The Hogwarts Express pulled in at the Hogsmeade station and the
students disembarked. The first years followed Hagrid's call and boarded
little boats from lake, whereas everyone else got in the carriages pulled
by threstals. Luna parted company from the other five who all boarded the
same carriage.
"I don't know about the rest of you but I thought Luna was very surprising on the train back there with those Slytherins," said Hermione.
Everyone agreed.
"I wonder where she learned that spell for setting fire to something like that? It's different from the one used to make those little portable fires like I used to. What she did wasn't taught in class, or the D.A."
Neville said quietly, "I think there's more to her than meets the eye."
Ron frowned, "Maybe she not as stupid as she seems, but if she isn't, then why does she play dumb?"
Nobody could answer.
The got out of the carriage and followed the mob into the Great Hall.
For the first time in Harry's memory the sorting hat sung the same song two years in a row. Only now the voice sounded more urgent than before. It had taken out the last line of the song ("Let the Sorting now begin") added one final stanza in it's place.
I bid you do this in haste!
We are all in danger,
With no time to waste!
Though you are loath to believe,
I promise I do not deceive,
When I say that all were friends and never to be parted,
So only can all sorry end when made as if this rift had
never started!
Only a few students clapped and the teachers were as stunned as the students. This song did nothing what so ever to improve the condition of the first years waiting to be sorted. They were now paler than ever and many were trembling. One boy's knees were wobbling so much that he sunk down to the floor and was only saved from a crash by the girl next to him catching hold of his arm and holding him up. They looked remarkably alike; Harry wondered if they were related.
Harry sat with Neville on one side of him and Hermione across from him. Ron sat one side of Hermione, Ginny on the other. They all watched more attentively, having listened closely to the hat's words.
Professor McGonagall unrolled the scroll that contained the names of the first years to be sorted. Harry listened and watched. When McGonagall got down to the name "Muriel Hundus" the girl who had helped the sagging boy (who still wasn't doing well) gave what appeared to be a sharp comment to the person behind her and the person in front of her to help the boy while she went and sat on the sorting stool. She sat there for quite some time before it announced, "Slytherin!" What part of her face could be seen under the aged sorting hat had remained neutral while she sat there.
She now showed neither delight, sorrow, regret, nor any kind of emotion as she approached the cheers of the Slytherin table, only a steely calm.
McGonagall read the next name, "Marcus Hundus". Sure enough this was the boy who had nearly fallen before. He left the arms of the two who had been supporting him. Harry expected the boy to be sorting into Slytherin as the girl, who Harry assumed was probably his cousin, had been. But instead after a long while on the stool with the hat, the hat cried, "Gryffindor!"
The Gryffindors applauded and Marcus came and sat down coincidentally, right next to Harry.
"Hullo, I'm Marcus Hundus."
"Hi, I'm Harry Potter."
"I know. And you two are Weasleys, right? You, I've seen your picture somewhere, or a face remarkable like yours." This last comment was issued to Neville.
Neville shook his head. "My picture's never been anywhere."
"Oh! I know! You're mother or father must have been a Vinewood. That's the face you have at least. Am I right?"
Neville nodded dumbly.
The sorting ended as Galena Yasaman became a Hufflepuff. Professor McGonagall took the stool and hat and walked away.
Dumbledore rose, "I'm sure you're all as hungry as I am so on with the feast and we'll save announcements for later!"
Harry turned back to the discussion they'd been having. He was quite interested; he realized that must be Neville's mother's maiden name. "Just who are you to know so much about the rest of us?"
"I already told you, didn't I?" he sounded surprised. "I'm Marcus Hundus. Never heard the name?" No one responded. "That's all right, family lives a bit a ways off. My mother's name was Prewette if that helps to jog any memories."
Harry nearly choked on his chicken and the reactions of Ron and Hermione were nearly the same. "Did you say 'Prewette'?"
"Yeah. That's right."
Ron asked, "I bet you were shocked to see your cousin end up in Slytherin."
"Cousin?" He sounded confused. "Haven't got any cousins. My mother's brothers both died years ago. I'd say about 15 years ago, so I never met them. You must mean my sister Muriel. We're twins."
Ron repeated, "Did it surprise you that she was in Slytherin? That's where the mean ones go."
Marcus blinked. "Hardly. The brains go to Ravenclaw. Real strength of character and loyalty go to Hufflepuff. The real reckless ones are in Gryffindor. And the ambitious ones are in Slytherin. Oh don't look so surprised. Pure-Blood family and we've had people in every house. Believe me, the Slytherins aren't all evil. I know some of them are but I'm just as positive that there have been rotten ones in every house. Slytherin just gets most of them because the Slytherin house stands for ambition and cunning. Slytherins are the ones that are so ambitious often that they don't care who they hurt on their way to getting what they want. That's why Slytherins have a bad rep."
There was really no proper response to something like this.
Fortunately for Harry and his friends, Marcus began chatting amiably with a girl next to him.
Harry had been keeping count during the sorting and the same number went to every house. He wondered if anyone else noticed.
