Chapter 25

Rasalas considered herself lucky she knew magic. She stood in a chamber off the entrance hall, warm and dry surrounded by wet, shivering first years. Dumbledore had refused to allow her to be sorted in private and so she had to go through with the taking the boats with Hagrid and the first years; again- which was quite fun- but would have to also be sorted in front of the whole school. Rasalas hated being put on display.

Rasalas sighed, the complaints around her were getting louder, to them it wasn't fair that she was dry and they were not. They didn't seem to care that it was because she was older and so actually knew some magic. She quickly whipped her wand out and swept it over the large group. She didn't want to be stuck sitting next to a soggy child, especially one that complained like these did. She 'forgot', however, that they also needed to be warm too. After all they were only complaining about the wet and she felt rather vindictive since she was forced to spend time with them and their whining.

Looking back, the journey hadn't been so bad. She had been back on the Hogwarts Express surrounded by people who knew who she really was, then halfway through the journey they had been joined throughout the rest of the journey, at different times, by other year-mates wanting to be friends- even some Slytherin's dropped in. Speculation was rife about what house she would be going into, Draco had been boasting about how clever she was and Hermione had pointed out how friendly and loyal she could be. Then there was her family to take into account- her Slytherin bloodline and assuredly Gryffindor Uncle.

The other entertainment they had- well, Hermione wouldn't admit to it but she did seem to be fighting her laughter along with the rest of them- was Charlie. He started the journey telling tales about his own time at Hogwarts as a student and thoroughly embarrassing Bill in front of the twins while he wasn't there to stop him. But the real humour was seeing every girl- and some guys- that passed through their carriage at the very least give him an appreciative once over, some of them sat next to him in order to brush up against him and the more forward ones actually stroked his arms. It was so funny to the rest of the carriage; the twins were crying with laughter, here was a Dragon Keeper who had no idea how to handle amorous adolescent girls. He was almost constantly red for the majority of the journey, if not because of the girls then because of the teasing he got when they weren't there. Ron later in the journey confessed to Rasalas that for all of Charlie's lifestyle and job he was the quietest Weasley and the most gentle one too.

The main thing that made the journey perfect was Rasalas' plan to keep both Harry and Ginny away. When she greeted the Weasley's at the station before Ginny could leave them to find Harry she exclaimed in a loud voice to Ron;

"Siri told me you know Harry Potter! Why didn't you tell me? I just can't wait to meet him! You will introduce me won't you? I look fine right?" It was a bit of a risk just in case Ginny remembered the cold reception Rasalas had given Harry at his birthday party, but luck was on her side and she didn't. Needless to say they hadn't seen Harry or Ginny at all for the entire journey. It was a peaceful trip for all of them.

Draco looked worriedly across to the Gryffindor table meeting the equally worried look of Granger. The sorting had finished and the last scrawny little first year was scampering off to Hufflepuff but Rasalas hadn't been sorted.

"I thought Lady Black was joining the school this term?" Pansy muttered.

"She is. Obviously Dumbledore wants to make a big thing of it." Blaise whispered as he nodded to the head table. Draco immediately turned his attention to the head table where Dumbledore was standing.

"Welcome, welcome. Ah! It does me good to see such eager students back again and some merely eager to start. Normally I would invite you all to enjoy our feast but there is one more to be sorted. Lady Rasalas Black shall be joining our school for her final year. I hope you will all make her welcome." With a flourish of his hands the doors of the Great Hall swung open once again and Rasalas in her plain black robes walked towards McGonagall and the stool which the sorting hat was perched on.

Her friends at the tables knew that she didn't like the attention, as both Harry Potter and herself, but she didn't seem to be that bothered by the silent staring from the entire school. She looked cam and serene and seemed to be staring straight at the hat but Draco noticed when her eyes flickered to the hat and wondered who at the staff table she was watching. As she reached the Deputy Headmistress the hat was lifted from the stool and Rasalas stopped dead in front of it.

