Story: The dark side of the sun.
Chapter: Squiddy to the rescue? p3n1s? New girl?
The great hall went quiet as Dumbledore stood and lifted his hands, letting them lie flat to signal the silence he wanted.
Hermione looked over at Ron and Harry, "What's going on? Usually Dumbledore only makes announcements at the start or end of the day." she whispered to them before looking back at Dumbledore as she saw Professor McGonagal's stare.
"Minerva if you would?" he asked before casting the sonorous charm to carry his voice to everyone in the room.
The head of Gryffindor got out of her seat and put a stool in front of the teacher's table on top of the platform.
"Students, I would like to announce that we have a new student," The headmaster started, murmurs rose throughout the hall as the students turned to the person next to them and started whispering, 'Why so late in the year?' 'Is it a boy or girl?' 'What house are they in,' 'Do you know who it is?'
Dumbledore raised his hands again and waited for silence before continuing. "As I was saying, we have a new student that has transferred from another school in New Zealand. She will be sorted before we start to eat, as it would be impolite to do otherwise." He gestured towards Professor McGonagal who held a scroll like the one with the names of the first years.
She stepped up beside the stool before opening the scroll, her eyes widening as she read the name. "Ariana Meralin."
Everyone stood to get a better view of the girl as she stepped out of the shadows; more whispers erupted in the great hall about her.
'She's pretty tall for a first year,' 'Meralin... Is it just me or does that sound like Merlin?' 'Looks like a new Hufflepuff.'
Ariana was 5'5, with long brown-red hair in pigtails and dark green eyes. She had a slim figure but was still filled out in all the right places.
She sat down on the stool in front of the hall and waited for Professor McGonagal to place the worn old hat she had heard was going to sort her into her house, where she would sleep and live during her time in Hogwarts, atop her head.
As soon as she placed it on Ariana's head she smiled as the hat started to talk to her inside her head.
Everyone was whispering to each other, trying to guess what house she would be put into, most guesses were Hufflepuff, no one that could smile that brightly would go in any other.
Aaah, a descendant of the great Merlin, the one whom which set the great founders to starting this school. You have been brought here for a reason. Yes? The sorting hat said inside her mind.
Of course Hat. I am here to stop this madness with the "evil", she snorted, Voldemort. I doubt that would be too hard, from what I've gathered he is a bumbling fool bent on taking over the magical community, but has yet forgotten about every other place in the world except anything close to England. The idiot has yet to even make a move in France or America! She replied.
So, where would you like to be placed Ariana of Meralin? There's Gryffindor for the brave, Slytherin for the cunning, Ravenclaw for the smart and Hufflepuff for the loyal.Everyone in the great hall had stopped whispering, wondering why it was taking so long to sort one girl.
Ginny turned to look at Hermione who was sitting opposite her, "Herm, why is it taking so long? I've never seen anyone take so long to be sorted before."
Hermione rolled her eyes and looked at Ginny. "Please Gin, I've asked you not to call me that. And it's not like everyone is so easy to pick."
As Hermione looked back towards Ariana Ginny mimicked the girl "Please Gin, blah blah blah, I'm a dirty tramp of a know-it-all."
She shook her head and went back to waiting for Ariana to be sorted.
Well I think for my purpose, all the houses would be best, that way I can get the Rave smarts, the loyalty of the Huffs, the know from the Slyth's and the idiocy from the Gryf'fs.
She thought bout it for a second more before making up her mind. Yes, put me in all four houses, first in Slytherin, then Gryffindor, and then Ravenclaw and last Hufflepuff.
The sorting hat cleared its 'throat' before saying "Slytherin!"
Everyone at the Slytherin table started clapping along with some of the Hufflepuff's. The clap was interrupted by the hat booming, "Gryffindor!"
There was some confused clapping from the Gryffindor table as the Slytherin's stopped. "Ravenclaw!" He said next, just as Ariana had asked.
A few people from Gryffindor continued clapping and one or two groups of Ravenclaw's joined them before the hat boomed lastly "Hufflepuff!"
As the last of the clapping stopped everyone turned to a bewildered Dumbledore.
He looked at Minerva before standing up, "Well, it looks like there has been a slight problem with the sorting hat... Hmm... Enjoy your lunch!" he said before quickly indicating to Minerva to bring the hat and the girl and follow him.
Dumbledore got to his office a minute before professor McGonagal and Ariana did, giving him enough time to compose himself.
McGonagal pointed to a seat for Ariana before taking one herself beside Dumbledore.
Ariana sat down and smiled as if she didn't have a care in the world and that nothing was wrong.
"My dear, it seems as though we have come across a slight, how to... Problem, with our sorting hat." Dumbledore said whilst looking back and forth at Ariana and said hat.
"Oh there's no problem with it. It told me it was going to sort me into all the houses." She smiled and moved in the chair so she was comfortable.
Dumbledore shared a bewildered gaze with McGonagal. "You...Knew?"
"Why yes Sir. When it was talking to me in my mind it said that I couldn't be sorted into just one house."
McGonagal raised her eyebrows at this. "Miss Meralin, why didn't you ask to be put into one of the houses then dear?"
She shrugged, deciding to look around the office while they sorted things out.
Dumbledore signalled McGonagal to bring the sorting hat over to him.
"Dear hat, why did you sort this girl into all four houses? This has never happened before in Hogwarts history! Everyone has been sorted into one house! Sometimes it is a hard decision but you have always made it. Why not this time?"
The hat thought for a while before answering. "Because, as miss Meralin said, I couldn't sort her into just one house. I do not know why but it seems vital that she be in all four." Dumbledore sighed, not knowing what to do.
"Minerva, would you mind getting the other head of houses for me? It seems we'll have to figure this out on our own."