A/N: This story takes place in an alternate universe where books 5-7 didn't happen because they were SAD. (And also because they would ruin the base premise of my story)
Ginny took a deep breath and plunged her hand into the upturned sorting hat. Hogwarts had begun a new apprenticeship that had select students return after graduation to intern with specific professors, and the name that she pulled from the hat would tell her what the next few years of her life were going to be. Crossing her fingers she hoped for Professor McGonagall. Though she would be delighted to get Prof. Sprout, or even Flitwick! The hat was supposed to match them with the best possible match, just as it did for their house almost eight years ago.
Once she had been paired with a Professor she would become their full time apprentice, just like in the days of yore. She would live with them, run errands for them, work as their assistant in class, and most importantly learn from them. In all honesty Ginny was fine with any Professor at the school... except one. With her hand in the hat a single crumpled slip of parchment materialized in her palm and gingerly she pulled it from the ancient hat. With a deep breath she opened the parchment and read the name.
"SEVERUS SNAPE"
Ginny groaned inwardly. She glared at the cursed slip of paper and nearly threw it back into the blasted hat it came from. The sorting hat chuckled and she looked down to see it's ghastly upside-down smile. It winked at her and she wanted to punt it across the room. Maintaining her composure she held her head high and returned to the apprentice table. The names were not read aloud so that every student would have the hopeful glimmer of suspense, and not sort out their own professor before their turn.
She did her best to focus on her breathing as she took her seat, doing her best not to make contact with the expectant eyes that tried to pries answers from her without her speaking. She would give them nothing. The mockery didn't have to start any sooner than necessary, did it? She looked down the line at the other apprentices that had already drawn their futures from the god-forsaken hat.
Hermione was sitting tall with a Cheshire grin, she had probably gotten McGonagall. They had both wanted her, and of course that bookworm had to get her instead. It was simply unfair! Neville looked pleased as well, there was a good chance he had also gotten his first pick. Obviously he wanted Sprout. The only one who didn't seem happy in the least was Draco, but his sour expression made sense now. She looked down at the parchment in her hand again.
The bold green letters almost seemed to be mocking her. She hoped that if she read it enough times the name would change into someone -anyone- else. To no avail. In a few minutes all of the apprentices had their names and were seated again. They had eaten dinner before "the choosing", and now "the reception" began. They had been thoroughly briefed on the order of the ceremony and had been walked through it several times. It had been so exciting in the practice runs, but now it was like silent torture.
Of course the entire Weasley family had come to observe, they had two children in the ceremony. Oddly enough it had not been Ron who had been chosen to return to the school. All Hogwarts alumni had been allowed to submit their names, but the only one apprentice over the age of 19 had been chosen. Her brother Charlie. Out of the countless thousands of names, only seven had been chosen. Submissions had come from around the world, all put into the goblet of fire. In the end Hermione, Neville, Charlie, Draco, Harry, a Ravenclaw girl she didn't know and herself had been chosen. Technically even the Professors could have put in their own names, but to her knowledge none of them had done that.
It was exceptionally odd that Charlie had been called back from Romania to assist at Hogwarts. It was almost as odd as him submitting his name in the first place. Hagrid and her mother had teamed up to convince him to submit his name, and he had grudgingly sent it in for their sake. He had left Hogwarts in his sixth year, so perhaps the goblet felt he had an education to finish.
Finally it came time for all of the students to announce their professors. Many of the professors already had students, but many more did not. The professors who lacked apprentices moved to stand before the head table in a line, and the apprentices were to approach the professor they had been chosen for. The professors stood, and one at a time the apprentices joined them as the hall filled with applause.
Neville, as expected, strode to Professor Sprout and gave her a flourishing bow. Sprout looked positively giddy and the hall echoed with cheering. Herimone stood next and Ginny watched as the girl had to force herself not to skip as she raced over to Professor McGonagall. McGonagall gave her a nod as Charlie strode up to receive a beaming smile and a monstrous bear hug from Hagrid. There was a slight twinkle in Hagrid's eye that made her wonder if he was going to cry. They were going to have a fun two years.
The Ravenclaw girl practically leaped from her chair to stand beside the hovering Professor Binns, and for the first time Ginny saw the flicker of a smile on the old ghosts face. Ginny couldn't fathom her excitement, but to each their own. It was still better than Snape. Next Harry moved in to greet Remus Lupin and they shared a mischievous smile that hinted towards coming years of crazy adventures.
As Draco stood he shared a look of dread with Ginny, and for a brief moment it was as though they understood one another. They both knew that the next two years were not going to be what they anticipated. He hung his head as he walked past Professor Snape, giving the potions master a confused start. Severus, and Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy looked bewildered as Draco took his place beside Madam Hooch. There was stiffed clapping as the only smiles in the room were that of Madam Hooch, Dumbledore, and the bloody sorting hat.
Hesitantly Ginny rose to her feet and plodded towards the row of teachers. They gazed at her expectantly, and Professor Flitwick clapped excitedly. She was sorely tempted to walk over to him, and the sorting had be damned. She looked to her parents and saw them already readying their hands to clap. There was a cough somewhere in the back of the silent hall. Ginny finally stepped up to Severus Snape, not looking up from her shoes. She didn't want to see his glare of revulsion, or a snide grimace. There was no applause.
If she had looked up, she would have seen Snape's confused gaze staring at her, and then around the room. Searching the tables for help. He looked up at Professor Dumbledore who chuckled, but offered no assistance. A random Hufflepuff clapped softly, not comprehending the tension in the air. Dumbledore finally moved forward announcing the end of the apprentice ceremony, and giving the parents permission to come and congratulate their children.
Snape stared down and the top of the red head in front of him, unsure of what to do next. The Weasley's went to congratulate Charlie, but merely stared in the direction of their youngest. They seamed unsure of whether to congratulate her or try to console her. Either way, Ginny did not want to hear any of it. Finally she ran from the great hall, tears streaming down her face. She wanted to be a great wizards apprentice, not spend the next two years of her life hiding in a dungeon with an angry bat of a man.
Snape stared at Professor Dumbledore, an uncharacteristically slack-jawed expression on his face. "She's your apprentice." Confirmed Dumbledore, and he made a sweeping gesture with his hand that suggested Snape should go after her. His bewilderment transformed into a furious scowl as he stormed after the red head, his cloak sweeping outward as he glided past the crowds of people. Old students or classmates of his scrambled to get out of the war path as he swept from the room.
A/N: Yeah, I know I didn't keep with any of the book stuff. I'm just going for what sounded fun. And having Remus around sounded like fun. So yeah, he's still teaching here. Sirius Black is probably here somewhere to congratulate Harry as well.