Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I never will. This disclaimer is meant for the entire story; therefore it will not be repeated upon the beginning of each chapter.

A Rather Interesting Sorting Ceremony

Yup, that's right. I was running late again, all thanks to my own stupidity. What was worse was that it was on my first day of Hogwarts. We had taken a plane over from California, our vacation spot, back to London and then driven to get to King's Cross Station. Dylan, my brother, was probably already on the train and laughing it up with his Ravenclaw buddies. I, on the other hand, was just making it through the barrier to Platform 9¾ again after fetching my wand from the worried hands of my mother.

After I nearly ran into a large group of parents coming to see off their children, I finally made it onto the Hogwarts Express. I was the last one on. I cursed under my breath. Being late sucked, but not really because I cared about punctuality. I just hated having to scrounge around for open seats and intruding on other people who had come earlier.

Every compartment I'd looked into so far was full and even though I'd only gone through roughly half of the train, I was not optimistic. When I found Dylan having a really animated discussion with his friends, the train had already started moving. I thought about sitting with him, but I knew this would be a good time to make friends with other first-years so I moved on.

Soon, there were only ten compartments left. I started to get irritated and a little worried. Just when I was about to head back, I stumbled upon a compartment that had only three people; two boys and a girl. They all looked really young, so I assumed they were first- or second-years. Finally!

I rapped my knuckles on the door three times before slowly sliding it open. The girl on the left had Hogwarts, A History in her lap and barely noticed me while the boys chatted. "Excuse me," I said as politely as I can. "Could I sit with you three? I didn't get on the train until now, and just about everywhere else is full."

The boy on the right flicked an eye toward the boy and girl sitting opposite him. "Sure, that's fine if they're okay with it." He relaxed into the red seat, like he was finished talking. I turned my attention to the other two.

"Of course it's fine with us, Jason. I thought you'd know us better than that by now! Come in, come in." The red-headed girl set the book onto the table and shooed me in. I dropped into the available seat next to Jason.

I studied her more carefully. She looked so familiar; too familiar. Then I remembered that I'd bumped into a lot of people with ginger hair and freckles just like hers at King's Cross. That must have been her family, I concluded.

"Uh, I've known you for about five minutes," Jason dryly replied to the girl. "I'm not sure that makes a difference."

"Oh! That means you're a first-year, right?" I asked him.

The boy with untidy black hair raised his bright green eyes to me. "We're all first-years. And you? Are you a third-year or something?"

"Nope, I'm a first-year too. I'm just tall. Who are all of you? I think I saw your family on the platform." I gestured to the girl.

The boy smiled broadly like I'd said something amusing. "Then you must have seen my family as well. We're cousins, but I didn't inherit the Weasley hair like Lily did. I'm Albus Potter or Al for short."

"Rose Weasley here," Rose piped. "Nice meeting you."

Jason joined in and said, "My name's Jason Li."

I blinked at Jason. "That's funny. My name's Elrian Li. How do you spell your last name?"

"L-I. It's this Chinese character." He used his pointer finger to draw out the more common Chinese surname in the air.

"Cool!" I smiled. "Same here for the spelling, though it's this 'Li' for me." I showed him the character on the table. "I speak Mandarin Chinese. Ni ke yi jiang pu tong hua ma?"

"Ke yi. But I'd rather speak English, so these two can understand the conversation."

Albus and Rose looked at me like I'd grown another head or five. "Oh yeah," I said and scratched my head. "Sorry! Anyway, Potter and Weasley, huh? So you must be a son of Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, and you're a daughter of… one of the Weasleys? That must be interesting."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Oh yes. My mum's the clever Hermione Granger and my dad's the great Ron Weasley."

I smiled a little. "So where's the rest of your family?"

"They're back a few compartments. Al and I chose to sit apart from them. I'm afraid if we're all together, something drastic will happen. The older ones will probably be snogging or worse… Besides, James won't stop being a prat and worrying Al about being in—"

"Don't say it!" Albus interrupted in a strangled voice. "I won't be in Slytherin! I won't."

"Oh Al. It really doesn't matter which House you're sorted into. Not everyone who is Slytherin is bad."

"Yeah!" I agreed. "I mean my snake is always Slytherin and he's pretty awesome."

