**IMPORTANT AN: I was just informed only half of chapter 3-2 was updated, so I just fixed this. If you have only read one girl's perspective of sorting, I apologize. The second half is now available to read.

Chapter 3-2A POV Jo

The entire Hall erupted in whispers for a couple of seconds when Harry Potter's name was called to be sorted. Most everyone has heard of him. Me just today for the first real time, when George and I finally got to catch up after the train ride. I'm still a little annoyed that he didn't come sit with the team on the ride, but if he really wanted to be there for Ron, that's alright. I think the real reason he wanted to stay behind is because of Fred. Maybe to make Fred feel better about not being in Gryffindor, maybe because he thinks their little brother wouldn't be Slytherin, maybe because he thinks he won't be spending as much time with Fred this year. It's not my place to guess, though.

After I came back to the train car George stuck by my side. He caught me up on meeting the great Harry Potter, and who exactly this Potter kid is. Apparently some legend, and as he told me I vaguely remembered the stories. A failed murder attempt by this evil wizard who ended up dying after not killing the kid. History is more Cas's thing, and honestly that scrawny kid sitting under the Sorting Hat doesn't seem like the stuff of legends.

The Hall is real quiet, so we can all hear when the Hat starts talking. Throwing around ideas about Slytherin. For a second I think he was sorted there, until the hat shouts out "Griffindor!". We erupt in cheers, like we do for all our newbies, and he comes sits at our table. Everyone is trying to get close and shake his hand or high five him or just get a better look.

The rest of the sorting is regular. No big surprises, although when the little Weasley got sorted the room was holding its breath. He ended up with us in Gryffindor, and even though I was cheering louder than most I felt this little pit in my stomach ache for Fred. Slytherin got a fair amount of kids, and there was this one- platinum blond little thing. The hat barely touch his head before announcing the kid is in Slytherin. He had the same smug look on his face Cas had when she was sorted, but his eyes were different. Cas was proud in a...pretty way. This kid looked kind of crazy.

We're all sitting and the Hall is so loud you can barely hear yourself think, let alone hear the conversations people are trying to have with you. Me and all the Weasley boys are sitting together. It's weird not having Charlie here with us, his quiet energy and secret smile. The littlest Weasley, Ron, he fits right in. He's stuffing his face with two chicken legs at once, and I must be gaping at him because George's older brother Percy starts lecturing Ron about table manners. Everyone else is laughing at him. He's a prefect this year, and I guess he's expecting more respect from his brothers than he usually gets. He's going to be dissapointed.

After everyone's done eating it's time for the school song. Dumbledore gets up gives his little inspirationsal speech- talks about the history and pride of Hogwarts. He introduces the staff, and everyone is pretty surprised to hear Proffessor Quirrel came back to teach DaDA. Obviously we needed someone to replace Tonks, but him? Cas'll be excited I guess, she liked him well enough our first year. Then Dumbledore talks about how the Dark Forest and third floor are off limits this year, which is a little weird. Me and George share a mischievous glance just before we notice Dumbledore look in our direction. I flush bright red as he catches my eyes. I always knew he knew who's been causing all the trouble in school, but I never thought he'd really single me out on it. But it's just for a second, and I totally get back in the spirit when he starts singing the school song.

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, hoggy-warty Hogwarts..."

he begins, and the rest of the school quickly picks it up. The thing is, there's no actual tune, so we all sing it our own way. It's a total mess, but that's part of the tradition. I sing it to an old rock and roll song I listened to over the summer, and I hear George singing real slow, like a funeral march or something. I finish the song long before him, and it takes a second but I realize someone is matching his pace. All the way across the Hall, at the Slytherin table, Fred is singing the same exact way as George. They're the last ones singing in the Hall, and everyone erupts in cheers right as they finish.

Then Dumbledore dismisses us, and Percy starts trying to control everyone. He's not doing very well until Oliver steps in and does this real loud, real shrill whistle he uses when he's getting the team together during practice. Everyone shuts up and Percy leads our house up to the common room, behind the portrait of the Fat Lady. Plenty of people know it's here, the same way it's basically common knowlege that the Slytherin dorms are in the Dungeons. But we have a password that keeps non-Gryffindors out. Of course, I'm pretty sure Fred and George swap passwords, or whatever secret thing you do to get into Slytherin, during the first week.

