Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Magic of Tennis ❯ Separating the Boys I ( Chapter 5 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Arigatomina 
Anime/Manga: Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Comedy / Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 05.12.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.8K | Visits: 977 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Comedy / Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 05.12.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.8K | Visits: 977 | Status: Work In Progress
Note: I got some names mixed up the first time around with this part. Let's assume they got Akazawa's first and last names mixed up in the sorting list. I don't want him going first.
Another long chapter broken in two parts. If you want to see more of certain characters, teams, or pairings in this fic, let me know. I tend to focus on my favorites, but I like them all, so I don't mind shifting around.
Magic of Tennis
Part 5: Separating the Boys I
Hogwarts turned out to be a really big and ancient looking castle. From the name of the place, Fuji had expected something more elegant. Even with the lake that shimmered to the side of the building, and the glints of the towers, the castle had nothing about it that explained why it had been named after a rather pretty plant. The towers were too crowded, mismatched in size and width, giving the building an uneven, unnatural appearance. It really reminded him of a horror movie he'd seen where a haunted mansion grew new wings at random, moving others in the process until the estate fairly overwhelmed the surrounding walls.
Hogwarts didn't have surrounding walls, even if it did look like something out of the middle ages. Fuji was amused to note that there were even suits of armor inside the wide main doors. So fitting with the old fashioned carriages they'd ridden up in. It made him wonder if why these wizards used trains and busses when the school had clearly had never advanced beyond the knights and damsels era. Now he understood why they used ingredients like unicorn and dragon parts in their wands. It was so mythical and fun.
Of course, not everyone seemed to think it was fun. The carriages had caused a few problems, mostly because they turned out to be drawn by creatures only a few of them could see. Fuji was disappointed to find himself included in the group who couldn't see them. According to Fudomine's Ibu Shinji, they were very unpleasant creatures. It had taken two of his teammates to force him into one of the carriages, and even then he'd gone on and on about how the invisible monsters were staring at him. Akutsu was notably wary when he walked around the front of the carriages, and Yukimura claimed to see them, too, so apparently they really were being watched. It was a shame Hagrid refused to let any of them touch one. Fuji didn't like missing out on something so interesting as invisible carriage-drawing monsters.
Then there was the funny little ghost who decided to peak in at them when they were stopped and ordered, by a severe looking woman with a pointy Halloween hat, to put on the robes they'd gotten. They'd been ushered into a too-small room after entering the castle and the woman, who introduced herself as Minerva McGonagal, told them they'd be 'sorted' in a few minutes. She then threw what Fuji was sure was a reserved, for a woman with such a tight bun, lecture about their lack of proper dress. She seemed to be directing her disapproval at Lupin, who had asked them to put on the robes but hadn't forced the issue when all but a few of them politely refused. The woman and Lupin then left them to wait and, hopefully, put on the robes. The ghost showed up a few minutes later.
Fuji had never been able to see ghosts, but his sister could. Yumiko could see all sorts of things, and according to her, most ghosts were far more polite than horror stories made them out to be. The cackling little ghost who visited them in that crowded room was anything but polite, so Fuji suspected he was an exception to the rule. That, or he was a poltergeist made up of negative human emotions rather than a real ghost. It dropped down from the ceiling and started lobbing wads of wet toilet paper at them. As far as Fuji could tell, the toilet paper was overkill, because just the sight of him was enough to cause a minor panic. He'd never realized Kaidoh had such a high pitched scream, or that Tezuka could yipe without so much as a crack in his calm and sober mask.
Echizen took the paper lobbing quite well, probably because his cap kept his hair from getting matted and Momoshiro was tall enough to hide behind. Poor Atobe wasn't quite as lucky, which explained why he was the second to use his wand to counter the unexpected attack. Kirihara had pulled his first, red-eyed and fuming after being struck in the face by a sopping white clump. Fuji might have helped by using his own wand, but he had dear sweet Kawamura to protect him from the overhead missiles. Sometimes it was nice to be a little shorter than some of his teammates. Besides, it wasn't like he actually knew how to use his wand. And between Kirihara's random missfires and Atobe's hissed spells, the ghost was run off quickly enough. By the time the frowning McGonagal threw the door open to see what the noise was about, they'd managed to win the confrontation. It really was a shame their luggage had been taken from them. If they'd had their rackets available they could have protected themselves better.
McGonagal, who was clearly as tight-laced as Tezuka on his worst days, didn't find the situation very amusing. She wasn't amused that they still hadn't changed, either. But she seemed entirely willing to believe they'd just been attacked by a paper throwing ghost. Apparently his name was Peeves and the wizards let him run around the castle and cause as much chaos as he wanted. Fuji guessed they liked disasters as much as he did. That, or they just didn't know how to properly exorcize a troublesome spirit. He rather liked this Peeves, so he decided not to offer any of the tips he'd picked up from Yumiko on performing exorcisms. After all, it was their ghost. He fit the place as perfectly as the magic, invisible carriage monsters, and suits of armor did.
Whether it was because of the ghost or McGonagal's display of magic when she cleared up the damp paper wads, they ended up going along with the order to put on the identical black ankle length robes. Fuji didn't like his very much. It was heavy on the back of his neck like a loose button-up with weighted pockets. The sleeves were so long his hands got lost in them and he was sure if he tried to walk too quickly he'd end up tripping over the edges. He would never leave Tezuka to pick out his clothing ever again. He'd probably done it on purpose. Fuji wasn't about to forget that worrisome smile his captain had worn during the bus ride.
Still, it was interesting to see the different teams all wearing the same outlandish robes. He'd never realized how eerily similar Kirihara and Mizuki were until he saw them standing a few feet apart in the exact same robe. Creepy. Maybe he should do some matchmaking while he was here. They certainly deserved each other. Then there were Sanada and Echizen with their out of place caps. Fuji was fairly sure they'd be ordered to remove them, but in the meantime it made them cutely matched. And while he wouldn't say anything to hurt Eiji's feelings, the redhead looked adorably feminine in his robe. Almost as much so as Yukimura and Gakuto, if that were possible. Far too cute.
"Why are you smirking like that, Fuji-senpai?"
Fuji quickly closed his eyes and flashed an innocent smile at Echizen. "Just admiring our robes. You might want to remove your cap, though. It looks a little damp and it really doesn't match."
Echizen glowered a little, clearly still suspicious, and grudgingly put his hat in one of the deep pockets of his robe. He probably didn't notice that Sanada was doing the same, Fuji having spoken loudly enough to be overheard. Inui made a quiet comment to Kaidoh, who hissed and tugged off his bandanna. Fuji didn't think the witch would complain if he and Ishida kept them on, but Ishida's white bandanna didn't stand out nearly as much as Kaidoh's green and spotted one did.
