Worthless update today, needed to get this scene out there cause it's given me nothin but grief. Sorry this has taken so long to get out, you can blame a combination of writer's block, twelve hour shifts, and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya for my slow-arse writing. From now on, since I've settled in a bit at my new job, updates will (hopefully) occur every week to two weeks. If not, assume I spent the time doing speed and trying to unleash the zombie apocalypse.

Fuck. Hermione Granger mentally cursed. Looks like they were right about Gryffindor, if those Weasleys I met on the train are any indication. To steer clear of their misbegotten house would be to admit my error, yet to continue on this course would needlessly cripple me, ceaselessly fending off the rabble of the Lions. Hufflepuff is of course out, and I don't like the looks of those Slytherins… Looks like it'll have to be Ravenclaw, and I'll play nice with the Blacks until I can stand against them openly.

So absorbed in her musings, she missed the fact that McGonagall had called her name three times and was glaring at her. As such, it came as a total shock when Ron Weasley nudged her in the ribs with his elbow, which resulted in her spinning round and breaking his nose with her palm. Taking some small pleasure from watching the filthy boy drop to the ground, bleeding and crying, she refocused only to realise most of the Great Hall was staring at her in shock.

Putting on her best innocent face, she asked "Oh, is it my turn now?" and fairly skipped up to the stool.

She was slightly put out by the fact that she had to lift the hat up onto her own head, as McGonagall had bustled down to tend to Weasley, and vowed silently to repay her for the indignity at the earliest opportunity.

"Vowing revenge are we? Against a teacher, no less. And, oh Godric… you're planning to take those two on? You're sure you don't want to be in Slytherin? That's a very ambitious goal you've set yourself there, you don't comprehend what you're getting yourself into. Look up the Blacks in the private library in-"
"RAVENCLAW!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SCENE BREAK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Greenthumb, Nicolas!"

He walked silently up to the stool, ignoring the whispers that followed in his wake. Christ, he's a first year? He's fuckin huuuuge!

The Hat's voice rang out in his mind. "Another son of a dead family in hiding? It never rains but it pours I suppose. I see you're willing to die for your vengeance, but are you willing to live for the Longbottoms? If necessary, would you forgo your vengeance in order to resurrect the family name?"

"Why?"

came Nicolas' silent reply. "Let it end with me. The Potters are dead, there are none the Longbottoms can trust. Let the name die in a blaze of glory, avenging our sullied honour."

"The Potter line ended, you say? Well, far be it from me to say you nay, however I believe you may be interested in young Mr. Black, and he in you. Let him know about your identity somewhere the Headmaster can't listen in, and make sure you tell him I;m not against him. To that end you better be"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"