Chapter Four: The Sorting
It seems as though Alexia had just closed her eyes when Regina tapped her on the shoulder. "Wake up, Lex, we're here."
Lexi opened her eyes. Already? That was quick. She looked out the window. It was pitch black. Did she really fall asleep? How embarrassing. But Regina, Holli and Lissa didn't seem to care. They were already leaving the compartment. Lexi followed. She heard a loud bang from behind her. Jumping, she turned around to see what made the noise. She saw a couple of boys burst out laughing, but couldn't locate the source of the sound. She shrugeed and turned back around, accidently bumping into another girl, a tall, skinny girl with long brown hair. "Watch where your going!" The girl shouted angrily to Lexi.
"Sorry." Lexi told her, trying to ignore the look this girl was giving her. 'Great start, Lex' she told herself, once again wishing she hadn't come. Regina was now nowhere to be found. Lexi sighed and headed out the train.
As soon as she stepped outside, she heard a loud, gruff voice calling, "First years! Over here! First years! This way!" She looked around and saw a HUGE man with a bushy beard beckoning for them to join him. Nervously, she joined the other first years crowded around the man.
The man introduced himself. "Welcome everyone. You can call me Hagrid, I will lead you to the school. This way to the boats. Follow me"
Still nervous, Alexia followed Hagrid to the boats. "Remember, no more than four students in a boat." Students started getting inside. Lexi seemed to be pushed aside everytime she made a move for the boats. Finally everyone was seated in the boats, except for Lexi. All the boats were taken, by four students, with the exception of one, which had two students, so Lexi hesitantly joined them. They didn't seem to happy to have her in their boat. Lexi thought she knew why. It was a boy and girl and she noticed they were holding hands. Lexi assumed she ruined their moment. Well, she was sorry she did, but there were no other boats. What was she supposed to do? Swim?
Lexi's boatmates were being more than rude. Staring at her and laughing. She thought she heard the girl say "freak" but she wasn't sure. She was sure she wouldn't fit in here. For the umpteenth time she wished she hadn't come. Freak? That was an insult? To Lexi it wasn't. She was called that and a lot more in her life. Ignoring them, she just closed her eyes and thought about her year at the school. Before she left she heard her father's stories about his time at Hogwarts. He told her about his House, Gryffindor, his friends, Quidditch, and the things he and his friends had done. She knew her whole family were in Gryffindor, so she was certain that would be the House she was in as well. She made a pact to be more outgoing, talk to people, and do her best in her studies, which she always did anyway. She made decent marks.
She was interrupted from her daydream by the boy's voice saying loudly, "Shhh, Felicia! Don't wake her. It must be her bedtime. After all, it is awfully dark." The girl, Felicia, sniggered loudly. It was that remark that made Lexi think of another vow--don't let people get you down. She had a feeling she'd need that bit of advice a lot during the course of the year.
It seemed like hours before they reached the school. Lexi followed Hagrid into the school and up some stairs where an elderly, strict looking witch was waiting for them. "'ere's the firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid said.
She nodded. "Thank you, Hagrid. I will take it from here." She turned to the group of first years. "Welcome to Hogwarts. Before you join your classmates, you must be sorted into your Houses. The Houses are Gryffindor (Lexi had to smile), Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Your triumps will earn your House points and if you break any rules, your House will lose points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points will be given the House cup. Now, follow me and we'll get you sorted into your Houses."
Lexi, who was once again, at the end of the line, followed Professor McGonagall into a huge room. Lexi was breathless. She thought it was a gorgeous room. Four long tables were set up, filled with students. She noticed Regina and Shane sitting at one of the tables. 'That must be the Gryffindor table', Lexi thought. Regina smiled and waved at her as she passed by.
As Lexi approached the front of the room, she noticed another long table that was filled with the teachers. She saw Hagrid sitting among them, and in the middle was an elderly man with a long, silvery beard. 'That must be Professor Dumbledore. Daddy told me all about him', Lexi thought, excitedly. Sure enough, Professor McGonagall told the students that Professor Dumbledore wanted a few words, and the elderly man stood up and began giving a long, kinda boring speech.
Lexi had to admit that she stopped listening to the speech and gazed around the room. Her attention was brought back by Professor McGonagall saying, "When I call your name, you will come forward, and you will get sorted into your Houses."
Lexi was a little disappointed to hear that they were going alphabetical order by last name. 'Just my luck my name is Weasley', she thought. She was happy to hear that both, "Griffin, Felicia" and "Oliver, Frank", her two boatmates were sorted into Hufflepuff. She'd be in Gryffindor, so she wouldn't have to deal with them.
