"First years, this way! First years!" Came Hagrids booming voice.
"I guess that's your cue." said Chen, "See you later."
"Do behave for Hagrid won't you?" Ran said, "I will see you for the sorting."
Hailey bid them goodbye and went up to the friendly giant.
"Hello Hailey, you doing alright then?" Hagrid said, jovially.
"Doing fine so far, the train was a hoot!", said Hailey hugging his leg.
If you liked the train, wait til you get to Hogwarts." Hagrid said, before continuing to call for first years.
After he had everyone, he led them through a path in the woods nearby. Eventually leading them to the edge of a great lake, with an admittedly impressive castle perched on the cliffs on the other side.
"Only four to a boat." Hagrid said. Pointing to a small fleet of boats on the shore.
Hailey hopped into a boat, and was followed by Ron, Hermione and the boy with the toad.
After making sure everyone was in, Hagrid in his own boat, willed the fleet forward, and they glided across the water towards the castle. Even Hailey was silent as she drunk in the castles silent majesty.
"Heads down everyone." said Hagrid, as they neared the cliffs.
Everyone ducked down as they passed into a cave curtained with vines, into a small underground harbour.
After they had disembarked, and the boys toad had been returned to him yet again, they walked up a passage that eventually lead outside, and walked up the steps to the giant front doors.
Hagrid knocked on the doors, and it was answered by Mcgonagall, the woman who had delivered Haileys letter.
"The first years, Professor Mcgonagall." Hagrid said.
"Thank you Hagrid, I will take them from here." She said. After everyone was inside, she led the procession of first years across a grand entry hall, and into a small side room.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room."
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours."
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
She paused to examine the throng of students critically, before concluding with. "I shall return when we are ready for you, please wait quietly."
What followed was a few minutes of silence, as everyone stewed on Mcgonagall's words. Hailey wondered mutely what the sorting could be, before shrugging. It was probably some sort of mystical 'pick a name out of a hat' senario.
There was some screams behind her, and she turned to see about twenty ghosts float through the wall, so caught up in their argument that they didn't notice the collection of goggling students.
"Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance." said a rather portly little monk-looking fellow.
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves?" Said a rather dashing man in elizabethan dress. "He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost- I say, what are you all doing here?" he said, noticing the first years.
Hailey wondered if anyone else was going to answer, but the monk answered first. "New students, about to be sorted I suppose?"
Hailey rolled her eyes at the continuing silence, and decided to answer. "That's right, I'm Hailey Potter. Is this school haunted?"
The elizabethan ghost said. "I suppose so, but I prefer the term 'spirits in residence', as it is not as though we are unwelcome."
"Thats neat." said Hailey, enjoying everyone elses stares as she openly conversed with the ghosts. "So you just live here then?"
"That's right, we also help out whenever we can." said the monk, "I must say, most first years are more put off by us ghosts. Have you met ghosts before?"
"Oh yeah." said Hailey dismissively, waving her hand. "Every spring Yukari-sama takes me to visit Yuyuko-sama for a flower viewing, and she's a ghost princess."
The Monk gives a good natured laugh. "A ghost princess aye? Aren't you a well connected sort."
At that moment Mcgonagall had returned. "Move along now, The sorting is about to start."
"Pleasure chatting with you." said The Monk as the ghosts float through the wall, giving a cheery wave "I hope to see you in hufflepuff, my old house don't you know."
"We'll see." Hailey said as she waved goodbye, and only after he had left did Hailey realise he never gave his name.
"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."
Hailey obediently got into line. And was lead out of the room, and back into the entrance hall, and then into the great hall.
While it wasn't nearly as impressive as Patchoulis library, Viole (few things were), it was still a grand sight, with hundreds of floating candles, a starry ceiling, and four huge tables chocked full of students. They were lead up to the front of the hall, where a fifth table, where what she assumed the teachers were sitting, and for some reason so was Ran, and they were lined up in front of it. Hailey looked over the crowd of faces, with curiosity, and barely repressed eagerness. So many people, all looking at her (Kinda, at least).
