Chapter Six: The Sorting Hat

Her eyes were closed, but they fluttered open a bit each time she breathed lightly. She slept, but subconsciously she knew she would have to awake soon. She hadn't eaten for two days, and she would have to scavenge the dumpsters again. Her falcon, too, was asleep beside her, curled up in the dust behind the trash bin, but her beady eyes snapped open in alertness. She screeched once, but the warning was not enough for the girl. Before she could fully adjust herself, the large shadows loomed over her.

The men gazed down at her, and surrounded the two before she could even react. "We finally found you," one of them said, but not unkindly. His friend grimaced. "There have been sightings of her for a while, but the squad could never find her." He bent down on his knees until he was her height. "She's filthy. How long have you been on your own, girl?"

She opened her mouth, but speech seemed to have eluded her. She tried again and this time the words came out. "A few months, maybe," she whispered feebly, clutching her long hair in a fist. The men hissed. "And where are your parents? Any family?" She raised her large, gold eyes to stare at them, and they gazed into them, each of them shivering a bit. The girl made a funny noise. "Dead," she murmured; her hand shook as it rested on her falcon's head. "All dead."

One of the men helped her stand, eying her scraggly clothes with something like contempt. "You have no home, do you?" She shook her head.

"What do you reckon we do with her?" he asked, looking at his partners for an answer. A dark skinned man beside him said, "We can't notify the state. They'd her die, they can't risk saving an orphan in this famine."

"So what do you suggest?"

The man stroked his chin thoughtfully, and then smiled at the girl, revealing several gold teeth. "I know some people who can bring her overseas," he said, seizing her up. "She'd be safe there; they'd set her up in a home."

The girl closed her eyes and allowed herself to be dragged away, and wondered to herself what a home was.

The door swung open almost immediately after Hagrid knocked, and there stood a tall, grey-haired witch in emerald-green robes. Her lips were pulled into a thin, narrow line that gave her a stern look. "Here they are, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid. Professor McGonagall's dark eyes seemed cold and emotionless. "Thank you, Hagrid."

Hagrid inclined his head and she pulled the door open wide, allowing the first years to step inside out of the cold and into the warmth. They gazed around with open mouths at the entrance hall, which was so large Erin imagined that the entire orphanage would have been able to fit inside, maybe even two of them. They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor, and Erin thought she could hear the chattering of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right- but Professor McGonagall steered the first years into a small chamber off the hall, away from the awaiting students. Erin noticed groups of friends draw together nervously, and she crossed her arms and tried to look brave.

Professor McGonagall's voice seemed magnified when she spoke. "Welcome to Hogwarts," she said as an introduction. "Before you take your seats in the Great Hall for the start-of-term banquet, you will be sorted into your respective houses. The Sorting ceremony is very important here because while you are students, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts."

Light… Laughter… Happiness… The four of them were sitting in a meadow, a checkered blanket spread out beneath their feet. The girl sat beside her brother, his arm around her shoulders as they laughed loudly. Her mother smiled and opened the basket, beginning to take out the food and placing it on the small, fragile plates that had been laid out. The girl's father too was smiling, and they each delicately ate a bit of each portion of the food.

A quiet, gentle breeze swept over the family. It was so peaceful, it couldn't possibly last. But yet they were still there, all together as one family. The girl raised her head and let the sun's warmth reflect off her face. The rays flickered on her cheeks like delicate crystals, and she closed her eyes. She loved them, these pleasant, happy moments.

She felt something squeeze her hand and opened her eyes to see her brother, holding her hand and smiling. "I know," he said, murmuring. "I love this too." And she smiled widely, knowing nothing would ever bring them apart; they would always be together. One happy family; together forever, through life and death.

"At the end of the year," Professor McGonagall was saying. "The house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I truly hope each of you will be an asset to whichever house you belong to. Now, the Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes time, in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up before you are Sorted. I shall return shortly."

