Omnividence

Chapter One: Secrets of a Sorting Hat

A girl ran through the forest. Though it was full night and moonless, though her flight was panicked, she twisted unerringly through the trees and undergrowth. It was a cruel northern winter; as she passed from beneath the shelter of the wood, the wind bit her white face and she found herself standing knee-deep in a field of snow.

There was supposed to be help here! She saw it! But... there was no one...

"Hello, my dear," a kindly voice spoke from behind, naturally. She turned, and her eyes changed from the milky-blue of blindness to a color indeterminate in the moonlight; a tall, elderly man was addressing her, seeming utterly at ease in this lonely field and as though meeting terrified adolescents in them was a common occurrence. His beard reached his knees and his hair was to his waist - both were silver. "Come, my dear. Let's get you some place warm." He held out his hand to her, seemed to reconsider, then took off his gloves and gave them to her. Gratefully, she slipped her hands into them.

He took out a quill. She looked at him, puzzled, and he chuckled, "A Portkey. I was in a bit of a hurry, and this happened to be on my desk. Come, now. This is not a very nice place for a chat, and in any case back in the office my cocoa is growing cold." He twinkled at her. "I dare say you'd like some cocoa yourself."

She reached out to touch the portkey, and the field vanished.

***

"Do you realize this is only the third time in six years we've seen the sorting ceremony?" Harry tried to make himself heard over the din at the Gryffindor table.

"Whose fault was that?" said a prim voice beside him, as Ron grinned from across the table. Harry turned to argue circumstance, but saw that Hermione was laughing.

The three of them had spent the summer together as usual. However, this year they had spent only part of it at the Burrow, where the Weasleys lived, and the rest in Scotland with Harry's godfather. His name finally cleared after fourteen years, Sirius Black was eager to spend time with his godson.

Harry had never had such a happy summer, and Sirius, keen to make him happy, had taken him and his friends all over Great Britain to show them famous magical sites. Hermione had told Harry he was in serious danger of being spoiled rotten. Thinking of his cousin, Dudley, Harry didn't think there was much chance of that happening - he knew spoiled when he saw it.

Albus Dumbledore rose from his seat at the professors' table to make an announcement.

"Welcome back, welcome back!" Dumbledore smiled down at the assembled students. "Just a few things, before the Sorting! First, we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher: Sirius Black." He gestured to his left, Sirius waved to Harry.

Snape looked even more furious than usual at the appointment - not surprising, since he'd tried to get Sirius killed about two years ago. All the students, but not (predictably) the Slytherins, went nuts.

Ron punched Harry in the shoulder, "Why didn't you tell me?" he roared as the students all cheered.

Harry sat beaming from ear to ear, "I wanted it to be a surprise!" he said as Hermione clung to his arm in glee.

Dumbledore smiled and waited for the tumult to die down, "Congratulations, also, to the new Quidditch captains: "Draco Malfoy for Slytherin..." Only the Slytherin table cheered.

"Huh, guess he bought a new round of broomsticks for the team." said Ron.

Dumbledore continued... "Harry Potter for Gryffindor..." This time everybody cheered except the Slytherin table.

"You'll be great!" Hermione said in Harry's ear, but he was busy intercepting a glare from Malfoy.

"And Cho Chang for Ravenclaw. I think Miss Abbott and the Hufflepuff team may have a slight advantage this year!" beamed Dumbledore. Hannah Abbott had been Hufflepuff captain last year as well, after Cedric Diggory's death.

He went on, but Harry was too stunned - Cho was the Ravenclaw captain? Cho was definitely a great seeker, but... ok, the only 'but' was that Harry found Cho devastatingly attractive and on the field he was fine, all Quidditch, but the captains had to meet and discuss the field roster and...

"Harry! Hello? Earth to Harry!" hissed Ron over the table, "Pay attention, will you?"

Startled, Harry heard what Dumbledore was saying, "We also have a transfer student from Durmstrang with us this year... I'd like you all to welcome Aliset Yasnovidashaya." The Professor gestured to a very timid girl who seemed to be hiding amongst the first years waiting to be sorted, "come, Miss Yasnovidashaya, stand up!"

She stood. She was tall, or maybe that was because she was surrounded by eleven year-olds. Her face was thin and pale, her cheeks flushed as the whole school turned their eyes towards her. She flicked her gaze nervously over the Great Hall, her lips pulled back into something that might charitably be called a smile - at any rate, her teeth were showing, but Hermione thought she looked more terrified than simply nervous. The girl's hands were hidden by long, grey silk gloves.

The second most startling thing about the girl was her eyes; green, and then gold around the pupil. The most startling thing about her was her hair - it was a pale, soft grey, the color of a dove's wing, and it hung in a thick curtain around her face and down her back; very strange on someone who couldn't be more than sixteen.

"I wonder if she had some kind of shock?" Hermione said, startled.

