Dark child

4

Elara looked miserable. All she was praying for right now was to be sorted in whatever house Harry Potter is not going to be sorted in, she was even satisfied to be sorted in Hufflepuff, if Harry is not going to be there.
"I must stay as far as possible from him. I wish I had never came to Hogwarts. There are plenty more schools to go around." She told herself.
A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in 5 minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
With that, she put on her robe on and listened to the sound of students on the corridor, racing up and down.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Elara saw her blonde friend who by the way didn't look so happy. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of students, and said "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there. C'mon follow me — any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
Elara grabbed Draco's hand in the crowd in order to have a friend by her side while entering the Hogwarts for the first time. Draco smiled at her weakly.

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Elara thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville sniffed once or twice.
"Yeh'll get yer first sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."
There was a load "Oooooh!"
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched stop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Draco and Elara were followed into their boat by Crabbe and Goyle.
"Everyone in?" Shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then — FORWARD!"
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
"Heads down!" Yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hide a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.
"Oy, You there! Is this your toad?" Said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.
"Trevor!" Cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.
"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked 3 times on the castle door.

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. Elara wondered if her dad has talked about her to any of Hogwarts teachers.
"The firs' years, professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I take them from here."
She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was as big as Malfoy manor's hall. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.
Professor McGonagall took the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. She started to gave them the basic information about the houses and the sorting ceremony which Elara was already familiar with. They were all mentioned in Hogwarts; A History book which she'd read at the age of 7. Professor McGonagall left them temporarily and at that moment Elara discovered that most of the first years are totally clueless about the sorting ceremony. Draco must have seen worry on Elara's eyes; because he squeezed her hand he was still holding and said "It will be alright El, no doubt you'll be a Slytherin. You have the Salazar Slytherin's blood on your veins."
Elara gave him a shaky smile and thought: "I'm not even worried about my house anymore, I'm worried about being at the same house with Harry Potter."
Her internal conversation was interrupted by the voices of the students gasping and screaming. Elara turned to see the reason when she saw about 20 of Hogwarts' ghosts passing and arguing about someone. Draco whispered in her ear: "Are there any ghosts in this school?" Elara nod in response and opened her mouth to say they are mostly friendly and harmless when a sharp voice, McGonagall's, said "Move along now. The sorting ceremony's about to start. Now form a line and follow me."

Elara got into line behind Draco, with Neville behind her, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. It was the most beautiful place Elara had ever seen before. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in the midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Elara found her dad among the teachers and gave him a small smile which he responded. Elara now was looking at the sorting hat that professor McGonagall put on a stool and waited for him to start singing. She listened to the song carefully but there was nothing more special than introducing houses in that. The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to every each of the four tables and then became quite still again.
Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." She said. "Abbott, Hannah"
"So it's based on alphabet. Then I'll be almost the last one." Elara though.
She didn't follow the other people's name and house and stayed concentrated on the names she knew.
"Granger, Hermione"
Elara saw Hermione almost running to the stool and jamming the hat eagerly on her head.
"GRYFFINDOR!" Shouted the hat.
Neville was sorted in Gryffindor as well. Elara took a look at the Slytherin table and saw Crabbe and Goyle there. She couldn't remember when their name was called at all. Then it came to Draco. He swaggered forward when his name was called and got to the Slytherin instantly. Elara was so happy for him to get what he wanted. Pansy Parkinson, the girl she met at the train was sorted in the Slytherin, too. She was now being optimistic about being a Slytherin when —
"Potter, Harry."
As he stepped forward, whisperers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.
"Potter, did she say?"
"The Harry Potter?"
Elara stared at him, waiting for his house announcement nervously. After a long time, the hat shouted "Gryffindor!"
Elara felt happiness in her heart as she was quite sure she wouldn't be in Gryffindor. At this time, professor McGonagall called her name.
"Riddle, Elara."
She resisted the temptation of flying to the stool as her legs were shaky and breathed sharply before putting the hat on.
"Hmm" said a small voice in her ear. "You are so clever. If you weren't the heir of Salazar Slytherin, I would definitely put you in Ravenclaw. But I know how to help you on the way to greatness. Better be SLYTHERIN!"

The hat shouted the last word to the whole hall. The Slytherin students were clapping and cheering for her, standing! While Draco was saying something to them. She took a seat beside Draco and smiled at the other Slytherin students. Then she turned around to take a look at Severus, who was clapping politely for her and as their gaze met, they trade a smile. Then it was Ron Weasley's turn to be sorted in Gryffindor and Blaise Zabini in the Slytherin. As Blaise sat down on the Slytherin table, Draco told him instantly: "Welcome to the best house of the Hogwarts. My name is Draco Malfoy and this is Elara Riddle. The grand grand child of Salazar Slytherin, the daughter of our head teacher -Severus Snape- and" he lowered his voice "the daughter of the Dark Lord."
That was when she found out why Slytherin students stood for her after she was sorted. Elara pinched Draco and whispered in his ear: " don't let out my identity Dra." But apparently it was too late as the students from the end part of the table were pointing at her and talking to each other with amazement in their eyes.

She looked back at teachers table to avoid the annoying gazes when she saw Albus Dumbledore standing on his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.
"Welcome" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here there are: Niwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"
He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Elara wasn't sure if she liked her headmaster at all. She started to have some fries and sausages as dinner and reminded herself that she got what she exactly wanted from the sorting hat. She didn't feel like having a dessert so she didn't touch her plate anymore. When the desserts disappeared, professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent. He gave a short speech about abandoned places students shouldn't be at, and then started to sing the Hogwarts song with the students. Elara quite enjoyed the song. At that point they were allowed to get to their common rooms for rest. A prefect showed the first years their common room which was a dungeon-like room with greenish lamps and chairs. Elara was too tired to notice any other details on the common room and went straight to her dorm after saying good night to Draco.