4 Chapter 4- The Sort-of Great Hall

As if summoned by the mention of their house three students open the door to the compartment, two bulky troll-looking thugs standing behind a boy with pale blonde hair and the face of a ferret.

"They're saying all down the train that Jasmine Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?" The ferret spoke, looking across at the green-eyed girl, who looked uncomfortable with his presence. Taking her silence for affirmation he gestured behind him, "This is Crabbe and Goyle," he introduced with little interest. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Remembering Rigel's earlier joke about a certain British spy, Jasmine sniggered, causing the boy's face to tighten. Ron had sniggered as well, though perhaps for another reason Rigel observed. "Think my name's funny, do you?" he questioned the Weasley, "No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."

Taking a deep breath and straightening his posture Malfoy peacocked, turning to Jasmine, "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

Seeing the famous introduction Rigel watched amused, though Corvin began to make a noise like a laugh watching the ludicrous performance of the ferret child. Turning to the bird's owner, he asks, having dropped his offered hand in embarrassment, "And who are you?"

"I, heir Malfoy, am Rigel Sirius Black, heir to the House of Black. A pleasure to make your acquaintance," the boy said standing from his seat, quite a bit taller than the blonde boy.

Looking at Rigel's heir ring, Draco gulped nervously. "I apologise for my rudeness heir Black," he said, performing his role as a noble with practised posture. "I'm glad to make your acquaintance."

Malfoy turned to Jasmine, though this time remarkably more formal and less condescending, "I hope we can get along at Hogwarts Miss Potter." With that, he and his goons left, returning to whichever compartment they'd emptied to come persuade Potter with the subtlety of a charging rhinoceros.

The two boys left the compartment, allowing Jasmine to change, then switched, getting dressed only minutes before the train stopped at Hogwarts Station. As the announcement of their arrival sounded, alerting passengers to leave their luggage on the train, Rigel leaned closer to Jasmine. Whispering so Ron wouldn't hear, not that the snack-devouring boy was watching them, "I read about some potions that can provide nourishment for those who suffered long-term starvation, as well as healing potions. Perhaps you could ask the school nurse to provide you with some, just so your body and magic aren't affected due to your circumstances, whatever they were." The girl didn't say anything, but she nodded her head, glad for the information and that he had been discreet about it.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Jasmine?" Seeing the half-giant was a truly wondrous experience for Rigel, who'd never seen a person as tall and wide as Hagrid. The movies were close in resemblance, capturing the man's wild bushy hair, but failed to capture the truly immense size of the man. Nearly 12 feet tall, the groundskeeper was truly gigantic. The giant then led the group of tiny first-years into boats, enchanted to guide them smoothly across the lake.

A sudden wake was followed by the enormous tentacle of the giant squid, which flailed in the air for a bit, and then crashed back into the water, spraying the trapped students in freezing water.

Slyly retrieving his wand from its sheathe, Rigel muttered a drying charm, before quickly storing away his wand leaving none the wiser. Gazing up at the ancient castle glowing in candlelight and reflecting off the water among the stars, Rigel and the others were struck by its presence, its beauty. 'It's like seeing a postcard versus physically experiencing the real thing.'

Reaching the underground docks, the first-year students were then escorted through a passageway and up a set of stairs, walking for what appeared to be almost ten minutes passing by animated and incredibly detailed statues and woodwork. Painted portraits gossiping and appraising the latest group of students, taking bets on the sorting results. Pushing through another ludicrously large door, taller even than four Hagrids stacked atop one another. Behind the now open doors, stood a stern-faced witch in emerald green robes, peering down at us from her position near the Great Hall's entrance.

"The firs' years, this here is Professor McGonagall."

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here," she said, before welcoming the students to Hogwarts, explaining the houses and the house point system, biased as it was. After she had finished her speech she turned around, pivoting on her feet and opening the doors, of a similar size to those before, with her wand, leading the group into the Great Hall.

