Yeah, I know I haven't updated in a while, but I wanted to get two chapters up at the same time. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the chapter done in time, so here's chapter 7.

I dedicate this chapter to my best friend. It was her birthday yesterday. Happy Birthday, Kayla!

Blah twin speak

Blah J. K. Rowling's work

Chapter Seven: The Sorting Hat

The doors opened, and Professor McGonagall said, "Follow me."

She led us into a little chamber off the Entrance Hall. "Welcome to Hogwarts," she said. She continued about how Hogwarts ran and about the Houses and House Points.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes," she finished. She turned and entered the Great Hall.

"So it's true," piped up a voice after the professor left. Harry and I turned to see Draco Malfoy and two thickset boys walk through the crowd. "As they were saying on the train. Harry and Danielle Potter have come to Hogwarts."

As he said that, I heard gasps and people whispering our names.

"Hm," I said, staring at him long and thoughtfully at him. "I can see you are the kind of person who thinks he can get everything he wants and can be a bit of a bully. I'd steer clear of that road if I were you."

Draco stared at me, and then he looked away, thoughtful. I was hoping that he would turn out as a good person, instead of that Lucius Malfoy clone. I didn't know how long that would take, though. Draco could be a pleasant person if he wanted to be.

A wiry sort of boy looked at me and sneered. "How dare you reject his offer?"

This boy didn't look familiar at all. "Who're you?"

"Theodore Nott. If you know what's good for you, you'd join us."

I heard the door opening again. "We're ready for you," Minnie said, walking out of the Great Hall.

I walked next to Abigail into the Great Hall. I thought it was even more magnificent when there were students there. The five tables shone from a recent cleaning. The golden silverware (or would it be goldenware?) gleamed from the candlelight. The candles in question floated lazily above our heads. The ceiling seemed to open to the heavens. The sky was cloudless. I picked out a few constellations that I recognized from my Astronomy book.

We walked up to the teachers' table where a stool and an old, patched, and frayed hat sat. Everyone stared at it, which I knew was the Sorting Hat. The entire Hall silenced. Eventually, the rip of the Hat opened like a mouth, and it sang:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk do any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

"I'll kill Fred and George," I heard Ron say from behind me. "They were gong on about wrestling a troll."

"When I call your name," Professor McGonagall said as she glanced at all of the first years, a sheet of parchment in her hands, "you will put on the Hat to be sorted. Abbott, Hannah!"

She walked up to the stool and put the Hat on. After a few seconds, the Hat shouted out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Susan Bones became a Hufflepuff, Terry Boot became a Ravenclaw, and my new friend Mandy became a Ravenclaw. Professor McGonagall went down the list, and I watched Abigail as she was sorted into Ravenclaw while her twin, Neville, went into Gryffindor. Eventually, Draco's turn came, and he swaggered up to the stool and put the Sorting Hat on his head.

My stomach felt uncomfortable. I could feel butterflies dancing in my stomach. Which house would I be in?

The Hat sat on his head for a full minute, and then it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" I watched as he walked to the Slytherin table, but he didn't look very smug. He actually looked unhappy as he sat down between Crabbe and Goyle.

Now it felt like the butterflies were partying in my stomach. My hands were shaking.

After a few more minutes and people, it was finally my turn. Minnie shouted out, "Potter, Danielle!"

"The Danielle Potter?" several people asked.

I walked up to the stool and put the Hat on, which fell right over my eyes. "A little more difficult than the Malfoy boy, eh, Miss Potter? I see wit, intelligence, kindness, loyalty, and a little bit of bravery and cunning. You want to save your brother from an early death, ambitious! You have bravery to do what's right. It and the ambition are not very strong, so the real question is Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff?"

Put me somewhere that I'll be useful, I thought.

"Okay then," the Hat told me, "better be, RAVENCLAW!" The Ravenclaw table clapped the loudest as I walked over to their table, our table, with a huge smile on my face. The butterflies were fading. I sat down between Mandy and a First year boy named Alex Moon. Professor McGonagall called Harry up, and I could feel his nervousness from here.

[Harry's POV]

I watched as Dani walked happily to the Ravenclaw table. It was almost as if I could feel her happiness. Then, Professor McGonagall called my name, and I stepped up to the stool, my heart pounding, and felt the Hat slide over my head.

