AN: Hey there guys! This was a surprise even to me, since I have been really busy lately, and will be for a while. There are a lot of theater festivals in a small amount of time, and I honestly didn't expect to update anything for a couple of months. Also, to my readers that read Potionem Domino, the reason I updated it was because I was rereading my work and I realized I made a pretty big mistake. Go check that out if you want to. And none of you have checked out the Facebook page I made, under Giada Draven. Please go look at that for updates on things on here, and random little things I find funny. Oh, and I was going to be really mean and cut this chapter off at a certain point, but I didn't want an angry mob on my hands. I think I've rambled for long enough, so just go ahead and enjoy the story you nerds.

I only have a candle, do you expect me to own any of this?

Giada Draven, out!

The imposing doors opened slowly, letting the tension build. Then, when they were fully open, McGonagall stood before them, not a hair out of place and her emerald robes swishing in the breeze. Hagrid quickly greeted her. "The firs' years, professor."

She nodded. "Thank you, Hagrid. You may go on to the Great Hall now." He hurried past her, and as the doors opened they could hear many people talking and laughing. Then, the noise was cut off as the door closed. It was eerily quiet as she ushered them into an antechamber next to the Great Hall. The first years crowded together in the room, faces washed in the torchlight as they peered around nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, "she said as an introduction. "The opening feast will begin soon, but before you take your places you must be sorted into one of the houses. This is important, because your house will be like your family. You have classes with them, eat with them, sleep in their dormitories, and spend some of your free time in the house common room.

"There are four different houses: Hufflepuff the just, Ravenclaw the wise, Slytherin the cunning, and Gryffindor the brave. Each has a vast history, and each has produced both good and bad witches and wizards. It is up to you to be either one. While you are here, your achievements will earn you points and rule breaking will lose them. At the end of each year, the house cup is awarded to the house with the most points. I hope you will do good to whatever house you are in.

"The sorting will begin in a few minutes, so while I am gone I think some of you should smarten up," with the end of her speech, she looked at Ron, who had dirt smudged against the side of his nose.

Sweeping out of the chamber, McGonagall left the first years to make first impressions. While his year mates talked to each other, they steered clear of him. "How do they sort us?" Emerald asked Neville, the only one from a wizarding family who would talk to him.

Neville shrugged, since his Gran hadn't told him. Around this time, a brave boy came up to the trio. Behind him trailed two large boys, who painfully reminded Emerald of his cousin before he met his family. "My name is Draco Malfoy," said the blonde, sticking his hand out towards them. "I know that you must be Neville Longbottom," he said to the brunette. "And you are probably a muggleborn," this was said to Hermione. Lastly, he turned to Emerald. "Who are you? I don't recognize you, in fact, you don't look human!" None of this was said unkindly, instead he only seemed curious.

Checking to see if anyone was looking first, he took the other boy's hand. "My name is Emerald," he said shortly, since a brown haired kid was beginning to look their way. Before any of them could say anything else, there was a loud scream from the other side of the room. "What the-" he said under his breath.

Almost twenty transparent people streamed through the back wall, and immediately Emerald could tell they were ghosts. He recognized the way they moved from the first meeting with Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Severus. Plus, the knowledge gifted to him by Magic helped. They glided through the room and didn't pay attention to the first years, arguing about something. An old monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I saw; we ought to give him a second chance-"

"My dear Friar," said a ghost wearing ruffles around his neck. "Haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us a bad name, and he isn't even a ghost!" Then, he noticed the children. "I say, what are you all doing here?"

Nobody had the chance to answer, before the Friar exclaimed, "New students! About to be sorted, hmm?" A few nodded mutely. "I hope to see you in Hufflepuff. My old house you know."

"Move along," commanded a sharp voice. McGonagall had returned. Slowly, the ghosts left one by one through the back wall. Some were staring at Emerald, since they could feel the mark of a ghost having claimed him. In fact, several had. Before he left, on one of the rare occasions that he slept, all of his family had gathered around him and put their marks on him, making sure that the other ghosts he may encounter would be hesitant to mess with him. McGonagall moved them into a line, marching them out of the anti chamber and into the Great Hall. The four tables were packed, seeming to have no space for the small eleven year olds.

At the front of the hall, in front of the long table that seemed to hold the teachers, was a three-legged stool with an old, patched hat sitting on it. When they reached the front, the entire hall quieted, as if waiting for a sacred tradition. Then, just as the first years were about to start whispering, wondering what was happening, a rip in the hat opened wide, and began to sing.

