Chapter 3: The Sorting
The group made their way down towards the Entrance Hall; the Hogwarts population was already inside as well as Dumbledore - who had left the group outside of the doors to await their sorting. "Dumbledore better hurry his arse up. The sooner we get in there the sooner I can leave. I bet he doesn't even know what he's doing in there - the elderly tend to lose their senses after a bit."
"Do not speak of Professor Dumbledore like that! He's the greatest wizard of our time!" Hermione exclaimed indignantly.
"He died." The paled boy pointed out simply.
"I wonder why?" Tonks asked sarcastically.
"You had better not screw this up, Malfoy, stick with the story." Harry said bitterly. He had no patience for the young Malfoy - he knew that if something were to go wrong it would be the intruders fault.
"Whatever, Williams." Draco smirked.
"Shh!" Hermione hissed pressing her ear up against the large door. "I'm trying to hear Dumbledore!"
"Relax, Hermione." Tonks said smiling. "I'm sure you've heard this speech loads of times."
"Yes - but I'm trying to see how he's going to introduce us!"
"I'm afraid to announce that the Head Boy and Girl's dormitory is - ah - unavailable this year." Dumbledore said from inside of the hall. "Only due to unusual circumstances."
"What d'you suppose happened to the Head's Dorm?" Harry grinned.
"Your father most likely." Hermione said rolling her eyes. She had heard plenty of Marauder stories before; she knew what the four boys inside the hall were capable of.
"I'd also like to announce some new transfer students! They both vary from Beauxbatons Academy and Durmstrang."
"Here we go." Tonks said nervously.
"No going back now." Harry added.
"I can't wait!" Hermione beamed. "But we must be cautious."
"Merlin help me." Draco muttered looking up to the ceiling.
"I'd like to begin with Mr. Draco De Lune from Beauxbatons Academy!"
"Beauxbatons?!" Draco exclaimed in disgust.
"I think it's because you have that whole French vibe going on." Tonks winked amused at the pale boy's disgust. Draco straightened his black blazer, rolled his grey eyes, and stormed into the hall in a true Malfoy fashion.
If you were to ask Draco Malfoy - or De Lune - at this very moment if he was nervous he would thoroughly deny it. Draco De Lune would be lying to you though, a skill he was rather proud of, he was, in fact, terrified. Hundreds of students looked at him with either, lust, disgust, fear or awe, he simply sneered at them. Draco had even heard a Hufflepuff muttering, "Look's like Hogwarts just got one more stinking Slytherin." Draco simply stood up straighter and continued to walk towards the Sorting Hat. He would go along with this little plot only to quench his curiosity - nothing more - nothing less. He would not in any way, shape, or form, help Potty, the Metamorphmagus, and the Mudblood. Draco would simply laugh when they would mess up, or smirk if they had succeeded - he couldn't afford anything this time around. He was playing a dangerous game and he knew it.
When McGonagall had said, "Draco De Lune." he had felt nothing more then disgust. His proud and pure Malfoy name should've been announced - not a muggle name called, "De Lune." But that was what his life was now; he had understood perfectly what the old crackpot had said. Growing up in Malfoy Manor with all of the books about Time Travel meant he had learned something - just by landing in that hallway they had already disrupted the Time Line. He may not be a 'pureblood' this time or a Malfoy but that didn't mean he wouldn't continue to be the Prince of Slytherin. Draco had reached the stool at last. He expected the hat to not ruin his hair - barely touch his head before shouting "SLYTHERIN!" once more.
But it didn't.
This time the hat was fully placed on his platinum hair.
"Hmmm, difficult, difficult - I see someone who doesn't belong here."
"No way." Draco muttered sarcastically.
"Most definitely not a Hufflepuff - you have some loyalty in you - I suppose it will grow on your mission."
"Yeah - right."
"Fighting with a hat? Classy Mr. Malfoy. Not a Ravenclaw either. Of course, you still have that Slytherin cunningness in you - but I don't think that will do this time around."
