It was ridiculous now how suddenly everything was happening to Marie. First her encounter with Tom Riddle, and then, right as she and Victoria were about to enter the Great Hall together, one of the professors pulled her aside..
"You're Marie Fugazi, correct?" the thin, female professor asked Marie sharply.
"Y-Yes ma'am," Marie confirmed.
"Professor Dippet would like to speak with you. Privately."
And that was how Marie found herself standing in Headmaster Dippet's office, her feet close together and her legs nearly knocking at the knees. Was she in trouble already? Was she not re-accepted back? Would she be sent home, after all this way and effort to come back here?
Professor Dippet was in the seat in front of her, but his back was turned when he spoke: "Miss Fugazi. We're so glad you decided to come back to Hogwarts for the remainder of your school career."
You don't seem happy, Marie was tempted to say, but didn't. Instead, she nodded once, then realized Dippet wasn't looking at her so it didn't matter anyway.
"Unfortunately," Dippet continued, "there will be a few changes in order to adjust your stay here, particularly with your House status."
Marie was dumbfounded. What was wrong with being in Gryffindor? She'd been Sorted into that House; surely there couldn't have been a mistake?
"Pardon me, Headmaster," Marie interrupted slightly. "I…I don't understand. You're changing…you're making me change Houses? Why?"
Dippet stood but didn't turn around to face her. Instead, he strode over to the cabinet above which the Sorting Hat was sitting, still having not been brought down to the feast just yet.
While Dippet conjured up a stool for him to stand on and reach the Hat, he spoke: "It's nothing personal, my dear. Certain events, however, in your first year have led us to rethink the common sense of allowing you to remain in Gryffindor."
Certain events in your first year…
Of course. He just had to bring that up. But did he really have to word it like that? 'Certain events'…more like set-ups, if anything.
"So what you're saying is, I'm being re-Sorted to any House…except Gryffindor?" Marie tried to catch on.
Dippet nodded. "I think you'll understand. Though you'll be sharing classes and such with your former House mates, it'll be much easier for you if you don't have to live with them."
He grabbed the Sorting Hat at last and stepped down from the stool, finally turning to face Marie. His aged face was not unkind, but it was not a welcoming sight to say the least.
"Sit," he commanded her, motioning to the stool he just stood on.
Marie's mouth fell open. "I'm…I'm being re-Sorted? Now? In here?"
"To draw less attention," Dippet explained bluntly.
Marie consented and sat down heavily on the stool, already annoyed with the way things were going. She hadn't even been in the castle for an hour and already everything was going wrong!
Without warning, Dippet plopped the Sorting Hat on her head. The voice then began to talk to her.
Hmm, I remember you! A great mind you have, very great. You're courageous, too, and very resourceful. You were a Gryffindor, were you not?
Get on with the Sorting already.Marie thought viciously.
And now you're being re-Sorted. Hmm, where to put you now? Have to take your first year into consideration, mind you…
What's that supposed to mean? Into consideration? I didn't do anything wrong! I was in the wrong place at the wrong ti-
"SLYTHERIN!" the Hat roared.
"WHAT?" Marie burst aloud, startling Dippet into stumbling backwards. "You're putting me in Slytherin?" It didn't daunt her that she was yelling at a hat. "You can't be serious! All because of that misunderstanding in my first year-"
"As I can recall, Miss Fugazi, there was no misunderstanding. You were caught. It was proven. You're lucky you weren't sent to Azkaban for what you did," Dippet interrupted her rant.
"Azkaban?" Marie shrieked. She threw the Hat off her head indignantly and shot to her feet. "Professor Dumbledore believed me! He asked you to listen to reason! And you didn't! You allowed yourself to be fooled!"
"Your wand was found and proven to be the culprit!" Dippet said, his voice gaining in volume. "Your memories looked through and discovered!"
"I didn't do it!" Marie yelled, making her sound five years old again. "You were all tricked and lied to!"
