Al and Rose held their breaths as the sounds of shuffling of feet and doors closing grew faint. Their train compartment still held only two, and an unconventional silence rose between them. Rose couldn't handle the thoughts and doubts circulating in her head. She needed a distraction, and it was clear that Al was the only person who could provide one.
"So, Al, looks like it's only going to be you and me."
"Really, Rose?" He quickly looked around the compartment with wide eyes, "Oh, my mistake. I thought we were surrounded by invisibility-cloaked dragons."
"Sarcasm really wasn't necessary. But whatever, it's not like that's going to stop you. So, d'you wanna skip the whole 'which house will we be in' discussion and play chess?"
"Sarcasm is always necessary. Always. And sure, don't feel like talking to you anyway. But we're not playing chess. We have to play cards— I bought a pack with James last week."
"But chess is—fine whatever, we'll play cards. Don't feel like arguing with you either." They grinned at each other and Al searched for the cards.
A knock jerked Rose's and Al's attention toward the compartment door. Half an hour into the trip and both had given hopes (or fears) of people joining them. They half-heartedly continued to play a card game that was frequently played at their previous school.
In front of their compartment stood a girl wearing jeans and a huge smile, waving energetically at them. The paths above her head, unlike previous meetings Rose witnessed, remained secure as their eyes met. Rose motioned for her to come in as Al went to open the door for her.
Of course, the first encounter they made with someone has to be saturated with awkwardness.
The girl managed to keep the smile plastered on her face as she glanced between them. She seemed to deliberate whether to come in as Al fumbled with the door. Rose let out a sigh when finally, Al yanked it open, and she walked in.
"Hi guys! I'm Christy, just wanted to walk around and say hi to as many people as I can! So far, I've been getting mixed results with this, but you two seem nice. What are your names? I'm Christy. Oh, sorry, I think I've said that already. Anyway, hope I didn't scare you away. Mum says I can be downright terrifying."
Rose wondered how someone could speak so much, say so little, and still appear so confident while having an ever-present smile on her face. Rose glanced at Al, who seemed slightly off balance—not quite sure what to say, not quite sure what to do. Rose stepped up, she wasn't about to get rid of the only person who spoke to her (regardless of how crazy she was).
"Hi. Umm, I'm Rose…and this is Al," she motioned to Al, who continued to stare at his feet. "Yeah, don't mind him; he's a little…umm shy." Rose caught the look Al quickly shot at her.
"Hi, Rose…Al," she continued to smile at them. When she realized Rose had nothing more to add, Christy took a breath. Helplessly, Rose thought she was going to leave. She wasn't sure why she liked this odd girl, maybe it was her bubbly personality, her consistent arrows, or the fact that she was the only unrelated person she spoke to all day. Regardless of what is was, she still felt relieved when Christy took a seat next to her instead of bolting out the door.
"So what house do you think you'll be sorted into, guys? I honestly have no idea. I think I'm a little bit of every house, but I don't think I'll fit perfectly in any house, if you know what I mean. Any ideas Al…Rose?"
Rose glanced to Al, giving him a chance to redeem himself in Christy's eyes. She knew he would only unbearably complain later if she didn't help him out. As he opened his mouth, Rose could see Al's arrows slightly changing.
"Well…my dad told me we get to choose what house we get put in. And I mean I guess that's comforting, but…well…like you said I really don't know for sure either. I mean how am I supposed to decide if some ancient hat can't decide for me." Al smiled awkwardly up at Christy, trying (and failing) to match her smile.
Rose shot a look at Al, he didn't even mention this to her.
Christy nodded enthusiastically at Al, and soon the three of them somehow managed to hold a decent conversation with one another. The entire time Christy's arrows stayed put, and Rose marveled at how easy it was to talk to her.
A half an hour or so later, Christy rose from her seat. She told them she'll be sure to see them around the castle and speak to them soon, and that she wanted to meet some more people. Rose and Al waved goodbye to her, and a silence enveloped them soon as she was out the door. It was a comfortable silence, one often shared by family members. Without a third party, both of them were left tangled up in their own thoughts, nervously contemplating the future, and not bothering to keep it hidden from the other.
The first time Rose saw Hogwarts was anticlimactic. Sure, it was beautiful. Sure, she continued to stare at it as they crossed the lake. But it wasn't time stopping, wasn't life changing, and wasn't as great as everyone had lead her to believe. Much to her surprise, it didn't seem as if the view of the castle changed anyone's arrows too much. Strangely, the platform and train ride had been much more critical in the determination of the students' futures.
The whispers and murmurs grew into loud voices as they walked through the castle and as everyone marvelled at its inner and outer beauty. Rose didn't speak too much, she had already heard the typical nervous chatter about house selection one too many times. A tall, dark haired professor led them through the castle and explained the Sorting Hat ritual. Rose didn't pay much attention, by now it was common knowledge that the sorting hat sorted.
They were lead into the Great Hall and Rose was blasted with so many arrows and so many paths that she had difficulty walking straight, let alone thinking clear. The thousands of students sitting in such an enclosed area in such close proximity resulted in muddled paths and disturbed arrows, unreadable words and an endless wave of confusion.
