Chapter Text
Stepping off the train, Fred and George bid October goodbye and ran off to where all the other students besides first-years were going. October, suddenly, felt a bit lonely, but shook it off.
A large man, with a bushy beard and beetle-black eyes, was kindly waving the new students over to the lake near the train stop.
"Firs' years over 'ere, firs' years follow me!"
October blinked a few times, and quietly hurried over, where he saw students clambering into boats.
"Four t' each boat!"
He heard the large man call out, and he slowly got into a boat with three other students.
The girl from before, who'd been on the train looking for the toad, and a nervous looking boy with black hair and a fair amount of baby fat. Then, among them, a pale boy with a turned-up nose, with platinum blonde hair slicked back on his head.
October felt a bit awkward as the boat rowed itself across the lake, and he hummed.
"...so...would everyone like to introduce themselves? I'm October Margaret Woods, it's nice to meet you all."
The girl from before just smiled, and nodded.
"You already know who I am, Woods, but I'm Hermione Granger."
The timid boy softly spoke up with a sigh.
"Erm...my name's Neville, Neville Longbottom."
The boy with the turned up nose scoffed a little, and suddenly October realized where he remembered him from. The robe shop.
"Draco. Draco Malfoy."
October sighed, and huffed.
"I met you once already. At Madam Malkins. You were a bit of a git."
Malfoy paled even more than he already was, which was comical- he nearly looked like Jeff- and choked a bit.
"I- well- maybe I might have overspoken, what is it to you, Woods?"
October shrugged.
"Well, we've got to go to school together for the next 7 years, don't we? And there's a good chance we'll be Sorted into the same House. So, we should try to get along. Therefore, I'm offering you a chance to be less of a git."
Draco blinked, and Neville looked shocked, but Draco managed to mutter out a begrudging response.
"...sure, I suppose."
October smiled, and nodded his head.
"Brilliant. Then that's settled, then, isn't it?"
Hermione looked between them all, before raising a brow questioningly.
"So has anyone here read Hogwarts: A History?"
Draco, surprisingly, perked up a bit at that.
"Oh, sure I have, it's pretty much standard issue in any family worth its salt, you know. Though I suppose I read it a few too many times, along with most anything else I wanted to read. My father says it's unusual, and with that attitude I'll get Sorted Ravenclaw."
October tilted his head, and blinked curiously at Draco.
"What's so wrong with Ravenclaw? I read a bit about it myself, and really, I'm hoping that's where I'll Sort. It seems like such a brilliant place, all the knowledge you could have."
Hermione beamed.
"Oh, yes, I'm hoping for Ravenclaw too! What about you, Neville?"
Neville blinked, and shyly answered, looking askance.
"Erm...I think I'd like to be in Gryffindor, but I'm not brave enough...I'll be lucky to Sort into Hufflepuff. Not that there's anything wrong with that! It's just...not what I want."
Draco seemed contemplative over this, and hummed a bit.
"...well, my whole family's been in Slytherin for generations. I've always been raised to be Slytherin. But...I never really thought about what House I wanted to Sort into. I suppose...that I'd like to be Ravenclaw as well."
October nodded, and gave a triumphant look.
"Well that's settled then! Neville, I bet that you can get into Gryffindor if you want to any fuckin' day, and Draco, if you want to be in Ravenclaw then you damn well should! You seem like you really want to learn about everything, so then Ravenclaw IS where you should go! And Neville, telling us about where you wanted to be and about all your fears about the Sorting, that is a really fucking brave thing to do in my opinion. And we'll all be in whichever House is best for us."
Hermione smiled at October, and nodded along.
"Exactly! You should go where you want to, not where you're told to."
Neville and Draco shared a look, bewildered, before absently nodding.
The rest of the boat ride was spent peacefully discussing about the Sorting and about what Hogwarts would be like, until it finally ended and they reached the castle.
The large man with the beard guided everyone into the castle, where McGonagall stood on top of the staircase. October couldn't help but smile as he saw her- he liked her very much. Suddenly, he saw a toad on the step, and quickly scooped it up, to give it to Neville, who quietly thanked him.
McGonagall began speaking.
"Hagrid, I will take them from here."
