Disclaimer : If you recognize it, I don't own it.

"I'm sorry Ginny." Hermione said, shaking her head sadly. She had spent the last few minutes looking for Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, but no one had seen them. The red head's face wasn't white anymore, but it hadn't regained all of its color.

"It's ok," Ginny attempted a smile, "I'm sure they're fine."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Not if they are anything like the twins," she said, shaking her head sadly.

Ginny let out a small laugh, but froze as a voice flowed over the Hogwarts express, telling them they would be arriving at Hogwarts shortly.

Hermione paled.

"I guess we better get our robes on," she said quietly. Ginny nodded tensely. The girls had spent the last few hours talking, and both were nervous about the sorting. Hermione was absolutely terrified that she wouldn't know enough spells, and Ginny was confident her life would end if she were in any house but Gryffindor.

"The worst thing is," Ginny had said earlier, "is that all of my family knows how the sorting goes. Bill, Charlie, Percy and Ron don't say its so bad, but Fred and George keep talking about trolls and giant spiders." Hermione had shrugged.

"I've read all about trolls," she had confided in Ginny, "I'm sure we could handle them. Besides, Dumbledore wouldn't let that happen." Ginny had gave a small smile.

Hermione didn't look so confident as she exited the train, Ginny right behind her. Her forehead was creased as she looked around wildly for something.

"What's the ma-" Ginny began to say, but was cut off by a loud voice.

"Fir's years!" a booming voice called out. Ginny and Hermione turned around and were face to face with an extremely large man. Hermione gasped.

"What?" Ginny asked as they followed the large man over to a lake.

"He must be a giant," Hermione said, her face rather pale "or at least half."

Ginny shrugged. "I think he's Hagrid; the gamekeeper. My brothers told me about him." She explained in answer to Hermione's disbelieving look.

"But they are supposed to be really dangerous!" Hermione cried.

Ginny shook her head. "Not Hagrid," she said, "my brothers are friends with him. And Dumbledore trusts him, doesn't he?"

Hermione sighed. "I guess so," she said as she and Ginny clambered into a boat. There were already two other first years in the boat; a tall girl with black hair who kept glaring at Hagrid, and a rather large boy with blue eyes. Both had nasty expressions on their faces and kept exchanging glances.

"Well, I think we found out new best friends," Ginny whispered in Hermione's ear. Hermione chuckled.

"What's so funny?" The girl asked, staring at Hermione, "no, wait. Don't answer that. Anything a blood traitor says isn't worth repeating."

Hermione glared at her. Ginny noticed that her knuckles were white around her wand.

"Don't worry about it," she said in a low voice to Hermione, "they're just nasty. Pure blood probably."

"Pure blood?" Hermione asked, keeping her hand on her wand but allowing her gaze to travel to Hagrid.

"No muggle blood in them. They are known for calling anyone with muggle parentage scum or," she shivered, "mud-bloods. It's really dirty. But some old wizarding families judge everything on blood. She knows me because the Weasley's are known for being friends with muggleborns, or blood traitors. I take it back about them being our best friends, they seem rather vicious."

Around the next corner, they got their first view of Hogwarts. It was a magnificent site, with all the towers and levels. There were carriages pulling up to magnificent oak doors where student got out, talking animatedly. A few pointed at the small fleet of boats, but most didn't give it a second glance. The sound of a splash caught Hermione's attention.

"Oh my goodness!"

"What?" Ginny's head whipped around, her red hair smacking the girl on the opposite end of the boat.

"Watch it!" the girl shrieked, rubbing her face fervently with her hand. Ginny paid her no mind however.

A tiny boy with mousy hair was teetering over the edge of the boat. He was unbalanced and the people in his boat seemed to have no idea what to do. Ginny took a deep breath.

"Lean back!" she shouted. The boy did as told, falling into the awaiting arms of his boat mates.

The first years cheered loudly, save a few. Ginny blushed, Hermione could see that her face was as red as her hair in the moonlight.

"Shame the kid didn't fall forward," the boy with blue eyes said darkly.

Hermione's face was contorted with anger.

"How dare you!" she shrieked, "What has he ever done to you? Do you even know his name?" She crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for the boy to reply. When he did not, she leaned close to Ginny.

"Scum," she said quietly into the red head's ear. Ginny nodded.

Not much later, they had arrived at Hogwarts. Hermione and Ginny stepped out of the boats gingerly, Ginny rather unsteadily. Hermione gripped her friend's arm.

"Seasick?" she asked, a look of concern on her face.

Ginny nodded. "And nervous." She confessed, her voice a bit shaky.

Hermione gave her a comforting smile. She looked like she was about to say something but held back as the doors opened.

A tall woman was holding the door open, letting the first years past her. Ginny could tell by looking at her that she would be strict, and immediately vowed to get on her good side. Not a hair on the woman's head was out of place, though you couldn't see much because of a forest green hair covering her head.

