• The Great Hall was once again full of students, happily chatting away with their classmates whom they hadn't seen over the summer holiday. The floating candles overhead were lit, brightening the hall, and the enchanted ceiling showed a beautiful moon shyly hiding behind the clouds. The teachers were all seated on the long table on the platform in front, with Minerva McGonagall seated on the majestic chair in the middle.

    The headmistress waited patiently for the new set of first years to arrive. At the moment, her deputy was orienting them about the sorting, and would probably enter any moment. And they did enter a few moments later. The magnificent doors of the Great Hall opened, and her deputy walked in with fresh, new and little faces, ready to be taught and trained the magical abilities they possessed. They stood before the professors and the seat for them in front.

    McGonagall watched as her deputy raised the scroll of parchment about shoulder level. "When I call your name, come forward, and I will place the Sorting hat on your head," she said, and the Sorting Ceremony began. One by one she called the names of the children.

    Several names later, the deputy called a name, a name McGonagall very well remembered. A name she too had called many, many years before. But that name her deputy called had already died. He died before the boy called was born, when he tried to fight for the world they lived in.

    "Draco Malfoy," called the Deputy.

    McGonagall leaned forward to see who it was. A blonde boy stepped up. His hair was combed back, and he had the same almond shaped green eyes McGonagall was once very fond of. The deputy was about to place the Sorting Hat on the boy's head. Before it could touch the boy's slick hair, it spoke. McGonagall smiled.

    "Slytherin!"