Harry Potter and the Story of GUMSHOE, Part Three (cot'd)

We continue from this morning's post.

Chapter Seven: The Sorting Hat

Harry and the other first years finally arrive at Hogwarts and are met by Professor McGonagall. She explains that they are about to be sorted into the four houses: Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. The process of sorting involves placing a sentient, telepathic hat on your head and wishing very hard. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are all sorted into Gryffindor. Malfoy is unsurprisingly sorted into Slytherin.

After the Sorting comes the start of term feast. The GM clearly enjoys describing food, but as none of the dishes are core clues, we'll just skip right over the spread. During the meal, however, we do get a core clue. Core to the overarching mystery of the series, in fact. Harry is looking at the professors' table and sees Professor Quirrell wearing a silly turban, and he's talking to a thoroughly unappealing man who we learn is Professor Snape. When Snape looks past Quirrell and right at Harry, Harry experiences a terrible pain in his scar.

Harry, of course, assumes this is caused by Snape, but it actually points to another special Investigative ability that is uniquely Harry's. You see, Harry possesses a magical connection to Voldemort, forged when the Dark Lord failed to kill him as a baby. His lightning bolt-shaped scar is physical evidence of this. At that moment, Voldemort himself is present, attached to the back of Quirrell's head, hidden by the turban. We'll call this ability Curse-Scarred, and it costs five points for the first rating, just like Parseltongue.

Once everyone has finished dinner, Professor Dumbledore gives a few rules for the upcoming term. Importantly, he mentions that the third floor corridor is "out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." Harry asks Percy Weasley about this rule (Oral History), and Percy notes that it is unusual for Dumbledore not to give a reason.

Everyone sings the school song, and then Percy leads the new Gryffindors to their house tower. Harry and Ron go to sleep along with their classmates. Harry, however, has a dream about Quirrell's turban, destiny, Malfoy, and Snape. Frankly, this is just the GM rubbing Harry's player's nose in it for falling for her trick with the scar pain. It'll all come out eventually.

Running Tally

Harry

Assess Honesty, Credit Rating, Curse-Scarred*, Notice, Oral History, Parseltongue*, Reassurance (spent 1 point)
* special Investigative ability

Ron

low Credit Rating, Intimidation (spent 1 point), Wizarding Society

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