The Dark Lord, The Witch and The Time-Portal

III - The Sorting Hat Ceremony

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

― Lao Tzu

When Holly crosses the Time-Portal she founds herself outside the Room of Requirement, the door vanishing behind her showing now just an empty wall. She walks towards the Great Hall, descending stairs and walking into pathways wondering if everything that just happened was only a strange dream and she was still in her own timeline.

The moment she sets foot on the Great Hall and looks at the professors' table she faces a 50 years younger Dumbledore with auburn long hair and medium-sized beard. It was indeed him wearing his usual colorful robes in dubious taste, this one had a scandalous orange color with tiny detailed stars and moons in gold threads.

It wasn't a dream after all.

Holly stood near the teachers, observing the students in their places along the four long tables, each one for a different House. The first year newcomers still arriving, waiting for the sorting ceremony. She scans for more family faces, the first one she recognizes is Hagrid, easier to spot being a half-giant and consequently the tallest person inside the castle. Besides, she already had seen teenager Hagrid in the Diary's memories, it wasn't difficult to recognize him without a beard and hair similar to Ron's.

The second face Holly spotted was in Ravenclaw's table, the face she only saw as the ghost Moaning Myrtle who she met for the first time on her first year, haunting the girl's bathroom on the second-floor. It was frequently empty so Holly and Hermione used it a lot. They even managed to brew Polyjuice Potion inside of it on their second year and nobody noticed!

Holly and Hermione were basically the only girls visiting Myrtle. The ghost was quite sensible but they managed to befriend her, Holly more closer than Hermione, being a cast away at the school so many times along the years.

Myrtle Warren was isolated on the far corner of the Ravenclaw's table, eyes down, lonely and sad. Holly knew she was constantly bullied at her time at Hogwarts and heard lots of stories from the ghost.

The brave witch decided that mistreatment wouldn't happen on her watch, she would put Myrtle under her wing as soon as possible. The ghost consoled Holly so many times along the years and she was very grateful for that. It would also be possible for them to share some classes considering Myrtle died on her fifth year, the same one Holly will attend again.

The third face made her startle, her breath caught in her throat. Tom Riddle was already staring at her with a puzzled expression at the Slytherin table. He seemed to be the only person who noticed her presence there.

Tom was exactly the same person she met on her second year. Tall, black-jet wavy hair, dark eyes, pale skin and incredibly handsome. Holly swallowed dryly averting his gaze, the tip of her fingers brushing the handle of her wand in a tentative to tranquilize herself.

'Calm down, he is not a murderer yet!' The witch thought, almost screaming inside her mind, returning her attention to the middle of the professor's table, her eyes laying on Headmaster Dippet. She took a slow and deep breath gathering her courage before walking towards the professors' table, confused gazes darting at her. Armando Dippet had a blank expression, he appeared to be much older and frail than Dumbledore was at her time, he was bald, had bushy eyebrows, blue-watery eyes and a long white beard, the image of a sweet gentle great-grandpa in pompous dark-gray robes.

"Good evening, sir, I am Holly Lily Portier," The witch bow down her head to the old Headmaster as a sign of respect. She took the Heir ring from her finger and put it on the table, showing it to him, then staring directly into his eyes. "It seems I arrived precisely at the time I meant to," She smiled and after recognition glinted on his blue orbs she put the ring back on her left index finger.