Disclaimer: I did not create these characters; they belong to one J. Rowling.

Chance Occurrences

By Olivia

Chapter One: Alternate Beginning

There wasn't a sound – not a squeak of a chair or a drop of a hat. Deafeningly silent – so silent that when the doors opened to the vast room, the usually silent pitter-patter of children's feet came out in deafening booms. With each click of a heel against stone the sound only grew more deafening.

The children clustered together at the foot of a staircase, a child amongst them separating from their group one by one. One small brunette made her way slowly up the never-ending staircase, her footsteps radiating throughout the hall. She took a deep breath, praying she wouldn't trip over her long robes. It seemed forever before she had seated herself on the high stool, that just a few minutes earlier had been standing empty before her, and seemed even longer before an old hat had been placed most carefully atop her shimmering locks. She felt the hat squeeze her head and mumble a few words inaudible to the girl because of the intense pounding in her head. She heard a far off voice mumble something that sounded very much like slither – but she couldn't be sure, as soon after the entire room had erupted into applause, taking her out of her daze and reassuring her that it was now safe to stand up.

She turned to face a rather shrewd looking woman. This woman smiled down at the girl as nicely as her tight stern face would permit her. She pointed a long wrinkly finger at a long table on the right-most side of the enormous room.

"You'll find your house is seated there," said the woman, a strict tone apparent in her voice.

The young girl made her way over to the table indicated to her by the older woman. She carefully seated herself down and received a few nods made in her direction by the other students present at the table. A boy of about fourteen on her right turned to her and shook her hand saying, "Welcome to Slytherin Miss Granger."

A/N: I know this isn't much that I've written, but I had it locked up for awhile and needed to blurt it out onto paper. Enjoy.