Chapter Five

Alex is Sorted

Alex inhaled the rancid air around the terminal with enthusiasm as they wandered through the chaos of King's Cross Station. They had lunch downtown, a most exciting adventure in any case, and now Alex craned her neck to and fro, watching the digital clocks with fascination and pausing to stare at a man who was sitting in the terminal, boredly tapping on a laptop computer.

"Come on, if you don't get on that train, I'll never hear the end of it," Corey said, dragging her away by the arm while keeping an eye on the other three children. They at least were staying together, although Andrew and Alicia's eyes were roaming and Alicia's fingers were itching to get to her sketchpad. Aurelius stood with his arms folded, rolling his eyes at Alex's behavior.

"Too bad we didn't have time to take a ride on a real train," Alex said.

"I expect you'll find the Express real enough if we can get you on it," Corey said briskly heading towards the platforms.

"Why don't we just throw her on the first Muggle train we pass? It doesn't sound as if she'd care being late for school," Aurelius said disdainfully.

His grumpiness had started long before they had arrived in London. He had spent all summer relishing the idea of being the oldest Snape in primary school and finally out of her limelight, but at the same time a part of him hated everything to do with her going to a different school. For one thing, how was he going to protect all of their secrets divided up like this? Besides the fact it was going to leave an empty hole in their daily turn schedule that had been in place for over five years.

"I don't think Mom or Dad would be happy with me if I let her," Corey grinned good-naturedly, ignoring Aurelius' "All the better" mutter. They paused between platforms nine and ten and he perused Alex's trolley to make sure everything was there. "I still don't know why you had to bring two trunks, Alex."

"Well, I had to bring all my books! I can't possibly go an entire four months without them!" Alex said as Corey brought it in line with the pillar.

"There is a library there, you know," Corey pointed out.

"I doubt there's anything like the trash she reads at Hogwarts," Aurelius smirked, earning a baleful glare from his older sister.

"That'll do. Enough talk, it's getting late," Corey said, hugging Alex. "Just head towards the pillar and don't look back. We'll see you at Christmas," he added, nudging her.

It was then that it really dawned on Alex exactly how long four months actually was. She hesitated a moment, looking at the other three. It had always been hard being the oldest, and no mistake about that, but the idea of not being able to have the other three around when she got an idea for an adventure… whoever was she going to talk to? Andrew noticed her reluctance, nodding reassuringly.

"Make sure you write us all about it after you get there. I'm sure you'll have lots to tell us," he offered.

"Besides, if you need anything, well…" Alicia suddenly glanced at her paper then back up to her. "Just let us know. And if you could, send me a photo or two of the school?" she added with a charming smile.

"I want play by play Quidditch reports if you don't mind. I'd like to know what my competition will be when I get there next year," Aurelius said curtly.

Alex rolled her eyes and got ready to argue that he had no chance in a million years of getting on a team as a first year. But Corey, knowing all too well how loud and long their arguments became broke it up right away and pointed out the time. Alex found she had little choice. Taking a deep breath, she pushed her way through.

The platform was much busier on the other side, and filled with strange noises as familiars and students and oddly snapping, snarling, or complaining suitcases shouted out how they wanted to be handled. Thank goodness her parents wouldn't let her get one of those, Alex grinned as she made her way through and on to the train. The front compartments were all taken, but as it still was a quarter hour until eleven and the back ones weren't filled up as yet. Alex had little trouble finding an empty compartment, tasting the excitement in the air, and then promptly took out a book and stuck her nose in it. She was so absorbed with it, in fact, that she was hardly aware when a freckled girl with long blonde braids sat down across from her, watching her curiously.

"What are you reading?" she asked with Alex finally noticed her at the end of a chapter.

"Oh! I'm reading a mystery. Murder on the Orient Express," Alex said ominously. "I got it this summer, but I thought it'd be much more exciting to read on a real train, what with the sounds on the tracks and the presence of darkness looming in the distance," she said forebodingly. The other girl pursed her lips.

"I don't feel anything," she said at last.

"You never feel the one that gets you," Alex said darkly. "Any moment now there may be a scream from outside this compartment, and then…" Just then, there was a scream.

