Chapter 13
The Sorting
Alice was a little disappointed to see what the Longbottom heir had grown into so far. He could probably be molded into something useful over time, but it would take a lot of time. There wasn't much chance of him ending up in Slytherin, so Alice didn't think she'd be able to devote that time. Still, she could at least leave the boy with a good impression after helping him in finding his toad, and good press would be needed in other houses later.
Granger was a different beast though. Alice had long decided to never indulge the pureblood ideals in regards to muggleborns, and Granger was definitely going to be a special witch no matter her blood status. It only took a little legilimency to understand that it was no empty boast that the girl had read all the books and really had memorized them. The girl's mind was so well organized that she made an easy read without any defenses.
She was smart, and dedicated to learning everything she could about the magical world now that she was a part of it. She also was rather lonely from the muggle world, and Alice knew she could easily use that desperation for acceptance from people her own age. Of course, the girl wasn't perfect. Her efforts to impress and teach easily came off as annoying and bossy, though Alice understood the girl was mostly just trying to be nice and seem useful to get to know. Others would probably take her tone as arrogant and full of herself if they couldn't catch a glimpse of her true feelings.
The girl also had a bit too much faith in authority figures and her beloved books, because none of them had ever let her down or abandoned her like other kids had. If Alice was going to keep up with her, she would have to push that faith into a more healthy skepticism at some point, or redirect some of that faith more towards a rising Dark Lady in the making. She would probably be worth pursuing as a potential minion in future.
Friend? Alice wasn't sure right now, but there was potential for that, though like Longbottom, Granger was unlikely to follow her to the House of Snakes. Oh, she had some ambition and cunning, but there was more of a fight between her strong desire for knowledge and her fierce sense of right and wrong. It would likely be between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, though perhaps if the hat mentioned Slytherin the girl wouldn't be quite as adverse after hearing Alice's thoughts on the house.
Though keeping a muggleborn safe in the Snake Pit would be a lot of extra work.
Eventually, Alice returned to the compartment with the Death Eater offspring, and found them awfully quiet when she came in. Alice sat down as they seemed to consider her, but not wish to speak their minds. It seemed they had decided to be cautious with her now. She decided to find out what they had spoken of while she was away.
She thought there was a chance that Nott, Malfoy and Eris Lestrange might know enough occlumency to detect intrusion, so she picked a safer target in Crabbe. As far as she could tell from the dim mind's second hand rememberence, Eris Lestrange and Theodore Nott were curious about the rather different Girl-Who-Lived then what they expected, while Malfoy was much more cautious.
"Her eyes flashed red when she glared at me!" he had said after she had left, and Alice mentally admonished herself for slipping. She had really been peeved at that damn 'M' word, but she shouldn't have lost control. She did not need anyone drawing connections to her and the Dark Lord beyond his physical death. Crabbe didn't seem to think much about this oddity, but the boy was stupid, and she rather wished she could get a glimpse of what the others thought about it. They weren't telling her, that was for sure.
The uncomfortable silence finally ended when the train arrived at Hogsmeade Station as the train became active with students hurrying off to get to school. The future Slytherins moved together towards a voice calling for First Years like them.
Alice vaguely recalled that Rubeus Hagrid had gotten a job at the school after his expulsion, and had been active during the war at times, but her own visual image of the man as she remembered him had been as an overly large boy with an unhealthy fascination for dangerous animals that had been easily used as a scapegoat. When the man that boy grew into gave her a warm smile behind that scraggly beard, Alice felt a sting of guilt.
He had just that sort of look that made her feel that was, when people looked at her like a hero returned, though perhaps with a side of familiarity due to her parents. The man's mind was utterly too open, and visions of her family played before her. He was comparing him to her parents, seeing the similarities and how different she looked from the baby that could barely fit in his overlarge hands. She smiled back at him but hurried towards the boats to avoid any potential for conversation.
Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Nott got into a boat together, while it seemed Lestrange had decided to stick close to her. Granger and Longbottom followed them into their boat, if only because Alice was the only friendly face they'd met so far. The boats went on the Half-Giant's word and they went towards Hogwarts. The view was as good as she remembered from Tom's time here. It was a shame having memories would dim the experience as something new and exciting.
Apart from Longbottom losing sight of his toad before the boats and finding him afterwards, the trip over the lake was peaceful and uneventful. At the entrance hall, they were given off by Hagrid to Minerva McGonagall, the cat animagus. She the Dark Lord only really remembered bits about, but never met her personally as far as his memories recalled. She struck Alice as a sterner sort of teacher then Dumbledore had been.
