11. “THE SORTING CEREMONY”

Nothing is worse for a Slytherin than being pitied. Hate me, ostracize me, and reject me all you want, but don't you ever dare pity me.

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Zara's and 3rd person POV:

We all stopped when we reached the front of the great hall, just in front of the sorting hat and the teachers ' table.

" Will you wait along here, please? Now, before we begin, Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words." McGonagall said before stepping to the side.

" I have a few starts of term notices I wish to announce . " declared Dumbledore, rising from his chair, " The first years please note that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you that the 3rd - floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you. " He sat back down acting as though that had been a normal way to greet us.

" When I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses, " explained McGonagall, gesturing to the old and crumpled hat that sat on the stool

" Hermione Granger. " Was the first to be called. I gave her an up, and she nodded. The sorting hat was placed on her head and after a time.

" Ah right then ... hmm ... right. Okay ... GRYFFINDOR !! " The Gryffindor table cheered while Hermione walked over to their table with a smile on her face.

Draco was called He sauntered up to the front of the hall looking as overly confident as ever. The hat didn't even have to be put completely on his head when it announced that his house is Slytherin.

Draco looked at us with a smirk on his face and hopped off the stool, walking proudly over to the cheering Slytherin table.

" There isn't a witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin." I heard the ginger boy from earlier say.

Wow - prejudice much ? and I'll bet you anything he hates Slytherin because they're 'prejudiced' or judgemental ' or something like that. It's ironic.

My eyes drifted over to the teachers ' table while more names were called. When my eyes found Quirrell ( the constantly terrified DADA professor ) he turned away to talk to dad, so his turban faced me. I felt something unusual about it.

The ginger boy who I now know is called Ronald Weasley, got sorted into Gryffindor along with a few others, including the boy from earlier with the toad.

Crabbe and Goyle were also called up and sorted into Slytherin along with Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, Theodore Nott, and a few others.

" Blaise Zabini " McGonagall read from her list.

Blaise turned to me on Blaise - it'll be fine, " I reassured quietly.

He gulped and walked hesitantly over to the stool After a short pause, the hat announced his house as Slytherin

He smiled at me and went to join the others. oh great now I'm left waiting to be sorted without any of my friends - just my bloody luck.

" Harry Potter! " Called McGonagall. The hall went silent before breaking out into whispers.

" Potter ? the Harry Potter? " I heard someone on a table close to me ask. Harry sat down with the hat on his head and again the hall went silent in suspense, until eventually after an extremely long pause the hat started to talk.

" Well, if you're sure ... better be ... " It paused again, " GRYFFINDOR !! "

The Gryffindor table cheered even louder than usual, but overall the noise I could still hear the Weasley twins chanting,

" We got a Potter! We got a Potter! "

Harry jumped off looking very relieved and went to join his house.

" Malfoy, Scarlett Zarina Malfoy ! " when my name was called the hall once again went silent except for a few people whispering about me. My eyes darted over to the Slytherin table where I could see Blaise giving me a reassuring thumbs up and Draco smiling at me before the hat was placed on my head, covering my eyes.

" Hmmm ... yes, you are Determined but Prideful but Intelligent but Malicious but Problem-solver but Rule breaker but Loyal but Sneaky but Confident but Manipulative but you are going to be just as difficult to sort just like your brother. You are just like her.... " the hat said into my head, like a voice whispering in my ear.

I said 'Are you talking about My Arrogant brother, And what's with this BUT.'

"Not this one," the hat said I was confused I have only one brother that Draco. Who is this hat talking about?

The hat shouted, "SLYTHERIN"

" That was expected. " Someone mumbled in the silence snapping everyone out of their shock.

The Slytherin table cheered louder than ever, much to the shock of the other houses. They even cheered louder than the Gryffindors did for Potter, and that surely was saying something.

Zara was smiling at Draco on the way and sat next to Daphne and in front of Pansy Parkinson, who had also been sorted into Slytherin. A lot of the Slytherins started introducing themselves to Zara, who politely greeted them back. When they finally let her be, Zara made eye contact with Dumbledore who was already looking at her with a kind smile.

" Took you long enough, " Draco said from where he sat opposite me with Crabbe and Goyle on either side of him.

" I know! I was dying in suspense ! " agreed Blaise.

" And you think I wasn't? " I replied with a raised eyebrow.

There's now only one person left to be sorted, the girl we shared the boat with. I'd hate to be the one left until last. " Martha Robbins! " McGonagall called.

Martha walked up to the stool fiddling anxiously with her hands just like she did earlier. She sat on the stool for a while until it eventually announced her house as Slytherin.

I smiled at her which she returned while she walked quickly over to our table. She looked around not knowing where to sit and glancing over at us looking like she wants to ask but is too nervous so I spoke up saying,

" Hey, Martha Over here, " She smiled gratefully and nodded while walking over to us.

