Finally… the Sorting!
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The trio had not been sorted yet, having requested to be sorted with the other first years for the sake of not standing out more than was necessary due to their names. The small group of new friends, quickly made on the three-hour train ride, walked together and noticed that there was a small clear area around them as they entered the hall they were to wait in. The trio from the streets were used to such behavior. Virginia and Hermione saw how at ease the trio was with it, and took their cue from them. Autumn noticed the other carrot top among the first years making his way towards him. Autumn was anticipating the drama about to ensue.
"Ginny who are your friends?" Ronald approached his little sister with a look of disdain towards her, and a look of suspicion for the others. His eyes landed on Hermione. "Hey! You're that bossy chit from the train!" The group moved closer to the bushy-haired girl with the look of hurt on her face. Autumn piped up at his comment.
"And you're a redheaded gorilla Ronald Weasley." The glare Autumn received for that would probably frightened someone who hadn't spent her entire life on the streets, giving much worse than that. As it were, Autumn cracked a smirk that did make Ronald back off a half a step.
"Well Ginny? Are you going to answer me?" Virginia was surprised that her brother had yet to notice the resemblance between herself and her twin.
"This is Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Harry, and Autumn." Ginny noticed two things as she finished her sentence. Ronald had not noticed her omission of two last names, and that his face had gone red with rage over the Malfoy name.
"You're hanging out with a Malfoy? Ginny you know what the git's father is! How can you befriend someone like that?? I forbid you to hang out with him and his friends. No doubt they'll be Slytherin." Ronald finished his statement looking smug. Up until that point the group was pretty much ignored. That changed with Ronald said that. Or rather, Virginia's reaction changed what attention they were getting.
"How dare you Ronald Weasley? You are not Mum or Dad! You cannot tell me what to do. I will be a friend to whom I please and you'd do best to remember that!" At that point most of the others snickered and Professor McGonagall came up to investigate the problem.
"Is there a problem here children?" When the group shook their heads no, McGonagall nodded. "Then you'd best listen then, shan't you? Now, as I was saying. I will call your name and you will go up on stage and sit on the stool. I will place the Sorting Hat upon your head and it will place you in your house. There are four houses. Slytherin, for the cunning. Gryffindor, for the brave. Hufflepuff for the loyal, and Ravenclaw for the academically inclined. While you are here your house will be your family. You will eat with them, sleep with them, and take classes with them. Now if you will form at least a semi organized line, we will move into the Great Hall and get started." McGonagall lead the awed students through a pair of large doors. Even Harry and Autumn were in awe of the ceiling, despite the fact that they'd be there for about a month. Their awe with the place just never seemed to end, and they wondered if it ever would.
Some random names were called and each house had been represented. Autumn figured she'd do better to pay attention when she saw Hermione head up. The girl was nervous, obviously so. Autumn and Virginia grinned when the ragged hat hollered out "Gryffindor!"
"Neville Longbottom…" … … … "Gryffindor!"
"Luna Lovegood…" … … … "Ravenclaw!"
"Draco Malfoy…" … … … "Slytherin!" The Slytherin table stood and applauded, none really aware of Draco's absences from his home for the past year.
"Harry Potter…" The students seemed to gasp as one, and murmuring started up as the hat took its time. Finally, after what seemed to be forever, the hat shouted its decision and the hall fell silent. Harry gracefully walked towards his table. Finally the Slytherins broke out in applause. The hat's decision still seemed to echo … "SLYTHERIN!" But McGonagall continued down her list.
"Pansy Parkinson…" … … … "Slytherin!"
"Ronald Weasley…" … … … "Gryffindor!"
"Virginia Weasley…" … … … "Gryffindor!"
"Autumn Weasley…" Again the hall fell silent for that name was almost as famous as Harry Potter. Autumn gracefully approached the stool and sat down as if she were taking her place on a throne. As the hat lowered towards her head, she noticed the five Weasleys' attention focused on her. Virginia was smiling; Percival, George, Fred, and Ronald were in openmouthed shock. They knew about their sister…but never expected seeing her, ever. The hat shouted out its decision… "SLYTHERIN!" and Autumn moved to join her boys, winking at Virginia along the way and drinking in her elder brothers' shock. The rest of the Sorting moved on, each house gaining a few more people, but the Weasleys, nor the formed group really heard it.
