You With the Red Curls, You with the Watercolor Eyes

Chapter 4~Della

The moment the train stops, Juno tugs me out a door and pulls me along across the platform. I can just barely see boats on a black lake, smooth and shiny like glass in the darkness. Juno guides me to a side door that leads into what must be the staff room.

"Hurry, we haven't got time to lally gag. There's usually a few school transfers that get sorted before the first years arrive, but you're the only one this year," she says, leaving the staff room and practically running through the halls. 

I whip my head around to try to make sense of what's going on around me, but it's too dark in the candlelit hallways and I'm moving to fast to register more than a few paintings and staircases. 

"Obviously you'll be a Slytherin, but you'll still be assessed by the sorting hat." I've heard stories about the tall wizard's cap that can supposedly read your mind and tell your personality, but I didn't really believe them. Now's my chance is to find out. 

Juno stops abruptly in front of an ugly gargoyle statue. I almost slam into her.

"Humbugs," she says. The gargoyle nods and hops to the side. A sliding panel of stone opens behind the statue and reveals a spiral staircase, spinning lazily. "C'mon," Juno says, rushing onto the steps, jogging up them two at a time.

We reach a landing with a simple wooden door, standing ajar. I can hear voices speaking lowly inside. Juno taps the door frame.

"Enter," says an old, tired voice.

We step in to see five people. They must be the heads of the houses. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. And of course, the headmaster. The renowned Albus Dumbledore. Oh, the nights my father reeled on and on about his evils. I never listened to him, as I prefer to form my own opinions about people.

"Ah, the Malfoy sisters. Come in, let's get this over with," says a severe looking woman who must be head of Gryffindor. No one else would look at a Malfoy with such disdain. 

She nods to a stool in the middle of the room. Atop it is a raggedy old hat. The sorting hat. "Sit," says the headmaster.

I sit, and he places the hat atop my head. It slips down over my eyes, the brim too wide for my head. I hear a voice in my ear. 

"Ohhhhh... Well isn't this something? A considerable amount of bravery. Compassion and selflessness. Immense knowledge and wit. Passion and leadership. Where to place you... Hmmmm..." The voices in my mind have gone quiet, a rare feat. 

I think, It has to be Slytherin. I'm not supposed to go anywhere else. Slytherin, Slytherin, Slytherin...

"Curious, the one of many talents wishes to conform to a single faction of principles? Well, do as you please." I take a shuddering breath. The hat shouts to the room, "Slytherin!"

I feel the hat slip off my head and open my eyes. I didn't realize I was squeezing them shut so hard. I see six sets of eyes staring back at me. "What?" I ask.

"Curious," says the head of Ravenclaw. "I've never seen a student such as you take so long to be sorted. Curious..." 

That makes me nervous. I stand up, and Snape, the head of Slytherin, hands me a tall box labeled 'ROBES'. "Your uniform, Ms. Malfoy. Your sister will help you change. We'll see you downstairs, in the great hall. Welcome to Slytherin," Snape says.

I nod, and watch the five of them leave the study. Juno turns to me. "I'll take you to the bathroom to change." She looks at me weird. I ignore it. At least I'm in Slytherin. 

I change into the white shirt, green and silver striped tie, black sweater, black skirt and long black robes that were in the box. I leave on my converse, since there were no shoes in the box. There's two more sets of the uniform so I have something to wear while the others wash, as well as a set of green pajamas, a green and silver scarf, extra socks, and a black hat.