The Slytherin

Chapter 2

THIRD PERSON POV

"Is it over yet?" Amelia whined.

"Be still, Amelia. It's only been a few minutes since the Sorting started." Larissa whispered comfortingly. "And keep your voice down, it's echoey in here."

"It feels like it's been fourteen hundred hours." Amelia grumbled. "And I'm awfully hungry."

"Well, so am I, but you don't see me complaining." Larissa pointed out. "They just called 'Granger, Hermione'."

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat screeched, and the fluffy-haired girl went flouncing off to her table; an audible groan was heard from the first years. Larissa turned her head to see who it was, and her eyes caught sight of the famous Harry Potter. A flush crept up her cheeks as she turned back around to face Professor McGonagall.

"Hamilton, Larissa!" The woman called.

With trembling legs, Larissa walked towards the Sorting Hat, every step she took seeming to resonate threateningly as she sat down, feeling very self-concious about herself and the eyes that stared at her.

"Potential," said a small, sudden voice.  Larissa nearly jumped out of her seat; as it was, she started a little, and the hat slid down over her eyes. She actually found this comforting and didn't hear the small laughs on behalf of her fright.

"Potential," said the voice again, "for more than one house. You could nearly fit into Hufflepuff, you know, or into Ravenclaw..."

"You don't think I'm brave?" Larissa mumbled.

"I never said that." Replied the hat. "I think it had better be..."

Then, in a louder voice so everyone could hear, "SLYTHERIN!"

Larissa numbly slid off the stool and went over to her hew table, sliding into an open seat next to Adrian Pucey.

"I hoped you'd be here." Adrian said amiably, shaking her hand. "You'll achieve great things. Just don't mind the Baron."

"The Baron?" Larissa inquired, looking over my shoulder.

A few people down floated the Bloody Baron, a disagreeable-looking ghost covered in blood and dragging chains. Larissa felt an air of disturbance come over the table, and she shivered.

"Don't be downhearted." Adrian encouraged her. "We've got a bad name because of You-Know-Who and all of his fuss, but we're not all bad - just ambitious. He was a good wizard, he just turned to bad ways. Keep that in mind."

While they had been discussing, they somehow talked through a few people and had talked halfway through Harry Potter. They just got to hear him declared a Gryffindor, and join in on the school's enthusiastic cheering.

"They're lucky to have him, I suppose." A blonde boy remarked across from Adrian. "But tolerating Gryffindors takes a special kind of skill."

"Hey, there's your friend." Adrian pointed up at Amelia, who looked coldly formal in her robes. Not many people could pull off the two low ponytail look, but Larissa felt that both she and Amelia rocked it.

Larissa felt a shock of fear. What if Amelia got placed in a different house? Larissa didn't know how she would cope without her best friend. They had grown up together, gotten their ears pierced together... there just wasn't a lot more that one could do to symbolize one another's best friendship, other than the fact that the Hamiltons had helped tell the unaware Julis' about the magical world.

However, Larissa needn't have feared. Amelia's sassy nature landed her a quick and easy place in Slytherin next to her best friend.

"Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" Dumbledore declared once all the first years were sorted and the noise had died down. Then the food arrived, and Larissa couldn't remember much about the conversation during that time. She got acquainted with Terence Higgs, the Quidditch seeker on the team.

Right as Amelia finished eating her fifth piece of watermelon, the food disappeared, soon replaced by desserts.

"Apple pie." Larissa nearly sang, enjoying a slice. Adrian helped himself to a treacle tart, while Draco Malfoy (who was sitting next to the Bloody Baron and not looking happy about it) stuffed himself with every kind of chocolate within reach.

"That's Professor Snape, our Head of House." Adrian pointed to the High Table. "Next to Professor Quirrell there. Then there's Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore - he's Headmaster - and Professor Trelawney. Don't approach her, she's crazy."

Larissa smiled at his words. Amelia was already deep in discussion with Terence Higgs while he described Quidditch and she found a way to criticize every bit of it.

Dumbledore stood up and made a few announcements. After his statement about very painful full deaths, Larissa just sat wide eyes and her mouth wide open while Amelia ventured a nervous laugh.

"He's joking, right?" Amelia asked nobody in particular.

"Dumbledore never jokes about this kind of stuff." Terence said seriously. "I wonder what's there?"

"A school song?" Larissa protested. "That's for Amelia. Not me."

"Pick your favorite tune, the man says." Amelia said, looking straight at Larissa.

"I hope you're happy about this." Larissa sighed.

So they launched into the Hogwarts theme song (according to the lyrics floating in the air) to the tune of our version of "I'm A Little Teapot".

The two girls were one of the first to finish. Adrian and Terence sang the theme song to the tune of "Here Comes The Bride". At last, two familiar boys that looked like twins finished singing a slow funeral march, setting the Slytherin table into even more of a foreboding place.

Dumbledore made a statement about magical music, and then everybody seemed to dismiss at once.

Larissa pulled on Terence's arm. "Who are those twins?" She inquired.

"Weasleys." Draco remarked, sweeping by in the confusion. "Fred and George. Don't mess with the blood traitors."

Amelia looked about ready to hit Draco, but Larissa motioned her down. They might not like it, but sticking with Draco might be the best option.

"Where did Florence get Sorted?" Larissa asked Amelia.

"Ravenclaw." Was the girl's short answer.

Issuing the password of "Tree Bird" a female prefect lead them in. "Girls, our dormitory is up here." She announced. "I'm Gemma Farley, this year's perfect."

"Gods, I'm tired." Amelia breathed, collapsing on her bunk bed. "Thanks for letting me be on top, Larissa."

"I'm the one more likely to fall off." Larissa reasoned, closing her eyes. "Goodnight, Amy."

"Night, Lar." Amy mumbled.

And so they fell asleep to the sound of the lake ebbing gently on the window.

So, uh... hi? I won't do an A/N every chapter, because I know it's boring and most people don't read them anyway. However, I upload chapters when I'm finished with the one after them. For example, I'm uploading Chapter Two because I've just finished Chapter Three (as an edited draft, obviously). And, when I'm done with Chapter Four, I'll upload Chapter Three. Just thought I should explain it. It gets rid of people asking when the next chapter will come out and bugging you to update it. Trust me, it's recommended.

Of course, nobody's ever asked me or begged me about any of that stuff. I actually sometimes get comments like "you should delete your stories" and other stuff. But, you know. For every two haters, there's got to be a liker somewhere.