The Great Hall was bursting with noise, conversation and the odd little pre-party celebration of being back for the year. Students were finding their seats at four tables that sat parallel to each other. They chattered before the sorting and a few students here and there were looking up at a fifth table, this one a single-sided table facing all the rest. It sat on a raised platform about a foot and a half off the ground. A few seats were empty, for the wizened Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was pacing and watching the students, waving to a few and muttering jovial welcome's-back's, as he waited for them to all get settled. The others missing were the strict Minerva McGonagall and the gigantic Rubeus Hagrid. In their seats at the staff table were the rest of the teachers, waiting for the year to begin.
When the students were all finally in their seats, pointy-hatted the lot of them, Dumbledore silently bid them quiet, welcomed them to a new year, and walked to his seat. Soon enough, though not for the exceptionally hungry, Minerva walked in with the newest students, heading toward a small stool with a worn and torn wizard hat on it.
As interested in the hat's song as he usually was, today something else distracted Dumbledore completely. Two American transfer students were supposed to be in the frightened, nervous crowd of first years, and they would have stuck out like a sore thumb, being third years. When McGonagall reached hearing of him, he beckoned her over and whispered his concern. Being new to this side of the sea alone, along with being Americans, they could get confused very easily. She nodded and walked out of the Hall to go find them.
Supposing they would be outside still, she exited the castle. Looking around to find where she should look first, down by the gate or somewhere else, she spotted two silhouettes sitting on a large rock by the lakeside. Eyebrows furrowing, she briskly strode over and prepared to give a chastisement.
What she saw shocked her a little, being almost the opposite of what she has expected. She'd seen American girls in Britain before, and they had all been the same. Her expectations were set on those impressions, of either the bright color-clothed girls with the snotty expressions and annoying speech or of the dark-garbed girls with several piercings and quiet voices that seemed like they were trying to be sinister or intimidating.
These two girls had on older Hogwarts robes, and they were male robes. Whose they were, McGonagall didn't know, and wasn't sure she wanted to.
"Girls, why aren't you in the castle? Do you realize dementors patrol the grounds?"
They both turned suddenly, something falling out of their ears. The slightly taller one with long black hair in her face spoke up first. "Uh, sorry, Mrs…"
"Professor McGonagall."
"We're terribly sorry. We didn't know what to do, and when we tried to follow a group, we got lost. Then we came here. The castle doors were shut, so we figured we wouldn't be able to get in." responded the other one.
"May I know your names?" McGonagall asked sternly.
"I'm Vanessa Snape, and she's Victoria Black." answered the one who spoke first.
McGonagall blinked for a few seconds, and then briskly turned around. "Follow me, girls. We have to hurry back and get you two sorted."
When they entered the Great hall, Dumbledore was waiting by the sorting hat and all the students, new and old, turned to watch the three of them walk down between the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables. Motioning Victoria forward first, McGonagall noticed the child's hair. Assuming at first it was all black, she now saw it was actually mainly blonde with a gigantic black stripe through one side.
The girl walked toward the Headmaster with a smile, noticed a few pointed snickers at her and the smile faltered a little. She focused on the Headmaster and waited.
"Well, sit down." he said encouragingly. She slowly turned and sat, soon feeling the musty weight of the weird hat thing on her head. A small voice sounded in her head.
"Well, well. Another one of you. You people are like the Weasleys. Slytherin has always-"
"No, wait." She responded in her head. "I don't want to be in Slytherin. Find someplace else, please."
"Why not Slytherin? You're daring, but reckless, and also very quick. But somehow Gryffindor doesn't seem to suit you much-"
She interrupted again, looking up at the lion banner. "Why not. I like lions. But then, I also like snakes and ravens. But cats are more interesting. Ever seen the Lion King? Perhaps not, you're a hat…"
"Well, you've made your choice, then. Gryffindor!" He shouted the last word out loud, and she winced a little. The hat was removed and she moved toward that table, passing Vanessa and tapping fingertips with her. Despite there being a bunch of first years at the end, and her being a third year, she promptly sat down at the end with them and smiled. Vanessa went up to the stool, waving and making a face at her father, then turned on her heel and sat, crossing her legs and looking brightly at the Hall. Victoria watched as Dumbledore placed the hat on her head. It seemed like forever until the hat yelled out, "Slytherin!"
Victoria slumped a little, and Vanessa gazed sadly over toward her. Victoria glanced over at the table behind her and grinned. She swiveled around on the bench and faced the now empty seat directly behind her (some students scooted down some) and Vanessa sat backward, also, facing her friend.
"Good thing we're not really hungry, huh, 'Nessa?" Victoria whispered, and the other stifled a laugh. Some students stared, but the rest of the night went on.
After the feast was over and the closing words, warnings and rules were told, the students were dismissed. Victoria hugged Vanessa before her father walked over.
"Good evening, girls. I see you have already managed to test the waters already."
Victoria smiled. "A smooth pond face, while reflective, proves to become very boring."
Vanessa laughed. "Good night, my friend. We shall reunite in the morning."
"Indeed."
The girls broke out in giggles before Snape finally gestured his daughter down the hall. Victoria sighed, saddened by the departure. She looked at her new table. "Are you feeling sad already?"
She turned and saw old Remus. He looked tired and worn, as he always did. He seemed to have tried to look decent for the first evening back to school, however, as he didn't look as downtrodden as he always did.
"I just wish we shared Houses, that's all."
"Well, you ought to get off to your house so you can get some rest."
She nodded and bid him good night, then walked out into the hall. Following straggling Gryffindors, she ran to catch up.
"Who are you?" the female asked, her brown hair bushy and tone authoritative.
"I'm Victoria Black, one of two American transfer students. I am in your House. I didn't see you three in the Hall…"
"Black? As in Sirius Black?" the taller, red-headed one asked.
"Yeah. He's my dad. Granted, I've not met him…" She felt them tense, especially the familiar black-haired one. "Wait, you're…"
"Harry Potter, yeah. Your dad and my dad were best friends when they were here, apparently."
"Okay…" Victoria hesitated, sensing aggression from him.
"Come on, Harry, let's just go." The girl suggested, pulling his arm. He shook his head a bit at Victoria and marched off. The red head waited a second.
"You are in our House, so you should follow so you can get in, okay?"
She nodded and thanked him.