Disclaimer: I do not own J.K's brainchildren....but I am their minion eh hehe. -coughinsanecough- I do own Paine and Rose though and they are my precioussss. :)

An Unusual Sorting

The journey to Hogwarts was the usual. Harry bought some food to share from the trolley which included a number of Chocolate frogs, Pumpkin pasties and Cauldron cakes. Ron and Harry spent most of the time talking about the upcoming Quiddich season. Hermione was reading 'Numbers have Power' already getting ahead in Arithmancy. Neville and Ginny were playing with Pig who wasn't quite as excitable but still loved the attention he was getting. And Luna (who had also managed to squeeze into their compartment) was once again reading The Quibbler. She was sitting cross legged on the floor and would occasionally burst out laughing making everyone jump.

Malfoy only intruded on them once and everyone in the compartment had their wands pointed at him, Crabbe and Goyle (except Luna, who was oblivious) so fast he didn't even have time to say a word.

' I would get out of here if I were you Malfoy,' Hermione said smiling sweetly.

So Draco, being no fool, disappeared again taking his lackeys with him.

' That was brilliant!' Ron enthused with a big grin.

' Very cool!' Ginny agreed.

' I'm going for a walk,' Luna announced dreamily and left.

' Do you think we should go after her?' Harry asked worried.

' Nah! Now we've got more leg room.'

' Ron!' Hermione said disapprovingly.

' Don't worry. She'll be fine,' Ginny said placating her.

Luna wandered around the train for a while until she had forgotten why she had left. Catching sight of what look like an empty compartment she opened the door....only to find it occupied. Rose and Paine looked up from their books.

' Are you looking for someone?' Rose asked.

' No...' Luna said, not sounding entirely convinced. After a lengthy pause in which no one said or did anything, Rose asked finally;

' Would you like to join us?'

' That would be pleasant, thank you. I'm Luna Lovegood.'

' It's nice to meet you Luna, my name is Rose and this is my friend Paine Haze,' Rose said indicating her companion. Paine inclined his head and then went back to reading.

' That's a very old name isn't it?' Luna commented. Completely missing the fact that Rose, once again, had chosen not to disclose her last name. Luna started reading again and was once more lost to the world.

' You know when we get to Hogwarts you're going to have to stop doing that,' Paine said not looking up from his book entitled 'Muses, legends and sources of inspiration'.

' What?' Rose protested innocently.

' What are you going to do when you're sorted?' Paine asked ignoring her act.

' Then I'll explain myself. But until then, I'm enjoying the time alone.'

' But you're not alone. We're never alone,' Luna said smiling.

HpHpHp

Harry was glad when leaving the train he heard Hagrid's familiar cry of ' firs'-years this way....firs'-years over 'ere...' He gave Hagrid a wave when he had caught his eye, which was returned with a grin. He waited by a carriage with his luggage and waited for Hermione and Ron. Ginny came to wait with him and started putting their animals in the carriage, while the coachman loaded their luggage on the back, then she spotted her brother and his crush arriving.

' That bloody Parkinson cow....' Hermione was muttering.

' Don't ask,' Ron said when Harry opened his mouth. He promptly shut it again. Instead after a glance around he asked about Luna.

' Oh she's alright,' Hermione said. ' I saw her get into a carriage with a couple of students I didn't recognise, but she looked fine.'

This Luna had indeed done, but not before she and Rose had petted the Thestrals pulling their coach.

As the friends entered the Great Hall Harry felt like he had come home. The star speckled ceiling showed a clear night sky. The four long house tables were starting to fill with students eagerly chatting or admiring one another's new looks. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan were already seated and waved them over to sit down. The candles floating in the middle of the tables cast a warm glow and Harry suddenly wondered why the tables were never spotted with a drop of wax. Ginny drifted further down the table with some of her now fifth year friends.

' Oh look!' Hermione said delightedly. ' Moony's teaching again!'

' Brilliant! Bet that'll annoy Snape!' Ron said happily. Sure enough, at the staff table 'Professor' Lupin was being given a seething glare by the Potion's Master.

Meanwhile in the Entrance Hall where the first years were gathered, Paine and Rose were feeling a little lost. As they technically weren't first years they hadn't gone in the boats across the lake. But since they also hadn't attended Hogwarts in previous years they had yet to be sorted. Hagrid, who was standing at the back of the group noticed them and made his way over.

' Well, either you're very tall firs'-years or you're the two Dumbledore told me 'ad transferred o'er,' he said grinning down at them.

' Uhm...yes thank you...you'll be Hagrid?' Rose asked, a little intimidated.

' Yup tha's me. You'll be wantin' to go with the firs'-years now,' he said giving Paine and Rose another grin.

' Thank you,' Paine said and then followed the other children.

As Hagrid watched them go he said to himself, ' Nice kids,.....very polite.'

Both 'kids' felt quite odd standing at the back of the group, being so much older. The Great Hall hushed and Professor McGonagall stepped forward and set the stool with the Sorting Hat on it down. The whole school was silent and then as expected the Hat began it's new song.

