The Hogwarts Challenge: Evolving Magic

Chapter 2: Sorting the Challenge

“Harry!”

Harry turned around to see Ginny along with Luna Lovegood and Neville walking towards him. The three had formed an unlikely bond last year. He wasn’t entirely sure of the details. \'Guess others could have adventures too\', he thought ruefully. Ginny and Neville had spent the summer with Luna and her father, he said he was training the next generation of investigative journalists.

“How was your summer Harry?” A tanned Neville clapped Harry across the back rather solidly, he’d gotten some height and muscle over the vacation. Harry wondered how Ron would react.

“Miserable” Harry replied, giving Neville an experimental punch in the shoulder, rather harder than he should have. The guy didn’t blink. Ron had his work cut out for him.

“You couldn’t escape from the Dursleys then? I thought Ron, Fred, and George had something planned?” Ginny asked, retrieving one of her suitcases from Neville and letting her hand linger in his.

“They did. But Mr. Weasley keeps his car a bit more tightly locked up than he used too.” Harry sighed, he didn’t really know why it was still necessary for him to live with the Dursleys, not after last year. When Voldemort was reported to have been defeated. It hadn\'t been what anyone had expected. Harry hadn’t even been involved. A special ministry task force, of all things, had confronted and defeated the dark lord. There was a body, such as it was. By the time they were finished all that remained was a pile of ashes. Death eater activity had suddenly stopped, and that had been that. Well, there had been celebrations and investigations, but he’d not been part of them, not in that horrible little house at 4 Privet Lane.

“I’m sure that Harry’s been busy, after all, he has to prepare to defeat the dark lord” Luna smiled dreamily at Harry through her pale hair which she normally let hang forward to shroud her face, veil-like. “My dad was hoping he could interview you about it, actually.”

Harry looked uneasily at the slight girl, “but Voldemort is dead, has been for three months, and I’m afraid that I really didn’t have anything to do with it.” He smiled apologetically.

“Surely” she swept her hair back dramatically with one hand, her eyes focusing with uncharacteristic sharpness on him “you don’t believe all those silly stories floating around in the other papers!”

Harry started to reply, then stopped. They’d been printing stories on him his entire life, and those had never been accurate. But surely, Dumbledore would have said something, somebody would have contacted him, if there was still a threat. Harry shot an anxious look to where Hermione and Ron were shepherding stragglers off of the train. Maybe they’d have a better idea of what was going on.

“Well, lets hurry, I don’t want to miss sorting.” Ginny grabbed Harry and Neville and hurried towards the entrance closest to the Gryffindor common room. “See you in a bit” she waved back to Luna, who was already drifting vaguely in the opposite direction.

Neville cleared his throat nervously, “Sorry about that Harry, she didn’t upset you, did she?

“No” Harry responded absently, “just odd. Do you two think that too? About Voldemort not really being dead?” He looked at them thoughtfully.

“Well, she has a way of being right most of the time.” Neville said slowly, not quite looking at him.

“But not in the way you’d expect!” Ginny grinned, “don’t worry too much about it Harry. As long as you haven’t heard anything from Dumbledore or the order, right?”

“I guess.” Well, at least it had distracted him from Malfoy for a bit. Harry swallowed and fought a blush at the memory. “So what have you two been up to this summer?”

They weren’t as good at hiding their blushes.

*********************************************

Ron, Harry, and Hermione watched the sorting ceremony with interest. There seemed to be a lot of new kids.

“Sad that we’ll be gone before any of them are old enough to date.” Ron observed “need some new blood.”

“Have you really alienated all of the sixth and seventh years then? I thought that was just a rumour.” Hermione raised her eyebrows at him and gave him her best head girl look.

“Yes, well, one of us has too. You and Harry seem to have both taken vows of celibacy or something.”

“We’re just a bit choosier, and certainly more discreet!”

“Says the woman who still has a picture of Lockehart.”

“On my shampoo bottle!” Hermione turned a mottled shade of red. That had been the first and only time she’d been attracted to someone based purely on looks.

Harry half listened to them. It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried. Just, after Cho, nothing had really worked out. He’d told himself that now wasn’t really the time either. But maybe he should, Ron would certainly be able to help set him up.

