriving soon I expect." She left.
"Thank Merlin," Ron gasped.
"You mean, thank Edward," Harry retorted. "And she wasn't that bad, Ron." He changed the subject. "So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left Hogwarts?"
"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," Ron said. "Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the muggles -- someone tried to rob a high security bank."
Edward started. "Tried? What happened to them?"
"Nothing," Ron answered. "That's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd."
"Then the vault must have been empty or not carrying what they wanted," Edward mused.
Ron snorted. "You're definitely going to be an Auror, Ed."
"What's an Auror?" Harry asked confusedly.
"A Dark-wizard catcher," Edward replied. "And for your information, Ron, it takes more than intelligence to be an Auror."
"I know that, Edward-"
But the compartment door opened yet again and three boys stood there. Edward stifled a groan when he recognized the pale blond hair of a Malfoy -- he'd met Lucious Malfoy once when he'd been out shopping with Remus, and they were all terrible.
"Is it true?" asked the Malfoy boy with a sneer. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"
"Yes," said Harry.
"Are you related to Lucious Malfoy?" Edward interjected, keeping his voice calm. Ron started and frowned.
Malfoy turned to him. "He's my father. Who are you?"
Edward raised his eyebrows. "Harry's brother."
"Edward, right?" the boy grinned. Edward nodded stiffly. "Well, this is Crabbe and Goyle. And my name's Draco Malfoy."
Ron coughed, and Edward said quietly, "That's rude, Ron."
"Think my name's funny, do you?" Malfoy frowned. "No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children they can afford."
"If they had more children than they could afford, Draco," Edward said calmly, but with a cold edge, "then Ronald wouldn't be sitting here."
Malfoy snorted and turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potters. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
"Are you implying that my brother isn't capable of doing that on his own?" Edward fought to keep his tone smooth instead of icy.
Draco Malfoy stared at him. Then he narrowed his eyes. "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said quietly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either-"
"Careful, Draco," Edward said, and now his voice was deadly. Harry and Ron stared at him. "I'm not someone to be trifled with. I was raised by a very intelligent wizard, and I learned many spells that would make you scream." This, of course, was a lie, because Remus was kind as well as intelligent, but no one insulted Edward's family.
Malfoy gulped visibly. Then the three boys raced off.
"Blimey, Edward," Ron said nervously. "I don't think I've ever seen you that mad before."
"At least they're gone now," Harry said worriedly.
At that moment, a voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
Harry suddenly looked nervous, and Edward said placatingly, "It'll be fine, Harry."
"Well, we know that's true, because Ed's always right," Ron snorted, but he was looking less pale now.
They quickly changed into robes, and Edward was pleased to see that his brother relaxed slightly.
They joined the people thronging outside, and the train slowed to a stop. Then the three of them pushed their way outside onto a small, dark platform. Harry shivered beside Edward.
"Firs' years!" called a familiar voice. "Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"
"Hello, Hagrid," Edward called to the large hairy man, who was carrying a lantern.
Hagrid grinned at them. "C'mon, follow me -- any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
Edward lead the rest of the first years after Hagrid with Ron and Harry just behind him. After a while, they reached a dock, and he could see a long, smooth lake that glowed silver in the light of the moon. Boats crowded the dock. Edward heart sank.
"Ooooh!" a girl said delightedly.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing at the fleet of little boats.
Edward hesitated as Ron and Harry climbed into one, followed by Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad. Boats....
"Get in, Ed!" Ron complained. "Someone's gonna take your spot!"
Sighing, Edward slowly climbed in and clutched the sides of the boat, hiding a nervous look.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked with a frown.
"I'm not a fan of the water," Edward replied calmly, but his palms were starting to sweat, and his stomach started tensing up. It lurched at the same time as the boat did, and it started moving slowly forward.
"Ugh." Edward closed his eyes and wrinkled his nose.
He felt a hand grip his wrist, and he opened his eyes to see Harry. His brother looked serious.
Edward relaxed a bit. The entire trip was spent in silence, but he wasn't as nauseous or scared.