Everyone gathers in the common room, and we light a fire and pass around drinks and biscuits and fun stuff like that. Percy tries to get everyone organized but even he gets swept up in the moment of House bonding. This is tradition, a House-warming party. It's a Gryffindor thing. There are people singing kareoke, playing charades, dancing, sitting and lying and standing everywhere. We're crazy in the way family is crazy- not crazy at all, except to an outsider. And there aren't any outsiders here. We're all family.

Finally around midnight, when most of the first years are asleep on couches or on the floor, and the seventh years may or not be drunk, we all collectively decide it's time to go to sleep. The thing is, me and George decide we're not really tired. Not ready for our first day back to be done. Knowing this was going to happen, I planned ahead and made sure Cas had the Map ready to sneak on over to us and guide us to somewhere safe where no teachers would find us.

George and I sneak out when we know Percy isn't looking- probably carrying a first year to the dorms- and hang out in the nearest corridor. Five minutes later we hear footsteps and I have a mini heart attack. But it was Cas and Fred, like it was supposed to be. The four of us sneak off, and I ask if we're going to get Ruby. Cas and Fred share a smile and shake their heads no- they had gone to get her, but the entire Hufflepuff house had apparently gone to sleep an hour ago. We all laugh, it figures they'd be the ones to crash first.

So the four of us just spend most of the night sneaking around. We don't have any close run ins with anyone, since we have the Map guiding us. After a few hours we've covered most all the castle- except the third floor. Without even really saying it we make our way there, not knowing what to expect.

Obviously it's dark, just like all the others places we've been to tonight. We walk all around, but we don't see anyone else on the Map on the floor. We try a couple of doors, but they'd all locked magically. All of us know how to open them at this point, but we don't really feel like now is the time. This is an adventure for another day. We do another sweep of the corridor to see if we've missed anything, but we didn't. It's the same as it was last year, and the year before that. Just darker, since it's way past midnight.

With that I ask Cas to guide us back to the Fat Lady, and she does. We get there and have to wake the Fat Lady up, which doesn't make her happy, but she lets it go since it's the first day. She's learned to like me and George, and she's used to us coming and going at weird times every once in awhile. She opens up and tells us no more mischief, but she's snoring again before the door closes. We walk into a trashed common room. I think it's elves that do the cleaning, not that I've ever seen them do it, but I think to myself that whoever has to clean this, they have their work cut out for them. At least all the kids seem to be in the dorms.

"I'm still not tired," George whispers to me. I nod my head in agreement, but I second later I let out this huge yawn that makes both me and George crack up.

"Come on, let's just stay up and do something or just talk. Pull an all nighter," he begs me. I can see it in the way he can't stop blinking that he's about to fall asleep standing up, and I feel like I am too. I push him in the direction of the boys's dorm, but he grabs my arm and tries to pull me with him. We both end up falling to the ground, none too gracefully. We laugh a little, and I pull myself up onto a couch. I put my head on the armrest and stare into the fireplace. The fire is long out, but I think there are still some embers glowing in he bottom. Maybe I'm just hallucinating from being so tired.

I feel George nudge my legs, and I curl up into a ball, giving him space on the other side of the couch. He crawls up next to me, and I feel my body shift with the added weight on the couch. I'm trying so hard to keep my open, but my eyelids feel heavy.

"I'm glad we're back," I whisper, and even my voice feels heavy coming out.

"So am I," George mutters.

"Can't wait for quidditch."

"Mhmm," he mutters.

I smile. He's asleep. I might be too. This might all be a dream. I hope it's not. Maybe I'm on the train still, sleeping with my head on Cas's shoulder. But I was with Oliver on the train. We talked about quidditch and summer and quidditch and Oliver and me and George but George wasn't there he was with Cas and Ruby and rubies are red like Gryffindor is my home and I'm so glad to be home...