"Thank you, Hagrid," she said. Her voice was as crisp as her appearance. "Any difficulties?"

"Someone almost fell into the lake Professor," Hagrid said, and Ginny suddenly felt a large hand on her back. "But this one here took care of it."

Ginny blushed. "It was nothing," she mumbled quietly.

"Another Weasley?" Professor McGonagall asked, surveying Ginny. "Well Miss Weasley, I do hope you do not choose to follow in the footsteps of your elder brothers." She chuckled. Ginny gave a weak smile.

"No Professor," she promised, "I won't."

Professor McGonagall nodded curtly before turning to the other first years.

"Welcome to Hogwarts school," she began, but Ginny tuned out the rest. Her head was spinning.

The first years walked into the Great hall quietly, but in awe. Most were staring at the ceiling, and one could make out Hermione Granger telling her peers that it was bewitched to do that. They stood in front of all the other students, nervous expressions forming on their faces. Some positively jumped when the Sorting Hat began to sing, but nearly all looked relieved after the song had finished. Ginny Weasley herself had mentally slapped herself for being so silly.

"We just have to try on a hat!" she exclaimed to Hermoine. She spotted Fred and George at the Gryffindor table and sent then a rude hang gesture. They played innocent, pointing at themselves and mouthing what did we do? Ginny shot them the patented glare she had inherited from her mother, and was pleased to see they dropped the act.

Hermoine was alarmed when Professor McGonagall started calling out the F's. They were to be called up in alphabetical order, and she knew she would be next. As Fields, Elisha was declared at Ravenclaw, she felt Ginny's hand on her shoulder.

"Good luck," she whispered.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione took a deep breath, and willed her feet to move. The walk between where Ginny was standing and where the sorting hat was seemed very long to Hermione, and she almost tripped over her feet. She could feel thousands of eyes on her, watching her every move.

At last, she reached the stool. She sat in it, making sure the hat was on her head. It was large, coming down past her eyes. Vaguely, she wondered what would happen when she heard a small voice speaking right into her ear.

"Ah, hello Miss Granger," it said sweetly, "and how are you this fine evening?"

For a moment, Hermione considered screaming out that the hat was talking to her. She decided against it.

"Very well, and you?" she replied. She found it was easier to think the thoughts than to say them aloud.

"Miss Granger, I am but the deceased Godric's hat. I cannot feel," the small voice said.

"Of course. My apologies," Hermione said quietly.

The small voice chuckled.

"I suppose you would like to know what house you are going to be in?" the Sorting Hat asked.

Mentally, Hermione nodded. "Anything but Slytherin," she said firmly.

"Very well then Miss Granger," the small voice said, "I hope you will be happy in RAVENCLAW!" The last word had been projected so that the entire hall could hear.

As Hermione took the hat of her head, she could hear loud clapping from the Ravenclaw table. She placed the hat on the stool and raced off to find a seat. Hermione ended up sitting near the black haired girl that had been sorted before her. Before she had the chance to say hello, several of the older students shook her hand, giving her smiles. She had just enough time to grin back before another student was called up to be sorted. Hermione quickly scanned the line of remaining first years, finding Ginny quickly. Her friend gave her a broad smile and thumbs up.

The second Ginny put her thumb down; she let a frown slip onto her face. Surely, she would be separated from Hermione. Every last Weasley until back to the first Weasley was in Gryffindor. For all she knew, she could be an heir on Gryffindor. Just as well, Ron was still missing. She had spent a few moments letting her eyes roam around the hall, and that was something certain. She hoped beyond hope that they weren't doing anything stupid.

If she was completely honest with herself, she would like to be in any house but Slytherin. Of course, if she was in anything but Gryffindor, her family would surely disown her, but Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff wouldn't be so terrible in Ginny's opinion.

She was so lost in thought that when her name was called, she nearly jumped a mile.

Every eye was on her as she walked up to the platform with the stool. Ginny found the staring rather annoying and felt as though she would like to hex everyone watching her.

The walk to the stool took almost no time at all, and she slipped it onto her head and over her eyes in an instant.

"Ah, another Weasley," a small voice in her ear said. It sounded amused. Ginny didn't reply, her eyes were closed tight, and she was chanting Slytherin's are losers in her mind.

"Slytherin's are losers ay?" the voice asked. It sounded amused in Ginny's opinion; almost as if it was laughing at her. "Maybe we ought to put you in Slytherin, teach you otherwise. No? Alright then…RAVENCLAW!"

Ginny gasped. Her blood was draining from her face as she took the hat off, and the last thing she saw before she blacked out was Hermione grinning and cheering at the Ravenclaw table while each and every one of her brothers looked confused.

A/N: Hello again! What did you think? Sorry it took so long, school is starting up soon.

Please review more! Having said that, special thanks to neverlife and Adi Sagestar! Gred and Forge was Fred and George. Should Ginny be an heir to Gryffindor? Or Hermione to Ravenclaw? Or both? Or none? Hmmmm…