So starstruck, she almost missed Mcgonagall place down a an old pointed hat on a stool in front of them. But like everyone else, she looked down at it, her brow furrowing. Were they literally going to be pulling their name out of a hat?
That was before it started singing.
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
While she was amused at the singing hat at first, the thought of it peering into her head didn't really sit well with her. She looked to Ran for guidance. The fox Woman gave a meaningful nod and a pointed look. Only slightly reassured, but nevertheless placated, she turned back and joined the applause.
She couldn't help but snort when Ron said. "So we've just got to try on the hat! I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," said Mcgonagall, now holding out a long roll of parchment, "Abbott, Hannah!"
Thus what followed was a long procession of peoples names being called out. Hailey didn't really pay much attention who went where, only really waiting for her turn. Sometimes The hat takes minutes to sort, sometimes seconds. She did note that Hermione became a Gryffindor, and so did that boy with the toad, Neveil apparently. Neither seemed particularly brave or daring, maybe its just random, and its only fooling us into thinking it matters. Regardless Malfoy and his mooks ended up in Slytherin. He did say all his Family end up there, maybe its predetermined then, and the whole hat is a sham.
Not that it really matters to Hailey either way, wherever she goes, she was going to make the most of it. She wished it would hurry up though.
Finally her name was called, and it filled her with no small satisfaction to see the whispers spread across the hall. She strode to the stool and sat down like a queen would on her throne and put the hat on.
"My my, whatever do we have here?" came a small voice in her ear. "The first time I've seen something of your ilk in a very long time."
"Oh, so you do read minds then?" Hailey thought. "Co-incidentally if you blab anything to anyone, I'll burn you."
"No need to worry, both your thoughts and these little chats are strictly between us. My only job is to sort you to the best of my abilities." the Hat said, seemingly unfazed by the threat. "And that is the real question, what do I do with you? I can put you nearly anywhere, yet you will practically fit in nowhere."
"While you are poking through my head to try and figure out my seating arrangements," Hailey thought sardonically, "Mind answering a question?"
"You want to know what qualities Hermione and Neville had that made them Gryffindor material?" the hat said. "While I can't quite give you the specifics of those two, confidentiality and all that, I can let you in on a little secret, secret only because most don't think to ask. The sorting also needs to consider what kind of traits you want for yourself, who you admire. It is less about who you are, and more about who you want to be."
Hailey pondered this, it was a good question, who did she admire? And where might they fit in this school?
There was Reimu and Marisa for a start. Despite around her age and only human, they both far outstripped her in magical power and skill.
Marisa could go nearly anywhere, she had a natural intellect and curiosity befitting a Ravenclaw. She was beyond brave, and some might say reckless, suggesting a Gryffindor. Ambitious was an understatement, meaning she might make a decent Slytherin. And she is one of the hardest working people Hailey knew, making Hufflepuff a good home for her.
Reimu on the other hand doesn't seem like she would fit anywhere in particular. She is incurious, slothful, fearless (Which is not the same as being brave), and her only real ambition in life is to drink tea in her shrine, and get some regular donations (and just maybe Gensokyo not burning down while she wasn't looking, that would be great too).
Neither of those were particularly helpful to her, so she moved on to Meiling. Not really much to think about there, Hufflepuff, hardworking, patient, loyal, and kind. Might have been Gryffindor in her youth, but who's to say? But while she loved the Gatekeeper of the SDM, she can't really say she wants to be her.
Not much to think about Remilia either, Slytherin, she'd practically be running the school by the first year.
Next she moved on to those closest to her, starting with Chen and Ran. Slytherin and Ravenclaw respectively. Chen is naturally devious and cunning, although she would probably feel more kinship with The hufflepuffs, as cats tend to gravitate to those kind of people. And Ran has a love for both teaching and learning.
