"Those are the names?" A slight tone of mockery was detected, "How come the school went with that?"
McGonagall stifled an amused sigh.
"Yes while they can be mouthfuls at times, the four founding figures had named themselves a house each, another reason for the specific quantity. They took it upon themselves to share their own unique traits and standpoints with each student under their care. The founding mothers and fathers: Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin, hand picked their students until they could not further."
"And that's where the sorting hat comes in."
"Precisely." The witch nodded.
"The sorting hat was enchanted by the founders to their specifications, ensuring the housing way for centuries after."
"Huh......yeah that would work I guess."
"Constantine we're here."
The monotone and dry voice of John's least favored Professor so far was heard.
"The Leaky Cauldron eyh?"
They stood on the concrete sidewalk before a curved-in little place.
Looked sorta like a shop...
The outside didn't look very big, the coloring dull and the wood with its paint scrapped and scratched.
The windows were foggy with a trace of smudged fingerprints on their exterior.
"Come now Mr. Constantine."
A warm hand to his shoulder nudged him along with his 'adult' company.
John blinked.
Sure, it looked like every other 2 star motel bar, dustish wooden and metal tables.
Dim lighting from the bulbs hanging at a moderately low height.
Only a few people occupying the area, either reading, eating or cleaning the place.
No
That's not what got John surprised.
It was the tea cup spoon stirring itself.
Now John, as an exorcist, demonologist and Master of the dark arts, it wasn't.....uncommon per say....for an object to take a hold of its orbiting gravity and proceed to ignore it completely.
Usually the cases he's worked on, the enemy in question, say a demon, would use a sort of telekinesis or a dark matter influencing the object or objects around them.
John's has trouble with that in the forms of chairs, tables, silverware, swords, lamps and other convenient items thrown his way.
John himself has had his body plucked up and flung like a schoolgirl's doll who's lost its use.
To floors, walls, ceilings and different dimensions apparently.
His limbs have squeezed, his stomach squished, his throat and neck choked, his heart clamped-
"It is a very simple use of magic that you'll come to learn fairly quickly my boy."
John looked up,
Dumbledore wasn't looking at the cup near a table's ledge as well.
He must've been staring....
"Well now! My colleagues are now requesting you a room and then we shall inform you of your new path."
John perked up, sensing there way a bit more to this.
"I'm going to be by myself?"
Confirmation and a bit of concern shown through the elder man's eyes.
"Only for a short while; in a few days a teacher or faculty member will come down and escort you for school supplies. After a few weeks time you'll leave for school."
"But.....what about the holidays....and after the school's year comes to a close?"
There was a small but noticeable frown to the man's lips.
Strangely enough the looked had a foreign appeal to his face.
His new headmaster seemed as the kind to smile as much as he could.
John could understand how one would want to smile and laugh often.....the world was a darker place then one should realize.
"I am sure that after much discussion with the Ministry and the Social Services, that we'll find either a decent or permanent solution."
John gulped
Social Services
No thanks.
"Here Mr. Constantine."
Both John and his future headmaster twisted their heads towards Professor McGonagall as she approached them.
A-quite-done-with-everything-Snape trailing shortly.
The witch held out a hand; within the grasp of the older, a key hung from tag.
"Here."
He wrapped his outrageously small digits around the key, bringing it to eye level for inspection moments that it was released into his care.
13a
John winced.
Damn.
'Course he'd get an unlucky number.
Majority of his whole situation-scratch that-his whole life-was just unlucky.
And here he thought that the blood of the Laughing Magicians meant something for once.
Heh. Nope.
"If we're quite done with taking our time with things-unlike some, others have tasks to accomplish other than this."
Odd how one could manage an audible and physical sneer within a single sentence.
Professor Snape has yet to disappoint.
"Of course Professor, I wouldn't want you to miss out on anything of importance!"
Dumbledore reassured his colleague with this odd tone of condescension.
Would've annoyed the shit outta John were it sent his way.
Snape merely gave an annoyed puff of air and turned away, taking off into a hall further down.
McGonagall shook her head as Dumbledore laughed freely.
And so they followed.
Again.
To John's relief it wasn't too far(down the hall, three lefts and a they're here), the wooden door painted a rusted shade of red, it's gold writing faded and scuffed.
They gave him room to walk up and push in his key, turning his wrist and the knob to his new current(and surely not for long) living situation with it.
Ight, Sorry for the late post-
Do tell me if my story has been even slightly entertaining!
From my ever evolving writing style or just the events unfolding-if one wishes-please! Tell me what ya think so far!
Personally I'm enjoying the progress myself(but of course that's biased), I'm certainly taking chapters slowly and with as much detail as I can manage, I'm a bit of a painter or so I've been told.
I have plans with this book!
Just watch me!