As Tilly followed the rest of the Slytherins into the Great Hall, she thought back to the previous year. When she first stepped up and put on that dinky old hat.
It had been quite a surprise when the hat started talking to her. Hela had refused to give her the most significant details about how the sorting worked. Saying that she wanted to Tilly to work it out for herself and not overthink it.
Tilly will always remember the conversation she had with that hat.
"How interesting. A big heart, a bright mind. Very good. An extraordinary amount of determination, I see. Willing to be a bit devious."
"You say that last bit like it's a bad thing. Nothing wrong with being a little cheeky every now and again."
"Indeed, now where to put you? You may do well in Hufflepuff. You have the heart for it, but with your determination, there is another house that better fits your ambitious nature. Better be SLYTHERIN!"
Tilly really didn't think it was a big deal at the time, but after learning about her house's reputation, she was surprised to find out that it was scarce for a Muggle-Born to be sorted into Slytherin.
A lot of the older students were not happy when it first happened. They kept saying that Tilly's sorting was a mistake or an error, and eventually she would be sent over to another house.
Weirdly, comments like that made Tilly want to stay in Slytherin. She believed that it was most likely spite. Stubbornly wanting to prove that she had as much of a right to be in Slytherin as any other student.
Tilly sat down at the Slytherin table, next to one of her roommates, Esther Weasley. Tilly gave her a quick hello and Esther did the same.
"Are you excited for Ron's sorting?"
The two of them paused and looked at each other before they suddenly busted out laughing.
"As if! I know he's going to end up in Gryffindor just like all his siblings. There's not much to be excited about."
Esther's disdain towards her younger cousin was no secret. Ever since they were children, the two of them have never been able to get along. Fred once commented that the day those two would agree on something, was the day that hell would freeze over, and he wasn't exaggerating. It was a common joke among their friends.
"All through, I am a bit curious about where Harry Potter will be sorted," Esther said.
Tilly just nodded her head in response. Much like Diana, she didn't really know much about Harry Potter before coming to Hogwarts. She was raised by two muggles and a witch who wanted nothing to do with the wizarding world. She had heard bits and pieces of the stories she didn't realise that Harry Potter was only a year younger than her.
Before Tilly replied to Esther, they were interrupted by an annoying voice.
"Why should the two of you even care? It's not like Harry Potter would ever have anything to do with the two of you."
"Buzz off Viola," Esther said in an angry tone.
"We're not really interested in your opinion on who and who wouldn't talk to us, Richmond," Tilly said.
The girl across from them let out an annoying laugh and started to go on about how it was easy to annoy Esther and Tilly and how pathetic they were. Tilly just started to ignore her. No matter what they did, Richmond would find a way to make fun of them, and Tilly had better things to do than listen to someone insult her.
Instead, Tilly thought about her meeting with Harry at the beginning of the summer.
"It can't be the same Harry, there's no way he is." She thought to herself.
Tilly's attention was suddenly caught by the Sorting Hat singing. After it was done, McGonagall spoke in her usual stern tone.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said.
"Abbott, Hannah!"
The first of many children made her way up to the front of the hall. McGonagall placed the hat on her head, and for a few seconds, the only thing you could hear was some idle chatter from some of the older students, who were most likely uninterested in the sorting due to having seen it many times before.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The sorting continued, and Tilly kept looking at each of the first years, hoping to see Harry in the crowd.
Bones, Boot, Brocklehurst, Brown, Bulstrode, Crabbe. The names kept going on for a while.
"Daley, Sebastian!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
A small boy with light brown hair hopped off the chair and made his way over the Slytherin table. He seemed to be the first kid who was disappointed with where he was sorted. Judging by the look on his face.
"Longbottom, Neville!"
The hat took its time with Neville. Out of everyone, his sorting seemed to be taking the longest. It reminded Tilly of Diana, who spent a whole five minutes with the hat on.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Neville ran towards the Gryffindor table while forgetting to take the hat off. Tilly let out a sympathetic giggle. It was the same kind of noise you would make when seeing a puppy trip over its own paws.