Looking down at the first-year sized stool she raised an eyebrow at the Headmaster, she quickly pulled her wand out and muttering under her breath made the stool a suitable size before she sat on it. The hat was dropped on her head, but this time it did not engulf her whole head. They watched with baited breath as she gave a small smile and closed her eyes to turn her mind inwards.

"Well, Lady Black, where shall we put you? Mmmmm. Oh! What is this?" The hat fell silent and Rasalas could feel its surprise. "Harry Potter?"

I know, shocking isn't it? Go on, if you can keep it to yourself please do dig. She felt its momentary hesitation before her memories shifted swiftly before stilling.

"Well. That was a bit of a surprise. Now um. Should I just put you back or move you? You really would do well anywhere."

Let's not be silly. No matter my physical appearance, I'm still me. This means my best choices are Gryffindor or Slytherin. Now being me, which house do you think I am best for?

Draco silently mused that it sounded like the entire student and staff body of the school was holding its breath for an eternity before the rip near the brim of the hat opened.

"Gryffindor!" it screamed. Mutterings filled the hall as the students gossiped while they clapped the Weasley twins out a smile on Rasalas' face by jumping up and chanting "We got Black! We got Black!" Suddenly Draco was reminded of his first year and realise that it was for this reason that they had done it. Rasalas gracefully removed the hat from her head and politely nodded to Professor McGonagall, before rising from the stool and dropping the hat onto it and she gracefully floated down to the Gryffindor table.

Draco spotted the exact moment that Rasalas noticed Weasley and Granger were sitting next to Potter (or was it he was sitting by them?). He felt he should congratulate her later, she didn't hesitate and there was no sign on her face showing her hesitation. Instead she sat down by the seventh year girls who had waved her over and began a conversation with them after Dumbledore raised his arms and announced that dinner should proceed. Draco himself dug gleefully into his food and it wasn't until Blaise nudged him that he looked up again.

"Potter seems rather interested in your cousin." Draco's head snapped round and he narrowed his eyes in Potter before giving a swift glance at Rasalas who was deep in conversation with the Patil girl.

"I have no doubt she will deal with him in her own time. And well too." With that the matter was dropped for the rest of the meal.

As head girl Hermione was happy to be given the job of 'showing' Rasalas to the Gryffindor tower and to make sure she got settled into the girl's dormitories. Hermione watched as Draco swiftly crossed the hall to congratulate Rasalas on her house placing and he was not the only one. Dumbledore also came up and gave a large beam to the 'new' year seven student.

"Welcome Miss Black. I hope you will enjoy your year here at Hogwarts and that you work hard. I am pleased to see another Gryffindor in such a dark family as yours," Rasalas noticed that his eyes momentarily flickered toward Draco as he said this and the thought crossed her mind quickly that she should have asked to be put in Slytherin, "and that you are following your Uncle's footsteps instead of your Father's." Rasalas mentally praise Lucius and his teaching promising herself she would get him a decent Christmas present as she kept her cool and didn't loose her temper, what idiot was this to pretend to know her Father when he annually ignored the entire Slytherin House.

"Thank you Headmaster, I'm sure I shall enjoy my time here. I do hope I that I am slightly like my Father, such a brave man should not go forgotten don't you think?" Hermione bit her lip and thought that was a very Slytherin thing to say. Such a question suggested that Rasalas knew something she thought a wise wizard would know and seeing that Dumbledore hated being seeing as anything other than perfect he would refuse to acknowledge that he didn't know about Regulus' actions.

"Of course, my girl." The old man nodded and left the hall passing Harry who was lingering by the door and patted his shoulder absentmindedly. At Rasalas' lingering look in that direction Ginny swiftly made off with her boyfriend. Rasalas turned, smirking to her cousin who smirked back at her, Blaise and Pansy hovering by his shoulders.

"Idiot. I'm just like my father. Well, almost."

"Oh really? Pray share."

"The hat told me that Father was a lion in the snake pit and that I may prove myself to be a snake in the lion's den."