Chapter 5

Violet like Jonathan Richards.

It might have been a bit early to decide such a thing since she knew him for less than a day but he was really nice.

The first person who was around her age that was nice to her, much like how Hagrid was the first adult who was nice to her.

Unlike Libra Malfoy who was, many different words that aunt Petunia would use.

The other girl who came into their compartment had been… complex? Violet wasn't sure what to think of her. The way she had barged into the compartment had been rude but she was trying to help someone else, so she probably was good but rude as well? Violet wasn't sure if that was a thing.

The train ride after the girl, Hermione as she introduced herself, had been quiet and peaceful with some small talk with Jonathan. For the first time Violet felt like she had a friend.

Seeing Hagrid after the train ride had been nice and so was the boat ride to Hogwarts, which was a literal magical castle like out of a fairy tale, except for one thing.

Jonathan's eyes were always drawn to somewhere else, to someONE else.

A blonde girl on another boat who looked like Libra Malfoy but instead of the arrogant and loathing expression the mean girl had on her face, this girl's face was completely blank.

Violet had some experience in reading people, a skill she had learned fast due to necessity while in the Privet Drive. But the blonde girl on the other boat had no expression on her face, it was blank in a freak... strange way.

For some reason she had Jonathan's eyes on her but when she had questioned him he claimed that he didn't knew her and claimed that she was just being 'silly'.

But she simply couldn't let go especially since she wasn't being silly and his eyes would eyes wander to the blonde girl with an intense focus.

She was so focused on why he was paying attention to her she actually ended up not listening to Mcgonagall's speech about some unity thing that the school was about.

She did pay attention to the talking, also SINGING, hat though.

"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me."

The hat was even more entertaining than her aunt Petunia's soap dramas. Probably because the horse necked woman never let Violet watch any of them.

After that it even put students in different houses. Houses that she learned that each represented certain characteristics that their founders valued.

Gryffindor valued courage.

Ravenclaw valued wit.

Hufflepuff valued loyalty.

Slytherin valued cunning.

Slytherin was out for Violet though. Especially since both Malfoy and the girl Jonathan was looking at, Daphne Greengrass as she had learned when Mcgonagall called for her, were in the house of green and silver which meant she wanted nothing to do with that house.

"Potter, Violet."

And now it was her turn. She wished that Jonathan was called first so that she would know which house she wanted.

'Unfortunately your house is not determined by the boys you like.' A voice rang out in her mind and it took all of her will to not scream.

'And I am thankful you did not scream, that always end up with Albus lecturing me about how to handle children. Bah, what does that brat know? I have been dealing with children for the last millennia!' The hat complained inside Violet's head.

'Now let's see here. You are quite hardworking but it has never been actually your choice, you are quite loyal to that Jonathan boy but you don't actually know him very well so it doesn't really count so not Hufflepuff. You are quite adverse to studying, mostly because of the sad excuses of human flesh you have to call guardian, so not Ravenclaw either I guess. But you have quite a cunning mind. And so much potential, yes you would do very well in Slytherin. You could be great in Slytherin.' The hat's voice whispered into her mind and she could not help but remember Ollivander's words,.

'Terrible, yes. But great nonetheless.' no, definitely not Slytherin. She also didn't want to be around Malfoy anymore than she had to.

'Definitely not Slytherin, eh? To think that you could dislike someone enough to base your future decisions on not being near her. But I guess, you are quite brave. You did just argue against me, the one who has been sorting students for hundreds of years, about your sorting. Why, such course of action is truly one fitting for a...'

"GRYFFINDOR!"

And then the sound of applause covered the entire hall. The students before her were applauded after their sorting as well. But none had a reaction to their sorting as strongly as hers. She could even hear some students from her house yelling 'We got Potter!'. It felt kinda nice.

As she walked towards the table her eyes met Jonathan's once more and her friend smiled and winked at her.

After that the sorting continued same as those before her's, none of them taking anything more than a minute. Then finally...

"Richards, Jonathan." It was his turn.

As she watched her friend walked up to the hat, she clasped her hands and started to whisper to herself.

"Please be Gryffindor. Please be Gryffindor." She could feel the students sitting near her giving her looks but she didn't care. The one who was getting sorted was her first friend and she wanted him to be in the same house as her's.

So she continued to silently chant as the hat was lowered on her friend's head, hoping that some kind of god was listening g-to her wishes.

But then... the hat was silent.

Thirty second became a minute. A minute became two. And two became five before finally Mcgonagall raised her voice.

"Hat."

"Hmm, oh yes Minerva, are you gonna send the next student soon? If you keep the sorting too long the students may start some riot due to hunger you know. Though that can be a rather interesting new experience I guess." Hat trailed off as everyone in the hall looked at it, confused.

"Hat."

"Yes?" The hat asked before Jonathan lightly shook his head, likely trying to get the hat's attention.

"I am right here." Violet's friend said and then...

"AAAAAAA!" The hat started to scream.