"Would the transfer students please step forward?" Professor McGonagall requested, after the first years had all been sorted. The Great Hall erupted into a rumble of whispers at the words "transfer students." They quickly quieted, however, as four girls and two boys walked to the front.
"Third year, Hunter Prince," McGonagall announced. A tall, fair-skinned girl with mid-back-length brown curls walked forward confidently and sat on the old wooden stool. McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head, and everyone waited with baited breath.
"Hmm…" the Sorting Hat said thoughtfully. "Where to put you… You could do well in a number of places… Smart, loyal, strong… Perhaps—Oh, I see…"
She scanned the crowd calmly. Her eyes stopped on a blonde boy sitting at the Slytherin table—
"Slytherin!"
A wide grin spread across her face as she jumped off the stool and bounced over to the table of cheering Slytherins. Three girls stood and hugged her enthusiastically. They were brunette seventh years Jayden and Adalyn Prince, and blonde fifth year Nevaeh Prince—her sisters. She sat down with them and looked up to find the blonde who had caught her eye sitting across from her, watching her. She smiled and turned to see that her sister, Artemys, had been sorted into Gryffindor and was now skipping—yes, skipping—over to the table, her blonde curls bouncing in time with her steps. The other third year had chosen to put her blonde locks into pigtails, for some reason which Hunter could not determine.
"Aster Prince!" a girl identical to Hunter sat on the stool.
"… Gryffindor!" the Hat shouted after only a moment's thought.
Aster grinned and ran down to two identical girls standing by the Gryffindor table. They looked like older versions of her, but with shoulder-length, straightened layers instead of long curls. They were "the twins," Melody and Harmony Prince. Aster hugged them each in turn and sat next to Artemys, who was sitting with a red-headed boy, a dark-haired boy with glasses, a girl with thick brown hair, and a boy with sandy-colored hair.
An older girl with long, straightened brown layers walked up behind Aster and Artemys, who turned and immediately jumped up and tackled her, squealing "Ariana!"
Ariana laughed and hugged her little sisters, then instructed them to sit back down. Their blonde brother—also a third year—walked calmly down to join them.
"I'm surprised you didn't join Hex in Ravenclaw, Jaesen," Ariana said grinning as she hugged him.
"We could all be in Ravenclaw, Ari," he reminded her, sitting next to Artemys.
She just laughed and walked away.
Jaxon, who was identical to Jaesen and one year younger—a second year—cheered as he ran excitedly down the isle to his brunette sister, Hex. He had just been sorted into Ravenclaw.
"You disappointed?" Cedric Diggory asked the blonde girl sitting next to him.
Karmen Prince turned and smiled at him. "No, not really. It would be nice to have one of them here with me, but they're where they belong."
He smiled and nodded, turning back to see the last new student be sorted.
"Third year, Rose Hawthorn."
A girl with short red-brown hair sat on the stool. The Hat had barely touched her head before he yelled, "Griffindor!"
Rose grinned widely and rushed down to sit with Aster.
Professor Severus Snape watched as the Princes joined their respective houses. They were all here now, and he knew that Hogwarts would never be the same.
His third year potions class would be drastically changed. The majority of classes probably would, as would the houses.
Slytherin house, in particular, would face dramatic changes.
Many lives would be impacted.
His included.