Sorry, I don't own Harry Potter…

Before you read anymore, I want you to try to guess what house they will be in. Of course, you could just read and find out...

Chapter 4:

Patience and I spent the rest of the trip speculating about Hogwarts, avoiding the topic of conversation that was on both our minds. What was it that Patience had seen? She had seen plenty of horrible things in the past. Until she had learned to wear her gloves always, she had touched many of the artifacts in our house and seen terrible things. But what had been so horrible that it had made her pass out? After a while, I decided I didn't want to know. Patience would tell me if she wanted to.

A while later, the train ground to a stop. I looked out the window in eagerness, but it was so dark I might as well have not even bothered. We disembarked from the train and onto the platform.

"What about our luggage?" asked Patience, looking round.

"Don't worry, they'll be delivered up to the castle," said a tall, red-haired boy next to us. Patience looked at him skeptically. "You can trust me, I'm Head Boy," he said, slightly affronted. I looked down, amused at his pompous attitude.

"Firs' years! Firs' years this way!"

I looked toward the loud voice and had no trouble finding the source. A huge man twice the size of my father was waving hands the size of dustbin lids, beckoning first years toward him.

"Who is he, Adrienne?" I asked Patience, aware that other people were around.

"That's Rubeus Hagrid, the gamekeeper. I've heard our brother talking about him at home," Patience replied, evidently catching on and not slipping Draco's name.

"The Great Oaf he always complained about?"

"Hey!" demanded an angry voice behind me. I whirled around and saw Harry Potter glowering at me.

"My brother's words, not mine," I said in my defense, holding my hands up in surrender. He seemed satisfied with that and strode off with his two friends.

"Whew, he was a bit sensitive," I said, turning to Patience. She was tugging on her gloves nervously. I ignored her. I would give her a lesson on developing social skills later.

We walked off to Hagrid, who led us to a group of boats. Everyone else was getting in, so we followed their lead and chose a boat. Patience and I would up in a boat with another girl who seemed too petrified to say anything.

We crossed the Black Lake (as Draco had mentioned it was called) and we were walking up the steps to the stone castle in no time.

At the top of the staircase we stopped in the midst of students and caught a glimpse of a strict looking teacher.

"Good evening!" she said. "My name is Professor McGonagall. When you enter this hall, you will be sorted into one of the four houses. These houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you are here your house will be like your family. For any good deeds or actions, you will earn points. Any trouble making, and you will lose them."

With that she led us into the hall, where hundreds of faces at four tables turned to look at us. Patience turned a light shade of green. I noticed a familiar face looking from the Slytherin table and immediately turned to look at the other side of the hall. Up ahead of us, Professor McGonagall was holding up a dirty old hat in one hand and a scroll in the other.

She began reading off the list. Patience leaned over and whispered to me.

"I'm thankful "M" is way down!"

But she received a surprise that both of us had temporarily forgotten.

"Black, Adrienne." Patience looked at me, alarmed, and I pushed her forward. She made her way through the crowd. Was it just me, or had people started whispering when Professor McGonagall had called her name? They couldn't possibly recognize her! She didn't look anything like Draco! That was me. I chanced a glance over at the Slytherin table. Draco was talking with a friend behind him, his back to the hat. I sighed in relief.

"RAVENCLAW!" screamed the hat. I was startled, and Patience looked like she was about to faint. I had thought for sure she would be in Slytherin, even though I had hoped beyond hopes that she wouldn't be. I couldn't tell what house the hat would put me in, though. I silently begged it would also be Ravenclaw, just so I could be with Patience.

"Black, Paris!" More whispers. This was very odd. I walked up and sat on the stool. McGonagall placed the hat on my head.

"Hmm, a Malfoy! I ought to place you in Slytherin...you are clever...but you're too innocent. You show signs of bravery...and you are very loyal. My goodness you are tricky...You know things and are witty and clever...I'll put you in..."

"RAVENCLAW!"

I heart leaped to my throat and the Ravenclaw table broke into applause. I strode over and sat next to my sister.

A girl across from me leaned across the table and held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Adelaide Beaker. Call me Addie. You're Paris Black, right?"

"Yeah," I said, taking her hand.

"You don't' mind me asking, but are you related to Sirius Black?"

"Who?"

"Oh! He's an escaped prisoner of Azkaban...he's the big news right now. That's why everyone was so excited when McGonagall called your name. But when I think about it, Black must be a pretty common name."

I nodded, unsure what to say to this. I looked at Patience next to me, who was still green.

"This is my twin sister Pa- I mean, Adrienne," I said to Addie. She smiled and held out her hand to Patience. Patience just stared at it.

"Sorry, she's really shy. I need to teach her some social skills," I said, explaining Patience's odd behavior. Addie accepted this excuse and withdrew her hand.

So we did it. We're at Hogwarts, and we're in Ravenclaw, which will make it all the easier to avoid Draco. And Harry Potter.