After a while, they reached a little hidden cove nearby the castle. Hagrid helped them off their boats, which Edward was grateful for, because he was a little bit wobbly.
"Oy, you there!" the hairy man said, holding up a toad. "Is this your toad?"
"Trevor!" Neville said with delight, rushing past Edward and taking the toad.
Hagrid lead them into a passageway in the rock until they reached two huge oak doors. After checking that they were all there, the huge man reached up and pounded his fist against the door three times.
The door opened at once and a tall, black-haired witch stood there. She looked stern and intelligent, and she wore familiar spectacles.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.
Edward had a flash of remembrance -- Remus had told him about the strict deputy headmistress.
"Thank you, Hagrid," McGonagall said crisply. "I'll take them from here."
She pulled the doors wide, revealing a wide entrance hall. Then she gave them a sharp look and turned. Edward marched forward, followed by Harry, Ron, and the rest of the first years.
McGonagall stopped in front of two wide doors, and the first years stopped as well. Edward could hear quiet conversations going on behind them, and realized that school must have already gathered.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," McGonagall said stiffly. "The start-of-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.
"The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule-breaker will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours.
"The sorting ceremony will take place in a few moments in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can whil you are waiting.
"I shall return when we are ready for you," McGonagall finished. "Please wait quietly." She turned and marched off.
"How exactly do they sort us into Houses?" Harry asked Ron and Edward.
"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."
Edward rolled his eyes, seeing Harry's suddenly alarmed look. "They wouldn't do that, Harry. We don't know anything yet. I think they sort us based on our personalities."
"Who's going to-" Harry began to ask, but he was interrupted by a shriek.
Several pearly-white ghosts had just entered the front hall, and a few of them seemed to be arguing. A fat monk was saying in a pationate voice, "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance-"
A ghost wearing a ruff and tights interrupted. "My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost- I say, what are you all doing here?"
"We're new students," Edward replied politely when no one else did. "You must be the Fat Friar, the Hufflepuff ghost, and Sir Nicholas, the Griffindor ghost."
"Clever boy!" the fat monk smiled. "You must be a Potter. You look exactly like Lily."
"I'm Edward Potter," Edward replied calmly.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" the Fat Friar smiled.
"All his family was in Griffindor," Nearly Headless Nick -- the ghost's real name -- retorted. "I think he'll be in mine-"
"Move along now," McGonagall's voice said sharply, and Edward turned to see her marching up to them. "The sorting ceremony's about to start. Now form a line and follow me."
Everyone else lined up behind Edward, which wasn't surprising, given that he'd just held a calm conversation with a ghost. He stifled a smirk and followed McGonagall into the Great Hall.
It was just as grand as Remus had described. It was lit by thousands of candles, which floated high above four long tables, one which were glittering golden plates and cups. At the top of the hall was another long table, where the teachers were sitting. There was an empty seat, where Edward assumed McGonagall would sit. And glowing above the floating candles were millions of stars -- Edward remembered that Remus had said the ceiling was enchanted to look like the sky outside. He heard Hermione Granger a few students behind him telling Neville the same thing.
McGonagall lead them up to the teacher's table, where a stool and an old pointed wizard's hat sat a few feet in front of it.
Edward studied the hat. Clearly, it was important. Then he stifled a chuckle. Of course -- the hat would be sorting them! The hat must be enchanted.
Sure enough, a rip near the brim of the hat opened and the hat began to sing:
"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Griffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Griffindor apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real freinds,
Those cuning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a thinking Cap!"
The hall burst into applause, and Edward joined in, pleased and interested. He had been right.
"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry and Edward. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."
Edward snorted. "I think only Hagrid would succeed at that."
McGonagall stepped forward with a long roll of parchment, making the hall go silent.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," McGonagall said briskly. "Abbott, Hannah!"
A girl stepped out of the line and stumbled up to the stool, put on the hat, and sat down. After a moment's pause, the hat yelled, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
Edward applauded calmly.
"Black, Onyx!"
The hall went deadly silent, and a small, pale boy with shaggy black hair was shoved out of the line.