"Listen here you damn hat-"
"You should have listened to Professor Dumbledore."
"Don't you dare!"
"Too late."
"GRYFFINDOR!"
What would my father say about this?!
Hermione wiped her hands on her muggle jeans again. She had taken notice of what they were all wearing with a hint of amusement; Harry and herself were wearing jeans, trainers and jumpers, Tonks had her signature look, and Draco was wearing his black suit. She couldn't even imagine what the students in the hall were going to think.
"Relax - relax." She muttered to herself.
"Nervous, Hermione?" Tonks grinned lazily.
"Me? Of course not!" She lied.
"Whatever you say."
"G'Luck Hermione." Harry said clasping his best mate on the shoulder.
"Thanks." Hermione said nervously. "You too."
"Next - Miss Hermione Granger from Durmstrang!" Dumbledore's voice said booming throughout the walls.
"Durmstrang?" Hermione shrieked. "Do I look Bulgarian? Is it my hair?"
Harry laughed quietly at his friends dumbfounded expression. Normally she wouldn't freak out over such vain things. With a shake of his head he shoved Hermione forward into the Great Hall.
Hermione Granger did not even attempt to hide her nervousness; she was almost positive that the entire Great Hall could sense it on her. Unlike Draco she did not swagger down the rows of tables - she simply walked. It was so different this time - than last time, she mused. The last time she did this she had her bushy hair and big teeth. The rest of the first years were in the front of the room - nervous and mumbling nonsense about trolls. Even then Hermione knew it wasn't true. When her name was called by Professor McGonagall the first time she eagerly shoved the hat onto her 11-year-old head - but not this time. This time around McGonagall was a bit younger, but just as strict. Almost sluggishly, Hermione had reached the hat. Gently and slowly she sat on the stool and awaited her fate.
"Ah - yes - yes - yes - I see. Another Time Traveler...Where to put you... You have loyalty, a lot of it. You're also very cunning, but not a Slytherin. Smart enough to be a Ravenclaw..."
"You wanted me to be a Ravenclaw the first time around."
"But you weren't placed there, were you?"
"No - I wasn't."
"Loyalty, bravery and brains; very nice qualities. You will do well on your mission."
"What?! How do you know about the mission? What exactly is it? You're a hat! I don't understand!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
What was that?
"I s'pose we're next." Harry said weakly to Tonks.
"Yup." She said unhelpfully.
"Are you sure you're not nervous?" Harry asked wiping his sweaty palm on his trousers in a similar fashion to Hermione.
"I wonder where Hermione and Malfoy have been sorted." Tonks mused ignoring Harry's question.
"I dunno, Slytherin and Ravenclaw, maybe?"
"Nah - I don't think so."
"Where then?"
"I dunno."
"Where do you think we'll be sorted?"
"Wherever the sorting hat say's we will."
"You're really not helping."
"Eh."
"Harry Williams from Durmstrang Academy!"
Harry couldn't even tell you how he was feeling at that moment time -it was mostly a sense of numbness. This was it. It was his fresh start. Maybe Malfoy, Tonks and Hermione saw it as a punishment, but he didn't. Of course, he enjoyed certain aspects of his old life. He was Qudditch Captain, dating Ginny (finally) and he had the two best mates a person could ask for - but at what price? Voldemort had risen again and he had no family. His parents were dead, Sirius was dead, and now Harry Potter was dead. Harry Williams had been born. He gratitude towards Dumbledore could never be expressed - the man had given him the opportunity of a lifetimes - to meet his mother and father. Who else would he see here? Remus? Snape? Harry knew that he still had to destroy the Horcruxes and defeat Voldemort before the damn prophecy. But he was so very lost.
As he walked down the rows of students he began to unconsciously smile. He was free! People wouldn't look at him as The-Boy-With-Many-Self-Explanatory-titles. He was finally Harry. Just Harry. Would the Sorting Hat want to put him in Slytherin again? What about Hufflepuff? He wasn't smart enough to be a Ravenclaw. Where had Draco been sorted - Slytherin? What about Hermione? Ravenclaw. It wasn't a question in Harry's mind - he knew his friend better than anyone else. "Oi James - he looks just like you!" He heard someone shout. He broke out of his thoughts and glanced over to source. He couldn't see it. He knew very well who it was though; his dad and Sirius. Harry's stomach fluttered. His dad.
