DISCLAIMER: See first chapter.
AN: Sorry for the delay in update! I've had two funerals to attend, one of my uncles and one of my granddads. It has been a bit tough, but hopefully I'll be able to update more now.
A/N2: Thanks to mu mum who was kind enough to beta-read this story, and to all my reviewers:
Frozen Quill: Yes, Hermione will fall in love with one of the Marauders. Not saying who, though.
LythTaeraneth: I'll do my best, though portraying characters has always been one of my weaknesses, one that I'm working on, mind you.
Goobwee: I'm very glad you like it. I will continue, and hopefully I'll finish this (finishing stories is another of my weaknesses)
Branwen: I'm sorry the sorry wasn't to your liking, but I'm sure there are tons of others out there that suit your taste more.
A younger, but still as strict-looking Professor McGonagall brought in the well-known stool and hat. The hat opened its mouth (or at least a rip where the mouth would have been) and began to sing.
"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep you bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave of heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff
Where they are just and loyal
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
"That's the song it sang our first year," Hermione whispered to Neville. "Do you remember? I wonder why it sings it again."
Neville said nothing.
Ron was called up to try the hat, as Blake came before Granger.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted after a slight pause and Ron went to join the grinning Marauders.
"Granger, Hermione!"
Hermione went up. The hat seemed to take ages placing her. Neville wished it would hurry up. He was beginning to feel very nervous. What if the hat placed them in different houses? He knew Hermione would do excellently in Ravenclaw. And he might end up in Hufflepuff. Last time the hat said he'd d well there. He could see Hermione's forced breathing. Did the hat want her in Ravenclaw? Then suddenly:
"GRYFFINDOR!"
He could see her let out her breath as she went and joined Ron at the Gryffindor table.
"Granger, Neville!"
Neville walked to the stool and put the hat on.
"Hm, interesting," said a voice in his ear. "A Longbottom, eh? Not long since your dad came here when he was eleven, oh yes how well I remember that."
"How did you know?" Neville thought.
"Oh, I know everything you know, and a bit more," said the hat. "Now where to put you …"
"Gryffindor, please," Neville thought.
"Gryffindor, eh? Yes, you might fit in there, but it isn't my obvious choice, I'd say Hufflepuff."
"Please, Gryffindor," Neville pleaded, almost desperately. If he didn't end up in Gryffindor, he'd have no friends and no way of knowing how to return.
"Oh well, if you insist, it'd better be GRYFFINDOR!" the last word was shouted over the great hall. Neville let out a sigh of relief as he placed the hat on the stool. He remembered far too well the incident in his first year when he had accidentally ran off with the hat and had to come back with it.
He sat down between Hermione and Sirius Black. He felt a bit unsure yet, as to whether or not Black was safe, but considering that Ron and Hermione had no apparent problems with him, he decided to see how it went. Hermione hugged him tightly. He blushed a deep crimson, but remembered that Hermione was supposed to be his sister. Still, it was embarrassing.
"Gerroff," he pushed her away.
Sirius slapped him heartily on the back.
"Glad to see you both managed to make it here."
"It took a long while for the hat to make up its mind though," said Remus. "We were wondering if it would separate you."
"It was close," Hermione admitted. "The hat insisted that Ravenclaw was the best place for me."
"And it wanted to place me in Hufflepuff," Neville said.
"Hey, you two ought to taste the chicken," Ron said with his mouth full. "It's great."
Hermione opened her mouth to tell Ron off, but decided against it. Instead she looked up at the starry sky above, which was really the roof of the Great Hall, and noticed most particularly that the moon was almost full.
"There'll be a full moon next week," she said musingly. She didn't notice the glances the Marauders cast her and each other. "That'll be … interesting."
Remus coughed and the juice he was drinking splattered all over the place. She was pulled out of her thoughts abruptly.
"Oh Remus," came from nearly the entire Gryffindor table.
Hermione slapped herself mentally. Oh, what a fool I am. Didn't I realize that he was sitting right across me?
Hermione took out her wand.
"Abstergeo*!" she said unconcernedly and suddenly the table was clean. Pretty nifty little spell, she thought to herself, and tried to ignore the fact that the Marauders were staring in awe at her.
"Don't mind Hermione," Neville said, "she's a know-it-all."
Hermione smiled at them.
"Don't mind Neville. He's a bit of a dunce," she replied. She and Neville were really doing well at acting brother and sister.
A/N: I'm personally not too fond of this chapter myself, but I want to know what you think, so review, review, review, please!
*abstergeo: to wipe off, clean away. (Thanks to English to Latin online dictionary)