Three girls stood whispering intently to each other amidst the mass of first years. One had bright red hair and freckles, obviously a Weasley. The other two had their blonde hair in braids and looked exactly alike. Except for their eyes. One girl's were green, the other's blue.
They had ridden the train, crossed the lake, and were waiting anxiously for Professor McGonagall to arrive and the sorting to begin.
"Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!" squeaked the redhead. "What if I'm not in Gryffindor? I just have to be in Gryffindor!" The girl was wringing her hands nervously.
"Oh, don't be silly, Ginny!" said the blue-eyed blonde. "You're bound to be. You're whole family is, and Merlin knows you're just like them!"
"But that's just it!" Ginny cried. "If I do get in Gryffindor everyone will be, 'Oh, another Weasley' and if I don't they'll all be flabbergasted. What if I'm in Slytherin?!"
"You're not a Slytherin and you know it!" the green-eyed girl almost shouted. "Besides, you aren't smart enough to be in-" She broke off when the blue eyed girl hit her. Hard.
"Sophie!" she said. "Don't be mean."
"It's fine," Ginny began. "I would've said the same-"
She was interrupted by Sophie, who was screaming at the blue-eyed blonde. "Just because you're my twin Ella, doesn't mean you can hit me whenever you feel like it!" Sophie said these words with raised fists.
"Oh yeah?" Ella said, her eyebrows raised.
Ginny had taken a step back from her two best friends. It was best to stay out of their fights.
Thankfully Professor McGonagall arrived before it turned into a real fist fight. Ella and Sophie turned around when they hear her clear her throat, faces as red as Ginny's hair.
"First years," she said, giving them an appraising look. "Follow me."
A set of doors opened and they all crowded inside. Most were staring at the ceiling. It looked exactly like the night sky!
Ginny glanced at Ella and Sophie before joining them, just to make sure the fight was over. She needn't have worried. The twins were walking together, arms linked, as if nothing had happened.
They motioned for Ginny to join them and the discussion about houses resumed.
"So," said Sophie. "It's been decided," she shot a meaningful glance at Ginny, "that Ginny's a Gryffindor. But what are we, Ella?"
"I dunno . . ." said Ella thoughtfully. "Not Slytherins, that's for sure. Ravenclaw maybe?"
Sophie snorted. "There's no way I'm smart enough for that!"
"Well, you're mum and dad and . . . Ry-Ry -" Ginny giggled at her friends' nickname for their older brother. It felt so odd saying it! "well, anyway . . . they were all in Hufflepuff, but I dunno . . . that doesn't seem quite right . . ."
The three girls reached the front of the Great Hall and fell silent. Professor McGonagall was standing next to the stool and the hat, which promptly began singing its usual sort of song. The first years stared, mouths slightly open. None of them, not even those with Wizarding families had seen anything like it before. As soon as the song was done, there was a round of applause and the sorting began.
"Oooh!" Ella whispered to her twin. "that just made me even more nervous!"
"Me too," Sophie whispered back. "It sounds like I'll be in Gryffindor though."
"We just better be together," said Ella, turning even paler at the thought of being in separate houses. (Ella doubted whether she was brave enough to be in Gryffindor.)
"I'll kill it if we aren't," Sophie said with a nervous smile.
Just then McGonagall called Ella's name. "Hammerstein, Eleanor."
Ginny and Sophie wished her luck and Ella walked up the steps, sat on the stool, and let the hat be placed on her head.
It took a long time deciding before announcing "RAVENCLAW!"
Sophie's stomach churned horribly. Her worst fears were confirmed. For the first time in her life, she wouldn't be with her twin. There was no way she would make it as a Ravenclaw! Nobody knew her as smart. As that girl who runs into doors, sure, but never the smart one.
"Hammerstein, Sophie Lynn!" shouted McGonagall for the second time.
In her misery, Sophie had not registered that it was her turn. Only after Ginny gave her a shove did she walk up and sit down, dreading what the hat would call.
"Hmmmmm . . ." it said when placed upon her head. "Tricky . . . Ravenclaw would be good for you. You are a smart girl. Yet a lack of want for knowledge, that might hold you back. Hufflepuff? No, not quite. Not much your brother at all . . . Gryffindor would suit you well. Brave, loyal . . . you do remind me of another twin a few years back, he's a Gryffindor you know . . ."
"Please," she whispered, eyes hsut tight. "I just want to be with my sister."
"Your sister, eh?" said the hat. "You do work so well together . . . but Gryffindor still seems best-"
"I don't know what I'd do without her!" Sophie begged. "We're a team. The twin witches. Twitches! Please don't make me-"
"Well, if you're quite sure, better be . . ." this time the hat spoke to the whole hall- "RAVENCLAW!"
Sophie jumped off the stool, punching her fist in the air. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! She thought as she ran toward the Ravenclaw table and hugged her twin. It wasn't till the clapping stopped and the laughter started that she realized she hat forgotten to give the Sorting Hat back to McGonagall.
She promptly ran back up the steps and handed McGonagall the hat. She felt the need to bow and did so (amidst clapping and laughter) before hurrying back to her seat.