I'm hoping you will enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I wanted everything to make sense and I hope it did.

Thank you as always for the reviews!

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Chapter 10

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The trunk used to look way too big, but now when it came to it, it was way too small. Alice sat on the top of it while trying to close it. After all, she was going to be away for a whole year. It was only august 31th, the day before school was actually starting – but since Alice was going to be put-in in the fifth year, some things needed to be sorted out before. Her father had already stepped by, wishing her good luck and said good bye. Alice felt a bit split in two, on one hand she had grown to care and love for her father but on the other hand he frightened her. It would probably be good if she got some room for herself and to figure this world out from her point of view. For a moment she thought she heard someone mumble. Quickly she glanced around the room, there was no one there. Her eyes stuck on the curtain in front of the mirror she'd been looking in all those weeks ago. She walked over to it and pulled it aside. The same man she'd seen before was there again. He sat once again by the table, this time eating dinner. He looked up and their eyes met. Alice felt uncomfortable and started backing away.

"Wait!" The old man said, his eyes were the clearest, piercing, blue and he had long white hair. "Who are you?"

"Alice", Alice said, surprised that the man was talking. "What is this?" She took a step forward again.

"It's a two-way mirror", the man said. "Where are you?" Alice glanced over at the clock; it was really time to leave.

"I have to go, I'm sorry", she said and let the curtain fall over the mirror again. She dragged the trunk that finally was closed of her bed, which was nearly impossible and tried to get it downstairs were professor Snape and Narcissa was waiting. Then she remembered, she pulled out her wand. Tapped it lightly on the trunk that started floating in the air, following her as a well trained dog and went downstairs.

"... Dumbledore is worried that she..." Alice stepped in to the room and interrupted the conversation unintentionally.

"Alice", Narcissa said with a smile. "Are you ready to go?" Alice nodded and her trunk fell down on the floor with a bam. Narcissa walked over to Alice, hugged her and smiled. "If you need anything, just write", she said stepping aside and letting Snape forward.

"Take my arm", he said and held out his left arm against her. She took her trunk in one hand and professor Snape's arm with the other.

Alice looked up on the grounds before her. A broad, green lawn stretched all the way from the gate they stood by and up to a beautiful huge castle. The gate swung opened and they walked in to the grounds. To their right was a lake, small waves was created on it as the wind blow gently. To the far left was a thick, dark wood. They were following a broad dirt road that twisted its way up to the castle. As they walked on the road the figure of a man appeared in the distance, approaching them slowly. The man was rather long, with white hair and beard and as they came closer to each other Alice noticed the friendly, but piercing blue eyes behind the half-moon shaped glasses on the crocked nose. For a moment she saw the same man she'd seen only minutes ago, the resemblance between the two was undeniable, but so were the differences. Brother perhaps, Alice thought.

"Welcome", he said with open arms and a genuine smile, "to Hogwarts!"

"Thank you", Alice said, not sure what to respond really.

"I'm the headmaster; Professor Dumbledore", he said and shook her hand.

"Alice Gaunt", Alice said. He seemed nice, although her father had told her to have an open eye around Albus Dumbledore.

"I know", he said, still with a smile. "Let's go for a walk," he turned to professor Snape, "Severus, do you mind taking Alice's luggage to the castle?" Professor Dumbledore started walking towards the lake, Alice had to hurry to keep up.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir", Alice started.

"You're wondering why I wanted you to come today instead", professor Dumbledore said, holding his hands behind his back. Alice couldn't help to notice that one of his hands seemed burned in some way. "You already know that you're a very special girl, of course, and it is not very often we take in students to start their fifth year." Alice didn't say anything; professor Dumbledore did the talking part so well.

"Did you go to school where you used to live?"

"No", Alice said. "Is there a school?"

"Yes, I did send a letter to you mother not a week ago, but I didn't receive a reply."

"No, I don't believe you will." They stopped by the brink of the lake, watching over the still water.

"I would have thought you went to Durmstrang", he said, glancing over at her. "Your father didn't have much to do with you and you mother while you were young, am I right?"

"No, mum left before I'd turned one", Alice said, not daring to look at the old man. How much did he know about her really? "What's Durmstrang?"

"It's another wizard school. But let's not talk about that, let's talk about your future here, at Hogwarts", professor Dumbledore said. "I don't know how much you've been told. But here at Hogwarts there are four houses, Hufflepuff, Rawenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin."

"I know", Alice said – this she actually knew. "Draco told me."

"Oh, so you've med Draco. I don't suppose that's where you've been staying this summer?"

"Yes, yes it is."

"Why don't we leave for my office and get you sorted right away?" They started walking to the castle. It'd gone dark, and felt almost a bit chilly.

"Professor, exactly what is a house?"

"You could say that it is your Hogwarts family." They walked across the big courtyard and up to the front gate of the castle. You couldn't say it wasn't magnificent. Dumbledore raised his hand and the doors swung open.

"Do you think I will make it?" Alice asked as they walked across the corridors of the castle. She'd already lost any sense to where they were.

"I do not doubt you magical abilities if that's what you're wondering", professor Dumbledore said with a soft smile. "As for the other factors, just be yourself and not who anyone else wants you to be." They stopped in front of a big stone statue.

"Lemon Cupcakes", Dumbledore said and the stone figure stepped aside, letting them in to a spiral staircase. They stepped in on the turning staircase that led them up to a second floor were the door was opened in to a round room. On the far wall hung several pictures of rather old men and a bookcase full of items, there among an old hat and a beautifully crafted sword.

"Please, Alice, take a seat", professor Dumbledore said and showed Alice to sit on the chair in front of the desk. "How do you feel? Nervous?" Alice nodded. Professor Dumbledore turned to the bookshelf and picked down the old hat.

"This is the sorting hat, it will decide in what house you will be in." Dumbledore walked over to her and gently placed the hat on Alice's head. A grumpy but gentle voice started talking inside Alice's head.

"Such loyalty and a great heart with place for everyone; such belong in the fair Hufflepuff. But then again we have the exceptional intelligence, the creativity and the wisdom that only can be seen in Rawenclaw. You are tremendously brave and do not fear to set yourself in danger to protect others; why not in Gryffindor one might ask? The family tradition, the power and the ambition belongs in Slytherin by all means." The voice made a pause. Alice didn't know what to think, or believe for that matter. "Where do I place you, whom belong with everyone?" It asked. A long silence followed. She could hear a mumbling in the back of her head, but she couldn't separate the words. She felt cloven, she'd been absolutely sure that Slytherin would be her house. After all, that's where both her mother and father went.

"Yes, yes", the voice said. "I see your longing for approval of your father, but is it right? Perhaps, perhaps not." I want to be placed where they will accept me for who I am, not fear my name or my forefathers, Alice thought.

"Hufflepuff would provide you such, but I fear your ambition might let you get bored there. After all, we must follow our hearts, mustn't we?" Where did her heart lay? In the hands of the unexpected and the warmth. With him.

"You will not find yourself disappointed", the voice said. "SLYTHERIN!" It spoke out loud. Alice lifted the hat of her head and looked on professor Dumbledore, afraid he might be disappointed.

"Finally", he said. "I thought it might take long, but the result wasn't unexpected."

"Do you think it is right for me?" He just nodded with a smile.