Chapter 1
The applause in the Great Hall slowly died down as the last first years was sorted. Hermione politely smiled as the last first year was sorted into Hufflepuff.
There was still a quiet sadness from the year before when Cedric Diggory dying and Harry claiming Voldemort returned.
Professor McGonagall was about to pick up the Sorting Hat when it opened its mouth again.
“Hermione Granger.”
Hermione looked up at the hat, small smile slowly dropping. Slowly every eye in the Great Hall turned in her direction. Hermione looked between Ron and Harry, who looked just as confused as she felt.
“Hermione Granger,” the Hat repeated.
Hermione flushed under the attention from so many people.
Professor McGonagall nodded at Hermione in an effort to be encouraging, but her face betrayed her worry and hesitancy.
With one more glance at her best friends, Hermione stood shakily and slowly approached the stool with the Hat resting on it. She tried to hold her chin in the air and appear unaffected, but she doubted she succeeded. Every single person in the Great Hall was silent.
Hermione stopped directly in front of the Hat.
“Well,” the Hat said, sounding slightly impatient. “Don’t just stand there.”
Hermione shook herself and lifted the Hat. Sitting down on the stool, she set the Hat on her head. Nothing happened for a few seconds; Hermione just sat there, feeling awkward. She remembered the Hat talking to her for a couple minutes when she first arrived at Hogwarts. Hat stalls were rare, but she had been one.
Welcome back, Miss Granger.I must apologize, both for the dramatics and for placing you in the wrong house four years ago.
“The wrong house?” Hermione whispered. “What do you mean?”
You were meant to be in a different house, destined for it since birth, in fact. I did not recognize it before, but now it is clear.
“What is clear? Why am I here?”
You are here because your fate is now able to be recognized by me.
“Why wasn’t it before?”
Your magic was tampered with until recently. It has finally been fully unlocked.
“Tampered with? By who? Why? When?”
Hermione felt the Hat vibrate on her head as if it were chuckling. You are reminding me why I almost sorted you into Ravenclaw. Ultimately, that is not where you belong. No, your true House will be a challenge for you, but I have full faith that you will flourish, now that you have the opportunity and the toolbox needed to survive there.
“Survive? What do you—”
The Hat cut her off by yelling “SLYTHERIN!”
There were a few more seconds of silence where the only sound Hermione could hear was her accelerated breathing. As Professor McGonagall lifted the Sorting Hat off Hermione’s head, the sight of the students’ reactions was gradually revealed. Hermione sat frozen for a moment, surveying the Great Hall. Some people stared at her, mouths agape, while the majority were whispering to their neighbors.
Looking back at the Gryffindor table, reactions ranged from fury to disgust. She was surprised by the amount of disgust coming from her House mates, or rather, her former House mates.
“That rubbish!” the Weasley twins hollered.
Harry’s eyes were wide in shock. Ron looked disgruntled, lips curling up in disagreement with the Hat. He turned to Harry and said something, hands flapping around.
“Miss Granger,” Professor McGonagall said gently from behind her. She placed a hand on her shoulder. “I believe it is time to go join your new House.” The older witch sounded devastated that she had to say that.
Hermione looked over at her shoulder. Her eyes were starting to sting.
“I—” She tried to speak, but her voice broke.
Professor McGonagall’s expression was one of pity. Hermione always hated being pitied, but it cut deep coming from her favorite professor.
Hermione looked at the professor desperately, eyes begging for her to do something.
“I’m sorry, Miss Granger.”
Hermione took a moment to try to get her expression under control enough to face her peers, hopefully without embarrassing herself.
She turned back around, breath shaky. She took a deep breath and gathered her courage.
The vast majority of the other students, across all four Houses, were still discussing her resorting.
Hermione stood and slowly made her way to the Slytherin table, chin in the air. She sat at the end of table, closest to the staff table and by the newly-sorted First Years.
Professor McGonagall grabbed the Hat hurriedly, as if afraid the Hat would call another student to resort them. Hermione tried to spot Harry and Ron at the Gryffindor table again, but couldn’t from where she was sitting. Many of the students were looking at her again. The stares and glares from the rest of the Slytherins burned into her skull. Looking over at the staff table, the professors’ reactions mirrored that of the rest of those in the Great Hall. Snape, her new Head of House, had a single eyebrow raised. Dumbledore’s expression was blank except for slightly narrowed eyes behind his half-moon spectacles; Hermione couldn’t imagine why.
Dumbledore rose from his seat. Lifting his wand, he rested it against his throat and cast a sonorous, projecting his voice for everyone to hear him.
“Well, I think we can all agree that after…our extended sorting,” the headmaster said, “that we are all ravenous. Let the feast begin.” He clapped his hands twice and food appeared in front of everybody.
Hermione was hungry, but she wasn’t sure if she would be able to hold anything down now, her stomach was twisted in knots so much. She looked down at her lap, hands fidgeting, and was taken aback by her robes. No longer were they rimmed in Gryffindor red, but instead in Slytherin green.