A/N: I don't own any of the characters or settings in this story (except maybe Isla, but she isn't even copyrighted. Not sure about that.) Thanks to Zenith for helping me with the Sorting Hat's rhymes.

The Great Hall was warm. My fingers quickly adjusted to the temperature, and once I got over the sudden change in heat, I started to look around. Thousands of students sat at long tables, wearing black robes and pointy hats. I quickly deduced which table was which, spotting tiny green, blue, red, and yellow crests on the student's robes.

As my supposed last name was Malfoy, I came after "Lewyn, Carissa," sorted into Hufflepuff.

I gulped as McGonagall called my name in a crisp Scottish accent, "Malfoy, Titiana." I heard a couple snickers at the Slytherin and Gryffindor tables, and more than a couple "She's a Malfoy? I hadn't heard that they had another child!" But I held my head high as I walked up. Pride was the most important thing.

McGonagall set the old hat on my head. It drooped over my eyes in a most definitely unbecoming way, and a few snickers echoed through the hall.

"Why, hello, Ms. Black." The Sorting Hat said kindly.

"You know my name?" I thought.

"Why, yes, of course. But let's get onto the Sorting.

Your heart is bold,

Your bravery strong,

Gryffindor is the house for you…

But you think 'tis wrong?"

"I don't know…" I pictured Father's face as he told me I would be cast onto the streets if I was in any house but Slytherin. But then I thought of my real father's letter to me, and how I had to protect this 'Harry Potter.'

"Strange things abroad

When one's true house is courage

You would live a fraud?"

"I told you, I don't know!" I yelled, if you can think-yell.

"Well…" The Sorting Hat thought for a moment, then continued.

"Slytherin is in your blood,

Or so it is that you've been told.

Slytherin the house of ambition,

Slytherin the house of old,

You are of that line, it is quite true,

But is Slytherin the house for you?"

"Maybe it is! I'm not brave enough to accept-to bear- the punishment if I'm sorted into Gryffindor!" I wanted to cry.

"Alright then,

You must be…."

"SLYTHERIN!" This it bellowed aloud, scaring me. I pulled the hat off my head and set it on the chair and ran to the Slytherin table, where all the Slytherins were clapping.

After me came "Maele, Sixten," sorted into Gryffindor. Time went by quickly as I mused on my new position as a first year Slytherin. It would be hard to win over the other Slytherins, and hard to bear the coming scorn from Fred and George, but I wasn't a Gryffindor after all. Was I?

Finally, Fred was called. The Sorting Hat was on his head for about a minute, then it called "GRYFFINDOR!" I smiled into my sleeves. At least one of the twins got what he wanted. Had I? George was also Sorted into Gryffindor. Fred whistled as he walked over to the Gryffindor table, the high sound almost lost in all the cheers.

The prefects led us to the dungeons deep beneath the castle. "Why are they taking us to a dead end?" I whispered to an older student next to me.

"You'll see," she whispered. "You're a first year, aren't you?" I nodded. "A tip: don't go down the other passageway. Professor Snape has it rigged up with all kinds of nasty potions on the doorframes just waiting to fall on an unsuspected firstie."

I gulped. "Thanks. For the tip, I mean." She nodded, apparently considering herself too high in rank to talk to a "firstie" for more than a couple seconds.

The prefect who seemed to be in charge, a tall boy with black hair and hazel eyes whispered to the wall in front of him. I was just about to conclude that all Slytherins were crazy when the wall slid open, revealing a darkly lit room with many passageways leading off.

"Main room, firsties," the head prefect said. We oohed and aahed for a while, but then the prefects ushered us off to our respective dormitories by gender.

My bed was hard, and reminded me all too much of my room at Malfoy Manor. The bed was canopied in a thin green fabric. I fell asleep as soon as I got on it, not bothering to even pull the canopies so they covered the bed or get my pajamas on.