You can't study the darkness by flooding it with light.

"Somehow, that the hat can see through you" Dariela looked at him before continuing, just to be sure that he was listening. He sounded like he needs someone to talk with about this situation and at the moment, she was happy that she could maybe, just maybe help him. Mia herself didn't have the problem like this; she knows where she belongs and it's obvious that the hat didn't make the mistake by sorting her to Slytherin.

"The sorting hat sees every thought you ever had. It can see your traits, good and bad as well and by seeing that, it knows where you are supposed to be" she smiled and nodded, like if she wanted to confirm what she just said.

"And besides that", she looked at him again and then she realized they came to the lake "you are the one who decides where you want to be. You had a chance to ask the hat to put you somewhere else." She finished, but there is one tiny thought she wasn't ready to share with him. The truth was, to her, he wasn't material for Slytherin at all.

"Well, your father will just need to accept you on the way you are. You are Gryffindor, and you should be proud of it."

How could one brainless piece of clothing firmly wrapped up to be a hat could even see through him? Find things Stephen had no idea were there?

"I can't be so sure. It doesn't matter how much I have looked, I couldn't yet find one piece of safe proof that it was right" Stephen admitted.

How was it? Gryffindors were brave and courageous, they had the nerve to do things others couldn't. They dared to do them when no one else even thought of them as an option. Yet, those were just pretty words for Stephen...

He didn't really remember a time when he was not only a coward taking refugee behind books and worthless knowledge. That was his safe heaven and everything around it was a mystery he didn't care to uncover. Everyone around him was a stranger that he didn't care to know. How was he a brave person if he didn't even had the courage to talk to others?

Stephen gasped a bit at that. "I'll tell him that the next time I see him..." he commented ironically.

They finally came to the Great lake and sit on the grass gesturing him to do the same. It was so peaceful and this was definitely her favorite place at Hogwarts. She used to be here a lot in the past, but even now, whenever she goes to the running she comes here to get some rest. This was place almost from the dream, big lake, grass, and flowers all around it, it was almost like at the picture.

"You know what, being at one specific house means nothing. Just think about it" she looked at him to see if he was still listening to her or she succeeded to bore him to the death.
"I mean, it is important in view that you live with those people and things like that, but in the end, you will finish the school and it won't be matter anymore. You will continue with your life and find a job, and no one will ask you in which house you were. Maybe they will, but it won't affect how they see you" she shrugged and throw one tiny rock in the lake.

"But who knows, maybe you really are Gryffindor. just remember, no one thought that Neville Longbottom was real Gryffindor until his last year at Hogwarts. maybe you just need something to happen to understand that you really are where you belong." Dariela smiled.

Stephen casually walked by her side. Then at the lake, he came to a stop and at her invitation gesture Stephen sat down on the green grass. He used to come around here at times. When he needed some piece and quiet from the common room or even the library. Even if his favourite spot was just a few meters away right around that bush on the edge of the lake. It was quiet and naturally, no one would see him on the other side of the bush.

"Perhaps not. But till then it takes us seven years to leave this place and enter that world. So, it does matter now. It may not in the end, but it does now" Stephen said simply.

And yes, the Battle of Hogwarts was rather known. Even if He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named won in the end, there was a great amount of heroes that fought against him valiantly. And Stephen had no idea of how close that time, more than thirsty years ago, was to him... And that was not for the best of reasons. Luckily, Stephen was in complete darkness from that still.

"I seriously would prefer not to have to kill a snake to prove myself a Gryffindor" he commented.