Author's Note: First and foremost thank you everyone who have so far followed, marked it as a favorite and reviewed this story. Secondly to OfInkAndQuill: in regards to your review I feel I have to explain that when I first thought of this story I tried to think of a way that Hermione would be accepted by the Black Patriarchal family magic that did not involve having the change her gender. I understand your reservations because I myself hesitated in the Hermione growing a penis department but I figured as long as it wasn't a permanent change to her gender then it should be fine in the long run. I hope you understand that her attaining one is the effect of the family magic that is patriarchal (masculine) changing her body structure to suit its needs. With that said, I hope I explained my reasoning why it stays so far but if you have anymore comments in regards to this I will take them into consideration but not necessarily change them. Other than that, I hope you all enjoy this update.

Chapter 9

Sorting and Separations

September 1 1991

A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Hermione had just come back into the compartment and was relieved to see the boys were changed into their robes. She frowned when she saw all of their pale faces. The boys crammed their pockets with what was left of the sweets and they all joined the crowd in the corridor.

The train slowed down into a stop. Youths, pushed their way towards the doors and out on to a small, dark platform. A rush of cold air took them all by surprise and made them shiver. Hermione knew it was colder in Scotland but she didn't think there'd be this much of difference. She was glad she prepared warmer robes.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Neville asked. As if the universe decided to grant him answer a lamp came bobbing over the heads over the students.

Harry heard a familiar voice shout, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"

"That's Hagrid." He whispered to Hermione. She took in the large man. He was huge and if she wasn't wrong he was most likely half giant or half troll. He had a big hairy face of an untamed beard. But, he beamed over the sea of heads to Harry.

"C'mon, follow me…firs' years all of ya come on. Follow me! Mind yer step, now!" The large man shouted.

Slipping and stumbling, the followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on both sides that Hermione could only guess there were trees on each side blocking away anything. Either, that or absolutely nothing. As they walked, nobody said much of anything. There was a bit of complaining about other first years bumping into other first years.

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

As soon as he said that, there were sounds of awe spilling from the children's mouths. Hermione herself found it to be a breathtaking sat. The path had opened, and she saw it perched atop a high mountain on the other side of a great black lake a vast castle with many turrets and towers. Under the starry sky it's windows seemed to sparkle.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore.

"All of us together right?" Harry asked.

"Of course, Harry, we're all friends." Hermione's response had the two dark haired boys smiling. It made her wonder if Neville had a similar life to Harry's. Harry and Ron got on the boat first before she and Neville followed.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then. FORWARD!"

The small fleet of tiny boats moved all at once. They glided across the lake the smooth lake as if they were being pulled by an invisible force. Of course, she knew they were magicked to move like this but such knowledge did nothing to stop her from being excited. Her excitement like the others was a quiet one. Only silence could be heard as they stared up at the great castle that towered over them as they sailed nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

As they did Neville's toad decided to make another attempt of escape. "Trevor!" cried Neville trying to keep him in his hold. His clambering caused a few chuckles from his friends who helped him out of the boat. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" Hagrid joked. Hermione pat Neville's arm lightly as he blushed. Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

Almost immediately, the huge door swung open. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face that Hermione recognized as Deputy Headmistress McGonagall. The stern witch's eyes roamed the crowd and landed on the young witch momentarily. Hermione sincerely hoped that she kept her living situation a secret.

"Thank you, Hagrid I'll take the first years from here." The elder witch told him.

"Right-o Professor McGonagall."

Professor McGonagall pulled the door wide and turned leading them inside. The entrance hall was large but she had spent time in the Black Manor so it was not as huge of an impact as Hermione. Harry on the other hand she could tell was awestruck so was Ron. Neville wasn't shocked as much at the large hall either. Still, it was beautiful. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches, and the ceiling was so high it didn't look like there was an end. Not to mention the magnificent marble staircase that led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Hermione could hear the hundreds of other voices from a doorway to the right. The rest of the school must always be here. Her grand uncle told her that they would be but he never specified why they got there after everyone else. Nor, did he tell her how their houses were chosen. Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room." She paused allowing her eyes to trail over the group of first years once more before continuing.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose you house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Hermione chuckled when her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair. She decided to help Neville out and helped fasten his cloak better. Ron, quickly wiped his face and Harry had given up trying to get his messy hair under control.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

She left the chamber. Harry swallowed audibly enough for the bushy haired youth to hear. "How exactly do they sort us into houses?" he asked them.

Ron was the first to speak up. "Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking. I mean if it hurt a lot of parents would be right angry."

"It won't be a test on magical knowledge. For one, muggleborns like me would be extremely disadvantaged not to mention some of us haven't even glanced out our books yet. We should just wait for the professor to return and not get too worked up." Hermione said this when she noticed Harry on the verge of hyperventilating. He relaxed a bit after hearing this but only slightly.