They were all somewhat presentable when the woman returned. She sent a piercing look over them all and explained that they were to line up and follow her so they could be sorted. Fuji still didn't know how or why they were to be 'sorted,' but he saw a few Hyoutei members looking at Oshitari, who nodded smugly back at them. They lined up by school and followed the woman out of the small room and back across the large hall they'd first entered. Then they were led into an auditorium that had the players in front hesitating until it took nearly two minutes for them to all pass through the doorway.
Fuji liked it. Really, that was the first thing he thought when he saw the room. He liked it. It was perfect. It was a huge room, filled with four impossibly long tables full of kids in the same black robes they'd put on, though they had colored ties. There was another table at the head of the room, where adults who were presumably teachers sat and looked out on the kids. There were windows across from them, showing a dark view of the yard facing the castle. And the ceiling wasn't there. That was what Fuji liked best. No ceiling. It was no wonder the first players to enter the room had hesitated so long. They'd all come into the castle together so they knew there were floors above this room. And yet...no ceiling, nothing but the open sky like they'd put in an impossibly huge television screen where the ceiling should have been. It was just...perfect. He could see Tezuka twitching in front of him. And they'd just gotten here. At this rate he'd probably have an aneurism before the first week was through.
They lined up near the wall, facing the tables and the far windows. McGonagal was putting a stool and a hat that looked as old as the castle on the floor in front of them. Fuji found himself smiling at the kids who were staring at them. He noticed that Eiji's eyes were a little too dilated and felt sorry for him. His friend was probably trying to take in every detail in the room at once and getting overloaded by it all. At least he wasn't twitching. He could still see Tezuka's eyebrow jerk ever so often and knew it was because of the room rather than the audience. Oh, yes, he really liked that lack of a ceiling.
The witch stepped to the side of the stool and the hat and lifted a sheet of paper. What whispered comments there had been from the kids at the tables ended until the room was far too quiet. Then she called the first name on her list and gestured for Jiroh to come over. He went willingly enough, and sat down on the stool, facing the audience. But when she told him to put on the hat, he immediately protested.
"It's too big," said Jiroh.
Quite a few of the kids laughed, and Jiroh looked around in confusion. Fuji didn't blame him for it. Even from where he was standing, he could see the hat was far too big to fit anyone. Jiroh must have looked to Atobe for guidance, because he turned back a moment later and slowly pulled the hat over his head. It fell all the way to his shoulders and looked absolutely ridiculous. Fuji simply couldn't imagine Tezuka or Atobe wearing something that would make them look like that. While he felt sorry for Jiroh, the idea of getting to see Tezuka in the boy's position made him smirk. What a fun ceremony. It just got better when the brim of the hat opened like a mouth and spoke.
"Gryffindor!" cried the hat.
Fuji actually heard Tezuka choke, and as surprised as he was by having just seen a hat talk, he couldn't help but smother a laugh. Oh, this was too fun.
The kids at the table on the far right broke out in applause at the hat's announcement. Fuji wished they hadn't. The noise made it hard to hear Jiroh's excited cries to Atobe. Unlike Tezuka, he seemed to find the existence of a talking hat to be very cool. McGonagal didn't seem to find Jiroh's enthusiasm nearly as charming as Fuji, though. She scowled and said something to the giddy boy, pointing toward the table that had applauded. Once Jiroh had gone over to sit with the kids who'd clapped, she went back to her list.
Yes, she was definitely as straight-laced as Tezuka. Fuji decided he preferred the easily flustered Lupin. She didn't so much as pale when Akutsu walked over to the stool and sent her a glare so hateful it could have peeled paint. The hat barely touched his head before screaming out Slytherin. There was a curious pause before the table on the left side of the room broke out in applause. It was much louder than the applause the other table had given. Fuji wondered if that was because they liked Akutsu's dangerous appearance, or because the kids at that table were just more enthusiastic. Either way, the applause didn't last very long and most of the kids who'd clapped looked a little wary when Akutsu stalked over to sit with them. Apparently they weren't as immune to his glare as McGonagal was.
Atobe made a grand performance of walking from the line to the stool. He sent a knowing look at Jiroh that made Fuji suspicious. There was a definite bit of whispering going on at the table Akutsu had gone to, and Atobe acted like he'd expected as much. It made Fuji wonder what Atobe knew that the rest of them didn't, besides the names of a few spells to fight off ghosts. And he couldn't help but notice that despite the dirty and ragged appearance of the hat, Atobe didn't hesitate in putting it on. Again, it immediately called out Slytherin and that table of enthusiastic clappers erupted in applause. Fuji saw Jiroh wave happily at his captain from the table across the room, and wondered why the kids there frowned and looked at him like he'd done something awful. It told him there was probably a lot more to this sorting ceremony than just having them sit at certain tables.
Dan Taichi was called next, and although he went willingly enough, it took a minute before the hat spoke up. The boy squirmed, too, like having the hat cover his head was uncomfortable for some reason. Fuji hoped it didn't smell as awful inside the hat as its appearance suggested. Atobe had worn it without complaint, so surely it couldn't be that bad. The hat eventually called out a name that sounded like "Hufflepuff", and Dan took off the hat with a sad expression and drooping shoulders. He sent a longing look at Akutsu, so Fuji guessed he'd probably wanted to be put at the same table. The kids at the table beside Atobe had clapped at the hat's decision and that was where Dan ended up sitting, albeit reluctantly.
Echizen was called next, and Fuji was amused to note that their freshman managed to look bored by the entire ceremony. He probably hadn't twitched at the lack of a ceiling, either. The hat didn't waste any time sending him over to join Jiroh at the table on the right. Then it was his turn.
Fuji was relieved to find that the hat didn't smell bad when he placed it over his head. It was a little stuffy and claustrophobic, but it didn't smell. It did talk, though. He suddenly realized why Dan had squirmed, and why Jiroh had been so excited. The hat must have talked to them, too, only the rest of them hadn't heard whatever it had said.
"Well, now, you could fit just about anywhere," the hat commented, in a wry, friendly tone.
Fuji wondered if he'd be heard by his teammates if he replied out loud, or if the hat was talking in some magical 'telepathic' way. He didn't know what it meant by 'fitting anywhere' so he didn't bother with a response.
"Any preference?" the hat prodded, now sounding amused. Fuji took that to mean it could either read his thoughts or see his smile. He smiled wider and shook his head. Something about the hat's knowing, fortune-telling voice reminded him of Yumiko.
