This is my first story, so no hate please. Constructive critism is okay. Hope you like this!
1-17 update. This chapter is now revised. Hope you like it better. I've added more Critism to her being muggleborn and re wrote most of it.
"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.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And any fraud of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means,
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in save hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
The Great Hall burst into applause as the patched hat finished its rhyme. It bowed to each house's table and became still.
Hermione payed close attention to the song, for even though she had read Hogwarts A History cover to cover many times she was eager to learn the wonder of magic. She knew the sorting hat chose your house, and could see your true personality. That didn't stop her from mulling over the houses. Her parents thought she would be in Ravenclaw. Ravenclaw for the smart. She knew Slytherin was hated by many. Hufflepuff known as average. And Gryffindor known as heroes.
Her eyes flicked over the first years, trying to see who was in her year. In front of her was Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, she had met them on the train. They seemed a bit rude and they didn't seem to have read any of their books. Next to her was Pansy Parkinson, another girl she had met on the train, she was fairly certain she was Slytherin, and Hermione seemed inclined to agree. The one Pansy had been talking to, Draco Malfoy, stood on the other side of the clumpy mass of first years. He had a slim face and small nose, but what stood out to her most, was his platinum blond hair. The one who rode with her on the boat, Neville Longbottem, was a dorky boy with a toad named Trevor, that kept getting lost. He wasn't unfriendly, but he annoyed Hermione a bit.
Her thoughts were cut off as Professor McGonagall, the Transfiguration professor and head of Gryffindor explained the sorting hat.l rather briefly.
"Abbott, Hannah" she said.
A girl with blond ponytails stumbled out of the throng and put the large hat on her head.
"HUFFLEPUFF" the hat shouted after a moments pause, then got lifted back up, ready for the next head.
"Bones, Susan"
"HUFFLEPUFF" the hat screamed, this time, almost immediately.
It went on for a short while, Ravenclaw, then another Ravenclaw. A bit later a Gryffindor.
"Bulstrode, Millicent"
"Hmmm... SLYTHERIN!"
"Granger, Hermione"
Hermione speed walked to the hat and eagerly put it on her head.
"Hmmm... What to do..." Hermione breathed deeply. Even though she knew what the hat would pick she still knew about the houses and which to be in.
'Gryffindor please' Hermione thought as loudly as she could
"Ah, but you aren't a Gryffindor. Why do you say that?" The hat questioned her not letting anyone else hear their conversation in her head.
'Gryffindor's the best. As long as it's not Slytherin!'
"Why not Slytherin? You certainly could succeed there..."
'They're all evil!' Hermione thought back to what she had heard of the house of Snakes.
"You were foolish enough to believe those rumors? No. Slytherins choose what they do. They are ambitious and cunning."
'They won't accept a muggleborn!' Hermione wailed in her head remembering what she had heard a third year Slytherin say.
"Not all but some, and you are more than capable to prove yourself. So what should I do with you? Could do well in Ravenclaw, with that mind. But more so a thirst to prove yourself. Ambition too. You're defiantly best in... SLYTHERIN!" The hat yelled her house to the rest of the hall.
As Hermione walked to the Slytherin table, she held back a few tears and forced herself to smile a tiny bit. Her new house politely cheered for her as she walked over.
"She's too obnoxious to be anything else" she herd the red headed Weasley mutter loudly and felt at least glad she woudn't be with him and she was pretty sure he was Gryffindor material.
Ignoring him she held her head high and marched to the Slytherin Table. She gavee a thankful smile to a boy who scooted over to give her a seat.
"Theo Nott. Heir to the Noble house of Nott." The boy, named Theo, introduced himself holding out a hand to shake.
"Hermione Granger."
"Granger. Never heard of it before." Nott sniffed.
"I'm Muggleborn." Hermione offered.
"Oh." Was all he said before turning to watch the sorting.
"Malfoy, Draco" was heard and the arrogant looking boy swaggered forward.
"SLYTHERIN!" The hat called, barely touching his head. He went to sit to the left of Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, who had been sorted already, and on her right side.
Many more went, Pansy Parkinson was sorted to Slytherin, but then came Harry Potter.
He shuffled ungracefully to the hat, after a longer period of time than most, the hat screamed "GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table shook with cheer as they yelled with joy.
"Not the most dignified bunch, eh?" She looked over and saw Draco smirking
"No." Hermione agreed.
"Draco Malfoy. Heir to the most ancient and noble house of Malfoy." He stated proudly.
She nodded, "Nice to meet you. I'm Hermione Granger."
"She's a mud-blood." Nott informed Draco rudely from Hermione's other side.
"We'll see." Malfoy narrowed his grey eyes at the Nott heir. "You're a muggleborn?"
Hermione nodded.
"How did they react to your magic?"aloft asked bluntly.
Hermione shrugged. "My mom was okay I guess. To be truthful, I've always had a feeling they're not my birth parents." Hermione always had been suspicious but this was the first time she had voiced them. What if she was from a magical family?
"Hmmmm... do you have any evidence?" Malfoy enquired.
Hermione thought, "They never mention my birth or my first three months."
"Have you asked? You should."
"No. Maybe..."
"I think you should. I would." Malfoy stated a bit bossily.
"Yeah, thanks Malfoy."
"Call me Draco." Draco said offering a small smile, ignoring Notts glares.
"Ok then Draco. Then please call me Hermione." Hermione smiled shyly back.
Dumbledore stood up and muttered on about suspicious dangers for a short time. Then flicked his knobby wand, and a long golden ribbon twisted itself into the words of the Hogwarts Song,
"Everyone pick their favorite tune, and off we go!" The old wizard said quite joyfully.
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,"
Hermione noticed that the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs all seemed to be singing different happy tunes, while the Ravenclaws sang in classical tunes. But the Slitherins were all singing together, same melody same tempo, to a tune that sounded a bit like Ode To Joy. She followed along, like the others first years to the nice melody,
" whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot."
The Slytherins stopped, then the only left were two red heads that looked like twins, singing a funeral march, which Professor Dumbledore seemed entertained by. "Ah, music," he said, wiping a tear from his eye behind his half moon spectacles. "A magic beyond what all we do here! And now, bedtime. you trot!"
The Slytherins followed the prefects out of the Great Hall, down to the dungeons, there new home for seven years.