Brightly lit stone canvased with banners of the four houses, red, blue, yellow and green, with floating candles and even faster-floating ghosts. The ceiling, as Hermione was pointing out to another student, who she apparently thought was blind, was enchanted to look like the night sky above, some form of recording device worked into the astronomy tower to provide a live video feed. Stood between the tables of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, which formed the two centre tables, unlike in the films, the first years stood patiently, if nervously, as McGonagall brought out a stool and the accursed sorting hat.

Covering his ears in preparation, Rigel was spared the atrocity that was the singing of the hat, and watching the grimaces of his peers, he had been smart to do so. Unfurling a parchment scroll, listing the names of the students, McGonagall begins the sorting. "Abbott, Hannah!" A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, far too big for a girl of her size, and sat down. After a moment's pause, the hat shouted for all the hall to hear, "HUFFLEPUFF!" Rigel could see the Fat Friar waving merrily to the girl, ecstatic to have new members in his house.

I could see a flash of hesitation as McGonagall looked from the scroll to Dumbledore before calling the name aloud, "Black, Rigel" Slipping through the other children, Rigel strode calmly to the stool, careful not to meet Dumbledore's eyes, instead glancing over the other professors and students, equally flummoxed as McGonagall. Taking a seat and placing the hat on his head the boy felt scenes flash before his eyes, of his admittance of ambition, his time spent reading and studying after his mother's passing. He panicked however when he saw himself standing up against bullies in his old life, beating the bastards into the concrete.

"Astounding," a voice the boy believed to be the hats spoke quietly in his head. "To be brought from one life to the next is the goal of many famous wizards and witches over the millennia. Do not fret child, I am unable to speak about anything I hear or see during the sorting, even to Dumbledore." The words of the hat, should they be true, brought relief to the boy, his breathing relaxed again after the sudden spike in heart rate. "Very ambitious, to become the greatest wizard, brighter than all before you, and cunning enough to recognise that not only will Slytherin make you a target, but also limit the trust and relationship you can build with students from the other houses." Pausing as he considers the boy's plan, the young wizard feels what he can approximate as a mental shrug from the hat. "If you want to be in Gryffindor, I will allow it, as I must take your wishes into account."

"GRYFFINDOR!" Cheers came from the table of red, though Slytherin looked disappointed at having lost the heir to a noble family. Rigel then sat down at the table, watching as everything went exactly as it had in canon, and although he now had to deal with Granger glaring at him from across the table, he was more confident as he waited.

"Potter, Jasmine." The scrawny girl looked like she was panicking, fists clenched and eyeing the door. 'I hope my impact, and the change in universe doesn't put her somewhere weird like Slytherin. I explained why she shouldn't go there, so I should be fine in that regard, but I can't help but get nervous.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Again, the boy's table roared in cheers and applause, the twin Weasleys chanting as they celebrated.

"We got Potter! We got Potter!" McGonagall had to silence the room herself, though there were traces of a smile upon her lips as she did so. Jasmine sat next to her train companion, and the two of them waited as the rest of the students were sorted into their positions. Ron joined his family at Gryffindor, sitting on the other side of Jasmine and complaining about his growling stomach.

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet, beaming at the students with his arms opened wide as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there. "Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

"Is he mad?" Jasmine asked, unsure how to view the old but allegedly powerful wizard. Percy responded to her question, however failed to actually address the question really.

"He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes?"

Rigel assists with the explantation, addressing the headmaster's sudden choice of nonsense words. "I heard that the words he said were the names of some of the house elves that work here at Hogwarts. There's no way even Dumbledore can cook or summon all this food windlessly."

"House elves?" Hermione asks, suddenly interested by the introduction of a new magical creature.

"Small, magical humanoids that feed off of the residual magic of wizards and witches. They don't need a wand to perform their own style of magic, and are powerful in their own right, however choose to work for wizards in exchange for their magic."

"Why would they willingly choose to work for wizards, just for some magic?" Jasmine asked, equally curious.