Rose stopped trying to comfort Albus. "We're talking about the Houses at Hogwarts. You know about them, right?"

I sighed. "Of course I do. I was just kidding. You know, Slytherin, slithering. Get it? Ugh, forget it. Never mind! So, what Houses do you three want to be in anyway?"

"Not Slytherin!" Albus stiffened and sat up. "I mean, uh, I honestly don't really mind. My mum and dad were both Gryffindors, and James—my brother—is as well, so I expect they'd be happy to see me in the same House."

Jason thoughtfully said, "Ravenclaw sounds good and I suppose Hufflepuff would be fine. I doubt I'll go there though, because I'm kind of lazy when it comes to work."

Rose shrugged. "Gryffindor would be nice. If I couldn't be in that, I'd like Ravenclaw. Daddy says he'll disown me if I don't get into Gryffindor, but I know he's just joking. You?"

"I've no idea. I know I can fit into all the Houses, but I'd rather not be a Hufflepuff. It sounds like some sort of crazy dessert or something disgustingly cute and fluffy." I made a face. "My brother is in Ravenclaw, so I might go there."

It was quiet for a few minutes until Rose perked up. "By the way, why were you late getting on the train?"

I grimaced at the memory. "Well, I was originally early. But I was playing around with my wand on the car ride to King's Cross, and I left it there. I didn't notice until I got past the barrier and I had to run back to the car to get it. Nearly missed the train doing so."

From then on, Jason and Albus talked about Quidditch and played Wizard's Chess. Rose and I had a great conversation about Hogwarts, A History. Apparently, she'd never met anyone else who bothered to read it besides her mother. How strange. Soon enough, the trolley lady came along and Albus bought a lot of everything to share.

We finally made it off the Hogwarts Express. By the time everyone got off the train, it was already pitch black and gradually getting chillier. A man over twice my height called out, "Firs' years, over 'ere." I heard a few girls next to me whisper about how frightening he looked, but I could tell by his kind face that he couldn't be bad. I knew that the man must be Rubeus Hagrid, from what I'd heard from my brother. I followed him and the rest of the first-years to the boats near the Black Lake. I quickly got in with Rose, Albus, and Jason.

After a short ride, thankfully, we got off and I stopped to admire the castle. Hogwarts was simply magnificent. No amount of words could ever sum up the breathtakingly magical feel to this place. There was just a certain brightness exuded here that couldn't be stifled. The sturdy walls and gates made the place look like somewhere I could be safe forever. Hagrid opened up a door to the castle and suddenly, a long, dim hallway covered in portraits of strangers filled my vision.

A professor led us up the stairs. I'd heard that he teaches Herbology and is the Head of Gryffindor. Neville Longbottom? He quickly explained the different Houses, their importance, and the point system. Meanwhile, a boy with sharp features and neat blonde hair rested his elbows on the railing of the stairs. His expression was of sheer boredom and he didn't listen to the professor at all. Instead, he lazily whispered something to a boy and a girl who responded by giggling noisily.

I ignored them and smirked to myself. If anyone was going to get a lot of points, it was me. I knew I'd have to prove myself to get respect around here as a first-year, and this would be the ideal way to do it. I could also get on the House Quidditch team, which was possible now, however that was difficult to achieve. Only under unusual circumstances would a team want a first-year, when there were most likely bigger and more experienced players out there.

Professor Longbottom finished speaking and the doors would inevitably have to open in a few seconds. I inhaled. This was it. I was going to be sorted. It might not seem so exciting to those who have already been sorted or who will never be sorted, but it was actually very daunting. A mere hat could judge people by their strengths and weaknesses, and then place them into a House depending on what came up. A ratty old hat may even know more about you than you do. If that wasn't intense, I didn't know what was.

Then, the doors to the Great Hall were open. I tried to ignore the curious stares of the students of all four tables and the speculative gazes of the professors up above on the dais as we dutifully followed Professor Longbottom. But one person's sharp, stern eyes pierced through me: Headmistress McGonagall's. I heard gasps from my fellow mates, probably from the otherworldly feel of the Great Hall. I didn't join in since I'd been expecting this for a while now.