Chapter 3-2B POV Cas

Fred can't even mask the dissapointment on his face. On the other side of the Hall, the Gryffindor table is cheering loudly for their newest member, Ronald Weasley. I saw it coming. I saw it coming even before I met the kid. And when I did meet him, He didn't look like he belonged with us in Slytherin. There's nothing wrong with that, and I know Fred knows it, but when the Hat sorted his brother helooked like he just gave up. That little light in his eyes, hope I guess it was, went out and his whole body is just slumped now. He really didn't want to be the only one.

I put my hand on his shoulder but he immediately shrugs it off, and I know to back down. He'll want to talk about it later. Maybe not today or tomorrow or even this year, but he'll want to talk about it and I'll be here for him when he does.

I don't really pay attention to the rest of the sorting. I clap when the rest of my House claps, and Fred does too. But his mind is on Ron and George maybe, and mine is on him. There's one kid, though, fastest sorting I've seen yet. The Hat barely touched his head before sending the kid to us. Malfoy, his name is. Looks like an arrogant little thing, but I probably did too when I was first sorted.

After the sorting we all eat, and at this point Fred lightens up some. Everyone's laughing and talking and catching up with old friends. After we eat Dumbledore gets up and makes some announcements. Quirrel is back, for one. I forgot that because Tonks is gone, we'd be getting a new teacher. An old teacher, as it turns out. I'm happy enough. Quirrel is no Tonks, but he's a good teacher. I'm more excited for Potions though- I missed that class most over the summer. Dumbledore goes on to say that the dark forest and third floor are off limits, and maybe it was suppressed guilt or something, but I swear he looked right at me when he said it. I mean, sure we cause a little trouble- buts it's nothing major and it's not like him making a rule will keep us from doing whatever we want. I ask Fred if he saw it too, but he just calls me paranoid.

Finally it's time for the school song- Dumbledore starts it off and the whole Hall erupts in a million different versions of the same song. I'm not much of a singer so I kind of chant it real loud and up beat, while Fred sings it like some depressing lullaby or whatever. He's the last one singing, and only at the very end do I realize all the way at the Gryffindor table George is singing exactly in tune with Fred. The twins finish off and the everyone starts dispersing. I laugh at Fred who has this goofy grin.

"Nice planning," I say with a nudge. He pushes back.

"Planning? What planning? That was spur of the moment twin telepathy." I roll my eyes and keep pushing forward through the crowd towards the dungeon.

The cool green glow fills the common room, and I breathe it in. I've missed being here so much. Fred and I sit down on a couch right beneath a window that lets us see up into the lake. The common room slowly fills up, with all the newly sorted kids coming in last. Then our four prefects and head boy and girl stand on a table in the center of the common room, hushing all the whispers. The two oldest ones, Head Girl Gemma Farely and Head Boy Johnathan Spratt, take the lead on addressing everyone. They give your basic house pride speech, history of Slytherin and our founder, and greatest wizards we've produced, including Merlin apparently.

I sit up straight and can barely control myself as Gemma brings the speech to a close. I can feel the suspense in the air- this is it, the big moment. Gemma gives a single and the four younger prefects get up and go to a cabinet, pulling out four trays with little cups on them.

"All first years, stand up," Gemma says with a sinister grin. I'm biting back a laugh at this point- I can see them all squirming as they slowly pull themselves and each other up.

"That was us at one point, remember?" Fred whispers to me. I don't take my eyes off the new kids, but I can hear the smile on his face.

"We weren't that scared, were we?" I ask back in this squeaky voice, and Fred lets out a little laugh. No one notices though. So I just swat his arm and put my finger to my lips. Now it's Jonathan's turn to talk.

"First years, welcome. You're here with us because you belong with us. This wasn't a choice you could make. Family isn't a choice. We are your family now, until the day you die, and even after that."

Some kids roll their eyes, others look scared. Some have these looks of pride and boldness. The arrogant looking one- Malfoy- he's rolling his eyes. Just you wait, I think to myself.

Jonathan continues: "Here in Slytherin we have no secrets. Gemma told you how we were home to The Dark Lord. Now it's you're turn to be honest with us. The prefects will now pass around cups. Inside these cups are truth serum, generously made and donated by our Head of House, Professor Snape." Now the kids are sweating. I'm enjoying this too much.

