Ch. 16

Many Moggley wonder why the Church has not penetrated the Magickal world with the vigor it has so touched Moggley-kind. There are many explanations, some longer than others, but the simplest, and perhaps most effective is Library Tome number .999…-a rendition of the King James Holy Bible which describes, in detail, the exploits of the first holy vampire, Jesus Christ.

Syncretism and Sin, War Friar Emezethal Larblum

They continue down the hall, and it expands to accommodate them. Torches and lamps fold out of nowhere, and the ceiling extends upwards, first by inches, then by feet. Alvin's voice erupts from everywhere at once:

"These are the halls of Chogbort's. You will find them to be devious at the best of times. Senior students can offer you advice on how to navigate, but, honestly, it will take some time for the castle to get used to you, just as you get used to it," his voice has a tinge of humor.

They pass a yawning intersection, and down a side hall is an extravagant golden portal ringed by statues of beasts and thorns. Horry gasps as the perspective…pops? All of the statues are actually features of a great dragon head reaching out into the hall, with a door at the center of the mouth. The perspective keeps popping—like his mind keeps re-recognizing the outline as a different expression of the dragon's face—snarling, gnashing, even licking with a row of owl statues that—for but a moment—appear like the musculature of a wicked tongue.

"To the right, I hope you recognize the head of the Concept Dragon, one of Grippenboor's favorite trophies. It has graced our halls for over a millennium, now. Within its shifting maw, you will find the common rooms of Grippenboor, should your future be there."

At the next junction, to the far left a raven perches on a horizontal pole—an actual raven—and to the far right, a massive crystal hangs in a wide space—puncturing the ground and walls with auxiliary crystalline growths.

"Next, of course, we have Ravenshard's Riddle. If you have to ask the question, then you don't know the answer," Alvin chortles knowingly.

"What?" says Horry, to no one in particular.

"Buncha nonsense," says Romb.

Hermany looks back and forth in awe.

The hall narrows ahead, and the portraiture and architectural embellishment gives way to doors—wall to wall, crammed next to one another, filling all available space—some at ground level, some in the air—some open, with older students poking their heads out and waving—some in the ceiling, with that magickal confetti leaking out of more than one.

"Hopplebop's Hall of Doors has even less of a permanent home than any other place in Chogbort's—which is a feat considering our ever-changing topography. Should you need a door, it will find you, as the common room is open to all."

The doors peter out, and the hall widens out again, but the light begins to dim. In the near distance, Horry recognizes the entry to the great hall, but it's still a short walk away.

Suddenly, a hand seizes Horry from behind and pulls him into an alcove—it's…the girl? Luna? And she's absolutely terrified.

"H-Horry," she says, "Something is horribly wrong."

"Um," says Horry—Luna quakes with unease.

"I-I-I-I don't know if it was a dream, or if, or if this is all…" she trails off looking around.

"I kind of had that feeling at first? I've been here a couple days…everything feels kind of wrong, right?" Horry tries.

"No, nonono that's not. H-Horry you're not…you're not you and and and I sound crazy and…" she clutches her head. "It's been…it's been years…" she trails off again.

"Maybe…you should talk to Madame Pampelmousses?

She looks Horry in the eye again, terror seizing her, "I'm…I'm sorry. I—," she turns and darts away, nearly bowling over Romb as she rounds the corner, towards the great hall.

Romb shakes his head and turns back to Horry, "C'mon Horry, everyone got all turned around for a second, but searchin's about to start!"

"This boy…is in GRIPPENBOOR."

Cheers from the Grippenboor contingent—polite clapping from Hopplebop—sparse clapping from Ravenshard, and silence from Slyverin. It's all the same, with minor permutations.

"This girl…is in SLYVERIN."

Maybe slightly more hissing for the Slyverins, but it's hard to tell.

"This one…is in HOPPLEBOP."

The Hopplebops come close to matching Grippenboor's vigor, but they aren't really in it for the competition.

"This girl…is in RAVENSHARD."

The Ravenshards actually look a little embarrassed about making so much noise. Except for a small contingent of older students that might be a little buzzed.

Horry jams his hands in his pockets as the first year line gets shorter and shorter. Luna takes the stage, ahead, and she doesn't look to have calmed down. Her eyes are noticeably red, too.

"Aw hell, she doesn't look too good," says Romb.

The Hopplebops, detecting Luna's misery, shout words of encouragement in a messy chorus, eventually dissolving into a chant of, "LU-NA! LU-NA! LU-NA!" drowning out all but the beginning "RAVEN-!" from the hat. Ravenshard cheers with uncharacteristic vigor.

The hat looks…well, like a hat. A bit pointy on the top, a bit floppy around the rim—Horry never would've guessed it was over a thousand years old. Or capable of speech. Or special at all. It doesn't have any apparent mouth—the sound just vaguely…emanates from it, halfway between speaking and shouting.

"This boy…is in SLYVERIN."

Professors sit in polite silence in a row behind the hat, with Alvin at the head. Occasionally, they will cheer and clap, but most take Alvin's lead of sitting quietly with just the tiniest hint of a smile. One man stands out on the row of faculty members for his complete lack of school livery—he looks more like a businessman, and focuses intensely on the hat.

"This girl…is in HOPPLEBOP."

Horry watches as Luna is lifted up into the air by her new Ravenshards—she still doesn't look terribly happy—still seems terrified of everything around her. He frowns, and considers the options ahead.

Grippenboor didn't seem quite right. He never felt particularly brave—or anything at all like a leader. And a strange, purposeless rivalry with a supposedly evil house never made much sense to him. Thus, Slyverin was out, too. While Horry had done relatively well in school, he definitely didn't feel anything like a kinship with the kids that self-identified as being the 'smart' ones. Hopplebops might work, but, if Horry's honest with himself, he simply doesn't like other people very much. He frowns a little more severely at that final observation.

Romb takes the stage in front of him. The moment that hat touches his head, it belts out:

"This boy…is in GRIPPENBOOR."

Not much surprise there. As Romb gallivants off to the Grippenboor table, and Hermany steps up to the hat, Horry feels a nervousness build, but it's not any particular, easily identifiable fear. Sure, hundreds of people are watching—but the opportunity to be in front of hundreds of people is so alien that he can't fully conceptualize how to respond to it—his body legitimately doesn't know what to think about it. So that's probably not it. Just a general, building unease. Like the sense of wrongness of the castle is seeping into him—like the mystery of the wand—of his strange blue-eyed copy—of an unknowable prophecy are all converging on him simultaneously and demanding an explanation before his mind will let him advance.

The hat sits on Hermany for a few seconds and even gyrates for a bit, but:

"This girl...is in GRIPPENBOOR."

Hermany smiles and blushes, and runs off to join her new compatriots. Romb flails and hoots in shameless, unfiltered celebration.

Horry takes the stage—the cheering is the same, but there's a new edge to it. Some of the students definitely recognize him, and he realizes his heart races in his chest. Perhaps standing in front of hundreds of people is terrifying. Yes. Definitely that.

He sits, and Alvin sets the hat on him with a smile. Almost immediately:

"This boy…does not have a soul."