The Resorting

"Well how should I know where they are?" Asked a very frustrates Lisa Turpin to one her fellow Ravenclaw Prefects.

Terry sighed and ran a hand through his light brown hair. "And if they're together, well I really don't want to have to break it up."

"They're scary when they get together." Lisa nodded.

"Remember the last meeting? I didn't know that a person could turn that red." Terry cringed.

After five minutes of searching they had not found the missing Prefects.

"Come on where could they be?" Whined Lisa as she wondered how she was the unlucky one sent to find the two.

Terry looked down at his fellow Ravenclaw Prefect and said, "Well we only have about eight or nine compartments left so they have to be in one of those. We're almost finished, don't worry." Terry patted her in the top of her head. Being nine inches taller than his female friend has it advantages.

Lisa glared at Terry and knocked on the next compartment. When no one answered she opened the door only to be greeted by the sight of a very confused Harry Potter, a red Ron Weasley, a laughing Hermione Granger and a smiling Draco Malfoy.

"Oh dear Merlin, it's the Twilight Zone." Said a very dazed Terry after finding his voice. Draco, Ron and Lisa all turned and gave him very weird looks. "Ah never mind." said Terry.

Draco came to his senses first and asked Terry, "What do you want Boot?"

"We've been sent to get you and Hermione for a short Prefect meeting in the Head Compartment." Said Terry gesturing to Lisa and himself.

Hermione gasped and stood up, "Oh no I completely forgot all about it!" She exclaimed and grabbing her wand she ran out of the compartment and past the two Ravenclaws and down the narrow isle.

Draco turned back to Harry and Ron after watching Hermione rush from the compartment. "Well that's my cue. Potter, Weasley." Draco tipped an imaginary hat at the two and started to walk away. "Come along." He called to Terry and Lisa who had no choice but to follow.

* * * * *

With a soft popping sound Ariana found herself in a very different looking Hogsmeade, she smiled as she looked up the road and saw Hogwarts. She began her long walk up to the school and was only delayed once by an old local wizard and after lots of yelling about his spoiled newt spleens and Ariana glaring and blaming the spilled newt organs on his incompetence- she was after all still a Malfoy- and continued on her way.

An hour later Ariana found herself in the entrance hall but instead of taking the main corridor she took a small hallway on her left. After ten minutes of walking - and getting one foot caught in a trick stair- Ariana found herself in front of a large stone gargoyle.

"Now what's the password?" Ariana asked herself.

"I do believe that it's 'Ton Tong Toffee'." The gargoyle moved to the side revealing a hidden staircase. Ariana turned around and found herself looking at a smiling Albus Dumbledore.

"Headmaster Albus Dumbledore I presume." Stated Ariana. Dumbledore nodded and Ariana continued, "I wish to speak with you."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he led Ariana to the staircase. "Very well then, how about we go up to my office then?" Ariana nodded and followed the old wizard up to his office. He seated himself behind his desk and after fixing his long beard behind it he glanced up at Ariana. Finding that she was still standing he motioned for her to sit.

"Now what would you like to talk about?" Questioned Dumbledore.

"Voldemort." Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at the mention of his name. Not many would dare to say his name and he noticed that this girl, not even old enough to be out of school he thought, seemed to have no fear of doing so. He liked her.

"What about Voldemort?" He had now taken on a more somber tone.

Ariana looked the Headmaster in the eyes. "He is planing to attack Hogwarts."

Needless to say Dumbledore was very shocked, he hadn't heard anything about this from any of his spies, and surly Severus would have told him right away. "Forgive me in saying, but how do you know this?"

He then studied the girl sitting in front of him. He had not met the girl before he knew that because she had very unique features. Her hair was a very distinct hair color, a sort of pale gold color almost silver; she had pale skin and her eyes where a dark gray blue. But despite her familiar appearance and almost demanding presence he could not place her.

"I have heard it." Ariana replied.

Dumbledore nodded. "May I ask you, what is you name?"

"Forgive me, my name is Ariana Malfoy." Ariana watched as Dumbledore nearly gasped in shock.

'Of course,' thought Dumbledore. 'How could I not have seen it.' He composed himself and looked at Ariana. "Forgive me, I was not aware of another line in the Malfoy line."

"That is because there isn't." Ariana replied.

Now Dumbledore was truly shocked. He knew for certain that Lucius did not have a daughter. Then how could this girl be a Malfoy as she claims? Dumbledore gave her a puzzling look. "You are not Lucius' daughter?"

Ariana smirked. "No I am not. I am, however, his-" she paused to think, "-something-th great aunt."

"How is that possible?" Questioned Dumbledore.

Ariana smirked. "That is because I am dead."

Now Dumbledore was truly confused. No one had discovered how to successfully reincarnate a person and yet here was Ariana sitting a few feet from him.