Alice remained calm as she waited, listening to the whisperings of other children, and the surprise visits by the ghosts. It sounded like they were thinking of getting rid of Peeves again, though Alice wondered why they would even bother. All it would do was open up the possibility of a new Poltergeist forming in the castle again, one potentially even worse than the current spirit of childish rebellion. At least Peeves could be controlled by the Bloody Baron on occasions where he got to be a little too much, as could the Grey Lady though she advertised that ability less.
There were plenty of ridiculous stories going around about how kids were sorted, and Alice snorted as even a rather clever girl like Granger seemed to be under the impression there was some sort of test. "It's based on personality, not skill, remember?" she whispered to the muggleborn, who nodded but still seemed nervous.
The great hall still looked beautiful, if rather emptier then it had been in Tom Riddle's day. The war really had done a number on the current generation of Witches and Wizards. It likely looked like a lot of children to the rest, but Alice had a different past to compare it to. The hat was brought out and sang its song, and as had long been rumored, it was no repeat of even Tom Riddle's days at Hogwarts. The Founder's had truly made a wonder in that hat alone considering it's creativity.
When the Sorting Ceremony truly began, Alice paid attention to each face that went off to be sorted. It would do her well to keep in mind everyone in her year and younger, as they would be the easiest to influence. Older years tended to pay little mind to younger, and though Alice had the advantage of being such a famous curiosity, it would take more work for older children to see her as a leader.
Crabbe, Goyle, Lestrange, Malfoy and Nott all, predictably, went to Slytherin, as they had planned. Granger and Longbottom both went to Gryffindor. Hermione's had taken a while, so Alice felt she had debated with the hat for a while, as had Longbottom's, and he seemed rather surprised to be going to the house of the brave. It seemed there was more than the surface to the boy, but she'd had to wait and see if anything interesting would have come from continuing to associate with him.
When "Potter, Alice" was called, Alice began to walk, and could hear the whispers all around her. She cast her gaze around the room as she walked, the slightest nervous smile playing on her face. Curiocity and wonder played out on almost every face she saw. Along the staff table, she noted that Severus Snape was keeping his face carefully blank but was staring at her intently. She knew the only teacher who would be the same as Tom's time would be Professor Binns, the ghost. Alice was very carefully to keep her eyes off Dumbledore's own, not wanting to test her occlumency against him. It would be best if he didn't know she had that capability for as long as she could manage.
Alice sat down, facing the students who stared at her like she was an exhibit in a zoo. Then the hat obscured her vision as it was placed on her head.
'I do so hope you have maintained your stance on keeping the thoughts of new students a secret,' she thought to the hat, lowering her mental defenses and trusting the ancient magic of the Founders.
She could feel the hats surprise, and it took a moment to speak. 'I do, Miss Riddle,' spoke the Hat. 'Though I must say your head is full of surprises. I can honestly tell you that I have never felt a mind so alien and familiar at once, though I have met a few of split mentalities before.'
'Interesting,' she mentally mused. 'Wish you could tell me about them, but I know you cannot. So perhaps we should get on with why we're here.'
'Yes,' replied the hat, it's tone becoming thoughtful. 'Your ambitions are overwhelming, though I think you may be more brave then cunning despite your own thoughts on the matter. You have a strange sort of loyalty to you, though your dominating nature will interfere with that. Though Gryffindor and Hufflepuff might temper you towards safer alternative paths, I think the only house for you will be…'
"SLYTHERIN!"
As Alice went to the table of her fellow snakes, she found herself thinking about the sorting. It had not taken too long, and her eventual placement was not surprising, but the hat had pointed to a bit of her personality she had not considered about herself. Bravery and loyalty, hmm? If her ambitions were not so deep to her character, she might have found herself a badger or a lion. She recalled Tom having been given a choice between Ravenclaw and Slytherin, and at the time his interest in snakes was really the deciding factor. Alice allowed herself to play the game of what ifs for a moment before her mind came back to reality.
She noticed the great hall had gotten quiet for a few seconds. There was a bit of disappointment for the Lions who had hoped to claim her for their pride, and more than a few people now looking at her in suspicion. Most of Slytherin had been equally surprised, outside of the group she had sat with on the train, but they quickly recovered and cheered for her in the manner that was expected. She noticed plenty of the students looking at her with calculating glances, and a few Death Eater Sympathizers did not look happy.
"Welcome to the Snake Pit," declared her fellow heir of Slytherin as Alice found herself sitting beside her. Eris Lestrange seemed amused by the reactions of her fellow students as her gaze went around the room. "I don't think many thought you would end up here."
