The third year Slytherins had left the compartment, and the fifth year boys were left awkwardly looking at one another. Rosa hadn't said anything since the...thing had left the compartment. She just stared out the window with a blank look on her face, the chocolate in her hand untouched.

Now, the mischievous Gryffindor pranksters weren't idiots. They were actually quite brilliant at what they set their minds to, which is why their pranks almost always worked out amazingly well. To say that they didn't notice her reaction to the dementor or see Professor Lupin's worried and confused glance her way, would be calling them blind. However, after years of being around young women and girls, they didn't want to risk causing an angry witch to blow up the train, (no matter how funny it would be), so the rest of the train ride was a quiet one.

When they got close to Hogsmead Station, they pulled their robes over their heads and prepared to disembark.

The boys decided to take her with them in the carriages, then take her to Professor McGonagall once they reached the castle.

That was unnecessary, as the stern professor was waiting for her at the castle steps. They had barely started up the steps before the green clad woman had appeared.

"Miss Hunt, please come with me." Rosa nodded and followed the stern professor, leaving the boys behind.

They were still there when the green-clad witch came back. "Get into the Great Hall boys. I'm sure Miss Hunt can find her way there by herself in time for the sorting." They reluctantly made their way into the Great Hall and sat down near the end of the Gryffindor table. Other students steered clear of the three as they saw them getting into a heated discussion.

When Percy Weasley saw them, he rolled his eyes and headed over to talk his younger brothers into calming down at least until after the sorting. The conversation he heard as he got closer surprised him. He expected talk about pranks, or that stupid joke shop idea the boys were entertaining.

"-Gryffindor, no doubt about it."

"-Possible she could be a Hufflepuff, plenty of law enforcement come from that house. Amelia and Edgar Bones, Nymphadora Tonks-"

"Lee, how do you know these things?"

"I have a good memory." Percy could have laughed at the look on the twins face.

"No, seriously. how do you know."

Lee sighed. "Remember the Hufflepuff who could change her hair color? The Metamorphmagus."

"What about her?"

"She goes by Tonks and graduated at the end of our third year. She somehow made it into the Auror Program. No idea how, she is the clumsiest person I know."

Percy walked away. They weren't talking about any trouble they were planning on causing or coming up with ways to terrorize the first years, so he was going to leave before they found some reason to prank him.

As the last of the students trailing in, Dumbledore stood up. Silence fell, as students started to notice. Professor Dumbledore didn't usually make speeches before the sorting.

"Students, there is one person we would like to introduce before the sorting of the first years. Miss Rosa Hunt is a new student from America and she's going into her fifth year. I trust all of you will make her feel welcome."

The students watched as the tall, dark-haired girl exited the side chamber and walked over to the stool with the sorting hat. Professor McGonagall offered her a small smile as she placed the worn hat on the skinny girl's head. The wide brim of the hat fell over her eyes and brushed her nose. The noise of the Great Hall disappeared and the wait began.

'What now?' Rosa thought.

'Hmmm... you're older than the students I usually sort.'

'The hat is talking to me.' She thought blankly.

'Yes. Very observant."

'Shut up Hat. I haven't had the best day.' Rosa grumbled.

'I can see that. Quite the memory bank that dementor dug up didn't he?'

'What are you talking about?' Rosa demanded.

'Ah, I see you don't know. I'll let you find out on your own. Now to find your House.'

'Wait, hold on. What were you talking about?'

'You certainly are curious, aren't you. But not the studious type of curiosity. More of a trouble-seeking type of curiosity.'

'What do my memories have to do with anything?!'

'You are not ambitious, and your exuberance would overwhelm the Hufflepuffs. Looks like Gryffindor is your house.'

'Hold on. Don't I get a say in this?'

'No. Everything you have said has led me to this conclusion.'

'But what if I don't want to be in Gryffindor.'

'Gryffindor suits you the best. Besides, it minimizes the damage that will be caused if you were in any other house.'

'What's that suppose to mean?'

'You're friends with Weasley Twins, figure it out. GRYFFINDOR!' The Hat shouted the last bit for the whole hall to hear. 'Oh, I would recommend going to Gringotts. They have the best blood tests I hear.'

Before she could reply, the hat was lifted off her head. She blinked at the bright light and saw the three boys from the train waving her over. Guessing that she was supposed to sit at that table, she walked down the long pathway between the tables to where they were sitting.

Thankfully, the first years were led into the hall soon after she sat down, taking the attention away from her. She didn't pay attention to the sorting, instead she was listening to the boys. Lee was going on about how she was almost a 'Hatstall', while the twins were trying to get her to agree with a prank idea they had.

Their talking slowed when Dumbledore stood up and stopped during his speech. It didn't pick up until halfway through the feast, when a twin decided to introduce her to the other people at the table.

"That's Kenneth Towler, we share a dorm. Those two lovely ladies are Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet. They're chasers on the Gryffindor Quidditch team." Kenneth waved from down the table, Angelina and Alicia looked up at them and gave the twins a suspicious look before resuming their conversation with another girl.

"Thats the third chaser, Katie Bell. She's a fourth year right now." said the other twin, cutting into the conversation

"Our keeper is up there, talking to the blonde girl. She's Calla Grimm and his name is Oliver Wood." Supplies the first one.

"Down there is our seeker, talking to the redhead boy and the girl with bushy hair. The girl is Hermione Granger and the seeker is Harry Potter. The redhead is our younger brother, Ronald." says the other.

"He goes by Ron." Lee says.

Rosa smiled. "He's the keeper, those girls are the chasers, and the boy down there is the seeker, right?" the three boys nodded. "Well, who're the beaters?"

"Yes!"

"She knows quidditch!"

"Uh." Rosa stared as the twins started celebrating.

"You're one of the few girls the twins have befriended to actually know enough about quidditch to distinguish the players." Lee told her. "You might want to finish dinner while their distracted. I think they're planning on dragging you up to the common room to plan some pranks while everyone is finishing up."

"What did I get myself into?" Rosa groaned as she took his advice. Lee only laughed.