Fortune of Fate (A female Harry Potter fanfiction)

[15]

  As Rose stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all around the hall.

  ''Potter, did she say?''

  ''The Rose Potter?''

  ''Wow, she's actually kinda cute.''

  -and that comment ended up deserving a slap over the head.

  The last thing Rose saw before the hat dropped over her eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at her. The next second she was looking at the black inside of the hat. She waited.

  'Hmm,' said a small voice in her ear. 'Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting. . . . So where shall I put you?'

  Rose gripped the edges  of the stool and thought, 'with my friends, with my friends..' 

  'With your friends, eh?'  said the small voice. 'Are you sure? You could be great in Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and even Slytherin. You know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that - no? Well, if you're sure,'- ''better be GRYFFINDOR!''

  Rose heard the hat shout the last sentence to the whole hall. She took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. 

  She was so relieved to have been chosen somewhere where most of the people she knew sat. Percy, the Prefect, got up and shook her hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, ''We got Potter! We got Potter!'' 

  Rose sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff she'd seen earlier. The ghost patted her arm with a smile that sent shivers up her spine, she still smiled back, although awkwardly.

  She could see the High Table properly now. 

  At the end nearest her sat Hagrid, who caught her eye and gave her a thumbs up. Rose grinned back. 

  And there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbeldore. Rose recognized him at once from the card she'd gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. 

  Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. Rose spotted Professor Quirrell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban. 

  And now there were only four people left to be sorted, ''Thomas, Dean,'' a boy even taller than Ron, joined Rose at the Gryffindor table. ''Turbin, Lisa,'' became a Ravenclaw, and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Rose crossed her fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted.

''GRYFFINDOR!''

Rose clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to her.

  ''Well done, Ron, excellent,'' said Percy Weasley pompously across Rose as Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

  Rose looked down at her empty gold plate. She had only just realized how hungry she was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.