(A Harry Potter Fanfiction) Just Add Magic

Erica: "Blood And Paint"

Everything from the conversation fades away from my mind, and all I can think of is a splatter of red paint, with dark blood colored paint dripping away from its splatter. I know why this image is stuck in my brain. I'm thinking of the time I was most nervous, when I painted to ease my worries. Yet all I could paint was red, and splattered. Looking like blood. The way I imagined my supposedly 'pure' blood at the time. The image has seemed to stick with nerves for me. And I can't shake it off, no matter how much I want to.

McGonagall opens the large oak doors. With the image of the crimson paint in my mind's eye, I follow her. My heart stops pounding so hard for a minute at the sight of the great hall. Or maybe it just stopped all together. I read about it, but never could have imagined it. Candles hover through the air as lights and the enchanted celling looks like a starry night sky. A few dark clouds drift across the tranquil and calming roof. It's not real, its bewitched. Yet... it looks so real. I feel eyes staring into me, eyes from everywhere. Four tables of students watch us, and so do the staff at the front of the room. I recognize Snape and Dumbledore at the front table. I know Dumbledore from my reading and Snape from his visits. Long oak tables and benches... what's the oak thing? At the front I notice a stool, a stool with a odd hat on it. Battered and torn, the hat seems very, very old. The sorting hat. I remember Draco's countless descriptions of the hat. He's a bad describer. 'Obscenely old' doesn't cut it. There's something strange about it. McGonagall stops us.

"Will you wait along here please." Everyone stops at her command and bunch up together at the front. I feel Madeline move to get beside me, and Joseph gets nudged into me. Luka isn't far away from Madeline. I wonder what it will feel like to have that hat on your head? Suppose I'll find out. Draco's already told me what will happen, I'll put it on and it will yell "SLYTHERIN!" and I'll join him at the table. There's a weird feeling in me though. I don't know if Slytherin is the house for me. "I will call your name, then I will place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses." McGonagall pauses and squints at the list. Abadallia, Megan!"

A dark skinned, curly haired, narrow eyed, nervous girl makes her way to the stage. She sits on the stool and professor McGonagall places the tattered hat on her head. It covers her eyes, considers for a moment before a mouth-like rip announces, "HUFFLEPUFF!" One of the middle tables clap like crazy as the girl stands and joins them. I tune out for a bit, bored of the roar of clapping and yelling of names and the hat's screams of, "HUFFLEPUFF!" "RAVENCLAW!" "SLYTHERIN!" and "GRYFFINDOR!" Then I hear a name I recognize.

"Granger, Charlotte!" I hear a couple whispers. I guess people are shocked at Lottie's parents, because it's the Slytherin table doing the majority of the whispering. Lottie blushes. Madeline and Isabal have both mentioned her hate of being a muggle born. She hates her name because of it, which I suppose is why she changed it. The hat doesn't need to touch her head before screaming,

"SLYTHERIN!"

Madeline looks shocked. Luka seems amused. Joseph appears very confused by the amount of whispering. "What?" I whisper, joining in the patter of conversation that broke out as a proud Lottie heads over to the Slytherin table. I notice Draco there as well, watching Lottie with the same awestruck look of Madeline.

Madeline shakes her head before saying, "Slytherin is known for it's careful... selection. The hat has never put a mudblood- umm, muggle born- in Slytherin."

"Those Slytherins look happy." Luka grins at his joke. Madeline smiles as well. The whispering dies down as Lottie takes her seat. I notice a few Slytherins move away from her and smile. I also see Lottie's smirk at Draco, who she deliberately sat across from.

"Granger, Isabal!"

Everyone turns to the front. After her sister's sorting Isabal has a lot to live up to. "Hey, look next to my brother." Whispers Luka. I do look, scanning the Gryffindor table until I spot Ron Weasley. Next to him sits Hermione, tight lipped and embarrassed. I can see other Gryffindors looking at her, and Ron and Harry whispering some sort of reassurance. Hermione turns her attention to Isabal, making me do the same. Isabal doesn't seem nervous. She looks in Hermione's direction and smiles, and I see Hermione smile back. Isabal sits on the stool. The hat covers her eyes, and considers. Isabal whispers something softly. The hat seems to resolve and then cries somewhat more reluctantly than before,