Chapter Four: Destiny Unfolds, Part Two
September First, 2011
After an exhilarating and eye-opening boat ride across the Black Lake to the castle, the gaggle of first years, with Athena Potter in the lead, ran up the marble staircase that led to the entrance hall, where a stern-looking, middle-aged woman stood waiting. Athena could tell this was a woman you did not want to cross. She looked to be about seventy years old, wearing robes of a beautiful emerald green color and a black hat atop her grey hair, which was pulled back in a bun.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, Transfiguration professor and Deputy Head. In a moment, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates, but before you take your seats you must be sorted into your Houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Now while you are here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points, and any rule breaking will lose points. Each house has produced outstanding witches and wizards. I trust that whatever house you will be in you will be a credit to. The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily."
McGonagall left the room in a swish of emerald cloak.
"So it's true then, what they're saying on the train. Athena Potter has come to Hogwarts."
Athena looked up, and spotted Draco Malfoy standing in front of her, hands on his hips, with Crabbe and Goyle standing there beside him.
Luckily, before a confrontation could take place, the Ghosts of Hogwarts flew through the walls, startling the first years out of their nervousness. One of the ghosts, a plump lady with a ruffled dress, was talking with another man, about some person named Peeves.
"Peeves should get another chance, I say! The sooner we give it to him, the sooner he will leave us alone. Oh, look! New firsties! Hope to see you in Hufflepuff, my old house you know."
"Move along now, move along."
Professor McGonagall was back, and she then ordered all the first years to get into a double file line so she could lead them into the Great Hall, where Athena could already hear the rest of the school gathering. She grinned as Hermione looked at her when they entered the hall, hyper on excitement. Athena was amazed by the architecture of the great hall. There were four long tables, each table for a house most likely, and one even longer table for the staff to sit at, complete with an illusion of a glittering night sky on the ceiling.
McGonagall led the first years to the front, right near the staff table, where she placed an old, tattered hat on the stool, which opened its brim and… began to sing! (I'm sure you all know the sorting song so i'm not going to put it.)
A moment later, Athena listened as McGonagall began to call out names from a long scroll she was holding in her hands. (A/N: Watch the names. The ones mentioned will really be important to the story, and there will be some OC's.)
"Abbott, Hannah."
A petite, pale skinned girl with curly blonde hair made her way to the stool and nervously waited as McGonagall lowered the Hat onto her head. Moments later, the hat called out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
Hannah excitedly walked over to the Hufflepuff amidst applause from her new classmates.
McGonagall made her way through the A's, and then reached the B's. "Bones, Susanna!"
A medium-height, redheaded girl scowled at the use of her full first name, and walked confidently up to the stool, waiting patiently for the hat to be lowered onto her head. Two minutes later, the hat proclaimed the girl to be a Hufflepuff. The sorting dragged on. Athena could feel herself getting hungry. Ravenclaw gained "Entwistle, Kevin," "Dunbar, Faye" "Goldstein, Anthony," and "Franklin, Flora." Athena could've sworn Flora looked a lot like Ben Franklin; they must be related. Gryffindor gained "Finnegan, Seamus," "Brown, Lavender," and a few others. Slytherin and Hufflepuff also gained a few new members, too. Finally, she heard, "Granger, Hermione."
Athena looked on with interest as Hermione walked up to the stool. Hermione's sorting took about four minutes long, with the hat finally proclaiming her to be a Ravenclaw. That settled it. She was going into Ravenclaw. About fifteen minutes later, McGonagall finally called out, "Athena Potter-Washington."
Athena confidently strutted up to the stool, letting the whispers from the students in the hall wash over her ears, even though she hated the sound.
"Is that her?"
"Wait a minute, did she say Washington? As in George Washington?"
The last thing she saw before the hat was lowered onto her head was a lot of students straining to get a better look at her.
Meanwhile…
Albus Dumbledore looked on in interest as his weapon- sorry, his student, the Girl-Who-Lived, was being sorted. So far, her sorting was the longest yet. While he hated having to manipulate her the way he was, what with his stealing money from her vault to fund the war against the Dark Lord of his own creation, he knew he had to do it anyway. It would not do for the GWL to be in any house other than Gryffindor. And why did she come as Athena Potter-Washington? Her connection to the first American president was as obvious as the color of the sky. He would have to find some way to put her in a suitable Wizarding family. Hmm… maybe the Weasleys would do.
Severus Snape, who was sitting on Dumbledore's right side, looked on in crystal clear disdain as the daughter of his worst school enemy was sorted. It hurt that she looked so much like his dear Lily, so he just tried to think of her as James' son. And that second last name… he couldn't think of why that would be there. She was a Potter, daughter of James bloody Potter, there was no doubt about that. Or was there? He watched as the Hat opened it's mouth wide. Snape was ready for the hat to instantly yell out Gryffindor, but instead it yelled out…
"RAVENCLAW!"
Back to Athena…
Athena happily walked to the Ravenclaw table, a little spring in her step. She was so happy that she didn't even notice that she was getting the loudest applause yet. Athena sat down at the table between Hermione and the Franklin girl. The storm of applause quieted down as soon as McGonagall called "Perks, Sally-Anne" to be sorted. The girl ended up going to Hufflepuff.
The rest of the sorting passed quickly, the only shocks being when Malfoy got sorted into Gryffindor and Weasley got sorted into Slytherin. Athena was internally laughing at that.
Dumbledore stood up to get their attention. "Right, before we begin the feast, I have a few words to say to you: Bon appetit!"
The school cheered as the plates filled with glorious food.
During the feast, Athena talked with Hermione, and met many Ravenclaws, including Flora Franklin, Su Li, Anthony Goldstein, prefect Penelope Clearwater, and various others. Finally, when the feast was finished, Dumbledore stood up once more. She noticed the teachers' smiles instantly became fixed.
"And now, let us sing the school song! Pick a tune and off we go!"
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 some filling
of 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 forgot!
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
and learn till our brains all rot!
-PS/SS, J.K. Rowling
The singing was so off key that it drove Athena crazy. She chuckled as she saw the Weasley twins singing to a slow funeral march, and resolved to befriend them.
Thirty minutes later
Athena smiled as she pulled the soft blanket up over her body, and climbed into bed in the first year Ravenclaw girls dormitory. As she moved to turn off the light, plunging the room into darkness, she thought over the events of the day.
Hogwarts was well on it's way to becoming her second home.
