Harry Potter and the Norse Gods

{9} Opposites Attract

WILL'S POV

Thankfully, Nico, Alex, and Harry weren't too late to the sorting. They managed to slip in mostly unnoticed, with Harry hurrying off to the Gryffindor table and Nico to the Slytherin table, assuming I was remembering the houses correctly.

There were only three first years left to be sorted when Alex reached Magnus and me, and the hat - because there was a talking hat - sorted them quickly, leaving the three of us standing with all eyes on us.

Professor McGonagall didn't call us up immediately, which made me apprehensive until Professor Dumbledore stood up, the quiet chatter amongst the students cutting off almost immediately.

"As you may have noticed, we once again have visiting students from America. Mr di Angelo is our only return, I'm sorry to say, but I'm also glad to welcome three new students. This will undoubtedly be a dark year, but I hope you enjoy your time at Hogwarts."

As he spread his arms wide, gesturing at the hall, the arm of his carefully placed robe slipped, exposing a hand that looked black and charred, as though it had been seriously burnt. An alarmed murmur spread through the hall, but he dismissed it with a smile.

"Nothing to worry about," he said airily, "Now, things are going to work a little differently this year with our guests. They will still have houses that will dictate where their points are given and taken from and attend classes according to that schedule, but there are separate dormitories for them."

"What's the bet we can thank Storm for that?" Magnus asked lowly.

I hummed in agreement. The hunter was conspicuously absent from the hall, but then again, it didn't really seem like her scene, so it probably wasn't something to be worried about. Besides, she could handle herself.

She was the kind of person who was her own knight in shining armour.

"Chase, Magnus," Professor McGonagall readout, disrupting my chain of thought.

A slight murmur ran through the hall - some of them probably recognised the name 'Chase' as being the same as Annabeth's.

I was expecting Magnus' sorting to take a while, or at least longer than it had for the first years - one would expect sixteen-year-olds to be more complex than eleven-year-olds - but in about thirty seconds, the hat yelled out:

"Hufflepuff!"

Magnus scurried off to join the cheering yellow table, and the hat looked glad to be rid of him.

"Fierro, Alex."

Alex eyed the hat suspiciously before sitting down, and, once again, the sorting was done quickly.

"Slytherin!" the hat shouted.

The cheers from the green table were muted, and Alex rolled his eyes before making his way over to them, slipping in beside Nico, who shot me a strained smile as he watched his peers.

"Solace, Will."

I tried not to look too nervous as I made my way towards the stool with the awaiting hat. I could've sworn it smiled at me as I sat down, but I didn't get a chance to confirm that as a moment later it was perched on my head.

Thank god you're not another one of them.

I flinched when I heard it speak in my head.

I'm not another one of what?

Those einherjar. You know I have to look through your memories, correct? I don't enjoy seeing the person I'm seeing through dying. It's uncomfortable.

I would guess so.

Ah, but you're another demigod. There's been a few of you lately.

Well, times are changing.

I'm aware. I might be a hat but I'm not behind the times. Now, let's get on with this, shall we?

Either it didn't want a reply or wasn't either to wait for one, because mere seconds later I could feel it sifting through my memories. I resisted the urge to shiver and sat stiffly until it finished.

Not as bad as some of the others.

Thank you?

The hat laughed inside my head.

You have a kind heart and you're a healer. I think that lines you up perfectly for Hufflepuff.

The same house as Magnus. Not with Nico, but if we were sharing a dormitory anyway...

That sounds great.

I wasn't asking for your opinion.

"Hufflepuff!"

The yellow table erupted into cheers again. I grinned as the hat was lifted off my head and I made my way over to them, sending Nico an apologetic smile on the way. He shrugged, took a sip of whatever was in his goblet, and re-engaged in conversation with Alex.

That made me genuinely smile. It was nice that he was making other friends.

Magnus waved me over, shifting slightly so I could sit next to him.

"Thanks," I said as I sat down.

"No problem," he answered, "Us Americans have gotta stick together, right?"

He held his goblet up.

"Right," I agreed with a chuckle, bumping my goblet against his.

I took a sip of it and only just managed not to gag.

"What is this?" I spluttered, garnering odd looks from most of the table.

"Pumpkin juice," Magnus supplied with a grimace.

"But why?" I asked, unable to hide my disgust.

"Halloween?"

"That's a terrible reason."

"Yep," Magnus agreed, "But it's not the worst drink I've ever had. Not by a long shot."

I was about to reply when out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of the doors behind the staff table open, and a person slip in. I twisted my head to look properly, almost immediately recognising the figure. It was Storm, making her way along the back of the table, right towards Professor Dumbledore.

She didn't seem pleased - although she never did. I wondered briefly what had happened that had meant that she stayed at Hogwarts, but the thought was wiped from my mind when she reached Professor Dumbledore and bent over slightly to talk to him, exposing a gaping hole in one side of her jacket.

It looked like it had been burnt away but not by fire, by some kind of acid. Who could get close enough to do that?

Cold dread filled me a moment later when I realised it wouldn't have been a someone, but rather a something.

Sorry for the short chapter, but this isn't exactly important to the plot. Also sorry for the kinda cliffhanger? 

Art by Heather Gretton.