"McGonagall, Noctua"

As Minerva read the name of her niece out loud, many heads turned. It was quite obvious that the tall, dark-haired, spectacled girl wasn't a first year. It was also obvious that she was related to Professor McGonagall- she was, not exaggerated, a younger, but exact copy of the so well-known Transfigurations teacher.

At the Gryffindor table, Ron Weasley nudged his best friend, Harry Potter. They were both staring at the new girl in a… well… quite remarkable way that made Hermione Granger snort softly and roll her eyes.

"Harry…" Ron said. "who is that?"

"I don't know." answered Harry, not taking his eyes of the tall girl. "But she certainly isn't a first year."

"Yeah," Ron smiled. "she is quite… hot, isn't she?"

As Harry nodded, Hermione couldn't take it any longer.

Roughly nudging her two friends, she hissed

"Could you two please stop staring at that poor girl? I mean- you are almost… well… drooling."

"We aren't drooling." said the boys in unison, but their eyes were still focused on Noctua, who now had the Sorting hat on her head.

"Well, almost!" answered an irritated Hermione.

"Though…" she added, as she too looked at the girl. "I must admit it's quite remarkable. Yes, it is…"

The strange undercurrent in her voice made the boys for the first time rip their eyes away from Noctua, and they stared at their friend.

"What is remarkable?"

Hermione rolled her eyes again.

"The resemblance of course!"

"What resemblance?" asked Ron unknowingly.

Hermione snorted.

"My god, are you really telling me that you have not noticed that… Have you not noticed that that girl…" she pointed at the far spot were Noctua sat.

"is an almost exact copy of Professor McGonagall?"

Suddenly, she had the full attention of the boys. They stared at her in disgust.

"Of… no, she doesn't look at all…" muttered Ron.

"I mean, her hair and her eyes and her face…" added Harry.

Hermione shook her head.

"You boys are really incredible. And in a non-positive way… Her hairs are exactly the same as Professor McGonagall's. The same color and- if I am not mistaken, the same length as well."

Ron laughed.

"My god, Hermione, McGonagall's hairs…"

"… are tied up in a bun, that's why you haven't noticed it!" Hermioen snapped. "Not that you would ever notice it. I mean- her face…"

"But her face is beautiful!" said Harry almost desperately.

"Her face," Hermione added. "is the same as Professor McGonagall's. Of course, the Professor isn't very young anymore but she still is a very attractive woman. I hope I age as well as she has!"

Ron looked as if he'd just seen a ghost- well, he in fact had, for Nearly Headless Nick was floating right next to him.

Harry looked again at the young woman, who had still not been sorted.

"But her eyes… her eyes are different, aren't they?"

Hermione stared at Noctua and then nodded.

"Yes, she has- Professor McGonagall has emerald green eyes, and this girl has big, light blue eyes. Yet, she just has to be a- niece, perhaps, of hers."

"Why?"

Hermione snorted again, louder than ever.

"Ron, are you really this stupid or are you… I mean, maybe because they have the same surname?"

Ron- and Harry- grinned sheepishly, as Hermione added.

"But wait- I think the Sorting Hat is going to say something…"

***

Minerva stood behind her niece, who had the Sorting Head on her head. She bit her lips. Was the damn thing going to say anything? Two minutes… five minutes… ten minutes…

Yet, she knew that she had to be patient. Noctua clearly was a difficult matter… In her heart, Minerva knew that she wanted the girl in Gryffindor- she believed that Noctua really was a Gryffindor, but… One could never know, and…

The Sorting Hat clearly took his time.



***

Noctua had sat there for a full quarter, not moving, hat on her head, when she suddenly heard a voice- the voice of the Sorting Hat, probably, inside her head.

"So… a little McGonagall, aren't you?"

She nodded softly.

"Yes I am…" she whispered.

"And what… well… you are a difficult matter, really. You have Hufflepuff qualities- endurance- and Ravenclaw ones- intelligence and also a bit of Slytherin. And Gryffindor, of course! Maybe that'll be… what do you think of Gryffindor."

"All right with me…" Noctua muttered. Gryffindor? Wasn't that aunt Minerva's…

"Yes, Gryffindor seems a wise choice to me." the Hat added. "I remember your mother, so many years ago. Yes, I remember little Katherine… a pure Gryffindor she was, one of the purest Gryffindor's I've ever… But alright. So I sort you into…"

Noctua held her breath.

"GRYFFINDOR!"