Changing Destiny

Nine: The Sorting Ceremony

Harry

Hermione's name was the first one to be called, and she was nervous. Professor Snape sat at the teacher's long table looking just as intimidating as the other adults, and Professor McGonagoll, the older witch wearing dark green robes, and who greeted them at the doors of what she called the Great Hall, put the sorting hat on her head, and took a minute or two to decide.

"Better be...Ravenclaw!" The Sorting hat announced. The Ravenclaw table cheered, and she smiled at him as she skipped to the table.

"Harry Potter," McGonagoll called.

The entire Great Hall fell silent, as Harry felt all eyes on him. He looked over at the Slytherin table, and spotted his foster mum. He felt better, and sat on the stool. McGonagoll put the hat on his head.

"Hmm, very interesting, very interesting," The Sorting hat mused in his head. "Plenty of courage I see in you, a ready wit as well, and loyalty as well. But where to put you?"

"Anywhere but Gryffindor is fine with me," Harry murmured.

The hat chuckled lightly, "Ah. Yes, I see the Slytherin influence on you already, and Slytherin can help you on your way to greatness, and there's no doubt about that."

Harry smiled, thinking of how awesome his foster mum's boyfriend was, and how he commanded a room just with his presence. "Sounds good to me."

The Sorting hat then said aloud, "Better be...Slytherin!"

The Slytherin table cheered for him, and soon, Draco joined him, as well as Goyle, Crabbe, Pansy Parkinson, and the pretty Greengrass twins. Blaise Zabini also became a Slytherin, and he made a beeline for his foster mum.

She handed him a green cupcake. "Congrats, kiddo. The hat almost went into a hat stall with you."

Harry grinned. "Nah, he just wanted to make sure Slytherin was where I wanted to go."

Aunt Hermione hugged him. "Then I'm glad. You can't change Houses, you know. So if you're happy, I'm happy."

Harry ate his cupcake. "I am. Thanks for coming with us. Where were you? I didn't see you on the train."

"I had to network with Mr Malfoy," She explained, happily. "It was all boring adult stuff that you shouldn't worry about, hon."

Hermione sat next to her older self, admiring her new blue and bronze Ravenclaw badge. "This looks sooo cool, Aunt Min.' Luna is a trip, and said she wants to make friendship bracelets with me already. You can come too, Pansy."

Pansy smiled. "That's cool! I heard her dad's a looney, though, so be careful."

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "I will. Still, you should hang with us."

Pansy rolled her eyes, laughing, "Sure. Come on, girls, let's go hang with the crows..."

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Harry turned to me, and hugged me. I hugged him back. I drew him aside when the dinner feast was ending. "Are you going to be okay?" I asked.

Harry looked a bit sad. "I'm feeling kind of homesick. How long are you staying?"

Dumbledore eyed me sharply, and McGonagoll went with the Gryffindors. He headed our way, and I kissed his forehead. "Only as long as it takes for me to talk to the Headmaster and your Head of House. Go along, I heard that the Slytherin common room isn't as scary as it seems."

He kissed my cheek. "Okay. I love you, Aunt Min.'"

I was deeply touched by that, because it was at this moment that I didn't realize how much he thought of me as his surrogate mother. I smiled warmly. "I love you too, Harry. Take care of your sister. She may be a year older than you, but she needs her brother to keep the mean people from bullying her. And if you both get bullied, especially from other teachers, don't hesitate to owl me, and I will hex them relentlessly."