The Confectionary Chronicles || HP/SPN

Sweets and Studies- Ch4

CHAPTER FOUR:

When the Sorting Hat shouted "SLYTHERIN!" Severus dropped his fork.

Thankfully, it landed on his lap instead of on the table, so only Quirinus might have noticed if the stuttering fool hadn't been so distracted by the Sorting himself.

A muggleborn in Slytherin.

Minerva looked gobsmacked, like she was about to drop the list of first year names, and the girl, Granger, had to actually hand the Sorting Hat back to her, instead of Minerva taking it off her head.

The girl had already made Hogwarts history with her seven and a half minute hatstall, the longest ever recorded in the school's known history, but to be a mugglebornin Slytherin, and in this current political climate too... Severus turned grimly towards Albus, who looked just as concerned as he felt.

The girl in question didn't appear bothered by the shocked silence in the hall, particularly from her future House. She looked almost delighted by it, in fact, as if the shock and even horror of her future Housemates amused her. She even took it in her stride when the Weasley twins started applauding her, the only ones in the entire hall to do so, laughing and turning to curtsey in their direction with none of the self-consciousness he'd expect from most children before making her way confidently over to the Slytherin table.

She was an unusual child; he couldn't quite place his finger on what it was about her that made the hair on the back of his neck prickle, but as he watched her sit at his House table with enough grace and poise to make any pureblood's governess proud, he couldn't help but glance up at her crown of braids, arranged over the spill of chaotic curls tumbling down her back, then at her smile, all clever, bright and laughing, with just a flash of teeth, and he just knewshe was going to be trouble.

::

Hermione wasn't surprised or at all bothered when the Weasley twins were the only ones to clap, and she made sure to acknowledge them with a playful curtsey and a laugh before making her way over to the Slytherin Table.

She wasn't welcomed by the students sitting there, and she didn't even try to fool herself into thinking she was, but Slytherin House was part of Sylvianne's legacy and she didn't doubt for a moment that Sylvianne wouldn't have been utterly delighted to have Hulda Sorted into Slytherin. And it was with that thought fixed firmly in her heart that Hermione walked with confidence in her step and her head held high to the table of silver and green.

There was clearly a specific order for the seating arrangements at the Slytherin table; the older students sat furthest from the staff table, while the younger students sat closest. Vincent Crabbe, one of the awful blond from the train's thuggish guards, and Millicent Bulstrode, the tall girl from the blond's compartment, were the only two first years to have been Sorted into Slytherin so far. Millicent was seated near the very end of the bench, at the end closest to the staff table, while Vincent was at least three spaces up from her. Hermione considered for half a moment what was likely to be the complicated internal political workings going on dictating who could sit how far up the table. Then she decided to just screw it, and sat herself down without care next to Millicent, who stiffened but didn't say anything, or try to move further away.

The Sorting continued, and Hermione made sure to clap for each of her new Housemates, none of whom chose to sit beside her, leaving the space empty, as well as for all the muggleborns from the orientation tour, and Neville, who ended up going into Gryffindor, as did Dean and Fay, while Sally-Anne went to Hufflepuff. Hermione was disappointed but not surprised when the blond, Draco Malfoy, was Sorted into Slytherin, and she noted with sharp eyes that he sat furthest away from the staff table out of all the first years to be Sorted so far.