A/N: I'm so, so not supposed to be using FFN while school's in session. But this is infinitely more interesting than what I'm actually supposed to be doing. So this idea, I've seen, isn't exactly original- the Lily-Luna-is-a-Slytherin. But, hopefully you'll enjoy my spin on things. If I manage to finish that is. I'm notoriously bad at updates. Oh well. This is the prologue. I plan on about 7 chapters- one for each year. Should be eventually Scorpious/Lily. Because everyone loves Rose/Scorpious and of course that means I fell in love with the UC ship, as is my lot in life.
Disclaimer: Disclaimed.
Of Great Cunning
Prologue
One word, and the world stops.
"Slytherin!"
No one breathes, no one moves.
The hum of conversation is frozen, dead in the throats of all. First years stand unmoving, their nervous twitters and the shuffling of their feet ceased. Older students, well-versed in the routine and monotony of the sorting ceremony, sit stiffly in their seats, all illicit chattering suddenly ended. No one laughs, or whispers, or casts a spell. Professors, ghosts, even the ever-tactless poltergeist- all quiet. The silence falls heavily over them all, filling the air with its unbroken noiselessness. Its presence bears down on them, rings in their ears.
The girl still sits on the wooden stool, her well-worn black loafers dangling a great distance from the ground, tiny feet crossed over one another. A single gray knee sock has slipped halfway down, piling around the left ankle, folded over itself sloppily and revealing a bruised shin. The most wise and ancient hat sits atop her fiery red hair, silent, unmoving, final in its judgment. Holding the scroll of names, the Deputy Head is a statue, arms and fingers sculpted midair in a graceless pose.
A knife slips off the edge of the Ravenclaw table. It clangs and shatters the spell of silence.
The room buzzes with uncertainty. One table- Gryffindor- erupts with cries of protest. An army of redheaded Weasley-Potters and all their extended family friends rage against the injustice. At least two professors are quite in agreement with them. The noise escalates, in a great contrast to the moments before, until the Headmistress ends it all with a spelled voice, booming over the din. Silence reigns again. She ends the protests, forces the students into their seats with threats.
"Continue with the sorting," she orders, giving her nod to the witch on the floor.
The Deputy Head clears her throat, and gently lowers the scroll. "Please, Miss Potter, join your housemates at the… at the Slytherin table…"
She steps forward to reclaim the sorting hat, pulling it slowly away from the eleven-year-old's head. Strands of red-gold hair cling to the inside of the cap. The girl's freckled face is throbbing, warm, cheeks burning. She is full of blood, boiling in the veins closest to her skin. Otherwise, she betrays no emotion. Her thin pink lips are pressed together tightly, eyebrows curved and even, nose unwrinkled. The green eyes are dry, not glassy, and her fists remain unclenched, palms open on her lap. She sucks in a breath, just one, and holds the ache deep in her chest, keeps it from bursting out of her.
"Are you… would you like to go to the hospital wing, dear?" The Deputy Head whispers into one fire-red ear.
The Potter girl slides off the plain wooden stool, the pleats of her skirt hiking up briefly behind her. The loafers hit the floor softly.
"No, thank you."
As the stunned population watches, Lily Potter slowly makes her way across the room to face her housemates. Inside, she remains frozen, iced over with pure shock. Her breathing is labored, her face still hot with blush. She can't decide if its anger, or embarrassment, or fear. She pulls out a chair, surrounded by empty seats, and lowers herself into it. Lily turns her head in the direction of the filled end of the table, where those of great cunning and pure blood sit staring back.
"Powers, Alexis."
The sorting goes on.
She doesn't meet their eyes.
A/N: So tell me what you think! Obviously this is nothing like, nor will it be like, my other HP stories. Hopefully you'll enjoy it anyway!