We all tried not to make a fool of ourselves, but I could tell someone had failed when some of the kids from a table with green and silver colors started snickering. I searched for familiar faces and spotted Dylan sitting amidst a table full of Ravenclaws. He gave me a reassuring smile and the thumbs-up sign. I returned his gesture with the biggest, cheeriest, and most fake grin I could possibly muster and made a revolted face afterward. Dylan laughed and I smiled for real this time. I felt a little better, but was no less anxious.

Finally, we reached a brownish hat riddled with patches that sat upon a three-legged stool. A hush fell over the Great Hall. A large rip appeared near the bottom of the hat and it started to sing about Hogwarts and the Houses.

When it finished its tune, everyone burst out in applause for the hat until Professor Longbottom silenced them. "First-years, when I call your name, please come forth and place the Sorting Hat onto your head. Once a decision has been made, take a seat with your new Housemates."

"HEY!" screamed a voice from the Gryffindor table. A boy with messy black hair similar to Albus's stood up. "LET'S PICK UP THE PACE, ALL RIGHT? I'M STARVING OVER HERE. Oh, and Al, I went ahead and reserved a place for you in Slytherin!"

The Gryffindor table howled with laughter and I couldn't help but smile at the boy. That could only be James. I looked around for Albus and I saw him slap a hand to his head. If anyone could die of embarrassment, I thought Al could at that point.

On the dais, Headmistress McGonagall looked like she was about to have a stroke. "WHY, I NEVER. HOW DARE YOU SPEAK SO INSOLENTLY? IN ALL MY YEARS OF TEACHING—OH I JUST KNEW I SHOULD HAVE RETIRED THE YEAR I HEARD MORE POTTERS WERE COMING TO HOGWARTS!" she said shrilly in an amplified voice that echoed off the walls. "IF I COULD TAKE AWAY EVERY SINGLE POINT FROM GRYFFINDOR, I WOULD. YES, EVEN FROM MY OWN HOUSE, POTTER."

By then, the entire student body was sniggering and many of the professors were muttering to themselves, most likely trying to prepare themselves for another year with James Potter. Professor Longbottom gave a hard glance to the students to regain a peaceful air in the hall. Once it was quiet, he scanned a long piece of parchment and called out a name. A short girl with blackish hair sauntered up to the stool and put the hat on. Moments later, she became a Slytherin. I waited patiently for my name, but time seemed to pass slower and slower as Professor Longbottom went down the list.

Finally, it was my turn. "Li, Elrian!" he called out.

Promptly, I stepped up to the Sorting Hat and carefully put it on. I found it strange that all my nervousness had left me. I even smiled at the crowd right before I plunked down on the stool. The last feeling I had before I entered total blackness was the hat falling over my eyes and ears.

"Hello, hat," I breathed.

"Another Li," a thin, yet firm voice whispered into my ear. I shivered. "Your brother wasn't a very easy one to sort, but you…you are much more difficult, much like your great-great-great-grandfather. He was one of the last I sorted in your family. Did you know that?"

"Yes. Yes, I did. The magic skipped over most of the generations in my family. I think it's because many stopped believing in magic. I believe, though. Everyone thought that what he said were just stories. But I've felt magic coursing through my soul ever since I was born… I'm a strange one, aren't I?"

"That you are, that you are. But peculiarity makes some of the greatest witches and wizards of all time. Albus Dumbledore is a prime example, is he not?"

I tried to nod mentally, and hoped he understood.

"Yes, I see that you agree. I can tell that you are not afraid to be different and delve into the unknown. Those are Gryffindor and Ravenclaw traits. Why? Gryffindor, because of your boldness and courage. And Ravenclaw, because of your willingness to learn and nurture your mind. And what a mind you have. You have one of the most brilliant minds I've ever seen. Maybe not the wisest, as you are prone to irrational actions when emotional, but that will come with time. You would do well in Ravenclaw. Yet you are so loyal, devoted, and caring that it would be a shame for Hufflepuff not to have you. Still, you are very ambitious. Enough to sacrifice happiness with friends and family if the reason or cause is worthy. Very difficult to sort."

