The procession of first year students filed into the Great Hall, Harry and Hermione among them. Ron was also in the group but ever since Hermione had joined them on the train, he had been keeping his distance from Harry. He didn't want the girl to get bored with Harry and start picking on him.
Hermione was not bored with Harry, not in the slightest. She was busy thinking, feeling it was time for Harry to resume his place beneath her but not entirely sure if she'd be able to pull it off yet or if she'd have to wait until after the sorting.
The students were brought to the front of the Great Hall, in front of groups of older students who were sat at the four house tables. Before them stood a wooden stool and an old hat. Some of the people in line understood the significance of the hat, but others did not. Those that didn't were surprised hen a rim opened in the hat and it started to sing.
Once the hat had completed its song and everyone applauded, Professor McGonagall who had escorted them into the hall took out a sheet of parchment. "When I call your name" she instructed "you will come forward and sit on the stool. I will place the sorting hat on your head and it will probe your mind and tell you which house is yours."
She then started down the list of names, in alphabetical order.
"Abbott, Hannah."
As Hannah Abbott was being sorted, Hermione considered her options. How was she going to get Harry onto the chair, to sit on him when the time came? How would she get that stern old witch to approve? Curiously, she thought the secret lay in pursuading the hat itself to go along with her plan.
The students continued to be sorted, until eventually...
"Granger, Hermione"
Hermione came forward alone and sat on the stool. Harry watched her. He recalled that she had sat on him on the train, but now she was alone on the stool. He had no way to know that she planned to correct that oversight, as she saw it though.
"You have a keen and agile mind, I see" the hat began "Rowena would like that, also a strong sense of decency and ethics that would suit you well for Gryffindor..."
"Don't sort me yet" Hermione requested, looking over at Harry who was still stood in line.
"You have designs on that boy" the hat remarked.
"Yes."
"You have sat on him already."
"Yes, he is the most comfortable seat I ever knew" she purred her thought "a girl should be comfortable when she is sorted."
"Why should I grant your request?"
"It's him or you" Hermione sent back "either you let me sit on Harry during the sorting, or I'll sit on you instead. You'll struggle to announce people's houses after I turn you into a frizbee."
"I see your point" the hat concurred "very well, hand me to Professor McGonagall."
Hermione lifted the hat from her head.
"You have not yet been sorted" McGonagall informed her.
"The hat wants to speak with you."
"Very well" the woman snorted, clearly not happy that the sorting had been interrupted "hand it over."
Hermione did so and McGonagall placed the sorting hat on her own head. Hermione could hear the professor speaking out loud a she addressed the hat.
"Yes?"
"Are you serious."
"It's somewhat unauthodox."
"Oh very well."
She handed the hat back to Hermione, who hadn't heard the full discussion but it seemed that the aged professor was going to go along with her plan.
As she placed the hat back on her own head, she heard the woman call out:
"Potter, Harry."
Harry came forward, a stunned look on his face.
"It's not my turn yet" he pointed out "she hasn't been sorted yet."
"I have a name" Hermione advised him "I doubt you have forgotten it already."
"Miss Granger desires your aid, Potter" McGonagall informed him.
"What for?"
"There's something wrong with my seat" Hermione informed him.
"It looks okay to me."
"It doesn't feel right, I think there is something missing."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Could you try it for me?"
"You are occupying it."
"Don't state the obvious, Harry/"
Hermione lifted herself off the chair, slightly - enough for Harry to just about get into place under her. She hovered over the stool, using one hand to keep herself in place.
"You aren't giving me much room."
"You'll have to cope, you aren't getting any more.
Harry sighed and started edging onto the seat. It required a lot of shuffling for Harry had virtually no room at all. Hermione's butt was so close to him that he rubbed against her every time he moved. Hermione smiled whenever he did, she was enjoying feeling him shift into place under there.
"Are you in place?" she asked, when she felt no more motion from the boy.
"Yes."
"Is the chair comfortable?"
"I guess, as comfrtable as you can expect a wooden stool to be."
"My seat isn't made out of wood" she pointed out "not any more."
Hermione settled back into place, seating herself on the boy who suddenly found himself buried beneath her once more."
"Yes, that is far more comfortable" she approved.
She sent her thought to the hat. "Take your time sorting me" she advised "I didn't sit on Harry for very long on the train, this time I plan to stay a while."
"How long do you require?"
"What is the record for the longest ever hatstall?"
"42 minutes."
"Let's break that record, I don't think an hour is too much to ask for."
"People are likely to get bored."
"Not the girls, I think they'll be entertained. The boys don't really matter."
"Fine."
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