Hi Hogwarts! I'm Dead!

First Week FUN!

Harry

We watched as the first years were stored, but the exchange students weren't with them. After the last boy was put in Slytherin, Professor McGonagall stood at the podium thing and spoke up.

"Now, this year we have some exchange students from America, where there are 9 years instead of 7. So they will be joining our returning class of 7th years. Alderman, Hearthstone!" 9 years? I've never heard of that before. I'll have to ask Hermione about it later.

Every student turned their heads as the door of the Great Hall opened, and Hearthstone walked out. He was the deaf one, I remembered, from the train. He still wore his oddly colored scarf around his robes, as he walked defiantly toward the stool.

He sat down and faced the door again, where I saw his best friend Blitzen give him a thumbs up. Then the hat was lowered onto his head. After a second, he leaped into the air and made very frantic and quick signs with his hands. 

I wondered along with everyone else in the hall what had happened, and why he'd gotten so scared. Then it occurred to me that his world was quiet, all the time. The hat must have spoken to him in his mind and he freaked out. I would have freaked out too.

Then he seemed to relax, and after about a minute the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" and he came to sit down with us. He was slightly more pale than usual and had tear marks on his face, but a slight smile that told us he was probably going to be fine.

Next was Blitzen, but for some reason, he didn't have a last name. He walked down the aisle, glaring at the hat like he had some personal grudge against it. It took less time until the hat screamed "RAVENCLAW!" and he walked down to sit next to Luna, who was spaced out as she always was when she was supposed to be paying attention.

"Chase, Magnus!" As the sunny kid walked up to the stool, I saw a lot of the girls in the room grin stupidly at him, but he didn't seem to notice. Ugg why him? But It'll be fun to watch that drama unfold.

He reached the stool but as soon as the hat touched his head it asked, "Is this a joke?" just loud enough for everyone to hear it.

The whole school stared at the hat and Magnus, who was gripping the edge of the stool. After a minute or two of confusion and looks from Ron and Hermione, the hat screamed "HUFFLEPUFF!" and Magnus went and sat down at the Hufflepuff table, looking nervous but happy as many people from his new house shook hands with him.

"Keen, Mallory!" 

Mallory walked up, scowling as if she would rather be anywhere else in the world. She sat down on the stool, and after a while, it shouted "Gryffindor". As she came to sit down with us, I noticed Blitz and Hearth subtly signing to each other from their tables.

I smiled. It was like passing notes, but better. Literally so smart.

After Mallory was Halfborn, who grinned at Mallory as she elbowed a guy a faintly remembered getting knocked out in the battle of Hogwarts last year, who was getting way too close to her.

Halfborn was also sorted into Gryffindor, and with a smile as wide as the lake he sat down next to Malloy, who scoffed and looked away. That didn't mean her blush was any less noticeable.

"Chase, Annabeth!"

Annabeth walked through the doors confidently, head up high. A lot of boys grinned at her, winked at her, but when someone from our table whistled, she glared at them and they instantly shut up. When the hat was placed on her head, she sat straighter, like Hermione when she knew the answer to a question.

Magnus signed something to Hearth from across the room and he chuckled softly. Hermione asked what he had said, and Hearth looked at her incredulously until she realized what she'd asked and blushed furiously. He couldn't answer her unless she knew sign language. She tried apologizing a few times, but Hearth just shook his head and quickly brushed it off.