"Because they cannot absorb magic from the world as we and other magical creatures do, and are forced to live as parasites in order to gain access to magic. Without a master, or House they serve, the elves fall ill, in both body and mind, aging quickly and losing access to their magic abilities."

"Fascinating," Hermione and Jasmine said.

"It's sad they cant absorb magic themselves though," Hermione added, taking a forkful of potato and munching on it.

"It's sad that so much of the world cannot wield magic, and that wizards must hide magic from those who cannot, lest risking another war or rampant witch trials, preventing us from solving global issues. In contrast, the plight of parasitic lifeforms seems mild." Hermione glared at the boy yet again.

"Are you saying the world would be better without muggles?"

"Of course not, I was raised in a muggle orphanage until this year, and understand the benefits and experiences that world brings. I was implying that it was a shame all people couldn't wield magic, not planning a genocide," the boy hissed at her, several of the older students including the prefect Percy now looking at the girl reproachingly. Ignoring the embarrassed girl, Rigel takes pieces of meat and pasta, avoiding all vegetables other than potato like someone had spat in them.

Unfortunately, just as many fan fictions had explained before, pumpkin juice was absolutely revolting. "Tweak," he said quietly, an audible pop sound alerting him to the invisible house elf's presence. "Could I get a cup of fruit juice from now on, apple, pear or orange from now on?" A click sound followed, and his cup which had been filled with a somewhat viscous orange sludge, was now a clear yellow liquid that smelled like apples. "Thank you, Tweak."

Jasmine and Ron looked at him like he had sprouted chainsaws for hands, apparently surprised he was able to request assistance from the house elves. Luckily saved from explaining the role of the elves again due to Nearly Headless Nick arriving, Rigel continued feasting on a chicken alfredo, something he was certain wasn't listed in the books, but he was glad to see.

After a conversation about family, during dessert with other nearby first years such as Seamus and Neville, Rigel was relieved to find the meal ending, having been ignoring Snape's glare most of the way through the meals, as he shifted his gaze from Jasmine to me then back, glaring non-stop.

Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent. "Ahem. Just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. First-years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the snickering Weasley twins. "I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

"Well, that's not creepy and morbid," Rigel said, his words practically oozing sarcasm, rewarded with a few laughs from around him.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Rigel noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather stiff. Summoning a large scroll listing the dreadful lyrics, Dumbledore called out, "Everyone pick their favourite tune." Like last time, Rigel covered his ears as a cacophony of different tones, volumes and rhythms rang out through the room, predominantly from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor unfortunately. Mercifully spared the audible torment of the school song, the boy waited for Dumbledore's release. "Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

"He really is barmy," Ron said getting up to follow Percy up to Gryffindor Tower. Making their way up multiple marble staircases the entire group of weary first-years were glad when they arrived in front of the fat lady.

"Caput Draconis," Percy said, causing the portrait/door to swing open, revealing possibly the most atrocious sight Rigel had ever laid eyes upon. Red and gold covered everything in the room, from the floors to the ceiling, furniture included, all bearing the lion emblem.

"Yuck," the boy comments drawing a few nods from those around him. "Can we redecorate somewhat? I doubt the other dorms are as vile as this."

"This dorm has been like this for decades and will remain as such until Professor McGonagall decides to alter the design again," Percy retorted, somewhat annoyed a child didn't appreciate the glorious splendour of Gryffindor Tower. "Girls you are up the staircase and to the left, the boys to the right. Boys, do not make the mistake of attempting to sneak into the girl's dorms, as the tower is charmed and warded, and the punishments will be…severe."

Taking the position Harry would have taken, next to a window in the 5-bed dorm room, Rigel sets up his bird perch for Corvin and unpacks his luggage, falling asleep almost immediately after. He'd done this hoping to reach the realm of Hypnos before Ron went to bed, as both books and films had described Ron as a heavy snorer, so bad that Harry had considered suffocating him with a pillow. Eyes closing, the young wizard was thinking about the classes they'd take. 'I hope the classes are more fun than they're made out to be.'