The Sorting
Vlad hopped off the carriage and on to the ground. He looked up at the castle. Hogwarts, he was finally here. He turned and started to dash up the stone steps and into the castle with Harry, Ron ,Hermione, and Neville. Vlad was soaked along with the other 4. Then a large red water balloon dropped on Ron's head and exploded. Ron almost fell into harry as a second water balloon dropped and landed on Vlad's head. Vlad looked up and saw a ghost holding water balloons and throwing them on people. Everyone in the fall shrieked and ran out."PEEVES!" yelled an angry voice that Vlad recognized as professor McGonagall's. "Peeves come down here at ONCE!" She ran out of the Great Hall and skidded on the wet floor. She grabbed Hermione's neck to stop herself from falling.
"Ouch, sorry miss Granger."
"That's alright professor." She managed to say.
"PEEVES get down here now." She shouted. Vlad was confused but he had to admit a little bit excited with the commotion. He thought that he was soaking before, now he felt like just jumped into a pool. He tried to ring out the bottom of his robes but slipped on the floor and fell right into Hermione.
"Are you okay?" she asked
"Just fine." He said smiling.
Professor McGonagall somehow managed to get Peeves to go away and ordered everyone into the hall.
"Wait," she said "Mr. Dracula you need to stay here with me for a bit. But, everyone else into the great hall, come on!" Vlad waved goodbye to the 4 and turned to professor McGonagall who was very wet now.
"Okay Mister Dracula. Since you still need to be sorted in your house, but is not a first year we will be sorting you first. Professor Dumbledore -he's the headmaster- will introduce you and explain the circumstances. Now you should just stay by me and I'll bring you up." Vlad nodding, but was kind of nervous. Ron said how all they do with the sorting was put a hat on your head, but wasn't sure if he could stomach everyone in the school staring at him. Also he was going first! It would have been much better if he went last.
After about minute or so Hagrid brought up the first years. All of them walked into the Great Hall and was brought up to the front. Apparently that is usually professor McGonagall's job, but since she was with Vlad she couldn't do it. She brought Vlad along the side of the room and told him to weight near the front of the room for when she calls him up.
Professor McGonagall placed a four legged stool in front of the first years and on top of it an old hat. Everyone in the room stared at it until a hole in the middle of it came open like a mouth and started to sing a song:
A thousand years or more ago
When I was newly sewn
There lived 4 wizards of renowned,
Whose names are still well known
Bold Gryffindor from wild moor,
Fair Ravenclaw from glen,
Sweet Hufflepuff from valley broad,
Shrewd Slytherin from fen
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,
They hatched a daring plan
To educate young sorcerers
Thus Hogwarts school began,
Now each of these four founders
Formed there own house, for each
did value different virtues
In the ones they had to teach,
By Gryffindor the bravest were,
prized far beyond the rest;
For Ravenclaw the cleverest,
would always be the best;
For Hufflepuff hard workers were,
most worthy of admission;
And power hungry Slytherin,
loved those of great ambition,
While still alive did they divide,
the favorites from the throng
Yet how to pick the worthy ones
When they were dead and gone?
'Twas Gryffindor who found the way
He whipped me off his head,
The founders put some brains in me,
So I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug about your ears,
I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your mind,
And tell where you belong!
Everyone in the hall started to applaud when the sorting hat finished it's song. It was only then that Vlad remembered he would be sorted first. Dumbledore stood up and started to tell everyone in the hall about Vlad. He explained how he just moved to England and all of that, but Vlad wasn't even listening. He stared at the sorting hat on the stool the whole time before he heard professor McGonagall announced his name.
Vlad walked up to the stool. He felt all eyes on him as he did so. He looked down at the hat picked it up, at on the stool and placed it on his head. He felt a strange sensation like something was squeezing itself in his head.
"Ah, yes that's it" The hat said inside his head. "You have much courage ,yes and a kind heart I see. Oh, and a secret a big secret."
"You can see that?" Vlad asked in his mind.
"Of course" the hat said "It's been quite a long time since a vampire roamed these halls." Vlad squirmed in his seat as the hat said his secret. "Don't worry" the hat said "I won't tell. Now you are ambitious. Yes, and you have a dark side you are yet to discover. It better be…"
"SLYTHERIN!" the hat shouted to the rest of the hall. Vlad looked around the table on the far left was clapping and cheering, but the rest of the hall was looked over at Ron, Hermione, and Harry. Both Ron and Harry were almost scowling at him, but Hermione just looked concerned. Vlad also noticed a pair of twins almost hissing at him. Vlad took off the hat and placed it on the stool and walked over to the Slytherin table. He sat down in an empty seat and the person next to him patted him on the back. The cheering died down and professor McGonagall continued to call names. Vlad looked up and realize who he was sitting across from. Draco Malfoy and his two cronies. Vlad ignored them and payed attention to the sorting.
The sorting finally had ended and the last kid (Evan Whitby) went into Hufflepuff. Professor Dumbledore got to his feet and said "I've only got two words to say to you" His deep voice radiating around the room. "Tuck in." Vlad heard both Harry and Ron say Hear, Hear before the empty plates magically filled themselves up with food. Vlad took his plate and started filling it. He loaded it with chicken wings, potatoes, peas, carrots, kidney pie, and pork chops. Vlad didn't realize how hungry he truly was before the food appeared.
"Someone's hungry I see." Draco sneered from across the table.
"Yes I am." Vlad said shoving some of the peas in his mouth. That comment obviously wasn't what Draco expected. Vlad wasn't going to let Draco get to him.
