I’ve seen tons of interpretations where Harry ends up in Slytherin, and a few where he goes into Hufflepuff, but I see your alternate sorting and raise you, against all odds, a Ravenclaw Harry Potter.
- So, this little 11-year-old steps up to the Sorting Hat and he’s nervous.
- He’s not sure what he wants to hear, and he’s already been poisoned a ton on Slytherin.
- The Sorting Hat is placed on his head and debates for a solid four minutes before shouting out the house no one expected: RAVENCLAW!!!
- Of course, the Ravenclaw house is ecstatic. They got the boy who lived, of course they’re excited.
- Harry heads over to Ravenclaw table and is instantly greeted by the weird. You know the type.
- Someone asks him what his favorite type of turkey is, he’s given a charm that’s said to protect him from dark thoughts, and other bizarre things.
- Still, Harry likes it. It makes him feel like his lightning bolt scar and his celebrity status is fading into the background in favor of his “very strange aura. Do you mind if I help clear it?”
- Ron Weasley, already bonded with Harry from the train, steps up to the Hat and thinks “you know what? I’ll be different.”
- And Ron becomes the first Weasley not in Gryffindor in several decades, much to the surprise of his family.
- And he’s finally out of his brothers’ shadows. Bill is the oldest, Charlie is the prodigy Quidditch player, Percy is the future Ministry of Magic employee, Fred and George are the pranksters, but Ron is the Ravenclaw.
- This causes an impressive ripple effect, but you don’t see it immediately.
- Figuring out the Ravenclaw tower riddle is always fantastic to watch when Harry and Ron are together, because one of two things happens: 1, Harry and Ron figure it out immediately to everyone’s astonishment, or 2, they have to wait for another student to come and help them because what in the bloody hell does this mean?!
- When word reaches the Weasleys that Ron became a Ravenclaw to follow Harry Potter, it’s only pride and surprise. No scolding, as Ron first thought there might be.
- Harry still becomes a Seeker in Ravenclaw house, because this is before Cho Chang can, and he wins several games.
- Harry and Ron still go save Hermione on Halloween, and Hermione still becomes part of their trio. She becomes an honorary member of Ravenclaw, and can almost always figure out the riddle.
- But many of the other Ravenclaws drive her up the wall.
- “Why aren’t they doing homework?” “They’re not interested in it.” “They’re gonna fail.” “You think they care?”
- Being exposed to so many people interested in constantly learning would make both Ron and Harry more interested in certain sects of magic.
- Ron takes an interest in honing his natural talent in Divination and can pretty much dance circles around Trelawney by fourth year.
- Harry, meanwhile, gets interested in the actual workings of spells and magical theory.
- Hermione is so proud.
- The Ravenclaws are slightly worried about Harry’s ability to speak Parseltongue, but, mostly, they’re fascinated.
- They actually want to learn Parselltongue by the end of Harry’s second year.
- Harry and Ron are particularly ashamed of Lockhart because that git was in their house.
- And in third year, Sirius Black has to use all his wits to get into their tower to get at Peter.
- Sirius is no slouch, but the eagle knocker knows that he’s a threat, so he makes the riddle fifty times harder
- Fourth year brings a Ravenclaw Triwizard Champion and the Yule Ball.
- Due to the open-mindedness of Ravenclaw house (no shade against Gryffindor, but you gotta admit, the students Harry hung out with were kinda jerks to other houses), Harry doesn’t take a Patil sister.
- He asks a Slytherin, one that he likes and trusts. (Who this Slytherin is, that’s up to you)
- And he has a great night. He isn’t focused on Cho Chang, because he’s in the same house as her, he knows what she’s really like.
- Again, no shade against Cho Chang, I actually like her, but living in a confined area with a person isn’t always a great format for crushes to develop.
- Ravenclaw house trains up a sharp-minded Harry Potter and makes him feel accepted, despite his reputation, despite his scar. And while Gryffindor would be great for him (and was, as we all know), Ravenclaw was pretty great, too.