He had reached the stool. McGonagall's lips were in a thin line probably seeing the resemblance herself - no doubt thinking that he was a troublemaker. He couldn't deny it though. Trouble always seemed to find him. The hat was fully placed on his head.
"I've expected you, Mr. Potter."
"Funny - Dumbledore said the same thing."
"Hmm Mmmmm. Yes - ah - yes - yes - yes - yes. Plenty of Courage - you have a cunning mind as well - not a Ravenclaw or a Hufflepuff though.
However, you are loyal enough. But where to put you?"
Unlike last time Harry did not demand to not be put into Slytherin. He would let the hat fully decide this time.
"This was easier than your friends. Good Luck Mr. Potter."
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Wait - is that Malfoy?!
Tonks was calm on the outside, but a fiery mess on the inside, what was she to do? How would she react? Was she still a Hufflepuff through and through? Had she changed? Remus was in there, along with Sirius, Aunt Narcissa, and Merlin knows who else. How did Malfoy, Hermione and Harry manage? Would age still stand in the way of her and Remus? She hoped not. What if she tripped over her own two feet in front of everyone in the hall?! Bloody hell, this was harder then she originally thought it would be.
"And finally, I hope that you will all give a warm welcome to Miss Tonks Williams from Durmstrang Academy! And before you all get even more curious, a terrible trait I'm afraid, she is indeed the sister of Mr. Harry Williams."
Tonks inhaled and exhaled deeply, brushed off the imaginary dust from her overcoat, made sure her hair was its usual bubblegum pink, and walked through the large Great Hall doors. As soon as she walked in she heard the whispers break out immediately from her future piers. Of course, they would whisper about her; she was the shiny new toy to the playground called Hogwarts. She had an odd attire, abnormally bright hair, and a too-cool-to-care attitude.
"Look at her hair!"
"Gross, another transfer."
"Bloody hell!"
"Odd little thing, isn't she?"
"What a pretty bird!"
"Durmstrang!?"
"Who dresses like that!"
"She doesn't look like her brother at all!"
"Your right!"
"She is fit!"
"Wow!"
She rolled her eyes, but the bright red flush was still visible on her cheeks. Unknowingly, her bright pink hair quickly changed into an even brighter red due to her obvious embarrassment. She was surprised that she hadn't tripped yet. As soon as her hair had changed its color the whispers got even louder.
"She's a metamorphmagus!"
"Wow!"
"How do you suppose she is one but her brother isn't?"
"That's hot!"
"Their supposed to be extremely rare!"
"No, my cousin Dora is one!"
"I thought they were extinct!"
The last two comments bothered Nymphadora. She knew who the first of the two was from - Sirius - the second one was just plain offensive. She was not some sort of... of... breed. She was a regular witch. When she had finally reached the sorting hat, she planned on looking for Malfoy, Harry and Hermione. But her embarrassment forced her to look nowhere but forward. Professor McGonagall was looking at Tonks with nothing but kindness. She internally snorted - that was a first. She sat on the hard stool as the hat was placed on her head.
"You've changed Nymphadora Tonks."
"It's Tonks. Well - Tonks Williams."
"You'll always be both."
"Of course," She mentally rolled her eyes. "And how the bloody hell have I changed?!"
"Your no longer an ignorant Hufflepuff."
"Then what am I?!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
What an unexpected plot twist this is.
A/N Phew! Sorry for the long wait! This took me forever to type because I got a bit of a block on Tonks' part. Harry, Draco and Hermione's have been done for months. So, anyways, THANK YOU ALL FOR REVIEWING! I love you all and I really hope this story goes somewhere(:
LOVE YOU ALL!
Until Next Time...
Edited on 10/22/17