Three students left, including her. "Weasley, Alexia!" Professor McGonagall called. Lexi noticed a teacher perking his head up when her name was called. She wondered why. She walked slowly to the front and sat on the stool. Professor McGonagall placed the sorting hat on her head. Lexi was grinning. She couldn't wait to hear it call out "Gryffindor!". After a few minutes, of talking and muttering, the sorting hat called out, "Hufflepuff!"
What??? Lexi's grin faded. There's no way! She needed to be in Gryffindor. Her whole family had been in Gryffindor! She heard the students at the Hufflepuff table clapping. She must have sat there in shock for too long because Professor McGonagall gently nudged her to move on, calling out the next name, "Williams, David".
Lexi stood up and walked slowly to the Hufflepuff table. Why was she always the odd man out in her family? The only one without red hair, the only one not in Gryffindor. As she sat down at the end of the Hufflepuff table, she noticed Frank and Felicia smirking at her. 'Lovely' she thought. She heard "Williams, David" be sorted into Gryffindor. 'Of course', she thought, rolling her eyes.
*
He was just sitting there watching the sorting wishing it would end soon because he was getting hungry when a name Professor McGonagall called caught his attention. "Weasley, Alexia". He knew the Weasley's and none of them was this girl, one with the name Alexia, and none that didn't have red hair. There was only one Weasley he hadn't spoken to in twelve years since they were both eighteen years old. Ron Weasley. 'This couldn't be Ron's child, could it?' He thought. She looked nothing like him. Plus, Ron would have had to be very young, still a teenager, when she was born. After all, Ron is only thirty. But he hadn't spoken, or seen Ron in so long. Ron never replied to his last letter twelve years ago. Ron moved to America for school and never came back. He knew Ron kept in touch with his family. Several years ago, when visiting the Burrow, he heard Mrs. Weasley telling Fred and George that she had just received a letter from Ron and he was doing just fine. That's all he heard. No mention of a child, nothing. The last name had to be a coincidence, hadn't it? He'd find out. He'd simply ask Alexia. The worst that can happen was that she'd have no clue what he was talking about. He touched his lightning bolt scar on his forehead and sighed.
*Author's Note* See, told ya Harry would be in the next chapter! Harry's the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! I wanted him in the story (and Hermione, too, she'll come soon!), but I wasn't sure how to put him in. So, I made him the DADA teacher. And no, he won't leave after one year. I am making this his tenth year of teaching :p No more jinxed DADA teachers!
It seems as though Alexia had just closed her eyes when Regina tapped her on the shoulder. "Wake up, Lex, we're here."
Lexi opened her eyes. Already? That was quick. She looked out the window. It was pitch black. Did she really fall asleep? How embarrassing. But Regina, Holli and Lissa didn't seem to care. They were already leaving the compartment. Lexi followed. She heard a loud bang from behind her. Jumping, she turned around to see what made the noise. She saw a couple of boys burst out laughing, but couldn't locate the source of the sound. She shrugeed and turned back around, accidently bumping into another girl, a tall, skinny girl with long brown hair. "Watch where your going!" The girl shouted angrily to Lexi.
"Sorry." Lexi told her, trying to ignore the look this girl was giving her. 'Great start, Lex' she told herself, once again wishing she hadn't come. Regina was now nowhere to be found. Lexi sighed and headed out the train.
As soon as she stepped outside, she heard a loud, gruff voice calling, "First years! Over here! First years! This way!" She looked around and saw a HUGE man with a bushy beard beckoning for them to join him. Nervously, she joined the other first years crowded around the man.
The man introduced himself. "Welcome everyone. You can call me Hagrid, I will lead you to the school. This way to the boats. Follow me"
Still nervous, Alexia followed Hagrid to the boats. "Remember, no more than four students in a boat." Students started getting inside. Lexi seemed to be pushed aside everytime she made a move for the boats. Finally everyone was seated in the boats, except for Lexi. All the boats were taken, by four students, with the exception of one, which had two students, so Lexi hesitantly joined them. They didn't seem to happy to have her in their boat. Lexi thought she knew why. It was a boy and girl and she noticed they were holding hands. Lexi assumed she ruined their moment. Well, she was sorry she did, but there were no other boats. What was she supposed to do? Swim?
Lexi's boatmates were being more than rude. Staring at her and laughing. She thought she heard the girl say "freak" but she wasn't sure. She was sure she wouldn't fit in here. For the umpteenth time she wished she hadn't come. Freak? That was an insult? To Lexi it wasn't. She was called that and a lot more in her life. Ignoring them, she just closed her eyes and thought about her year at the school. Before she left she heard her father's stories about his time at Hogwarts. He told her about his House, Gryffindor, his friends, Quidditch, and the things he and his friends had done. She knew her whole family were in Gryffindor, so she was certain that would be the House she was in as well. She made a pact to be more outgoing, talk to people, and do her best in her studies, which she always did anyway. She made decent marks.
