A few minutes later, and after eating a liberal amount of Mrs. Smozche's So
You're Really That Depressed Ice Cream off the food cart, Melissa was
standing before Hogwarts. Her first impression was it was rather large.
Well, actually it was massive. Don't fool yourself, she thought
sardonically, You're going to get so lost you'll starve to death in some
cold, dark corner of that place.
"Oh, schisms." Melissa muttered under her breath. Harry heard her and laughed.
"What did you just say?" He asked her curiously.
"Schisms," Melissa replied carelessly.
"What does that mean?" Hermione inquired.
"Shit," Melissa elaborated.
"Melissa!" Ron exclaimed, staring at her in horror. "If you're going to be my sister, you can't use that kind of language."
"But Ron, I'm your sister!" At this, the group turned around. Before them was an irate redhead, who did look shockingly like Melissa. In fact, she could easily pass as Melissa.
"I know you may be a bit upset with me for telling Mum about the prank you pulled on me, but how did you expect me to react after finding my underwear all over the Great Hall? And Draco Malfoy of all people found then, Ron! So be mad at me because I got you grounded, but don't try to repl-" The girl suddenly stopped her angry narrative upon seeing Melissa.
"Oh. Hello. I'm Ginny Weasley," Ginny stated, holding her hand out. Her eyes were wide, staring at the other girl.
"Melissa Lewis," Melissa replied, shaking Ginny's hand. They stared at one another for a bit. After a while, Ginny ventured to ask:
"I...don't mean to be impertinate but.well have you noticed that we seem to look.uhm."
"Similar?" Melissa filled in for her.
"Exactly!" Ginny exclaimed.
"Yes, I suppose we do," Melissa replied and after a moment's pondering asked, "Let's hear how you can pull off an American accent, Gin."
Ginny raised her eyebrows.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Just try saying, 'Hi, I'm Melissa,'" Melissa instructed. After considering her for a moment, Ginny mimicked the other girl. To Harry, Ron and Hermione's surprise, and Melissa's delight, she sounded just like her. Ginny raised her eyebrows again, as if wondering what Melissa was on about.
With an impish grin, Melissa stated, in a perfect English accent, "If you're Melissa, than I must be Ginny."
Ginny began to smile slowly and replied, "We can have fun with this, can't we?"
Before Melissa could answer, she heard someone clear their throat behind them. She turned around slowly, hoping against hope that it wasn't a teacher. It wouldn't be good to be in trouble even before the term began she pondered. To her relief, standing before her was Severus.
"Professor Snape," She heard Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny chorus. She noticed a hostile glint in his eyes as he looked past her and to his niece's new friends. Severus sneered at them and caught Melissa by the elbow, leading her away.
"When I said ask someone, Melissa, I didn't mean Potter and his gang," he admonished his wide eyed niece. Melissa simply shook her hand and turned around to wave to her new acquaintances, all who were looking shocked. She smiled cheerfully.
"See you guys around!" Melissa called.
"No, she won't see you around," Their professor replied rather rudely.
"Oh, give it up, Uncle Sev. You told me to make friends, and I did."
"Don't talk back to me, young lady."
"Don't tell me what to do."
"Five points."
"What?"
"Five points from your house, Melissa."
"You can't take points from Zivivian! You're not a Professor at Salem," Melissa protested.
Far behind the bickering relatives were four puzzled students.
"Did she call Professor Snape 'uncle'?" Ron asked slowly.
"Did he hesitate before taking points away?" Asked Ginny.
"Did Melissa just call him 'Sev'?" Harry finally added, sounding disbelieving.
"That's interesting," Hermione remarked. When they all looked at her questioningly, she stated calmly, "We just made friends with Severus Snape's niece. I don't think he'll like this arrangement much."
Some twenty minutes later, Melissa found herself in Headmaster Dumbledore's office. Her mouth was hanging open in a most unladylike fashion as the old man attempted to explain to her why she needed to be resorted. I'm a Zivivian, she thought. I don't want to be anything else.
"You see, Miss Lewis, while I would be happy to allow you your own room during your stay at Hogwarts, I also believe it is nessasary for you to interact with your peers. It seems that the common rooms are most effective in satisfying this need for socializing. Although it seems a few choice classes are also quite satisfactory," Dumbledore explained to her patiently.
"How am I to be sorted, then?" Melissa asked dejectedly.
"Normally we sort our first years with the Sorting Hat. However, seeing as you are stubborn, if you don't mind my saying so, the Hat will simply sort you back into Zivivian. That won't help us at all. I believe it would be best to simply place you into a house based on personality qualities and such.
