And another chapter to come! I, first, would like to apologize for dropping off the face of the earth. It was dreadfully rude of me, and I'm starting a new leaf with a new objective, finish my projects! So, here's another chapter for Vanissa's Tale! For those of you who've read Snape's Girl, I am desperately trying to win back my inspiration for that, and I think it's coming along well. Expect an update soon!

And now for the comments...

newtonsballs: Glad you liked it! Oh, and nice name, lol I DIED laughing XD XD XD

Slytherin Potter: I'm glad you liked it, and I plan on building on Harry's confidence, as, in the first books, he's not totally confident. Remember, he thought they'd tell him it was a mistake in the first book as he's waiting to be sorted!

NathanHale2: I plan on keeping it up! And I will try to do better with chapter lengths.

Guest: As you did this anonymously, I can tell you cannot say this while letting me know who you are. Please keep the comments to constructive criticism, not just saying rude things and putting me or other down completely. If you don't like it, just read something else.

AriesAriels: I'm glad you enjoy it!

YerAW0manHarry: Another name that made me laugh! XD I do intend to finish this, don't you worry! And I'm glad you like it!

Thank you all for your support! Now, onto the chapter...

Dislaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, unfortunately...

~GharrahGirl

(VT)

Chapter 4

Last time on Vanissa's Tale...

"Oh, what blood lines you hold," a voice says in my ear, "Two dark pasts, I see. I see courage, but nerves. I see your thirst to prove yourself good. There's talent, oh yes, much talent. Ah, a need to be different, to follow a different path."

Hurry... please! I think, hoping the Hat will just put me in Slytherin already and let it be done.

"Hurry? A tad bit impatience and a temper to match, as well. Well, then, I suppose..."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

My heart stutters to a stop for a moment, and I gasp in a breath, watching with wide eyes as McGonagall takes the hat from me. Unlike with everyone else, there's no applause, not even from the Gryffindors. I see Malfoy looking stunned before quickly glancing at Crabbe and Goyle and sneering at me. I see everyone's skeptic faces and stand. I put my head down, quickly walking to Gryffindor table and sittigng beside Hermione and gripping the bench tightly, who smiles and sets a hand on mine.

"Congratulations," she says, making me look up at her to see a smile on her face.

My mind races, and I find myself tuned out of the sorting as I think over my own. Gryffindor? Not Slytherin? Not Slytherin? Gryffindor!? I wonder how Uncle Lucius will take this...

"Potter, Harry!"

I snap out of my mind and look up as Harry steps forward. Unlike the silence I received whispers suddenly break out over the hall. Students even crane their necks to get a look at him. Everyone waits silently as the long moments drag on. He's the longest one yet. Finally, though, the hat speaks.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

I wince as an explosion of cheers echoes around the room, the loudest by far. We walks over with a relieved smile, and a Weasley wearing a Prefect badge gets up, shaking his hand while the twins get up.

"We got Potter! We got Potter!" they shout to the hall.

He sits across from me, and I give him a congratulatory smile. He returns it, and we look up. I, though, get distracted by hsining silver. It belongs to a man's beard... and hair. An old man. He wears half-moo glasses that slightly cover twinkling blue eyes. His nose is bent. I think it was broken... twice... I look around and catch the eye of Neville, who's staring at me with a look of slight horror. I look down, my face heating up, before I turn back to the Sorting. I see Ron walking over, sitting next to Harry and giving me a long look. I ignore it as I see BLaise Zabini get sorted into Slytherin. McGonagall rolls up the parchment and takes the hat away.

Albus stands up, beaming at all of the students, his arms open like nothing could please him more than seeing us here. It's the first face besides Harry and Hermione that really made me feel welcome, and I'm grateful for it.

"Welcome," he says, his smile never faltering "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

He sits down, and everyone claps. I, though, just sit there staring at him. Um... Okay? I'm not sure I should laugh because I don't think he's joking...

I hear Harry speak and look over. He's talking to what seems to be the oldest Weasley.

"Mad?" the boy says airily, "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?"

I look down at the dishes and see them piled with food. I grimace, not much for me to choose from. Everything looks rather good, though. Roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire puuding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and peppermint humbugs.

I put both styles of potatoes, carrots, some pudding, peas, and a few of the peppermint humbugs onto my plate, eating silently. I see Hermione glancing at me questioningly, her plate consisting of the same vegetables, but also with roast chicken and a steak.

"Vegetarian."

"Oh, really? That's so fascinating! I've read about them, of course. I knew one at my muggle school, ate salad and peanut butter every day. That, and tofu."

"To-what?"

"Tofu, a meat substitute. It's made from soy beans, I believe."

"Ah, uh, I just take nutrient supplement potions."

"That does look good," a voice says behind me.

I turn and see the tights wearing ghost. He's looking at he food sadly, a longing expression on his face.

"Can't you..." Harry begins, looking up at him.

"I haven't eaten in four hundred years. I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident gost of Gryffindor Tower."

"I know who you are!" Ron says suddenly, startling me slightly, "My brothers told me about you! You're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would prefer Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-"

"What about Sir Nicholas? It's easier to remember," I ask, looking at him.

"Fine, fine," he says, sighing, "Sir Nicholas is just-"

"Nearly headless," Seamus Finnigan says, interrupting the ghost, "How can you be nearly headless?"