Then someone had to scream. Annoyance quickly colored her features and she turned to see what had this person screaming. It was ghosts. Ghosts swooped down after phasing through the walls. All of them seemed amused at the reaction they got. "Never gets old!" One of them exclaimed as he looked them over. A small smile pulled at her lips. This was something new. She had never seen ghosts before. Some of them seem to be arguing and others looked over the students.

She barely caught what was being said. She was all too focused on the sorting that was about to happen. She did catch a few words about something called Peeves. Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."

Hermione glanced at Harry who seemed to look like he swallowed a lemon. She reached over and squeezed his hand trying to give him some courage before she went on and got in line. Harry, got into line behind a boy with brown hair, with Ron behind him. Neville was in front of Hermione and they all walked out of the chamber, back across the hall and through a pair of large double doors into the Great Hall.

The Great Hall was splendid. It was lit with thousands of candles that floated in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. The tables were laid out with golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where Hermione could tell the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver.

"Wow, I can see the stars inside." He grinned and Hermione nudged him.

She then whispered, "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History." She herself was taken by it. The enchatment made it hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.

"It's starting," Ron whispered causing both of the Potter scions to look down once more. Proffessor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Hermione's nose wrinkled at the sight of the ratty thing. She wouldn't want to touch it with a ten-foot pole.

Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth…and the hat 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 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'm a Thinking Cap!"

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again. Hermione clapped in amusement more than anything. It wasn't the best song she heard.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to them. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."

Hermione assumed Fred was one of his brothers he mentioned earlier. "I don't see why you're so happy, that hat looks like it belongs in an attic somewhere to be locked up and never looked at again."

"I won't argue that." Harry smiled at her weakly.

Still, trying on the hat was a lot better than some of the things Hermione heard being whispered around the hall about what their test was. Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. She leaned back towards them. "No matter what houses we're in let's all stay friends."

"As long as it's not Slytherin," was the response from Ron and Hermione couldn't tell if he was serious. Still, he wasn't the one she meant regardless. She was talking to Harry and Neville who both gave the affirmative. After all, Hermione was the first person to be nice to them. For Harry in general and Neville outside his family.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," Professor McGonagall said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause…

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Hermione saw the ghost of a rather tubby man waving happily at her. She then focused back on the other names.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

This time it was the table second from the left that clapped; a good many Ravenclaws stood as Terry joined them.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Hermione could see two twin red heads that looked a lot like Ron catcalling.

"Bulstrode, Millicent" she became a Slytherin. This made Harry look at them. A lot of them had blank faces and were pretty expressionless. Some of them sneered while a lot of them looked bored. Despite what Hermione said he couldn't help but think they were a mean lot. He pushed that thought down though and focused on the sorting.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

As Hermione watched, she noticed that sometimes that hat would barely graze a child's head before shouting out their house and other times he would stall before deciding. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"Granger, Hermione!"

It was her turn. She breathed in deeply before calming making her way to the stool. She sat down and put the had on her head. Immediately she felt a presence in her mind. She knew it was the hat so she let it rifle through her thoughts knowing this was how it would sort her. "Hmm what do we have here?" A smooth male voice said in her ear. "This will be a very difficult decision on where to place you, young Black."

"Oh" she thought back to the hat.

"Yes, it is almost astounding how you have so many house traits in you. You have loyalty like that of a Hufflepuff and are bluntly honest but you don't aspire to fair play to well. You have the wit and passion for knowledge like any Ravenclaw. And your bravery and determination would put even the finest Gryffindors to shame. But, your cunning and ambition, my would Slytherin be proud to have you. But…I have seen many of their heads, they believe you to be the muggleborn you are pretending to be. It would not be safe for you there."

"You and I both know that Slytherin would be the best house for me…" as she said this she looked at Harry who was staring at her with worry.

"The boy will be in Gryffindor surely you would want to be with him."

"Of course I do," came her short reply.

"GRYF-" The hat began but Hermione interrupted it with another thought.

"I need to be in Slytherin. I know it will be unsafe but if I'm to stay friends with Harry then having the ideal of fraternity will be useful. Not to mention, the fact that it would be interesting don't you think."

"Fine." The hat huffed in slight amusement. "But don't say I didn't warn you. If you need a house change don't be too scared to ask. SLYTHERIN!" shouted the hat.

The entire house was silent with nobody clapping. Professor McGonagall took the hat off of her head and gave her a mixture of a pitying look and one of disbelief as she walked her path to the table of snakes. She took one look at Harry who was frowning at her table mates. Hermione shot him a quick smile to which he nodded to. She then sat down at the table and as soon as she did her school robe's crest changed from the Hogwarts emblem to that of Slytherin house. When she sat, she looked towards the sorting hat and waited for the next few names.

