I love you, brother! (The seasons)

Chapter 2

Early Autumn. Hogwarts, Sorting Ceremony, 1991.

On September the 1st, Hogwarts was wearing its holiday cloak again, as the castle had to welcome home a new big number of young witches and wizards, who, that year, received their Hogwarts Acceptance Letter.

The first-year students entered the Great Hall of Hogwarts being greeted with applause by their older colleagues. Hermione was looking in great astonishment at the magical ceiling of the big hall. She was surprised to see the floating candles around and the appearance of a beautiful night sky above her head. As she walked looking around at the decorations and the architecture of the Great Hall she stepped on someone's robes by mistake. Almost instantly a dissatisfied voice could be heard exclaiming: "Aw, look after your feet, you're not flying a broomstick!". The boy whose voice almost startled Hermione turned to look at her. She looked at him too and, meeting his beautiful grey eyes, felt some sort of cool air run through her veins at high speed. She mumbled a 'sorry' and slipped forward following her fellow first-year colleagues. The blonde boy watched her disappear into the crowd, suddenly forgetting her stepping on his robes and remaining to stand there for a couple of minutes as if thunderstruck thinking: "Pretty!".

Professor McGonagall introduced the children to the meaning of the Sorting Ceremony and began to call students according to the list written on the parchment she was holding in her hands. Hermione was watching the happy faces of freshly-sorted Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Slytherins remembering everything she read about the four houses when, suddenly, an old memory hit her mind violently...

Summer. The house of Lestrange family, Prague, 1989.

"I have just finished reading the book about Hogwarts, I'm so looking forward to studying there; I think I will be sorted in Ravenclaw, for I read so many books! Or in Gryffindor, because I have no fears...", said Hermione dreaming with her eyes opened.

"Gryffindor, are you insane?! You have to be sorted in Slytherin, only Slytherin! Is that clear?!", said Bellatrix looking at the girl with a vivid sparkle of anger twinkling in her eyes.

"But why? I'm sure I'm not a Slytherin, and green colour doesn't suit me, I don't want to be in Slytherin!", objected Hermione.

"I am a Slytherin, your father is a Slytherin, the majority of our relatives are Slytherins and you must be a Slytherin too! How dare you think only about yourself?! Our family will lose its respect in the wizarding society if you are sorted in Gryffindor or any other house! Am I clear?!", replied Bellatrix already losing her calm.

"But the Sorting Hat chooses the house for every student...".

"The Sorting Hat listens to the desire of the students, so you will implore that idiot hat to sort you in Slytherin!", said Bellatrix with a menacing expression on her face.

There was a moment of silence and after that Hermione asked: "But still, what if I am sorted in another house?".

"Do what you want, but I want you to be a Slytherin! Otherwise, I'll enroll you in a muggle school here in Prague and you will live your whole life surrounded by muggles! Am I clear?!", said Bellatrix, looking with her big angry eyes at poor Hermione, who was now ready to burst into tears.

"Yes! I'll tell the hat to sort me in Slytherin.", answered the girl looking down and running away already crying. 

[...]

"Draco Malfoy!", Hermione heard as she recollected herself from the memory.

The blonde boy with silver-grey eyes, on whose robe Hermione had stepped earlier went in front of the Hall and sat down to be sorted. Professor McGonagall put the Sorting Hat on his head and, without much thinking, it said: "Ambitious, impulsive, but clever...you must be in Slytherin, silver boy!".

Draco stood up with a large smile and went to the Slytherin table, where he was greeted with applause and shouts by his fellow Slytherins. Hermione was looking at Draco when she heard her name being called: "Hermione Lestrange!". She was the last who had to be sorted, so the whole attention was on her, as students from all four houses were waiting for the last freshman to be sorted in their house. Hermione came in front and sat down. She was a little agitated and a little afraid of the Sorting Hat. When Professor McGonagall put the hat on Hermione's head she started whispering to it: "Slytherin, please, sort me in Slytherin!". The Sorting Hat said musingly: "Hm, wisdom, temperance, big heart...she could be a perfect Ravenclaw! But this brown-haired beauty wants to be a snake, so let it be Slytherin!". Hermione breathed freely while all the Slytherins were shouting with happiness as the last student was sorted in their house. Hermione stood up and professor McGonagall asked for silence in the hall saying: "This young witch lives in Prague with her family and had the courage to request to study Hogwarts classes by herself, so she was accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry but will study at home. Miss Hermione Lestrange showed that she is able and clever enough to study by herself while being supervised by her parents. However, she is your colleague, so don't hesitate to become her friend. Good luck, miss Lestrange!". Hermione went to the Slytherin table and then the students were allowed to eat. Draco looked at her and his grey eyes met her brown ones...