"Oh, you might not think I'm pretty,

but don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The sorting hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I am a Thinking Cap!"

With that, the singing hat resumed its unmoving position on the stool. The hall burst into applause, with the only ones not clapping being the muggleborn first years. Once the commotion settled, McGonagall stepped forward with a large scroll in her hands. "When I call you, please come forward and put on the hat for your sorting," she said. "Abbott, Hannah."

A pink haired girl with cute little pigtails stumbled out of the line. She put on the hat, which promptly fell over her eyes, and sat down on the stool. After a few moments passed, the seam of the hat opened again, but only long enough to shout out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table on the right clapped and cheered, making room between each other to welcome their new member. Emerald saw the Fat Friar waving excitedly.

"Bones, Susan," called McGonagall once the hall had quieted once more.

Once more, the hat shouted out, "HUFFLEPUFF!" and Susan scuttled off to join Hannah.

The sorting continued like this, with massive cheering from whatever house was called, and polite clapping from the rest. Emerald didn't pay attention, instead examining the information that had entered his head when making his wand. Even though he had looked through as much as he could before now, there was still a lot that he hadn't examined yet. Currently, he was looking through the troves of information on the mind arts, especially on occlumency. He jerked to attention when he was the last one in front of the teacher's table, and found his friends sat at the different tables. Neville and Hermione had gone to the red and gold table, while Draco sat at the green and silver.

Before he could continue with his musings, McGonagall called out, "Emerald." No last name, just what he was. Emerald, the ever-changing animatronic, who was the most friendly to children and the most deadly to untrustworthy night guards. He decided to be mysterious, and used the trick he learned from Bonnie to cause everyone to blink at the same time so that he could appear next to the stool. This caused several whispered conversations to break out., since they believed it to be apparated, yet that was impossible. Before the hat fell over his eyes, he saw Neville and Hermione giving him a thumbs-up. Then there was darkness.

Interesting, came a voice through his head. Emerald knew this had to be the hat, for he had never heard this voice before, and earlier it said it would be looking through their minds. He worried about that, quickly hiding the pizzeria behind shields as best he could from what he had seen of how to occlude.

"How so?" Emerald asked the hat.

Well, it seems as if you are hiding something from me, very well I might add. This caused Emerald to breathe a sigh of relief, until the hat continued. However, I have been enchanted to get past all sorts of shields so that I can properly sort you. Before Emerald could begin to panic, the hat reassured him, I will leave what you are hiding until last, since you so obviously want to hide it from all.

With that, the hat dove into his memories of his relatives, from when he could first remember, to when they abandoned him. That was when the memories ended, because he knew that if the hat saw anymore he would be thrown out, or it would be revealed that he had helped kill the bad guards. While he knew they were not good, he also knew that if anyone knew he would be taken away and most likely put in a prison. All of these were thought behind the barrier, so that the hat could not hear them.

Well, said the hat, I think you are very loyal to those you like, an admirable trait for all. You know much, and enjoy learning, but you learned in your time with those Dursleys that you can not do good. It is not like that here, but I know that these things stick with you forever. You are brave, you would have to be, living with them for as long as you did. And you are most definitely cunning, and have an ambition that would have made Salazar proud. I think that Slytherin would do you good, and you have already made an ally in the house. However, I think that with your position it would cause a scandal. I can tell, without looking at your hidden memories, that you would have made Godric proud to have you in his house.

At this point, the confused whispers of the hall could be heard, many wondering why an animal looking thing was taking so long to sort. Wrapping up, the hat told him, I will not tell anyone who you truly are, but before I let you go you must let me see what you are hiding. I prefer to ask before I look at what some are hiding.

Emerald thought for a moment, but then thought of a plan to let the hat satisfy its curiosity, and for him to be put in a house that people wouldn't expect him in. 'I will let you see as soon as you shout out Gryffindor.'

The hat agreed, and shouted to the roof, "GRYFFINDOR!" as Emerald let every single memory of the pizzeria flow out from behind his shield. With that, McGonagall took away the hat and he could see the red and gold table clapping, but not as excitedly as they had for their other new members. Emerald appeared in the seat next to Hermione as the hat was led away, and from where he was he could see that the scrap of cloth was shaking in place.