Loneliness in Difference

Prologue: Sorted into?

Tension was lingering in the air. The tables around them were full with other students and all the first years were shifting back and forth between their feet nervously as they were waiting to be called up one at a time.

She needed to be brave and remember to breath when she got up there.

"Adelaide Fions?" The Professor called. The Professor paused. "Adelaide Fions!"

Adelaide's eyes flew up to where the professor was standing. They were patiently waiting for her with the new sorting hat. Adelaide rushed to the stairs nearly tripping over her robes. This was it. This was her judgement. This was her one chance to prove herself and she knew it. Her heart began to beat more violently in her chest as she sat on the stool. Her dark blue eyes travelled to her two older brothers who were staring at her from the Slytherin table with sneers. In that moment she began to doubt everything.

Was this really what she wanted? Did she truly belong in Slytherin? Did she want to be in Slytherin or was it just what was expected of her? Deep down she knew the answer but she didn't want to admit it. She wasn't strong enough to face her family, not yet.

They placed the hat on top of her messy, long black hair and there was silence, everything was quiet and everyone's eyes stared up at her. There was another long pause, too long. Nothing happened the hat sat on her head with no words, no concerns, it didn't even seem to breath.

"Well this is a predicament," The hat whispered finally. "You belong in every house. Each part of you is brave, kind, wise, and cunning. There is no way to sort you into a house, and I don't believe you have decided which house you'd like to be in."

"Slytherin," Adelaide whispered.

"Are you sure?" The hat asked. "There's no going back from this decision."

"I have to be in Slytherin," She said. Her voice started to crack.

"You remind me of a boy I sorted once several years ago," The hat said. "Only he said, "anything but Slytherin". I told him he could do great things in Slytherin, yet he repeated himself. I called out Gryffindor, and I thought he was a fool, giving up a chance to be great. Yet he proved me wrong. I believe you could be great in Gryffindor, but see if you can prove me wrong as well. SLYTHERIN!"

The Slytherin table cheered but none of the professors made any moment to clap. The hat was lifted off of Adelaide's head, she climbed down the steps, and over to the Slytherin table.

She sat down and glanced around nervously. Why hadn't they clapped? Didn't anyone care about Slytherin? Gryffindor and Ravenclaw clapped for Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor clapped for Ravenclaw, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff clapped for Gryffindor, and the professors clapped for all three, so why hadn't anyone but the Slytherins themselves clapped for Slytherin. She wanted them to climb to their feet and ask for forgiveness. She paused.

Was it their fault they felt this way? In the stories she had heard from when the Dark Lord had attacked Hogwarts, apparently none of the Slytherin pitched in to help. That was at least what Adelaide had been told. Not only that but she knew most of death eaters had come from Slytherin so they just expected each Slytherin to be the same like some robots. It wasn't their fault, but she would change what they thought. She promised herself she would change this, even if changing the way around two thousand wizards and witches of various ages would not be an easy task, but she had to try.