The Seeker In Red

Chapter 6 (Book 1)

They were waiting in a big corridor, right in front of enormous door, that was hushing what must have been a thousand voices. The students were whispering to each other, looking around, making new friends. Both Max and Lando were quiet, taking in the gothic architecture of the castle. ,,I like the style." Max said. ,,Really? I would prefer something modern." Lando replied. ,,Beauty is in the eye of the holder." Max shrugged. ,,I would think that you will be sick of this, growing up in the Verstappen Manor and all that." Lando continued. ,,I like it. It is more detailed and it is more eye-catching than the simple modern style." Max explained. Lando only rolled his eyes.
,,Hello." A Spanish voice interrupted the chatter. ,,Welcome to Hogwarts. My name is Fernando Alonso. I will be your astronomy teacher." He smiled. ,,In just a few minutes, we will start the Sorting ceremony, where you will be sorted into your houses." ,,Uhm.. excuse me?" someone's voice was heard. ,,How will we be sorted?" the voice continued. Before Alonso had the chance to respond, another voice chimed in: ,,Is it going to be an exam?" Alonso chuckled and shook his head. ,,No, no. niños. There will be a magic hat that will sort you into the houses." He explained. ,,Now lets go inside, everybody is already waiting for us."
The enormous door opened, revealing even bigger room inside, full of students, whose voices were not restrained by the door anymore. ,,Whoa." Lando gasped. ,,Do you see the ceiling?" he asked. ,,I do." Max answered. It was spectacular. It was enchanted to display a sky, the dark sky that was the perfect background for the almost full moon, the constellations of the stars and a very few clouds. When they finally teared their gazes of the ceiling, they looked around the room. It had four long tables, each had the tablecloth of different colour. Starting from the left, it was blue, like the sky. The table next to it was yellow. From the other side, the table on the right was green. ,,Slytherin." Max whispered. ,,And that's Gryffindor." Lando pointed at the table in between the green and yellow one. Max nodded and continued his search for Daniel, only to find him already looking at him, beaming, giving him thumbs up. Then they stopped, right in front of the teachers.
There was a chair on a podium, with an ugly looking hat. It looked worn out, like it was worn for centuries. ,,What is that thing?" Lando asked. ,, It is the sorting hat." Max whispered. Everybody was quiet, holding their breaths. And then, the hat moved. It jumped to life, and something close to a face seemed to appear in its folds. It started singing, the voice nowhere near being like its appearance.
,,Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
,,That was... something." Max muttered, and Lando nodded. Alonso coughed. ,,Now, I will call out your names, and you will come here, sit on this chair." He explained and summoned a Pargament, probably full of names and read: ,,Alex Albon!" A tall, Asian looking boy stepped out and walked towards the chair. Alonso smiled at him and he picked up the hat. Alex sat on the chair, his eyes fixed on the floor, before they found a boy in the crowd, who gave him thumbs up. He smiled, and then the hat was on his head. He was silent for a second, before he screamed: ,,Hufflepuff !" and the blue table started clapping. After that, the boy sat down at the table, and Alonso called another name, this time going to Hufflepuff.
The kids gone and went, all being sorted into their houses. It was quite a while until a familiar face stood up. ,,Pierre Gasly!" Alonso called. The boy that was standing next to Charles (and was there during the confrontation in the train) stood up and walked towards the chair. It didn't take long for the hat to scream: ,,Gryffindor!" and Pierre to walk to the red table. Max rolled his eyes and looked at Charles. Charles was smiling, looking at his friend? Another person was called, but Max had barely registered it, he was too busy looking at Charles.
Sooner, rather than later, Charles' name was called. You could hear the whispers. Charles looked confident even through his walk to that chair. Max stared at him, his eyes following his every move. The hat sat on his head for a second before it screamed: ,,Gryffindor!" Max rolled his eyes. Charles grinned and sat next to Pierre. As if he could feel Max' stare, he turned to looked back into Max' eyes. Then winked, not subtly at all. Max felt his cheeks warming.
