The Black, the White, and Then the Grey

I let the train empty before I tried to get off. Amazingly, my cabin mates stayed with me. Hermione was sticking her head out the door, and heard the buzz from the crowd outside. My attitude had cooled down before the train actually stopped, and now they weren’t afraid to talk to me anymore, at least for now.
“I’m guessing you’re the ‘fresh meat’ everyone is talking about?” She asked quizzically. I looked up at her from the window I was staring though, a look of confusion easily readable on my face. “Outside, people are saying some ‘fresh meat’ beat up Draco. I know a 1st year wouldn’t be able to, or they would be too scared. That leaves you, since you’re the only new one here.” The other two numbskulls looked at me after she said that.
“Bloody Hell, Evangelene, did you really beat up Malfoy?” Asked Ron, looking almost dumbfounded. I rolled my eyes.
“No man of any sort is going to grab me, or toss me around, like the women that Malfoy likes. I didn’t beat him up, I just put him in his place. I don’t like his father either.” I said calmly, shrugging my shoulders, and turning back to the window, hoping it wouldn’t have to be a big deal.
“Do you know what house you will join?” Asked Hermione, seeming troubled by a new thought.
“All new students have to go through the sorting hat experience, you should know that.” I said, not following her train of thought.
“What house do you imagine yourself placed in?” She asked, with the same hesitation. I looked up at her.
“I’ve read up on the process, the sorting hat takes so many different things into consideration, all at once, while he screams out what house you will be sorted into. There’s no way to pinpoint what is the best factor. A lot of my mother’s side of the family has deep ties in the Slytherin house. Hell, for that matter, so does my father, but my father was placed in Gryffindor instead. But with my mental abilities, who knows, I could get put in Ravenclaw, where it seems the geniuses are placed.” I said almost blankly, practically reading what I had etched into my mind.
“If you get placed in Slytherin with Draco, he will give you hell.” She warned. I hadn’t even thought about that. I was surprised she was trying to look out for me, it’s not like she really knew me or anything. Maybe this was supposed to be how friendships started, I hadn’t known, thanks to my previously hermit lifestyle. I looked over at Harry, and as I suspected, he was looking at me again. Those dark chocolate eyes bore right into mine. Funny, I never imagined him to be the strong, silent type. It’s almost like he couldn’t just get over the fact that Sirius kept that he had a daughter from him. There was almost a sorrow in his eyes.
“Herm, can we leave yet?” Asked Ronald, getting impatient. She looked out into the hallway, noting that the train was significantly less crowded, everyone was in a rush to get to the Great Hall. She nodded, and we started to pick up our luggage, to move them off the train. Little did I know that someone else had been waiting for my appearance, and had planned on stopping me. But, me not being by myself put a damper on their plans. For now they would just have to watch from the shadows and wait. And why oh why had she started hanging out with the Harry Potter groupies?
I stepped off the train and came face to face with my new home, Hogwarts. The sight of its majesty was all I had read about and more. I was starting to realize, no matter how many different authors you read about one thing from, they can never explain to you everything. After all, the one aspect they couldn’t describe was how it would affect me as a person. This is my new home. The only other place I will have been accepted besides my own house.
“Miss Black, I presume?” Asked a very shady looking adult. I looked up at his tall figure. He had black, greasy, shoulder length hair, with dark eyes and a pointed looking nose. I professor of some sort, if I were to guess.
“Yes, that’s me Sir.” I answered, nodding my head with some respect.
“You can call me Professor Snape. I’ve been looking for you ever since the train has come in, but now I see who you have come acquainted with, it doesn’t surprise me that your late.” He said, looking at my three “acquaintances”.
“Well, excuse me, Professor Snape, but it was actually my fault we were delayed, it wont happen again.” I said, my grip tightening on my luggage. Snape looked kinda surprised, looked at the other three, then turned on his heels, his cape twirling behind him. Obviously he expected me to follow him. I waved to Ronald, Harry and Hermione as I clutched my belongings firmly to my body and followed behind the fast walking Snape. I was bouncing around the ideas of how his name, actions and looks reminded me of a snake, when I practically walked right into him. I hadn’t been paying attention to where we were going, or how far we had walked, I had just been off in my own little world.
“Miss Black, it will do you good to remember to watch where you are walking.” Said Snape, in that condescending voice of his. I looked up at him, now focusing on the world around me, instead of inwardly, not dignifying him with a response. He had brought me to the castle through a side route, having me hand my belongings to a small house elf, before explaining why he had brought me out here all alone. I know he’s a teacher and everything, so maybe I shouldn’t suspect, but if he was planning on subduing and raping me, he wouldn’t have much success. Too many people thought I was a pushover magically and physically, and BOY, were they wrong.