But the person she admired above all others, the one she loved above all else…
"Well, I suppose that settles it." said The Hat, "Only one place for someone like her. But are you sure that is where you want to be? I almost guarantee you won't fit in, that house is rather… set in its ways. And you will probably make more enemies than friends… It would be like unleashing a Mongoose in a snake den."
Hailey thought about it, and shrugged. "I like green."
The hat laughed, and not just in her ear. it rang out across the hall, and then it spoke out loud. "Very well, for want of something worse... SLYTHERIN!"
There was an eerie silence after the proclamation. Hailey stood up and handed the hat to Mcgonagall, who was giving her a very strange look. She then turned to the rather stunned student body, and said, while tilting her head to make sure her scar was clearly visible. "Well, what is it? Do I have something on my face?" and gave a cheeky grin.
This managed to unfreeze the audience, some people even laughed despite the terrible joke. And then the Slytherin table applauded, although somehow managing to do it in a way that sounded smug. She took a bow, and then skipped over happily. She took a seat with the other first year girls, next to a girl, she thinks her name is Lilly Moon or something, A shy looking girl with glasses and black hair done up in a ponytail. And the sorting recommenced.
She watched with disinterest as the last four people were sorted. Ron getting into Gryffindor (she clapped politely and got some strange looks from the other slytherins for doing so), and a guy whose name starts with Z ended up in Slytherin, but she had stopped paying attention by this point.
Finally, both the list and the hat were taken away, and Dumbledore got to his feet. He wore a large welcoming smile as he looked out over the student body.
"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"
Hailey snorted, and clapped loudly. It seems that her impression of him from her party was correct, he seemed like a fun guy.
As if by magic (in fact, it probably was), all the empty dishes in the middle of the table were filled with food.
She clapped her hands together and said "Itadakimasu." quietly to herself, bowing her head, before she began helping herself to a whole chicken.
"Umm, what was that you did?" came a nervous, but polite question from her left. Hailey turned to her left, to where Lily Moon was sitting, and fidgeting nervously.
"Its Itadakimasu, its a Japanese custom. It's basically acknowledging and being thankful for the food you have been given." Hailey said, taking a bite out of a sausage.
"Oh… Do… do you live in Japan then?" she asked.
"Not yet, although Yukari-sama says that I can after I'm finished with Hogwarts." said Hailey, Buttering some potatoes.
"Who…"
"My guardian." I said, anticipating the question, before eating a whole slice of bacon. "She's Japanese."
"... Are you very hungry?" Lily asked politely, watching me eat with wide eyes.
"Hunger is an integral part of my being." Hailey said, pocketting a handful of peppermint humbugs.
Several nearby Slytherins kept occasionally glancing at Haileys eating with confusion, and in some cases disgust, wondering how such a small, petite girl could be eating so much food. Malfoy, who was sitting some distance away looked like he wanted to comment, possibly insult, but couldn't do so without being rude to everyone else. Hailey had anticipated this, which is why she had sat so far away, she didn't feel like bantering over dinner.
Someone seemed to be more interested than confused though.
"So you are this Hailey Potter I've heard so much about." A girl sat next to her in the empty seat, just as the main course had disappeared, to be replaced with dessert. A brunette, with one might call a rather average appearance. She was rather pretty, but in an emphatically unremarkable way.
Hailey grinned. "That's my name, don't wear it out. Or do, I like being talked about."
She laughed, "that so? Well mind telling me a bit about yourself?"
Hailey paused during heaping about seven different flavours of Icecream and a pile of Jelly on her plate. "Depends, what do you wanna know?"
"I guess first would be how you eat so much while staying so small." She smiled jovially.
"Just perks of being me I guess." Hailey said, technically true. Haileys body sustained itself on Magic, not food or water, just like a magician Youkai, but she is comparatively unstable, so her body consumes more magic than it can produce or absorb, at least outside Gensokyo, as the ambient mana is far thinner outside the barrier. To compensate, Yukari 'tweaked' her body to convert food into raw mana to keep her going. Because of this, she ate as much as she can when she could. One of the perks of this is that Mana is non fattening.
