The immediate response to Catalina's sudden appearance was nothing short of jubilation. An observer who had seen the TV show, such as Headmaster Eldervy (for he had resources at his disposal that allowed him to partake fully in the "fan" aspect of a fandom before entering it himself), would note that the resulting reaction of Catalina's appearance before the crew far past that of when Suzee had informed the crew almost a year ago that she was still alive.

Everyone immediately rushed forward, but Suzee was the fastest, taking only a second to sweep forward and pull her closest friend into a fierce hug which, of course, Catalina returned with equal force.

"Catalina!" Suzee squealed, not letting go.

"Suzee!" Catalina returned, with equal enthusiasm, also holding Suzee tightly.

The rest of the crew gave the girls time to greet each other, aware that this was the first (and likely only) time that they would be in the same universe and be able to interact as best friends take for granted.

Of the six crew members and one android, only Harlan Band looked the least bit impatient to be able to have time to converse with Catalina. Even he knew better than to intervene. The others simply smiled broadly, and the adults blinked back tears.

When they finally separated from their second hug, Suzee studied her best friend at arm's length. "You look great, Cat. I mean, of course I've seen you in my head, but wow, to see you in person! How are you?"

Catalina giggled. "You act like we haven't been talking five minutes ago, Suzee!"

Suzee laughed, then limited herself to standing close to Catalina as she received rib crushing hugs from the rest of the crew. Rosie was first, giving her another fierce hug, and when she stepped away, Radu could see the tears on her face.

Not that she was the only one crying. His own vision was watery, and Harlan definitely wasn't seeing clearly. Even Bova was sniffling a bit. Ms. Davenport now had the same small smile on her face as she had when she announced that everyone had passed the hyperspace physics exam last week, and Commander Goddard was grinning without reserve. Once everyone had taken a turn with hugging her, Suzee and Rosie stood by her side in a protective manner.

"How--how is this possible?" Suzee asked the headmaster. "I mean, with the dimensional fabric, shouldn't I not be here?"

"Ordinarily, yes." The wizard's voice was gentle. "But I am able to hold it open for the duration of the Sorting, so I suggest you make the most of this time together."

"We will!" nearly everyone shouted.

"Then, after that, Catalina will..." Ms. Davenport's voice trailed off.

"Catalina will return to Yensid until you can switch back permanently," he confirmed, gently. After a pause, he added, "It will not be a long wait. I have seen how your story plays out, although I cannot reveal the ending. Suffice it to say that you will see Catalina again, soon." He turned to Suzee. "And you, my dear, will return to your family when this occurs."

Suzee swallowed, then nodded. "At least, we have her for now."

"Indeed." The headmaster smiled. "Shall we begin?"

Everyone nodded, clearly feeling more comfortable now that Catalina had returned.

"In a traditional Sorting ceremony, the hat begins by singing a song about the various houses. However, the song can only be sung once a year and at Hogwarts. This was how the spell was created, and it is beyond my power to break it. So, I shall summarize the attributes of the houses for the hat." He then provided a brief, and unbiased, summary of each house. "For some time, Slytherin was viewed as the house of dark witches and wizards, while Gryffindor had a reputation of being the greatest house. While I would say nothing against Gryffindor's reputation, over the past two hundred years, we have done much to educate young witches and wizards about the attributes of every house. Have any of you read the 'Harry Potter' books?"

Radu and Ms. Davenport raised their hands. After a brief pause, so did Catalina, Rosie, and Suzee.

"Very good. They were written by a Squib, and I can assure you it was an accurate account of the events that occurred in our world during the end of the twentieth century. Of course, that was over two hundred and fifty years ago..." The headmaster smiled. "Far before I was born. In any event, a Sorting is conducted with the hat's song, which must be omitted, and then an alphabetical sorting by last name."

"Headmaster," interjected Ms. Davenport, "only two of our students have last names."

"Yes, I am very much aware of this." He smiled. "In your case, the adults with last names will go first, followed by your android, then the students with last names, and finally, those without." He made a motion with his wand, and Thelma appeared. "Not to worry. Your ship will operate smoothly without aid during the length of the Sorting.

"Now," he concluded, genially, "shall we begin with Ms. Davenport?"

"Oh!" The vice principal looked rather flustered. "Well, all right, then."

"Not to worry, my dear," Headmaster Eldervy assured her, "it won't hurt a bit, and the Hat never reveals what he sees in a person's mind to any other living creature."

Ms. Davenport nodded, looking resolute. "Very well. Let's begin."

Author's note:

Up next--Ms. Davenport's sorting.