"You're very loyal to your friends, and extremely clever and courageous," the hat told him, like he didn't know already. "You can be quite vindictive, as well. You really could fit anywhere. But since you aren't particular, we'll take the middle route and put you in-"
"Ravenclaw," called the hat.
Inui raised an eyebrow and jotted a few lines in his notebook at the surprising decision.
He'd placed Fuji as a definite Slytherin, if not a Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. But now that he thought about it, the fourth option did encompass all of Fuji's attributes. It was the tensai's intelligence that made him so good at scheming, whether he was thinking up ways to torment his friends or destroy his enemies. And his loyalty to those he cared about was probably canceled out by his need to extract vengeance on those who hurt them. Looking at it that way, he supposed Fuji could only have been placed in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, and since the tensai rarely used his full abilities, most notably in tennis, he probably wasn't suited to Gryffindor. Yes, the more Inui thought about it, the more he agreed with Fuji's placement.
He still wondered if Fuji had chosen to be put in that particular house. From what he'd learned during his research on this particular school, the borderline students did have a little say in the matter. Fuji had to know his brother would never be placed in Ravenclaw. Inui had set his mind on Ravenclaw because he was confident Renji would end up there. He'd expected Fuji to push the hat to place him in the house he thought his brother was most likely to end up in. Ravenclaw had to be the last place Fuji Yuuta would be put. Inui frowned at his data. Did Fuji even realize what the sorting entailed?
Just as Inui had suspected, the hat barely touched Fuji Yuuta's head before placing him in Hufflepuff. He'd calculated the boy had a fifty percent chance of going there or Gryffindor. He didn't really know enough about the boy's mental state to raise either of the stats. He looked between the two Fuji brothers and decided it was a good choice on the hat's part. At least the two weren't in opposing houses like Slytherin and Gryffindor. His data told him students placed in those houses weren't allowed to even look at each other in a friendly way.
Hajime Mizuki was called next, and Inui nodded when the manager was placed in Slytherin. He'd been confident that, like Akutsu, there had only been one option available for him. Unlike Fuji, Mizuki wasn't nearly as intelligent as he like to think he was, and he was entirely willing to endanger his teammates to get what he wanted. That sort of selfish motivation was the epitome of the Slytherin house.
There as a long pause when Ibu Shinji took his place under the hat. Inui was not the least bit surprised. He'd managed to collect quite a bit of data on Fudomine's tensai, given his frequent encounters with Momoshiro and Echizen. The pause was either because Ibu was muttering, or because the hat didn't know where to put him. Inui suspected it was a combination of the two. His academic records proved he was intelligent enough for Ravenclaw, his tennis records showed he was likely motivated enough for Gryffindor, and he was a member of Fudomine, all of whom were intensely loyal to their teammates, fitting Hufflepuff. Like with Fuji, Inui hadn't bothered to actually calculate where Ibu would end up because there were too many options. All he was certain of was that Ibu had no chance of being placed in Slytherin. In the end, the hat placed him in Ravenclaw. Inui wondered if that were the house the hat put all its borderline cases. Maybe it was.
He went up for his turn and as soon as he put on the hat, he told it he didn't want to be placed in Slytherin. The hat was silent for a moment and he had the distinct impression it was laughing at him.
"I realize I fit that house," Inui explained, without actually speaking, "but I need to be placed in Ravenclaw. My intelligence should be high enough to place me there."
There was another pause after Inui stopped thinking, and then he knew the hat was laughing at him. He felt his eyebrow twitch in response.
"You don't fit Slytherin," the hat explained, in a clearly amused tone. "Despite the effects your potions have on your teammates, they do motivate them to achieve. You could easily use your mixes to incapacitate your rivals, but you don't. You are very careful who you subject to your tests. If you hadn't said anything, I would have placed you in Gryffindor. As it is, I'll put you in-"
"Ravenclaw," called the hat.
Inui had a funny expression on his face when he removed the hat and walked over to the applauding table. Eiji wondered if he were surprised he got put at the same table Fuji had. Or maybe the hat had done something to him. It did talk, after all. Being inside a talking hat couldn't be very comfortable. And Inui had been inside it for a long time compared to the quick guys like Atobe. If Inui wasn't so sadistic with those juices of his, Eiji might have felt sorry for him.
He really didn't want to put that hat on. At least not without finding out what the deal was. He didn't like that Echizen and Fuji were at different tables. There was something wrong about that. He could tell because Echizen had a snarky smirk on his face like he knew something. Eiji had been watching him talk to a little boy with glasses at his table, and whatever the boy had said to him, it made Echizen look surprised, and then he'd looked snarky. He knew something and Eiji really wanted to find out what. He tried watching Fuji for clues, but Fuji had been frowning since he'd sat down and talked to an Asian girl at his table. Something was definitely going on.
Fudomine's Ishida was called to the stool and immediately placed in Gryffindor. Eiji flashed a look between Echizen and Fuji to see if that meant something, too, but they didn't react to the placement. Then Kabaji was put into Hufflepuff and still, no reaction. Eiji squirmed a little when Kaidoh was called up. Would he go to Fuji or Echizen? And what would it mean if he went to one and not the other? Kaidoh barely put the hat on before he took it off again and went over to Echizen. Eiji shot a look at Fuji. Sure enough, Fuji was smirking. Not fair!
A light hand fell on Eiji's shoulder and he shot a frustrated look at Oishi. "Fuji knows something," he whispered. "Ochibi knows it, too! They're up to something and I don't wanna put that hat on...!"
Oishi winced and gave him a weak smile. "We're just being put at certain tables. You don't have to be nervous about it."
"But they're up to something," Eiji whined.
He knew Oishi wouldn't get it. Oishi didn't mind being left out of secrets. Eiji scowled a little and stared harder at Fuji. If only he wasn't so impossible to read, with that smile of his. He was looking at Fuji's table, so he noticed the way Ibu glared when Kamio was placed in Gryffindor. Eiji blinked and looked from one to the other. Was it bad to be placed at different tables? That might explain why Fuji and Echizen were acting funny. But Atobe and Jiroh had looked happy when they were put at different tables and theirs were all the way across the room from each other. It didn't make sense.
Kawamura was called up, and Eiji rubbed his suddenly damp hands on the stupid ugly robe he'd been forced to wear. He was next and Fuji had something planned. That was worse than knowing Inui had something planned! He liked Fuji, he really did, but Fuji was scary when he smirked. And Ochibi was in on it! The hat yelled out Hufflepuff and Fuji smiled one of his calm, knowing smiles. Eiji shivered. He didn't move when the woman with the weird pointy hat called his name. Then Oishi prodded him out of the line and he grimaced. He could swear his hands shook when he picked up that ugly, freaky talking hat.
