WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

If you don't like anything slightly non-canon, skip this and the following chapter. They are the Sortings of Draco Malfoy's daughters, who have not been mentioned by JK Rowling. Non-canon alert! We'll be back in chapter 37 with CANON characters! And now...

Author's Note: For the Conversations with a Hat Challenge. We now move on to the NEXT GENERATION section. Please note, I WILL be doing Fred and George Weasley (as well as Tom Riddle) at some point. Bear with me through the next gen characters. I'm quite fond of some of them...

"Malfoy, Altaira!"

--

'Intriguing. You have a fine mind, yet you're very emotional.'

You don't think those go together? That's not very twenty-first century of you. And it's not like I'm throwing a tantrum about the way people keep mouthing my name and scowling. So, call it restraint.

'I will. Where to put you?'

Oh, please. Like you don't already know.

'I don't Sort on demand, so if this is about your family for generations and Slytherin—'

I meant, it's not like you haven't already got an idea where everyone's going to go as soon as you see the whole class. What if you Sorted the first twenty people into Hufflepuff, and then realized the last twenty really had to be there, too? For example. How many first-year dorms can they have in this place?

'Ah, yes. Definitely a logical mind. I should probably put you in Ravenclaw.'

Feel free.

'On the other hand, there's always Gryffindor…but no. You disapprove of their recklessness. You're really very careful about things that matter to you.'

Duh. Isn't everyone?

'Might you learn a bit about diversity in Hufflepuff? I'm afraid not. Their optimism and good spirits would only drive you further into your bitterness.'

Whatever. I don't care where I go.

'Yes you do. In fact, you rather like the idea of disappointing your parents—or at least your grandfather—but not enough to urge me to put you in Gryffindor just because.'

Yeah, so? I don't want to be in Gryffindor. Just look at them. Now those are people who get up disgustingly early and rouse the entire House while they're at it, just for kicks. And Ravenclaw's full of loners who never do anything but read, write, and read some more—it's a wonder their vocal chords still work—and Hufflepuff! Just look at them! Imagine all the community service projects they rope an innocent bystander into.

'So you want to be in Slytherin, I take it? Makes sense, after that little corrosive speech.'

Not really. They're just as bad—noses in the air because they think they've got something no one else does. Really, if they did, they wouldn't need to show off all the time. And 'my dad's family's purer and coffers're fuller'n yours,' is hardly interesting the fifth or sixth time you've heard it.

'Oh, yes, I know just where to put you…'

Excellent. Took you long enough.

'Branch out a bit—and remember, not everyone is just trying to get ahead—in…

"SLYTHERIN!"