The Sorting Hat was gently placed on top of her head, immediately spurring to life. A gasp was earned from the girl, as she timidly sat before the Great Hall avoiding the looks of anticipation surrounding her from every corner of the room. Dumbledore looked on the event inquisitively, seemingly interested in this particular new student. The Sorting Hat did not groan in thought, nor did it intelligently analyse the mind of the student. It sat quietly, much to the confusion of those around him. The girl shook lightly underneath the hat, feeling its weight begin to crush her, despite its relatively small mass. Tension spread throughout the room, as students and teachers imperceptibly leaned forward in their seats. Dumbledore adapted a knowing expression, one that only a single person in the room seemed to notice.
After minutes of agonising silence, it was broken by nothing more than a whisper. A whisper that belonged to the Sorting Hat and despite its low volume managed to reach the ears of waiting peers. Nonetheless, the Slytherin table erupted into cheers as they welcomed yet another student. The girl, unlike the other new students, was not a first year. In fact, she entered Hogwarts as a fifth year, joining the ranks of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. However, the Slytherins along with the other houses couldn't help notice how different she was to the other Slytherins. Every new first year just like the ones before them that had entered into Slytherin, held an arrogant stance, almost all already possessing their own signature smirk. It was safe to say that the Slytherins had a rather unpleasant aura about them. The new fifth year didn't appear to have any of these qualities, however. Her face wasn't painted with a smirk or a sneer.
She walked over to the Slytherin table shyly with a look of anguish playing on her features. Dumbledore's face was expressionless, but still managed to plaster a small smile on his sunken face. While the Gryffindor table made jokes about the new peculiar Slytherin, a certain Harry Potter watched the distinguishable new addition to the Slytherin house with curiosity. Her long, chocolate brown hair was tied into a modest ponytail at the back of her head, with barely but a few strands of hair straying. She had pale skin, which had no trace of cosmetics upon, much like the rest of her features. Her eyes were a dark brown, doe-like from the worry which was etched upon her face. Amidst all of her inevitable innocent features was something that he could not put his finger on. Something that seemed familiar to him, yet he could not place.
Looking over to Professor Dumbledore, he knew that the Headmaster had been doing the same thing, but unlike Harry, he had an answer. Harry resisted the urge to gasp when an unfamiliar expression spread across Dumbledore's features. He couldn't recall a time when Dumbledore didn't know what to do, or when he didn't know what was inevitable. Nevertheless, the Headmaster kept his glance subtly towards the new girl with a look of distress. Harry followed his gaze and watched as the girl politely greeted her Slytherin housemates before sitting down. Harry slowly tuned back to the conversation on his table while ripping his gaze from the Slytherin table.
"......should have been in Hufflepuff," He heard his best friend Ron pause to put a piece of chicken in his mouth. "She won't last a week in Slytherin." He finished unequivocally, with most people around him silently nodding. Hermione looked over at the table, her eyebrows knotted with clear sympathy. Most people in that room sympathised with her, she looked to be a prominent target, and was almost inevitably going to be on the receiving end of the horrid insults of Draco Malfoy. Unfortunately for her, Malfoy did not spare those who were in his own house, his only criteria were those who were vulnerable; and there was absolutely no doubt that the new Slytherin girl was vulnerable.
Sure enough, the young girl was completely out of place at her Slytherin table. She stared down at her food, not wanting to move her posture and cause attention to herself. Not to mention she had lost her appetite due to Crabbe disgustingly wolfing down his food not too far away. She timidly lifted her head to study her peers, and almost immediately recognised a platinum-haired boy just a few seats away. He wore his trademark smirk on his face, his silver eyes glinting in the light of the candles. The girl couldn’t help but grimace slightly at the thought of Draco Malfoy. She had heard much of the arrogant Slytherin, and her impressions of him were not pleasant so far. Unfortunately, she had been subconsciously staring at Malfoy causing him to turn his head towards her. Despite snapping her head down immediately, as a red tint crept onto her cheeks, Malfoy kept his stare on her, amused by her embarrassment.
Everybody in the Great Hall chatted amongst themselves about the new students that had arrived and were settled into their seats. Some were already being taunted; others were already being ambushed by Fred and George Weasley and their latest inventions. For the most part, it was a fairly ordinary start to the new school year. However, a closer look would determine that there was lots of speculation about the new fifth year, Dumbledore was acting unusually aloof, and Harry Potter kept sneaking glances at the Slytherin table. These went unnoticed by everyone in general, and the students and staff of Hogwarts excessively enjoyed their first meal of the year.
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