Ron Weasley watches Harry Potter as he approaches the stool and the sorting hat. He observes as Harry wipes trembling hands against his pants before sitting on the stool. When Professor McGonagall puts the hat on Harry's head it drops down further than it had on any other student, and Ron is reminded of when he first saw Harry, as his mom talked him through how the barrier works. How Ginny, half hidden behind their mum, looked to be almost taller than Harry.

Ron shook off the uncomfortable feeling the memory gave him and focused back on the moment, back on Harry who had been sitting on the stool longer than any student before him, save maybe the Granger girl, who had eventually gone to Gryfindor. Ron wasn't looking forward to that, she seemed a bit too much like Percy for his liking, and one of those was more than enough. He didn't know how he might cope with having two of them in the same House as him, and one in his own year no less!

Ron shook his head, and tried to focus again. This waiting was killing him! Ron looked at Harry again, his lips the only visible part of his face. It almost looked like Harry was talking, but if he was no one else could hear it. Ron supposed it would make sense, if the hat talked to you. It would explain why this was taking so long. Ron frowned, and tried to read Harry's lips. He'd learned how when watching Fred and George when they were plotting pranks, so he felt confident in saying he wasn't half bad at it.

It almost looked as if Harry were saying 'Not Slytherin', but that was impossible. For one thing, Harry had been so nice that the hat couldn't possibly think Slytherin was the right place for him, and for another, it made no sense to Ron to argue with the hat. Sorting was its job, and you should listen to it, right? But Ron also remembered telling Harry that all bad witches and wizards came from Slytherin and he could have slapped himself. He hoped that, if Harry did end up in Slytherin, he wouldn't think himself evil.

Then, slowly, the brim of the hat, its mouth, opened, and the great hall collectively held its breath… Ron could even see people leaning forward from the corner of his eyes… and it shouted out a house. The hall was so silent that Ron swore you could hear a pin drop. Harry's shaking hands rose, gripping the sides of the hat tightly as he lifted it off his head, and Ron could have cried at the terror he could see in his new friends eyes. The hat had called 'SLYTHERIN'.

The hall remained silent as Harry stood from the stool and placed the hat on it. Professor McGonagall gave Harry a strained smile when he glanced at her, but Ron could tell it didn't make Harry feel better at all. Harry didn't even glance at Ron as he walked towards the Slytherin table, his footsteps the only sound in the hall, and Ron couldn't even get mad about it like he'd wanted. After all, he probably thought Ron would hate him now. It was that thought that snapped Ron out of his stupor, and he started clapping. If everyone else got applause, Harry should too.

Ron saw Harry jolt at the sudden sound, but then the Slytherins had joined in, and Harry reached his new House with quiet, but persistent applause. The only House that had applauded was the Slytherins, along with the Professors.

The sorting resumed after Harry was seated, and Ron started to think. All his family had been Gryffindor, and Ron was sure that was where he was headed as well, but when he looked at Harry, sitting with the Slytherins, an open seat to either side of him, he knew he couldn't abandon his friend. At the same time, he didn't think he was capable of holding a friendship with someone in Slytherin, even Harry Potter, if Ron himself was in Gryffindor. Which left him with a choice to make.

Ron was so caught up in these thoughts that McGonagall had to call his name twice, before he snapped back to reality and stumbled ungracefully over to the stool. He flushed when he heard the twins laughing at him from Gryffindor table, and the hat dropped unceremoniously onto his head. The hat slid nearly over his eyes, like it had with many of the other first years, but unlike with Harry, it didn't cover them completely, and as such, he could just barely make out his friend at Slytherin, bright green eyes watching him anxiously, and he felt his resolve harden, and his decision was made.

"Ah, another Weasley." a voice said in his head. "Well, it's nice to have an easy one, I know where to put you. Surly you will want-"

"Not Gryffindor," Ron thought at the hat sternly, and he could feel how shocked it was, could almost feel as the brim, which had parted the second it had landed on his head, sealed shut again.

"Hmm," the hat hummed into his head. "Curious. Very interesting. Well, you know yourself better than I, so, tell me young Weasley, why not Gryffindor? You would do well there."

"Would I?" Ron asked. "Well, I suppose I would do well in any house, but I can't be friends with Harry if I'm in Gryffindor, can I?"

"Can't you?" the hat shot right back. "There have been plenty of cross House friendships before, even between Gryffindor and Slytherin. What makes you so different?"

"I'm not brave enough. And besides, Harry needs a friend in his own house, not one all the way across the castle."

"Well reasoned, indeed, but is it not more brave to be sorted into Slytherin when your whole family has been Gryffindor for generations?"

"Hardly," Ron thought, snorting out loud. Ron glanced away from where he had focused on Harry, who was currently staring at the table, and over to Gryffindor, where his brothers were. All three of his older brothers wore confused expressions, and it occurred to Ron that he must have been up here nearly as long as Harry had. But he was hardly done arguing the hat. "My family will love me no matter what, even if they don't understand. The other students would be the obstacle to a cross house friendship."

"Hmm, I suppose. Well, let's have a closer look at you then." As the hat said this, Ron felt a pressure build behind his eyes, and the light started to hurt a bit, so he closed his eyes, and relaxed. "Hum… yes… I see… you are entirely correct mr. Weasley, and having seen your mind, I've decided you really will do best in…" Please not Gryffindor "SLYTHERIN!"

Ron pulled the hat off his head, and smiled to himself into the silence in the hall. He really hadn't been sure it would work, but he had to try, and it had paid off. Ron set the hat back on the stool, nodded to a stunned McGonagall, and turned towards the great hall just in time to see the twins practically launch out of their seats.

"WHAT!?" they cried in unison. Percy was still sitting, though his mouth was hanging open. Ron couldn't care less, though he could feel his smug smile grow, and strolled as casually as he could manage, over to the Slytherin table, where he promptly sat right next to Harry, who was looking at him wide eyed. Ron grinned.

"What?" he asked. Harry just stared. "Oh, honestly, you didn't think I'd just abandon you, did you?" although, Ron knew, that's exactly what Harry had thought. Harry grinned, though, and shook his head.

"'Course not," Harry croaked. And even though Ron knew he was lying, he couldn't help but throw an arm around Harry's shoulders.

"That hat's a real piece of work though, huh? Took forever for me to talk it around." Harry giggled, though Ron would never call it that out loud, and finally relaxed for the first time since he walked into the great hall.