Chapter 5

The Sorting

The huge door swung open and a tall and thin witch dressed in emerald green robes walked out. She had a sort of cruel and strict look on her face that reminded me of my mother when I accidentally drowned our living room practicing Aguamenti. Judging by the scowl and the way her eyes scanned us as if we were test subjects, I made it a point that I would only cross this teacher if I really wanted to die an early death in my second life.

Hagrid left soon after and we followed behind the witch as she lead us towards an empty chamber off the hall. We passed by the entrance hall on the way towards it, and I heard the happy chattering and murmuring of hundreds of voices on the room to our right. I felt as if my stomach was doing flips because as much as I was excited, I haven't given any thought to what house I might be sorted in. For all I know, I could be sorted into Slytherin! Mind you, I'd rather stay in Hufflepuff than share a house with that white haired ferret face.

"Welcome to Hogwarts." said Professor McGonagall. "The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before we may start you shall each be sorted in all your houses..."

Her voice didn't make sense after that. My mind was racing with hundreds of thoughts. I recalled all the events that occurred during Harry's first year in Hogwarts and thinking about the big nasty troll and how Harry had his wand covered in troll snot made me wish that Professor McGonagall didn't mention the banquet at all.

"The Sorting Ceremony will start in a few minutes in front of the school." Professor McGonagall said. "I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you wait."

Her eyes lingered on Neville's cloak and Ron's dirty nose. Harry tried to flatten his hair with his hand and I tried (emphasis on the word tried) to comb mine to make it stay at least tamed instead of it's wild and beastly curls. I didn't want everyone mistaking me for a blonde hairy ghoul on my first day at Hogwarts.

As soon as the professor left, some of us started whispering fearfully to one another.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" I heard Harry ask Ron.

"Some sort of test. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think they were joking."

I rolled my eyes.

"Oh come off it Ronald. We have muggleborns here and I'd bet that only a handful of purebloods could so much as perform a simple summoning spell without their face being smacked by said object. It must be a simple trial or something because if that was the case we would all be sent back home." I said.

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Honestly Arlina, how is it that you're so sure about so many things and they always follow through your words?"

Ron looked at me, his eyes begging to know the answer to Harry's question. I simply shrugged and waved my hands in front of me as if I didn't care.

"Oh, I'm just simply abnormal like that." I said cheekily.

Both boys raised their eyebrows at that statement but accepted that answer anyways. I wasn't surprised. Who could disagree with me on that?

Before I could say anything else, I heard numerous screams echo throughout the chamber. I stiffened and snapped my head back, alarmed. I looked up at the ceiling and my eyes widened in surprise.

Above us, about twenty or more so ghosts appeared. They were chalk white and transparent, but solid enough to make out most of their features. I recognized instantly most of them as they glided through the hall around us.

One of the ghosts seemed to be arguing.

"I ought to say that we should give Peeves another chance." the monk ghost, who I recognized as the Fat Friar, said.

"My friend, we have given Peeves enough chances! He gives us ghosts a bad name, and I'm afraid he isn't even a proper ghost at all! I must- well, what are you all doing here?"

A ghost in frills and tights which I found highly amusing was the first to take notice. I stifled a laugh and bit my tongue to keep myself from rolling on the floor in a fit of laughter. His outfit was downright hilarious!

I raised my hand enthusiastically, ignoring the incredulous and surprised looks sent my way.

"Hi!" I greeted cheerfully. "I'm Arlina and we're new students here at Hogwarts! Professor McGonagall told us to wait here because we'll all be sorted into our houses!"

I noticed a few gaping faces staring at me as if I'd gone insane. Maybe I had. Ah well, I mean we should at least answer people if they ask a question, even if they do wear outdated trousers and look as if he had been pulled out from the second century.

The ghost looked surprised for a moment before smiling widely.

"Ah!" he said, clapping his hands. "A cheerful young youth! I didn't expect anyone to overcome their astonishment in a mere few seconds that a ghost had just spoken to them. Brave, I must say."

"Or foolish." I heard Draco insert snidely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff, dear!" the monk said. "It was my house when I was still alive."

Professor McGonagall soon returned and most of the ghosts headed towards the opposite end of the chamber from where they arrived at. We silently formed a straight line and waited as Professor McGonagall scanned the crowd. Once she nodded, she opened the double doors leading out of the chamber and into the Great Hall.

Never, and I mean never, had I seen a room more beautifully decorated and magnificent such as this. Thousands of small candles floated in mid-air, lighting the gigantic room with their golden hues and warm lights. There were four extremely long tables lined out in each space of the room. Each had at least a thousand of students sitting on the bench, waiting anxiously in their seats. At the end of the room, another long table was set out, this time with a number of teachers waiting patiently on their side. In the middle of the teacher's table, a small but grandly decorated chair was set out. An old man with (might I say) a very impressive beard sat on it. His blue eyes twinkled in delight and curiosity behind his half-moon spectacles.

'This is it.' I thought to myself. Small tears appeared on the corners of my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away. I was so happy and overjoyed, I couldn't kill the wide smile that came up my face even though I wanted to.

'I'm in Hogwarts!' I said to myself. 'I'm... home!'

