Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or world, everything belongs to JKR, etc. etc.
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Chapter 6
"And that concludes this year's first-year sorting!", Headmaster McGonagall announced, sending the sorting hat and stool to the side of the Great Hall with a flick of her wand. "However, before the feast can commence, we have one additional matter to attend to".
Whispers broke out among the house tables as the students hurried to ask each other what was going on. "As you all know, we have all suffered many great losses this past year. I, as well as the heads of house, believe that the events of the war have truly changed many of us. Because of this, we have decided to conduct a formal resorting of all students".
"Hermione- did you know about this?" Ginny hissed.
"Of course not- You know I'd have told you", Hermione replied, eyes glued onto the headmaster. "This is ridiculous, they can't really expect to re-sort everyone! We hardly have the time tonight". Hermione could see the house tables in disarray as the other students grew upset.
"Settle down! This will not be done right this moment, and if you believe your house is still right for you, I trust you will be sorted there again. Tomorrow morning each class year will report back here for their scheduled re-sorting. Noncompliance will be treated as a disciplinary infraction and dealt with accordingly. I encourage you all to stay open-minded about this change", Headmaster McGonagall continued. "Professor Slughorn, would you mind reading the appointed schedule?".
"Eight years, please report back here at 9 am, seventh years, you will be at 9:30 am…", Professor Slughorn rattled off, and Hermione quickly zoned out after making a mental note to be down at 9 am. "Because of this, we will not be holding classes tomorrow, and they will start as usual the following morning".
With that, the feast started appearing, food piling onto plates and goblets filling with drinks. There was a slight pause that had never occurred before, as the students absorbed the information they'd just been given. Hermione, in particular, was frozen. She was scared she'd be sorted out of Gryffindor and be isolated from all of her friends. Her one consolation was that at least if she was somehow sorted into Slytherin, she had a few friends there now. You know... assuming they weren't sorted out.
"Think we'll stay in Gryffindor, 'Mione?" Ginny asked, fiddling with her fork.
"I really don't know, Gin", Hermione responded sadly. "Weasleys are always in Gryffindor, aren't they? I reckon you're safe".
"You're right... fingers crossed we don't get split up, I guess", Ginny said, stabbing a potato and putting it in her mouth.
Hermione zoned out a bit as she filled her plate. There was quite the selection this year, but she was having trouble working up an appetite. She reassured herself that her house made little academic difference, as all her classes would be conducted with eighth years of every house, but she would still have to live in an unfamiliar dorm if she was resorted. The thought of sleeping in the slimy Slytherin dungeons made her shiver. Looking around the hall, she froze as she made eye contact with Draco. He looked extraordinarily calm, exactly the opposite of how she felt. After a moment, he looked away and turned to mutter something at Daphne, who was a pale shade of green.
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That night, Hermione lay in her mahogany bed, with all its red and gold drapings, and thought back nostalgically about all her time in Gryffindor. Her first day: Fred and George chanting and clapping when she got sorted... Her third year: Falling asleep on the common room couch and waking up to Lee Jordan sleepwalking through the room muttering about tarantulas... Up to her sixth year: her and Ginny charming their skirts to glow red the day before a Gryffindor Quidditch game. She wondered what Harry and Ron would think of this when they read about it in the paper, maybe she ought to write to them... Now that she thought about it, she wasn't sure who she'd have been if she wasn't originally sorted into the house of lions. Her mind continued to wander as she drifted into a reluctant sleep.
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Hermione was sitting impatiently at the Gryffindor table with Ginny, five minutes to 9, the next morning. Ginny wouldn't be able to get sorted until the following half-hour, but there was nothing stopping her from "having breakfast". Shoving the last bit of a hash brown in her mouth, Hermione got up to join the line of eighth years that was slowly forming near the front of the hall.
"Nervous?", Daphne asked, as Hermione approached.
"Yes... Are you?" Hermione responded softly.
"Very", Daphne said, seemingly at a loss for words. "Morning, Draco", she added, as the tall, blond boy joined them.
"Morning Daphne, Gra-Zabini", he said, stiffly, correcting himself.
"How are you, Malfoy?", Hermione asked cordially.
"Fine. Malfoys are always in Slytherin", he said shortly, adjusting his green striped tie.
"If I could just get everyone's attention, please", Headmaster McGonagall commanded, standing next to the sorting stool. "We're going to proceed by surname- Corner, Michael"
Michael Corner, formerly a Ravenclaw, approached the stool and after a few seconds was declared a Hufflepuff. With an angry huff, he left the hall, his robes melting from blue and bronze to the standard Hufflepuff yellow and black.
The sorting proceeded normally, and quite quickly, as the number of students who'd returned for an eighth year was minimal. Unsurprisingly, a respectable amount of people were sorted into their original houses.
"Granger, Hermione", McGonagall recited. "Or do you prefer 'Zabini' now?".
"Anything is fine, headmaster", Hermione said softly, trying to ignore the whispers around the hall and moving to put the sorting hat on her head.
"Ambitious as ever, aren't you?". Hermione jumped as the sorting hat spoke to her, for the first time since she was 11. "Still a thirst for knowledge I see, though the flame to prove yourself has evaporated... well, better be RAVENCLAW", the hat finished, shouting out a house that was very much not Gryffindor.
More whispers broke out among the students gathered to watch the re-sorting. The wizarding world's golden girl? No longer a Gryffindor?
Hermione stood up, brushing herself off and removing the hat. Her hands were shaking as she watched the red and gold Gryffindor aspects of her uniform fade away, to be replaced by the regal blue and bronze of her new house. Feeling as though the world was melting away, she walked slowly back towards the Gryffindor table before realizing she wasn't meant to sit there anymore. She stopped in the middle of the hall, making eye contact with Ginny before making up her mind to sit with her friend anyway. As she sat down next to Ginny silently, McGonagall called: "Greengrass, Daphne".
Ginny put an arm around Hermione's shoulders gently as they watched Daphne lower the raggedy, old, and slightly singed hat onto her head. After a moment, the hat declared, once again: "RAVENCLAW".
Daphne, clearly shaking, removed the hat and left the hall.
In the following few minutes, Neville was sorted once again into Gryffindor, and Ernie Macmillan, rather shockingly, into Slytherin. When "Malfoy, Draco" was called, Hermione tried not to pay attention, but it was rather hard to ignore when the hat once again called out "RAVENCLAW". Draco then followed Daphne's path out of the hall, absolutely nothing displayed upon his porcelain features.
By the end of the sorting, Slytherin was left with only Ernie Macmillan and Lisa Turpin, with the rest of the eighth years being in the other three houses. Hermione did a quick recount and noted that Ravenclaw now consisted of her, Daphne, Draco, and Anthony Goldstein. Not very many, but a decent amount considering there were only a handful of students in their year that returned in the first place.
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Dear Blaise,
You'll be surprised to hear that the board decided to re-sort every student... Or maybe not- Draco might've written to you by now too. Well, no reason to beat around the bush. I'm now in Ravenclaw, and so are both Daphne and Draco... Ginny stayed in Gryffindor with Neville, and they were joined by a few from other houses, namely Terry Boot. Didn't expect that one. We're all doing fine, I think. I'm not sure where Draco went, but Daphne and I spent the afternoon settling into our new dorm in Ravenclaw Tower. Do you know anything about Anthony Goldstein? He's the only one in our year who remained in Ravenclaw...
Hope you're doing well and write me back soon,
Hermione
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Sorry for the little plot twist! The 'switching houses' trope just offers so many fun ways for Hermione and her new friends to interact.