A few monts before,
Trophy Room, Hogwarts
Darcie and Madam Villanelle waited in the Trophy Room, tucked away behind the Staff's High Table in the Great Hall.
The room glead with shiny trophies, each reflecting the flickering light from the candles that illuminated the space.
Madam Villanelle was supposed to be in the Great Hall, seated with her colleagues. But she had politely declined Dumbledore's offer and chose to stay with Darcie until the Sorting Ceremony was over. Only then would the Professor call them to introduce them properly.
"They think you're too injured to take part in the Sorting Ceremony," Madam Villanelle said, adjusting her green robes and matching witch's hat. "Imagine that... Darcie, are you alright?"
Darcie, looking pale in her Hogwarts robes, nodded slightly. Her black robes made her skin appear even more ashen. Lilith, her familiar, nestled comfortably against her, hidden under her robes.
Darcie managed a small smile as Lilith rubbed against her skin, making her feel comfortable. "I'm alright, ntor," she reassured, though her voice lacked its usual vigor. "Just not my day, I guess."
Madam Villanelle gave a nod of understanding. "Pumpkin juice?"
Darcie hesitated, her brow furrowing in thought. "Yeah, sure," she finally agreed. "And... a cupcake."
Madam Villanelle rolled her eyes but smiled. "No, no," she said, playfully scolding as Darcie made to rise. "Go sit down. I'll be back in a mont."
Obediently, Darcie sank into the sofa and watched as Madam Villanelle left the Trophy Room, humming a soft tune to herself.
Once alone, Darcie closed her eyes...
...
All Echoes deactivated.
Darcie's Echo, far stronger than all the others combined, also deactivated.
Sothings wrong! Where's the Artifact or Tiline Artifact Notification?!!
The Ad Infinitum, represented by its two parts in Kai and Black, paused the synchronization as well, preparing for the enormous computing power it would need to hack into the Sorting Hat.
There's no way the Sorting Hat is not an Artifact, no matter the Tiline, right?!
Two yellow nebulae, representing Kai's and Black's AIs, surged with light, pushing their capabilities to the limit.
If the Sorting Hat is not an Artifact, then...
They shone with a collective 97% proficiency, with millions of yellow crystals floating within them like stars.
The conclusion Kai reached would have made Black rip the Hat off his head imdiately. But just as he was about to act, an overwhelming wave of feelings crashed into him.
The feelings urged him to let things unfold naturally. No matter what, play along.
Kai had a split second to trust his Luck. However, with the conclusion already ford in his mind, playing along seed impossible.
What happened next was the most daring thing Kai had ever attempted.
He tore off a yellow crystal containing the mory of the conclusion he had reached about the Sorting Hat, the lack of the Artifact Notification, and the lucky feeling that was nudging him to play along. Then, he planted this yellow crystal in Lilith with a tir.
The tearing was so thorough that even the Ad Infinitum wouldn't know they were missing a core mory until the tir ran out.
Once the tir did run out, the yellow crystal would return to Kai, rging back with his mindscape.
For now, this was the only thing he could do to protect his and Black's Ad Infinitums because...
This was their mont—to shine, to fight, to win, and to prove their ultimate worth.
*
*
Let the Ga begin!
Black despised the feeling of being played. But why? He couldn't rember.
One thing he failed to comprehend was how the Sorting Hat had only snatched one core mory, yet it felt like he had forgotten so much more—people, events, places. It was as if...
"This Mindscape of yours," the Sorting Hat mused, "is marvelous. The facets of one crystal reflect all the others... Yes. Simply marvelous.
"But it's also a double-edged sword, isn't it? You never considered that? Oh, what am I saying? With your greed and ego, there's no way you thought soone would just barge in and snatch a crystal, right? Right?
"I didn't take many crystals, not because I couldn't, but because I didn't need to. One was more than enough, you see."
Black frowned, frustration boiling within him.
All his mories. All his secrets. Everything was now laid bare for the Sorting Hat to see.
"Don't look at like that," the Hat chuckled, turning away slightly. "Focus on the ga. Or don't you want the crystal back anymore?"
Black scoffed, trying to regain his composure.
"What?" The Sorting Hat tapped the counter. "I did say I'm only borrowing it for so ti. Words matter, Kai Stormborn. Mine more so than yours."
As much as he hated it, Black tore his gaze away from the Hat.
Both of them now stared at the paused video, showing the Sorting Hat being placed on Hermione's head.
"The ga's simple," the Hat explained. "I'll show you events from Hermione's life, which I'll use to determine her House. You tell where I should sort her. If you're right, I'll answer one of your questions. If you're wrong, you'll lose sothing."
"What sothing?" Black asked instantly.
"We'll see." The Sorting Hat flicked the rim of its hat. "You already know the qualities I seek for each House, right?"
Suddenly, the video screen blurred.
When it cleared, it showed scenes from Hermione's childhood.
Black watched intently.
Everything seed normal until Hermione received her Hogwarts Acceptance Letter.
But when she visited Diagon Alley for the first ti with her parents, sothing seed off.
Black couldn't access her thoughts, sothing he had grown accustod to. He could only observe events from a third-person perspective.
One thing he noticed was Hermione's intense zeal toward books, the Daily Prophet, and magazines—almost obsessively so.
From Diagon Alley to her ho, and then to the Hogwarts Express, Hermione seed withdrawn but not defeated.
"Alright," the Sorting Hat said. "That's enough."
"It's ob..."
"Before you say anything," the Hat interrupted, "you should know three minutes have already passed outside."
Black's mouth opened, then closed as he processed the information.
"It's obvious," he said finally, taking a deep breath. "Gryffindor."
"Oh?" The Sorting Hat chuckled. "Not Ravenclaw?"
Black shook his head. "It's the values that matter most, not appearances."
"You're not wrong," the Hat nodded. "In most tilines, this would be the reason for her to be in Gryffindor. But in most tilines, it also doesn't take her over three minutes to be sorted."
"What do you an?"
"Haha!" The Sorting Hat laughed. "Hear for yourself."
Black turned his attention back to the video screen.
The video resud, showing the live events in the Great Hall.
The Sorting Hat, placed on Hermione's head, was muttering as usual. But the odd thing was... Hermione was mumbling under the Hat too, nonstop.
Black's eyes widened as he listened to the words spilling out of the young girl's mouth. "Impossible..."
On the screen, the Sorting Hat dipped its pointy tip, looking down at Hermione.
"Are you sure?" it asked. "Is that what you really want? Gryffindor will suit you just fine, young lady."
Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and mumbled even faster.
"Very well," the Sorting Hat said, its voice booming. "Slytherin!"
**************
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