Thalia's POV

After the sorting, they left Dumbledore's office and followed the greasy haired man from before, who they found out was professor Snape, who taught potions. He took them back down to the entrance chamber from before, where they waited before a large set of double doors. Through them, they could hear Dumbledore talking to what was presumably the entire student body.

"For the full set of rules please take a look at the list inside Mr Filch's office. And now, I have an announcement. For this year at Hogwarts, as part of a programme to build international friendship and co-operation, which is vital, especially in dark times such as these, 12 American exchange students in 6th year shall be joining us. They have already been sorted, so please give them a warm welcome!"

Professor Snape gave them a pointed look, so Thalia, upon seeing the hesitant looks from the others, opened the doors and stepped through to face four long tables, each one filled with students, who's heads were swivelled around so that thousands of eyes bore into her. The others came in and fanned out behind her, surveying the seen with wary and exited looks.

Dumbledore began to speak again. "Thalia Grace, Nico di Angelo, Piper Mclean. Slytherin." After he said this, a load applause came from the table to the far left. The headmaster tilted his head slightly, gesturing for them to sit at the clapping table. They did so, and Thalia took her seat next to a brown haired girl who was talking to a boy with silver blonde hair and a drawling voice. They were talking in hushed tones, so Thalia could only catch a few odd words.

"Draco…Dark mark… Lestrange."

The daughter of Zeus frowned. None of those words made any sort of sense to her, though she guessed Draco was the boy's name. She was sure she had seen the word lestrange somewhere, but she couldn't recall where. Before, however, she could dwell on their hushed words any longer, she turned her attention to Annabeth, as she sat with the other Ravenclaws, then her brother at Gryffindor. She didn't bother paying attention to those at Hufflepuff, as she didn't really know any of them, but she didn't fail to notice that the applause for those at Slytherin was more muted than the rest, as though they were unwelcome, but no one would defy Dumbledore to say it.

Sighing internally, she turned back to face her empty plate. Nico was across from her, and Piper next to her. It was slightly awkward, though better than if she were alone. She had only ever spoken to Piper once or twice, aside from the fact she was her long lost brother's girlfriend. Then there was Nico. He'd always avoided her, and she doubted he would ever like her, but this wasn't without reason. Thalia had been on the quest that had killed his sister, then joined the hunt that had taken Bianca away in the first place.

Finally, Dumbledore finished his speech. He ended with the words 'tuck in', and before Thalia had time to wonder what to tuck into, the golden platters that lined the table magically filled up with every assortment of food. Perhaps she would have been more surprised if she hadn't been so hungry, or if she had never used the magical plates at camp, but she barely let out a start before beginning to fill her plate. When dinner was over, it was desert, and the only people she could see was Percy, for lack of anything blue, and the whispering Slytherins from before. Both looked haughty and though Thalia could not deny she could be proud, she disliked their arrogance immediately. They ate daintily, and cast contemptuous looks at the other tables, as though they held themselves higher than everyone else, which they probably did.

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Thalia hated the dorm rooms on sight. Everything was green, it was always cold and damp because some idiot decided to put a room where kids sleep under a fricking lake. Who in their right mind does that? The other reason Thalia hated it was because there was almost zero privacy, aside from the green curtains you could pull across the four poster beds. There wasn't much with the hunt either, but at least you were free, and besides, they were her sisters. These people, aside from Piper, were random strangers, and she already disliked one of the Girls. To console herself, she thought of Nico, who was in the boy's dormitories without a single familiar face. She climbed into bed, still fully dressed, and drew the curtains before changing and sliding under the covers. She didn't expect to be able to sleep, so she didn't try, instead lying on her back and trying to process everything that had happened the past few days.