He tried to think of someone and grinned. Silky hair, fine features, blue eyes, like the sea. Pressure, warm breath against his lips, ah no, not that! Harry almost cried. He really needed to find a girl. With a start he realized that Harry and Hermione had stopped talking. Everyone had, they were all staring raptly at Dumbledore.

“that is why, I have exciting news for us all.” The headmaster concluded, gesturing theatrically to the sorting hat. Which posed for a moment, its patch mouth forming an odd sort of grin, then it broke into a rather different piece than its normal introduction:

For a thousand years, Hogwarts has stood
But the students here never could
Unlock the mysteries of the past
Of houses and intrigues and enchantments cast

Four houses, four virtues, four founders
A challenge, a chance, a change
To broaden magic’s range

So come one, come all
Ensure the future
Watch the school fall

Sorting time is here again
Defeat the challenge
You will surely win
Power and fame
Fortune and glory
Join the revolution
Magic’s evolution
Sort your CHALLENGE!!!

The hat ended on a deafening note. Then there was a sort of stunned silence. Everyone looking uneasily at each other, not quite sure of the implications.

“Those interested in accepting the challenge,” Dumbledore’s words broke the calm, and there was a slight shuffling as everyone craned their heads to look at him again, “please line up to be sorted.\"

Nobody moved.

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes reflecting the twinkling candle light. The challenge had already started in a way, students needed to be able to make decisions quickly, when the need came. He continued his explanation as he waited for students to step up to the hat, \"While determining the exact rules and nature of the challenge is part of the challenge itself, there will be extra curricular sessions supervised by the house heads” he gestured to where Professor McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, and Sprout sat, doing their best –-with varying degrees of success-- to look inscrutable, “to give guidance in the sort of advanced magic the challenge might entail. Accepting this challenge is not without peril, nor will those participating be given any allowance in their academic responsibilities. This is an opportunity. It will not be offered again, those who wish to accept the challenge must do so now. Good luck to you all.” He said the last rather solemnly, and sat down again.

Hermione was the first one to stand up, gazing at the hat with a look that she normally reserved for books. But Malfoy was a close second. Harry and Ron were next. Harry looked around and noticed Neville, Ginny and Seamus from Gryffindor making their way up as well. Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson from Slytherin, and many others, about half the school actually, although it was mostly the older students. This could take a while, hopefully it wouldn’t be in alphabetical order.

On his left someone brushed up against him and stayed, closer than was comfortable. Harry turned around to say something, and looked straight at the one person he’d been trying *not* to look at all night.

“Malfoy, a bit close aren’t you?” he thought he said it with admirable calm, all things considered. Malfoy’s knuckles grazed the back of his hand, causing it to tingle in an alarmingly exciting way. It’s some sort of new trick to torment you, Harry told himself. He squared his jaw and stared back at Malfoy, not backing away. He had to show Malfoy that whatever strange tactic he was trying to use, it wouldn’t work.

The other boy cocked his head to the side and gave him a quizzical look, “just getting in alphabetical order, which is next to you,” he replied with a gentle smile.

Harry stared at Malfoy in disbelief, what the hell could he be planning? He realized with a start, that he was staring at Draco’s mouth and that Malfoy was starting to look at him oddly.

Carefully averting his eyes, he turned back towards the sorting table, just in time to see Hagrid coming towards them at a fast pace. The surrounding tables were vibrating slightly and a few plates skittered off onto the floor each time the man’s foot came down. Harry couldn’t help but grin at the sight of his old friend, umbrella poking out of one of his many pockets, and awkwardly running as he tried not to step on anything (a couple of familiars had died that way when toads were popular, Hagrid had confessed to him once, in tears, after too much fire whiskey). As the giant passed by, his elbow struck Harry squarely in the chest, knocking him back.

The idiot groundskeeper was running towards them. Really, Dumbledore should put him on a leash, Draco thought and smiled at the mental image. But Dumbledore had an irritating predilection for charity cases. Not, he thought, staring intently at Potter’s back, that that was always a bad thing.

The groundskeeper was getting closer. Draco gritted his teeth and fought back a scowl as he put one hand against a table for balance. As the mountain rushed past, he brushed Harry, barely tapped him really, but Potter went flying back. Draco braced himself and leaned into it. Impact. Potter’s back caught him squarely in the chest and the boy’s cloak fanned back, wrapping around Draco. He felt the soft scratch of wool against his face, like a whispering sigh against his cheek, before it too fell.

