A/N: I know there are probably some people thinking: "Why a story about this? This isn't very exciting." But I really feel the need to defend how I sort Scorpius Malfoy in my headcanon, so I figured that I might as well write a one-shot about it. Also, this is for the 5, 10, 20, 50, 70, 100 Fandoms Challenge on HPFC.

If someone ever asked Scorpius Malfoy to tell them about the three times in his life that he felt the most scared, he would have no problem knowing exactly what they were.

The third-scariest time was when he had not earned the trust of the hippogriff that his third year class was learning about in Care of Magical Creatures and he had to spend the next quarter of an hour running away from its attacks.

The second-scariest time was in his fourth year when he'd forgotten about the trick step in the stairway to the seventh floor and, just for a moment, felt as if he were going to fall all the way to the stone castles floor far below.

And lastly, the scariest moment that he could remember was when he'd heard "Malfoy, Scorpius!" called out at the Sorting Ceremony in his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

He could feel everyone in the Great Hall watching him as he slowly made his way to the stool where the Sorting Hat sat. Everyone knew about the history of his family – the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, some of Voldemort's most loyal followers (strangely, no one seemed to think of those in the family who had strongly opposed the Dark Lord). They thought of his great-aunt Bellatrix Lestrange, who tortured Frank and Alice Longbottom into insanity. They thought of his grandmother Narcissa Malfoy, who hosted the Death Eaters' meetings in her own home. Mostly, though, they thought of his father, the proclaimed coward who had attempted to kill Albus Dumbledore.

Nobody saw him as just Scorpius. Nobody saw him as just a boy who hadn't even been alive when Voldemort was in Power. No, it was always Scorpius Malfoy, Scorpius from the family of blood purist Slytherins.

The Sorting Hat was placed over his head. He didn't know quite what to expect from this, but he was still surprised when the hat said, "Scorpius, is it? I remember your father – so easy to place."

You can hear my thoughts, Scorpius said to the hat. It was a statement, not a question – after all, it wasn't an ordinary hat. Why should he doubt it?

The hat chuckled. "Of course I can. How else could I know where to put you? Now let's see…you don't seem like a Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor wouldn't suit you – you're loyal and brave, yes, but you wouldn't fit there."

It was around this time that Scorpius realized something rather strange – he didn't know which house he wanted to be put in. Most of the people that he knew had some preference for which house, or at least they knew a house that they didn't want to be in.

"Not everyone in your family has been in Slytherin," the Sorting Hat whispered. "There was that Sirius Black – a true Gryffindor. You want to be different, too, and you're oh so smart. Ambitious too, mind you, but smart as well. You just might be the perfect fit for Ravenclaw, Scorpius."

No, Scorpius thought. He didn't even know why he'd thought it. What did he have against Ravenclaw? Nothing. Why didn't he want to be in Ravenclaw? The Sorting Hat had said that he was smart enough, and wasn't being smart a good thing? Wasn't it good to show everyone that Malfoys and Blacks don't have to be in Slytherin.

"I see, I see…" the hat said thoughtfully. "You have true ambition. Would you care to tell me why you don't want to be in Ravenclaw?"

You can hear my thoughts, Scorpius said doubtfully. You know

"I want to hear it from you, Scorpius Malfoy," the hat said, and Scorpius thought that if the hat had a human face, it would be smiling.

Scorpius didn't know what to say – or what to think. Why didn't he want to be in Ravenclaw? It was either that or Slytherin, from what the hat had said, and why would he want to be in Slytherin. The hat had said something about true ambition – ambition for what? Ambition to achieve something? To prove something?

And then he knew.

I want to prove that being in Slytherin isn't a bad thing, Scorpius thought. I know that I can. I'm smart enough, and clever enough, and just brave enough.

"So what do you want me to do?" the Sorting Hat said to him, the grin almost audible in the voice.

Put me in Slytherin, Scorpius thought. Please.

No one in the Great Hall was at all surprised when the hat shouted out "SLYTHERIN!" After all, everyone in the Malfoy family was a Slytherin; why should Scorpius be any different?

At the end of the Sorting Ceremony, though, Scorpius found himself to be sitting between the two unexpected additions to Slytherin House – Albus Potter and Roxanne Weasley.

"Why are you in Slytherin? I thought you'd be Gryffindors," Scorpius asked them during the feast. It was a strange introduction, but he couldn't help but be curious.

"Roxanne's the definition of a Slytherin," Albus remarked, which made Roxanne look rather smug. Scorpius had to smile as well – a Weasley being the definition of a Slytherin? His father had said that they were all Gryffindors.

"And Albus wanted to be in Slytherin," Roxanne added. "Something about wanting to prove that it's not an evil house…I think the Sorting Hat wanted to put him in Gryffindor. That's why the Sorting took so long for him. You don't seem like a Slytherin."

"I'm not sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult," Scorpius said thoughtfully, making Roxanne laugh. "I guess I fit into Slytherin, though – otherwise the hat wouldn't have put me here." That was all true, of course, but he couldn't mention the part where he chose Slytherin.

"Or you could have…chosen it," Roxanne suggested, not looking directly at him.

Luckily, the feast ended and they had to head to the Slytherin Common Room before Scorpius had to answer. He was so tired that he could have fallen asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, but he was too busy thinking about how he wasn't the only one to choose Slytherin to prove something about it. Maybe they could prove something, and he wouldn't always be Scorpius Malfoy anymore – he'd just be Scorpius.