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Big Big World

Chapter 8 What?! I object! I don't want him to be my guide!!!

"Headmaster, may I make a suggestion?" Allison asked.

"Yes?" Dumbledore replied. He was quite interested to see what she was going to ask for.

"As I know Hermione, is it alright for me to stay with her?" Allison asked.

"Albus, it would be a good idea. We can prepare another room next to Miss Granger's." McGonagall smiled to herself when she saw Allison's face¡Xevidently the young woman regarded her as her saviour for backing her up.

Dumbledore frowned. "Minerva, I don't think it will work. We need to abide by the rules."

Allison's brightened face darkened suddenly. "What rules?"

This time McGonagall explained to her. "We have established an identity for you as a special research student. Even though you have a room of your own and don't need to go to lectures, but you are still a student. At Hogwarts, all students are sorted into houses by the sorting hat. Then we'll arrange who's going to be your guide and which house area you are going to live in according to the sorting." McGonagall explained.

Allison sighed. Well, seemed that she just had to make the sorting hat sort her into Gryffindor then. "When can I be sorted?"

Dumbledore gestured at a stool that stood against the wall. On top of it an old battered hat was sitting. "That's the Sorting Hat. Come with me."

Allison followed Dumbledore to the stool. "Sorting Hat, wake up. We need your help."

To Allison's surprise, the hat came to life, and started to yawn. "It's not yet time. What makes you wake me so early?"

Dumbledore grinned, "We have a lady here who has to be sorted into one of the houses, and she also needs you to select a staff member as her guide."

"Guide? What guide?" The Sorting Hat's curiosity was raised.

"Like a personal house head, a guardian." Dumbledore replied.

"Understood."

McGonagall took the hat from the stool, and asked Allison to sit down and carefully put the hat on her head. "Don't worry. The Hat won't bite."

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"Severus, it seems that Miss Lowe doesn¡¦t have too favourable an impression of you." McGonagall teased.

Snape just shot her a look and looked at Allison again.

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"Okay, Miss Lowe, let's see." The Hat said, "Strange. You are not a muggle, but you are not a witch either. I can sense that you are like none of those I have encountered so far. Intriguing."

"Could you get on with it? I don't need to become more confused about myself. Not today."

"Okay, as you wish. A really good mind, good enough for Ravenclaw. Very loyal to your friends and anyone important to you. Hufflepuff would be extremely thrilled if you joined them. Bravery, of course, needless to mention that. You would fit into Gryffindor too." The Hat was totally silent for a while. "Hold on a second. I know you. You are the twin of Bianca Janney."

"Yes."

"I remember that your sister was sorted into Slytherin." The Hat replied.

"Yes."

"Do you want to be in Slytherin too?"

"NO!"

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Her sudden outburst almost knocked the three professors off their feet. All three were asking themselves the same question: What had the Hat told her to provoke such a reaction?

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"Why?" The Hat was a bit taken aback by her response.

"Don't tell me you don't know how bad and rude they are, mister." She had always known exactly what she wanted, but that didn¡¦t mean she should be put among a group of people with similar characters . It would only lead to disaster.

"Note taken, Miss Lowe." If the Hat could sweat, it should be sweating now. "But... I think you will fit in Slytherin."

"Bullshit."

"That's enough. Ask yourself. If you don't have a fair amount of desire for power, or at least importance, how could you run a bookshop on your own, and even win a reputation in the area? It's not easy for a young girl to live in a big city like London. If you are not cunning and careful, how could you survive, let alone run a successful business?" The Hat smirked to itself when Allison failed to answer this.

"But I don't want to be in Slytherin." Allison said, unaware that she was acting like a child begging for sweets.

"You are only being sorted in the house, but not having lessons with them or whatever. It's just going to decide where your OWN PRIVATE ROOM is going to located." Allison didn't want to accept the situation, but it seemed the Hat had already made up its mind.

"So you better be in..." The Hat shouted, "SLYTHERIN!"

"And my 'guardian'?" Allison asked.

"Your guardian... Hmmm... a difficult choice. You need someone intelligent in order to help you, but also authoritative enough to make you take the right decisions... Minerva would be a good choice, but..." The Hat was sure it was getting a glare from Allison, "So your guardian better be..."

"SEVERUS SNAPE!"

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Not Everybody was shocked that she was sorted into Slytherin. At least not Snape. From her reactions after she had woken up in the infirmary, he had been sure she was going to be a Slytherin, though not a significant one. But everybody was quite shocked when the Hat appointed Snape as her guardian. He already had to play his role as double agent, so how was he going to take care of her at the same time?

Allison took off the Hat, and put it back on the stool. She nodded at Snape, reluctantly, "Sorry to bother you for some time before the 'end', Professor Snape."

Then she turned towards the Hat, which was trying to stop itself from smiling mischievously. then she had an idea and said, "Vous trouvez ça amusant?"

The Hat had no idea what she was talking about. Actually the Hat only knew English. "What do you mean? I only speak English!"

Allison sneered, " Das ist französisch, Sie Idiot."

"What is she saying, Dumbledore?" The Hat asked, sensing that what she said was nothing good.

"Baka."

"Quit it!" The Hat screamed, "I can't go back to rest without knowing what you said!"

"Muy bien."

"Allison Bridgit Lowe Janney!"

" Fammi." Allison laughed, "Dette er for De som ikke sorterer av meg inn i Griffindor."

Snape was silently laughing his head off. The Hat always acted as if it knew everything, and now this was pay back.

"Miss Lowe, this way please. We don't have much time to waste."

TBC

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Vous trouvez ça amusant? (French) - Do you find it amusing?

Das ist französisch, Sie Idiot. (German) - It is French, you idiot.

Baka. (Japanese) - Idiot.

Muy bien. (Spanish) - Good for you.

Fammi. (Italian) - Make me.

Dette er for De som ikke sorterer av meg inn i Griffindor. (Norwegian) - This is for you not sorting me into Gryffindor.