Harry felt that brief moment of weightlessness as Hagrid’s blow sent him into the air. He tried to go limp and grimaced, thinking about the tables behind him. His back hit something, someone, and he came to an abrupt stop. He felt them stagger back briefly, then arms wrapped around his chest, supporting his weight as he tried to get his feet back under him.

“I’ve got you”, a husky voice whispered in his ear, and he felt their breath, warm and moist, tickle his ear. Draco. Harry winced and stiffened, although his pulse raced. Draco chuckled, but it sounded more like a purr, Harry could feel it, vibrating against his back. “Just relax, I won’t bite, I promise.” He imagined Draco’s lips as they must be, millimeters from his ear, almost touching. No, touching. Brushing softly, so softly, then unexpected warmth, moisture, on the tip of his earlobe.

Harry’s eyes drifted half shut, and he caught his breath, trying not to moan. He’d never thought of his ears as particularly sensitive. The tip of the other boy’s tongue brushed hesitantly against the lobe of his ear, grew bolder, pressing firmly as it curled around the bottom tip, drawing it into his mouth. And sucked. Tight, velvety warmth.

Harry gasped and jerked. Draco’s arms tightened around him, his fingers splayed against Harry’s chest, gently but firmly drawing him back, flush against him. Harry wondered if it was possible to melt into someone. His ear felt like it was throbbing, sending heat throughout his body. Draco’s hands were moving, one going higher, the other lower. Draco’s left hand cradled Harry’s throat, fingertips rising, tracing his jaw, higher, the pad of his index finger rested against Harry’s bottom lip, tracing it, then pressing insistently. Harry whimpered, just the barest breath of sound. Draco’s mouth on him tightened, and his finger slipped in, thrusting. Harry’s tongue curled reflexively around it, and he swallowed, drawing it in further. It tasted salty and rough as it brushed caressingly across his tongue, then moved, deeper.

Harry couldn’t breathe. It was too much, aching throbbing, his clothes were painfully constrictive, never mind melting, he was burning, just a little bit more, release. He felt a sudden sharp pain, like the prick of a needle on his earlobe and the chill of air as saliva evaporated off its too warm surface. And Draco’s finger slipped out of his mouth, gliding slowly, down his chin and across his jaw, lingering briefly, then withdrawing, as Draco stepped back, then up to the platform where the sorting hat rested on a stool, as calmly as if nothing had happened.

Harry swayed on his feet. His ear still throbbed. He brushed his fingers against it, remembering. He looked around, surely, someone had noticed? But everyone was staring up at the platform.

“Harry?” There was a light touch on his ear. “Are you alright? Your ear is bleeding.” Hermione looked up at him, concerned. “Shall I heal it?”

“No, I’m alright” he tried to sound reassuring, “it’s, it’s nothing, leave it.” His hand curled protectively around his ear. Hermione was examining him thoughtfully; she started to say something, then stopped, turning to the sorting hat.

“Malfoy didn’t take long, you’re up next. At least clean the cut, saliva can cause infections.” She pushed him gently towards the platform where the sorting hat waited.



Next Chapter: Dungeon Crawling


A/N: I am sooooooo sorry for the bad poetry [cringes]. I thought about sparing you the pain, really I did. But I couldn’t resist playing with the hat, it always fascinated me. Did the Harry/Draco scene make up for it? I’m sorry if its been slow going, but I promise there will be lots of yummy character moments too (for myself if nothing else) and the story will really pick up from here. I’m pathetically grateful to my reviewers so far, it definitely motivated me to write more!

Darthelwig: I’m glad that you liked the characters, it was something that I really focused on and it was great to have it noticed. HG/SS is one of my favorites too, I’m starting on them next chapter, let me know what you think ^_~

Jiffylog: thanks for the encouragement, hope you like this chapter.

Megan: glad you liked the HP/D’m h’m having an obscene amount of fun writing it and I promise that there really is HG/SS, starting next chapter.

Christina G.: thanks for your interest, hopefully the HP/DM scene this chapter gives you an idea of where it’s going and who’s taking the lead . . . although there are definitely some surprises left still.

Next chapter will *finally* be some fun stuff with Snape and from Hermione’s pov, and I’ll explain Draco’s actions a bit more, so check back in a week. And if there’s anyone interested in beta-reading, please let me know.