Weakness

Crabbe, Goyle, and Draco piled onto one of the waiting boats and the pug faced girl, Pansy, seemed quite displeased when Draco grabbed Ellietta's hand to pull her onboard. She wanted to be on Draco's boat too but Hagrid said only four people to a boat. She huffed angrily as she chose instead to board a boat with Tracey, Daphne, and another girl who Pansy wasn't entirely sure was actually a girl. Her eyes stayed glued to Draco as he floated across the lake in front of her and she could see he was talking to the pink haired freak.

"Crabbe and Goyle are going to be in Slytherin too," he was telling Ellietta.

"I'll end up where I end up," she sighed.

"HEADS DOWN!" Hagrid barked from the boat he had all to himself.

The small boats carried them through a curtain of ivy which hid an opening in the cliff side. They traveled down a long narrow tunnel until they reached an outcropping of rocks which the students began climbing over as they disembarked from their boats. They followed Hagrid up a set of stone stairs which ended at a door. He knocked on it and it swung open revealing a stern faced witch in green robes. Professor McGonagall took charge of the first years from that point, leading them down a large hallway and into a small chamber. She began to speak about the sorting ceremony but Ellietta only half paid attention.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has it's own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards," she droned on.

"I do wish she'd hurry it up a bit," Draco whispered from beside Ellietta.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," Professor McGonagall finally finished a few moments later.

A large quantity of ghost drifted through the back wall and some of the students gasped and pointed, a couple even went so far as to scream. Neither Ellietta nor Draco paid them much mind, though Pansy seemed to be paying very much mind to the fact that they appeared to be paying no mind together. Professor McGonagall was back in a flash and shooing the ghosts away before ordering the first years to form a line and follow her. They walked through the double doors and into the Great Hall. There were four tables filled with hundreds of students staring at the little first years expectantly. At a fifth table, the teachers sat and there was an empty chair for Professor McGonagall. She had produced a three legged stool, seemingly from nowhere, and on top of it she placed a pointed hat. There was silence for a moment and the hat began to sing. It sang about the houses, the qualities an individual would need to possess to be placed in one of them, and Ellietta began to think she did not belong in any of them.

"When I call your name you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," Professor McGonagall explained and began with "Abbott, Hannah!"

Abbott, Hannah put on the hat and it shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The Hufflepuff table erupted with cheers as Hannah took a seat with them. Bullstrode, Millicent became the first Slytherin. Crabbe and Goyle, as Draco had said, were in Slytherin too. The bushy haired girl who'd been looking for the escaped frog on the train was put in Gryffindor. More names were called and more students filled in at the four long tables.

"Malfoy, Draco!" Professor McGonagall shouted.

No sooner had the hat touched his head than it yelled, "SLYTHERIN!"

Draco looked quite pleased with himself as he took his place at the Slytherin table. Still more names were shouted and more students sorted while Ellietta watched patiently. Pansy, whose last name was apparently Parkinson, was also put in Slytherin. She sat next to Draco who couldn't have appeared any less interested. When Harry Potter's name was called the whole hall erupted into whispers and some even pointed at him. When the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" the loudest cheers of the night broke out at their table. More names were called. Weasley, Ronald, of the freckled redheads Ellietta had seen at King's Cross Station, was put in Gryffindor.

"Widdersham, Ellietta!" Professor McGonagall called out.

She stepped forward, placed the tattered hat on her head and sat on the stool.

"Hmm," the hat whispered in her ear, "You've got brains enough for Ravenclaw. Brave as any Gryffindor. The heart of a Hufflepuff beats in your chest, though it may need a little prodding. You must learn a thing or two about yourself, however, and you'll do that best in SLYTHERIN!"

She took the hat off and saw Draco beaming at her and clapping loudly as she joined the Slytherin table. He gave Crabbe a good shove in the shoulder and motioned for Ellietta to sit in the space he'd just created. She did and Pansy narrowed her eyes. She didn't have much time to think about it because the empty platters in front of her had suddenly filled with more food then she'd ever seen and she was very hungry. Pansy kept Draco occupied through dinner, so Ellietta ate quietly and didn't speak with anyone. After the food had been magically cleared away, the school song was sung. Then Professor Dumbledore bade them goodnight and sent them off to bed. In the middle of the Slytherin table a small witch with black hair and a shiny prefects' badge stood up.

"Slytherin first years, this way!" beckoned the prefect.

They did as they were told and followed. The walked down long corridors, through hidden doors, and down more long corridors. Ellietta was sure she'd never gone down so many stairs before either. The witch with the badge suddenly stopped at an unassuming wall in the dungeons and said, "Pepper Imps." The wall slid aside and a rectangular hole was left in it's place. She stepped through the hole and all the first years scrambled in after her. The Slytherin common room seemed to glow green because of it’s location under the lake, and the enchanted green fire smoldering in the fireplace. There were several low back black and green sofas and dark brown cabinets against the walls. Ornate tapestries hung next to green lamps and from the ceiling were several grand chandeliers. The prefect directed the boys to one door and the girls to another to get to their dormitories. Ellietta was about to follow Pansy, Millicent, Tracy, and Daphne through the door when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to find Draco grinning at her.

"G'night," he whispered and dashed off after the rest of the boys.

Ellietta traipsed through the door and down the hall to the dormitory. Inside, five four poster beds draped with emerald green silk curtains were arranged in a semi-circle and each had a small night table next to it. The walls were decorated with Slytherin crests. Pansy glowered at Ellietta as she walked across the room to the bed which her trunk had been placed in front of.

"How do you know Draco?" Pansy asked as she rummaged around for her dressing gown.

"I don't really," Ellietta replied, "He sat in my compartment on the train."

"You just met him?" Pansy obviously didn't believe her.

"That is what I said," Ellietta began to look for her own dressing gown.

"Well just so you're aware, Draco and I are best friends. Have been forever," Pansy snapped.

"How lovely," Ellietta faked a smile and closed her curtains around herself.

She could the hear the other girls murmuring to each other for a while and then some scuffles as they got into bed and drew their curtains. The silver lamp went out and the room became dark. The only sound was the quiet lapping of the lake water against the windows. It was rhythmic and relaxing and Ellietta found it rather easy to drift off to sleep in her plush bed.