"You're right," I gasped. It felt like the hat was searching through the very essence of my being and it scared me. I didn't like how someone, or something, could know so much about me when this was only a first encounter. Suddenly, I didn't feel very good with this hat on me.

"Do not be afraid, young Li. You have the potential to become great just like your great-great-great-grandfather no matter where you go, be it Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin. However, before I sort you, I do wonder what House you would choose to be in."

I nearly scoffed. "Gryffindor is a little overrated, but it seems like a cool House with decent people. Ravenclaw fits me well. Slytherin, too. They all do. I'd just rather not be in Hufflepuff. It just doesn't seem like the right place for me. I'm not sure I would do my best there."

The Sorting Hat almost chuckled. Instantly, my guard was up. What could this magical hat have planned for me? "What are you going to do with me?" I half-seethed in a suspicious voice.

"You'll find out in a few moments, Li."

I knew right then that this stupid hat was about to Sort me, and I was not going to let it do so. No, it would have to listen to what I had to say, first. "No. We're going to talk about this. You aren't putting me in Hufflepuff. No! I don't agree with this!"

"What's this? You cannot argue against fate itself. And you realize you're arguing with a hat, right?"

"I don't want to be in Hufflepuff. Why should I trust a simple hat, even if it's meant to place a person in the right House? And yes, I do realize I'm arguing with a hat. An annoying hat at that."

"You're insulting a hat now. And there's nothing wrong with being a Hufflepuff. Hufflepuffs are honored for their fair play, loyalty, honesty, and tolerance. Does that not define you? You have always wanted justice in this world. You are very clever at lying, although you stopped doing it frequently. You could never leave a friend or even a stranger to suffer."

Crossing my arms mentally, I retorted, "Yeah, what you're saying might be true, but I couldn't be a true Hufflepuff. I have a low tolerance level."

"It may seem like that and most people will probably even think that. But you know that isn't true. One must possess a great amount of tolerance to suffer through what you have. To live when you have never felt like you belonged in an unkind world takes a lot of tolerance. Many eventually ignore it or give up. You are different. You want more for this world."

"No! I refuse to be a Hufflepuff! I'll be laughed at and mocked and something much worse. People underestimate Hufflepuffs. I'll have to fight my way through again. I can't keep fighting forever. The road is too long for me to do that. No one will think I'm brave or clever or ambitious until I prove myself. I'm tired of proving myself to everyone! The rest of Hogwarts will only think I'm a weak-minded, goody-goody pushover or something stupid for eternity since they don't understand Hufflepuff. Most people believe that Hufflepuffs are for people who aren't good enough to be in the other Houses. I understand the error in that, but I don't want to go there."

"Perhaps those reasons are the very ones you should be a Hufflepuff. The end result would be worth it, would it not? I told you that you could be great anywhere, and Hufflepuff will make you the greatest. Only one with the strength of a Gryffindor, wits of a Ravenclaw, and the resourcefulness of a Slytherin can do this."

"OH YOU LITTLE SUCK-UP. YOU AREN'T GOING TO MAKE ME BE A HUFFLEPUFF WITH YOUR DUMB PEP TALK AND BROWNNOSING. EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT A PATCHED-UP PIECE OF WORK LIKE YOU WOULD BE WORSE THAN A TOE-RAG. YOU'RE GOING OFF MY HEAD, NOW!" I screamed and suddenly found myself standing up with the Sorting Hat in my hands, back in the Great Hall. The rush of coming back was disorienting and everything went out of focus. I stumbled and knocked the stool over.

It was dead silent. The first-years in line for the Sorting stared at me with bulging eyes, and so does everyone else. I stared back. "Whoops," I mutter to myself.

"HUFFLEDOR!" the hat shouted abruptly. The sudden noise was startling enough that I dropped it and fell over. The Great Hall came alive again and whispers broke out. "RAVENPUFF! GRYFFININ! SLYTHERCLAW!" it continued.

"AW MAN," Dylan bellowed at me. "WHAT DID YOU DO THIS TIME, ELRIAN? JEEZ, ISN'T BEING THE WORST HATSTALL IN THE HISTORY OF HATSTALLS AT HOGWARTS ENOUGH FOR YOU? COME ON, SIS."