“You have to do something special since this is, after all, a special circumstance. You aren’t a first year student, though you have yet to prove that isn’t where you belong knowledge wise, but you aren’t sorted yet either. Momentarily, we will be stepping though a side door to the Great Hall. Then I will go to my table, along with the other teachers, in the front of the room. You will stay on that side wall, until every first year is sorted and Headmaster Dumbledore calls for you. Only then will you move as he introduces you, and then you will be sorted into a house. Am I Clear?” He said in hushed, but clear tones. I had the feeling that his voice could boom very easily if he wanted it to.
“Yes, Professor Snape.” I answered simply, not at all comfortable that I would practically be center of attention. Why couldn’t I just be sorted privately? I mean, golly, did they have to advertise that I was “fresh meat” as I was previously called earlier. Snape then pushed open the door and made sure I stood silently against that wall, inside the Great Hall, of course, before going to his seat. The first years were already being sorted, but who knew there would be so many? I stared up at the ceiling, smiling as I did so. I had known this would become one of my favorite rooms, just based on what I had read. I loved how the ceiling changed with the outside weather, or could be changed, if desired. Now I could sit and enjoy the scenery without actually having to be outside. I would have killed for such magic at my house, but they kept magic like this pretty hush hush. I hadn’t been able to find anything about it in all my research. My body tensed when I heard a voice I recognized, clearly heard throughout the Great Hall. Albus.
“Now this year we have a very special young lady transferring into our school. Miss Evangelene Black, can you make your way to the front please?” Albus- excuse me- Professor Dumbledore asked. I bit my lip, lowered my head, my eyes becoming glued to where my feet would land next, as I made my way to the front of the Hall. “She has been studying privately for years, and has finally decided to join our ranks. She too must be sorted today, to see what great witches and wizards in history she will be joining.” I could tell he had a twinkle in his eye, it’s just how he said it, and I knew him that well. I finally made it up to the front, which felt like walking 16 miles, which also reminded me- I HAD to get into better shape. I could see the dainty stool with the sorting hat on it. A female professor picked up the hat, offering me the seat. People had been whispering constantly, up until I took my seat, and then the silence got so thick, you could cut it with a knife. The lady professor placed the hat on top of my head, and at first I thought it was broken, but I was mistaken.
“Ahh, what an interesting specimen we have here. You’re not something widely accepted, but I suppose the Headmaster can see your potential as well. But where should I put you, to where your talents will be more encouraged, and accepted. Your family background is full of Slytherin Alumni, but is that where you are best placed, among the dark wizards? Part of you will always be dark, but is the rest of your soul so dark, you will be tempted to dip into dark magic? But your also a very smart girl, those brains could really be used and added into the Ravenclaw legacy. In Hufflepuff, you would most likely be most accepted, but your skills would stand above the rest, and you need more of a challenge. On the other hand, Griffindor could challenge you and make you rise above the rest. Now that I think about it, Ravenclaw must be just as much out of the question, life Hufflepuff, after all, your physical abilities could never be appreciated as well there. Now, your temptations with magic, will you stay pure, or will you stray off into the dark? The darkness is normally where your kind seeks, after all.” I mentally flinched at his critical and harsh analysis of me. Its almost like the hat thought I had an inability to stay in “white” magic. Yes, I was curious, but even I knew that black magic came at a high price. He’s going to put me in Slytherin, and in that instant, I felt like I had failed my father. After all, he had gone through so much ridicule when he wasn’t placed in Slytherin. Now, in turn would he be disappointed in me?
“Griffindor!” The hat roared, snapping me out of my thought pattern. What?? That little…. Lead me to believe that I was going to Slytherin… Sneaky lil bastard. As the Professor took the hat off my head, I shot it a quick glare, and I swear it actually smiled at me! Like he enjoyed toying with my thoughts. One day, I will burn that hat, if its even possible. That’s when I noticed a whole table was cheering for me, and I was supposed to join them. Did Snake tell me this part? I don’t think so… I started to walk toward the one face I recognized at the table, Hermione. Ron and Harry just hadn’t caught my eye yet. Little did I know, there was more than just one pair of eyes on me only three pair knew anything about me, bad or not. One was Dumbledore, the others, well, I didn’t see them. One pair glared at me from across the room, wishing I had been put into any house besides Griffindor. The other was still sizing me up, wondering if everything they had been told was correct, but either way, they were glad I was put in their house to find out.