Disclaimer: I just want one. Please. No huh.
The Sorting
They had all gathered in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, and Harry could see that Horace Slughorn was no longer at the staff table. He wondered if maybe the man had finally raised the courage to leave and go into hiding as he had suggested upon his first meeting with Harry. Harry hoped that this would be the case. He had never particularly liked the teacher.
But his attention was turned to the stool placed in front of the staff table. Upon the stool sat a worn and patched wizards hat, which Harry knew to be the Sorting Hat. He sat patiently as the hat sung it's newest song, but paid little attention to what it was saying. For three years now it had expounded the needs of the four Hogwarts houses to band together in unity to face the dark times ahead. Harry showed no interest this year in the song though. His mind was too preoccupied with going over all of the events of the past three years. He knew that Dumbledore would never give up looking for the remaining Horcruxs' and it was his responsibility to aid Dumbledore in this task, as best he could.
After the sorting hat was finished with the new first years Harry was surprised to see that it was not removed from the room yet. Albus Dumbledore stood and called for silence. "My dear students. You know that I am not one to delay when there is good food to partake of, but I have two more tasks to attend to before we begin the feast. Firstly, Professor Snape has agreed with me that his services will be of better use returning to the post of Potions Master, which has been left empty by the absence of Professor Slughorn who has retired for good this time, he tells me. And that leaves us yet again with the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher open. A good friend of mine, who is a very capable Auror, Nymphadora Tonks, has agreed to fill the post for this year." At that moment they could see Tonks entering through a door behind the staff table. Her bright pink hair and brilliant purple robes drew the attention of all present.
Harry looked to Ron and Hermione who looked just as shocked as he was. "Tonks, a Professor." He said incredulously. Tonks was no child, but neither was she an old and wizened wizard as the other Professors had all seemed. Ron just shrugged, and Hermione beamed.
"I think she'd make a wonderful Professor." She admitted, looking to the Staff table and giving Tonks a small wave. Tonks noticed and waved back, then promptly knocked over a water goblet.
"And the second order of business is the fact that we have a new student, who is a transfer from Beauxbatons Academy. I know it is very odd for schools to accept transfers, but I would like you all to welcome her." At those words a dark haired girl appeared from the door that the first years had entered through. She was dressed in Hogwarts robes, and Harry guessed that she must be at least a fifth or sixth year student. Her dark hair hung in waves half way down her back, and she had a rather pleasant face, and brilliant emerald green eyes.
"Students, this is Valissa Malfoy, and she will be a sixth year student here." Dumbledore continued, but at the name the hall erupted in whispers. Harry's eyes went wide and he looked towards the Slytherin table where Draco was staring back at him with a smug look. He stood and did something that shocked Harry. He turned towards the girl standing at the front of the room and bowed low showing respect.
Harry saw that the girl turned bright red at his action. She mouthed the words. "Stop, Draco." And then looked down in embarrassment.
"Quiet, quiet." Dumbledore said raising his hands. "Please, before the questions start flying, I will tell you that Valissa is Draco Malfoy's sister. Now you can gossip among yourselves later. Miss Malfoy needs to be sorted."
A loud snort was heard from the Slytherin table where Draco had resumed his seat sitting backwards and lounging against the table. "That is a waste of time, Dumbledore. You know that all Malfoys end up in Slytherin."
"Draco, silence." Snape bellowed from the staff table. Draco immediately closed his mouth, but his scowl deepened at being called down by the head of Slytherin House.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy, but it is tradition that all new students to Hogwarts are sorted." Dumbledore said smiling at the scowling teenager. "Now, Miss Malfoy, please take a seat on the stool and place the sorting hat upon your head."
The students all watched the young lady as she slowly sat and placed the sorting hat upon her head. Only the girl could hear the hat's voice as it discussed with itself what house to place her in. "Very interesting." The hat started. "Intelligence you have. And bravery. Very good traits, which are seen in both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. But I also see loyalty. Now that is a trait most seen in Hufflepuff. But then again cunning you also possess. That is a Slytherin quality. Where to put you." The hat deliberated with itself.
"Excuse me, but I thought all Malfoys ended up in Slytherin. That's what my brother told me." She answered politely.
"Yes, my dear, they usually do. But…." The hat paused, and then shouted out, "Gryffindor."
