"i know life well enough to know you can't count on things staying around or standing still, no matter how much you want them to. you can't stop people from dying. you can't stop them from going away. you can't stop yourself from going away either."...
"you are all the colors in one, at full brightness."
~ jennifer niven,
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The feast had finished, and most students had begun to filter out of the Great Hall towards their dormitories. Ophelia started towards her sister who was following Percy, as the Gryffindor prefect was now in charge of helping the first years to settle in. Just as she had reached to grab her sister's shoulder, a voice interrupted:
"Miss Weasley!" Professor McGonagall called. Both of the smallest Weasleys turned to face the woman. Ginny was surprised to see her twin standing right behind her.
"Yes, Professor?" both girls replied.
"Miss Ophelia, I was hoping we could have a quick word in my office?"
The twins exchanged a small, slightly disappointed look, which didn't go unnoticed.
"I can arrange for Miss Ginevra to be escorted to your dormitory once we have finished, I understand you may have a few things to discuss." She smiled before leading Ophelia out into the corridor and towards her office.
~~~
Ophelia was now sitting opposite the Gryffindor head of house with a small cup of tea in her hand that the Professor had kindly made.
"You're the second Weasley I've pulled into my office already tonight," the witch began, attempting to make small talk, "although you aren't in trouble like Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter are."
Ophelia had been wondering where these two had got to. She was about to ask before the Professor cut back in.
"I wonder, Miss Weasley, do you know what a Hatstall is?"
The redhead was sure she had read about this in Hogwarts: A History (one of her favourite books which Percy had bought for her tenth birthday) but she shook her head anyway.
"Well, very rarely, the Sorting Hat will find someone suited equally to more than one Hogwarts House, and will take a considerably long time to decide where to place the student. You, Ophelia, are the first true Hatstall since 1951."
Ophelia stared at the Professor for a moment, taking a small sip of her tea and clearing her throat.
"Could I ask who the last student was, Professor?" she requested. George had given her a map of Hogwarts as they were exiting the train, and she planned to look up the student in the library once she had found it.
"Of course, it was one Minerva McGonagall."
The redhead blinked in disbelief.
"You see, the hat couldn't decide if I belonged in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, just like you. Of course I was eventually put in Gryffindor, the opposite outcome to yourself." The Professor smiled.
