𝐈𝐈. 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐒

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"Miss Farrow?" Despite the warm, comforting tone of the man's voice behind her, Alice still flinched when he spoke.

She narrowed her eyes as her arms came to fold over her chest. "I presume you are the 'old friend Albus' who I've never heard of up until now." Bitterness laced in her tone.

"Yes, that'd be me," a gentle smile spread out across his lips. He gestured to the room he'd just come from. "Come in, let's sort out your curriculum."

Alice sighed before deciding to hell with it, and stalked into the office. She might as well accept her fate now, there was no use in sulking.

The room was, rather curiously, circular. It had three distinct levels, like an oddly designed stage. Bookshelves lined the walls at a bend to suit the shape of the stone walls. They were crammed not only with books but with bizarre artifacts and peculiar contraptions. It wasn't disorganised per say, but it was far from tidy.

He sat down at the gilded, throne-like chair at the desk which had all kinds of papers and books scattered across it. He motioned to one of the two chairs that were placed opposite his own. "Please, have a seat."

Alice perched cautiously on the edge of the chair. It was safe to say she was positively overwhelmed by the events of the last twelve hours but she was putting up a good front.

A spectacular front really, judging by the fact she was sat talking to a complete stranger about enrolling at a school she'd heard nothing about after her mother had deserted her to do God knows what, God knows where.

"So," Albus Dumbledore began matter-of-factly. "As I understand it, in terms of education, we run a slightly different programme to that of Beauxbatons. However, that being said, we will try our best to give you a timetable that best reflects the subjects you were taking at your old school."

For the next half hour, Dumbledore explained to Alice all the specific details of the courses at Hogwarts in an attempt to match them with the options she'd taken at Beauxbatons. Finally she'd resolved on taking five NEWTs as however smart Alice was, she was still going to have a lot of extra work to catch up on.

"Now, the next part of the process is to sort you into a house." There was a rather theatrical tone to his voice. "There's Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin—based on our four founders", Dumbledore made a flicking gesture with his fingers and a musty, old witch hat came whizzing off a high shelf and into his palm.

"This," he uttered, a childish twinkle in his eyes, "is the Sorting Hat." He handed it to her. Alice hesitantly took the stale hat, wrinkling her nose at the dust.

"Well put it on then!"

An expression of disgust and incredulity passed across Alice's face. She gaped at Dumbledore as she slowly lifted the heap of heavy fabric onto her head.

A gasp fell from her lips as she heard a voice inside her head.

Hmmm, why you're a tricky one, hmm tricky yes indeed.

"Is there something wrong with me?" Alice thought back in reply.

  Very clever, talented too. There's bravery...however...I wonder if maybe it is more of a determination to prove yourself.

"What do you even mea-"

I do spy a great deal of resourcefulness, yes, yes and a certain level of cunning too, yes indeed.

"Is that a bad thing?"

I believe, my dear, you are best suited with the serpents of Salazar. SLYTHERIN!

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