This is the next chapter. Please read and review, love Hannah xxx
Severus joined the rest of the staff at the table still reeling about the outcome of the trial of Sirius. He had momentarily forgotten about Heidi but now that he remembered her and who her father had been his trade mark sneer reappeared on his face. He sure hoped she wasn't sorted into his house. The other staff were highly excited about her arrival none more so then Filius who was bouncing up and down in his seat with barely contained rage. The train finally pulled into the station with Hagrid calling all the first years to him and shining his large lantern so they could easily see him. Hagrid however was not watching where he was going and fell over someone's trunk landing on top of the wall there where he smashed his face moaning and passed out from the pain. While everyone else was rushing off to the school the freaked out first years were waiting for someone to come and get them. Minerva was waiting at the school impatiently and was furious that Hagrid was taking so long.
She left the castle at once and headed for the station shocked to find him passed out and the cold and shivering first years waiting there for someone.
"Hello everyone I am Professor McGonagall and welcome to Hogwarts. This here is Hagrid our groundskeeper and it usually his job to bring you all to the school can anyone tell me what happened to him and why he's passed out?" she asked them all as a small girl who was actually crying raised her hand shakily.
"It was my fault ma'am. I couldn't control my trunk because it was heavy and dropped it on the ground. I didn't see him and when he came over this way he fell over it and passed out on that wall there. I'm so sorry!" she said wiping her nose with a tissue as Minerva got down to her level and took her hands gently looking her in the eyes.
"Mr Hagrid gets very clumsy when he is exceptionally excited as he probably was for the arrival of Heidi Potter this year. It is not your fault at all but his own. Do not worry my child. Come this way and we'll get you to school. I'll just revive him before we go!" she said reviving Hagrid who looked highly confused and went at once to the hospital wing at school.
"Sorry ma'am but Heidi Potter was not on board. I know because I searched every compartment for her looking to be her friend and I couldn't find her anywhere!" Hermione said as Minerva gave her a weird look no one could read.
"That was not wise. You should not have done that. People like to relax on the train journey to and from school and they don't need someone coming into each compartment asking if Heidi Potter is there now do they? Next time please have some sense ok? No follow me everyone down here please!" she said leading them down to the boats where they lined up facing her in a neat line.
"Ok now these boats will carry you to school as they do for all first years. Please get in carefully now and only four per boat. I will be behind you so we can all be sure we arrive there safely. Off you go now!" she instructed calmly as they all entered the boats. She said forward and the boats all moved at a steady pace. Heidi got her first glimpse of the school once more and smiled. It was good to be home. As the boats moved underneath he cave finally docking themselves the students carefully got out. A nervous Neville Longbottom almost fell in but Minerva managed to catch him before he could. He had his own wand from the start this time as his fathers had accidentally been broken by a clumsy house elf. Augusta had found that totally heart breaking and had set the elf free much to the horror of Neville. She claimed the stupid elf deserved it for her insolence shocked when he asked the elf to come and work personally for just him. Lolly was happy and relieved to have her life saved. He thanked Minerva and straightened himself up. Minerva stood upright then facing them all as they climbed to the top of the stairs standing in front of her.
"As I said earlier on welcome to the school. In this school we are sorted into four school houses. They are Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Despite what others may have said you only put on the sorting hat to be sorted into your houses. Whichever house you get into you must treat like a family. Every good deed earns you house points and every bad one loses you house points. At the end of the year the house counter which has the most house points in it wins the coveted house cup. This is a real honour. Each of the houses has their own set traits and rules which are unique to them. I will get the sorting hat and return for you. While I'm gone straighten yourselves up!" she said eyeing Ron who blushed. Hermione had told him he had dirt on his nose before and he'd shouted at her calling her a stupid bint. Now it seemed she was right. Draco Malfoy started to insult Ron which ended up in him being punched in the face. Minerva returned furious at what she was seeing.
"What in Merlins name happened here?" she asked seriously as Susan spoke up.
"Mr Malfoy there decided to tease and goad Mr Weasley so much with insult after insult until Mr Weasley snapped punching him. Mr Weasley should not have punched him at all but speaking the way he was something was bound to happen to him!" she answered sensibly as Minerva looked at her and nodded.
"Thank you Miss Bones. As for the two of you, you will both receive detention with me all of next week. Mr Malfoy you will watch your mouth and Mr Weasley you will watch your temper. Anyhow we're ready for you now so we'll enter the hall!" she said waving her wand and healing Draco's nose whilst making sure he realised he was not right and that she did not have sympathy for him. He was horrified to look around and see that none of his peers did either. That wasn't fair at all. I mean he'd not known he was going to be punched had he?
