Chapitre 35: Chapter - 35 : Into the Snake Pit
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Finally, after what felt like hours but was at most three minutes, the hat opened the rip near its brim and cried, "GRYFFINDOR!"
I let out a sigh of relief. Harry would do well in Gryffindor. He was brave, but in a quiet sort of way. He kept out of trouble when he could, but when it found him, he never shied away from it. And besides that, he had a heart of gold and a genuine goodness that years with the Dursleys should have washed away, but had somehow survived.
The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers as Harry joined them, Percy shaking his hand.
"We got Potter!" Fred and George were cheering over and over.
The Great Hall fell silent again as McGonagall called, "Potter, Lorena!"
I took a deep breath. Ron clapped me on the shoulder supportively as I stepped forwards. I took the hat in my hands and sat down on the stool, placing it on my head. I made sure that I set it back a little on my head so that I could still see out. No one in the Great Hall was looking anywhere but at me, and I preened a little at the attention. At the Gryffindor table, Harry was watching me, clearly hanging from a thread as he waited for the Sorting Hat to do its job.
I'll join you soon, I promised him.
"Really?" a sly little voice hissed in my mind. My eyes widened as I realized that this was the hat. "Basking in attention isn't very Gryffindor. In fact, I'd say it's almost SL-"
"Don't you dare," I growled, heart pounding. Like Harry, I gripped the side of the stool tight enough to make my knuckles white. Don't you dare. If you try, I won't go. I'm not leaving my brother, I don't care if it hurts me in the long run. I'm going where I'm needed, not where I need.
"Interestingly put, but as it happens, you brother will do very well in Gryffindor by himself, I imagine. Your mind is far too bitter and selfish for Gryffindor. You're about as far from a Hufflepuff as it's possible to be. You only care about people if they've earned it. And as for Ravenclaw… well, smart as you are, there's no true thirst for knowledge."
That's not true!
"Yes it is. Remember, I can see inside your mind. The only clear choice is SLYTHERIN!"
For a petrifying moment, the Great Hall was utterly, utterly silent. I saw the shocked faces of most of the older students. Harry looked crushed. Instead of losing their minds like the Gryffindors had, the Slytherins stared at me intently, like they were trying to figure out how I'd managed this. They whispered amongst each other, hissing back and forth like the snakes they were.
Then, slowly, the clapping began. Harry started it, bless him. He looked regretful, but he was still my brother. The rest of the Gryffindor table took up the clapping half-heartedly, the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws following with more respectful enthusiasm. The Slytherins seemed to be the most excited of the lot.
The hat was lifted from my head. I looked up to Professor McGonagall. She was looking a little disappointed in me. "Miss Potter," she murmured to me. I took that as my cue and rose, moving towards the Slytherin table, who were looking a bit more excited to have me as I came closer. I saw Malfoy shoo Crabbe down a seat to try and make room for me, looking beside himself with glee. When I passed him, he patted the empty spot invitingly.
I might have considered it, were it not for what had happened on the train. Even after Madam Malkin's. I could tolerate arrogance – I wasn't innocent of it myself. But the things Malfoy had said – totally unprovoked and unnecessary things - were still fresh on my mind and stinging. I didn't care if Slytherins had a reputation for being self-serving, I didn't care what it cost me, but I would not allow him to insult my parents.
I stuck up my nose as I stalked past him, taking a seat instead next to Lily Moon. She was a brown-haired girl with blue eyes and a pale face. She stared mostly at the Great Hall at large, but when I slid into place next to her, she gave me a side-long glance and murmured, "Welcome to the snake pit."
I scoffed. "Thanks."
My parents… That thought lingered in my head for a moment. According to Hagrid they'd been the best of wizards, not just magically, but in their temperament as well. I knew from him that they were both proud Gryffindors. What would they think of me now, a Slytherin, the mortal enemy of their old house? Were they looking down on me now, shaking their heads in shame at what I was? Or could they have pushed aside their old prejudice for the sake of love for their only daughter?
Well, I'd never know what they would do. I'd never met them. Thanks to one Slytherin who wanted power. A member of the same house I was now part of. The connections just kept stacking up. I hated it.
Dean Thomas and Ron joined Harry at the Gryffindor table. Lisa Turpin became a Ravenclaw and Blaise Zambini came to my table, taking the seat Malfoy had cleared for me.
The Sorting finished, McGonagall packed up the hat and stool and removed them from the hall. Dumbledore stood, instantly commanding everyone's attention. His face bore a soft smile, arms spread wide like he wanted to give all of us a big welcoming hug, which I seriously doubted was true, considering that most of the Slytherins were looking at him darkly.
"Welcome!" he announced. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before our feast begins, I have a few words I'd like to say: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you," he finished, and took his seat.
I gaped as the golden plates in front of us suddenly filled themselves with food. There were four different kinds of meats, steaming bowls of cooked vegetables, loaves of bread, and plates holding artfully arranged cheeses and fruits. I stared at it all, awed.
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