She left the chamber. Almost at once, the entire mass of waiting students erupted in loud, nervous jabbers. Erin felt something squeeze her stomach uncomfortably. "How exactly will we be sorted?" she asked vaguely. Albus looked a bit peaky. "It's some sort of test, I suppose. I think my dad mentioned something about a hat, but James was going on about fighting off a dragon and differentiating a chimera from a pack of hedgehogs…"

Erin's eyes widened and she felt herself go pale. She would be performing magic in front of the entire school? But she hadn't learned anything yet! She peered around fretfully and caught Rose's eye, who shook her head, annoyed. "What are you going on about, Al? I don't know if you've realized yet, but everything James says doesn't tend to be accurate. My mum told me that you try on a hat that can read all your thoughts and memories, and uses your personality traits to determine what house you belong too."

Erin never thought she would ever feel so frightened in her life. Suddenly, the thought of fighting off a dragon seemed charming compared to this new idea of the Sorting. This hat, whatever it was, could look into her mind. It would be able to see every detail, every memory that had ever occurred, every thought she was thinking now, and worst of all, it was in front of the entire school. She herself couldn't face her own past; what was she going to do when something now could penetrate the deeper layers of her mind?

"Are you alright, Erin?" Nick asked concernedly, peering closely at her face. "You're looking a bit green." Erin took in a deep breath and forced a smile. "No, I'm fine; just a bit nervous."

"Well, well, if it isn't little Potter," came a drawling voice from behind them. It was Mulciber, flanked by a scrawny boy with a large nose whose name she didn't know, Goyle, and-

Scorpius. He met her eyes and then quickly looked away, pretending not to have seen her. Albus spun around, surprised, and Nick took a step forward, his arms crossed. "Hello, Mulciber," Nick said evenly. He nodded his head toward the others. "Malfoy, Goyle, Nott." The four boys glared at him and he grinned. "Did you want to say something to Albus?"

One of them took a step forward until they were an inch apart from both Albus and Nick. "You two better watch your backs," Scorpius said. Then he addressed his next words to Albus only. "Just because your father is the famous Harry Potter, doesn't mean you should expect the royal treatment. Let's see if his second best son can live up to the name." Mulciber and Nott laughed, but Goyle's was more of a snort. Albus narrowed his eyes. "If you want to-"

"Is there a problem here, gentlemen?" came a stern voice. They all turned around with mock smiles plastered on their faces. "No, Professor McGonagall," said Mulciber, smiling sickeningly. "Just a friendly chat between a few old friends." He patted Albus's shoulder, none to gently, and walked off with his friends trailing after him. Professor McGonagall's lips were stretched tight, and she glared at Nick as though it were his fault. Erin shuddered. She would not want to be caught under those glares.

"Alright now, everyone ready? The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin," Professor McGonagall said in a sharp voice. "Form a line and follow me." Erin's legs did not seem to want to move, but Rose gave her a small shove from behind and whispered, "Go!" in her ear. Nick and Albus were in front of her, as they walked, almost marched, in a single file out of the chamber and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Although she was in a state of panic, a small part of Erin acknowledged that she had never seen anything as magnificent and splendid as this. The Great Hall was lit by innumerable floating candles that were in midair above four long tables that were adorned by the rest of the students. However, what caught Erin's attention most were the shining, pearly silver beings that floated among the students and occasionally paused for a small chat. She nudged Nick. "Is that a ghost?" Nick harrumphed. "Well, its transparent, floating, and certainly dead, so for the sake of this discussion, we shall assume that is a ghost." He turned face forward again, and she stuck out her tongue at his back. She supposed he coped with anxiety by being irritable.

Standing on her toes in a fruitless attempt to see over the line of students, Erin shifted sideways to watch Professor McGonagall place a four-legged stool before them, and then, with great care, put a very old and patched hat on top of it. She barely heard Rose whisper, "I told you so." Her worst fears had been confirmed.