The kids all get their cups and one by one drink them. Some bold ones down them like shots, other sip tentatively. I remember that stuff tastes awful, and I can see it written all over their faces. They look up to Jonathan for their next instructions. The same sinister smile Gemma had spreads across his face.

"Now you will get up on this table with me, one by one, introduce yourselves, and one of your older housemates will ask you a question. It might be stupid, or embarrassing, or filthy, but you're going to answer honestly. Who's first then?"

No one volunteers. No one ever volunteers. Gemma grabs a random girl by the hand and hoists her up onto the table next to Jon. All of us who aren't first years start banging our hands, making a real intimidating ruckus. The girl is looking down at her feet, and I can't see her face but I think her eyes are squeezed shut. Jon puts up a hand and the room goes silent.

"Name?"

"Donna Vale," she whimpers. Jon holds her hand up over her head.

"Donna Vale, our first new Slytherin! Who wants to initiate her?" A few hands go up, and Jon picks some older kid I don't know. He stands up and the rest of us give a quick little bit of applause.

"Donna Vale, have you ever kissed someone?" I couple of people laugh, a few moan, and Donna goes bright red.

"Come on, Donna, it's okay," Jon says.

"Yes!" She shouts before clamping her hands over her mouth. The room erupts in laughter and Donna looks like she's about to cry. Jon waves up the kid, who climbs on the table with Donna, and gives her a hug.

"Welcome to Slytherin, Donna," the boy says. Everyone jumps up, applauding and hooting and chanting her name. She wipes her eyes, hugs the boy and Jon and Gemma, and a group of sixth years call her over, shouting that they want the cool first year to be their friend. She sits with them, beaming and happy, and Jon hushes everyone.

"Well, now you see what's in store for the rest of you. Donna, welcome and congratulations. Before we continue, just one more note about tonight:

You first years are being initiated into more than a House. We're a family. We are loyal to each other above all else. Tonight we bare our secrets and souls to each other. What we share tonight we take to the grave, never to discuss again with anyone. As Slytherins we will fight for each other. We would die for each other. We would kill for each other. We are brothers, sisters, friends, and lovers. We are Slytherins. Now, who wants to be next?"

The room goes wild for a solid few minutes before Gemma shuts us up and moves on with the rest of the first years. Some get easy questions, about their family, favorite animal or color; some get weird ones like 'have you ever tried to be a man?', or 'how'd you find out about wizardry?'. Everyone's loosened up now, no more nervous looks on the first years. Finally the blonde one gets pulled up, and I jump to my feet waving my hand to get to ask him his question.

"Name?" Gemma asks him.

"Draco Malfoy," he replies with a proud smirk.

Gemma goes to pick volunteer. "Alright, you then," Gemma says as she calls on me. I jump to my feet.

"Draco Malfoy, what are you most afraid of?" I get a lot of nods and hums of approval- no one's asked that on yet. Draco swallows and gives me a little sneer. Fred nudges me as a way of saying 'back off'. I've already won, and we both know it; though, I don't really know what I've won or why I felt I should win it in the first place. I mean, in a way this kid is my brother now.

"My father," Malfoy finally responds. He's trying to keep a straight face but some controt is leaking out. Everyone's shocked into silence- we were all expecting 'death' or 'monsters' or something, but this was way deeper than anyone usually got. I stand up and started clapping, and Fred and everyone else quickly follow. I go over and hop up on the table with him, stick out my hand and we shake.

"Welcome to Slytherin, Draco. I'm Cas. You'll be great here, I can tell." He looks into my eyes and the anger was still there, but softened. He nods at me, and I pull him into a hug, feeling swept up in the moment. It takes a second, but I feel him hug back. We jump off the table together and Gemma pulls the next first year up. I sit back down with Fred to watch the last of the first years get initiated. Jon and Gemma hop back up on the table, and call for silence.

"Congratulations, members of Slytherin new and old. Now it's time for the next part of initiation," Gemma starts. The first years, who are now dispersed throughout the rest of us at random, look for each other in confusion.