"By whom?" Dippet asked angrily. Not waiting for an answer, he threw open his office door with a quick wave of his wand. "Now, you can either return to the feast now to watch the actual Sorting take place, or remain here in my office and figure out how and when you want to send yourself back home. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior, especially from you, Miss Fugazi."
Marie closed her mouth before she felt the urge to hex Dippet. It wasn't fair. All because of some mishap in her first year, and now she was being punished for it by being placed in Slytherin-
"Professor Dumbledore won't stand for this," Marie threatened Dippet, "When he finds out-"
"He already knows. He is behind us every step of the way. In fact, he was the one who suggested re-Sorting you this year," Dippet informed her with a slight smile on his face as he watched Marie's incredulous reaction.
Dumbledore? Siding with Dippet? What happened to his overbearing confidence in her those few years ago?
"He knows I'm innocent," Marie restated, trying to keep her cool.
"Perhaps," Dippet agreed halfheartedly. "But until the rest of the staff and student body agree with him, you'll be spending your remaining years at Hogwarts in Slytherin."
"Slytherin? You must be joking," Siobhan cried out as Marie informed her friends of the news.
Marie had tried to slip past the Gryffindor table unnoticed, but Victoria and Siobhan caught her and pulled her over. Once she explained the situation, they were both floored.
"Dippet must be off his rocker," Victoria added feelingly. "He's gone senile."
"They can't really put you there, can they?" Siobhan asked.
Marie shrugged disdainfully. "They already have. Dippet put the Sorting Hat on me and everything. It's done." She sighed and looked down at the plain Hogwarts robes she wore. "Guess that's why they didn't give me new Gryffindor robes. They already knew."
Victoria and Siobhan had looks of utter disgust on their faces.
"So you'll be a Slytherin now," Siobhan muttered.
"That doesn't mean a thing. You'll both still be my friends," Marie assured them. "I just won't be sleeping in the same Tower as you both."
"You'll be in the dungeons," Victoria said with a nod.
Marie shuddered. She then glanced at the long Slytherin table where she saw nobody familiar, save for Perry Malloy (she winced) and Tom Riddle, both of whom had their heads close together as they whispered to each other.
"Better get this over with," Marie grumbled. She straightened her shoulders, took a deep breath, and marched over to the Slytherins, trying not to make eye contact with anybody she passed by. It seemed to work; nobody was really paying any attention to her. Thank goodness she was unrecognizable now.
Marie found an empty seat only a few people down from Tom and Malloy. She sat down, ignoring the curious and somewhat resentful stares she was receiving from quite a few other Slytherin students. The girl next to her shifted her body weight away from Marie slightly, but enough to make it obvious.
Across from her was another girl, some years younger than Marie. She, unlike the others, spoke to Marie.
"Are you new here?" she asked, her voice high in pitch.
Marie swallowed hard. "You could say that."
The girl stared at her but said nothing more. Marie looked away, embarrassed, but instead accidentally caught the eye of none other than Tom Riddle. He was looking at her, an amused expression on his face. Eventually he stood up and swaggered over to where she sat.
"You're at the wrong table, Fugazi," Tom told her as if she were five.
"Check again, Riddle. I've been re-Sorted," Marie muttered. She then looked up at him curiously. "And how do you know I wasn't a Slytherin?"
Tom shrugged one shoulder and said breezily, "I would've noticed you years ago had you been in my House. Trust me."
"So you're saying you don't care for the other House members?" Marie clarified.
"I have only interests in my fellow Slytherins."
"Well. How lucky I must be, then."
Tom smirked. "You're not a real Slytherin. Not yet."
"Don't tell me there's some sort of stupid initiation ceremony I have to go through," Marie groaned.
Tom shook his head. "No, nothing like that. I just need to figure out if we can trust you or not."
"Like you have some big, dark secret to keep," Marie said sarcastically.
"You'd be surprised," Tom told her seriously.
Marie narrowed her eyes, but before she could make out what he just said, he was back to sitting next to Malloy. He didn't look at her for the rest of the Opening Ceremony.