The large bearded man, presumably Hagrid, thanked her and hurried inside the castle.
"Welcome to Hogwarts."
She began, clearing her throat and starting her speech.
"The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory and spend free time in your House common room. The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule-breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours."
She paused, and then added on, as an after-thought,
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
October looked down at himself, smoothed out his robe, and watched Hermione pat down her hair, Draco adjust his tie, and Neville fasten his shirt straighter.
The first-year students entered the Great Hall to the sound of the school song being played- though October would be fucked if he had a clue what the hell it was.
The first-year students were all ushered to a group at the front of the Hall, and watched on as the Sorting Hat was placed upon a stool right underneath the professors' table. All of October's new friends looked worried, and McGonagall stood next to the Hat.
The wizened man at the front of the Table, who October realized must be Dumbledore, stood up and clinked his glass with his spoon.
"Attention! Before the Sorting Ceremony begins, I have a few announcements to make. Firstly, as usual, the Forbidden Forest is prohibited for all students to enter. And the third-floor corridor is forbidden to all those who do not wish to die a gruesome death. Before I allow the Ceremony to commence, I have a few words to say, and these are they- Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"
Suddenly, the headmaster sat back down, and October had no idea what the fuck to think about the man.
"He must be even madder than Father said he was..."
October heard Draco mutter, unsure.
McGonagall suddenly pulled out a list, and unrolled it, beginning to read names off it in alphabetical order- starting with 'Abbott, Hannah.'
Eventually, the list got to Hermione's name, and she nervously stepped up, sitting down on the stool as the Hat was placed on her head. It took the hat a moment, before proudly yelling out- "RAVENCLAW!"
Hermione beamed, as her robes became edged with blue and bronze, and she took her seat with the cheering Ravenclaw table.
The next notable name, at least to October, was Neville's. He trembled as he walked up to the stool, sat down, and had the Hat placed on his head.
It didn't even need to think.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
October beamed- he knew Neville could do it. He looked stunned and elated as he practically ran to take a seat with the roaring Gryffindors.
Next up was Malfoy. He calmly and evenly walked up to be Sorted, and the Hat was put on his head gently.
It took a long time. Nearly 5 minutes.
Until, finally-
"RAVENCLAW!"
The Hall erupted in whispers, but Draco smiled, and proudly walked to sit next to Hermione at the Ravenclaw table, to the sound of cheers. October could tell he was still very unsure, but he was also spurred on by October's words, and seemed willing to learn to be different.
October wasn't really paying attention, as 'Weasley, Ron' was sorted, and next his own name was called.
"Woods, October!"
He let out a sigh of relief- imagine if it had been his old name that she called! October was very fucking glad that McGonagall was on his side in this.
He walked up to the stool casually, sat down, and allowed the Hat to be placed on his head.
He immediately sent it a warning.
'If you tell anyone about what I know you see, you'll go in the shredder.'
The Hat only chuckled in his mind.
'Oh, don't worry now, little Proxy. It has been a long, long time since I have sorted one of the fabled Slender-Children, I would not give away such a wonderful secret to keep.'
October breathed a sigh of relief. 'Thank you.'
The Hat gave an amused sigh. 'Now, there is no question about where to send YOU- that thirst for knowledge! That drive for understanding! Yes, it's got to be-'
"RAVENCLAW!"
October grinned, and ran down to the Ravenclaw table with Draco and Hermione, listening to the cheers from his new House. October looked over at Draco, who seemed a bit queasy.
"Alright, Malfoy?"
The boy groaned quietly.
"My father is going to kill me when he hears about this."
Hermione frowned at that.
"You keep talking about your father like he means something special."
Draco's eyes widened.
"Because he does! What, you don't know?"
Hermione shook her head with a frown.
"No, I'm muggleborn."
Draco paused at that, paled, and took a deep breath.
"He'll kill me even harder once he learns I've gone and made friends with a m- a muggleborn."
October snarled at that.
"He doesn't seem like he's worth two shits, then, not to me. And if he touches you I'll string him up with his own viscera and cut off his dick so I can shove it down his throat."
Both Draco and Hermione looked at October like he was insane, and spoke in unison.
"Actually, you're far scarier."