" Hi, " she greeted, sitting down in the spare space next to me on the long bench. The others smiled also saying hi as the food appeared, as if from nowhere, and we began to pile the food high onto our plates.

" So, what'd you think about being sorted into Slytherin? Was it the house you were hoping for? " Blaise asked her after a while of silence, all of us too hungry to talk.

" Oh - er, I wasn't hoping for any house, just waiting to see what one I ended up in, reading with her robe sleeves.

Draco's head snapped up and his eyes narrowed, " But you did know about the houses, didn't you? And Hogwarts I mean ... you're not mudding blood or anything, are you? "

I kicked him under the table for being so rude and got a glare from him in return.

" No, I'm a pure blood neither of my parents went to school here. My father went to Durmstrang and my Mother went to Beauxbatons. " She explained the harsh expression on her face and told me she too was unhappy about Draco's questions and language.

Draco nodded in relief along with Blaise Crabbe, and Goyle

I just rolled my eyes at their close-mindedness and continued to eat my food, I'm used to it at this point.

" This way! Follow me " Called our prefect as she lead us through the corridors and into the dungeons. I'm so excited to see what the common room is like since I've never been allowed to go in any of them.

The perfect stopped in front of a blank stone wall and said:: " Serpentem Vectem " which made the wall slide open, letting us in.

I recognized it was Latin meaning serpent

" Woah ... " Martha uttered in amazement while we entered our Common room

I looked around in shock ... this place is so much nicer than dad said it'd be, he always underrates stuff

In the center is a large black leather sofa next to the big fireplace. Along the back walls are two polished, dark wood antique-looking shelves lined with ornaments and books.

Tables with matching wood to the shelves and patterns carved into the sides are dotted all around the room with a main circular table at the back in front of the long windows that let in the green light of the black lake.

" Ok then first years, stand here ... yes, that's right ! " she continued to order.

" Now, this is our common room. The password is ' Serpentem Vectem ' for now but this changes every fortnight. The new password will be put up on the notice board over there, " she pointed to a board pinned up on the wall ... well, not pinned up I assume there's a spell keeping it up.

" On the notice board, you will also find the times for quidditch tryouts practice, and games as well as any other events. You can't let anyone from any other house in, hardly any of them know where our common room is and we intend to keep it that way " She said rather sternly

" Girls, your dorms are through that door over there in the far right corner of the common room, boys yours are the same but on the far left. 5 to each dorm you hookup you took never you chose. " She pointed to stone archways opposite each other tucked away and hidden in the corners of the grand room.

Martha and I said goodnight to Draco, Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle and went into our dorm which we share with three other girls

Pansy Parkinson Daphne Greengrass, and Millicent Bulstrode I've gotten on with them we're civil with each other and everything.

They're more girly and spend their time gossiping and giggling about boys painting their nails horrible shades of pink, or getting excited because their favorite celebrity's been in the latest ' Witch Weekly '. now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that ... it's just that I, on the other hand, have always preferred to play Quidditch, read books, and find that ' Which Broomstick ' is a far better magazine than the gossip-filled ones they read.

The one time I tried to show them the latest broom at the time in my magazine they got distracted by a photo of a particularly good-looking shirtless beater in the article across from it.

So anyway, our dorm has five, four-post beds spaced out across the room with two along one wall and another three along the other.

Each bed has emerald green and silver bedding and matching curtains Martha and I chose the beds that have just two along the wall.

She chose the one in the corner so I had the one in the middle of the room. " Oh, hi Zara. " Pansy greeted me with a small smile and sat on the bed across from me while Millicent and Daphne waved from their beds on either side of her. I s'pose I better make small talk.

" Hi, guys are you looking forward to lessons tomorrow? " I asked.

" It depends on what we have really " replied Millicent.

" Yeah, I'm dreading Herbology, I don't want to touch any disgusting plants," added Pansy, her face showing her disgust at the thought of plants.

" I agree, I'm not looking forward to it either. It sounds boring - a whole class just on gardening . " agreed Daphne.

I just nodded in reply, I quite like the sound of Herbology.

" Oh, this is Martha by the way, " I said, realizing she doesn't know them so is just left sitting awkwardly on her bed.

" Hey, Martha. I'm Pansy Parkinson. This is Millicent Bulstrode and that's Daphne Greengrass . " she introduced herself and the others.

Martha smiled a little awkwardly and cleared her throat, " Erm ... Hi. " Slytherin's probably not the best house to be put into if you don't know anyone since most Slytherin families know each other, usually from boring parties we get dragged along to or from our parents being

former death eaters - not saying all Slytherins were or anything it's just that quite a few of them were ... Which doesn't help our reputation of being the ' evil ' or ' untrustworthy ' house or whatever.

TO BE CONTINUED.....♥♥♥