He cringed at the claustrophobic feel of it sliding down over his head. Then it screamed Gryffindor in his ears and he blinked. Echizen's table was clapping for him. Eiji set the hat down, feeling a little numb and out of it. Fuji was smiling the same way he'd smiled at Kawamura, like he'd known what the hat would say. Eiji frowned a little as he stumbled over to sit next to Echizen. He opened his mouth and was cut off by his snarky kouhai.
"It's a joke," Echizen smirked. "They pick one characteristic and put you in a house accordingly. Gryffindor is brave, Slytherin is evil, Ravenclaw's smart, and Hufflepuff's wimpy."
Eiji blinked. "Wimpy? Kawamura's wimpy? Are they crazy?"
Echizen just smirked wider. "That's the joke. According to them, you can't be brave and loyal at the same time, or smart and brave, or loyal and evil, or anything. Look. Kirihara got put in Slytherin. Because he's evil."
Eiji turned in time to see the Rikkaidai boy stalk over to sit near Atobe at the far table. He couldn't help but laugh. "At least that fits. No wonder Fuji was smiling."
He turned to wave at Fuji and smirked when his friend waved back before looking at the front of the room. Koujirou Saeki was put in Hufflepuff. For some reason, that made Fuji smile wider. Eiji guessed it was because Fuji wanted his friend to be at the same table as Yuuta. He was pretty sure there was nothing wimpy about Saeki, or any of them, for that matter. Except maybe Taichi-kun. But he hung around Akutsu a lot. That had to take bravery.
He glanced back at Echizen. "That Hufflepuff, is that just wimpy, or is it the loyal one?"
"Loyalty is wimpy according to them," said Echizen. "And get this, we're not supposed to talk to anyone who isn't in the same House. Like we're just supposed to stop talking to Fuji-senpai because he's at a different table. It's like a rule."
A girl with fuzzy brown hair frowned at Echizen and shook her head. "That's not what we said."
"Yeah," an orange-haired boy beside her muttered. "It's the Slytherins no one talks to."
"Because they're evil?" asked Eiji.
He laughed when the boy gave a solemn nod. Then he turned back to see were the rest of Seigaku got put. Now he knew why Fuji and Echizen had been smirking like that. Inui was evil. If Slytherin was the evil group, Inui was definitely at the wrong table.
"Kuwahara Jackal," said McGonagal.
Oshitari watched the boy take his place at the stool. So far, everything was going as he'd expected. He was fairly sure at least two people had argued with the hat, judging by how long it had taken for them to be placed. That meant he had a good chance staying out of Ravenclaw. Atobe wanted one of them in each house, but he didn't want to go along with that. It all depended on where Gakuto and Ohtori got placed.
After a short pause, Jackal was sent to Hufflepuff. Marui Bunta got placed in Gryffindor. Oshitari rolled his eyes when the announcement of Marui's placement was met with a loud whoop from Jiroh. How nice for him. He got to be in the same House as his idol while Oshitari was probably going to be in the same mess he'd been in during the tournament meet. He didn't care what Atobe wanted. He was not going to be placed in the same dorm room with Ibu Shinji. Never again.
Gakuto leaned a little harder into his side, and Oshitari flashed him a weak smile. His partner didn't like when he glared like that unless he knew the reason. Said it made him look mean and cold and he didn't like that. Gakuto liked it a lot when he glared at their rivals that way, but not when he glared at something in his own mind. He sighed and tilted his head a little so his whisper wouldn't carry.
"If I'm put in Ravenclaw, I'm sneaking out as soon as I can. Get the password of whatever House you're put in and give it to me before we're separated for the night."
Gakuto glanced over at the Ravenclaw table and made a face. "Promise."
Momoshiro joined his teammates at the Gryffindor table and then it was Gakuto's turn. Oshitari smiled a little at how big the hat was on his partner. He was relieved when Gakuto ended up going to Slytherin. As much damage as Gakuto could do in Gryffindor, he didn't really want him surrounded by Seigaku players, especially when Kikumaru was in that House. Their rivalry was fun, but only when he was there to support Gakuto. His partner was bold and confident, but when it got down to basic facts like weight and size, he really wasn't much of a fighter. He was much safer with Atobe than Jiroh.
Niou was placed in Gryffindor and Ohtori in Hufflepuff. Oshitari had expected Ohtori to go there. It was just like Atobe had wanted. Kabaji couldn't be counted on to act without someone else there to remind him of his objectives. Ohtori was nothing if not loyal to his teammates. He was faintly surprised when Seigaku's vice captain, Oishi, was put in Hufflepuff as well. Like Kawamura, with his 'burning' mode, Oishi didn't strike him as easily manipulated, and that was the main weakness Hufflepuffs had.
His name was called and he sighed. Shishido wouldn't make it into Ravenclaw. There was no chance. He put on the hat and took a deep breath to resign himself. Then he told it to put him in Ravenclaw.
"Really?" asked the hat. "You want to be put in the House you least want to be in?"
"I have to be put there," Oshitari corrected. "It suits me, anyway."
He sighed again when the hat agreed and called out the decision. He went over and sat as far from Fudomine's tensai as possible. It wasn't that he hated him, really. It was that he couldn't think around him. Like getting a song stuck in his head and hearing it over and over until he wanted to bash his head into a wall just to make it stop.
Reiji Shinjou joined him a moment later, and Oshitari suddenly felt as sorry for him as he did for himself. This really was like a repeat of the tournament placings. Except Shinjou went over to sit by Ibu by choice. The poor sick bastard. Maybe he was a masochist.
Sanada and Sengoku were placed in Gryffindor. That didn't surprise him at all. He wasn't surprised to see Shishido end up in Slytherin, either. That was why he'd resigned himself to being the token Hyoutei player in Ravenclaw, because it was him or no one. Really, as great as his team was, his teammates weren't all that bright. Atobe was, but his ego made up for that.
Tachibana and Tezuka also went to Gryffindor. It was amusing that most of the school's captains were Gryffindors. That just proved they weren't nearly as cutthroat as Hyoutei. He wondered what it was like to be on a team where the same regulars were allowed to lose over and over without being replaced. At least Fudomine had an excuse, since they barely had enough players to be a real team.
The sorting finished up with Jyousei Shonan's Wakato and St. Rudolph's captain going to Slytherin, while Yagyuu, Yanagi, and Yukimura joined him at the Ravenclaw table. He was faintly surprised by Yukimura's placement. Oshitari had expected him to end up either in Gryffindor, with Sanada, or Hufflepuff, which matched his easy going appearance. Yukimura was the only captain in Ravenclaw and Oshitari found that worrisome. Atobe had seemed quite interested in him after that bus ride, too. This was a good chance to find out why.