Leaping up and rising to the occasion, Alex bound for the door as the other girl yelped with surprise. But a quick inspection found the culprit before they had gotten farther than the next car. One of the midyear students had ran into the hall and dropped a toad out of her quickly untucked shirt, while a small group of boys chuckled at her furious face.

"You do that again and I swear I'll turn that toad into something even more repulsive!" The girl swore, shuddering with anger.

"What you going to do, turn it into a weed, Thorny?" a thin, red-haired boy asked.

"Alright, alright. We're sorry, Tho…er…Rose. Come on and sit down if you like," said another boy. Alex recognized that one, though. It was the same boy who she'd seen in the park over the summer.

"I'd sooner sit with snakes!" the girl said, heading down the cars towards Alex and Mandria. Several boys wearing green and silver patches offered her a seat in their compartment, but Rose bit her tongue and politely declined.

"Oh, there you are, Rose! I've been looking all over for you! You promised you'd tell us all about the school!" Alex improvised. "Oh, it's just been ages!" she said, dragging Rose in beside them and shutting the door. "There! How's that for a rescue? So, what are we turning them into? Rabbits? Newts? No, no, how about tadpoles?" Alex suggested helpfully.

"Thank you," Rose said, sitting down. "I am just not too fond of toads. I'd have thought those two might have matured over the summer!"

"Boys mature much slower than girls," the blonde-haired girl offered. "I'm Mandria Shea, by the way."

"Rose Witolf Bailey," she said, gazing over at the third girl who had picked her book up putting a gold snake marker into place. "And you're Alexandria Snape, aren't you? I remember when you used to come in my grandfather's shop when you were little."

"Your mother is Professor Craw?" Mandria said, much more impressed than she was a moment ago. "My parents are on the governor's board. They told me she's a very good teacher."

"Yes, and Professor Snape is my father," Alex said cheerfully. "It's going to be so nice going back to Hogwarts again after all these years. I was born there, you know."

Before long the three girls were chatting like old friends, pooling in precious spending money for the trolley and telling each other stories about their summer.

"So what house do you want to be in?" Rose asked. "I'm in Gryffindor myself."

"You mean you're in the same house as those two jerks and they still bully you like that?" Mandria asked. "Why don't you tell them off?"

"Oh, they were just having fun," Rose said, waving it off. "It's my fault for being petrified by frogs. Rather silly, I suppose," she admitted uncomfortably. "You'd think I'd have grown out of it by now."

"Of frogs perhaps. Of frogs down one's shirt, I doubt anyone would grow out of," Mandria reassured her. "We should teach them a lesson."

"Yes, we should," Alex agreed, but before they could get into any depths of a scheme there was a light knock on the compartment door and the three girls broke their huddle in surprise, looking into the face of a boy with short, neat, copper hair and Slytherin robes. He was gazing between Mandria and Alex speculatively before finally resting his brown eyes on Alex, nodding with a smile.

"Would I have the pleasure in addressing Alexandria Snape?" he asked.

"Perhaps, why do you ask?" Alex said carefully in return. But the cautious answer was enough to convince him that it was her, offering his hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you at last. I'm Xavier Platt… you've heard of me of course," he said with a curious air of reassurance and a twist of arrogance.

"Ah yes, the name is familiar," Alexandria said politely in return, shaking his hand. "Are you by any chance related to Yardley Platt, the notorious serial goblin killer?" Xavier's skin turned a rather pasty shade, and his smile took a more forced appearance.

"I meant that I thought perhaps your father might have mentioned me, being one of his best students," Xavier said. Rose rolled her eyes but quickly smiled when he looked over. "Not many in this school seem to take Defense seriously enough to do well in it," he added, earning an open glare from Rose. "But not to worry, I'm sure you'll do well, considering who's teaching it."

"I'm sure I'd do well in it no matter who was teaching it," Alex said but nodded politely. "You're with Slytherin house, then?"

"Yes, of course. I suppose you're hoping to get into Slytherin as well? I do hope you make it, although not many earn that privilege. Still, at least you're careful about the company you keep... even if one's a Gryffindor," he added with a slightly bigger smile, openly ignoring the sour expression on Rose's face as he headed back to his compartment. "See you at the table."

