Chapter Three: A Sordid Sorting

Disclaimer: Rowling wrote it, I stole it. So sue me!

A/N: This is shorter...but hey C'est La Vie! I hope I got everyone as in character as possible.

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"Brilliant! Absolutely Brilliant!" Fred cried clapping loudly.

"We'd have never thought of that, but of course if we had we wouldn't have been able to pull it off without being gay...but we'd have still never thought of it!" George added gleefully. Ron and Hermione just stared with identical expressions. Ginny was stunned, but she had wide smile spread across her face, and Harry was trying to keep himself from falling onto the floor from laughing.

~:*:~

Draco fumed with rage. That damned girl wasn't going to make a fool of him in front of the dream team. Oh no, she was in for it. "It's time to give someone a taste of her own medicine.' He thought viciously as Crabbe and Goyle caught up with him. He set to work devising a plan for revenge, no one, especially people who he had never met, messed with a Malfoy.

~:*:~

"So you're in both fourth and fifth year? Amazing! I've never heard of a case like that before." Hermione was fascinated with Midori after just learning of her year, or really years.

"I can't believe you never told me! How long have you known? I thought you were going to be in all my classes!" Harry interrupted in a stream of sentences.

"I just found out this morning, jeez Harry, It's not that big a deal, and anyways I'd have to get chosen to Gryffindor first." Midori pointed out.

"Hey wait, so that means you might be in a few of my classes! Wonderful, it's not every day that you get a new student." Ginny exclaimed excitedly.

"Yes, I was thinking about that too, I've never heard of exchange students. It's quite unusual." Hermione looked at Midori suspiciously.

"Because my mother was worried about the Voldemort thing, and she thought it to be much safer for me at Hogwarts." Midori lied, then realized she had made the mistake of saying 'Voldemort' out loud, she had always thought not saying his name showed weakness, and she really didn't have any reason to fear him, he never did come to her part of the country. But the others (except Harry) flinched at the mention of him.

"Okaaaay then, enough about me, tell me what's been happening to ya'll?" She said quickly changing the subject.

"Ya'll...? There's a first." Ron muttered.

~:*:~

"Draco Malfoy I never want to see your ugly face again!" Pansy cried at Draco when he had reached their compartment.

"Well that would help me a lot seeing as I have been running out of enough excuses to avoid you." Draco drawled, infuriated by her impetuous outburst. Pansy just stalked out with a loud 'hmph' and brushed past Draco leaving him standing in the compartment alone.

~:*:~

Ginny peered at Fred from the corner of her eye. She could see him practically drooling at that new girl. 'What was her name? Midori, yes that's right. This could end up being a problem for him and Angelina though. I hope not. I'm just glad that George doesn't share the same taste in girls with Fred, unlike everything else.' Ginny also noticed Ron unconsciously stealing quick glances at Hermione, who was in a deep conversation with Midori about the stupidity and pointlessness of divination.

Sighing she looked at Harry. She would sometimes catch herself wishing that he would give her a look, like the ones Ron and Hermione gave each other, (they didn't even know it though!) but Harry's eye was only for Cho Chang. Cho bloody Chang, and she couldn't do a thing about it. 'Ginny it won't help to think about it.' But she couldn't help it. She couldn't help thinking about the time he had saved her from Tom Riddle or the time she could have gone to the Yule Ball with him. To think if she hadn't said yes to Neville, she could have gone with Harry. It doesn't matter that it was out of desperation, but she could have gone with him... 'Don't think about it! Stop torturing yourself, Just don't think of it' Ginny was awoken from her reverie to the sound of a voice next to her ear.

"Thinking of Harry?" Ginny turned to see Midori sitting on the arm of her chair, her eyebrows raised in a sense of knowing.

"How...how did you know?" Ginny asked quietly.

"I have ESP." Midori joked, smiling.

"It's written all over your face...you need to learn to hide your feelings." Ginny mentally slapped herself for being so stupid.

"The name's Midori...Ginny I presume?" Ginny nodded shyly. Midori studied her for a while, then spoke,

"You don't love him." She said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked nervously.

"Harry...You don't love him. It's just a crush."

"How do you know?"

"I told you I have ESP." Midori winked, then got up to leave. She was stopped by Ginny who had grabbed her wrist.

"Do you think he likes me at all?" Ginny asked silently praying that she would say yes. But Midori just shook her head,

"No, I don't mean to be so blunt, but I think he sees you as a sister, and a friend." Ginny's face fell and she mumbled,

"It's that Cho Chang." Midori raised one eyebrow at this and sat back down. She exclaimed,

"Now this I've got to hear!"

~:*:~

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting in a small circle, talking quietly of last years' events. Harry had avoided thinking and speaking of it practically the whole summer. Midori hadn't asked him about it and he was eternally grateful for that. But now he had to come back to the reality of it all and he wasn't quit happy with that. Trying to change the subject he looked across the compartment at Fred and George, they were busy planning what to buy in Hogsmeade for their joke shop which now with the help of Harry's prize money they could afford to open. Harry looked back at Ron wondering what the twins had given Ron. Ron looked at Harry with a curious look then went back to talking with Hermione, obviously forgetting that Harry was supposed to be part of the conversation. Harry looked at where Midori and Ginny were. They were deep in conversation oblivious to everyone else in the room. Then suddenly they looked over at him and Midori waved. They both burst out laughing. Hermione hearing the laughter looked up and said to Ron,

"Looks like your sister and Midori are getting along quite well." Ron scowled at this.