She was interrupted from her daydream by the boy's voice saying loudly, "Shhh, Felicia! Don't wake her. It must be her bedtime. After all, it is awfully dark." The girl, Felicia, sniggered loudly. It was that remark that made Lexi think of another vow--don't let people get you down. She had a feeling she'd need that bit of advice a lot during the course of the year.
It seemed like hours before they reached the school. Lexi followed Hagrid into the school and up some stairs where an elderly, strict looking witch was waiting for them. "'ere's the firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid said.
She nodded. "Thank you, Hagrid. I will take it from here." She turned to the group of first years. "Welcome to Hogwarts. Before you join your classmates, you must be sorted into your Houses. The Houses are Gryffindor (Lexi had to smile), Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Your triumps will earn your House points and if you break any rules, your House will lose points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points will be given the House cup. Now, follow me and we'll get you sorted into your Houses."
Lexi, who was once again, at the end of the line, followed Professor McGonagall into a huge room. Lexi was breathless. She thought it was a gorgeous room. Four long tables were set up, filled with students. She noticed Regina and Shane sitting at one of the tables. 'That must be the Gryffindor table', Lexi thought. Regina smiled and waved at her as she passed by.
As Lexi approached the front of the room, she noticed another long table that was filled with the teachers. She saw Hagrid sitting among them, and in the middle was an elderly man with a long, silvery beard. 'That must be Professor Dumbledore. Daddy told me all about him', Lexi thought, excitedly. Sure enough, Professor McGonagall told the students that Professor Dumbledore wanted a few words, and the elderly man stood up and began giving a long, kinda boring speech.
Lexi had to admit that she stopped listening to the speech and gazed around the room. Her attention was brought back by Professor McGonagall saying, "When I call your name, you will come forward, and you will get sorted into your Houses."
Lexi was a little disappointed to hear that they were going alphabetical order by last name. 'Just my luck my name is Weasley', she thought. She was happy to hear that both, "Griffin, Felicia" and "Oliver, Frank", her two boatmates were sorted into Hufflepuff. She'd be in Gryffindor, so she wouldn't have to deal with them.
Three students left, including her. "Weasley, Alexia!" Professor McGonagall called. Lexi noticed a teacher perking his head up when her name was called. She wondered why. She walked slowly to the front and sat on the stool. Professor McGonagall placed the sorting hat on her head. Lexi was grinning. She couldn't wait to hear it call out "Gryffindor!". After a few minutes, of talking and muttering, the sorting hat called out, "Hufflepuff!"
What??? Lexi's grin faded. There's no way! She needed to be in Gryffindor. Her whole family had been in Gryffindor! She heard the students at the Hufflepuff table clapping. She must have sat there in shock for too long because Professor McGonagall gently nudged her to move on, calling out the next name, "Williams, David".
Lexi stood up and walked slowly to the Hufflepuff table. Why was she always the odd man out in her family? The only one without red hair, the only one not in Gryffindor. As she sat down at the end of the Hufflepuff table, she noticed Frank and Felicia smirking at her. 'Lovely' she thought. She heard "Williams, David" be sorted into Gryffindor. 'Of course', she thought, rolling her eyes.
*
He was just sitting there watching the sorting wishing it would end soon because he was getting hungry when a name Professor McGonagall called caught his attention. "Weasley, Alexia". He knew the Weasley's and none of them was this girl, one with the name Alexia, and none that didn't have red hair. There was only one Weasley he hadn't spoken to in twelve years since they were both eighteen years old. Ron Weasley. 'This couldn't be Ron's child, could it?' He thought. She looked nothing like him. Plus, Ron would have had to be very young, still a teenager, when she was born. After all, Ron is only thirty. But he hadn't spoken, or seen Ron in so long. Ron never replied to his last letter twelve years ago. Ron moved to America for school and never came back. He knew Ron kept in touch with his family. Several years ago, when visiting the Burrow, he heard Mrs. Weasley telling Fred and George that she had just received a letter from Ron and he was doing just fine. That's all he heard. No mention of a child, nothing. The last name had to be a coincidence, hadn't it? He'd find out. He'd simply ask Alexia. The worst that can happen was that she'd have no clue what he was talking about. He touched his lightning bolt scar on his forehead and sighed.
*Author's Note* See, told ya Harry would be in the next chapter! Harry's the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! I wanted him in the story (and Hermione, too, she'll come soon!), but I wasn't sure how to put him in. So, I made him the DADA teacher. And no, he won't leave after one year. I am making this his tenth year of teaching :p No more jinxed DADA teachers!