When first began, this school of ours,
The world was yet united.
Our founding four were closely knit,
They thought never to be divided.
To build, teach and pass along,
The knowledge that they'd hoarded,
Was what these wizards thought to do
In our school they claimed and ordered.
Each of the four prepared to teach,
The ones they found deserving.
But torn apart by their ideals,
They split the pupils winning;
The chivalrous and the daring
On these Gryffindor laid his favor.
On those astute and quick of mind,
Ravenclaw bestowed her labor.
For Slytherin the pure of blood,
And cunning minds were earning,
The secrets learnt on his long years.
His lore they set to learning.
Sweet Hufflepuff taught all who asked.
Knowledge was a thing to share.
And those that really made an effort,
Were those that she held dear.
All was not to go to plan.
But for years they had some luck.
Until fear started seeping in,
And discord ran amok.
The threads of friendships untied,
I'm very sad to say.
Torn apart from within.
Slytherin left one dreadful day.
Gryffindor upheld the tradition,
So once more I'm sitting here.
Though I feel it is a shame,
To split you up over the year.
For students that are older,
You may have heard before.
But I'll warn you yet again,
Don't let dissension through your door.
Stay united, keep bonds strong,
As ruin beckons nearer.
We must all stick together,
To get through this dark era.

As the tear in the Sorting Hat's brim closed, silence remained. Though this time it was eerie. Last year the Hat had warned them, this year it felt foreboding. Professor McGonagall recovered herself visibly and then started calling out the names.

LONG, Laura

RAVENCLAW!

Ravenclaw table clapped politely.

THYME, Julian

GRYFFINDOR!

Again polite applause this time a little louder as Julian happily sat down at Gryffindor table. This continued down the list of names but mutters were soon spreading

' Wow...' Hermione said.

' Yeah! You said it Mione,' Ron mumbled.

' That was a bit disturbing wasn't it?' she said, more as a rhetorical question than anything else.

BLOODBANE, Eric

SLYTHERIN!

MURPHY, Iris

HUFFLEPUFF!

Harry was both slightly stunned and unsettled but the Hat's frank warning, It certainly hadn't tried to dull down or cover up how bad things had gotten. He thought that he could stay strong in his friendships but he wasn't entirely convinced that was what the Hat had been talking about. Harry glanced over at the Slytherin table, noticing the slightly dwindling numbers. He wondered how many of them were supposed to be becoming Deatheaters and what had happened to those Slytherins who hadn't shown. Had they joined Voldemort? Maybe they were dead, he thought hopefully and then shocked, rebuked himself. He snapped back to reality when Ron poked him in the side.

'Ow.. What did you do that for?'

' Look! Transfers,' Ron hissed pointing at the figures.

' They might be in our year,' Hermione commented. ' Professor Lupin said that there might be a few this year.'

' A few's right,' Ron affirmed. ' Only two!'

Professor McGonagall started to speak, holding up a hand to quiet the muffled talk.

' These two students will be joining us from Durmstrung-'

' Wonder why?' Ron said sarcastically and Hermione poked him to shut him up.

' -so I expect you all to make them feel welcome.'

LUPIN, Rose

WHAT?!' Both Ron, Harry and Hermione gasped simultaneously. Harry recognised her as the girl he had seen in Madam Malkin's and Ollivander's and his brain registered that maybe her odd look had been for another reason. Across the hall Draco Malfoy also gasped. It made sense now why she'd seemed to know about him, she must be related to Professor Lupin and had heard from him.

Rose walked like she was doomed and sat putting the hat on her head.

' What now?' she thought.

Now is when I see what you should be.... the Hat replied.
Hmmm...difficult.... you seem to have a few Gryffindorian and Slytherin traits but not strong enough noo ...
Ahhh... a fine mind and love of knowledge. Perfect for...

RAVENCLAW!

Feeling like she'd just been interrogated Rose walked to the Ravenclaw table and sat on the end by the girl, Luna, she'd met on the train. Odd that one, she thought fondly, looking at the misty girl, but I like her. She then turned to watch Paine.

HAZE, Paine

Paine having waited decidedly long enough, strode forward purposefully to the stool and sat, grumpily placing the Hat on his head. He hated how they'd left them till last.

Hate hmmm....? The voice of the hat said in his ear.
You have a quick and vengeful temper alright... reserved...cunning.... what do you think? The Hat asked. Paine already knew the answer before it yelled;

SLYTHERIN!

Paine jerked the Hat off and stalked over to the Slytherin table (reminding several watching students of Professor Snape) and sat opposite Malfoy.

' Well that must bite,' Draco drawled smirking.

' What?'

' Not being with your girl- sorry, friend.'

'Shove it Malfoy!' Paine muttered angrily. Unfortunately Malfoy hit a little too close to home.

Thanks goes to my beta Nat.
Just a few notes:

You may have noticed that Paine and Rose weren't called in the usual alphabetical order....I kind of forgot about that.

A HUGE congratulations to J.K for being amazingly brainy coming up with three Sorting Hat songs that are unique, make sense and fun! I had an incredible time trying to make mine work and it still is a bit iffy here and there.

Hope you enjoyed and pleeeease review so I know somebody is actually reading my stuff.