When Neville Longbottom was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. She winced in sympathy towards him. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to

"MacDougal, Morag." He got Hufflepuff.

Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself. Hermione wanted to hex the git again. Especially, when he sneered at her upon sitting.

There weren't many people left now. "Moon" "Nott" "Parkinson" then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" then "Perks, Sally-Anne" and then, at last - "Potter, Harry!"

This had Hermione straightening with rapt attention. As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall. She felt sorry for him, to be the center of attention. She could hear the whispers going about.

"Potter, did she say?"

"The Harry Potter?"

A bunch of the houses were craning to get a good look at him as the hat dropped over his eyes. She watched as he lifted up slightly and looked towards her. Hermione shook her head lightly having a feeling he was trying to strong arm the hat to be in Slytherin. She motioned to Malfoy and it made him twist his nose up as if he smelled something foul. Minutes later "better be GRYFFINDOR!" was shouted by the hat.

Hermione was relieved he wouldn't be joining her in the snake pit. She knew he'd do great in Slytherin because he had to have had Slytherin traits to survive in his household. But, it was necessary to not draw too much attention to him for now. And…it seemed like the entire hall agreed with the hats choice. Of course, it seemed like the other houses were put out that Gryffindor got Potter as the Weasley twins yelled. Well, except Slytherin. As she looked around her table she noted faces and cold eyes.

It was easy to tell that Harry would have had a worse reception in this house than she would. She let a heavy sigh. Pretending to be a mudb…muggleborn will be such a pain. The lightning elemental hoped she was doing the right thing by staying a Granger. "To think a Mudblood was sorted into our great house." Draco Malfoy sneered loudly over the sounds of other first years being sorted. Idiot. Hermione thinks as she stared at the blonde ponce. His nose was upturned as if he smelled something foul.

He's starting this now in the Great Hall? Hermione right then and there questioned whether or not she could get resorted. She'd need to reread Hogwarts: A History again to make sure. She then smirked at him in amusement. "Do I need to knock you on your arse again Malfoy?" As expected he took the rise and his face flushed in an embarrassed red. His parents certainly didn't teach him how to keep himself composed. Although, it took Arcturus a while to get her to be so composed.

Especially, now. Her statement got her some looks from the other members at the table. She noticed the only other platinum blonde…the girl from the Greengrass family smirking slightly before her face returned to that of utter coldness. Draco's bookends or goons whichever one would prefer shifted away from him slightly. "How dare-" whatever rant he was about to start on was interrupted by Dumbledore.

She turned her attention to the High Table where the teacher's sat, ignoring Draco in the process. "Welcome," Dumbledore said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

"Is he mad?" Hermione wondered aloud staring at the Headmaster. The food spawned in front of them just like they did it Black Manor and she suspected House Elves.

"I wouldn't argue he wasn't." She didn't expect an answer so when she got one she turned to the voice in question. It was from a brown haired young girl with bright cerulean eyes hidden behind stylish glasses. She had a bit of a smile on her heart shaped face. "I'm Tracey Davis." The girl politely held out her hand.

Hermione hesitated for only a second and remembered her manners. "Hermione Granger."

If she remembered correctly the Davis family was a Lesser Noble House which was just a step lower than a Noble House in which Malfoy belongs to. She was new nobility in a way. Her family recently attained nobility and pureblood status two centuries ago. It may seem a long time, from outsiders but it is well known that wizards have long lives and memories. It's why even though the Malfoy's have been in Britain for centuries they have been unable to attain the status of Most Noble and Ancient like Hermione's families of Black and Potter.

Speaking of Potter…she noticed Harry getting along well with his housemates. Good. Now, if only she could do the same.

By the time the feast ended, Hermione had spoken with some of the surrounding first years. Tracey was by far the friendlier of them. They weren't friends but she could tell there would be nonaggression between them. On the other hand, Daphne Greengrass her adoptive cousin was only coldly polite. There were others of her year that were polite or slightly friendly. Theodor Nott was the former and Millicent Bullstrode was the latter. Millicent wasn't the most attractive young witch at the table but she wouldn't down right say she was ugly either.

Hermione, found herself thinking that she had a broad musculature and her face complimented her body. Of course, she wouldn't be the most beautiful witch when she was older…in the elemental witch's year she decided that Daphne or Tracey would take that prize. Although, she had yet to meet an entirely unattractive member of the wizarding population despite her short entrance into it. Adult looks ranged from slightly above average to enchantingly beautiful/handsome. Children were cute or absolutely adorable.