The girl kept smiling, but there was a slight hint that she was disappointed with the lack of answer. Still she went on with her questioning. The shy Lily Moon seemed to be pretending not to listen out of politeness.
"Lucky you I guess. I also heard you live with Muggles, hows that?" The girl said.
Haileys brow furrowed. While she was annoyed that the subject had been turned to her 'family', something in the girls expression suggested something… Almost as if she was fishing for information.
Hailey was intrigued, so she decided to bite. "I'm afraid that information is out of date, I left that lot years ago, I live with Yukari and Ran-Sama these days."
"Oh…" It seems that the girl was looking for something else, so she tried a different approach. "But you did live with Muggles right? What were they like?"
Hailey wasn't sure where she was going with this, but was interested to find out. "To be honest they were a pretty horrid lot, they hated me, locked me in the cupboard under the stairs, malnourished me, stuff like that. I dropped them like bad rubbish."
Lily Moon gasped quietly.
"Is that so?" said the girl, still smiling, but a certain degree of her enthusiasm had been snuffed, she was doing a pretty good job of hiding it, but Hailey was used to such deception, so it still showed. "I guess with that kinda treatment, you wouldn't be too fond of Muggles huh?"
Hailey finally realised what the girl was trying to figure out. Interesting. Hailey decided to throw her a bone. "Nah, I don't hate them, at least not all of them."
"Oh?" the girl exclaimed, and Hailey could see the uptick in her demeanor.
"Nah, I don't think much of most people until I meet them." Hailey said, "And I was taught to judge on action, what you do, not who you are. So until I meet all 'muggles'," Hailey air quoted the word, "I can't say whether I hate them or not."
"An interesting way of looking at it." said the girl, relief showing through the small cracks in her facade.
Hailey decided to show her hand. She leaned in and spoke in a voice so low that only the girl could hear. "So don't worry. You are safe with me."
The girl briefly looked shocked but quickly regained control of her face. "Don't know whatcha mean."
"You might be good, but I'm better." Hailey whispered, before pulling back. "By the way, I don't think I got your name stranger."
The girl paused for a moment, before extending a hand. "Names Sophie."
"Hailey, but you knew that." Hailey said. Acting on a hunch, she said, "Us Mongoose gotta stick together, right?"
The tension dropped as she laughed. "It told you that too huh?"
"That it did, although probably for a different reason." Hailey said.
The both shared a knowing grin, at the expense of poor confused observer Lily, before returning to dessert.
'Not bad.' thought Hailey. Only one meal into her school year and she had already found a potential ally. This year might not be too bad after all.
Not too long after dessert was finished. Dumbledore stood up yet again, and the Hall fell silent.
"Ahem! just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you."
"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." A rather pointed glance was thrown at the Gryffindor table.
"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors."
"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch."
"I am also happy to announce that there will be a new extracurricular activity available to all students. Due to some concerned parties worrying about Hogwarts basic curriculum, or lack thereof, I have decided to re-examine our stance on what should and should not be taught at Hogwarts." This declaration seemed to be met with mild confusion, but he wasn't finished. "Therefore, I would like to introduce you to Ran Yakumo, Who shall be teaching the new 'General Knowledge' classes."
Ran stood up and bowed to the Hall, and sat down (And only then did Hailey notice Chen sitting in front of her on the table in cat form). There was murmuring as everyone took in the strange appearance of the new 'teacher'.
Dumbledore raised his hand, and the murmuring ceased. "While her classes will not play into your grades for the year, they may prove invaluable to students who wish to polish their mind, as well as their magic, I suggest you might all take some time to benefit from her extensive knowledge. Bare in mind that despite her class not being official, she has the full privileges of a Hogwarts teacher, and that includes the ability to take and give house points, so treat her with the same respect you would to any of your teachers. Notices will be posted in your common room tomorrow for any who are interested. Any who wish to learn more about what will be taught are welcome to seek out Miss Yakumo. Although she was asked me to tell you that any direct enquiries to her species will be rewarded with a loss of house points."
