Bab 8: Chapter 12: 1-2: Sorting
Disclaimer: Being neither British nor Japanese, it should therefore come as no surprise that I own neither Harry Potter nor Naruto, nor anything from their respective franchises.
Underlined text is from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorceror's Stone
It was true, Iruka reflected as he sat at the Head Table awaiting the students' arrival: Hogwarts' Great Hall was indeed more impressive on a feast night. The golden tableware glittered in the combined light of thousands of floating candles that thankfully managed to not drip wax everywhere. Above, the ceiling mirrored the glitter with its view of the clear night sky, unobstructed by clouds and undimmed by city lights. His fellow staff members were mostly quiet, unwilling or unable to break the anticipatory silence. While they waited, he thought back to earlier that evening.
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"Ah, Professor McGonagall, what can I do for you?" Iruka addressed the older witch as she approached him the afternoon of September First.
"You can call me Minerva, to begin with. We are, after all," she gave him a small but still friendly smile, "going to be colleagues. Other than that, it's more something you may wish to do for yourself. There are a great many traditions in the Wizarding World, quite a few of which are centered here at Hogwarts. One such tradition regards the arrival of new first-year students to the castle. While the rest of the student body is brought up to the school by carriage, the First Years take a more scenic path across the Black Lake. For almost every British witch and wizard, this is their first time seeing Hogwarts Castle in person, and is often a treasured memory. While you have obviously seen the castle already, I do feel that you should see Hogwarts as we all have, and would thus suggest that you accompany Hagrid down to Hogsmeade Station this evening, then return once the sun has set. Hagrid can show you the path to take, and how to use the boats, so that you might get the full experience."
Iruka had done as Minerva suggested, accompanying the towering gamekeeper down to Hogsmeade Station, discussing the arrangements and traditions surrounding the arrival of the students. The creatures harnessed to the carriages were somewhat disturbing in appearance but turned out to be quite gentle, as Hagrid explained at length about Thestrals while quite carefully not asking whose death he had witnessed, for which Iruka was quite thankful. Night fell quickly thanks to the surrounding mountains, and the chuunin bid the friendly juggernaut goodbye until the feast before following the path he'd been shown which the new First Years would be treading later that evening. The narrow path through the dense old forest rounded a bend and opened out suddenly onto the edge of the Black Lake, giving Iruka his second first look at Hogwarts Castle.
If he hadn't already seen the castle previously, he would have been totally awestruck at the view. Hogwarts Castle loomed as a colossal silhouette against the starry sky, sitting proudly atop its outcropping and overlooking the Black Lake, whose surface reflected the castle and enhanced the sight further. Lights shone from every window in the castle, making the nearly-empty castle look full of life and activity. A patriot he may have been, but Iruka could honestly say he had never seen a structure look as beautiful, majestic, and inviting as the school before him. He could only imagine being eleven years old, nervous and excited, far from home and family for the first time, and having this be the first sight of one's new school.
Many people he'd spoken with seemed to regard Hogwarts as much more than merely a school, more than just a place you went to learn and prepare for your eventual career. Konoha's Shinobi Academy was just that - a pragmatic, utilitarian school training children for a career as ninja. Very few of his comrades or former students showed any nostalgic sentiment towards the Academy itself, focusing instead on their youth, innocence, families, and friendships. Hogwarts, though - Hogwarts held a dear place in the hearts of so many, and Iruka was beginning to understand why. It wasn't just a school; it was a work of art, a cultural treasure, a thousand-year accumulation of history, heritage, and tradition. One could well say that the heart of Wizarding Britain was the castle he was now gazing up at.
Shaking himself from his reverie, Iruka made sure to firmly commit the sight to memory (perhaps Ino could show some of the others when he got home?) and climbed into one of the small boats. Two quick taps on the stern sent the boat gliding across the smooth surface of the Black Lake, leaving its passenger to continue looking at the shining castle above him. Eventually, the boat arrived at its destination, a shingle beach in a cave at the base of the cliff. Iruka climbed out and sent the boat back with three swift taps on the prow, before ascending the stairs and returning to the front doors of the castle, only to find a smiling Minerva McGonagall waiting for him.
