Scorpius was one of the few not to gasp when they first saw the castle, he didn't register when they got into boats and paddled over the serene black lake. And was quite surprised to find himself in line for the sorting.

"Appleby, Poppy" Professor Mcgonagall called out

RAVENCLAW

The sorting continued, Scorpius stood queasily, though laughed with the rest when a girl's hair turned Bright red after Mcgonagall called her name "Xenias Holt"

After "Alice Longbottom" A girl with light brown pigtails was sorted into Ravenclaw the dreaded words came

"Malfoy Scorpius" Some of the names that had been called (Longbottom was one) had brought the great hall into an eerie silence. Scorpius felt, though that his was more than silence, it was anticipation, it was fear. He slowly turned his head to look away from the four tables and step by painful step he reached the sorting hat.

"Ooooh it's been a long time since I had a Malfoy" Scorpius almost laughed at the sound of the sorting hat's voice, when his father told him about it he imagined to to be serious or wise, but there was something almost comical about it. Almost. He doubted anything could be funny at a time like this.

"You know, I hear what you think"

"Oh, sorry?" It was honestly one of the weirdest feelings, thinking something and having someone respond.

"Hmmm… well you definitely have the tenacity of a gryffindor" Scorpius made a little start but the sorting hat just continued

"And you apparently want to be with the Potter and Granger kids, who you think will be in Gryffindor" Scorpius physically groaned

"Besides, the fact that a Malfoy even considers that shows that he's brave" Scorpius almost swore

"However it's quite obvious that you disagree? Yes"

"Well, I mean, sure Gryffindor sounds cool, but I'd like to survive to leave school"

"Ha ha, well that's not a Gryffindor statement"

"Slytherin?"

"Well I could…"

"Please it would just make things so much easier"
"Firstly, I know that's not what you really want" The sorting hat pauses

"Secondly, my job isn't to choose what's easy, no, it's to choose what's best"

"Well maybe I have a job as well. Hat stand, because we've been here for like 6 minutes"
"Hmm… quite a bit of wit… very smart. And since you're not much of a HufflePuff and I won't put you in Slytherin. You refuse Gryffindor, It'd better be…"

"Oh, please no, please Slyther-"

"RAVENCLAW!" The hat shouted with an ear piercing blast, only amplified by the resolute silence throughout the Great Hall. Behind scorpius one of the teachers wine glasses exploded while Professor Mcgonagall just stood there stunned, so Scorpius politely removed the hat from his head, revealing a hall full of stunned faces. As soon as he took a step towards the Ravenclaw table, away from the Slytherins a loud din erupted in the great hall. Not the cheering of Ravenclaw, nor of any of the house's but a flurry of boos from the Slytherins. Slowly the Ravenclaws began to clap, but they didn't even come close to matching the noise of the Slytherins who were calling for an immediate re-do. Professor Mcgonagall who had finally come back to her senses did her best to hush the crowd as she called out the next name "Neverthaw Nadda".

It was odd, as Scorpius slowly sat down he felt relived. Relived his tie would not be green and silver. Though at the same time he felt guilty. Guilty, for being relived.