.-.
TBC
Next up, wizardlets, bloody ghosts, and rule breaking.
Another long chapter broken in two parts. If you want to see more of certain characters, teams, or pairings in this fic, let me know. I tend to focus on my favorites, but I like them all, so I don't mind shifting around.
Magic of Tennis
Part 5: Separating the Boys I
Hogwarts turned out to be a really big and ancient looking castle. From the name of the place, Fuji had expected something more elegant. Even with the lake that shimmered to the side of the building, and the glints of the towers, the castle had nothing about it that explained why it had been named after a rather pretty plant. The towers were too crowded, mismatched in size and width, giving the building an uneven, unnatural appearance. It really reminded him of a horror movie he'd seen where a haunted mansion grew new wings at random, moving others in the process until the estate fairly overwhelmed the surrounding walls.
Hogwarts didn't have surrounding walls, even if it did look like something out of the middle ages. Fuji was amused to note that there were even suits of armor inside the wide main doors. So fitting with the old fashioned carriages they'd ridden up in. It made him wonder if why these wizards used trains and busses when the school had clearly had never advanced beyond the knights and damsels era. Now he understood why they used ingredients like unicorn and dragon parts in their wands. It was so mythical and fun.
Of course, not everyone seemed to think it was fun. The carriages had caused a few problems, mostly because they turned out to be drawn by creatures only a few of them could see. Fuji was disappointed to find himself included in the group who couldn't see them. According to Fudomine's Ibu Shinji, they were very unpleasant creatures. It had taken two of his teammates to force him into one of the carriages, and even then he'd gone on and on about how the invisible monsters were staring at him. Akutsu was notably wary when he walked around the front of the carriages, and Yukimura claimed to see them, too, so apparently they really were being watched. It was a shame Hagrid refused to let any of them touch one. Fuji didn't like missing out on something so interesting as invisible carriage-drawing monsters.
Then there was the funny little ghost who decided to peak in at them when they were stopped and ordered, by a severe looking woman with a pointy Halloween hat, to put on the robes they'd gotten. They'd been ushered into a too-small room after entering the castle and the woman, who introduced herself as Minerva McGonagal, told them they'd be 'sorted' in a few minutes. She then threw what Fuji was sure was a reserved, for a woman with such a tight bun, lecture about their lack of proper dress. She seemed to be directing her disapproval at Lupin, who had asked them to put on the robes but hadn't forced the issue when all but a few of them politely refused. The woman and Lupin then left them to wait and, hopefully, put on the robes. The ghost showed up a few minutes later.
Fuji had never been able to see ghosts, but his sister could. Yumiko could see all sorts of things, and according to her, most ghosts were far more polite than horror stories made them out to be. The cackling little ghost who visited them in that crowded room was anything but polite, so Fuji suspected he was an exception to the rule. That, or he was a poltergeist made up of negative human emotions rather than a real ghost. It dropped down from the ceiling and started lobbing wads of wet toilet paper at them. As far as Fuji could tell, the toilet paper was overkill, because just the sight of him was enough to cause a minor panic. He'd never realized Kaidoh had such a high pitched scream, or that Tezuka could yipe without so much as a crack in his calm and sober mask.
Echizen took the paper lobbing quite well, probably because his cap kept his hair from getting matted and Momoshiro was tall enough to hide behind. Poor Atobe wasn't quite as lucky, which explained why he was the second to use his wand to counter the unexpected attack. Kirihara had pulled his first, red-eyed and fuming after being struck in the face by a sopping white clump. Fuji might have helped by using his own wand, but he had dear sweet Kawamura to protect him from the overhead missiles. Sometimes it was nice to be a little shorter than some of his teammates. Besides, it wasn't like he actually knew how to use his wand. And between Kirihara's random missfires and Atobe's hissed spells, the ghost was run off quickly enough. By the time the frowning McGonagal threw the door open to see what the noise was about, they'd managed to win the confrontation. It really was a shame their luggage had been taken from them. If they'd had their rackets available they could have protected themselves better.
McGonagal, who was clearly as tight-laced as Tezuka on his worst days, didn't find the situation very amusing. She wasn't amused that they still hadn't changed, either. But she seemed entirely willing to believe they'd just been attacked by a paper throwing ghost. Apparently his name was Peeves and the wizards let him run around the castle and cause as much chaos as he wanted. Fuji guessed they liked disasters as much as he did. That, or they just didn't know how to properly exorcize a troublesome spirit. He rather liked this Peeves, so he decided not to offer any of the tips he'd picked up from Yumiko on performing exorcisms. After all, it was their ghost. He fit the place as perfectly as the magic, invisible carriage monsters, and suits of armor did.
Whether it was because of the ghost or McGonagal's display of magic when she cleared up the damp paper wads, they ended up going along with the order to put on the identical black ankle length robes. Fuji didn't like his very much. It was heavy on the back of his neck like a loose button-up with weighted pockets. The sleeves were so long his hands got lost in them and he was sure if he tried to walk too quickly he'd end up tripping over the edges. He would never leave Tezuka to pick out his clothing ever again. He'd probably done it on purpose. Fuji wasn't about to forget that worrisome smile his captain had worn during the bus ride.
Still, it was interesting to see the different teams all wearing the same outlandish robes. He'd never realized how eerily similar Kirihara and Mizuki were until he saw them standing a few feet apart in the exact same robe. Creepy. Maybe he should do some matchmaking while he was here. They certainly deserved each other. Then there were Sanada and Echizen with their out of place caps. Fuji was fairly sure they'd be ordered to remove them, but in the meantime it made them cutely matched. And while he wouldn't say anything to hurt Eiji's feelings, the redhead looked adorably feminine in his robe. Almost as much so as Yukimura and Gakuto, if that were possible. Far too cute.
"Why are you smirking like that, Fuji-senpai?"
Fuji quickly closed his eyes and flashed an innocent smile at Echizen. "Just admiring our robes. You might want to remove your cap, though. It looks a little damp and it really doesn't match."
Echizen glowered a little, clearly still suspicious, and grudgingly put his hat in one of the deep pockets of his robe. He probably didn't notice that Sanada was doing the same, Fuji having spoken loudly enough to be overheard. Inui made a quiet comment to Kaidoh, who hissed and tugged off his bandanna. Fuji didn't think the witch would complain if he and Ishida kept them on, but Ishida's white bandanna didn't stand out nearly as much as Kaidoh's green and spotted one did.
