They walked up the steep lawns towards the school, and into the Great Hall. There were a quite a few students there, the students that took carriages before them. But there was no sign of Harry. The four long tables had students wearing different colours at each.
"OK so do we just sit anywhere?" Tashia asked.
"I think you're going to be sorted with the first years…" Hermione answered.
Just then, Professor McGonagall came through the door, walking straight for them.
"Amera Genesse? Tashia Truevale?" McGonagall asked.
"Yes ma'am." said Tashia and Amera at the same time.
McGonagall hugged them both suddenly, and let go just as quickly. Amera and Tashia looked at each other and then at the professor.
"You are going to be sorted with the first years. Come with me…"and she lead them out of the Great Hall.
The hall quietened as everyone sat down, and waited for the first years to come through for their sorting. The doors wrenched open, and a long line of tiny first-years were lead in by Professor McGonagall. Behind them all, were Amera and Tashia. They didn't look nervous at all, unlike the first years. They stood higher than the first years, and strolled easily behind them while they half-jogged to keep up with McGonagall. McGonagall stepped beside an old raggedy-looking thing on a stool and held out a list of names. Before anything could happen, the thing burst into song, about the founders of Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. After the song, after Tashia and Amera knew it was a hat, Professor McGonagall looked at the list and called out the first name.
"Acrogen, Mila."
A small girl stepped up to the stool and sat on it, after which McGonagall placed the raggedy looking thing on her head.
"RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted, and the girl ran down to the table with the students in blue.
The list was awfully long, and after a while Tashia and Amera were the only ones left.
"Genesse, Amera." Professor McGonagall called.
Amera walked up to the chair and sat on it, and had the hat placed on her head.
"Mmm…very tough you are…sixth year…too smart for your years…" said a small voice in her ear.
Amera wanted to nod, but it was more a self-made conversation for the hat.
"I think…maybe…Ravenclaw…or…Gryffindor…"
Amera suddenly remembered that Harry had told her that she would probably be a Gryffindor, and hoped she would be there.
"Gryffindor, eh? Ravenclaw is where your unusual intelligence belongs…" said the small voice again.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat eventually shouted.
Amera smiled and stood up, but realised she didn't know where to go, because she wasn't paying attention to the first years and where they went…
"It's the red table." whispered McGonagall.
Amera looked around at all the tables, and saw a blaze of white blond hair at another table. Amera smiled and walked down to the table, where Ron and Hermione were sitting. Amera had barely reached her seat when the hat shouted again.
"GRYFFINDOR!" Amera turned around and saw Tashia running down the length of the table, almost ready to jump on her.
"We're Gryffindors! I have no idea what it means, but we're the same!"
Hermione let out a small giggle, and they shot her a look.
"You don't know what a Gryffindor is?" Hermione laughed.
Amera and Tashia shook their heads, and looked down at her.
"Sit down, the feast should start soon."
But before they even sat down, the feast popped onto the tables, with food everywhere. Amera and Tashia sat on either side of Hermione, and looked at the massive amount of food.
"This is quite a lot…" said Amera, taking some potatoes.
"Now I know what Aurora meant." said Tashia, taking the potatoes from Amera.
They sat for a while, but Harry had still not joined them. They were just about finished when Harry strolled in the door with Professor Snape, and he didn't have his robes on.
"What happened to you Harry?" said Hermione shifting up and making space for him between her and Amera.
"Got caught up…"
"Not where you've been! You're full of blood."
Harry looked down at his shirt and it was full of dry blood. Before he could answer, Hermione had her wand out and was siphoning off the dried blood.
"Thanks Hermione." said Harry.
Harry reached out for some food but before he took it, it was replaced with pudding.
"Aww damn! I was really hungry." said Harry taking some pudding instead.
"You were right Harry." said Amera from next to him.
Harry turned around, and saw Amera sitting next to him
"Geez! I didn't see you there."
"Feel the love!" said Tashia with a hurt voice on the other side of Hermione.
"Sorry, I just…"
"It's ok. You were right, I got Gryffindor." said Amera again.
Harry hugged Amera tightly and smiled over Hermione's shoulder at Tashia, with which he shook hands later. Ron and Hermione just looked at them and carried on eating.
"Excellent! I knew you would." he let go of her and smiled.
"Well it was either here or Ravenclaw. I thought here would be a nice choice."
Hermione and Harry almost both choked on whatever they were eating and looked at each other.
"What jumped down your throats?" Ron asked.
Hermione tried to say something, but Harry was the one who spoke.
"You chose Gryffindor?"
"Yeah…I just thought I would be nice since you said I'd be in here."
Harry went wide-eyed. He only ever knew of himself and Hermione that almost told the hat where to put them.
"I had the same choice…" Hermione eventually croaked to Amera, with a weird expression.
Amera smiled, and went back to her pudding.