"Miss Romanova," Dumbledore called as soon as Aurora entered. A lot of students looked around to see who he was talking to. "Come here for a moment, if you please."
Aurora walked away from the crowd, whose eyes followed her every step, and moved towards Dumbledore.
"You and the other new students will be the first ones sorted in a moment." He said lowly. "Just sit down and try to talk yourself out of having to explain too much. Once you're safely inside your dorm...you can tell who you really are. But only to those you trust."
"What if I don't get sorted into Gryffindor again?" Aurora whispered.
"It's your own decision. I advice that this is the best option but if you want to tell them now...I'll include you in my speech and explain everything."
Aurora thought about it for a moment. Did she really want to do this? Lie to everybody? Constantly being afraid someone might find out who she really was?
It meant that she again had to get used to another name. First Artemis and Amelia, then Aurora and now Anastasia. It was just a little too much.
But Dumbledore wouldn't have considered this if it weren't in her best interest. She could at least try and see where it got her.
"OK, fine, I'll do it." Aurora whispered. "But I want the guarantee that I can quit the act whenever I want."
"That's a promise."
"Hem, hem," someone cleared their throat. Aurora looked around Dumbledore to see a pink toad....person...pink person with a toad face...what the hell is that for thing?
The witch was squat, with short, curly, mouse-brown hair in which she had placed a horrible pink Alice band that matched the fluffy pink cardigan she wore over her robes. She had a pale, toadlike face and a pair of prominent, pouchy eyes.
"Hem, hem," she repeated. "Dumbledore, might this be one of our new students? Anastasia Romanova, the Archduchess of Magical Russia?" Her voice was high-pitched, breathy and little-girlish.
"Anastasia, this is our new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, Dolores Umbridge."
Professor Umbridge was going to say something else but got interrupted by the Entrance Hall doors opening. A long line of scared-looking first-years entered, led by Professor McGonagall, who was carrying a stool on which sat an ancient wizard's hat, heavily patched and darned with a wide rip near the frayed brim.
The buzz of talk in the Great Hall faded away. The first-years lined up in front of the staff table facing the rest of the students, and Professor McGonagall placed the stool carefully in front of them, then stood back.
Professors Umbridge and Dumbledore moved back to their seats, leaving Aurora alone, standing in front of the crowded Hall.
The whole school waited with bated breath. Then the rip near the hat's brim opened wide like a mouth and the Sorting Hat burst into song:
In times of old, when I was new,
And Hogwarts barely started,
The founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted:
United by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning
To make the world's best magic school
And pass along their learning.
"Together we will build and teach!"
The four good friends decided.
And never did they dream that they
Might some day be divided.
For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
Unless it was the second pair
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?
YOU ARE READING
The Princess of Light
FanfictionDeath's supposed to be final. But a true Black doesn't bow down to any rule, not even that one. Aurora was rescued from dying, caught by her mother, by magic, by a golden glow cast by an angel. Finally back, things have drastically changed. Lord Vol...