"Enjoyed the view, I trust?" There was definitely a hint of smug smirk in her smile now, but he decided it was deserved in this case. He gave her a happy nod in return, and the two headed together for the Great Hall as Iruka related his earlier epiphany.
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Soon enough the chuunin's reminiscence was interrupted by the babble of scores of excited young voices, heralding the arrival of the second-through-seventh-year students. The children poured into the Great Hall in a tide of black robes trimmed in red, blue, yellow, and green. Quite a few looked up to scan the Head Table before returning to conversations that included subtle (by their standards) indications towards Iruka and Professor Quirrell. He caught a glimpse of one Weasley Twin elbowing the other and excitedly pointing him out, to which he responded with a smile that clearly said 'Surprised, boys?', evoking laughing grins from the two. Iruka continued to watch as the students took seats, leaving gaps for anticipated first years or for ghosts that had already claimed seats; Gryffindor in red to the left, farthest from the door, followed by Ravenclaw in blue, Hufflepuff in yellow, and Slytherin in green adjacent to the door. By and large the students were loud and boisterous, unsurprising given how long they'd just spent sitting cooped up on a train, though even on such a carefree occasion there were definite divisions between the Houses, with very few students speaking with anyone wearing different trim. All the while, Professor Babbling was living up to her name somewhat, pointing out to him various students of note as they caught her eye.
Eventually the flood of students slowed to a trickle, and Iruka watched as Minerva stepped out into the Entrance Hall, closing the double doors behind her. Minutes later came the muffled booms of three firm knocks on the main doors of the castle, soon followed by Hagrid slipping into the Great Hall and reclosing the doors before hustling to his seat at the far left end of the Head Table. The doors were thrown open once more to admit the Deputy Headmistress leading a line of frightened-looking eleven-year-olds up to the front of the Great Hall, standing on the raised platform that held the Head Table but between the students and faculty. She then set a short three-legged stool directly in front of the Headmaster's seat, and placed upon it a hat that, while ragged, was still in admirable condition for being nearly a thousand years old.
The past seventeen months may have numbed Iruka significantly to the strangeness of this world, but a singing hat was still bizarre (and somewhat off-key). Still, he applauded with everyone else after the song, and watched the sorting proceed, directing his most reassuring smile towards the nervous firsties. As each child was called up, he made sure to memorize their face and name. Several surnames were familiar as being possible relatives of important figures or accused Death Eaters. Iruka chuckled along with everyone else when Neville Longbottom nearly took the Sorting Hat to Gryffindor with him, and watched as it barely touched the slicked-back hair of Draco Malfoy before sending him to Slytherin. A pair of darker-skinned identical twin girls somewhat surprisingly ended up split between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, and soon afterwards came a name to which the whole of the Great Hall reacted.
"Potter, Harry!"
Iruka had heard about Harry Potter, when learning about the Blood War ten years back. There had been much speculation about how the so-called "Boy-Who-Lived" had supposedly overcome this world's equivalent of an S-rank criminal at the age of fifteen months. Xeno and Pandora suspected, and Iruka agreed, that it was far more likely something done by the boy's parents, especially his mother who was found between his crib and the empty robes of Voldemort, unarmed and having seemingly died without a fight. A living baby made a better hero for the story than a dead adult, however, and when combined with the still-endemic prejudice against those of non-magical descent, any potential contribution by Lily Potter was swept aside and credit given to her son. Even ten years later, in spite of being almost totally unseen by British magicals in that time, he was still one of their biggest celebrities. His story was almost like a cross between Naruto's and Sasuke's, orphaned as a baby when his parents gave their lives to save his and others', but then heaped with popular adulation. Iruka hoped to see the young Potter in his class, since both his parents and the men whose stories paralleled his were immensely talented, suggesting the possibility of a child with tremendous potential.