Rose made sure to keep her head down and remain another nameless face in the sea of first years. It was hard enough to know where each one of her classmates was probably going to be sorted. It was worse to realize how their lives were moulded from this small decision.
It finally sunk in, as Rose managed to take a quick look away from her feet. She had just realized the sheer number of people she would have to deal with - the unimaginably large number of arrows and people and disappointments. It was easy at home; she only had her parents' and Hugo's arrows to worry about. They didn't worry her too much; they led ordinary lives and she knew most of the details.
Her muggle school was very small, held about a hundred students in a small building and had approximately seven students per class. Rose grew up with those kids, and they had had grown pretty close. Their arrows weren't very distracting so they hadn't been much of a problem.
But this was different. This was bad.
However much she tried to prepare herself, Rose failed. Already. She just arrived and the disappointment, the panic spreading through her was everything she always wanted to prevent. Rose simply wasn't used to so many people, and wasn't sure how she would ever get used to it. Couldn't imagine ever leading an ordinary school life.
Above all that stress was the problem in front of her. Because however much Rose Weasley knew about other students and the houses they were going to get sorted into, she knew nothing about her own arrows. She did not know the direction her life would take and had no idea how to direct it. She wasn't sure if it was a blessing or a curse.
In that way, Rose didn't differ from her classmates. In that way, she was just as frightened by the Sorting Hat. The seemingly simple object would dictate the direction of her life and that of all the other students, who sat mere meters away from her. Keeping her eyes trained on the floor, Rose continued to shuffle forward in the line as they made their way through the Great Hall. Rose dazedly realized she stood at the end of the line, for the first time noticing that she was going to be the last one sorted.
The Headmaster spoke, warmly welcoming all the students and greeting new ones, but Rose managed to block it all out. She had her eyes trained on the floor and was working overtime to erase all the arrows she previously saw.
The Sorting Hat started singing and though she tried, Rose couldn't keep her eyes away from the front of the Hall.
She heard the first few words of the song. The rest of it was drowned out by shock.
A moment ago, Rose had always seen arrows on top of every person's head. Every single person she met had the arrows.
Never had she seen objects with arrows.
When Rose saw the paths above the Sorting Hat, she didn't know what to think. When she looked closer, when she focused in, there were only two paths above the hat. One lead to a long life (if it was called that) where it continued to sort for years to come. Another showed the hat's eternal boredom and mild unhappiness.
The paths were simple, and yet the fact that she could see the future of a hat, a hat that dictated the paths of so many people, left her confused. Drawn from it by cheers and applause, Rose drew her eyes back to the floor, where it was safe and didn't lead to unnecessary thoughts before such a big event. The woman who previously spoke to the first years announced the first name and the sorting ceremony commenced. Rose hardly paid attention to where anyone was sorted, but made sure to watch when Al was being sorted.
When she heard the last name Malfoy, Rose couldn't help but look up (merely for curiosity). At the station, the boy's arrows moved rapidly and for some reason Rose was mildly interested (she wouldn't dare to admit it, though). Rose watched as he plastered an obviously fake smile on his face and sat on the stool waiting for the outcome. A moment later, the hat burst out with: "SLYTHERIN"
A split second of silence followed, and then the usual laud broke out.
"Potter, Albus!" Al hesitantly walked forward, carefully placed the hat on his head, and promptly shut his eyes. And waited. Everyone waited. Rose wasn't sure if it always took this long, but if everyone went at this pace no one would ever receive an opportunity to taste the welcoming feast. Finally, when Rose had given all hope of ever getting sorted herself, the hat took a deep breath and: "RAVENCLAW!"
Applause erupted, and Rose was sure everyone was as excited to have that sorting over with as she was. She glanced at the Gryffindor table, seeking out James. He seemed okay with the sorting; in fact he clapped along with the rest of the hall. She smiled; Rose always knew James wasn't as big of a git as he led others to believe.
The sorting didn't surprise her; she knew Al's arrows pointed to Ravenclaw for a while. She always expected it to change, though. She always expected (hoped) that the arrows would get re-written. Rose shook her head—this wasn't the time to think such distracting thoughts.
A few minutes later, Christy was sorted. Much faster than Al's sorting (she thought everyone's would be) and Christy got put in Gryffindor.
As the girl in front of her got sorted into Slytherin, Rose took a deep breath, listened for "Weasley, Rose", and approached the stool.
As soon as the hat touched her head, she heard a gasp. "My, my girl I've never seen the likes of this, this …talent before. Very interesting. Interesting indeed. Where shall I place you? A gift like this could corrupt, it could heal. Let me see..."
Suddenly Rose felt heat excreting from her head, followed by gasps from the crowd and prolonged silence from the hat itself. She searched from the brim of the hat and flinched away. Her hand burned.
With a gasp she realized what had happened.
The Sorting Hat caught on fire.
The Sorting Hat caught on fire when she was wearing it.
She set the Sorting Hat on fire.
She sat motionlessly as the Headmaster rushed over to her and stream of water was aimed above her head and panic settled in the hall and in her chest.
A gift like this could corrupt, it could heal. Let me see..."
The Sorting Hat's last words.
a/n: Yeah, this took a while, sorry. Promise it'll be faster next chapter. Anyway, thanks for reading, and it would be fantastic if you told me what you thought ;)