"I shall ask you a few questions, and if you would be so kind as to answer truthfully, we shall have this situation sorted out in no time at all. First things first, have you befriended anybody yet? Perhaps we can narrow the choices down a bit."
Melissa leaned back in her chair for a moment. "I met Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, and Drew Halothane in one compartment. Then I started cr-well, I got upset, not that they did anything to upset me, and met Ron Weasley as well as Hermione Granger and Harry Potter. Later I met up with Ron's little sister, Ginny."
"Ah, so that narrows the catagories down to Gryffindor and Slytherin. Interesting, very interesting."
"What's so interesting, Professor?" Melissa asked curiously.
"That you seemed to befriend people from both of these houses. You see, these houses are rivals, and rather hateful of one another. However, on with the sorting! I hope you do not find my question impertinant, but are you pureblooded?"
Melissa's eyes widened in shock. She was, but she didn't think it would matter to the head of the school. After a bit, she slowly shook her head yes, adding "but I don't think that should matter, sir..."
"Hmm, pity that you are. It would have finished this sorting quite easily. You see, Slytherin accepts only purebloods into its house."
Melissa nodded.
"On with the questions. Are you brave?"
"Bordering stupidity, in some cases. I'm not often afraid, though."
"Hmm, I see."
After a while of the questioning, Professor Dumbledore came to the conclusion that they had made absolutely no progress.
"However," he continued, "I believe that your uncle did quite well in Slytherin. And, to be honest, I do believe a girl like you would do some of them good. And perhaps...taking in the circumstances...yes, I believe this is for the best."
Dumbledore mumbled the last part to himself, so Melissa didn't ask what he meant by that. He instructed her to return to the feast and sit with the Slytherins. After that, she would be shown to her dorm. Melissa nodded quietly and made her way down to the Great Hall.
When she got there, dinner was just finishing. Not feeling very hungry, mostly due to her ice cream binge, Melissa didn't touch her food. She wasn't welcomed to warmly at first, but as soon as Draco took notice of her and gave proper introductions, most of the others were much more outgoing. Some, she noticed, looked away almost guiltily when they looked at her.
After the interesting yet emotionally taxing day, Melissa was grateful to go to bed. She changed into her pajamas and, after asking which bed was hers, hopped in. She sank into the luxurious bedding, and fell asleep. She dreamed, and in her dreams she relived the night that changed her life.
"Oh, schisms." Melissa muttered under her breath. Harry heard her and laughed.
"What did you just say?" He asked her curiously.
"Schisms," Melissa replied carelessly.
"What does that mean?" Hermione inquired.
"Shit," Melissa elaborated.
"Melissa!" Ron exclaimed, staring at her in horror. "If you're going to be my sister, you can't use that kind of language."
"But Ron, I'm your sister!" At this, the group turned around. Before them was an irate redhead, who did look shockingly like Melissa. In fact, she could easily pass as Melissa.
"I know you may be a bit upset with me for telling Mum about the prank you pulled on me, but how did you expect me to react after finding my underwear all over the Great Hall? And Draco Malfoy of all people found then, Ron! So be mad at me because I got you grounded, but don't try to repl-" The girl suddenly stopped her angry narrative upon seeing Melissa.
"Oh. Hello. I'm Ginny Weasley," Ginny stated, holding her hand out. Her eyes were wide, staring at the other girl.
"Melissa Lewis," Melissa replied, shaking Ginny's hand. They stared at one another for a bit. After a while, Ginny ventured to ask:
"I...don't mean to be impertinate but.well have you noticed that we seem to look.uhm."
"Similar?" Melissa filled in for her.
"Exactly!" Ginny exclaimed.
"Yes, I suppose we do," Melissa replied and after a moment's pondering asked, "Let's hear how you can pull off an American accent, Gin."
Ginny raised her eyebrows.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Just try saying, 'Hi, I'm Melissa,'" Melissa instructed. After considering her for a moment, Ginny mimicked the other girl. To Harry, Ron and Hermione's surprise, and Melissa's delight, she sounded just like her. Ginny raised her eyebrows again, as if wondering what Melissa was on about.
With an impish grin, Melissa stated, in a perfect English accent, "If you're Melissa, than I must be Ginny."
Ginny began to smile slowly and replied, "We can have fun with this, can't we?"
Before Melissa could answer, she heard someone clear their throat behind them. She turned around slowly, hoping against hope that it wasn't a teacher. It wouldn't be good to be in trouble even before the term began she pondered. To her relief, standing before her was Severus.