,,Lando Norris!" Alonso's voice broke Max out of his staring at the Monégasque and looked at his friend. ,,You got this." He smiled at him. Lando quickly walked and sat on the chair. Alonso smiled and he sat the hat on his curls. It had barely settled on it, screaming: ,,Slytherin!" Lando gave him a cheeky smile and went to sit next to Daniel. He smiled at the sight. He was still waiting for his turn, when a very British looking boy was called. It was the same person that was giving that first boy the thumbs up. ,,George Russell to Ravenclaw!" The hat said after a while.
Max scanned the crowd of remaining students. There wasn't a familiar face, at least not until he saw Yuki standing nearby. He walked towards him and patted him on shoulder. ,,Oh. Hi Max!" Yuki turned around. ,,Hi. You still waiting?" Max asked. ,,Yea... Charles and Pierre had already gone. I saw Lando too." Yuki smiled. Max patted his shoulder and they both stood there whispering and waiting for their turn, when: ,,Yuki Tsunoda!" Alonso called. Yuki gave Max a shy smile and went off. The short Japanese man walked towards the chair, fidgeting with his hands. Alonso smiled at him and he patted Yuki's shoulder. The hat sat on Yuki's head, quiet for the first few moments, then it shouted: ,,Gryffindor!"
Max watched as Yuki smiled at him and then walked off to the Gryffindor table, and sat next to Pierre. ,,Max Verstappen!" Alonso called. The loud chatter suddenly went quiet. ,,Max Verstappen?" the whispers were even lounder that when Charles went. ,,Is he really that important?" Charles rolled his eyes. ,,Are you kidding? He is like... one of the riches families ever." One of the older students at the red table answered. Max kept his head up all through his walk to the chair. He could feel the stares, and the whispers he could hear. He sat on the chair, and waited for the hat.
He then felt the weight of it on his head, but also in his mind. He could feel a heavy shadow lurking through his mind. ,,My, my... Max Emilian Verstappen. Such interesting soul lives in this body." He heard a heavy voice, sounding as old as time. ,,Interesting?" Max thought. ,,Very interesting indeed." The voice hummed. ,,You are very brave indeed... perhaps Gryffindor will be the house you belong in?" the voice in his head asked. ,,No." Max whispered. ,,Not there." ,,Oh?" the voice asked. ,,Why not? You have so much potential. You could be a star student. You could meet your-" ,,No. Slytherin is my destiny." He whispered. ,,Or Father will have my head." He thought. ,,Is it though?" the voice asked. Max nodded. ,,Slytherin!" the hat shouted and the quiet of the hall was interrupted by clapping and screaming from the Slytherin table. He could still feel someone's eyes on him.
He walked walked
The sorting process took a while. Even after Max went, some student were still waiting for their turn. Charles was glad that it was already behind him. He as sitting next to Pierre, who was sitting next to Yuki. ,,I am so sorry! Yukino you have to forgive me!" Pierre cried into the younger man's shoulder. ,,Maybe I will, maybe I won't." Yuki smiled mischievously. ,,Charles say something to him!" Pierre nudged Charles' shoulder. ,,We are sorry. Hope you aren't mad at us?" Charles said in a hopeful, quiet tone. ,,Nahh it's alright! I actually talked to Max Verstappen. He is quite nice?" Yuki mentioned while he was eating. ,,You what?" Pierre choked out. ,,And he was nice?" he added. ,,Yea... I mean yea he was." Yuki admitted. ,,That's... unexpected?" Charles said and continues to munch on some food that magically appeared I front of him.
,,How will I even know what class I start with tomorrow?" He asked suddenly. He used to have an app on his phone for his school things, but he didn't had that anymore. ,,Yea exactly." Yuki joined him. ,,You will just summon your schedule with a simple spell." One of the older gryffindors said. He was tanned and had long black hair. ,,Oh really?" Yuki asked. ,,Mhm. Its just a flick of your wand." He explained. ,,Like this?" Charles asked and flicked his wand. ,,Whoa." A red light appeared, then formed a schedule in the air. ,,You start with Mr. Horner? Nice. So you have potions with slytherins." The boy said. ,,And that's good?" Yuki asked. ,, I would say so." The boy answered.