She noticed everyone was staring at the hat, and peered to see why. The hat, remarkably, was now twitching. Erin glanced around to see if Professor McGonagall was casting a spell on it, but she too was staring at it silently. Erin looked back at the hat just as a rip near the brim appeared, wide, like a mouth, and the hat jerked to life.

"Oh, I'm no silent object

Nor a decisive, reasoning man

But in this brain that I contain

I see everything, I can

The founders four have given me

The knowledge to sort all you

And each of their great attributes

Are hidden deep in you

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And it's my job to see

Where each of you just might belong

Although it's very hard for me

With all this wisdom I contain

I separate you, nonetheless

Into four different directions

Please do not judge me any less

Your heart might be with Gryffindor

Where the bravest dwell within

Full of daring, nerve, and chivalry

There is no doubt of win

Or you may belong in Hufflepuff

Where those are kind and just

Their loyalty is unwavering

And their hearts are filled with trust

Or your brain may call to Ravenclaw

Where those who have great wit

Can meet their rivals of the mind

The bulb to learning lit

Or perhaps your ambitions bring you elsewhere

To Slytherin, no doubt

Where those cunning folk are sly and smooth

The hesitators are out

So here you are, the Hogwarts four

Divided each a house

And it is my obligation to

Sort even the lowest louse

So try me on! Don't be afraid!

I know the real true you

So just place me onto your head

And I shall then sort you!"

The entire hall burst into a thunderous applause as the Sorting Hat finished its song. Erin was the only one who did not clap. She stood there, pale and rigid; she feared the very thing the hat had told them not to worry about… I know the real true you. Could the hat really see inside her head, her memories, her desires… everything? What would happen if she refused to try it on? Would she be denied access into Hogwarts?

Professor McGonagall had said something, but Erin had been too lost in thought to hear her. Now she pulled out a long roll of parchment and called out, "Abercrombie, Gina!" A girl with blonde hair messily arranged into two long braids stumbled out of line and stuck the hat on her head, sitting down on the stool. The hall was silent again, and they all stood there watching, waiting for something to happen when-

"HUFFLEPUFF!" came a shout from the hat. The table on the right gave a booming applause as Gina went to join them at the Hufflepuff table. Erin's stomach jolted as she saw a rather fat looking ghost waving merrily at Gina.

Both "Boot, Houston" and "Cattermole, Ronald" went to Ravenclaw, but "Geller, Michelle" became the first Gryffindor, and the table on the far left gave a loud roar. Amanda smiled nervously and took her seat among them as Scorpius's friend, "Goyle, Vincent" was sorted into Slytherin. Erin couldn't say that it had been a surprise.

Someone made a funny retching noise beside her; she turned around to see Nick, breathing really fast and looking like he was going to puke. Before she could ask him if he was doing okay, Professor McGonagall's eyes widened in slight surprise and her voice rang out through the hall.

"Grindelwald, Nicholas!"

The silence seemed hostile. Everywhere Erin turned, the looks on people's faces were either contempt or fear, and she immediately felt closer to Nick. Those were the same faces that used to surround her. She even thought she saw Rose take a small step back from him after casting an "I told you so" look at Albus. Nick glared defiantly at Erin, as though daring her to do the same as Rose, but she didn't flinch, and she thought she saw him smile appreciatively. What was making all these people loathe him on the spot?

He quickly left the line and sat on the stool, roughly jamming the hat over his head until he could no longer see the staring crowd. Rose leaned forward until she was breathing into Albus's ear, but she was looking at Erin and talking to her too. "I told you- I knew it, I knew he was no good," she whispered savagely. "Grindelwald," she said for Erin's benefit. "Was a dark wizard, from a long time ago, who tried to take over and rid the world of non-magic folk. I didn't even know he had relatives."

"And so what if he is related to Grindelwald?" Albus said, throwing Rose a look. "It doesn't mean he's going to go out and destroy the world, too. Nick's different, I tell you- I can feel it."