"Some people just go grey very young," Harry replied. "Sirius said his mother had gone grey by nineteen." Harry loved listening to Sirius's stories. The Blacks had been an extensive family, until Voldemort rose to power. Some of them were still around, but Harry fancied Sirius was a little nervous about resuming contact with them even though he had been pardoned.

She's not beautiful, thought Ron, maybe it's just the expression on her face like we're going to eat her alive, but she seems... haggard... exhausted...

"Durmstrang," mused Draco Malfoy under his breath, "I should make her acquaintance."

***

The Sorting Ceremony began and the Sorting Hat was placed upon a stool. Everyone leaned forward slightly, eager to hear the new song for the year. As Ron had remarked during the ceremony their fourth year, the Hat probably spent all its time making up new songs. Given how many years the Hat had been in use, Harry wondered idly if the Hat ever did repeats from, say, a century before.

The first years were looking at the Hat with grave misgivings, and Harry remembered how apprehensive he had been about being sorted. Ron, despite being from a wizarding family and having five older brothers already been to Hogwarts, had been terrified. Of course, that was because Fred had told him he'd have to wrestle a troll.

Some of the first years jumped, startled, as the Hat, through a rip near the peak, began to sing:

There's many hats that can be found,

on wizard or muggle heads,

those you've seen, but I'll be bound

if you've met my kind of threads.

I belonged to a wizard, great and tall,

who decided at last to enchant me

to sort the first years, timid and small,

into the Houses they ought to be.

In Gryffindor, you might be found,

if you're full of bravery;

their hearts are true! Their heads are sound!

Just like Godric who wore me.

You might be destined for Hufflepuff,

where go the stolid and sturdy.

Don't think they're not smart or tough -

just because they play fair, not dirty.

Or maybe to Ravenclaw you'll go,

where dwell the clever and keen.

Whatever you ask, they'll always know

or remember in what book it was seen.

Then of course there's Slytherin,

if you're cunning and cruel.

If you want to get ahead and win,

this is your House at school.

So put me on and let's find out

what the inside of your head will show,

it's all in there for me to shout:

'into this House you will go!'

Everyone applauded, and Professor McGonagall unrolled a length of parchment. "Now, when I call your name, come and sit down. I will place the Hat upon your head... Alderton, Julianna!"

A small, but fit-looking girl came up to try the Hat. "Ravenclaw!" shouted the Hat, and she made her way over to the ferociously clapping Ravenclaw table.

'Clay, Adam.' A brown-haired boy, walked with an easy confidence in spite of being a little heavy. "Gryffindor!" the Hat bellowed. Harry, Hermione, and Ron all cheered as Adam, smiling, took a seat at their table.

"It's so nice to see them get sorted," Hermione looked kindly on the eleven year-olds waiting their turn. "I can't believe how small they are!" The next new student, 'Dippold, Jeremy' went to Slytherin.

Ron, who was now better than six feet tall and probably looked enormous to the first years, said, "I wonder if they look up to us, the way we looked up at... oh, Oliver and Lee and so on." Oliver Wood had left Hogwarts with Percy, and Lee Jordan had left last year with Ron's older twin brothers.

Hermione smiled at the way he avoided mentioning his brothers, as 'Falquist, Stephen' became the first new Hufflepuff. The twins, Fred and George, while funny and kind, had not exactly been role model material. And no one wanted to be like Percy, who was just as stuffy now, working for the Ministry, as he had been at school.

***

Eventually, all the first years had been Sorted. There were ten new Gryffindors at the table, all looking very small and very proud. Adam Clay had been joined by: Anitha Hanslee, Colleen Kirkpatrick, Martin McSweeny, Marion Muffley, Michael Quinlan, Eugene Russell, Regina Thackeray, Joanna Tuttman, and Graham Whittaker. The older Gryffindors looked down at them fondly. Dean Thomas and Ginny Weasley, who were prefects, would be escorting the new students to the dorms after the feast.

Ron elbowed Harry and nodded towards the front of the hall. The transfer student was standing next to the Transfiguration Professor, looking somewhat forlorn.

"Would you like to try the Sorting Hat, Miss Yasnovidashaya?" Professor McGonagall gestured to Aliset, who was trembling, to take a seat upon the stool. When she had sat, more nervous than any of the first years, the Professor placed the Sorting Hat on her head.

First, there was silence. Then Aliset closed her eyes in terror. The Hat began to scream, "Forward! Forward, wizards, all of you! If... take me off!... If we are to conquer the Slytherin foe at last... TAKE ME OFF!..." Some of the students at the tables were screaming now, as the Hat's voice fell to a moan: "I have my death wound... No, Helga, there's nothing to be done... Rowena, darling! FOR PITY'S SAKE GET ME OFF!"

Professor McGonagall snatched the Hat from Aliset's head. Aliset shivered all over and her eyes opened.

