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

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

When Nova heard his name being called, he was surprised to hear a surname.

"Hmm. . . Nova Void. Impressive. Though I don't know where it came from and it feels like someone just casually wrote it in. I feel it relates well to my origin." Nova thought to himself.

Nova then walked up the couple of steps and then looked at the hat. He then saw that the hat was much older and the magic in the hat was getting worn out.

Nova then thought to himself, "Yeah this hat isn't going to last." He then looked at Professor McGonagall and saw that she was waiting patiently for him to sit. Nova then glanced at the last name on the list and saw it said, Zabini, Blaise.

Nova then turned around and then walked down to where the last boy was standing, completely ignoring all the wide eyed people staring at him, and asked, "Are you Zabini, Blaise?"

The boy was completely shocked and had trouble understanding what was happening, "Are you Zabini, Blaise?" Nova asked again. Seeing how the boy didn't answer him, Nova asked again, but after not getting a response he felt like the boy had something wrong with his head. So after not really caring if the boy was Zabini, Blaise, Nova reached over and picked the boy up by his belt, completely lifting him up off the ground and dragged him to the stool.

"Hey put me down!," The boy finally registered what was happening and thrashed about in Nova's hand. "Yes I am Zabini, Blaise!"

"Well Zabini, Blaise you should have answered me the first time. Now sit down and shut up." Nova told him as he grabbed the Sorting Hat and put Zabini on the stool. Then placed the hat on his head and stood out of the way. After a few moments, the hat yelled, "Slytherin!" and Nova took the hat from Zabini's head as he stood up.

Zabini then looked at Nova with a cold glare and said, "You will pay for what you have done." And then went to walk to the Slytherin table.

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say." As Nova just sat down on the stool and placed the hat on his head.

Once the Sorting Hat had covered his eyes, Nova heard a small voice talking in his ear. "Well, well. What do we have here. I think this is the first time I have not been able to read a child's thoughts or see their memories. Could you kindly let me in?"

The hat's voice sound oddly amused. But Nova replied, "No you can not see my memories."

"If I don't look into your mind, I can't sort you. Don't worry I won't tell anyone what I will see regardless of what I find out. Even if it is nasty secrets or murder no one will know." the small voice said.

"I don't care about that tell whoever you want. You just are unable to handle my memories and still stay around."

"Unable, UNABLE!! How dare a child like you dare to insult my intelligence. I have been sorting and placing runts like you for the last millennium. If I want to see your memories I will!" This time when the hat spoke, it wasn't the small voice that was heard only in his ear, but a loud voice that spoke out of the brim of its hat, causing everyone to hear what it said.

After the Sorting Hat said that, Nova felt a small prick to his mind as the hat tried to forcibly enter his thoughts. Nova didn't appreciate what the hat was doing and tried to warn it, but since the hat dared to force its way into his mind. Then it would pay the price force its arrogance. Nova then took his mind and forced the hat to absorb all his memories, and everything about him.

"No it's too much. Stop please." the hat started to beg. It now understood what Nova had warned it about as it tried to back out.

"Oh no. Your not leaving until you have seen all my memories. Is that not what you wanted after all?" Nova then used his mind to create shackles on the hat's conscious and increased the pace at which it absorbed his memories. This was the problem with sentient tools after being left to their own devices for too long they begin to take liberties and they tend to forget that they are tools that serve higher beings.

The hat then started to smoke and Nova could feel it heating up but left it there.

"No stop!! Your breaking me! I can't handle much more! It's too much! Someone please, I can't handle it anymore!!!" The hats wails could now be heard by the entire people in the hall. The hat began to shake and shudder, Nova felt Professor McGonagall reach out to grab the hat, but said, "Freeze."

Professor McGonagall immediately stopped moving, not because she listened to what Nova said, but because Nova used power in his words forcing her not to move. He then injected into the hat the last 10 eons into the hat's conscious. And that was the last straw that broke the camel's back or in this case the hat.

"Ahhhh!!!" The hat let out one last shrill cry before, erupting into a pillar of flames that engulfed it.

"I warned you." Nova said and plucked the hat off his head while it was still burning, "But don't worry, I will reforge you and keep your memories intact." Nova then forced the hat to enter a slumber preserving its conscious. Nova then stood up and placed the charred and broken hat back on the stool.

He then looked around and saw looks of horror and shock written on everyone's faces. Nova then turned to Professor McGonagall and said, "You can move now." But when she felt able to move all she could do was stand there still in shock.

Nova then looked and saw how she was and said, "Relax." He then saw that she was steadily going back to her former state of mind. So Nova then looked around the hall once more and then looked at the four tables.

"Hmm. . . Slytherin is a snake, what a pathetic creature, and Ravenclaw an eagle, but feels more like that should be a raven for its wisdom. As for Hufflepuff, a badger, way to food driven, and Gryffindor is a lion, not the lazy but still stronger than the rest. I guess that will have to do, besides that little lass, Nemea would love the idea of me being with a lion."

While Nova was speaking, he completely ignored the different looks that he was receiving. The Slytherin table seemed to want to stare daggers into him, and the Ravenclaw group seemed to nod at his remarks. Hufflepuff people had different looks but more than half seemed to nodded and the Friar ghost could be seen rubbing his stomach. Now the Gryffindor table had a look of excitement on most of their faces. Two red, haired twins, who seemed to be related to Ron, couldn't help but start laughing at his assessment.

As Nova walked over to the Gryffindor table, the atmosphere in the hall slowly went back to its former excitement. Nova sat down next to Hermione and watched as a couple of people gave him funny looks. He then turned and looked up and saw the teaching staff. In the center, Nova saw a old man, who he recognized as Albus Dumbledore from one of those Chocolate Frogs that Ron and Harry had, stand up. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!" Dumbledore then went to sit back down but before he did, Nova saw that he gave him a short glance. The next thing that happened was the food just appeared in front of everyone as people started to pile up their plates.

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

Poor Sorting Hat. At least it is getting an upgrade.

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