Hagrid was waiting at the train stop as usual, guiding the first years across the lake. Lucky for them it wasn't raining like last year. Harry and his friends went into the nearest carriage, expecting Ginny to follow them, but she didn't. Instead they saw her go into a carriage with a boy; they could only see his back, but Harry could see a lock of white-blond hair sticking out from under the boy's hat.
When they walked into the hall they were greeted by Peeves with his usual prank. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all covered their heads because they knew Peeves would do something like drop chocolate pudding on their heads. They were exactly right. Peeves started with the second years, then made his way over to where the Twins were. Like all the others he dumped pudding on their heads, but instead of landing with a splat like it had done with everyone else it exploded and Peeves was covered in goo; he went off mumbling something that sounded oddly like "I'll get you if it's the last thing I do."
"What did you do?" Ron asked, forgetting how angry he was at them.
"Just a little spell Fred and I read in Ways to Foil Pranks by Your Friends, Your Enemies, and Yourself. Pretty cool, huh?"
"Yeah! I…"
Ron stopped when Professor McGonagall came in.
"You may come in now; the Sorting will begin in a few minutes."
All of the students walked over to their house tables. Almost everyone third year and above didn't really care about the Sorting, they just wanted to eat. Second years wanted to get to the eating too, but the were also really excited because they had not seen another Sorting besides their own. After what seemed like hours but what was really only about five minutes the first years came in, headed by McGonagall. Once they had all lined up by the teacher's table the Sorting Hat burst into song.
"In the beginning there were the Founders, Brave Gryffindor, courageous as a lion, Clever Ravenclaw, cunning enough to rival the hawk, Loyal Hufflepuff, who would always stay by your side, Power-Hungry Slytherin, ambitious like never seen before. Together they founded this school for those who were willing to learn. There were those whom each prized among the rest, those like themselves. They wanted to know how to pick them out when they were gone, so Gryffindor pulled me off his head and now I choose instead! So put me on, I won't hurt you."
"The Sorting Hat is really losing its touch!" Whispered Hermione, which made Harry and Ron snicker until Hermione had to kick them to be quiet. McGonagall explained to the first years what would happened and then went over to her list.
"Allman, Debra." She called.
Debra Allman walked over to the stool rather reluctantly and McGonagall placed the hat on her head. After a few moments it shouted out "RAVENCLAW!" and she went over to the table that was cheering the most. Harry didn't much care about the other eleven-year-olds getting sorted until he heard McGonagall call out "Malfoy, Andrea." Harry's eyes widened as a very pretty girl with white-blond hair sort of like Malfoy's but with more silver and down to her shoulders walk up to the hat with a look of confidence on her face instead of the trademark Malfoy smirk. It took at least ten minutes for the hat to call out "GRYFFINDOR!" Everyone in the hall was shocked, a Malfoy not in Slytherin was unheard of, especially a Malfoy in Gryffindor. She got no applause as she sat down next to Ron save for Malfoy at the Slytherin table, Hermione, and to Harry and Ron's surprise, Ginny. Not even the second years paid any attention to the rest of the Sorting; everyone just kept staring at Andrea. After the Sorting was over Ginny struck up a conversation with her.
"Hi Andrea, I'm Ginny, and these are my friends Harry, Hermione and Neville, and these are my brothers Ron, Fred and George. You're Draco's sister, right?"
"Yeah, Draco's my brother. I'd rather he wasn't though. And Ginny, I would really prefer it if you didn't talk to me like I was a baby. I may be only eleven, but I'm not stupid."
Ginny was taken aback at that comment.
"I'm sorry, I just um, well I didn't mean to, it's just a habit. I used to be treated like that; heck, I'm still treated like that! You'd think I wouldn't treat other people the way they treat me!"
"It's okay, I'm used to it. You'd have to be used to it with Draco as a brother."
After that Ginny and Andrea talked for a while when Harry asked Andrea what the hat had said to her.
"It was really weird," She replied, "at first it said 'Another Malfoy, eh?' and I thought I'd be put in Slytherin like the rest of my family but then it said 'Wait a minute, you're not like the others, you've got an extremely good mind, and ambition, yes, but also a lot of loyalty.' That's when I was afraid I would be put in Hufflepuff, which wouldn't be that bad it's just that they're just too, too, I don't know, too something! Then the hat said 'But most of all you're brave, I haven't seen bravery like yours since Godric Gryffindor himself. So, even though you've got enough of the other qualities to be in any of the other houses you will be best in GRYFFINDOR!'"
"That's really cool." Said Harry.
"How?" She replied, "What did it say when you were Sorted?"
"Yeah Harry, what did it say?" Said Hermione
Luckily for Harry Dumbledore chose that moment to speak.
"Welcome to new students and old. I am very pleased to announce the Head Boy and Girl for this year and the Prefects. This year's Head Boy and Girl will be Fred Weasley of Gryffindor and Rowan Menolly of Ravenclaw!"
Everyone except for the Slytherins clapped loudly.
"The Prefects for Slytherin will be Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy, for Hufflepuff Justin Finch-Fletchley and Milton McTrellen, for Ravenclaw Laura Nell and returning Prefect from last year Cho Chang, and finally for Gryffindor Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom!"
A lot of noise came from the Great Hall except for the Gryffindor table. They were too shocked about Neville to do anything. Some, like Ron and Harry, were just rigid and some, like Neville himself, fainted.
"Will the Head Boy and Girl and the Prefects please come up for instructions. Everyone else may go to their dormitories, the younger students just follow the older students. Older students, please do not lead the first years anywhere else that your common room or I shall be forced to deduct points. Before you go I have some words to say. Here they are: Mint! Scooter! Maraca! Hypotenuse! That is all."
Harry was about to explain to Andrea what Dumbledore meant but she cut in.
"It's okay Harry, Draco already told me. It is Harry, right?"
"Yeah."
Andrea said she knew the way to the common room so not to rush off because of her.
"Go! Congratulate your friend on becoming a Prefect!"
And before they could say anything she went off in the direction of Gryffindor tower.
"How does she even know the way there?" Ron asked to no one in particular.
"Wait," He said, "don't answer that, I don't even wanna know."
Then they went to congratulate Neville.
"Hey Neville! Great job on becoming a Prefect! Your parents must be really proud!" Said Ron.
Neville turned away, with what looked like the start of tears in his eyes. Harry was about to ask him what was wrong when he remembered what the tears were about. Last year he had found out why Neville lived with his grandma. It was because some of Voldemort's followers thought Neville's parents had some information on Voldemort's whereabouts; they had refused to tell the Death Eaters and gotten tortured so badly with the Cruciatus Curse that they had been driven insane and now didn't even recognize Neville. As Harry and Ron headed back to the dorms Harry said to Neville in a whisper,
"I'm sure that even in their state they can understand."