Tilly continued looking for Harry among the group. By the time she had spotted him, there were only a few kids left.
"Potter, Harry!"
Tilly felt her heart drop into her stomach.
"Oh gosh, it really is him!?" Tilly thought.
Everyone around her suddenly started whispering to each other.
"Wow, he's really here."
"Can't believe it."
Esther whispered to Tilly.
"Betcha a Galleon that he'll be sorted into Gryffindor."
"And then he'll never want to speak to me again." Tilly thought bitterly.
"Sure, why not," Tilly replied.
Everyone in the hall watched in anticipation as McGonagall placed the hat on Harry's head.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table exploded with cheers and claps as Harry made his way over to them. Esther leaned over to Tilly and motioned with her hand.
"Get bent, Esther." Tilly joked.
The two girls laughed at each other for how silly they were being. After another boy, named Dean Thomas, it was finally Ron's turn to get sorted. To no one's surprise, he was sorted in Gryffindor.
"Told you so," Esther said.
"Yeah yeah, you guessed correctly out of the four possible answers. You're brilliant, Esther."
After the sorting had finally finished Dumbledore stood up out of his chair
"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"
When the food appeared on the tables, Many students quickly started making their way over to other tables to eat with their friends. Tilly and Esther rushed over to the Ravenclaw table where Diana was waiting for them with her usual friendly grin.
"I'll tell what, the sorting can be really boring when you're not the one sitting up there," Diana said while grabbing various deserts.
"Get used to it. You're gonna have to sit through it five more times." Esther said.
"Only if Diana manages to not get expelled in the meantime," Tilly said.
"Hey, if Fred and George haven't gotten expelled yet, then I have no chance."
When dinner had finished, Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The whole hall fell silent.
"Ahem - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you."
"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."
Dumbledore's eyes drifted over to the Weasley Twins then over to Diana. She turned to Tilly and gave a 'what did I do?" look.
"I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.
"And nobody's going to listen," Tilly whispered to Diana.
"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.
"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."
"Why do you think that is?" Diana asked
"Hopefully we won't find out through experience," Tilly said back.
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!"
Tilly gowned, and Diana let out a laugh at the expense of her friend's hatred of the school song. As everyone sang the song, Tilly covered her ears and continued to groan, like she was experiencing real pain for the first time.
"Ah, music," Dumbledore said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
"I hate him," Tilly said with a defeated look on her face.
The students all started standing up to head to the dorms. Before heading their separate ways Diana and Tilly agreed to meet in their clubroom the next morning before class.
One of the Slytherin prefects, Gemma Farley, led everyone down to the dungeons. A few of the older students raced ahead, wanting to get to bed as soon as possible but were forced to wait. Due to Gemma being the only one who knew that password yet.
"Nightshade," Gemma said and started motioning everyone inside the common room.
By the time Tilly had made it into the Slytherin common room, she was ready to crash for the night. Before heading to her dorm, she looked around the main room.
The common room was probably Tilly's favorite part of being in Slytherin. It was made up of blacks and dark greens, and glass windows that let you see underneath the Blake Lake. It made Tilly think of a gothic aquarium. Being able to see the fish late at night was one of Tilly's favorite things to do when she couldn't sleep.
When Tilly started getting ready for bed, she made sure to take as long as she could. Last year when she had fallen asleep before her other roommates, Scarlett and Viola would always leave something in her bed or in some cases in her hair. At first, it would be fairly harmless things. Like a bug, or a random potion ingredient. It became a problem when Scarlett and Viola found out about her fear of rats.
After that, Tilly had learned to neither go to bed after her two roommates had fallen asleep or never to go to bed at all.
It was a lousy system, and Tilly knew this, but her paranoia would stop her from thinking rationally at the worst times. And she tried talking to her head of house, but all he would ever say is that Tilly had no proof of whether it was Scarlett and Viola doing it.
Tilly had worked out some options over the holidays that would hopefully work out better than her current routine.
For now, she would just try and sleep.
As someone who went to a private school and was forced to endure school songs/prays, all I can say is they suck!