Even, Pansy who was giving her a menacing glare with her pug face was remarkably okay looking. A clinging of glass through her attention to the Head Table again. Dumbledore had stood once more and began to talk. She wasn't really paying attention until he mentioned the third-floor corridor. "-is on the right hand side, is out of bounds for everyone who does not wish to die a painful death."

She grimaced knowing the old man was serious. Some people in the hall laughed. One of which was Harry. She looked at him noticed him talking to another red head she identified as being a Weasley. She would speak to Harry before going to her dorm.

"First Years, follow us to the dungeon." The older students stood as all houses began to file out of the Great Hall.

Hermione allowed herself to get caught up in the sea of people and maneuvered her way over to Harry. "Harry." She tapped his arm drawing him from the conversation he was having with Ron and Neville. His eyes lit up as he stared at her.

"Yeah, Hermione." He asked her.

"I heard my older house mates warning the younger students that teachers like to give some pop questions the first day to see who read the material from the assigned summer reading. My Head of House is one." She noticed the Slytherin group was getting further away going into the opposite direction. "I have to go, good luck."

She squeezed his arm lightly not wanting to leave him but knowing she'd have to go. The young witch departed from the Gryffindors the elder and the younger one's she did not meet on the train giving her odd looks. The false brown-haired witch quickly caught with her own house mates some of which didn't even know she had left. Although, it seems like Daphne and Tracey did notice her short departure and reappearance.

They didn't say anything about it though, which was relieving for Hermione. Although, she could've done without the suspicious looks her reentry into the throng of Slytherins garnered her. She would deal with all of that later. For now…she followed quietly her eyes taking in Hogwarts. As she did, she noted her positioning and how to get to the Great Hall towards where they were going.

Soon enough, a chill entered her bones and she began to feel slightly damp. Grand Uncle Arcturus wasn't joking after all the Slytherins dorm was in the dungeons after all. As soon as she acknowledged this, they came up to a simple stone wall. If not for the minute snake that was carved into the stone she would not have guessed it anything different from the rest of the walls in the castle.

"Listen up First Years!" A young man with a loud voice spoke up. He was tall much taller than the other older students. His eyes were a deep blue and his hair was an auburn brown. "I am Isaac Wilkes sixth year prefect for Slytherin." He introduced himself. "Now, our common room is protected by password. The password for now is vinegar and it will only stay such for a month so you can get used to the password. Once that month has passed, password will change constantly to keep out unwelcome guests. Watch closely."

With that he turned to the wall and held out his hand and said "Vinegar." The snake on the wall hissed becoming larger it seemed annoyed before the stones slid apart. It slid in a similar manner to that of the entrance to Diagon Alley from the pub. Every member of the house flooded into the common room.

The room was low ceilinged and held greenish lamps and chairs. To the left of the entrance were several bookcases filled with books. The Slytherin colors were displayed around the room in a tasteful manner not burning you with the colors. The delicate silver and green gave an elegant feeling to the common room. There were also numerous doorways each seemed to lead further into the Slytherin house dorm. She was intent on exploring.

One of such, doorways opened to reveal the hooked nose gentleman that she identified as her Head of House Severus Snape. His robes billowed commandingly giving him an air of power. Although, she could feel his magical aura as he flared it around the room. Many of the younger students like herself, stepped back in fear. This was obviously a show of dominance. Which, in a snake pit was not foolish.

His dark eyes narrowed on each and every one of them. On Hermione though, his eyes faltered momentarily before continuing on. He then opened his and spoke.

HGHG

Harry packed his things away and sat on his bed. His day had been long, but it was wonderful. A smile pulled on his lips. He found friends in Neville, Ron and Hermione. Hermione who was an enigma to her. He was willing to be sorted into Slytherin with her but she somehow made him change his mind. Draco was a deterrent to it though. Neville and Ron on the other hand were in Gryffindor with him.

The Boy-Who-Lived looked at the two of them who each took a bed on each side of him. "Hermione's in Slytherin," Neville said.

"Who cares, she's a slimy snake," Ron said with a sneer. It made Harry shiver at the venom. He then frowned at him.

"I care. She's my friend." He told him with a glare. "All three of you are my friends and I don't want house rivalries to tear us apart. Come on Ron, you gotta admit she was awesome earlier."

Even though he had met Hermione first he wanted his friendship with Ron to flourish. He was a bloke like him and they'd be able to bond on things he couldn't with Hermione. "We did promise to stay friends no matter what," Neville said a well.

Ron looked at them both before huffing out an angry breath. "Fine." He told them. Ron wasn't stupid, he knew if he wanted to stay friends with Harry and…even Neville accepting that one of their friends is a Slytherin would be a good idea.

"Great." Harry said before falling back on his bed. He closed his eyes and hoped Hermione's time with the Slytherins would be as relaxed as his with Ron.