Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter


Chapter 6

Celeste stared up at the cool September night and breathed deeply. The wind made her hair sway to one side and her robes flap around her ankles but she ignored it, along with all the other people on the platform.

"Hey, Ron's a git" Harry seemingly popped out of no-where by her side and grinned at her.

"Yeah he is" Celeste agreed as he took hold of her arm and lead her down the platform to where Hermione was waiting.

"So where do we go from here?" Celeste asked throwing Hermione a hardly warm but nicish smile.

"Firs' years ov'r 'ere" came the cry from a few feet away and suddenly the three eleven year olds found themselves standing in front of the largest man they'd ever seen.

"Harry isn't it?" He boomed looking down at them "Rubeus Hagrid, follow me"

He led them and the other first years down a steep slope to the edge of a huge lake. A small fleet of boats sat by the shore and Hagrid ordered them all to get in. Harry, Hermione and Celeste climbed into one with a sandy haired boy who introduced himself as Seamus Finnegan.

"So, what house you three heading for?" Seamus asked.

Both Harry and Hermione both immediately replied "Gryffindor!" Harry and Ron had discussed it on the journey, before he'd yelled at him about Celeste. To Harry it sounded by far the best.

"Um… I'm not sure" Celeste said. From the sounds of it, she would be going to Slytherin, because that was where her parents had been and where their friends children were all heading. However she knew from Draco that Gryffindor's and Slytherin's didn't get along and she couldn't say this now. She wanted more than anything to be with Harry, but from what she'd heard you didn't really get a choice.

"Duck!" Hagrid suddenly yelled as they went into a small cave. Harry gripped Celeste's hand in the darkness and when they came out the other side they were greeted with the sight of the magnificent castle they would call home for the next seven years. They docked the boats and ran over to the front steps. Hagrid knocked on the door and a strict looking woman in a wide brimmed pointed hat and emerald green robes appeared. Harry and Celeste recognised her as Professor McGonagall, the woman who had been there when they'd gotten their Hogwarts letter. She explained a few things to them before escorting them through to the entrance hall.

"Here we go!" Celeste said to Harry who took a deep breath and agreed.

"Here we go"

They went into the huge great hall and walked up the middle, between two of the four long tables. The ceiling had thousands of candles floating a few meters below it and was bewitched so it looked exactly like the starry night outside. The first years gathered in a small group in front of an old stool that held an even older looking hat. Once they had settled the rest of the school stared expectantly at the hat. Then a rip in the brim opened and it began to sing:

Oh, you may 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 folks 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'm a Thinking Cap!

The whole school burst into applause when it was finished and Celeste and Harry clapped with them, quite impressed. Then Professor McGonagall unrolled the large scroll and began to read out the names.

"Hannah Abbot!" she called. Harry and Celeste quickly grew tired of watching the hat call out names and began to look at the Professors. A greasy haired man with a hooked nose sitting on the end caught Harry's eye, because he was staring most intently at Celeste. He was about to point this out to his friend when suddenly his eyes met with the teachers and a searing pain shot through his scar.

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat yelled and Harry turned to see Hermione run off with a slightly disappointed but never the less pleased look on her face. Harry felt a pang of disappointment. He liked her, he'd hoped they be together. After a few names Professor McGonagall finally called "Celeste LeStrange"

The entire hall went absolutely silent. A round faced boy who'd lost his toad on the train looked both angry and scared of her. Celeste approached the stool without showing any emotion on her face and sat down elegantly. Celeste had been uncontrollable for most her childhood but one thing she remained proud of was that she could come across as a well brought young lady when she wanted to. Well, apart from her messy hair and foul mouth. The hat was lowered over her head and Celeste barely felt it brush her head before it screamed "SLYTHERIN"

The table underneath the green and silver banner burst into applause while the rest of the school remained stony faced. Celeste walked over to the Slytherin table sending Harry a sad smile as she went. Longbottom was called next and after a minute the boy who'd given her such a weird look went to Gryffindor.

Malfoy was called next. Harry carefully studied the boy who Celeste said was her cousin. He arrogantly strutted over to the stool and the hat was on his head for a moment longer then it was for Celeste. He went off to join Harry's best friend and he couldn't say he saw any resemblance.

Eventually, after a few more names, Harry was finally called. The minute his name dropped from McGonagall's lips the entire call began to whisper in excitement. He approached the stool with shaking knees and sat down, thinking maybe it was true he was famous since everyone was so excited.

The hat was on Harry's head for about two seconds, but that can feel like a lifetime when its pitch black and all you can hear are the murmurs of a hundred Hogwarts students. Then it screamed "GRYFFINDOR!" and the table under the lion's banner burst into applause. Harry joined his knew house and from across the hall his eyes met with Celeste's. As the hall became quiet once again the two raised an eyebrow at each other before, as if they could read each other's minds, they both mouthed 'We can work it out'


I know it seems like they are drifting apart already but the point I want to get across in this story is how much the two love each other (as brother and sister right now). I want to explore how they can manage their friendships and adventures when they don't spend all their time together and blood status's and politics get involved, which is why I put Celeste, Harry and Hermione in separate houses.

Also since it won't be explained in the story, in the sorting, the hat is impartial but also knows a few things from having been around so long. Since Celeste went to Slytherin Harry didn't go into his sorting adamant not to be placed there but the hat saw his initial intent of going to Gryffindor over his want to be with her. There is a part of Celeste that is just as dark and twisted as the parents from being alone all her life so when the hat hears her name, he searches for that and places her in Slytherin. The fact she went so quickly is not because her character is dark but simply because the hat found what it assumed was there.

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