A Daily Prophet appeared in Edward's mind -- Sirius Black's triplets had been abandoned at an orphanage, and they'd been put up for adoption. No one would take them. Remus had wanted to, but he barely had enough money for Edward.
The dark-haired boy looked down at his feet as he walked up to the hat, ignoring the stares. Edward wondered if he were really like everyone said, or if that were just prejudice and rumors.
Onyx Black picked up the hat and sat down, then put it on. There was a long silence, and then the boy looked horrified.
"SLYTHERIN!" bellowed the hat.
The Slytherin table stared yelling, and Hufflepuff table applauded politely. Griffindor and Ravenclaw remained stonily silent.
The boy shakily got off the stool, put down the hat, and stumbled toward the Slytherin table.
Edward decided that if he got into Slytherin, he would make friends with that poor boy.
"Black, Ruby!" McGonagall said next, frowning at the boy.
A black-haired girl marched out of the line, looking irritated. Edward noticed with surprise that she had rather pretty amber eyes, which was probably why she'd been named 'Ruby.'
As soon as the hat touched her head, it yelled, "GRIFFINDOR!"
Ruby grinned and put down the hat, then ran over to the cheering table. Slytherin booed -- except Onyx, who was looking faintly pleased now as well as terrified.
"Black, Topaz!"
Another boy emerged from the line. As he passed Edward, he caught his gaze. Edward knew at once that this boy was extremely intelligent, as his black eyes glittered with it.
The boy called Topaz nodded politely and went over to the hat.
"RAVENCLAW!" the hat bellowed as soon as it touched his head.
The Ravenclaw table burst into applause as Topaz returned the hat to the chair and strode off to it, nodding to Ruby as he passed her.
"Bones, Susan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Boot, Terry!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The boy put down the hat and rushed over to the Ravenclaw. Topaz scooted over to let him sit by him, but Terry gave him a pale look and ran to the end of the table. Edward felt a flash of indignancy.
Slowly the names passed, then reached the G's.
"Granger, Hermione!"
Hermione sped past Edward, making him stifle a chuckle, and almost jammed the hat on her head.
"GRIFFINDOR!" the hat bellowed. Ron groaned behind him, and Edward cast him a stern look.
What felt like a long time later, Neville Longbottom was sorted into Gryffindor. He accidentally ran off with the hat still on his head, and he ran back to the stool to gales of laughter.
Draco Malfoy swaggered up to the hat when it was his turn. The hat had barely touched his head when it bellowed, "SLYTHERIN!"
Edward applauded politely as the boy stalked off to the yelling table, smirking. There weren't many people left now.
"Moon...," "Parkinson...," a pair of twins, "Patil" and "Patil...," then "Perks, Sally-Anne...," and then, finally --
"Potter, Edward!"
Edward turned and gave a smile to Ron and Harry, ignoring the whispers that broke out suddenly around the Hall. Ron grinned, but his brother looked rather queasy.
He placed a hand briefly on Harry's shoulder before turning toward the hat.
The last thing he saw before the hat fell over his eyes was Harry's green face, Ron's eager look, and everyone scrambling to get a look at him. Edward held still, knowing how ridiculous he looked.
"Edward Potter," said a very leathery voice. "My my. You're going to be very hard to sort."
How so? Edward thought, not wanting to speak aloud.
"You are brave and good -- Griffindor qualities. You're hardworking and loyal -- Hufflepuff qualities. You have one of the most intelligent heads I've had the privilege to sit on, excluding Albus Dumbledore's -- a Ravenclaw quality. But you're also cunning and proud -- definitely Slytherin qualities. So where to put you?"
Edward was surprised. He'd thought the hat would instantly put him in Slytherin.
"Oh, yes, I concidered that, but then I saw the potential you would have in other houses." The hat suddenly laughed. "Oh, you already have House pride! Wanting to prove to your friends that Slytherin does not always produce Dark wizards! It seems you've decided where to go already!"
What? He had? Edward opened his mouth to protest -- Harry needed friends --
"SLYTHERIN!" the hat bellowed.