Luck of Nines

20

Chaos filled the dining hall as the fires finally popped and fizzled out leaving not even ashes behind. The professors were almost uniformly silent and stock still, the handful of unsorted students that were shifting nervously, uncomfortable and uncertain of what would happen next as they stood in the entry. The older students just about rioted.

        "Silence!" The call echoed about the Hall, it's voice filled with power. The students froze like mice trapped trembling between the paws of a particularly cruel cat. The candles blew out as the sound wave rushed past them. The sky flickered with a crack of lightening and thunder to punctuate it. For on brief moment even, 'Harry' wondered if he had done the best thing for that situation before he realized the odds of him facing that wrathful power were still the same as before.

        People lied, it was far from entirely impossible that talking hats did too.

         This way, if he did end up being confronted by that aging power, he would be on better footing. The old headmaster would not know the deepest secrets that lingered in his head, nor the plots he had orchestrated, nor the growing power that 'Harry' himself held. No, this was safer. The headmaster was thought of as very biased by the compartment he had eavesdropped on, if he simply claimed accidental magic, not directly of course, he might get away with it.

        If he was discovered that was.

        The candles swept back to life and 'Harry' joined the others in looking shocked, although notably less so. He joined the small group of those that for the longest time had simply stared at the burning hat in stunned stillness, and now copied their actions of speaking in a quiet stunned voice.

         "That is enough." Headmaster Dumbeldore's voice still held much power, "It seems the sorting hat has come to an unexpected end after centuries of use. Whether by a prank gone wrong or something much fouler it remains to be seen." The remains of the hat were levitated up from the ground, "For this reason I am afraid that I must ask for the students who have been sorted to leave to their dorms, food will be served there, Mr. Harry Potter, if you would remain for a moment longer." The Hall slowly cleared out, Dumbledore whispering something to some of the nearby staff members as he waited, Mcgonagall and one other left the hall, the hat's remains floating after.

      With a nod to one of the staff members he spoke again,"Those who have yet to been sorted, will you please follow Professor Sprout, she will take you to where you may stay for the night. Mr. Albert Quackenbush, if you would please also remain for a moment longer we can get all this dreadful mess cleared up."

       The remaining students filed out after a female professor, leaving only 'Harry' and Albert behind.

        "Now then Harry, Quackenbush, I'm sure you both understand the gravity of this situation, the two of you were the last students to come into contact with the hat, a treasured heirloom of Hogwarts' founder Godric Gryffindor, the only other person being the deputy headmaster herself."

        "Yes sir." 'Harry' stared back at the spot the hat had been, wide eyed, his hands griping tightly to his arms as if hugging himself, he hadn't moved from where he sat. "What if... what if somebody had been wearing it, sir...?"  Albert whimpered as if the realization just struck him. Likely, he hadn't considered it, too worried over potentially getting in trouble and blamed for destroying a priceless artifact.

        "Now, now, my boy what's done is done, but it is critical if you tell me now, if there was anything at all strange that you can remember."

        "Just... just before it was set on my head, I heard this gurgling crackling sound, like the Wizarding Wireless Network when it's experiencing difficulties... and then there was this high-pitched noise that sort of transitioned into the scream." Albert said. Dumbledore made a humming noise and 'Harry' promptly forced his head to jerk upwards, blinking.