Hermione Granger was practically vibrating as she stood in the Great Hall and waited to be Sorted. She had already talked the ear off of literally everyone she had encountered, but she was still struggling to stay silent as Professor McGonagall called more and more people forward. Her itch to talk came from the growing anxiety bubbling up inside of her and the need to expend even a modicum of that energy in some other way.

She was nervous about where she would go. She was worried she wouldn't have any friends where she went either. She was panicking even more about the Hat being sat on her head and telling her she didn't belong anywhere and she wasn't magical enough and to just go back home.

Back home. Back to where she had only ever had one friend, a friend she was still planning on writing to while in Hogwarts. Of course, Emma thought she was just going to a boarding school in Scotland. She couldn't know about magic, no matter how much Hermione had begged Professor McGonagall or how badly she wanted to tell her friend or how awful she felt in lying to one of the only people she knew loved her and cared for her.

She almost vomited as she heard her name called out, but her face broke into a manic grin and she practically sprinted to the stool and slammed the hat on her bushy head.

"You're a very clever one, aren't you," Hermione barely kept herself composed as the Hat's voice drifted into her head. She did let out a small sigh of relief as she realized the Sorting could potentially be swung by her own voice (or was it unvoiced?) opinion.

"I do consider intelligence to be my best trait," Hermione thought back. Perhaps Ravenclaw would suit her well. It was definitely a House that played to her strengths well.

"Now, now, lass. Sorting you isn't always easy as all that. Your intelligence would get you to Ravenclaw, but your drive might kill you there. You're one who needs a good support system," Hermione wanted to feel offended at that, but all she felt was relief that the Hat could see deeper than she thought. Maybe it could give her what she really needed. She glanced towards the Gryffindor table. She knew it was the house that Professor Dumbledore himself had been in, and everyone strove to be a Gryffindor. They were the brave ones. They were fearless. She wanted to be fearless, too.

"I know exactly what you need… HUFFLEPUFF!" The Sorting Hat cried out, and Hermione froze in shock. She stiffly rose from her seat and walked towards the table that was giving her cheerful applause, though the sound rang in her deaf ears. She tried not to let tears spring from her eyes. She had heard everyone on the train making fun of the Hufflepuff House, saying it was for the rest of the students who just didn't belong. It was for the students who weren't so bright. Was that who she truly was? Was her intelligence just a sham? Was she truly this much of an outcast?

The clapping hit her ears again and as she approached the table she saw two of the girls that had been Sorted before her grin wide and beckon her over. This almost had her freezing again. Even on the train, she had had to invite herself into compartments to introduce herself to others. No one was ever coming to her first. She warily sat down beside the two, not sure if this was going to end up as some kind of prank.

"Hello! Welcome to Hufflepuff, Hermione! My name is Susan and this is my best friend Hannah," the girl to her left said brightly, but quietly as the next student had gone up to be Sorted.

"It's nice to meet you," Hermione said back politely, and Susan beamed at her.

"I think you'll really love it in Hufflepuff. My aunt went here and she can never stop talking about what a great time she had. A new recruit for the Aurors showed up this year and she's become one of Auntie's favorites, too. Tonks always talks about the trouble she got into, she just graduated last year. She told me our dorm is right by the kitchens, and it's so easy to sneak in," Susan gushed some more, and Hermione brightened a bit, though what Susan had said had caught her attention.

"So is your aunt an Auror, too?" Hermione questioned.

"She used to be, but Aunt Amelia is the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Has been for quite a few years now," Susan explained, and Hermione's heart felt even lighter than previously. Perhaps she had been a bit quick to judge this House. If a member had become the Head of a Department and another was a favorite of said Head, this House couldn't possibly be just for outcasts and - dare she say it - dunderheads.

The Sorting finished up and after the Headmaster said one of the strangest speeches she had ever heard their food magically appeared in front of her. Hermione's stomach increasingly became full, as did her heart, as the rest of Hufflepuff House began to talk to her and ask how she and the other first years were doing.

It felt different, to be surrounded by so many people who seemed to genuinely care about her person. They listened to her ramble with kind amusement and interest in their eyes. They asked her questions to let her know they had been listening and not one of them rolled her eyes. As her anxiety ebbed away, she found herself able to slow down her babbling and her recitation of random facts from books, and she entered more calmly into the general conversation. She didn't notice the flash of triumph and warmth in the older student's eyes as they watched her nervousness fade.

As they got ready to leave, Susan grabbed her hand and whispered in her ear, "I'm so glad you got Sorted into Hufflepuff, Hermione."

For the second time that night, Hermione felt tears fill her eyes.

Hall of Mirrors: 1) Different House AU!