"So that's what she meant." Hailey muttered. Sophie looked at her quizzically. "I'll tell you later."
"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."
Hailey and Sophie exchanged glances, as did many others in the hall, but no further explanation seemed to be coming.
After a pause, Dumbledore spoke again.
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" He cheered happily, and all the other teachers expressions suddenly became rather wooden.
WIth a flick of his wand, he conjured golden ribbon, which formed lyrics to a song.
"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"
What followed was an absolute cacophony, that went something like this:
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot."
Hailey was practically wheezing the last few lines as she tried to withhold her laughter, as he listened to the twins sing it to the tune of a funeral march, she wished she had been present in mind enough to do something clever like that, maybe next year. After they were finished there was an applause, with Dumbledores being the loudest.
"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
With that the slytherin first years were gathered by a prefect girl and ushered out of the great hall, and into the entrance hall, and down a small slight of steps down into the winding passages of the castle dungeon. There they were taken to a rather unremarkable bit of wall. The prefect then spoke a password "Malice" and a passage revealed itself.
The Slytherin Common Room Was a long hall of carved dark stone, with dark windows, despite being underground. Their were various Islands of leather upholstered seats and couches, and a large fireplace. The lighting was Low, but not too low as to be difficult to navigate. Their was tapestries of various figures, probably of some historical significance. It felt like a place of dark deeds and dealings.
"Cool." Hailey said.
The Prefect stopped the precession. "Now before I can send you all off to bed. The dorms here are slightly different to other houses, not that you would know about the others. The dorm rooms are three people each. There are eleven of you, six girls and five boys, so please split into groups of three or two, and then I will assign you an empty room. Choose wisely, as these will be your roommates for the rest of the year, if not the rest of your time at Hogwarts."
Sophie and Hailey immediately took a step closer to each other, not unnoticed by the prefect. "You two together already? Good work. A Slytherin should know who their friends and allies are." She tossed the two a Key each. "Room 42, girls dorms are on the left. Your things will be there by the time you arrive."
Sophie and Hailey left just as Malfoy and his Cronies were handed their room keys.
After they found their room, they slipped in and locked the door behind them.
It was a nice room (albeit a bit cold, like everything down here), With three four-poster beds each with their own dresser and bedside table, with some small writing desks to one side. There was even a small heating stove above a dark window, probably a necessity in these chilly dungeons, although it was unlit.
Hailey immediately conjured some witchfyre (A trick she learned from Chen) and rammed it into the stove, offering both warmth and an eerie green glow.
"Neat trick." said Sophie.
"Thanks." said Hailey, who had opened her trunk and was rummaging for her pajamas. "So here we are."
"Yup." Sophie said, doing the same.
"I must say you are a pretty smooth operator." Hailey said conversationally, "Not many would suspect that you were new to all this."
Sophie shrugged. "I did my homework, blending in is a talent of mine."
"Needs a bit of work if you ask me."
"I guess so, you saw through me pretty easily."
"Still, a pretty ballsy move if you ask me." said Hailey stripping out of her robes. "I'm not exactly the most subtle person, hell, I'm practically a celebrity, hanging with me might get you some attention."
"That's what you think." said Sophie, "You like to stand out, take the spotlight. No one will really take notice of me when I'm standing next to you, and my identity will become almost in tandem with yours. They won't see Sophie Roper, they'll see that girl Potter hangs out with. And when I'm not with you I'll be practically invisible, just how I like it. Not to mention your name will have a lot of weight around here. People expect big things from you, and unlike most of the Slytherins you are not as prejudiced and pretty easy going, a powerful and reliable ally for me to have."
"Ooh, you are good." Said Hailey. "But apart from excellent company, what do I get from this arrangement?"
