TSS: Chapter 7: Schemes and Sortings Part I

> *"You wish to escape the shadow of your family, Ginevra. You do not wish to be another Weasley. You wish for the Weasleys to be Ginny Weasley's family."*
>
>

— The Sorting Hat explaining Ginevra Weasley desires to her during her sorting.

## Summary:

Machinations are set into motion. Everyone heads back to Hogwarts. Charlus Potter and Ron Weasley take the Ford Anglia when the barrier is closed, and the new students get sorted.

## Plot:

**August 21st, 1992:** Rita Skeeter returns to her apartment from a meeting with Barnabus Cuffe when she thinks she sees something, but doesn't find anyone. To be on the safe side of caution, she takes three trips to apparate home in case she was being followed.

Harry Potter asks Emily Riddle through the notebook a question about natural Legilimentes. She answers explaining the origins of the world in Latin and clarifying the nature of Legilimency as a mind art.

**August 22nd, 1992:** While heading to have breakfast after a morning of studying Ancient Runes, Harry Potter runs into Grace Weitts, a surprise as she is not particularly an early riser. She explains that she is going to take an apparition test, but Harry is skeptical of this, so he calls her on it. She explains she has some business she is attending to that she doesn't want her mother or father to find out about. Harry agrees to keep quiet.

**August 31st, 1992:** Draco Malfoy is summoned into his father's office, and given the task of becoming acquainted with Benedict Cuffe, and ensure that he ends up in Slytherin House, befriend him, and monitor him. He also warns Draco to not look into any mysterious events that occur at Hogwarts. After Draco leaves, Lucius enters a secret room in his study and contacts via a connected-mirror Tiberius Nott to present him with a proposition.

**September 1st, 1992:** The Weasleys arrive at King's Cross, and all of them pass through the barrier except for Charlus Potter and Ron Weasley, who get trapped on the muggle side as the barrier is closed. Charlus is tired of other people fixing his problems, so he decides to take the Ford Anglia to Hogwarts.

On the Hogwarts Express, Harry meets up with Blaise Zabini and introduces him to Charlotte Weitts. Blaise comments on Harry's propensity to make the paper, and Harry declares Gilderoy Lockhart to be incompetent. Charlotte intimates that he has well-developed Occlumency shields and that there is more to him than meets the eye.

Ares Black talks with Draco Malfoy about leaving for Hogwarts. Draco consults the file he has on Benedict Cuffe, and meets him on the train in the company of Ginevra Weasley and Luna Lovegood. He introduces himself, and asks to go by first names with him.

Calypso Rosier, Cassius Warrington, and Flora and Hestia Carrow drop by Harry's compartment. Harry thinks back to the last train ride when he gets a message from James Potter via the Magical Texting Parchment that Charlus missed the train and decided to take the Ford Anglia to school.

At Hogwarts, during the sorting feast, Ares Black, Benedict Cuffe, Martin Higgs, Brandon Harper, Alex Jugson, Derrick Mulciber are sorted into Slytherin. Harry takes note that the sorting of some people in Slytherin causes tensions. Ginevra Weasley goes under the hat, and causes a Hat-Stall ending up having a long conversation with it. The hat immediately eliminates Ravenclaw, says her work ethic could put her in Hufflepuff, reveals her wandless magic in the form of an unlocking charm, and explains to her that Slytherin would be the only house that would help her achieve her goal of escaping the shadow of her family. She is then sorted into Slytherin House.

## Characters Introduced:

Benedict Cuffe.

Martin Higgs.

Brandon Harper.

Alex Jugson.

Derrick Mulciber.

Luna Lovegood.