"Professor Snape," She heard Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny chorus. She noticed a hostile glint in his eyes as he looked past her and to his niece's new friends. Severus sneered at them and caught Melissa by the elbow, leading her away.
"When I said ask someone, Melissa, I didn't mean Potter and his gang," he admonished his wide eyed niece. Melissa simply shook her hand and turned around to wave to her new acquaintances, all who were looking shocked. She smiled cheerfully.
"See you guys around!" Melissa called.
"No, she won't see you around," Their professor replied rather rudely.
"Oh, give it up, Uncle Sev. You told me to make friends, and I did."
"Don't talk back to me, young lady."
"Don't tell me what to do."
"Five points."
"What?"
"Five points from your house, Melissa."
"You can't take points from Zivivian! You're not a Professor at Salem," Melissa protested.
Far behind the bickering relatives were four puzzled students.
"Did she call Professor Snape 'uncle'?" Ron asked slowly.
"Did he hesitate before taking points away?" Asked Ginny.
"Did Melissa just call him 'Sev'?" Harry finally added, sounding disbelieving.
"That's interesting," Hermione remarked. When they all looked at her questioningly, she stated calmly, "We just made friends with Severus Snape's niece. I don't think he'll like this arrangement much."
Some twenty minutes later, Melissa found herself in Headmaster Dumbledore's office. Her mouth was hanging open in a most unladylike fashion as the old man attempted to explain to her why she needed to be resorted. I'm a Zivivian, she thought. I don't want to be anything else.
"You see, Miss Lewis, while I would be happy to allow you your own room during your stay at Hogwarts, I also believe it is nessasary for you to interact with your peers. It seems that the common rooms are most effective in satisfying this need for socializing. Although it seems a few choice classes are also quite satisfactory," Dumbledore explained to her patiently.
"How am I to be sorted, then?" Melissa asked dejectedly.
"Normally we sort our first years with the Sorting Hat. However, seeing as you are stubborn, if you don't mind my saying so, the Hat will simply sort you back into Zivivian. That won't help us at all. I believe it would be best to simply place you into a house based on personality qualities and such.
"I shall ask you a few questions, and if you would be so kind as to answer truthfully, we shall have this situation sorted out in no time at all. First things first, have you befriended anybody yet? Perhaps we can narrow the choices down a bit."
Melissa leaned back in her chair for a moment. "I met Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, and Drew Halothane in one compartment. Then I started cr-well, I got upset, not that they did anything to upset me, and met Ron Weasley as well as Hermione Granger and Harry Potter. Later I met up with Ron's little sister, Ginny."
"Ah, so that narrows the catagories down to Gryffindor and Slytherin. Interesting, very interesting."
"What's so interesting, Professor?" Melissa asked curiously.
"That you seemed to befriend people from both of these houses. You see, these houses are rivals, and rather hateful of one another. However, on with the sorting! I hope you do not find my question impertinant, but are you pureblooded?"
Melissa's eyes widened in shock. She was, but she didn't think it would matter to the head of the school. After a bit, she slowly shook her head yes, adding "but I don't think that should matter, sir..."
"Hmm, pity that you are. It would have finished this sorting quite easily. You see, Slytherin accepts only purebloods into its house."
Melissa nodded.
"On with the questions. Are you brave?"
"Bordering stupidity, in some cases. I'm not often afraid, though."
"Hmm, I see."
After a while of the questioning, Professor Dumbledore came to the conclusion that they had made absolutely no progress.
"However," he continued, "I believe that your uncle did quite well in Slytherin. And, to be honest, I do believe a girl like you would do some of them good. And perhaps...taking in the circumstances...yes, I believe this is for the best."
Dumbledore mumbled the last part to himself, so Melissa didn't ask what he meant by that. He instructed her to return to the feast and sit with the Slytherins. After that, she would be shown to her dorm. Melissa nodded quietly and made her way down to the Great Hall.
When she got there, dinner was just finishing. Not feeling very hungry, mostly due to her ice cream binge, Melissa didn't touch her food. She wasn't welcomed to warmly at first, but as soon as Draco took notice of her and gave proper introductions, most of the others were much more outgoing. Some, she noticed, looked away almost guiltily when they looked at her.
After the interesting yet emotionally taxing day, Melissa was grateful to go to bed. She changed into her pajamas and, after asking which bed was hers, hopped in. She sank into the luxurious bedding, and fell asleep. She dreamed, and in her dreams she relived the night that changed her life.