"Well, he seemed nice enough," Alex said cheerfully, adjusting the marker in her book.

"Yes, and serpents are very pretty until they bite your finger off," Rose said.

"You really don't want to be a Slytherin, do you, Alex?" Mandria asked.

"I don't know. I think it might quite fun to be in a house everyone considered wicked," Alex said with an odd look on her face. "Then maybe I'd be a suspect myself."

"A suspect? A suspect for what?" Mandria asked.

"Why, in all the evil crimes and dastardly deeds that happen all around us, of course," Alex said, sticking her nose back into her book. The other two glanced at each other, wondering if their new companion was a bit mad.

"Wouldn't you be a bit mad if you had her parents?" Mandria asked out loud. Alex was oblivious to the remark, absorbed in the story. Rose, however, had a hard time keeping from grinning.

It was evening when they arrived at the station. A tall, solemn centaur was standing by the train in a custom-tailored Hogwarts robe that covered only his human half, gazing at the students as they exited the train and motioning to every first year student he saw.

Alex knew him at once; it was Dr. Sagittari, the school Veterinarian and Groundskeeper, and she knew him because he was also the family doctor. But she had never seen him so serious, for Sagittari took this occasion quite seriously. Most of the new students hadn't ever seen a centaur up close and gaped at him in awe while he very methodically arranged them all in small groups for the trip across the lake and into Hogwarts.

Alex looked up with a shiver of delight as the boats drifted away from the dock as the mists drifted around them, cloaking who knows what sort of creatures that lived in the depths of the lake. Above a thousand candles, torches and more made up the myriad of lights of the castle. She'd imagined it so many times, but even in her grandest imaginings had it looked quite so huge, quite so overwhelming… the boats moved so slowly! She almost wished she could get out and swim, maybe it'd be faster. She chuckled to herself, thinking of what her parents' reactions would be if she arrived at the castle soaked to the bone. Well, she supposed she would just have to bear the wait, watching with anticipation, as little by little the castle loomed ever closer, finally swallowing them whole.

As they reached the place to disembark, a rather audible murmur and series of gasps rose through the group. A very large host of ghosts were waiting on the stair, passing through each other eagerly and careening their heads in a very unnatural way to see the boats coming near.

Something about the way that Sagittari frowned at them told Alex at once this wasn't customary. Well, that and the fact that they all made oooh's and aaah's when she got out of the boat, staring at her with smiles on their incorporeal faces. Alex then noticed that everyone else was looking at her, and she was painfully aware that there really wasn't anywhere she could hide from the scrutiny.

"Welcome back, Alexandria!" one ghost said with a smile.

"Welcome home, dear girl!" another ghost with a rather cheerful face and an odd turn of the neck said.

"Let me through, let me through, relatives first, you know!" insisted a tall, indignant looking ghost with a face that reminded her of her grandfather.

"Well, there she is then at last, but I daresay I don't think they wish to go through us. We had better let them through before there's a row…" suggested a forlorn looking fellow with darkly stained professor robes on.

"What on Earth is going on here?" A much more humanly voice said from behind them. The ghosts parted at once looking rather sheepish. "Goodness! It's as if you've never seen first years before! I can't remember ever seeing this much fuss, even when Potter arrived!"

Alex peered through the ghosts to see an elderly woman with fading red hair in a tight bun and a very stern expression, and she didn't look happy. It was Professor McGonagall, the Deputy Headmaster, frowning over the ghosts like erring students.

"Professor Ravenclaw, don't tell me you're encouraging this as well!" she exclaimed, sounding shocked. Alex could almost detect a slight tinge of amusement in her voice, but she couldn't be altogether sure of that. The ghost with the darkly stained robes reluctantly floated forward.

"Your pardon, Professor. We were carried away with emotion, I suppose. After all, what are we but left over emotions?" he asked, giving the others ample time to fade away. McGonagall began to say something, glanced at the students and stopped, pulling a thin smile on her face.

"Perhaps we'll discuss that another time. I dare say you should be getting back to your seat, don't you think so, Professor?" she said.

"Of course," the ghost of Icarus Ravenclaw said, but risked turning around one last time. "Welcome to Hogwarts," he said cheerfully to all the students, but Alex was quite aware that his eyes rested longest upon her. So much for her parents request that she try to keep a low profile, she mused.