They were all somewhat presentable when the woman returned. She sent a piercing look over them all and explained that they were to line up and follow her so they could be sorted. Fuji still didn't know how or why they were to be 'sorted,' but he saw a few Hyoutei members looking at Oshitari, who nodded smugly back at them. They lined up by school and followed the woman out of the small room and back across the large hall they'd first entered. Then they were led into an auditorium that had the players in front hesitating until it took nearly two minutes for them to all pass through the doorway.
Fuji liked it. Really, that was the first thing he thought when he saw the room. He liked it. It was perfect. It was a huge room, filled with four impossibly long tables full of kids in the same black robes they'd put on, though they had colored ties. There was another table at the head of the room, where adults who were presumably teachers sat and looked out on the kids. There were windows across from them, showing a dark view of the yard facing the castle. And the ceiling wasn't there. That was what Fuji liked best. No ceiling. It was no wonder the first players to enter the room had hesitated so long. They'd all come into the castle together so they knew there were floors above this room. And yet...no ceiling, nothing but the open sky like they'd put in an impossibly huge television screen where the ceiling should have been. It was just...perfect. He could see Tezuka twitching in front of him. And they'd just gotten here. At this rate he'd probably have an aneurism before the first week was through.
They lined up near the wall, facing the tables and the far windows. McGonagal was putting a stool and a hat that looked as old as the castle on the floor in front of them. Fuji found himself smiling at the kids who were staring at them. He noticed that Eiji's eyes were a little too dilated and felt sorry for him. His friend was probably trying to take in every detail in the room at once and getting overloaded by it all. At least he wasn't twitching. He could still see Tezuka's eyebrow jerk ever so often and knew it was because of the room rather than the audience. Oh, yes, he really liked that lack of a ceiling.
The witch stepped to the side of the stool and the hat and lifted a sheet of paper. What whispered comments there had been from the kids at the tables ended until the room was far too quiet. Then she called the first name on her list and gestured for Jiroh to come over. He went willingly enough, and sat down on the stool, facing the audience. But when she told him to put on the hat, he immediately protested.
"It's too big," said Jiroh.
Quite a few of the kids laughed, and Jiroh looked around in confusion. Fuji didn't blame him for it. Even from where he was standing, he could see the hat was far too big to fit anyone. Jiroh must have looked to Atobe for guidance, because he turned back a moment later and slowly pulled the hat over his head. It fell all the way to his shoulders and looked absolutely ridiculous. Fuji simply couldn't imagine Tezuka or Atobe wearing something that would make them look like that. While he felt sorry for Jiroh, the idea of getting to see Tezuka in the boy's position made him smirk. What a fun ceremony. It just got better when the brim of the hat opened like a mouth and spoke.
"Gryffindor!" cried the hat.
Fuji actually heard Tezuka choke, and as surprised as he was by having just seen a hat talk, he couldn't help but smother a laugh. Oh, this was too fun.
The kids at the table on the far right broke out in applause at the hat's announcement. Fuji wished they hadn't. The noise made it hard to hear Jiroh's excited cries to Atobe. Unlike Tezuka, he seemed to find the existence of a talking hat to be very cool. McGonagal didn't seem to find Jiroh's enthusiasm nearly as charming as Fuji, though. She scowled and said something to the giddy boy, pointing toward the table that had applauded. Once Jiroh had gone over to sit with the kids who'd clapped, she went back to her list.
Yes, she was definitely as straight-laced as Tezuka. Fuji decided he preferred the easily flustered Lupin. She didn't so much as pale when Akutsu walked over to the stool and sent her a glare so hateful it could have peeled paint. The hat barely touched his head before screaming out Slytherin. There was a curious pause before the table on the left side of the room broke out in applause. It was much louder than the applause the other table had given. Fuji wondered if that was because they liked Akutsu's dangerous appearance, or because the kids at that table were just more enthusiastic. Either way, the applause didn't last very long and most of the kids who'd clapped looked a little wary when Akutsu stalked over to sit with them. Apparently they weren't as immune to his glare as McGonagal was.
Atobe made a grand performance of walking from the line to the stool. He sent a knowing look at Jiroh that made Fuji suspicious. There was a definite bit of whispering going on at the table Akutsu had gone to, and Atobe acted like he'd expected as much. It made Fuji wonder what Atobe knew that the rest of them didn't, besides the names of a few spells to fight off ghosts. And he couldn't help but notice that despite the dirty and ragged appearance of the hat, Atobe didn't hesitate in putting it on. Again, it immediately called out Slytherin and that table of enthusiastic clappers erupted in applause. Fuji saw Jiroh wave happily at his captain from the table across the room, and wondered why the kids there frowned and looked at him like he'd done something awful. It told him there was probably a lot more to this sorting ceremony than just having them sit at certain tables.
Dan Taichi was called next, and although he went willingly enough, it took a minute before the hat spoke up. The boy squirmed, too, like having the hat cover his head was uncomfortable for some reason. Fuji hoped it didn't smell as awful inside the hat as its appearance suggested. Atobe had worn it without complaint, so surely it couldn't be that bad. The hat eventually called out a name that sounded like "Hufflepuff", and Dan took off the hat with a sad expression and drooping shoulders. He sent a longing look at Akutsu, so Fuji guessed he'd probably wanted to be put at the same table. The kids at the table beside Atobe had clapped at the hat's decision and that was where Dan ended up sitting, albeit reluctantly.
Echizen was called next, and Fuji was amused to note that their freshman managed to look bored by the entire ceremony. He probably hadn't twitched at the lack of a ceiling, either. The hat didn't waste any time sending him over to join Jiroh at the table on the right. Then it was his turn.
Fuji was relieved to find that the hat didn't smell bad when he placed it over his head. It was a little stuffy and claustrophobic, but it didn't smell. It did talk, though. He suddenly realized why Dan had squirmed, and why Jiroh had been so excited. The hat must have talked to them, too, only the rest of them hadn't heard whatever it had said.
"Well, now, you could fit just about anywhere," the hat commented, in a wry, friendly tone.
Fuji wondered if he'd be heard by his teammates if he replied out loud, or if the hat was talking in some magical 'telepathic' way. He didn't know what it meant by 'fitting anywhere' so he didn't bother with a response.
"Any preference?" the hat prodded, now sounding amused. Fuji took that to mean it could either read his thoughts or see his smile. He smiled wider and shook his head. Something about the hat's knowing, fortune-telling voice reminded him of Yumiko.
"You're very loyal to your friends, and extremely clever and courageous," the hat told him, like he didn't know already. "You can be quite vindictive, as well. You really could fit anywhere. But since you aren't particular, we'll take the middle route and put you in-"
"Ravenclaw," called the hat.
