When the train arrived in Hogsmeade station, Vesta Lestrange had only been awake for around 15 minutes, just long enough for her to have changed into her school robes. In all the train ride had taken around 5 hours, the book she had been reading had only lasted around an hour into the ride, so the rest of the way she took a well needed nap waking up to an announcement saying it was time to get changed.

When it was time to get off the train students were instructed to leave their things at their seats, and while Vesta was skeptical about leaving Azure where she was, she did as she was told, following Ace and Asher to where they said third years are supposed to meet. Vesta climbed up into the carriage with a few other students. She briefly saw a boy's eyes widen when he saw her and he quickly turned and walked the other way. She elected to ignore it.

The carriages took the students up to the school letting them out right in front of the castle, students quickly making their way inside, Vesta followed the group she learned to be the third years up the stairs and into the entrance hall where they were stopped by a tall woman Vesta assumed to be a professor.

"Good evening. Most of my third years know who I am, but for those who don't I am Professor McGonagall of Gryffindor house and I will be your transfiguration instructor. Now to my third years who have been here before I am happy to inform you of a new student joining your class. Now, everyone knows where to go to find their seats, Madam Lestrange If you could follow me so we can take you to be sorted." Vesta could feel her face flush red as the crowd of students who served as her camouflage ushered off into the great hall. She approached the teacher slowly, her head remaining low. "There is no reason to be nervous dear, you'll only be up there for a moment." Vesta simply nodded following the teacher, she was led to a line of students who were clearly younger than her. She stood in the back away from the bustling younger students. A few of them watched her curiously, and she continued to keep her distance.

When the sorting began the students were let into the great hall, one by one each student was called up to be sorted. Allison Barnes was sorted into Gryffindor, Melvin Catterick was sorted into Hufflepuff, Daisy Corran was sorted into Ravenclaw, a very proper looking girl with paper straight dark brown hair named Astoria Greengrass was sorted into Slytherin, Vesta seemed to remember Draco briefly mentioning her older sister Daphne. One by one each student was called, by the time the K names came and went Vesta held her breath as L's were called, but they came and went as well, Vesta's face began to turn bright red. Vesta had never heard of someone transferring into Hogwarts before, she hadn't known that they would be separating the sorting ceremony by year, would they explain why she had been left for last, would she be singled out for what was clearly going to be the first of many times this school year.

She tried to turn her attention anywhere else to try and keep the panic from showing on her face, she looked out into the crowd of people, she saw Draco and his friends within the table full of the green she had learned to associate with Slytherin, it was clear to her that he had made them save her a seat, in that moment she whispered a silent prayer that she wouldn't need it. She scanned the rest of the table where she also noticed the taller of the boys from the train, Asher, sitting amongst the Slytherins, he seemed to have snuck a book to the ceremony, completely uninterested in the other students around him. She remembered the ridiculously deep pockets in the robes that she had originally made fun of, maybe they had a use after all. She started to gaze at the other tables, she saw the other boy from the train, Ace, sitting amongst the Hufflepuffs, they were sitting next to a girl with bright bubblegum pink hair, who seemed to be throwing paper airplanes back and forth with two tall red headed boys who were sitting at the Gryffindor table, twins, Vesta assumed, the two boys were completely identical, aside from the fact that their hair was parted of different sides.

Vesta also noticed the boy who ran from her near the carriages sitting at the Gryffindor table, he seemed to be the only student in the crowd who did not seem to be excited to be back at school. She could've sworn she recognized him somewhere-

"Vesta Lestrange."

The tall teacher who had led her to the sorting line finally said her name, if it was possible her face turned redder, had it been obvious she had been paying so little attention that everyone ahead of her had already gone and gotten placed in their houses. She approached the stool, she wished the sorting ceremony was a private tradition, she wanted more than anything to be back at Beauxbaton where no one's eyes would be directly on her. The tall teacher placed the old hat on Vesta's head, she could feel the eyes on her, she wanted to run.

She could hear the hat, it had a voice in her head, every few seconds it would mumble something.

"A good mind."

Or

"Very Determined."

Even

"A kind heart."

Vesta shut her eyes, she didn't like that the hat could see into her head. The hat kept mumbling for nearly half a minute before it finally shouted.

"Slytherin!"

Vesta's eyes went wide as cheers erupted from the Slytherin table. She looked down at her robes which were now adorned with the green accent colors associated with Slytherin. She took the hat off of her head standing up and placed it back on the stool. She made her way to the Slytherin table as if she was stuck in a daze. Draco grinned, waving her over, she didn't know what else to do so she sat with him and his friends, her head was swirling. She did her best to keep up with the conversation as Draco introduced her to his friends.

"As I mentioned over the summer, Slytherin is where anyone raised in high society belongs and tonight I was proven correct." Even if she wasn't paying full attention, she could hear the sneer in his voice.

Was that really all she was, another schmoozing member of High Society, just like the rest of her family?

Was she really just like the rest of them?

Just another Slytherin.