Her smirk faded and she took a deep breath. "I do not know how either. Earlier this day I was nothing but a ghost a mere memory, but something happened. I felt pain. A burning flash with white light." She paused collecting her thoughts. "Then the next thing I know I'm racing through the halls with one purpose; to come here and ask for your help."

"My help in what? Defeating Voldemort? You did not have to ask for that, I offer my help willingly to those who need it." Said Dumbledore.

She shook her head. "No not for me, for Draco. He has so much potential for good. I beg you do not let him fall down the path to darkness."

The Headmaster smiled at Ariana. "I will do what I can, but I think that you have an idea of your own."

"Yes I do." She nodded. "And with your permission I would like to be a student again."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow but chuckled. "And I thought I was the only one who wanted to be a student again."

"I did find school quite fascinating myself and it would be a very good way to keep an eye on Draco and Voldemort's newest spies." Said Ariana.

"Well I see nothing wrong with that. However, I have a few questions to ask. If you don't mind." Asked the Headmaster.

"Of course not."

*****

The Hogwarts Express finally pulled in to the Hogsmeade station at half past six and all of the students thankfully got off the train and headed towards the horseless carriages or led by Hagrid to get their first look at their new home from the lake.

"Thank Merlin." Yawned Ron as he stretched.

Harry nodded and started walking to the long line of carriages with Hermione and Ron.

"Can't this line go any faster?" Whined Ron. "I'm hungry."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Because six chocolate frogs, two boxes of Bertie Bott's, four licorice wands, nine Pumpkin Pastries and five Cauldron Cakes couldn't possibly have filled you up."

Ron mock glared at Hermione, "It was eight Pumpkin Pastries, thank you very much- Harry ate the other one. Didn't you Harry?" There was no answer. "Harry?" Ron asked looking over to his best friend, who was looking out of the window holding in silent laughter. Ron, ever curious, looked out the window and began to laugh very hard. Pounding on the door of a carriage, three down form their own, was Pansy Parkinson. And if they listened very carefully they could make out her screams of begging 'Draky' to open the door because it must have 'accidentally' got locked. No matter how hard she tried, Hermione could not keep herself from laughing along with her friends all the way up to the castle.

The trio made their way into the Great Hall and sat down next to Ginny and the Gryffindor table.

"Did you guys see Parkinson?" Giggled Ginny. The three nodded and Ron commented,

"It was bloody hilarious! But why would anyone want to sit with Malfoy voluntarily is bonkers!"

"Oh I don't know," Said Lavender who was now sitting by Hermione. "I could think of a few reasons." She looked past Ron's shoulder and at the blond Slytherin and blushed when he smirked at her.

Harry, Ron and Hermione just gave Lavender a look and started to talk again.

*****

Meanwhile on the other side of the Great Hall Draco was too busy thanking every high power he knew because Parkinson was sitting nowhere near him. Although Nott was proving himself a very annoying substitution.

"So Malfoy how do you think I'd do if I went out for Chaser?" He leaned his left arm on the table and moved closer to Draco.

Draco glared, he did not want to have a conversation with I-don't-know-what- the-three-foot-personal-bubble-rule-is Nott. But keeping his temper in check as he always did he simply answered, "I think we should end this conversation before I get to testy."

Nott nodded and turned to the person sitting on his right and began to talk to them.

Draco smirked and leaned back in his chair. 'Ah blissful silence.' However his silence was short lived as the doors to the Great Hall opened and Professor McGonagall followed by awed first years entered the Hall and stood around the small stool with the old battered sorting hat sitting on top.

*****

"I'm so glad that Madam Malkin could come up and fit you for your robes on such short notice." Dumbledore said to Ariana as she finished clasping her robe. Her and Dumbledore where now sitting in a small room off of the Great Hall waiting for the first years to be sorted.

Since Ariana's arrival Dumbledore had retrieved all of the new school supplies that she would need for the year and had packed them up in a spare trunk. And Ariana, not to be left in to great a debt to Dumbledore, had been telling him everything that she knew about the four founders of Hogwarts.

"Now please do continue, what did Helga do after the student was retrieved from the ceiling?" Asked Dumbledore, but he didn't get his answer because he had picked out McGonagall's voice announcing the last first year - Zimmas, Andrew - to be sorted.

"Well that's your cue." Dumbledore stood form a large red chair and joined Ariana at the door. "I remember when I was sorted all those many years ago and I was quite nervous. Almost thought about running out of the Hall, but you don't and courage is a very good thing to have on your side."

Ariana looked up at the old man and smiled slightly. "Then father would be proud because I'm completely beyond nervous right now."

A round of applause reached their ears and Dumbledore led Ariana out of the small room and into the Great Hall.