"Now," Gemma continues, "it's your chance to turn the tables. Now the rest of us will be honestly answering any questions you see fit to ask us." Lots of wide eyes and a couple of threatening grins. I see Malfoy hone in on me, and tell Fred as much. He laughs and tells me I deserve it, throwing a hard one at him like I did. I roll my eyes at him- it was nothing next to what he went through our first year.

When Fred first got called up no one volunteered to ask him his question. He was basically the elephant in the room. Finally one of the prefects spoke up.

"Where did you think you were gonna be sorted?" She asked.

"Gryffindor," he answered, strong and true as anything.

"A little off then, I guess. Glad you're here, Fred. You're one of us," she said as she hopped up and hugged him. The whole room started chanting,"One-of-Us, One-of-Us," and they lifted him up above their heads and passed him around. When he got back to me I saw that he was happy, but there were tear stains on his face. I always knew it would be hard for him, no matter how close he got with the rest of us.

So not long after the first years start asking us questions, I volunteer to answer. Draco pops up immediately, and from some corner of the room we here a low "oooooOOOOOO" and everyone starts laughing.

"Draco," I say with a nod an amused grin.

"What's your least favorite part of being Slytherin?" He nods back with a glint in his eye. He's good, and some people vocalize they're approval. He's bold- bolder than the rest. I think for a second.

"Come on, then. And you gotta be honest," he says.

"I know, Draco, I know, " I stall, "...honestly? Worst part of Slytherin is not being in the same house as my best friend," I finally answer. I get some looks, but I continue, "Thing is, who needs friends when I've got you in my family now, right Draco?" He gives a huff and smile, knowing I still won. I can't get a real read on him, not that I can focus with everyone jumping up and cheering and the people close enough patting me on my back. I did well and the whole House respects that, especially since I was being dead honest in a way some Slytherins wouldn't like. I won them back before I lost them.

By the time everyone else has gone it's midnight. Jon gets up and reminds everyone that they will never speak of this night again, but remember it as a sacred bonding experience. Then everyone splits up into their dorms to get ready to sleep. Before he can get away, I grab Fred and pull him into a shadow by the entrance. He gives me a questioning look but knows to stay quiet. We slip out as soon as we know no one's looking. I pull out the Map, take one look and start walking. Five minutes later were at Hufflepuff common room, but Ruby's not waiting. Looking at the map I see that all of them are in their dorms. They're asleep. After that waste of time I basically run all the way to where Jo and George are waiting.

"You planned to meet up without telling us?" Fred asked after establishing George didn't know either.

"No, it was twin telepathy," I respond sarcastically, making Fred laugh and shove me. Jo gasps, and I tell everyone to shut up as I look at the Map. We spend like an hour just wandering around the castle before we decide to break the rules and go to the third floor. Weirdly, there's nothing there, and we end up just going back to our common rooms. After dropping Jo and Geogre off me and Fred head back to the Dungeons.

The common room is dark and empty, but even this late at night there's a greenish glow to the blackness. I make my way to go to the girls bed, but Fred stops me.

"Come on, you're not actually tired are you?" He asks.

"Actually, I am," I reply dryly. I'm lying though, and I think he knows. I keep walking toward my dorm. I haven't gotten to lie down or unpack or even see who's got beds near me.

"I'll follow you in there," Fred says. I keep walking.

"No you won't," I tell him.

"Wanna bet?"

I don't answer, instead I wave goodnight and open the door to the dorm. I'm in and waiting to hear the door click shut, but it doesn't.

Instead of hearing the click, I hear a whirling noise and Fred shout. I rush back out the door and see him on his ass at the bottom of a slide. I had totally forgotton- it's just a rumor I thought- but apparently guys can't come into the girls' dorm. The stairs turn into a slide to keep them out. The stairs click back, and I run down to see if Fred's okay. He gets up, rubbing his head where he had hit it on the floor, but otherwise he's okay.

"Go to bed, Fred!" I hiss, but he just shakes his head. I guess there's really no point in arguing anymore. We spend the entire night whispering to each other, sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, which Fred convinced me to light. I don't know what time it is when Jonathan comes out of the boys' dorm and finds us, but he doesn't say anything and neither do we. We don't need to- Jon understands. We're Slytherin, we're family. This is just how family is.