Disclaimer: Nope. Own nothing. Zilch. Now get these filthy lawyers off my arse. Arigatou. -.-

~Chapter 5: The Sorting~

"Have any of you been fighting?" The bushy haired girl asked, her eyes roving to everyone. They paused a bit on Malik and Seto, both of whom gave her a deadpan look. "Malfoy's goons provoked us!" Ron snapped. "Hmph," said the girl, snootily. "Well, mind you don't get into trouble…oh, and better put your robes on – the conductor says we're approaching the school." She slammed the door shut. " 'The conductor says we're approaching the school'," Ron mimicked the girl's high-and-mighty voice. Everyone started giggling.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~

"Ryou, some help?"

"Hang on Yugi."

Ryou hurried over to help Yugi get down from the train, since he was so short. "What about our luggage?" Seto asked. "I heard someone say it would be taken to the school separately," Malik answered, almost tripping over Yugi, who himself had tripped over his overly long robes. The extra length was for Yami.

"Firs' years over here!"

The four boys turned to see Hagrid, a lantern dangling from one hand. "C'mon, firs' years follow me!" Malik was shivering in the cold night air, not used to the freezing weather. Slipping and stumbling, the first years followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a dark narrow platform. "Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," called Hagrid. "Jus' round this bend here." A chorus of "oooohs" escaped the first years. "Wow...Seto, it's bigger than your mansion!" Ryou remarked. "No offence, of course." The path had opened up suddenly to a great lake, it's surface glittering like black glass. Perched atop a mountain was a huge castle, the stars adorning it like confetti.

"No more'n four to a boat!" yelled Hagrid.

Malik looked around, and tugged Yugi's collar, pointing to a tiny fleet of boats. All four scrambled for the same boat, as Harry and Ron shared their boat with the bushy haired girl, whom they found out was Hermione Granger. Hagrid had a boat to himself. "Everyone in? Right then – FORWARD!"

The fleet of boats suddenly started gliding across the glass-smooth water by themselves. The great castle of Hogwarts loomed closer, and closer. "Heads down!" bellowed Hagrid as they neared the cliff. Seto didn't duck down enough, as he was so tall, and got thwacked on the head by something hard. The little boats carried them through a wide opening in the face of the cliff which was protected by an overhang of ivy. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to lead underneath the castle itself, until they reached a sort of harbour, and everyone scuttled onto the rocks and pebbles. Hagrid was checking all the boats. "Oy, you there! Is this yer toad?" Hagrid was addressing a plump boy. "Trevor!" the boy, Neville cried blissfully. Seto, Yugi, Malik and Ryou scurried after Hagrid through a passageway in the light of the giant's lamp, coming out at last on some smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. (Seto hit his head again on the roof of the opening. Poor guy.)

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around a large oaken door, and Hagrid raised a fist and knocked three times.

The door swung open at once, revealing a witch clad in emerald green, with sharp, stern eyes and black hair pulled back into a tight bun. The first thought to cross the minds of the four foreign boys was that this was someone they should respect. "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall."

"Thank you Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide open, letting everyone in. The entrance hall was enormous. You could fit Seto's mansion in here and still have room leftover for half of KaibaCorp, thought Yugi. Malik and Ryou were gazing in wonderment at the blazing torches that were reminiscent of Gringotts. The ceiling was too high to make out, and at the end of the hall a beautiful marble staircase slithered upwards like a big wide snake.

The first years followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Voices were coming from a door to the right – but McGonagall showed the first years a quiet, empty chamber. "Welcome to Hogwarts," she said. "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 very important, because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in the house common room." "Anything but Slytherin," Ryou muttered in Japanese. "Pardon?" Malik returned, also in Japanese. "It's one of the houses. There's Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw," Ryou began explaining. "They say Slytherin's the house that turns out majority of the evil witches and wizards." "Anything but that," Malik said. "Seto will probably end up in Ravenclaw," Yugi said. "That's the house where all the smart people go." "…While you are here, your house will be like your family. Points will be awarded for academic achievement and other triumphs. However, any rule breaking, and you will loose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup, a great honor here at this school. The Sorting Ceremony will begin shortly. Do try to smarten yourselves up before then." Professor McGonagall was saying.

"A ceremony?" said Seto. "What in the world are we supposed to do?" "My brothers said you'd have to wrestle a troll," Ron chimed in. "Wrestle a ­what?" Ryou's jaw plummeted. Before Ron could answer, Professor McGonagall brought the first years to the Great Hall. "Ok, if the main foyer could fit Seto's mansion, then this place can fit two KaibaCorp buildings," said Malik. The professor led the students up to the front of the hall, where they stood with their backs to the four long wooden tables, which were already filled with students. Seto nudged his friends and they looked up at the ceiling, which was an exact mirror of the sky outside. Candles floated around lazily. Yugi saw the professor place a four-legged stool, and upon it sat a frayed and patched wizard's hat. There was a rip near the brim of the hat, and it opened, and to everyone's surprise, the hat sang.

"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 you 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 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!"

There was loud applause as the hat finished its song. Yugi almost melted into a puddle in relief. "We don't have to wrestle a stinkin' troll after all!" Ron was muttering to Harry. "I'm going to kill Fred and George…" Professor McGonagall unrolled a long sheaf of parchment. "When I call your name, you will come forward and wear the hat, then sit on the stool to be sorted. Abott, Hannah!" A pink-faced girl with pigtails stumbled out of line and put on the hat, which fell right over her eyes. A few seconds later, the hat yelled, "HUFFLEPUFF!" Removing her hat, the girl wandered over to a table, where there were cheers. "Alphabetical order," muttered Seto. "That means…" "Bakura, Ryou!" "Oh no," the white haired boy, shaking all over, went forward and put on the hat. The Hat covered his eyes. He jumped when he heard a tiny voice in his head.

Interesting. We have two minds here. One is a follower, the other is a leader.

[Gonna make something out of it, you filthy rag?] Bakura yelled.

{Yami…}

Normally I'd place people like you in Hufflepuff, but the other you is clearly objecting. So I shall put you in…GRYFFINDOR!

The last word was shouted to the Hall. Ryou, heaving a sigh of relief, removed the Hat and put it back on the stool, and made his way to the table with the red-haired twins. A few more people later, Seto heard his name being called. "Kaiba, Seto!" Immediately whispers filled the hall.

"Isn't he the owner of KaibaCorp?"

"Fancy him here…"

Seto stalked over to the Hat, and popped it on.

Very good mind we have here. You belong in Ravenclaw. However, there's something else in here…a overwhelming urge to protect those you love…for people like you, you belong in GRYFFINDOR!

Seto took off the Hat and joined a smiling Ryou. "Ishtar, Malik!" The Egyptian walked forward with a feeling of dread. The Hat would surely put him in Slytherin because of his Yami.

Oh, you're an interesting specimen. Let's see…a pure heart…you've been tainted by an evil you did not want and struggled to fight. Contrary to most, you'd go to Slytherin, but since you did not embrace this evil, I shall put you in…GRYFFINDOR!

Malik felt his heart soar. Lifting off the Hat, he happily joined Seto and Ryou. That left Yugi. "Mutou, Yugi!" Yugi went forward, and somehow, managed to squash his odd hair inside the Hat. Yugi took the shortest of the four. Quickly, the Hat yelled "GRYFFINDOR!" and Yugi yanked it off and joyfully ran towards his friends.

Author's Ending Notes: Sorry for rushing this chapter, but I don't want it to soar up to like, five thousand words and they haven't even gotten sorted yet. Agh…I'm only into the Sorting and this is already the fifth chapter!...Kuso. anyway…read and REVIEW!!