Chapter 4: Belonging

Disclaimer (Since I have yet to make one) Hogwarts & it's ceremonies, etc. are the creation & property of J.K. Rowling. Delilah, however, is the product of my own feeble mind.

When the Sorting was over, the headmaster, Dumbledore, rose & gave a short flowery speech. Then, with a wave of his wand, food appeared on everyone's plates, with baskets & platters of more on every table. Delilah was aghast. She had never seen so much food. She immediately dug into her plate. This was the first real meal she had eaten since running away. How long had it been? Days had run together since she had been hiding, and it had been nearly three months since she had tossed the suitcase out the window & jumped after it. She even tried the foods that looked odd to her, & found that months of living on nothing had made her a far from picky eater. She was so busy eating that she had finished her third plate before she noticed the small note sticking out from under her plate. She unfolded it, trying to hide it form the others at the table. Holding it low on her lap, she read it.

"Ms. Grater,

Please be so kind as to stay after the festivities are over. I have something to give you & I may also be able to answer some of your questions.

Albus Dumbledore"

Delilah frowned at the note. What questions could he possible think she had? And what did he have for her? She began to toss ideas around in her head, but was interrupted by another first year who had been seated to her right.

"Hello. I'm Lissy Cartwright." Delilah looked up & was faced with a slightly too tall & rather plump girl. The look on her face was warm & open, though, so Delilah smiled & introduced herself.

"I'm so excited to be here. I've dreamed of getting into Hogwarts ever since I was little. Listening to all of my parents' stories just made it all sound so wonderful. Don't you think it's wonderful?" The girl talked quickly, like a small rabid dog. Despite that, Delilah found herself liking the girl. She seemed very, well...likable.

"Yes, it does seem wonderful. What sort of stories did your parents tell you? Were they in Slytherin, too?"

Lissy nodded a bit too vigorously. "Oh, yes! Both of them were in Slytherin, so I knew I probably would be, too." Lissy stopped for a moment, as if in thought. "I'm sorry I'm so hyper. I'm really not like this. Really. I'm just so...excited! Geez, do I feel like a moron." She grimaced a bit as she noticed that some of the other Slytherins were snickering in her direction.

"That's okay. I don't mind. I'm sure we're all excited. " Delilah & Lissy talked throughout the meal, although Lissy did most of the talking. Dessert passed in a blur, but Delilah was glad that Lissy talked so much. It left her free to eat lots of dessert.

Suddenly, silence fell over the hall. Dumbledore & all the teachers at the head table had stood. Apparently, this was the signal for everyone to begin filing out of the Great Hall. The Prefect of Slytherin called for all first years to follow him. Delilah looked down to make sure she still had the note, just in case she needed to justify staying. The Prefect didn't seem to think twice about her staying, though. She thought it odd until she noticed a small scrap of paper next to his plate. He must have known. Lissy, however, didn't.

"Aren't you coming? You won't know how to get to our common room if you don't come with us! You don't want to get lost!"

"It will be all right. It's been taken care of." The voice behind them made both girls jump. They turned in unison & came face to face with the Slytherin Prefect. "I'll be coming back to get you in a little while, Grater. Don't try to wander off without me. I don't want to spend my night searching for a lost first year." He took Lissy gently by the arm & led her to the end of the line of Slytherin first years. Other groups were being led out by their Prefects, many with expressions of awe. Many seemed trying to see everything all at once. Delilah wondered if she looked like that & giggled a bit.

"Something wrong, Delilah?" It was Leon. She smiled at him, relieved he had stopped to talk to her. She was afraid he wouldn't after her sorting.

"No. I got a note to wait here. The headmaster wants a few words with me." She shrugged. She still wondered what he could possibly have for her.

"Just checking. If you need anything, just ask me. I'll help you all I can." He saw the uncertainty on her face, and added, "You're still the same person you were before you were sorted. I like you, Delilah. And I'm going to be watching your back. Remember, I'm here for you." Then he turned & walked out, leaving Delilah blushing furiously. She knew he hadn't meant it like that. After all, he was probably five or six years older than her. But it still made her happy to hear him say it.

Delilah got tired of standing & sat back down at her table. She jumped a bit when she realized that the dishes & everything had been cleared from the table. She hadn't seen anyone clear them, & no one could have gotten everything cleaned up that fast! A few minutes passed & she began to wonder if the note had been a joke. Finally, she decided to get up & have a look around. Surely she wouldn't get lost as easily as that.

"Ms. Grater, I'm afraid you had given up on me."

"Oh, no sir! I was just stretching my legs." "What a lame lie", she thought to herself.

"Ah, good. Well, first let me give you what I've been holding for you all this time. Then you can ask me whatever questions you have & I'll answer them as best I can." He hesitated, then pulled something out of his robe. He held it out to her & Delilah simply stared at her. It looked like a nicely polished stick to her. She didn't understand.

"Dear girl, this was your father's wand."