Cora, Dustin, Lilly, and Harry entered the entrance room not to long
after the other first years. As she looked at the other nervous first years
Cora felt glad that she had friends beside her. A reasonably young blonde
woman in maroonish robes entered the room.
"First years will need to follow me into the grand hall to be sorted into
their houses," she shouted above the voices in the hall. Many of the kids
shifted uncomfortably, hesitating to follow. Dustin was one of them.
"Oh, come on Dustin. What's the worst that could happen? Besides getting
put into to Slytherine I mean." He winced but followed her into the hall
anyways. Lilly elbowed her as they entered the hall and pointed at the
starry ceiling.
"That is so cool!" she whispered loudly. Cora nodded. She didn't feel as
brave anymore now that the hat was in view. Dustin looked as though he was
about to be violently sick. The hat's brim opened wide and began its song.
Cora didn't pay attention. Dustin tugged on her robe.
"Hey Cora," he asked looking more sick then before. "We're friends, right?"
She nodded suspiciously. "So no matter what happens. No matter what you
find out about me, we'll be friends, right." She nodded but not right away.
"Why?" He shook his head as the song ended. "Appleby, Victoria," the blonde woman called and a stout red head hurried to the chair. "Ravenclaw!" the hat screeched. The table nearest her erupted into cheers and she waddled over to sit down. Cora looked around anxiously as more names were called. "Little, Zachary!" the woman yelled as Cora snapped back to attention. The hat seemed to think for a minute before yelling, "Slytherine!" Cora glared as the boy smirked and went to the farthest table.
***
Then, "Malfoy, Dustin!" the woman yelled. Cora's stomach lurched. So many people hated the Malfoy's. She knew that they had a son but, "Dustin," she said desperately. "Please tell me that's not you! Please!" She had really started to like him but if he was a Malfoy there was no way her father would want her to be friends with him. Dustin just bowed his head and headed up front, dirty looks following him. His grandfather and father had been a death eater. Everyone knew that since the fall of Lord Voldemort. But his grandfather died ages ago and his father and been tried and found guilt meaning that he had been in Azkaban since a few years after Cora was born. She glanced at Lilly and Harry. They were looking at Dustin with so much hate. But how could Cora blame them. His father had been their father's main enemy at school. Afterwards he had tried to kill him for Lord Voldemort as a final deed. Failing however he had turned himself in. Only now did Cora realize what he had left behind. A son.
***
Dustin pulled the hat over his eyes not wanting the looks of his fellow wizards. Please sorting hat, he said close to tears. Put me in Gryfindor. I'm not like the rest of my family, honest! He longed to be as different from his father as was possible. The hat seemed to chuckle before screaming, "Gryfindor!"
"Why?" He shook his head as the song ended. "Appleby, Victoria," the blonde woman called and a stout red head hurried to the chair. "Ravenclaw!" the hat screeched. The table nearest her erupted into cheers and she waddled over to sit down. Cora looked around anxiously as more names were called. "Little, Zachary!" the woman yelled as Cora snapped back to attention. The hat seemed to think for a minute before yelling, "Slytherine!" Cora glared as the boy smirked and went to the farthest table.
***
Then, "Malfoy, Dustin!" the woman yelled. Cora's stomach lurched. So many people hated the Malfoy's. She knew that they had a son but, "Dustin," she said desperately. "Please tell me that's not you! Please!" She had really started to like him but if he was a Malfoy there was no way her father would want her to be friends with him. Dustin just bowed his head and headed up front, dirty looks following him. His grandfather and father had been a death eater. Everyone knew that since the fall of Lord Voldemort. But his grandfather died ages ago and his father and been tried and found guilt meaning that he had been in Azkaban since a few years after Cora was born. She glanced at Lilly and Harry. They were looking at Dustin with so much hate. But how could Cora blame them. His father had been their father's main enemy at school. Afterwards he had tried to kill him for Lord Voldemort as a final deed. Failing however he had turned himself in. Only now did Cora realize what he had left behind. A son.
***
Dustin pulled the hat over his eyes not wanting the looks of his fellow wizards. Please sorting hat, he said close to tears. Put me in Gryfindor. I'm not like the rest of my family, honest! He longed to be as different from his father as was possible. The hat seemed to chuckle before screaming, "Gryfindor!"