Vlad was finally starting to dry off. Vlad wasn't in a conversation with anyone. All of the Slytherins seemed to be avoiding him for some reason. He had a feeling that Draco told them to avoid him. Vlad had only been at Hogwarts for about 45 minutes and could already could tell that Draco was top dog there. He could also tell that everyone outside of Slytherin hated him. Draco definitely didn't come across very kind.
Soon the pies vanished off the plates and all the crumbs vanished. Albus Dumbledore stood up out of his chair. Vlad saw Draco and Crabbe -he learned his name in the course of conversation- snicker at each other. Everyone one in the Great Hall fell silent and Vlad could hear the rain again.
"So!" Dumbledore said while smiling at the whole hall. Vlad thought that he looked warm and kind. "Now that we are all fed and watered. I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices." Vlad kind of zoned out while Dumbledore finished the rest of the announcements. He heard him mention something about banned items. He also mentioned that quidditch was going to be canceled for the school year. Almost everyone gasped or was complaining. Draco made some snide comment to his friend, but Vlad just ignored him though.
"This," Dumbledore said. "Is due to an event that will be starting in October and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy- but I am sure you'll all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts-" Everyone was hanging on Dumbledore's words wanted to know what would be taking place at Hogwarts that year, but right then there was a loud rumble of thunder and the doors burst open.
A man stood in the doorway. He had a long staff in his hand. He was also wearing a dark traveling cloak. Everyone in the Hall turned to see him. He was suddenly lit up by a bolt of lightning flashing across the ceiling. He lowered his wet hood and started his way up to the table with all the teachers. The man had obviously been through a lot, for every inch of his skin seemed to be scarred. His mouth looked like a diagonal gash and a large part of the tip of his nose was missing. His eyes were even stranger. One of his eyes were small and normal, but the other one was perfectly round and the size of a coin. It also was a vivid blue eye was also spinning in the socket independently from the other one.
The man reached professor Dumbledore and they shook seemed though they also had private conversation with each other before the man sat down on Dumbledore's right side.
"May I introduce your new defense against the dark arts teacher," Dumbledore announced "Professor Moody." Vlad wasn't sure if new teachers were supposed to be greeted by an applause or not, but the only two that clapped Dumbledore and Hagrid.
"Mad-eye Moody" Malfoy sneered. "He can't teach us! He's scared of his own shadow now."
"What are you on about ?" Vlad asked.
"He's insane," Malfoy said leaning across the table "He used to be an auror, but now if someone looks him in the eye then he'll blow you up." Vlad really had no idea what Draco was talking about and he didn't want to ask what an auror was either.
Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued. "As I was saying. We are to have the honour of hosting a very special event that has not been hosted in over a century. It is my pleasure to inform you that the triwizard tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."
"You're JOKING!" Someone said loudly. Vlad turned around and saw it was a ginger haired boy sitting at the Gryffindor table. Part of a pair of twins. Nearly everyone- including Vlad- in the hall laughed at this except Malfoy and a few other Slytherins. Even professor Dumbledore chuckled and assured him that he was not joking.
"Where was I?" Dumbledore said. "Ah yes, the triwizard tournament… well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation and allow their attention to wander freely." Dumbledore went on to explain that 3 wizard schools in Europe all come together for a competition. Someone is selected from each school, and all three students compete. it was a tradition every 5 years until the death toll got too high and they had to discontinue it.
Vlad thought it would be fun to try until he heard the two words death and toll. Vlad was a bit alarmed that they were actually going to let students to this. But, his worry obviously wasn't shared by most of the room. Dumbledore explained how they had been working to make sure that no one would get in mortal danger, but he still felt a bit nervous about that.
"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their shortlisted contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place on Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the cup, the glory for their school, and 1000 galleon personal prize money." Dumbledore concluded.
"I'm going to get that cup." Malfoy whispered. "What about you, Dracula? You in it for the galleons? Of course my family doesn't need the money, unlike some."
"No," Vlad said "Dumbledore lost me at death toll. My dad would kill me if I came home dead." Vlad chuckled to himself. Technically he already was dead, but since Draco didn't know that he just looked at Vlad like he lost his marbles.
Dumbledore continued to talk about being nice to the foreign students and all of that stuff before saying it was bedtime. He also said that you have to be 17 to join the tournament anyways. A lot of people in the hall were mad, but Vlad didn't mind. Vlad wasn't sure where to go so he just followed Malfoy hoping he was actually going to bed and not sneaking of anywhere. They walked down a staircase to the dungeons and Malfoy said "Living Death" which Vlad was assuming was the password to get in because a part of a stone wall moved and revealed the common room. It was fairly dark and cold. It was lit up mostly green and silver. There were also many tapestries hanging on the walls showing former slytherins. Vlad wasn't sure where exactly to go.
"Draco," he asked as Draco turned to face him. "Where exactly are the rooms?"
"Right," he said "Your new. Just follow me." Draco led Vlad to a room. Draco opened the door and walked in. There were six four poster beds. All of them had green and silver hangings on them. "That one is yours." Malfoy said pointing to the bed nearest the door on the end. All of the other beds were occupied.
Crabbe and Goyle were also in the room. The two other people were Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini. Vlad pulled up his trunk and placed it on his bed to get out a pair of pajamas. He opened up his trunk and saw the bag of blood. He had completely forgotten about it. He looked up and everyone else in the room was unmaking their beds or getting on pajamas. Vlad took the blood bag and quickly shoved it under all the clothes. He could still smell it, but that was only because of his heightened senses. He pulled out a pair of pajamas and slipped them on. He tucked himself in bed and fell asleep thinking about the next day in classes.
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