Chapter Text
The whole room was in a silent state of shock. Very rarely was there confusion regarding the Sorting Hat's decision. The Sorting Hat had been doing his job since the start of Hogwarts and never before had it swung so far into left field with it's placement. But none of the teachers would question it. The Weasley clan was speechless. The Slytherin House wasn't sure whether they should laugh or throw a fit. It felt as if the world stopped as the words rang through the hall. And the poor, nearly petrified first year beneath the hat didn't know what to do. Her body froze, it seemed as if her heart stopped and the world came to a standstill around her. She was supposed to be a Gryffindor. Her family was full of Gryffindors.
The hat had to be wrong.
But no one said a word and the hat sat firm in his decision and her whole world felt like it could come crashing down around her any second.
"Ginny Weasley!" Professor McGonagall had called.
Ginny had taken a seat on the stool like every other first year student had prior to her and sat very still as the Sorting Hat was placed on her head to deliberate her placement, a placement that should have been simple and obvious. Every Weasley in the history of their family had been placed Gryffindor and she was supposed to continue that tradition.
But the hat took extra time, arguing with itself as Ginny and the other Weasleys began to give into their concern as the seconds dragged on until the Sorting Hat's voice boomed, "Slytherin!" and the whole room stopped in it's tracks.
From where he sat at the middle of the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy's eyebrow raised. A Weasley being placed in a house that's practically enemies with the house they're meant to be in and always have been? It was uncomfortable. It was unnatural. It was... intriguing. This fiery-headed Weasel was going to be in his house, away from her family for most of the day. The friends that she could have made through them within their House were now obsolete and she was stuck sitting at a table where she wouldn't feel welcome. And beyond that, why had the little Weasel been placed in Slytherin? Was she pretentious? Or was she just cunning? Draco's spirits lifted the longer he watched Ginny continue to sit as still as possible. Not because her pain amused him, but rather the possibilities regarding her time in the House were full of possibility and he couldn't wait to watch the ride unfold. From Ginny's point of view, it looked as if she thought if she didn't move this reality would cease to exist.
Eventually, McGonagall had to get her up so they could move onto the next kid. Ginny walked down the steps slowly, making her way to a table of moderately unwelcoming faces. Draco saw her glance quickly at the Weasley clan where most of them sat with their jaws still dropped. The only one who had started to recover was Ron and he looked angry which was surprising. Draco thought that any brother watching his little sister walk over to her destined House looking completely scared for her life would looked worried and if she looked his way it could be reassuring or comforting for her, but rather Ron looked like he was ready to disown her from the family and, possibly, destroy the entire Slytherin House (as if he could). Deep down a chord was struck, but Draco didn't let it show to anyone around him.
Finally Ginny sat down at the end of the table closest to the teachers and surrounded by other first years. No one down there gave her a hard time but the older kids, who knew who this school generally worked, started to come alive and whisper around her, all of them trying to get to the bottom of the Weasley mystery as soon as possible.
To Goyle next to him, Draco said, "Looks like Weasley's got herself into quite the situation." He chuckled. The amusement this would bring would be completely unmatched.
"How do you think she'll fare?" Crabbe asked after listening in on Draco's words.
Draco shrugged. "No one will truly know how she'll do until it happens. Most of this House probably think this was simply a mistake or a joke of some sort... But that little ginger may surprise us all."