"Oh I don't know," she said coyly. "I'm also an excellent listener, and you wouldn't believe the things people say or do when in the presence of an invisible girl."
"You sure have a way with words." Hailey said. She zipped up her pajamas, and turned back to face Sophie, extending her hand again. "I'm sold, put her here partner."
She finished putting on her nightie, and turned to return the gesture, but laughed as soon as she saw Hailey in her dog themed onesie. "What are you wearing?"
"Don't diss my onesie." Hailey said pouting.
"Sorry, sorry." Said Sophie, and took the handshake.
There was a knock on the door. And Hailey went to answer.
It was the prefect again. She rose her eyebrows at Haileys attire, but didn't comment, and instead said. "Sorry to bother you, but you have another roommate." she gestured to Lily Moon, who was hanging apologetically to one side. "The other girls formed a group of three, so she has to join your group." The prefect seemed rather unimpressed at this.
Hailey looked at the girl in question, who looked rather miserable, and then to Sophie, who shrugged. "Alright, come on in I guess."
"Good, now if you excuse me, I'm going to bed." the prefect said, before walking off, muttering something.
"Sorry…" Lily said stepping into the room.
"Ehh don't worry about it," Hailey said shrugging. "I guess a wallflower like you would have a bit of trouble getting into a group."
The girl couldn't really refute this and nodded glumly.
"Hey don't let it get you down, have a peppermint humbug." said Hailey, putting one in Lily's hand.
"Well you would probably do better with us than those other girls anyway, buncha snobs." Said Sophie putting a hand around her shoulder, "So welcome to room 42. You're in good hands."
"Thankyou…" said Lily softly.
"That's your bed over there." Hailey pointed to the unclaimed bed, which now had a new trunk at the foot of it (aint magic convenient?), and stifled a yawn. "Now if you excuse me, I'm gonna hit the hay."
"Yeah, its about that time." said Sophie, sitting down on her bed. "Turn off the lamp when you go to bed."
Lily watched as the two climbed into bed, and released a breath she was holding. At least they seemed… Nice?
And thats Chapter eight out of the way. Man editing is a pain.
Now I know what everyone's thinking: OCs? How could you! Why have you got to make up Characters, you have ruined your own story, ect ect. Rest assured, I had good reasons for these characters, and they are not quite OCs.
You see the thing is I realised a while ago that Hailey couldn't go nowhere except Slytherin, and that presented me with a problem. As nearly everyone canonically in Slytherin is a colossal Snob with no redeeming qualities, which presented me with a problem as a writer as I was stuck with these people, and so was Hailey. But another thing is canonically there were five girls sorted into Slytherin on this year, and only three of them were named.
So to kill two birds with one stone, I picked two names off the list of first years, ones which were unspecified as to which house they got into, and put them in Slytherin and gave them personalities that Hailey might get along with, and backstories I can use for subplots and character development down the line.
So you see they are not OCs, but me putting canon names to original personalities. Splitting hairs I know, but that is my excuse and I'm sticking with it.
Sophie might seem a tad similar to Hailey, mostly because I intended her as a kindred spirit, hopefully over time she will come out as her own character.
Lily won't talk much either at first, but not because I am lazy. Consider her the Hermione of the group, as she is not quite 'part of the group' until a little later on, only instead of never shutting up, Lily barely opens her mouth.
A small reminder though, just because these two are in the story, doesn't mean Hermione and Ron are out though, I have some big plans for those two.
But anyway, where we are at Hogwarts, and apparently a lot of you were surprised I made it this far. Thank you for all the kind words. I wrote this as a on a whim, just trying to get a weird idea on paper. I never really thought people would get so into it.
With all this encouragement and feedback, I just might make it to the end of the series, maybe a little beyond too.
A little heads up though, some of the following chapters are a little slow, as Hailey settles in to Hogwarts. Don't expect her to start kicking ass and chewing bubblegum right off the bat. We'll be getting to that later.