"It seemed nearly the same number went to every house," said Hermione.
"Not nearly. I was counting. It was dead even," said Harry.
"I don't know about the rest of you but I thought Luna was very surprising on the train back there with those Slytherins," said Hermione.
Everyone agreed.
"I wonder where she learned that spell for setting fire to something like that? It's different from the one used to make those little portable fires like I used to. What she did wasn't taught in class, or the D.A."
Neville said quietly, "I think there's more to her than meets the eye."
Ron frowned, "Maybe she not as stupid as she seems, but if she isn't, then why does she play dumb?"
Nobody could answer.
The got out of the carriage and followed the mob into the Great Hall.
For the first time in Harry's memory the sorting hat sung the same song two years in a row. Only now the voice sounded more urgent than before. It had taken out the last line of the song ("Let the Sorting now begin") added one final stanza in it's place.
I bid you do this in haste!
We are all in danger,
With no time to waste!
Though you are loath to believe,
I promise I do not deceive,
When I say that all were friends and never to be parted,
So only can all sorry end when made as if this rift had
never started!
Only a few students clapped and the teachers were as stunned as the students. This song did nothing what so ever to improve the condition of the first years waiting to be sorted. They were now paler than ever and many were trembling. One boy's knees were wobbling so much that he sunk down to the floor and was only saved from a crash by the girl next to him catching hold of his arm and holding him up. They looked remarkably alike; Harry wondered if they were related.
Harry sat with Neville on one side of him and Hermione across from him. Ron sat one side of Hermione, Ginny on the other. They all watched more attentively, having listened closely to the hat's words.
Professor McGonagall unrolled the scroll that contained the names of the first years to be sorted. Harry listened and watched. When McGonagall got down to the name "Muriel Hundus" the girl who had helped the sagging boy (who still wasn't doing well) gave what appeared to be a sharp comment to the person behind her and the person in front of her to help the boy while she went and sat on the sorting stool. She sat there for quite some time before it announced, "Slytherin!" What part of her face could be seen under the aged sorting hat had remained neutral while she sat there.
She now showed neither delight, sorrow, regret, nor any kind of emotion as she approached the cheers of the Slytherin table, only a steely calm.
McGonagall read the next name, "Marcus Hundus". Sure enough this was the boy who had nearly fallen before. He left the arms of the two who had been supporting him. Harry expected the boy to be sorting into Slytherin as the girl, who Harry assumed was probably his cousin, had been. But instead after a long while on the stool with the hat, the hat cried, "Gryffindor!"
The Gryffindors applauded and Marcus came and sat down coincidentally, right next to Harry.
"Hullo, I'm Marcus Hundus."
"Hi, I'm Harry Potter."
"I know. And you two are Weasleys, right? You, I've seen your picture somewhere, or a face remarkable like yours." This last comment was issued to Neville.
Neville shook his head. "My picture's never been anywhere."
"Oh! I know! You're mother or father must have been a Vinewood. That's the face you have at least. Am I right?"
Neville nodded dumbly.
The sorting ended as Galena Yasaman became a Hufflepuff. Professor McGonagall took the stool and hat and walked away.
Dumbledore rose, "I'm sure you're all as hungry as I am so on with the feast and we'll save announcements for later!"
Harry turned back to the discussion they'd been having. He was quite interested; he realized that must be Neville's mother's maiden name. "Just who are you to know so much about the rest of us?"
"I already told you, didn't I?" he sounded surprised. "I'm Marcus Hundus. Never heard the name?" No one responded. "That's all right, family lives a bit a ways off. My mother's name was Prewette if that helps to jog any memories."
Harry nearly choked on his chicken and the reactions of Ron and Hermione were nearly the same. "Did you say 'Prewette'?"
"Yeah. That's right."
Ron asked, "I bet you were shocked to see your cousin end up in Slytherin."
"Cousin?" He sounded confused. "Haven't got any cousins. My mother's brothers both died years ago. I'd say about 15 years ago, so I never met them. You must mean my sister Muriel. We're twins."
Ron repeated, "Did it surprise you that she was in Slytherin? That's where the mean ones go."
Marcus blinked. "Hardly. The brains go to Ravenclaw. Real strength of character and loyalty go to Hufflepuff. The real reckless ones are in Gryffindor. And the ambitious ones are in Slytherin. Oh don't look so surprised. Pure-Blood family and we've had people in every house. Believe me, the Slytherins aren't all evil. I know some of them are but I'm just as positive that there have been rotten ones in every house. Slytherin just gets most of them because the Slytherin house stands for ambition and cunning. Slytherins are the ones that are so ambitious often that they don't care who they hurt on their way to getting what they want. That's why Slytherins have a bad rep."
There was really no proper response to something like this.
Fortunately for Harry and his friends, Marcus began chatting amiably with a girl next to him.
Harry had been keeping count during the sorting and the same number went to every house. He wondered if anyone else noticed.
"It seemed nearly the same number went to every house," said Hermione.
"Not nearly. I was counting. It was dead even," said Harry.