Potterlock - The Magical Deductions

The Great Feast (The Sorting Hat cont.)

John Watson was welcomed with claps on the back and shaking of hands and the "Welcome to Gryffindor!" echoing around him. A few other first years sat next to him on his left, so he introduced himself, and it instantly seemed like he had more friends here than he had ever had back home. This, it felt, was where he belonged. 

Everyone was quiet again, and John watched in awe as the boy with unruly black curls and piercing blue eyes defied the sorting hat completely. When Ravenclaw was finally chosen, and everything was quiet again, John just sat aghast, thinking about the boy. How could someone be so blunt?

"Irene Adler!" Mcgonagall called, and John watched as a beautiful girl with shining black hair and a devilish smile sat down and before the hat even touched her head, it yelled, "Slytherin!"

Too bad, John thought. She was pretty.

Again, another name. Only about ten children still remained now. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor - he greeted the smiling girl called Sarah with a hand shake - Slytherin, Hufflepuff.

The last boy was called up. "James Moriarty!" He had a smug grin on his face with shaggy black hair that contradicted his pristine robes. When he sat on the stool, the sorting hat was still inches above his head before shouting, "Slytherin!"

Then the hall burst into applause and shouting and cheering and chattering since the ceremony was over. The headmaster gave his speech, explaining rules and welcoming the new students, and then food appeared on the plates before them. John, surprised at first, quickly dug in, chatting it up with the people all around him.

"We'll get you a proper tie," one of the older boys said. "And a good broom!" another interjected. "You'll need a scarf, for when it gets cold." one of the girls reminded them. "And don't forget your honorary house pride flags! For cheering on at the quidditch matches!"

At this last statement, a boy to John's left punched the other lightly in the arm. "You kiddin'? Look at this kid - he's gonna be a star player! He won't be in the stands!" he exclaimed. John grinned and blushed at the statement. He had no idea what quidditch was, but he gathered it was a sport, and quickly decided he wanted to try out as soon as possible.

John came from a muggle family, and a lot of things weren't making sense. But through most of the meal, he just grinned and nodded and talking to people like he knew exactly what he was doing. Then he remembered.

Swinging his legs around the bench, John looked around the Ravenclaw table and found the black-haired boy, Sherlock, sitting with his back to him just a few people away. John tapped him on the shoulder.

Sherlock turned abruptly, a questioning eyebrow raised. "Yes? What do you want?"

John extended his hand. "I'm-"

"John Watson, yes. Muggleborn, judging by your robes. Got a brother, three years older, placed in Hufflepuff. You're not that close, though, but that's not that important. You're father loves his alcohol, and your mother- well, she cared for you most of the time. You have no idea what is going on at this school because you've never seen anything of the likes, and you certainly wouldn't have heard it from your brother. I get that - I've got a brother, nasty, hate him. Did I miss anything?"

John just stared. And stared. And stared.

"Sister." he said quietly.

"What was that?"

"I've got a sister, not a brother."

Sherlock snapped his fingers. "Always miss something, always..." he started to turn back around. "Did you need anything?"

"I was... just going to say..." John was at a loss for words. "You were sort of brilliant- up there, and now. No, not sort of, fantastically brilliant!" he exclaimed, regaining his grin. Sherlock felt the blush rise in his cheeks.

"I - ok." he said simply, a little taken aback.

"What? Did I say something?"

"No, people just don't normally react like that."

"How do they react?"

Sherlock smiled. "A punch in the face normally suffices." he holds out his hand. "Sherlock Holmes. Nice to meet you."

John takes it. "John Watson - though you already know that."