Harry Potter himself was largely as he'd been described: Messy black hair (apparently inherited from his father), brilliant emerald eyes (from his mother), round spectacles, and a jagged scar on his forehead (from his would-be murderer). He was also one of the shortest among the first-years, though given the fact that some were nearly a year his senior that wasn't too surprising, with sharp cheekbones suggesting a thin, wiry build. For someone that many hailed as a great warrior of light (despite being eleven years old) and about whom so much had been written, the boy's bearing showed him to be one of the most nervous of his peers. After one of the longest stays under the hat that night, the child was sent to Gryffindor table, which burst into celebration (including Fred and George chanting "We got Potter!") and welcomed him enthusiastically. While Harry was smiling, Iruka noted that he was clearly uncomfortable with the attention, and subtly flinched when his new housemates patted him on the back or head or grabbed his hand to shake. The chuunin teacher's eyes narrowed slightly as he put together several facts he'd seen, and he resolved to keep a close eye on Mister Potter to determine whether he was just seeing things that weren't there, or if the child's background paralleled Naruto's in a darker fashion.
The Sorting continued, and Iruka watched the youngest male Weasley joining his brothers in Gryffindor before Blaise Zabini's journey to Slytherin concluded the event. Minerva rolled up her list and carried away the stool and Hat as Headmaster Dumbledore stood, smiling benevolently down at his students before speaking. "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! Thank you!" The Headmaster sat as food appeared on platters and in bowls up and down every table. Iruka noted a few dishes from home scattered around each table, taking several pieces from a large plate of tempura to his left. He had provided the castle's house-elves with a book of Japanese recipes (language wasn't the only thing Japan had in common with the Elemental Nations) so that he could have at least an occasional taste of home while at the castle. Now it would seem that they had decided to provide such dishes not just to him but for everyone to try.
Dinner passed in a dull roar of conversation; Iruka made sure to explain the unfamiliar foods to those around him. Babs was, unsurprisingly, cheerful and enthusiastic about trying them, and clearly found shrimp tempura to her liking. The Headmaster was using his wand to levitate at least a bit of each new dish onto his own plate. Professor Snape simply sneered at a nearby dish of edamame as if it had somehow offended him before turning back to his conversation with Professor Quirrell, who simply seemed amused. Overall, the tempura, tonkatsu, and kaarage seemed to be the most well-received of the night's offerings, likely due to the British fondness for fried food.
Eventually, after a massive spread of desserts, the tables were emptied of food and the Headmaster stood once more. The first few start-of-term announcements were clearly routine: No magic in the corridors, the Forbidden Forest is called that for a reason, Quidditch trials second week of term. He then motioned to Professor Quirrell. "We are pleased to welcome Professor Quirinus Quirrell back from his travels. Professor Burbage will remain teaching Muggle Studies, while Professor Quirrell will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts." The turbaned man briefly stood and gave a trembling bow as the students applauded. "Also, joining us this year we have a visiting scholar. Adjunct Professor Iruka Umino will be teaching an extracurricular class on the Sealing Arts, a form of magic unique to his homeland. As this is likely something completely unfamiliar to you, he will be demonstrating his art after dinner tomorrow night in the Great Hall. Additionally, if there is sufficient student interest, he will also be teaching those who wish to learn the Japanese language; sign-up sheets for both classes are on your House notice boards."
"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."
Iruka fought to keep his face carefully blank at that, even though inside he was wearing a scowl to match that on Minerva's face. That announcement was phrased so badly, it was practically an invitation for foolhardy teens to investigate the mysterious danger.
The evening ended on a somewhat lighter note, or at least a cacophonous jumble of them, with a chaotic rendition of the school song before the students filed out to seek their rest for the night. Classes would be starting tomorrow morning, after all.
A/N: Yeah, Dumbledore does what Dumbledore wants, for the most part.
The whole section with Iruka imitating the firsties' path into the castle came to me when writing this chapter, and I just couldn't not do it.
In response to a guest review: Yes, I could have Dumbledore become more callous and manipulative after Iruka becomes too indispensable to kick out, but that honestly doesn't particularly fit the story I'm trying to tell.
Fic Recommendation: "A Brother's Love" by LateVMlover - The first in a whole set of short fics (overall set is still ongoing) where Clint Barton finds out that he's got younger half-sisters, currently living in Sunnydale, CA... It's an Avengers/Buffyverse cross focusing heavily on character arcs rather than action.
Posted 24 September, 2017
Status Power Mingguan
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