As hard as she was working to stay calm and collect, Jennifer seriously doubted she was actually coming off as either as she and Severus made their way into the Great Hall. Severus at least appeared his normal, aloof self. She also noted he was avoiding her gaze, and wondered if he too, perhaps, was thinking of Alex.

Seating arrangements at the table had been different since the new staff arrived, as always with considerations to subject and seniority. Severus was now seated directly on Dumbledore's left with McGonagall on the right side. Normally, Jennifer knew, she would be sitting on the right, but marriage did sometimes have its privileges and Dumbledore knew they preferred to sit together. Instead, Professor Hermione Weasley of Charms sat beside the Deputy's empty chair, looking as eager as ever to start the new year. She was chatting merrily with the youngest member of the staff, Madame Danyelle Brittle, the recreation instructor. Jennifer had known both Hermione and Danny as students in her first few years teaching at Hogwarts, so it sometimes gave her a curious feeling seeing them at the professors' table. On Jennifer's left, Pomona Sprout was hurrying into place, greeting Jennifer warmly and cheerfully. But where in the world was Icarus, Jennifer frowned, looking at the empty chair on the opposite side of Pomona. It wasn't as if a ghost had much excuse to be late.

Before she had time to wonder too long, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore entered the Great Hall with an old shabby pointed Hat sitting upon his head. It looked rather comical there, especially since there appeared to be another hat underneath. Jennifer couldn't remember him ever wearing the Hat in before and was having a hard time keeping a smile from erupting. Usually he or Minerva brought it in hand and sat it on the table until the time of the Sorting.

"Now that is a fashion statement," Pomona Sprout chuckled lightly.

"Do you think this Hat makes me look taller?" Dumbledore asked in return. "What do you think, Severus?"

"You're the Headmaster, you can wear what you like," Severus snapped.

Jennifer was slightly surprised at how testy he sounded, fixing her gaze on him so that the moment he glanced her way she had a good view of his face. Good composure or not, he was as nervous as she was. Satisfied with that fact, Jennifer relaxed noticeably as they all took their places and Dumbledore finally took the Hat off his head and set it in front of him.

"Yes, I suppose that is true. What do you think, should I ask for a plaid or polka-dotted robe for Christmas this year?" he asked.

"Knowing Minerva, she would favor making neither," Hermione put in on the other side of him.

"Perhaps I should try plain black. Severus, might I borrow one of your robes sometime to see how it looks?" Dumbledore asked with a serious expression on his face. The expression that Severus gave in return was so stark that Jennifer couldn't help herself anymore, her chuckle joining several other professors who seemed to have the same problem with keeping serious. "No? Well, that's quite all right. Perhaps I should stick with what I have," he decided. He turned his warm smile out over the students who were working their way into their places. Icarus materialized then, apologizing for being late as he floated into his own spot. Not long after Minerva strode in, giving the ghost a dirty look as she stepped in front of the Headmaster.

"Trouble, Minerva?" Albus asked curiously.

"Merely a slight disruption," Minerva said, still eyeing Icarus. "It seems that some of the resident spirits decided to gather in the caverns to welcome the new students… one in particular. But I think I successfully shooed them away for now."

"Can you really blame them?" Icarus said, earning a frown from Jennifer. "They hadn't seen her since she was two days old, after all, and she and Alicia were the only children born in the castle in hundreds of years. Of course there's going to be a fuss about her."

"Wonderful," Jennifer sighed, having wanted to avoid just that. Severus was shaking his head as well.

"Now, now, I dare say all of us have had plenty of experience dealing with notoriously famous children before," Dumbledore said, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "I'm sure the novelty will wear off soon enough."

"One way or another," Severus muttered, and Jennifer quietly agreed with him. If it didn't find a way to die out on its own, there had to be some way to curtail it themselves. But before she could think about it too much, she felt a nervous jolt as she realized it was time. The students of the previous years had all been settled into their places and Minerva was walking towards the main doors to the Hall.

Alex and Mandria had stuck close beside each other after getting off the boat. Together they walked up the stairs and to the doors, looking for something even vaguely familiar to cling to. At last, McGonagall reappeared to open the doors with a thin smile on her face, showing them down the center aisle.

