The giant man Hagrid thumped his fiat three times on the huge oak door. I must say, I'm amazed it didn't break apart.

The door soon opened. An old woman with her hair up in a tight bun wearing green emerald robes and golden spectacles opened it.

"The first years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid said in his great raspy voice.

"Thank you, I shall take them from here." Hagrid left.

The woman whom Hagrid addressed as Professor McGonagall foxes us with a cold stare. Her gaze flickered for a moment when her eyes landed on Draco, me and the Potter boy.

"In a few moments, you shall pass through these doors and enter the Great Hall for your Grand Feast. But first, you wil need to be sorted into your houses. There are four, each founded and named by the Hogwart's four founders. Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. The houses' names are taken after their surnames. The sorting ceremony is very important because while you're here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room."

"Each house has its own noble history and produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most awarded points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours."

"I shall return for you when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." She then left.

i started to whisper to Astoria and pansy, chatting about our lessons and houses.

"I'd wonder what house I'd be in," I suddenly mused. "I haven't given it much thought."

"Well, you'd better be in Slytherin," Astoria replied, "it's where the ones with ambition go, the cunning ones. Your parents would probably murder you if you were in any other house. Especially if you were in Gryffindor."

As we were chatting, we suddenly heard a loud 'ooh' coming from our other grademates. WE turned around and saw several ghosts. Pearly white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room, talking to each other, not even paying attention to us.

The fat monk was saying, "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to have given Peeves a second chance."

Then there was one in a ruff and tights, "My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He's given us a bad name and he actually really isn't a ghost. I say, what are you all doing here?"

The ghosts had finally noticed us. Whee! Finally!

Nobody answered.

"New students." The fat Friar said smiling. "About to be sorted?"

A few people nodded mutely. however, I was wondering whatever is going on inside this man's brain.

"Hope to see you in my old house, Hufflepuff you know." The fat friar waved merrily.

Inwards, I groaned. If all the ghosts at Hogwarts were this crazy upbeat, how will my brain process all this?

"Move along now." a sharp voice said. "The Sorting is about to start!"

McGonagall the badass was back. Wheehee!

"Now form a line, and follow me."

I got in line between Astoria and Pansy, with Draco spot in front of Astoria.

We followed McGonagall through another pair of double doors and entered the Great Hall, which was really majestic.

Strange and splendid, the Great Hall was lit by thousands and thousands candles, floating in mid-air over four long tables where the rest of the students sat. These tables were laid with glittering goblets and golden plates, probably the same kind we have at home. At the top of the Hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting, and we were led in a line in front of them. The ceiling, which was bewitched to look like the night sky shone brightly.

Professor McGonagall brought forward a four-legged stool and a dirty frayed wizard's hat. I wrinkled my nose involuntarily. It was just so dirty.

Everyone was now just staring at the hat, me included.

A rip near the brim opened like the mouth, than it began to sing.

"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.

You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

Yep, just normal everyday stuff in the life of a witch studying at a magic school.

The Sorting Hat finished its song and everyone clapped.

It was pretty easy, though a bit nerve-wracking to get sorted in front of everyone. I bet Draco loved this, he always loved attention, and I could already tell from the two to three months I spent with him.

As the clapping died down, McGonagall produced a bounded scroll, which she opened. I could tell right there, just then, that the Sorting was about to begin.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted."

"Abbott Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line. She sat down on the stool and put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes. A moment's pause-

"Hufflepuff!" shouted the Hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Abbott went over to sit down with them. The Fat Friar was waving merrily at her and I almost choked.

"Bones Susan!"

"Hufflepuff!" The hat shouted again and Bones went over to sit down with Abbott.

I'm actually a bit surprised inwards, for I know from Draco that Susan lived with her aunt as her parents were murdered by You-Know-Who and her aunt was in Ravenclaw.

"Boot Terry!" 

"Ravenclaw!" The table second from the left this time clapped loudly.

"Brocklehurst Mandy!" also became a Ravenclaw, but "Brown Lavender!" was the first Gryffindor. I could hear Draco moaning about how there were no Slytherins.

"Bulstrode Millicent" then became a Slytherin. Me, Draco, Pansy, Daphne and Astoria cheered loudly when we heard that, but we saw other students from other houses giving us a look of distain.

"Crabbe Vincent!"

"Slytherin!" Another loud cheer from us.

"Finch-Fletchey Justin!"

"Hufflepuff!" I was starting to think that Draco was right. Those sorted into Hufflepuff did look like duffers.

Sometimes, the Hat took longer to sort people, for example, a sandy-haired boy who goes by the name "Seamus Finnigan!" sat on the stool before he was sorted into "Gryffindor!"

"Goyle Vincent!" The second crony of Draco was too sorted into "Slytherin!"

"Greengrass Astoria!" It was Astoria's turn. I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, we shared a smile and she walked forward, took the hat, put it on and sat on the stool.

Only after a few moments, the hat announced "Slytherin!" Me and Pansy cheered and clapped loudly for her as she went and sat down at the Slytherin table.

"Greengrass Daphne!" It was her sister's turn. I could see Astoria trying to catch her sister's eye. Daphne looked at her sister, then at me and Pansy before walking towards the stool.

Same as Astoria had, Daphne put on the hat and sat down, and only a few moments had passed, before the hat too announced her "Slytherin!"

There was no one with a surname starting with "H", "I", "J", or "K", so the list immediately skipped to "L", which was the boy who kept losing his toad, "Neville Longbottom!"'s turn.

He took quite a long time before the hat announced him a "Gryffindor!" Then he had to run off happily still wearing the Sorting Hat, and had yet to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal Moran!", who was a "Ravenclaw!"

My heart thumped as it entered the "M" section. Soon it would be the Malfoys turn.

Draco was up first. "Malfoy Draco!" Draco swaggered forward proudly, and as soon as he had sat down and put on the hat, the hat immediately shouted "Slytherin!"

I clapped loudly for him. I saw him sat down at the Slytherin table and shake hands with the others, mouthing me a "good luck".

Why good luck?

I soon knew.

"Malfoy Hermione!"

It was my turn. I grasped Pansy's hand and let it go after a few moments.

I walked up to the Sorting Hat, feeling everyone's eyes on me, the blonde girl who was Draco Malfoy's sister, a pure-blooded powerful witch. (*** Note: Hermione's appearance was changed before she came to Hogwarts by Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy to hide her identity. She now has whitish blonde hair, stormy grey eyes and pale skin just like Draco.)

I sat down on the stool and put on the Hat. I could hear its voice in my mind.

"Well you are not really a Malfoy, are you? Ah yes, but you're related. A Riddle, daughter of the eldest Black sister and You-Know-Who. Bravery, kindness partially, wit and intelligence, and a strong ambition and oh, you could be quite cunning too. You seem fit for all four houses, but where shall I put you?"

"Better be..."

"Slytherin!!!"