Being nervous was an understatement. Going back to natural habits, I found myself picking at the cuticles around my fingers, wishing I suddenly had access to Harry's invisibility cloak. After George muttering a 'good luck' into my ear, and a quick, brief kiss on the cheek, he swiftly walked with the rest of the Gryffindor to his designated table. I couldn't even fully allow my feelings to become elated, as the fear of standing I didn't of the entire school as a 6th year was embarrassing enough. Considering they had also watched me faint from apparition , I was sure to have already picked up a nickname such as 'pavement hugger' or 'that bitch that fainted.' I was hoping it wouldn't be the latter, as quite frankly I was rather prideful, and like all that are, having my reputation tainted was devastating.
Waiting was the worst part. After nearly a hundred or so kids were sorted, I found myself twiddling with the ends of my robes. I knew Dumbledore would eventually say something about my sudden appearance, and that would only lead to more staring. In situations like this, I always hope to faint so someone will take me away. I didn't want to this time, for obvious reasons.
"Ahhh and the last first year to be sorted. Congratulations to you all. Before we get started, we must sort one other student. Miss. LaBelle, would you so kindly take a seat for us?" Dumbledore smiled at me over his half-moon glasses, and I nervously returned it. He muttered a 'go on,' and I took my seat in front of hundreds of eager eyes. I wish that the first years got whispered as I did, then I might not have felt like such a freak from the start. I was, though, a freak from the future living inside a book. Maybe I had lost my mind, I find it rather comical it's the first time I'd even considered it.
The hat was placed upon my head, and I took a sharp inhale. Like all potterheads, I knew the house I was sorted into. Slytherin, what a comedy that would make. Like Harry, I was hoping to swindle the hat into putting me into Gryffindor for the time being, as I would only be here for two years. And honestly what damage could that do?
"Ahhhh. Ambitious, what a strange mind indeed. From the future, eh? You'd do well in slytherin, but you already know that. I'm sensing hesitation, why so?"
"I would rather Gryffindor. I have friends here, and I'm afraid having me put into that house will cause problems in the future. I trust your judgment."
"Hmmm, my second thought would have been Ravenclaw. Incredibly intelligent mind you have, very smart indeed. And you enjoy riddles. Rather odd though, how those three houses seem to already have an impression in your mind."
"A slytherclaw, perhaps?"
"What a joker you are. Perhaps, if I was allotted to allow more than one house, you would be a good candidate. I've never had someone who is so diverse before, could put you in all of them to be honest."
"Why can't you?"
"I haven't ever had the opportunity. Most individuals fall very easily into one category or the other, very rarely do I find a mind as asquisit as yours. How would the hall react, in putting you in all? Rather not, for the sake of tradition. What an exciting sort you would be."
"Maybe you should break tradition. I mean, I shouldn't be here and I am. You've said we sort too soon, and you've been given an opportunity to sort someone who has already made choices and grown their mind. Maybe change is what Hogwarts needs."
"A bright young lady you are, all of them you say? And how would that work?"
"I'd be an individual not restricted by how the houses are perceived. I would be my own person, instead of clustered into a group of people I'm supposed to act like."
"I'd like to give you a primary house, one that you'll do well in. Gryffindor seems to be appearing more and more, as you attempt to convince me of sorting you into all. Very brave, very willing for change."
"I'm here to save lives, bravery is an understatement."
"Yes well, a girl from the future already stands out. Might as well make history for Hogwarts then... I'll say,
GRYFFINDOR!"
The hat erupted, and the Gryffindor table began cheering. I didn't move from the stool, as I knew what would happen after the first house was called.
"RAVENCLAW!" Instead of the usual cheering after an announcement, the hall grew quiet. People began yelling in concern, asking what was happening.