The entire hall was stony with shock. Finally, Dumbledore stood. "Well, my dear, I at least should have foreseen," he paused and chuckled, breaking the tension that muffled the room, "that perhaps letting you try the Hat on would be a bit of surprise. Especially for the poor Hat, reliving Godric Gryffindor's last moments. Ah well, you still need to be put into a House. Where should you be?" He looked out thoughtfully across the tables. Involuntarily, all students spread out, trying to create the impression that there was no room in their House.

Dumbledore's eyes darted to the open doors of the Hall as two huge ravens flew in to settle on Aliset's shoulders. Students gasped and screamed. A few of the more nervous types tried to dive under the tables. Dumbledore merely smiled absently. "Ah, of course. Ravenclaw."

****

For a dreadful moment, it looked as though no one would give the girl a seat. Finally, with a glare for the rest of the table, Cho slid over to make room between herself and Lisa Turpin. As Aliset sat down, one of her ravens disengaged itself from her shoulder and hopped onto the table.

Padma Patil squealed and clutched her best friend, Mandy Brocklehurst. "Ooh! Get it off the table! How horrid!"

Lisa sounded disgusted, but not because there was a black bird helping itself to a chicken leg. "Padma, no one says 'horrid', except fainting, bosomy heroines in bad romance novels. Don't be childish. Ravens are very intelligent."

The rest of the table looked somewhat dubious at this statement, since the other raven had joined the first and was now pecking at a hard-boiled egg.

Aliset spoke for the first time. "Hugin! Munin! You're embarrassing me."

Lisa turned to Aliset. "You named them after Odin's ravens?" The second raven had left off the egg and was attempting to nibble a pickled walnut.

Hugin, who had been at the chicken, cocked his head. "Yeah, isn't she bloody imaginative! There must be dozens of bloody raven names and she picks those two. Typical."

"Could've been worse. Could've named us 'Quoth' and 'Nevermore'," Munin cawed.

Hugin croaked loudly, apparently the corvine equivalent of a laugh. "Would've pecked her eyes out myself if she had loaded us up with those awful names."

Aliset shooed them off the table. "Go... look around. I'll save you some scraps." The ravens reluctantly departed. Aliset looked nervously about the table.

"They talk?" blurted a pretty blonde, who introduced herself as Sally-Anne Perks. Aliset mentally thanked Providence that the ravens hadn't known this during the discussion on names. The last thing she needed was for the creatures to start mortally offending her classmates.

"Um, yes," admitted Aliset, "they never stop, actually."

"Well, everyone knows ravens talk," said Lisa staunchly. "So what? Probably better than an owl or a cat, that way. I mean, they sell them down Diagon Alley at the Magical Menagerie." She waved a hand to dismiss the entire line of discussion, and asked the question everyone at the table had been dying to know, but too nervous to ask. "What happened up there when you tried the Sorting Hat?"

"Erm, well..." Aliset turned pink. "I'm a Seer." she stammered.

"Like Professor Trelawney?" asked Sally-Anne, brightly.

"Who?" Aliset looked alarmed. "There's another Seer here? I must..."

"Not worry," Cho finished firmly. "Trelawney is a fraud." Sally-Anne, Padma, and Mandy all looked affronted. "Well, she is," insisted Cho. "I mean, how many times has she predicted something that actually came true? And I don't mean something vague that could mean anything," she added, when Mandy opened her mouth. Everyone looked stumped.

"Well, there you are," said Cho, and patted Aliset on the arm, "you're the only Seer at Hogwarts."

"Lucky me." Aliset whispered morosely.

***

"Here's the Ravenclaw common room," Cho gestured to the beautifully appointed round room, located about half-way up the West Tower. "Your trunk and everything is already upstairs."

Aliset tried not to look too baffled, even though she had arrived at Hogwarts with nothing except the clothes she was standing in, her ravens (who took care of themselves) and her wand (rowan, ten and a half inches, containing a hair from the mane of a sphinx). But, sure enough, when she went up to the sixth-year dormitories, there was a trunk with her name on it. Opening it, she discovered that someone had thoughtfully provided her with robes, including dress robes (in silver, which went well with her hair, but which she probably wouldn't have picked out on her own) and a nightgown.

Smiling a little, and relieved that she wasn't going to be wearing the same clothes the rest of the year, she donned her new nightie and went to bed.

***

"Hello, Professor Karkaroff," a tall woman in her thirties greeted the headmaster of Durmstrang. Beside her stood her husband, tall as well. The couple had black hair, and with them was a small, black-haired girl who clutched tightly a cage with two ravens.

"Here, then for you entrance interview?" Karkaroff bent down so his eyes were even with the girl's.

I don't like this man, she thought to herself and scowled.

The girl's father patted her lovingly on the head. "This is Aliset, she's very special." Karkaroff tried not to roll his eyes - every parent said that about their child; but Aliset's father, smiling fondly at his little girl, added something that made Karkaroff figuratively sit up and take notice:

"She's clairvoyant."