The two double doors leading to the great hall were thrust open as everyone entered. However soon enough everyone's attention was removed from the first years and placed firmly at the Slytherin table which had started to glow a pure white colour. No one anywhere could understand why and even Snape looked stunned. This had never happened before. Dumbledore was miffed that Slytherin of all things was getting all of the attention all of a sudden and cleared his throat loudly but no one anywhere looked at him or even seemed to care or notice him at all right now. When the glow left the table everyone was further stunned as the normal ware was now gone completely and replaced with Slytherin himself's own ware. Golden platters and jade goblets with snakes on it were seen all up and down the table now. Everything was trimmed in gold and silver and looked positively regal. The rest of the school looked down at their ordinary dining ware with a frown. Suddenly the same thing happened at the Hufflepuff table too and then it was all over. Neither Gryffindor or Ravenclaw got anything however they didn't mind that. They just wanted Heidi Potter and now. Who cared what happened in the snakes den or Badgers Sett.
Everyone walked forward lining up as instructed. "Now I will call your names out. You will come forward one by one and I will place the sorting hat on your head. It will tell us all after a period of time where you will be sorted. The first person is Hannah Abbott!" she instructed as Hannah walked forward confidently. The hat was placed on her head and soon enough shouted out Hufflepuff. Ron went next and the hat took a very long time with him. Ron looked terrified and his family members in Gryffindor were highly confused. He was a true hat stall and the hat itself seemed to be seriously struggling with its decision. Sometimes it would speak to everyone not just yelling out the house name. Minerva was shocked as the hat huffed almost as though annoyed or stressed.
Why is my job always so damn hard? There is nothing remarkable about this boy. He's too anxious to be remarkable. Someone terrified him by telling him he'd need to battle a troll to get sorted and he does not believe me when I tell him he does not need to do so. Please inform him he does not need to do this so he can calm down and I can sort him! The hat demanded as Minerva looked at his twin brothers which such a scowl they both gulped hard.
"Ronald you do not need to battle a troll I promise you!" she said gently as he shed a few tears and relaxed. Malfoy laughed at him really loudly but stopped as the whole hall glared at him for being a jerk. He soon stopped when he saw they were still glaring furiously at him. The hat was placed back on Ron's head where it seemed to deflate in stress relief. Ron was still nervous but not for the reason he had been earlier.
Ronald you wish to be different. I understand that. You are one of many and so long as you go to Gryffindor you will remain one of many. Your mother almost went into Ravenclaw and your father nearly went into Slytherin like his mother. If Molly Prewett says anything to you about it you tell her you know she wasn't always going to end up in Gryffindor and to shut her mouth. Better be HUFFLEPUFF! The hat called out as everyone clapped for him. Percy was disgusted he wasn't in Gryffindor like a good boy and would be telling his parents first thing. They would be furious or so he hoped. Actually they wouldn't and they would tell their kids so long as it's not Slytherin it's actually fine. Susan Bones was called next and walked up to the stool sitting down. As soon as the hat was inside her head it gasped.
I have never seen a better mindscape in recent years Miss Bones. You are a rare one as you have perfect traits for all of the houses. With this being a rare case I have no choice but to ask you where you wish to go? She thought for a while and told him she wanted to go wherever her friends went and so she was sorted into Slytherin house. On and on it went. Neville went to Hufflepuff. Daphne, Pansy and Tracey were all sorted into Slytherin. Draco was next and gasped hearing the sorting hat talking to him in his head.
I gather you find yourself to be very funny and I can see what it is your father has told you over the years but it is all lies. All of it. If you behave now and carve your own path you can be a remarkable boy. Stop trying to be funny all the time when you're not. Be nice to everyone and they will be nice to you. I have no time for Lucius Malfoy and his stupid words of wisdom which are rubbish. Do your house proud and remember to be yourself. Better be Slytherin! It called out. Severus was stunned Draco had been a hat stall. Draco looked very pale and shaken by his sorting. It would seem the message had gone through. Heidi was next as everyone gasped and whispered about her. She approached and the hat was placed on her head where it promptly shrieked scaring Minerva and those in the hall who had not seen that coming. Suddenly it burst out laughing and looked genuinely happy. Well Miss Potter I didn't see that coming and neither will anyone else. Everyone will freak it out and that gives me joy. They'll have no idea who the lady Slytherin is and will spend so long trying to figure it out. They'll never think of you oh this is good. I can't wait to see old man Dumbledore panicking about it. I'm not even going to tell him anything. Your father was meant to be a Slytherin but begged me for Gryffindor and your mother was so much Gryffindor I simply had to place her there. She even had a temper to match her gorgeous hair. Ok then give em hell you legend! Better be Slytherin! Everyone in the whole hall gasped. Severus looked like he might be physically sick and Dumbledore looked like he wanted to curse someone badly.
"Miss Potter if you might indulge the curiosities of an old man why was the hat laughing?" he asked her as she shrugged.
"To be honest sir I don't know. He wouldn't tell me why he just said he found whatever it was he had thought of to be funny. If he ever tells you please let me know what it was" she asked kindly going to the Slytherin table which had only now seemed to realise they had her in their house and cheered up a storm. Gryffindor as a whole looked like it had been wildly betrayed by a best friend or something and everyone there looked either furious or close to tears. It was a kin to losing the quidditch world cup because you accidentally scored in your own ring. What a splash she was sure to make.