Sir Nicholas looks rather upset, and I feel a bit sorry for him. I'm sure this conversation hasn't gone the way her wanted.

"Like this," he says irritably.

He seizes his left ear and pulls. My eyes widen as his whole head swings off his neck and falls onto his shoulder like it's on a hinge. Whoever tried to behead him obviously wasn't very good at it.

Sir Nicholas looks pleased as he flips his head back onto his neck. He coughs slightly and looks back at us.

"So... new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable. He's the Slytherin ghost."

I glance over and see a rather horrible ghost sitting over there with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. Hmm... Well... Glad he's not my house ghost. I grimace slightly at that thought, which brings back my confusion about my sorting, so I go back to eating.

As everyone finishes their dinner, the food disappears, replaced by desert. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor I can think of and more, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding... Too many to name them all, really.

I grab a block of Neopolitan ice cream and listen politely as Hermione talks t me about lessons.

"I do hope they start right away. There's so much to learn! I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else. Of course, it's supposed to rather difficult."

"I'm sure we'll be starting out small, Hermione. Probably needles to hay, or matches to toothpicks."

"Aren't you excited for lessons to start."

"Not really, no."

When her face falls, I smile and set a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm just not so school motivated. There's nothing wrong with being that way, though. I like it, Hermione. Your enthusiasm is a welcomed change from my family."

"About that, where do you live? With your father?"

"I don't know him. I live with my mother's sister. I live with the Malfoys. They're my only family besides my cousin and my mother's husband, who apparently isn't my father, who are both in Azkaban with her."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's perfectly fine. How could you know something like-"

"Ouch!"

Harry's shout startles me, and I look over.

"What is it," the eldest Weasley asks him.

"N-Nothing."

I watch him worriedly. He's lying. I can tell he is.

"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrel?"

I follow his finger and smile slightly.

"That's Professor Snape."

"Right you are, Vanissa. He's the Head of Slytherin. He teaches Potions, but everyone knows it's the Dark Arts he fancies. He's been after Quirrel's job for years."

I nibble on a strawberry as the deserts, too, disappear. Professor Dumbledore stands back up, and I watch him wearily. The hall falls silent.

"Ahem... Just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. A few of our older students would do well to remember that as well," he says, smiling as his eyes turn to the Weasley twins before he looks away and continues, " I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this years, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death."

Harry laughs, one of few, and he looks at the eldest Weasley.

"He's not serious," Harry mutters to him.

"Must be," the boy says, frowning at Dumbledore, "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere... The forest's full of dangerous beasts everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore cries, smiling, "Everyone pick their favorite tune and off we go!"

The school bellows, rather off key and very very different.

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts! Hoggy warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

Just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot."

Everyone finishes the song at different times, the last being the Weasley twins singing to a funeral march. Dumbledore conducts their last few lines with his wand and claps the loudest when they are finished. I laugh slightly. At least he has a sense of humor. I don't miss the disapproving stare of McGonagall.

"Ah, music," he says, wiping his eyes, "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you rot!"

Everyone in the hall gets up and heads toward the common rooms. All of us Gryffindor first years follow the eldest Weasley through the crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. It proves to be a much longer walk than I had hoped it'd be.

We're lead up countless staircases, the people in the portraits on the walls whispering and pointing as we pass. Twice, we're lead through hidden doors, hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. After that, wee climb even more staircases. How much farther? This is ridiculous!

I look on in confusion as a bundle of walking sticks float in midair ahead of us. As the Weasley takes a step toward them, they start throwing themselves at him.

"Peeves," he whispers to us, "A poltergeist.

He looks forward, raising his voice, "Peeves... Show yourself."

A loud, rude sound that reminds me of air being released from a balloon answers the request.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"

A pop echoes before a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appears, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching te walking sticks.

"Ooooooh!" he says with an evil cackle, "Ickl Firsties! What fun!"

He swoops suddenly at us, and we all duck.

"Go away, Peeves, of the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!"

Peeves sticks his tongue out and vanishes, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. I can hear him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passes.

"You want to watch out for Peeves," the Weasley says as we set off again, "The Blood Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."

"Finally," I mutter, making Hermione smile and giggle slightly.

At the very end of te corridor hangs a portrait of a ver fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password," she says.

"Caput Draconis," the Weasley says, straightening his back to seem more important than he actually is.

The portrait swings forward to reveal a hole in the wall. A hole? Seriously? It had to be a hole. I sigh and follow Hermione, scrambling through it behind her. As I get out, I find myself in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.

Percy directs us girls to our dormitories through a door. Up a spiral staircase, we all walk into our dormitory, and I look around. There are four four-poster beds hang with deep red, velvet curtains. Our trunks have already been brought up and set at the end of each bed. I walk to mine, Hermione sitting in the one next to mine. I yawn shortly before she does. We all change into our pajamas, and I climb into my bed with one last sleeping smile at Hermione. As soon as I shut the curtains, so much like my canopy at home, I lay down and fall asleep instantly.

(VT)

And, there ends chapter 4! Gryffindor?! WTF!? Am I right? Lol, but evverything's been planned out, and I know what I'm doing with this. Now, I've addressed my reviews, updated my story... All is done for now. Now, I'll be announcing the next update date on my stories from now on as a motivator, so here goes.

Next Chapter Update: 3-18-15

Bye-Bye, until next time!

Now, off you trot! ^.^

~GharrahGirl