"Aw, come on Ron what wrong?"

"I just have a bad feeling about her, she reminds me way too much of Fred and George." Ron said to Harry. Harry raised one eyebrow, something he had picked up from Midori.

"I think someone's jealous." Hermione said.

"Am not!" Ron grumbled.

"Are too, your just mad that Harry didn't get to got to the Burrow, and he spent all summer with a new friend." She said wisely. Ron scowled again and just ignored her. He turned to Harry and asked,

"What did she do to you?"

"Huh?" Harry asked confused.

"Your hair? Your clothes?" Ron replied.

"Oh! Wait...you don't like them, but I thought you said it looked good?" Harry looked at Ron strangely.

"They look great Harry, Ron's just looking for an excuse to dislike Midori." Hermione said, giving Ron a ferocious look.

"Why don't you like her?" Harry asked. Ron just shrugged and replied,

"She just gives me this feeling..."

~:*:~

The train had finally stopped and the students were exiting. Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny were the first to leave. Midori had disappeared, not to Ron's surprise. Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Ron waited for her to exit the train. Draco Malfoy sneered at them looking distracted, but the moment was lost when the four broke into a fit of laughter remembering the past event that had taken place. Finally Midori stepped of the train, face flushed.

"Where were you?" Harry asked.

"Busy..." Midori mumbled. Ron gave her a suspicious look but kept his mouth shut.

"I hope you're in Gryffindor with us!" Ginny squealed, excited.

"Me too!" Midori replied.

"First `ears an new students o'er `ere!" A familiar voice called out into the night.

"Hey Hagrid!" The four students chanted when he walked up to them.

"Why 'ello!" Hagrid greeted.

"Hagrid?" Midori asked questiongly.

"Oh my God it's you Hagrid! How did it go?" She cried and hugged him hard.

"Wait...you mean you know Hagrid?" Harry asked. "And how did what go?"

"I think you alls better get into the carriages, e'll talk later." Hagrid said quickly.

"Yeah I'll see you in the Great Hall, wish me luck." Midori replied following Hagrid to the lake where the new students and first years were waiting. Ron looked at Harry,

"I told you I had a bad feeling about her."

~:*:~

In the Great Hall Midori waited while the first years were being sorted. She was in a line with the new students and groaned when she noticed Angel Vigil in line with her twin, Joren. Angel caught her eye and strode over.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?" She sneered. Midori ignored her and looked through the front of the line. A tall black haired head caught her eye. The boy turned and Midori smiled. She pushed past Angel who was staring at the boy furiously and hugged him fiercely. She looked up at him and asked,

"Michael, how'd it go?"

"I'll tell you later." He said. But before Midori could answer she heard McGonagall start to speak,

"I would humbly like to present an assortment of new students this year." The old students in the Hall started buzzing curiously at the mention of the new children. McGonagall cleared her throat and went on,

"Because of certain...events these students have been transferred to Hogwarts. I hope you give them a warm welcome. Our Sorting Hat will now sort them according to name.

"Anjall, Michael!" She called. And Michael walked up to the stool sat down and placed the hat on his head. It fit him perfectly. He was in his seventh year and so he was bigger than the first years. After a while the hat cried out.

"RAVENCLAW!" Midori grinned as he walked over to the Ravenclaw table and sat down. The table was cheering loudly but her smile faltered when she noticed a few girls looking at him with interest. There was no one she recognized in front of her besides Michael. She waited till it was her turn excitedly. Then finally her name was called.

"Monile`, Midori!" The professor cried. She calmly walked to the stool and placed the hat on her head. It went just past her chin. She smiled at the darkness inside the hat.

"Hmm...This is very difficult." The hat said surprising her. 'It can talk!?'

"Of course I can talk, how do you think I said the house names?" It said indignantly. 'Oh.' She replied. It seemed as if she sat there for half an hour. She could hear the students mumbling curiously at the time that it was taking.

"Oh dear, I can't decide between the two houses." The hat cried exasperated. "This is the first time this has ever happened!" 'Really?'

"Yes! Well there is only one thing to do. It really is a shame, I don't want you to be in the wrong place…" Midori heard the hat yell loudly,

"GRYFFINDOR!" She smiled hearing the table cheer; she started to pull the hat off when it continued,

"AND..." The hall fell dead silent, Midori froze. "SLYTHERIN!" She gasped along with the rest of the school and fell off the stool with shock.

A/N: How was that? I've always wondered what would happen if the Sorting Hat couldn't decide. If you don't remember Michael, then think back to when Harry is in Midori's House!

Thanks: I'm running low on time so I'll try to mention everyone who reviewed in Chapter 5. But Thanks a bunch of kisses to everyone who reviewed! :)