"YEAH, WHAT THE HECK DID YOU DO?" James yowled at me. I gave Albus a pained look. I really pitied him now. "I'm STILL hungry. WHERE'S THE FOOD? I DON'T THINK I CAN WAIT FOR THE OTHER HALF OF THE FIRST-YEARS TO BE SORTED. MINERVA DEAR, I'M A GROWING BOY."

Meanwhile, the Sorting Hat was still screaming, "HUFFLECLAW! RAVENIN! GRYFFINPUFF! SLYTHERDOR!"

"FOR MERLIN'S SAKE, PUT THE HAT BACK ON, GIRL. AND HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU, JAMES SIRIUS POTTER, that YOU may NOT ADDRESS ME AS MINERVA, OR MINNIE, OR MINNER THE WINNER?"

"HUFFLEIN!"

"I DON'T KNOW, M&Ms. I HAVEN'T BEEN COUNTING THE TIMES YOU'VE TOLD ME. BUT IF YOU WANT ME TO STOP TALKING, YOU CAN BRING ME SOME BLOODY FOOD AND I'LL BE GOOD."

"RAVENDOR! GRYFFINCLAW! SLYTHERPUFF!"

"PUT THE BLOODY HAT ON, MS. LI. I ORDER YOU AS THE HEADMISTRESS OF HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY."

"WELL I COULD IF YOU'D ALL SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP!" I swore my head was going to split open. Before I could hear more of James' and McGonagall's nonsense, I crawled over to the Sorting Hat and set the stupid thing onto my head again.

And then I heard that dreaded word. "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Author's Note: Hey! This chapter got pretty crazy. I hope that you liked it, and if not, you weren't too annoyed by it. If the reason you didn't like it was excessive use of caps, bear with me. This is the only chapter (I think) that I will use caps this often.

I know that most people don't enjoy reviewing, and I won't be asking for a certain number of reviews before posting a new chapter. However, even one-sentence reviews would be greatly appreciated because it will draw more attention to my story. That attention will cause at least some people to give me detailed reviews. Make sense? Haha.

I really want to know what people think so I can improve and become a better writer! This is my first fan-fiction story, but NOT my first story. I've written a fair amount (as in about 30k words) for one story that I hope to publish one day. I'm not very great at describing settings but I can punctuate dialogue and tell a pretty good tale. I'm trying to make my characters 3D and likeable. You might think Elrian is a Mary Sue right now, but trust me, she isn't. I'm her, and I know I have a lot of major flaws. I'm working on showing rather than telling, and I believe I'm getting better at it. I think knowing this much is already pretty respectable for a 14-year-old, but I want to be better than this. Yes, I'm 14. Please don't stop reading because of my age. That doesn't really make a huge difference. I've read a lot of stories, many of them mediocre, and the writers were much older than me.

By the way, all the OCs in the story so far are actually REAL people. YOU PEOPLE KNOW WHO YOU ARE! Except for my great-great-great-grandfather who is clearly deceased. Anyway, hi Dylan and Jason! You bros better give me reviews at least. Oh and most, if not all, of the next-gen kids will be present in this story. Rose, Albus, and Scorpius will definitely play large roles.

FINALLY (sorry this A/N is long!), for those who want to give me helpful reviews but don't know how, I'll give you some questions for you to answer. If the next few questions are too much of a hassle, then just tell me what House you think Rose and Albus will be in. Throw Jason in if you feel like it. I'm interested in what you guys think. Anyway, what do you think of all the characters so far? Mainly Elrian, but throw in Rose and Albus if you feel like it. Did you like my crazy Sorting ceremony? Give explanations if you feel they explain your answer. Did you like my fail humor or even find it even remotely funny? Haha, I have a strange sense of humor and ways to express it in stories. I'll try to write as much as I can, but that might not be every single week. It's testing time, people! I got an AP Macroeconomics test on May 17 that I have to get a 5 on it to appease my parents and my classmates. I promise that I'll write a lot more in the summer. If I don't, feel free to hunt me down and force me to write. HAHA. Actually, never mind, don't…unless you REALLY want to.

Translations for those who weren't able to infer:

Ni ke yi jiang pu tong hua ma? : Can you speak Mandarin?

Ke yi : I can.