The Sorting was about to begin. Professor McGonagall lead us towards the side of the room where we waited nervously as she set out a tall four-legged stool in front of the whole room. On top of the school was a pointy witch hat. It looked old and dirty, my mother would have never stood for it to exist.

I sort of cringed at the thought of it being placed in my head. No, not because it was filthy and frankly looked like a mangy old tattered rag but because I was afraid it might tear. It looked quite fragile.

As if it read my thoughts, a big rip appeared on the hat. I squeaked in fright, holding Harry's right arm. His shoulders shot up in surprise at my sudden gesture but once he looked at the hat's rip, his green eyes widened. I hugged him, both in fright and excited anxiety.

Sue me. I was a very touchy-feely person. Besides, Harry didn't pull away. Rather he patted me awkwardly on the back. It was nice.

The rip reached the other side of the hat, and it opened widely. Instead of the top portion of the pointy hat falling like I'd expect it to, it started to sing.

(Insert Hat's Song Here Because We All Know We'd Be Too Lazy To Read It and I Might Appear as a Very Lazy Author ^ w ^)

As soon as the hat finished it's song, the whole room burst into applause. I let go of Harry (reluctantly may I note) and heaved a sigh.

'Dear Merlin, I feel like the butterflies in my stomach are doing summersaults and are on a sugar frenzy!' I thought, feeling very fidgety and wiggly.

"So all we had to do was put on the hat!" Ron grumbled. "I swear I'll kill Fred. Tried to convince me that wrestling a troll was the test if we were lucky!"

Harry forced out a weak laugh. I tapped his shoulder and look at him with a quizzical look.

"You okay there?" I asked innocently.

"Yeah." Harry said. He didn't say anything else, so I decided to drop the subject.

Professor McGonagall held a large roll of parchment in her hands and stood beside the stool. She took the old frayed hat in her free hand and unrolled the large parchment.

"Once I call your name, you will sit at the stool and wear the hat wear you shall be sorted." the professor said.

"Abbott, Hannah!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The voices of the Hall started to become faint and deaf in my ears. My heart started pounding in my chest and I eventually found it hard to breathe. Only then did I realize what the Sorting meant. Only then did I remember that the Sorting Hat can read my thoughts, my very images and memories.

It could tell who I was and who I used to be before Arlina Fray.

My eyes widened. How could I be... so ignorant? How could I forget something as important as this? I should've at least learned Occlumency! At least I would give the hat limited access to my brain. I mean, if it meant blocking certain memories and aspects of myself just to keep my identity a secret, I would accept whatever house I'd be sorted in! Even if it was Slytherin!

"Fray, Arlina!"

I choked back a small gasp and took a hesitant step forward. I swallowed a huge lump that formed in my throat and walked towards the center of the Hall. I sat slowly on the stool and felt the old fabric of the hat make contact with my head.

'Well, well, what do we have here?'

The hat's voice startled me, but I didn't do anything except clutching the sides of the stool as hard as I can. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping it might muster some defense against the hat's mind-reading abilities, if that was how we are supposed to call it.

'Ah... I see, I see... strange, I must say. Mysterious, yes... cunning very cunning... also the skills to deviate ingenious yet outrageous plans in the spur of a moment... fitting to be placed in Slytherin.'

I swallowed.

'I don't want to be in Slytherin.' I thought firmly. 'Anywhere but in that ratty old house.'

'Ratty? Slytherin has produced many fine wizards and witches. But of course, you should know this.'

'Yes, and one of the is Lord Voldemort.'

'Ah. Sharp tongue. Perhaps Slytherin is well fitted for someone of a snarky and dark attitude such as yours.'

'I do not have a snarky attitude!'

'… perhaps. But a rebellious streak, yes... brave or stupid? Hard to decide... burned your father's trousers while practicing the Aguamenti Charm? Should that be possible?'

'Oh, you try mastering your abilities! Oh wait, you can't! You're a hat!'

'Bahaha! Infuriating, is that what you think of me? Hard to say where to place you... each child could have a number of attributes suited for more than two houses... A Slytherin could be well fitted for Ravenclaw for their devious planning and cunning behaviour... Gryffindor and Hufflepuff are pretty much similar... Yes, yes... Loyalty, cunning, bravery (or stupidity) and the will to endure and step forward... Hufflepuff material... yes... but...'

'But?'

'… a Hufflepuff would rather stay at the sidelines and help beneath the shadows... You are rather different... a hidden light behind a dark shadow... yes. I see. I have decided.'

'Well, don't let me stop you.' I grumbled, clearly annoyed.

I could almost hear the hat smirk.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

[A/N:] Oh dear... how long has it bee since I updated? O n O

I apologize! T n T Exams are over, yes, but now a new semester started. I cannot do much except type about 500 hundred words per day for this chapter, and that is during my break times at school and my free time I have here at my home!

But good news. (Or I hope to you dear readers.)

I have quite the number of fanart for Arlina. You can check it in my deviantart account. Maybe that would make up for not updating regularly... I'm still trying my best though! am not giving up on this fanfic! I am determined to make this fanfic a complete success!

Thank you everyone for your patience! ^ w ^