"Apparently not," Alice mused in reply, her gaze moving back to the staff table. Severus continued to hold a carefully blank mask, though when he spotted her looking up he gave a subtle nod of acknowledgement before turning away, speaking to some teacher she didn't know that wore a turbin. "Any chance you can give me a rundown of the staff? The only one I know much about is Dumbledore." That wasn't really true, but she thought it best to act the clueless muggle raised at the moment.
Eris began to point out each teacher, having apparently been briefed on each one before coming. "Well, that's Professor Snape, he's a friend of my family," she informed her. Ah, so Severus was keeping close ties to the Malfoys, it seemed. "He's our Head of House and Potions Professor, so best to keep respectful to him at all times." That would be hard advice to follow considering Alice knew what the man's involvement in her parent's murders.
"Quirrel there is the current Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I wouldn't expect him to last long, there hasn't been one that lasted longer than a year at the job for decades." Ah, the curse was still going strong. It was a good thing Alice had plenty of knowledge in that field, then, since the subject was likely much poorer quality then it had been in Tom's day by now. "He used to be the Muggle Studies Professor, but went off to gain experience for his current position." The turban wearing man looked rather fearful, and Alice wondered what he had discovered that gave him such a nervous disposition. Alice also noted he was quite young, and couldn't be much older then twenty. Must be desperate times to put someone so young in the position.
"Our Deputy Headmistress you've met now, she's also the Head of Gryffindor and Transfiguration Professor. I hear she's a fairly strict and no-nonsense sort of teacher. The ghost is Professor Binns, I hear he's dull." Not changed much, then, though Alice had a plan to spare her fellow Slytherins some of the boredom in that class. "The small one there is Professor Flitwick, part goblin, Head of Ravenclaw and Professor of Charms." And an internationally recognized duelist champion, if Alice remembered correctly. The man looked carefree enough, but that was a man who would be a harsh enemy to make.
"Professor Sprout is the Head of Hufflepuff and Herbology Professor," she continued. "Charity Burbage is the current Muggle Studies Professor, so we won't be wasting much time with her." Yes, that was a subject Alice would not be taking. If she wanted to learn about Muggles she could just look around during the summer. "The big man from the boats is Hagrid, a servant who lives on the grounds." Alice avoided rolling her eyes at the note of disdain for those in lesser positions. The girl had certainly been raised in pureblood high society.
"He's talking to Professor Kettleburn, the Care of Magical Creatures Professor," she noted, and Alice saw a man with more than one obvious prosthetic limbs. He must not be very careful with his subject, then. "Hooch teaches flying, but she's mostly just a Quidditch Referee." Oh, there was a familiar face, though she was much older than she had been in Tom's time. The woman had been in her forties back then, and now was about ninety, though she seemed to have kept in shape for her age.
"Sinistra teaches Astronomy, Babbling teaches Ancient Runes and Vector teaches Arithmancy. I don't know much about them. That's Filch, the caretaker, horrid reputation. I think he's mostly in this job to punish students with manual labor as a way to get back at us, the squib." The man certainly lacked positivity, and seemed to be scowling at all the students as though every single face were not worth the trouble they put him through. That couldn't make him popular. "Pince is the Librarian, and I hear she likes books much more then she does people. I think there are two people not here at the moment, and that would be the Divinations Professor Trelawney and the school nurse, Pomfrey."
With a basic description of the staff given, Alice took her attention off of the staff and towards her fellow first year Slytherins. Millicent Bulstrode was big for a girl, with a look that was rather intimidating by the standards of eleven year olds and a hard. She seemed to be trying to get in the good graces of a stronger personality, and thus was in the process of attempting to befriend Pansy Parkinson.
Parkinson was a rich girl, used to getting anything she wanted and willing to get nasty to climb to the top of the popularity poll of Slytherin. The girl thought she might end up a leader among them, but Alice felt it more likely either she or Lestrange would end up smacking her down when things got vicious. Greengrass and Davies seemed to know eachother already, and were sticking together, solidifying their alliance while carefully studying the future prospects.
Runcorn, Moon and Zabini seemed to be sticking to themselves as loners at the moment, carefully listening to the light conversation as food was served. Everyone was judging eachother, considering their alliances. Lestrange and Malfoy were quick to take the attention and start asserting themselves as the best options for leaders in their year.
Alice could play at this game early, or let herself go with the flow and solidify her own position later. For now, she chatted with Eris lightly and made a light show of alliance towards the Lestrange Heiress. Her pseudo-sister was the only one Alice knew she wanted to get a decent relationship with out of the lot of them, and she would judge the others over the coming days.