The hat suddenly sprang up surprising almost all the first years and none of the older guys. And it started singing. 'Okay. A singing hat. This is not weird at all' Percy muttered under his breath. 

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.

The whole school applauded as the cap ended its song. Professor McDonald (I'm sorry, IDK why that came up.) started calling out names of the students, as they came and sat on the stool. She placed the hat on top of their hats one by one.

It was the first time Percy, Harry, and other first year students were seeing a sorting ceremony. They found it pretty cool. People were sorted into one of the 4 houses. Slytherin legacy students wanted to be sorted to Slytherin, and most of them managed to. Everyone else wanted to be in Gryffindor. From what Percy heard from around, the bravest witches and wizards came from Gryffindor, Dumbledore himself being the greatest living proof of that. 

A lot of names were being called with no one paying much attention, until Harry Potter. 

He was clearly a well known reputed figure around the wizarding world, without even stepping a foot into this place earlier in life. Percy planned on knowing more about him soon enough. 

It took a long hell of a time for Harry's sorting - that was the opinion of the others. While most people were sorted in less than half a minute, it took Harry more than three. The bushy brown haired girl - Hermione, Percy later remembered- was sorted in about 1 and a half minute, which was probably the second longest time taken by the hat. 

That was all until Percy Jackson was called up. 

"Jackson, Percy."

Percy had felt that he should probably have changed his name to something else, but then he realized there were probably hundreds of other 'Percy Jackson's in the world. No such point in changing his lovely name. He was not going through 7 years under a false name. 

Percy walked towards the sorting hat. He seated him on the chair, and felt the sorting hat being placed upon his head. 

"Hmm. An American. Long time since I have met one from across the pond. Shame the country's half dead."

It was a deep wise voice inside his head. Percy was startled at first. 

"A brave wizard, but with an unclear blocked mind. I can't seem to understand whether you are a muggle born or from a long line of wizards."

"My father was a wizard, but my mother was a muggle. My father was lost on the sea, before I was born. My mother died a few years back and I am raised by my aunt, that is my father's sister, who comes from a long line of ancient witches and wizards in America." Percy said inside his mind. He didn't know how speaking to the hat worked, but he just thought of the words in his mind, hoping the hat could understand them.

Percy knew that the best lies where the truth themselves.

"Yes, the information seems correct, but I have a weird gut feeling. You could be placed into Gryffindor because you are certainly brave. But you are quick at learning, intelligent, and already know half the stuff this school has to teach. So, you could be a Ravenclaw as well. Maybe a Hufflepuff too, because kindness and loyalty run deep in you, or a Slytherin as you have so much to hide, young wizard."

"Um- do you have a gut? Also, what do you mean I have much to hide?"

"There's a block on your mind. Your mind is older than your body. Wait- there are actually two blocks in your mind I think. Blocks I should have been able to penetrate, but these are made by ancient magic, hmm . . . much more ancient than this building."

Percy wondered what he meant by that. Hecate had helped him set up a block in his mind to prevent anyone and anything from knowing his past life. He knew that already. But what did the hat mean by 2 blocks? Percy thought that maybe Hecate had just solidified the block by making 2 instead of 1, or maybe the hat was not understanding somewhere. Or perhaps, it was the remnants of his mind wipe that was done by Hera before the Giant war. Percy decided to not dwelling on the matter any more was the best course of action for the time being, as the hat could read thoughts. 

"So many thoughts through this little mind, but I can't read all of them. Your mind is hardwired in a different language. I don't understand where to put you, Percy Jackson. Where would you like to be placed in?" The hat asked. 

"I don't have much idea about anything, so you can put me wherever you want to." 

The hat mumbled for a few moments before deciding to speak again. 

"I guess this is a good house for you, at least for now. I would very much like to view inside your mind again and for a longer time. You are going to . . .  GRYFFINDOR!" 

Percy realized that the last words were shouted loudly to the entire hall. There was a general round of applause as Percy walked towards the red house. Amidst the applause, there were also looks of confusion and suspicion amongst the students, and that of interest and curiosity amongst the teachers, specifically Dumbledore. 

It was because Percy had taken a hell of a long time to be sorted, almost 6 minutes. Percy sat beside Hermione Granger, across Harry and Ron. 

"Blimey mate, what took the hat so long in your head?" You can guess who asked that. 

Percy shrugged at Ron, and replied "No idea to be honest. It said that I could be sorted into any of the 4 houses, but asked me for my opinion. I had none, and it decided to drop me in Gryffindor." 

"That's strange. The hat rarely asks for your own opinion." Hermione said. 

"It did ask for me. I wanted Gryffindor, I think that's why the hat decided to let me in Gryffindor." Harry quietly added. 

Before Hermione could speak again, Dumbledore stood up and started to speak. Percy could see Dumbledore staring between Harry and Percy, as if in a dilemma. 

"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!" 

There were applauds, but only because Dumbledore was a respected figure around there. Nobody, including the teachers, even pretended to know what he was talking about. Dumbledore clapped his hands twice and a huge banquet of food of all kinds appeared before us. 

What a waste of food, Percy thought to himself. Almost half of the food would be wasted probably. 

"So, does Dumbledore really always speak like that?" Percy asked Ron. 

"Hesadtbecazylithat" Ron replied while thrusting food inside his mouth, the way people pack their last few clothes in the same about-to-explode bag before going on a visit somewhere.

"You should not speak while eating!" Hermione scolded. Percy guessed that she was the most mature person amongst the entire first years, maybe even including Percy himself. 

"So you are from America?" Hermione asked Percy after a while. Harry and Ron who were busy eating as if that was the only time they were going to get food for the next month, turned to Percy with attention. 

"Yep. From Los Angeles."

"So why are you here in Hogwarts? Isn't Illvernorny in America?" 

"Yea, but my aunt thought it would be best to send me here to Hogwarts, especially since the East coast is under the ocean with Illvernorny in a tough stage currently."

"So, what about your parents?" Ron asked. 

"Well, my dad was lost in the sea before I was born, and my mother died a couple years back in the aftershock of that catastrophe. My dad was a wizard, my mom was a no-Maj, that's what we call muggles in America. After my mother died, my father's sister pretty much raised me. I was taught magic by my aunt and a distant cousin of hers."

"Well, I know how it is to grow up without parents." Harry muttered. 

"Oh, I am sorry to hear that. What happened?" Percy asked. Ron and Hermione looked at Percy quizzically as if Percy was asking the answer to 2+2. Percy seemed a bit awkward and continued staring at Harry expecting an answer. 

"Mate, you seriously don't know?" Ron asked. Percy shook his head. 

"You really don't know what happened to Harry Potter's parents and how you-know-who died, and everything?" Ron asked again.

Percy shook his head. Ron and Hermione looked at Percy like he was an alien, and Harry looked somewhat relieved. Guess, all the attention was making him uncomfortable as well, and he was glad to know someone who didn't know him. 

"Oh, you have so much to know." Ron added after swallowing another piece of whatever fish he was eating.

So, that's it. Sorry, I am behind schedule, but exams are running currently and my b-day passed by recently. I got an exam tomorrow (it's my last exam), and this is pretty much the first time I am opening the book. Got no idea how to be passing tomorrow and I was wasting time watching HotD. But then again, we are known to be last night experts. 

Next update probably on the end of this month. 

Adios mis amigos.