Into The Light - D.M.

Chapter 1

Everything will be fine.

That was what I kept repeating in my head, trying to calm my heart that was so intent on beating out of my chest. Of course, the words had lost meaning as soon as I stepped into the Great Hall. Everyone was looking at us, for good reason, of course. My parents had gone on and on about their first day at Hogwarts. How proud they were to be placed into Gryffindor. My many siblings had all gotten the same treatment, Gryffindor, Gryffindor, Gryffindor.

I looked over at my brother Ron, searching for the same anxiety I was feeling. Of course it was there, however he had busied himself talking to Harry. Once I had calmed down about him being the Chosen One, he actually seemed quite nice. Their talking ceased once Dumbledore appeared, going over ordinary housekeeping tips - where each common room was, each prefect, and how the Sorting would take place.

After the Hat sang, yes sang, as weird as that was, the Sorting began. It took place alphabetically, each student going up and meticulously being placed into one of the four houses. Finally they reached the W's.

"Amelia Weasley."

After each name was called the Great Hall grew quite. Older students sat still, hoping that the best newcomers would be assigned to their houses. Disregarding my hesitation, I sat.

The hat spoke, though I wasn't sure if the voice was only present in my mind. "Another Weasley." It paused. I hoped it did this to save face. It couldn't automatically put every Weasley together or some may question it's intentions. "No, that's not it," the hat responded.
"Hey, get out of my head," I said out loud this time. My brothers locked eyes with me and I raised my own eyebrow back at them, clearly telling them to leave me alone.
"You're an interesting one. Very different from your brothers before you." Obviously. "You have conflicting qualities about you, making this decision very difficult." Conflicting? What does that even mean? "Traits that you have are interwoven, connecting, to make you you. These qualities fall in different houses, making you qualified and disqualified from each."

My heart sank. I would be possibly the first Hogwarts student ever to be turned away based solely on personality. What would Mum say? I was still in my own thoughts when I heard the hat yell out my title, "Slytherin!"

What?

Before I could protest, claiming that this had to be some sort of mistake, the Hat had already called for it's next student. I sat at the end of the table in the spots left open for the first years. While other tables allowed the new students to intermix with the old, the Slytherins left them at the end, outcast from the seasoned students. Two students later and my twin, my equal, was sorted into Gryffindor. Typical. I wanted to be upset, scream, demand another turn under the hat, but I was happy for my brother.

When the sorted had finished, the meal commenced. The table filled with all sorts of delicious foods, and I felt my stomach growl. While food was rarely an issue at home, I noted how it felt now to know that this food wouldn't be fought over by six brothers and a sister. After my first plate I noticed that the rest of the table had simmered down, leaving the remaining food untouched. A boy in my year looked me up and down - labeling me as a slob, surely. He smirked before whispering something in the ear of the girl beside him. I lifted my fork at him, letting my face squeeze up into a tight smile. I would let no Slytherin affect me, let alone one as greasy-haired as Draco Malfoy.

While he could pick me out of a crowd for my fiery red hair, I could do the same with his white blonde hair and snarky attitude. It was a gift everyone in my family had. Weasleys could always tell when there was a snake around.

After everyone was content with the amount of food they ate, we were ushered off to our new homes, our common rooms. The Slytherin common room was located to the right of the Great Hall, and far below it. A wide set of stairs led to two black doors, beautifully carved and adorned with silver trimmings. Lavish was the only word that came to mind. I felt out of place in my second-hand robes, slightly worn from their time on my brother's back. Once the prefects maneuvered one of the silver hooks on the door, we were allowed in. The doors swinging open allowed us to finally see into the common room that we were to call home.

The door was apparently a very good indicator of the rest of the room. Black leather couches stood beside an already lit fireplace. Dark green throw pillows were placed in the corner of each couch, looking untouched and pristine. A rounded table sat at the back of the common room, eight chairs placed around it. Scattered around the room were singular black leather chairs, each adorned with a matching black table. The room itself was dark, glittering in silver when you looked at it in a certain light. To the back of the room stood floor to ceiling windows, looking out into water - The Great Lake, as my brothers had already told me. Though they'd probably never gotten a view quite like this.

Our prefects now split up, Marcus took the boys to their dormitories, and Bianca showed us to ours. The prefects were nice enough. Bianca showed us to our room, a large darkly painted room with silver embellishments covering the high ceilings. The beds were four-posters with green silk hanging from each corner. While it was thick enough, I could still see the outline of my housemates if I looked close enough, which I most certainly would not. There were five beds, one for each girl Slytherin. The beds were spaced far out, and I immediately claimed the one closest to the corner, and thus farthest away from the other girls. While I hoped they would warm to me, eventually, I knew my place as a Weasley. After Bianca left I went to unpacking, putting all of my clothes in one of the beautiful dressers left for us, and my books and wand in my nightstand. It was easy work and I finished much before the other girls. The girl closest to myself, adorned with buttery blonde hair and fluffy bangs, kept glancing at me. I didn't know what to make of that now, so I simply got into my far-too-fancy bed.

And I slept.