Inui raised an eyebrow and jotted a few lines in his notebook at the surprising decision.
He'd placed Fuji as a definite Slytherin, if not a Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. But now that he thought about it, the fourth option did encompass all of Fuji's attributes. It was the tensai's intelligence that made him so good at scheming, whether he was thinking up ways to torment his friends or destroy his enemies. And his loyalty to those he cared about was probably canceled out by his need to extract vengeance on those who hurt them. Looking at it that way, he supposed Fuji could only have been placed in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, and since the tensai rarely used his full abilities, most notably in tennis, he probably wasn't suited to Gryffindor. Yes, the more Inui thought about it, the more he agreed with Fuji's placement.
He still wondered if Fuji had chosen to be put in that particular house. From what he'd learned during his research on this particular school, the borderline students did have a little say in the matter. Fuji had to know his brother would never be placed in Ravenclaw. Inui had set his mind on Ravenclaw because he was confident Renji would end up there. He'd expected Fuji to push the hat to place him in the house he thought his brother was most likely to end up in. Ravenclaw had to be the last place Fuji Yuuta would be put. Inui frowned at his data. Did Fuji even realize what the sorting entailed?
Just as Inui had suspected, the hat barely touched Fuji Yuuta's head before placing him in Hufflepuff. He'd calculated the boy had a fifty percent chance of going there or Gryffindor. He didn't really know enough about the boy's mental state to raise either of the stats. He looked between the two Fuji brothers and decided it was a good choice on the hat's part. At least the two weren't in opposing houses like Slytherin and Gryffindor. His data told him students placed in those houses weren't allowed to even look at each other in a friendly way.
Hajime Mizuki was called next, and Inui nodded when the manager was placed in Slytherin. He'd been confident that, like Akutsu, there had only been one option available for him. Unlike Fuji, Mizuki wasn't nearly as intelligent as he like to think he was, and he was entirely willing to endanger his teammates to get what he wanted. That sort of selfish motivation was the epitome of the Slytherin house.
There as a long pause when Ibu Shinji took his place under the hat. Inui was not the least bit surprised. He'd managed to collect quite a bit of data on Fudomine's tensai, given his frequent encounters with Momoshiro and Echizen. The pause was either because Ibu was muttering, or because the hat didn't know where to put him. Inui suspected it was a combination of the two. His academic records proved he was intelligent enough for Ravenclaw, his tennis records showed he was likely motivated enough for Gryffindor, and he was a member of Fudomine, all of whom were intensely loyal to their teammates, fitting Hufflepuff. Like with Fuji, Inui hadn't bothered to actually calculate where Ibu would end up because there were too many options. All he was certain of was that Ibu had no chance of being placed in Slytherin. In the end, the hat placed him in Ravenclaw. Inui wondered if that were the house the hat put all its borderline cases. Maybe it was.
He went up for his turn and as soon as he put on the hat, he told it he didn't want to be placed in Slytherin. The hat was silent for a moment and he had the distinct impression it was laughing at him.
"I realize I fit that house," Inui explained, without actually speaking, "but I need to be placed in Ravenclaw. My intelligence should be high enough to place me there."
There was another pause after Inui stopped thinking, and then he knew the hat was laughing at him. He felt his eyebrow twitch in response.
"You don't fit Slytherin," the hat explained, in a clearly amused tone. "Despite the effects your potions have on your teammates, they do motivate them to achieve. You could easily use your mixes to incapacitate your rivals, but you don't. You are very careful who you subject to your tests. If you hadn't said anything, I would have placed you in Gryffindor. As it is, I'll put you in-"
"Ravenclaw," called the hat.
Inui had a funny expression on his face when he removed the hat and walked over to the applauding table. Eiji wondered if he were surprised he got put at the same table Fuji had. Or maybe the hat had done something to him. It did talk, after all. Being inside a talking hat couldn't be very comfortable. And Inui had been inside it for a long time compared to the quick guys like Atobe. If Inui wasn't so sadistic with those juices of his, Eiji might have felt sorry for him.
He really didn't want to put that hat on. At least not without finding out what the deal was. He didn't like that Echizen and Fuji were at different tables. There was something wrong about that. He could tell because Echizen had a snarky smirk on his face like he knew something. Eiji had been watching him talk to a little boy with glasses at his table, and whatever the boy had said to him, it made Echizen look surprised, and then he'd looked snarky. He knew something and Eiji really wanted to find out what. He tried watching Fuji for clues, but Fuji had been frowning since he'd sat down and talked to an Asian girl at his table. Something was definitely going on.
Fudomine's Ishida was called to the stool and immediately placed in Gryffindor. Eiji flashed a look between Echizen and Fuji to see if that meant something, too, but they didn't react to the placement. Then Kabaji was put into Hufflepuff and still, no reaction. Eiji squirmed a little when Kaidoh was called up. Would he go to Fuji or Echizen? And what would it mean if he went to one and not the other? Kaidoh barely put the hat on before he took it off again and went over to Echizen. Eiji shot a look at Fuji. Sure enough, Fuji was smirking. Not fair!
A light hand fell on Eiji's shoulder and he shot a frustrated look at Oishi. "Fuji knows something," he whispered. "Ochibi knows it, too! They're up to something and I don't wanna put that hat on...!"
Oishi winced and gave him a weak smile. "We're just being put at certain tables. You don't have to be nervous about it."
"But they're up to something," Eiji whined.
He knew Oishi wouldn't get it. Oishi didn't mind being left out of secrets. Eiji scowled a little and stared harder at Fuji. If only he wasn't so impossible to read, with that smile of his. He was looking at Fuji's table, so he noticed the way Ibu glared when Kamio was placed in Gryffindor. Eiji blinked and looked from one to the other. Was it bad to be placed at different tables? That might explain why Fuji and Echizen were acting funny. But Atobe and Jiroh had looked happy when they were put at different tables and theirs were all the way across the room from each other. It didn't make sense.
Kawamura was called up, and Eiji rubbed his suddenly damp hands on the stupid ugly robe he'd been forced to wear. He was next and Fuji had something planned. That was worse than knowing Inui had something planned! He liked Fuji, he really did, but Fuji was scary when he smirked. And Ochibi was in on it! The hat yelled out Hufflepuff and Fuji smiled one of his calm, knowing smiles. Eiji shivered. He didn't move when the woman with the weird pointy hat called his name. Then Oishi prodded him out of the line and he grimaced. He could swear his hands shook when he picked up that ugly, freaky talking hat.