"SLYTHERIN!" The hat yelled again, and the shouting got louder. I heard footsteps begin to approach me, and I started panicking. Maybe convincing the hat if change was a bad idea.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" When the last house was called, the hat was arubtky pulled off my head. McGonagall peered down at me in confusion, as Dumbledore swiftly took to taking the attention away from myself.
"Silence! Thank you, welcome back new and old. Tuck in!" Students were shocked into silence now, afraid to drop even a fork.
"Come with me." Dumbledore said, and I quickly followed him out of the great hall. I heard multiple footsteps following us, and I turned to see Harry and George catching up with us.
We, which now included Dumbledore, each head of house, George and Harry, who each Professor eyed wearily, stood in an awkward circle in the middle of Dumbledore office.
"I - er - can explain." I started, only to be cut off.
"I knew this would happen eventually, so I called you all here to prepare. The profit stated our timeline has happened before, and great tragedy had become of it. I expected a student would evtually become The Savior, but I hadn't put the pieces together quick enough for me to realize it was Miss. LaBelle." McGongall gasped, and I felt every pair of eye shift to me. This was awkward.
"Are you sure, Albus?" McGongall asked, and Dumbledore gave a swift nod.
"Yes. Only she who processes all traits shall save the world from itself. She has qualities of every house so strong that the hat chose everyone. We must keep this at bay, tell the students the hat had been cursed. You will pose as a Gryffindor for now, Miss Labelle. If anyone asks you were a hat stall, then among the sorting the hat had been cursed. We have an eventful evening tonight, as I must announce the TriWizard Tournament. For now, everyone must have their focus on this event. Miss LaBelle and I will speak in private after tonight. Please escort Me. Weasley and Mr. Potter goes back to the great hall, and remains as calm as possible. I will answer questions from the professors after dinner." He dismissed it with a wave, and I felt like throwing up.
"So the Chosen One and The Savior, eh? And what I am, the next door neighbor?" George attempted to joke, but I felt the tears begin to come. Everything was going wrong, and going wrong so fast. I didn't know how to even think, and being overwhelmed only led towards an eventful downfalll of my mental health.
As we reached the great hall, George grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the door.
"Go on Harry, we'll follow you in a minute. Tell the others what happened." Harry acknowledged George's comment, yet walked with a glazed expression and his head down.
I couldn't keep the tears in anymore, and collapsed onto the ground. Before my knees hit the marble, George grabbed me from behind and carefully held me to his chest. He stroked the hair from my eyes, keeping it from sticking against my tear stricken face. I gripped at his robes, him holding and rocking me until I finally calmed down enough to talk.
I could hear Dumbledore begin the announcement of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and how quickly the mood of the hall had changed. Everyone seemed to momentarily forgot my strange appearance, and now we were all conversing over such an extraordinary event. I wanted to scoff at the irrelevance to the whole thing, as it seemed small compared to how I now had to save an entire world from itself. Stupidly selfish, I guess some would call it. For me, it was some sick joke written into a glass hall at the Ministry.
"I can't do this, George." I said. And it was true, and I believed. I couldn't do this. I didn't even know magic was real until a couple months ago, I wasn't even in this time period a couple months ago! Why did I, a random person from the future, have to end up taking on a role too big for any child. I now knew how Harry felt. Continuously being overwhelmed, being mocked, stared at, pointed and prided like a circus performer. Harry was just a kid, and so was I.
"Sabrina, we don't even know what 'this' is yet. And it doesn't have to be you. And can be us, okay?" I looked up at him, and his eyes held a type of concerned I have never seen before on an individual. He made my heart beat faster, and I wished I could just get lost in his eyes and forget about everything that's happened.
"What do you mean, us?" I asked, and he took my hands.
"You are never alone, you have me, and Fred, and my whole family. I would never let you take on a prophecy on your own, whether your from the future or not. You're stuck with me, I'm afraid." He laughed a little, and because I just needed to hear his voice to feel better, I laughed too.
"Please never leave me." I said, and George looked at me surprised.
"I would never leave you." He said.