Students to either side peered at them, some of them whispering and pointing out this person or that as siblings or people they knew. Even Rose at the Gryffindor table was whispering to the person next to her, smiling warmly towards the two girls. Candles floated above their heads and beyond that the night sky seemed to loom down on them as if the room itself became the center of the universe. Alex, her head straight up gaping at the ceiling suddenly felt several people bump into her from behind and she quickly moved on, catching up to Mandria. As they stepped closer, she risked a glance up at the professors' table to find that many of their eyes were fixed on her.

She had met them all, of course, during summers or Christmas visits; all except for Icarus, whom she had heard of often enough that she almost felt she should know him. She whispered names of those that Mandria couldn't recognize to her as they walked up to the edge of the dais, stopping before a shabby old Hat who began to move and take the shape of a face, its mouth speaking clearly so everyone could hear:

Four houses of Hogwarts there have been

Each separate but still a part

Of the great plan of the four founders

Each of different mind and heart

To find the wisest, bravest and cunning

Most loyal and hard working too

And from their dream to make this school

I shall be Sorting you.

For I am the one and only Sorting Hat

And some of the greatest minds have worn me

So step up here and take a seat

And I will choose what house best suits thee.

Well, thought Alex, it was hardly a perfect rhyme, but not too bad for a Hat, she decided. She watched with interest as students were Sorted, knowing her name would be near the end. Bates and Brown went Hufflepuff, while Jeffers and Bane went Slytherin…Gaffney to Gryffindor, Evans went to Ravenclaw, on and on until finally they called Mandria up, and Alex's waning attention came back full force.

It didn't take very long for the Hat to decide. Only a couple of Mmmm hmmms later did it say out loud "Ravenclaw!" A thunder of applause went out, coming from both the Ravenclaw table and from Craw and Icarus in front of them. Snape didn't seem to express any interest in any of the candidates, but did manage to clap lightly when someone made Slytherin (he never seemed to clap on any of the others.) Alex was so distracted by the ruckus and watching her new friend get seated that she missed her name at first, which was perhaps rather silly since she was the only student that hadn't been Sorted yet. Smiling sheepishly, she hurried up and took the stool, facing out towards the students and aware of McGonagall wishing her "Good luck" as she put the Hat on the girl's head.

Ah what is this! A Snape! And yet a Craw! And a mind suitable to either temperament it seems. A curious voice said in her head.

I'm not sure what you mean, Alex thought back, but I'm sure whatever you do pick will be right for me. After all, you've been doing this for years and years and I'm just a student, and even if you are just a hat, in an odd sort of way, you are like what you said, the Sorting Hat. By the way, what do you mean the greatest minds have worn you anyhow, shouldn't that be greatest heads have worn you? I suppose philosophically speaking since you try to discern from one's thoughts and feelings and even instincts that perhaps that you are a judge of the mind, but that still doesn't mean the minds are actually wearing you. It seems to me you'd almost be wearing them…you attach yourself to the mind, see what's inside, then announce it. So really, I'm not sure I'd agree with the greatest minds having worn you, although their owners might have. Just exactly what sort of charm is used to make you work, anyhow? How come they haven't enchanted you to make you look better, is it because…

"Ravenclaw, Ravenclaw, RAVENCLAW!" the Sorting Hat said in desperation, very much wanting to get off her head. Jennifer was immediately elated, clapping loudly as McGonagall hurried to pull the Hat (who appeared to be panting) off the girl's head. Alex grinned and looked back at her parents, earning a slight nod from her father as well before she hopped down to join her friend, glad to be in the same house.

As Minerva finally moved the stool and put the Hat on the table to take her place, the Hat finally seemed to regain its composure.

"Are you quite alright?" Albus asked the Hat, quite curious what had taken it so long in Sorting the last student.

"Once I got a word in edgewise," the Hat said. "That girl could out-talk a Four-tongued Hagglesnapper."

Jennifer suddenly found herself edging down in her seat, her face growing slightly pink as she poked at the sumptuous feast in front of her. Severus contented himself to frowning disapprovingly at Alex before he too became unusually focused on his meal.