The students all waited in silence as Nick sat rigidly on the stool. The hat seemed to be taking much longer for Nick than it had for the others. Finally, after what seemed like ages, the brim of the hat twitched and-

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The applause was somewhat less enthusiastic than it had been for the other sorted students, but Erin supposed it was from the shock that even she felt radiate from the Sorting Hat's selection. All around her, people were whispering and muttering in low voice as Nick made his way to the Gryffindor table. Erin noticed the pats on his back seemed rather held back.

A good few more names were called, until both "Hopal, Trent" and "Lee, Bernard" were Sorted into Ravenclaw. And then-

"Lyths, Erin!"

Erin could feel her insides screaming. Her legs had suddenly turned to lead and she couldn't move. Albus grinned at her and said, "Good luck" before giving her a small push forward, and she stumbled onto the stool. The last thing she saw before the hat covered her eyes were Professor McGonagall's appraising eyes, Albus signaling a thumbs-up, and Scorpius biting his lip.

She found herself staring into the dark inside of the hat. She waited, unsure of what was going to happen next, and jumped when she heard a small voice in her ear. It seemed to belong to the hat itself.

"Hmm, Erin Lyths," the small voice said. "I haven't had the pleasure in Sorting your family for a while. The decision is so simple, yet so difficult!" The hat sighed in Erin's ear. "A brilliant mind, of course, and full of nerve and courage… but what's this? A thirst for revenge and power, I see…." Erin gripped the sides of the stool hard until she could feel her knuckles turn burn. "Yes, you'll do great things, I can see that already…but where to put you?"

Erin had a sudden vision of herself with the green of Slytherin emblazoned on her chest, and she was powerful, very powerful. She had it all, everything she had ever wanted, and there he was, lying dead at her feet after all these years…

And then the vision changed. She saw Nick stumbling over to the Gryffindor table, sitting alone with his head hanging down as the students beside him slowly inched away. And she saw it … light… laughter… happiness….

"Are you sure?" came the small voice again. "It might not be wise…." It seemed to have reached some sort of unspoken conclusion. "Well then, on your on head be it. I'll just have to sort you into GRYFFINODR!"

Erin heard the hat shout the last word out into the entire hall. She took off the hat, and in a daze, walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. Had she really chosen Gryffindor in her mind, or had the hat chosen for her? She wasn't sure what to think, and wasn't altogether sure she had made the right choice. But she walked past the politely clapping Gryffindors and took a seat next to Nick, who looked down at the table and said glumly, "Hey."

"Malfoy, Scorpius!" Erin tried to look indifferent, but out of the corner of her eyes she watched Scorpius place the hat on his head, and a few moments later it shouted (to her regret), "SLYTHERIN!"

She turned her attention back to Nick, who still wasn't meeting her eyes. "I don't see what the problem is," she said, glaring at him. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I haven't exactly grown up with wizards and witches as parents."

No, they were something more. Something forbidden.

"But if you want to go moping around because your cousin or something tried to destroy the world, then go right ahead and-"

"It was my great-uncle," Nick said suddenly. Erin smiled to herself. She had gotten him to speak. "Of all the books you can read about Gellert Grindelwald, nothing will ever mention his younger brother, Savion. He was my grandfather, and because of that stupid last name that he carried, this burden has been thrown on my head."

They were silent for a moment and "Mirth, Scarlet" and "Moller, Curt" were sorted into Gryffindor too, where they joined Erin and Nick at the table. "But does it matter what your last name is?" Erin finally asked. "Just because of what your great-uncle did in the past doesn't mean anything!" Nick sighed. "It does. The thing is, you don't understand; it isn't just my uncle. My entire family has been corrupt for generations!" This time he looked up and met her eyes. "I should be thrilled to be in Gryffindor," he said. "After thinking all this time I'd for sure be in Slytherin. But I can't help thinking the Sorting Hat made some sort of mistake and that I don't really belong here." Erin couldn't answer him.

Did she belong here?