Chapter 2: The Sorting
Over the next week Chris spent quite a lot of time with her uncle. He put her to work on helping him stock the new year's supply of Dreamless Sleep, Skele-grow, Maldley's Headache Vaporizer and the like and found her to be quite a clever and qifted young witch. She was very studious and never chattered away while at work. But on breaks, that was a different story. Chris was very spirited and lively, and actually entertained him, Severus Snape, with her life stories.
Today they were taking lunch in office, a platter of sandwiches between them on Snape's desk.
"Professor, tell me about your life," said Chris smiling then taking a bite of her sandwich.
Snape narrowed his eyes and replied with a sneer, "You may chatter on about your own ridiculios life, but others of us care to keep our business personal."
After that Chris didn't tell him anything about her life anymore. Snape hated himself for that.
As the Saturday before the begining of the new school year rolled around, Chris started to feel quite nervous. After her mum had died of lukemia 3 years ago, Chris had felt rather empty inside and the nervousness was a welcome, but unpleasant feeling. Her mother's friend, spinster Alarose Malarky, took her in as Chris's father had died before she was even born. Ms. Malarky taught Chris magic at home and declined to send her to Hogwarts. "When the time is right, you will go there," she always said. The time must have been right now, as Ms. Malarky died of old age just a week ago. At her funeral, Albus Dumbledore showed up and wisked Chris off to Hogwarts to meet the uncle she never knew she had. It was all so fast she was still confused.
To Chris, Uncle severus (as she liked to call him in her head) was an enigma. Mysterious and as sour as un-Preserved three day old pumpkin juice, he intrigued her quite thouroghly.
It was Saturday morning, the day before the students began arriving. Chris hopped out of bed a went to the bathroom to shower and brushe her teeth. Afterwards she pulled on a pair of muggle blue jeans and a pink t-shirt then made her way down to Great Hall to eat breakfast with the other Professors.
"Ah, Good Morning Miss McKracken," exclaimed Professor Dumbledore as she sat down between him and Professor McGonnagal.
"Good Morning, Professors," she nodded to both McGonagal and Dumbledore.
Chris was spooning some porridge into a bowl when McGonagal asked, "Are you looking forward to your first year at Hogwarts?"
"Well," replied Chris,"I'm nervous, but excited. I'm sure that's every first year's reaction. Though I am sixth year."
Professor Flitwick joined in the conversation from two seats down. "What class are you looking forward to the most," he asked.
"All of them, I think. But Transfiguartions and Arithmancy the most."
The talk continued throughout breakfast, with Professors specualting on what this year's students would bring.
After breakfast Charisma went down to the potion's lab. She figured Uncle Severus would be there as he hadn't been to breakfast. He was, and had several cauldron filled with diffent potions he was attending to.
"Take the Boil Curing potion off the fire and add the porcupine quills," ordered Snape as soon as Chris entered.
It went on like that all morning, Snape ordering and Chris doing until they took lunch in his office. It was sandwiches again and they sat in silence until Chris asked, "What house do you think I'll be sorted into?"
"I don't know, you silly girl," said Snape, "Do I look like the Sorting Hat to you?"
Chris laughed, though she knew Snape wasn't joking. "No. I'm just nervous, you know."
"There's no need to be nervous," said Snape. "The Hat will place you where it sees your best fit, and, be it any other House but Slytherin, you will still be my neice."
Chris smiled at that. "I know you love your Slytherins," she said, "But I don't think I'd make a very good one."
"That is true," said Snape. And he actually smiled.
Sunday evening came quickly, and the castle was teeming with students. Chris dressed in her school robes and met McGonagal and the first years at the entrance to the Great Hall. One little boy looked up incredulously at her and said, "You are too big to be a first year."
"I'm a sixth year. This is my first year at Hogwarts though," said Chris.
"Oh," he said. Then McGonagal ushered them into the Great Hall.
Charisma could hear the whispers about her. She caught one blonde boy at the Slytherin table table saying, "She must be related to that great oaf Hagrid. No first year is that big."
Chris had met Hagrid and found him to be quite nice, and gave that boy the most awful stare. He just smirked back.
The Sorting Hat was was sat on its stool and began belting out an awful song that Chris didn't hear because she was so nervous.
McGonangal began calling names.
"Alzeed, Gutra." A girl with dark hair and skin was the first to Hufflepuff.
Calderon, Mark went to Ravenclaw, Casey,Karl went to Gryffindor, Dinn, Yvonne went to Slytherin, and so on until it came to Ngyuen, Chantra who went to Hufflepuff. Chris knew she was next. "Pershaw, Penelope," called McGonnagal. She had been skipped! Chris's hands began to sweat and she became more and more nervous. She looked to her uncle, who looked quite confused. Finally, Zamaripa, Ervine went to Gryfindor and Chris was the last person left. Dumbledore stood up.
"And finally," he said, "we had Charisma McKracken, neice of our own Professor Snape. She is a sixth year student who has been previously schooled at home and needs to be sorted." He motioned to the stool and Chris sat down and put the hat on her head.
All of a sudden she heard a voice in her head. Ah, very able, very intelligent. Very ambitious, but cunning is not one of your strong points. Loyal, but very selfish, my dear. You are very balanced Miss McKracken, but bravery is the foundation of your heart.
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted and Chris madehe way to the wildly clapping table.
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Next up: My Gryffindor Housemates