Ch. 3 Blurred Colors

Adri walked up the familiar steps into Hogwarts Castle. She had spent much time here as a child during which she had strived to be invisible. Her father had stressed to her the importance of not disrupting the lives of the students, so she had discovered and memorized a great number of secret passageways.

As she neared the doorway to the Great Hall, she caught sight of Professor McGonagall gesturing for her to come aside with her. Once free of the flow of students, Adri waited patiently for her to finish giving instructions to a couple of apparently new Gryffindor prefects.

"After the feast you will lead the 1st years back to the common room and teach them the new password. Understood?"

"Absolutely Professor," the girl replied swiftly and swept off with the other in tow.

Now free, Professor McGonagall nodded to Adri and started to lead her back near the entrance to wait for the newcomers. In the distance, lanterns could be seen at the edge of the lake. They waited as the lanterns approached, led by one held curiously higher than the others.

When they came into plain view, Hagrid blew out his light. He exchanged a few words quietly with McGonagall and bowed slightly before walking past her toward the Great Hall. This seemed curious to Adri as to which she could not imagine why the groundskeeper would need to be present for the Sorting Ceremony and feast.

The group approached the hall and was told to wait on the steps outside. McGonagall disappeared inside for a few minutes before reappearing. "They're ready for you."

At that, the doors were opened to reveal many dozen faces. Adri's stomach twisted within her; she was perfectly fine with small groups of people, but the prospect of being the attention of so many turned her blood to ice. Behind McGonagall, she led the 1st years to the front. She instinctively looked at Severus for some look of reassurance and received only a mild shade of sympathy. No doubt he disliked being sorted as well, but at least he had done it with his peers instead of in front of his peers.

Then she did exactly what she should not have: she glanced around the room. The realization that there were so many unknown faces was overwhelming, and she felt her head spin. Standing in a stupor, she barely noticed that the Sorting Hat had begun singing and already finished. She felt a hand on her shoulder and allowed herself to be guided onto the stool in the front of the room.

Now facing the room, she could vaguely comprehend the separation of colors that in any other case she would have known to be the different houses. Suddenly the green mass began moving vertically, which she managed to realize was a new movement. The same hand on her shoulder prompted her forward so that she wandered toward the new movement instinctually. Once sitting, she blinked and tried desperately to get her bearings. A vaguely familiar voice spoke practically in her ear.

"So you're one of us, eh?" Adri turned to see Barbara smiling amusedly. "Usually we sit here to welcome the first years, but you'll have to do." Her friendly grin was welcome and a bit comforting. A wave of relief came over her as she realized she was sitting at the Slytherin table; not that she had a strong preference, but life would be unmistakably easier this way. Plus, she could see her father more often while preventing Draco from becoming 'holier-than-thou' with her. Looking around, she finally asked, "Sandy's not a Slytherin?"

Laughing, Barbara shook her head. "If it weren't for her robes, I'd make the same mistake. She's been known to sneak over and eat with us on weekends when she wears street clothes. Last year the first years started to freak out when they actually saw her in house colors and thought she was a turncoat."

Across the table, Lisa was also present, looking strangely at her. She ventured to speak, "I guess we'll be a couple of strange fits together, then."

Adri gave her a sideways grin and lifted an eyebrow. "I guess so."

As it turns out, Draco could find reasons to be 'holier than thou' with her, even in the same house. After the feast she noticed him directing first years and started to walk past him with Lisa and Barbara.

"Excuse me, little first year. You shouldn't be leaving the group so soon."

Adri scowled. Reaching out and linking elbows with Lisa she retorted, "Oh, but I'm going with a buddy. If we get lost, we'll do so together. But thank you kind and concerned prefect person." With that, she managed to push past him while rolling her eyes. Barbara stifled a laugh behind her, but Adri did not bother to look at his reaction.

Farther down the hallway they greeted Sandy before separating for the night. They walked down the nearby stairs toward the dungeon and the Slytherin common room hidden there. It had always amazed her how the few portraits hung in this portion of the castle were significantly snootier than the rest, but at that moment she decided they must be related to Draco.

Once they caught up with the crowd in front of a suit of armor, a tall seventh year prefect in the front addressed the armor. "Sempre Perfectum!" The armor suddenly jumped to life and moved out of the way. As students passed it, the armor studied the length of the hallway as if it were expecting trespassers. Approaching, it seemed to Adri that the armor was studying her. The prefect addressed it before she passed and informed it of her name, year, and that she was one of the house. With a nod, it turned its attention back to the hallway where it no doubt would soon have to memorize the first years.

They walked in, and her companions led her to the fourth year girl dormitory. Inside were six beds, all draped gracefully with clean curtains and expensive-looking bedspreads. Her trunk sat at the foot of the one at the end of the right wall; so she went back to it and threw herself across the bed.

She looked at Lisa and Barbara who were shaking their heads at her. "Hmm...this'll do methinks."