"Do not put that hat away so soon Professor McGonagall, we have one more student to sort. Ariana Malfoy" There was a collective gasp in the Great Hall. Dumbledore then escorted Ariana across the room, she could feel everyone's eyes on her as she made her way over to the three-legged stool. "Please have a seat." Ariana sat on the stool and smirked at Draco who was looking at her from the Slytherin table with a pure look of shock on his face. Dumbledore then took the hat from a very confused McGonagall and placed it on Ariana's head.

'Well, well who do we have here?' Asked a small voice in her mind, whom she assumed was the hat talking. 'What are you doing here? You have already been sorted but not by me. Oh no I would have remembered you, a Malfoy is hard to forget.'

'Yes I have been sorted, by the four founders themselves or rather Salazar but now I want to be sorted by my own personality traits and characteristics.' Ariana replied.

'Very well then, very well, I only have one place to put you and that's-'

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted. The Gryffindor table slowly broke into applause as Ariana made her way to an empty seat near Lavender. She helped herself to some of everything. She had forgotten how good food tasted and how hungry she was. She was about to start with some very good looking fried chicken when the brunette she was sitting by introduced herself.

"Hi, I'm Lavender Brown. What's your name?" Lavender asked.

Ariana let out a small sigh and put the chicken back down on her plate and turned to the Lavender girl. "Were you the one elected to talk to me?" Lavender blushed and stuttered. "Well I deem you brave for asking so I will answer you. My name is Ariana Malfoy." She then turned and went back to her chicken but yet again she did not get to eat it because Lavender grabbed her shoulder and made Ariana face her.

"Malfoy? As in Draco Malfoy?"

"Yes. We're cousins." Ariana lied, after all she didn't want everyone to know that she was dead- it might creep them out.

"Oh isn't that nice. Hey guys," Lavender turned and got part of the tables attention. "This is Ariana Malfoy."

A red headed boy spit out the half chewed food that was in his mouth and looked at Ariana.

'That must be Ron.' Thought Ariana with a small smirk playing on her lips.

"What the hell is a Malfoy doing here?" Ron accused waving a bread stick at Ariana.

The a girl with bushy brown hair grabbed the bread form her friend and glared at him before turning to Ariana and apologizing, "Sorry about him, we're still trying to get him not to point at people with baked goods."

'Ah and this has to be Hermione.' Ariana thought. "It's quite alright. I've been around worse."

Hermione smiled. "My name's Hermione Granger. What year are you in?"

"Sixth."

"So am I!" Hermione began but was stopped by McGonagall. The entire hall turned to the staff table and looked at their Headmaster who was now standing.

"Welcome to Hogwarts! And as usual I have a few start of term announcements to make. First off the Forbidden Forest is, of course, forbidden, our care taker Mr. Filch has posted a new list of forbidden objects and finally to wish luck to all of you." With the last statement he looked at Ariana and smiled. "Well off you go, you all have your brand new classes tomorrow!" Everyone in the hall stood and made their way to their common room.

"Gryffindors this way, follow me!" Said Hermione as the mass of first years lined up behind one of their Perfects and where lead out of the hall.

Ariana stood in the spot near her chair in hopes of catching Draco before he went to the dungeons. She really needed to talk to him.

"Hey Ariana!" Hermione shouted form the large doors. "Come on we're going to the common room!"

Ariana sighed, she already knew where the Gryffindor common room was but she didn't know the password so she slowly made her way to Hermione and the very excited first years. They began their journey when Ariana heard Draco.

"Come on you lot to the common room. Unless you want to spend you night in the hallways." Said Draco to three first years who where looking at a statue of armor.

"Draco!" Called Ariana walking over to him. "How are you? You look like you've seen a ghost." She smirked.

Draco recomposed himself and looked down at Ariana. "That's because I have." He whispered. "What are you doing here? And why aren't you transparent?"

"It was the strangest thing. This morning after you left I went down to the kitchen to see what was for breakfast and I was right in the middle of a-" Ariana was cut off by Hermione who was now standing only a few feet away form the Malfoys.

"Come on Ariana, you can talk to your cousin later."

Draco slightly raised an eyebrow at Ariana, who gave him 'they asked and I made something up' look.

Hermione missing the exchange between the two continued talking. "I need to show you where the common room is." With that Hermione dragged Ariana away to the common room.

AN: I re-posted because there was too many mistakes for my liking. hmm well yeah that took very, very long and I know I'm an evil little writer but hey I made it to four so I think that that's ok. And to explain the delay: finals and above all else the very last episode of Buffy. Ever. No more new eps. And I so needed time after that and with the crying I couldn't see and typing was way too hard and I had to mourn the loss of the other me and spike. So now to make me feel better a review from you would make me v. much of the happy so click on the small blue/purple button and write some stuff. Until next time. Francinator (aka Allison) and I got to kiss Sark! Yay!