Malfoy Manor had been no country cottage. It was gracefully built, equal parts intimidating and beautiful in a cold way, full of history and regality.

But Hogwarts Castle far outshone it.

Evanna, with her dark hair and taciturn demeanor had always felt somewhat out of place among her family, but looking on the flying turrets of Hogwarts, she felt she had somehow only just come home. It was a strange feeling, but one she felt she would soon become accustomed to. Ginny, Luna, and Bridget were gazing with just as much wonderment as she when a mountain of a man began shouting.

"Four teh a boat!" he called over the heads of milling first years. "First years, this way! Don' wanna miss the Sortin'!"

"C'mon you lot," Ginny said, grabbing Evanna and Luna by the wrist and gesturing for Evanna to grab onto Bridget. The four girls all clambered into the boat together and it set off almost at once, sending an unsuspecting Bridget tumbling forward into Ginny.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

But, no one responded as they got a fuller view of the castle, great winged boars sitting on either side of the gates, windows shining with a merry light. Evanna ignored the others as one of their yearmates fell in the lake, prefering to study her new home. She was the first to leap out of the small boat when it landed on the rocky shore.

"This way!" called the huge man again. He lead the nervous first years into a sort of antechamber, where a strict looking woman in tartan was waiting with a scroll in her hands.

Little fools.

Evanna was startled by the thought and narrowed her eyes at the woman, who seemed to be itching to get away from the first years.

"If you all will get into a line, we will be entering the Great Hall in just a moment," the woman said with a crisp Scottish accent. The first years pressed into each other, making more of a blob than a line. "If I can have your attention!"

The chatter stopped immediately. Evanna felt rather sorry for whoever had managed to annoy this woman.

"My name is Professor McGonagall and I am the Deputy Headmistress of this school," she began. Evanna remembered Draco complaining loudly about Professor McGonagall: she was also the Head of House for Gryffindor. "When you walk through these doors, you will be Sorted into one of four great Houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin. I trust you will all be a credit to your House, which will be like your family during your seven years here at Hogwarts."

As soon as the woman turned her back, there was a murmuring throughout the crowd.

"I had heard Harry Potter was here, but I never saw him on the train-"

"My brother said he faced a three-headed dog last year-"

"-bet he's not all he's cracked up to be-"

"-any idea on how we get Sorted-"

"-bound to be a test of some sort to get into Ravenclaw-"

"Hmm," Luna said dreamily as she looked up at the ceiling beams. "I wonder if the caretaker knows that there is such a large infestation of wrackspurts in the Entrance Hall?"

Bridget caught Evanna's eyes and the two girls had to quickly look away from each other to keep from dissolving into giggles.

Within a few moments, Professor McGonagall was leading them into the Great Hall. Evanna looked around in amazement; the ceiling faded away above her into twinkling stars and at the front of the Hall were four giant hourglasses, full of rubies, sapphires, diamonds, and emeralds. But, in seeming contrast to all the grandeur, at the front of the hall sat a tattered old wizard's hat on a three-legged stool. And it was singing.

"They couldn't think of any better way to Sort us?" Evanna muttered to Ginny, appalled by the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. The redhaired girl snorted and tried to cover it with a cough before stretching up on her toes.

"I can't find them," she said.

"Who?"

"My brother and Harry."

Evanna looked around the Hall before her eyes landed on a clump of redhaired boys.

"Are they not related to you?" she asked bluntly.

"Well, they are, but I'm looking for Ron, the youngest of my brothers and his friend, Harry Potter."

Ginny said the last of this with a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Well-"

"Shh! It's Luna's turn!" Bridget said harshly to them. Evanna watched interestedly as the blonde drifted up to the front of the hall and took a seat on the stool before McGonagall plopped the hat onto her head. It came down over her eyes, though Luna didn't seem to mind. She spent several moments there, swaying her legs nonchalantly and when the Hat finally called out "Ravenclaw!" Evanna fancied that it sounded rather exasperated.

"Malfoy, Evanna!"

"It's your turn!" Ginny whispered. "Good luck on getting out of Slytherin," she added with a wink. Earlier on the train, the girls in the compartment had all began telling stories about how for generations each of their families had stayed in one House, Bridget being the only exception.

"Me da' is a Slytherin, most o' 'is family is, with a few Ravenclaws" she had said. "But, me mum was a Hufflepuff, and all o' 'em have been for centuries."

Evanna took a deep breath, bracing herself. She knew that this moment would make or break her. Either she became a Slytherin, as was expected of her, and remained under her father's thumb forever or she broke away and became something new. Even if her father made her life miserable for it.

With shaking legs, Evanna walked forward, taking her seat on the stool. She tensed at McGonagall's somewhat questioning look, and then the Hat lowered over her eyes.

"Well, two in a row," a voice said in her ear.

"What are on about?" she snapped, nerves making her patience short.

"Never mind, it's not as if you know," it said silkily. "Sometimes what a person doesn't know is far more interesting than what they do-"

"Well I know how to do spells that would quite take care of a Hat-"

"Yes, you do-there really is only one place for me to put you, with your ancestry, your knowledge, your determina-"

"NO!"

A/N: Amazing what having a bit of free time can do for your writing. Any predictions on where she will end up?