Dumbledore gave his speech, "Forbidden Forrest to all students…Filch has a list of forbidden objects(pointed look at elder pair of red-headed twins)…Let the Feast Begin!" Autumn, Draco, and Harry finished their meal and waited for the house Perfects to move them out. They followed until they reached the hall that broke off to their rooms and quietly slipped away. Shadow lived up to his name, and his companions followed him to their rooms. They randomly picked one of their rooms to crash in and quickly fell asleep, not looking forward to the hustle and bustle the next day would bring.
Percival lead the first year Gryffs up to their room and to the Fat Lady's portrait. The lady grinned jovially and requested the password. "Gobblygook candy" and she swung open on well-oiled hinges. Hermione and Virginia hung away from the others slightly, but quickly went up to the dorm. Upon discovering that their beds were on opposite sides of the room, Virginia quickly switched her things to the bed next to Hermione's using a charm her mother used to move furniture in her home. The girls quietly chatted about the coming day, deciding to talk to the trio about eating meals together maybe alternated tables. The two girls weren't sure how that would go over, but it was worth a try for that house rivalry was just plain ridiculous. Four boys burst into the dorm and descended upon Virginia.
"I say! You were talking with the girl, and did you know??" Percy was first.
"Why is she with a Malfoy and…" Fred and George "…in Slytherin house? Where has she been?"
"So she's here a year early too? This was supposed to be my year! And She's in Slytherin! How disgusting!" Obviously that was Ron. His siblings turned to look at him.
"It doesn't matter what house she's in! She's our sister! And will you get off the subject of them stealing your year!!" Fred and George scolded their brother.
"Yes, well be that as it may," Percy took his glasses off and cleaned them with a rag. "Mum and Dad will want to know. I wonder why Professor Dumbledore has yet to inform them. I will ask in the morning. Ginny could you kindly answer our question?"
Virginia crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her brothers. "Yes I knew. I knew as soon as I saw her. She is with Draco and Harry because they both have been with her this past year. I suppose her being in Slytherin has something do to with the cunning she needed to survive her entire life. She has been on the streets of Muggle London since we were three. And RONALD I assume that she is the reason we both are hear a year early and with the way you are acting I'd much prefer Slytherin to a house that holds such bigoted gits like you! Now I'm sorry that we had to come during YOUR year… actually I'm not sorry. This is the Girls Dorm. All of you get out…. Now. Thank you." Virginia was just a little mad with her brothers.
"Oh! And don't tell Mum or Dad. Autumn wants to do that after she gets used to this world and school, and us. Don't ruin that for her, or you'll regret it." Virginia added that parting shot as the boys sulked out of the dorm as the girls trickled in and found their beds. The roar of chatter increased and Virginia and Hermione said good night and settled down in their beds as any talking would be fruitless among this chatter.
The next morning the small group met up outside the Great Hall a few minutes early via an unspoken agreement. Virginia and Autumn hugged and giggled about their elder brothers. Hermione had her head buried in a book, quietly ignoring the two boys leaning against each other their hands intertwined and the set of twins. They had a few minutes before breakfast began. They had decided on the train that they would set together at meals and alternate which table they sat at, regardless the reactions of others. As far as Virginia and Hermione were concerned the original trio could easily hold of their house without trouble. Both Draco and Harry because of their fame, and Autumn because – well, because she could easily take down the toughest of 7th years. The Gryffindors simply wouldn't attack them, being far to bound by their honor and the like. The only Gryff that even raised question was Ronald and Autumn and Virginia could easily shoot him down, if their other brothers didn't get there first. However, the children would sit at their separate tables for the first few weeks, allowing their own house to get to know them. Once everything was settled in and the like, the group would make it clear that they were friends and no one had any say.
A dark teacher hid in the shadows, watching the children carefully. He saw the close friendship the group would form, the undying loyalty they would share, and closeness they had – a closeness that transcended house rivarlies. Just like a certain group had in his own school years, before his father forced him to join the ranks of a sadistic bastard – the wizarding world's Adolf Hitler or Joseph Stalin – and before a certain rat did what even he hadn't done, betrayed a best friend. But the man in the shadows knew he wouldn't let these children fall into such a state of distrust and betrayal as had his group… a group that had depended on him to keep them together, a dependency that led to the death of two, the imprisonment of another, and leading yet another to a dark place he had no wish to be. Alas, he couldn't let those children know what he'd worked so hard to hide. It would ruin all they were doing to stop an evil and powerful man's return, as both his greatest enemy and one of those in his inner circle felt he would do now that his defeater returned to the wizarding world.
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I apoligize for the long wait.. honest! But it's spring break an maybe (and I do stress the MAYBE) I can get some stuff on my stories done. I also am aware that this chapter is short compared to the others… shush!!
Ciao! dkTyga