He cringed at the claustrophobic feel of it sliding down over his head. Then it screamed Gryffindor in his ears and he blinked. Echizen's table was clapping for him. Eiji set the hat down, feeling a little numb and out of it. Fuji was smiling the same way he'd smiled at Kawamura, like he'd known what the hat would say. Eiji frowned a little as he stumbled over to sit next to Echizen. He opened his mouth and was cut off by his snarky kouhai.
"It's a joke," Echizen smirked. "They pick one characteristic and put you in a house accordingly. Gryffindor is brave, Slytherin is evil, Ravenclaw's smart, and Hufflepuff's wimpy."
Eiji blinked. "Wimpy? Kawamura's wimpy? Are they crazy?"
Echizen just smirked wider. "That's the joke. According to them, you can't be brave and loyal at the same time, or smart and brave, or loyal and evil, or anything. Look. Kirihara got put in Slytherin. Because he's evil."
Eiji turned in time to see the Rikkaidai boy stalk over to sit near Atobe at the far table. He couldn't help but laugh. "At least that fits. No wonder Fuji was smiling."
He turned to wave at Fuji and smirked when his friend waved back before looking at the front of the room. Koujirou Saeki was put in Hufflepuff. For some reason, that made Fuji smile wider. Eiji guessed it was because Fuji wanted his friend to be at the same table as Yuuta. He was pretty sure there was nothing wimpy about Saeki, or any of them, for that matter. Except maybe Taichi-kun. But he hung around Akutsu a lot. That had to take bravery.
He glanced back at Echizen. "That Hufflepuff, is that just wimpy, or is it the loyal one?"
"Loyalty is wimpy according to them," said Echizen. "And get this, we're not supposed to talk to anyone who isn't in the same House. Like we're just supposed to stop talking to Fuji-senpai because he's at a different table. It's like a rule."
A girl with fuzzy brown hair frowned at Echizen and shook her head. "That's not what we said."
"Yeah," an orange-haired boy beside her muttered. "It's the Slytherins no one talks to."
"Because they're evil?" asked Eiji.
He laughed when the boy gave a solemn nod. Then he turned back to see were the rest of Seigaku got put. Now he knew why Fuji and Echizen had been smirking like that. Inui was evil. If Slytherin was the evil group, Inui was definitely at the wrong table.
"Kuwahara Jackal," said McGonagal.
Oshitari watched the boy take his place at the stool. So far, everything was going as he'd expected. He was fairly sure at least two people had argued with the hat, judging by how long it had taken for them to be placed. That meant he had a good chance staying out of Ravenclaw. Atobe wanted one of them in each house, but he didn't want to go along with that. It all depended on where Gakuto and Ohtori got placed.
After a short pause, Jackal was sent to Hufflepuff. Marui Bunta got placed in Gryffindor. Oshitari rolled his eyes when the announcement of Marui's placement was met with a loud whoop from Jiroh. How nice for him. He got to be in the same House as his idol while Oshitari was probably going to be in the same mess he'd been in during the tournament meet. He didn't care what Atobe wanted. He was not going to be placed in the same dorm room with Ibu Shinji. Never again.
Gakuto leaned a little harder into his side, and Oshitari flashed him a weak smile. His partner didn't like when he glared like that unless he knew the reason. Said it made him look mean and cold and he didn't like that. Gakuto liked it a lot when he glared at their rivals that way, but not when he glared at something in his own mind. He sighed and tilted his head a little so his whisper wouldn't carry.
"If I'm put in Ravenclaw, I'm sneaking out as soon as I can. Get the password of whatever House you're put in and give it to me before we're separated for the night."
Gakuto glanced over at the Ravenclaw table and made a face. "Promise."
Momoshiro joined his teammates at the Gryffindor table and then it was Gakuto's turn. Oshitari smiled a little at how big the hat was on his partner. He was relieved when Gakuto ended up going to Slytherin. As much damage as Gakuto could do in Gryffindor, he didn't really want him surrounded by Seigaku players, especially when Kikumaru was in that House. Their rivalry was fun, but only when he was there to support Gakuto. His partner was bold and confident, but when it got down to basic facts like weight and size, he really wasn't much of a fighter. He was much safer with Atobe than Jiroh.
Niou was placed in Gryffindor and Ohtori in Hufflepuff. Oshitari had expected Ohtori to go there. It was just like Atobe had wanted. Kabaji couldn't be counted on to act without someone else there to remind him of his objectives. Ohtori was nothing if not loyal to his teammates. He was faintly surprised when Seigaku's vice captain, Oishi, was put in Hufflepuff as well. Like Kawamura, with his 'burning' mode, Oishi didn't strike him as easily manipulated, and that was the main weakness Hufflepuffs had.
His name was called and he sighed. Shishido wouldn't make it into Ravenclaw. There was no chance. He put on the hat and took a deep breath to resign himself. Then he told it to put him in Ravenclaw.
"Really?" asked the hat. "You want to be put in the House you least want to be in?"
"I have to be put there," Oshitari corrected. "It suits me, anyway."
He sighed again when the hat agreed and called out the decision. He went over and sat as far from Fudomine's tensai as possible. It wasn't that he hated him, really. It was that he couldn't think around him. Like getting a song stuck in his head and hearing it over and over until he wanted to bash his head into a wall just to make it stop.
Reiji Shinjou joined him a moment later, and Oshitari suddenly felt as sorry for him as he did for himself. This really was like a repeat of the tournament placings. Except Shinjou went over to sit by Ibu by choice. The poor sick bastard. Maybe he was a masochist.
Sanada and Sengoku were placed in Gryffindor. That didn't surprise him at all. He wasn't surprised to see Shishido end up in Slytherin, either. That was why he'd resigned himself to being the token Hyoutei player in Ravenclaw, because it was him or no one. Really, as great as his team was, his teammates weren't all that bright. Atobe was, but his ego made up for that.
Tachibana and Tezuka also went to Gryffindor. It was amusing that most of the school's captains were Gryffindors. That just proved they weren't nearly as cutthroat as Hyoutei. He wondered what it was like to be on a team where the same regulars were allowed to lose over and over without being replaced. At least Fudomine had an excuse, since they barely had enough players to be a real team.
The sorting finished up with Jyousei Shonan's Wakato and St. Rudolph's captain going to Slytherin, while Yagyuu, Yanagi, and Yukimura joined him at the Ravenclaw table. He was faintly surprised by Yukimura's placement. Oshitari had expected him to end up either in Gryffindor, with Sanada, or Hufflepuff, which matched his easy going appearance. Yukimura was the only captain in Ravenclaw and Oshitari found that worrisome. Atobe had seemed quite interested in him after that bus ride, too. This was a good chance to find out why.
.-.
TBC
Next up, wizardlets, bloody ghosts, and rule breaking.