"Hm," said a voice in my ear, "just about as difficult as your sister."

Please put me in Ravenclaw, I thought.

"You wouldn't really do well in Ravenclaw. You're not as quick witted as your sister. There's cunning there, and a thirst to prove you as one of the twins that defeated You-Know-Who. There's also a large amount of bravery, but where to put you?"

Not Slytherin! I thought with all my might. I didn't want to be in the same House as the killer of our parents was in.

"Are you sure?" the Hat asked. "Well if you're sure - better be GRYFFINDOR!"

I smiled with happiness. I walked over to the Gryffindor table where Fred, George, and Percy welcomed me. I looked over at the Ravenclaw table and saw Dani smiling, too. She gave me double thumbs up, and I returned it.

[Dani's POV]

A girl with dark skin, hair, and eyes was sitting across from me. She was staring at something. I turned and followed her gaze. She looked like she was locked in a staring contest with another girl who looked very similar to her at the Gryffindor table.

Suddenly, the twin across from me started laughing.

I felt my eyebrows arch. What were they doing?

It was then that the girl took notice of me. "I'm Padma Patil. You're Danielle Potter, aren't you?"

"Yes," I said. "I am."

"Are you wondering what I was doing?" Actually, I was! She had to have seen my confused look. "My twin, Parvati, and I were talking to each other by thinking. Have you done that before?"

"Um." Actually, at the thought of it, I had heard Harry's voice when he'd never spoken. Maybe that was it! "Yeah, by accident."

"All you have to do is focus on Harry and think about what you want to say."

I closed my eyes and focused on the image of my twin. Hey, Harry, I thought, can you hear me?

Yeah, he thought back. A girl named Parvati Patil told me that she and her twin could think to each other.

Her twin, Padma, just told me, I thought as Lisa Turpin sat down next to Padma.

Now we can talk to each other more often, Harry thought as Ron sat down next to him.

After Harry finished thinking that, Albus Dumbledore stood up and spread his arms wide. "Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

He sat down again. Then, right before my eyes, food appeared, some of the most delicious food I've ever seen! And the smell! Yum! I piled some pork chops on my plate and started eating. I was starving after not eating much on the train. I watched the ghosts fly around as I ate the delicious food. Eventually, my eyes found the teachers' table, and I looked at Professor Quirrell, who wore a maroon turban. He was talking to Professor Snape. As I looked at him, who was staring right back at me, pain flared up on the left side of my forehead. I winced and clapped a hand to my scar.

"Are you all right, Danielle?" Mandy asked.

"Yeah," I said. Harry, did you feel that? I asked.

Yeah, he answered. I wonder why Snape looking at you would do that?

I don't know, I lied. I couldn't tell him about Quirrell!

After the food disappeared, Dumbledore stood up again. The entire Hall fell silent again.

"Ahem- just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you: First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden. Also, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death.

"Now, off to bed!" Dumbledore finished.

"Ravenclaw First years! This way!" a voice shouted. A dark haired older girl stood calling out to us First years. Mandy, Lisa, and I followed her and some other First years. "My name is Penelope Clearwater. I'm going to lead you up to Ravenclaw Tower, which is behind several secret passages. Follow me!"

We walked up four to the fourth floor of the Grand Staircase then through a secret door behind a portrait of Ulrich, a famous German Potions Master. Penelope led us up another flight of stairs, and then to a door with just a knocker shaped like an eagle. Penelope knocked on the door, and a musical voice called out, "Feed me, I grow bigger. Water me, and I die. What am I?"

"Whenever you want to enter Ravenclaw Tower," Penelope said, "you have to answer a riddle." She turned the door. "You are a fire."

The door opened to a large, airy room with blue walls, a dark blue ceiling, and royal blue couches and chairs by a fireplace. The room was circular. Large windows covered the walls. I was sure that in day light, I would be able to see almost all of the grounds. A large statue of a woman stood between the doors leading upstairs.

"The girls' dorms are upstairs on the left. Boys are on the right. Now off to bed!"

My dorm mates and I walked up the stairs on the left until we saw a door that said 'First Years'. Five four-poster beds with blue curtains stood as though they were waiting for us. We changed into our nightclothes and climbed into our beds. We whispered goodnight to each other and drifted off to sleep.