You could have heard a pin drop in the room. The girl turned to Draco who was gaping in surprise. But soon he wasn't gaping, but had stood and was stalking straight towards the front of the room. "This is outrageous." He bellowed when he stood directly in front of the staff table.
No one else in the Great Hall made a sound. Even Ron was at a loss for words.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy, but the sorting hat is not to be questioned. If it says your sister belongs in Gryffindor, then she will be placed in Gryffindor." Dumbledore said calmly not showing any anger at the outburst.
"If my father were here, you would not get away with this." Draco said petulantly.
"Mr. Malfoy." Snape said angrily.
Dumbledore continued as if Snape had never spoken. "Well your father is not here, Mr. Malfoy. So you will have to make do with what is offered."
"This school is a joke." Malfoy said in disgust. "And you are a senile old man, Dumbledore."
"Draco." Snape said rising and began to circle the table.
But the girl, who had been standing quietly to the side holding the sorting hat, approached him first. She dropped the hat to the stool, and stepped up to Draco's side. "Draco, don't do this." She whispered. He turned to her and she could see the rage in his eyes. "It will work out, brother. Please, your anger serves no purpose now." She continued taking one of his hands in her own.
Dumbledore had motioned for the food to appear, hoping that the students would be distracted enough to give the staff and two students privacy.
The anger faded slightly at the touch of her hand. "But you are my sister. You are not a Gryffindor." He said shaking slightly.
"I can be both, Draco. Please this is our home now. We must make the best of it." She whispered back.
At that point Severus had made his way to where Draco stood. He immediately grasped Draco's arm, and pulled him around facing him. "You will apologize to the Headmaster."
"Severus, I understand the boy's frustration." Dumbledore said quietly.
"It is still inexcusable. Draco." Snape said his face red with anger.
Draco looked at Dumbledore with a sneer on his face, but Snape shook him slightly. The sneer disappeared. "I apologize." He said between gritted teeth.
"Now. Go to your common room, Mr. Malfoy. A meal will be sent to you." Snape ordered thinking it best to remove the boy from the room.
"Don't bother. I've lost my appetite." Draco said turning away from them and stalking from the room. Valissa watched her brother go, and was disappointed that her first day at Hogwarts, was going so wrong. She wanted to go after him. But knew that Professor Snape would not approve. So she instead turned and walked to the Gryffindor table and took the last seat on the end staring down at the empty plate in front of her. Before the sorting she had been terribly hungry, but her hunger had faded, and she only wished for the feast to be done.
The Gryffindors surrounding her did not speak to her, but instead whispered to each other. She did not pay attention to the others, as she was lost in her own thoughts.
Harry, Ron and Hermione had watched the entire exchange, and were all staring at the girl. "That's horrible." Hermione broke the silence.
"You can say that again." Ron agreed. "Now we got a Slytherin spy in our house." He added scowling at the new girl.
"Ron, that's not what I was getting at." Hermione chided him. "Everyone's talking about her, and won't talk to her. It's not her fault she's a Malfoy."
"Are you cracked? You feel sorry for her. She's Draco's sister, Hermione. You saw that touching scene up there. She'll tell him everything we say." Ron said disgustedly.
"Ron, she was trying to calm him, to diffuse the situation. She was being very practical. How can you judge her, without ever speaking to her?" Hermione argued.
"The same way the Malfoys always judge my family." Ron said coldly.
"That's exactly why I would expect you to be above that sort of behavior, Ron. Tell him I'm right, Harry." Hermione turned to Harry, who was staring at the girl.
"What, Hermione? Sorry I was just thinking." Harry said turning to his friends.
"Tell Ron that he shouldn't judge everyone by their family." Hermione said scowling at Ron.
Harry thought of Sirius, whose entire family had been purebloods and hated anyone not like them. But Sirius had not been that way. He had been a friend to Harry's mother who was from a muggle family. "No, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover." He decided. "But maybe we should keep an eye on her, until we see what she's like."
"If you think so, Harry. But I can tell you, she'll be no different than her brother, when it's all said and done." Ron warned.
Hermione was furious. She looked Ron square in the eye and said something sure to get his goat. "Well, if we go by your theory, then that makes you no different than Percy, now does it."
"That's cold, Hermione." Ron said with a disgusted look on his face.
"Just keep an open mind, okay Ron." Harry asked staring back at the girl who was twirling a fork on her empty plate.