A/N: Here's a fic I wrote in 2009. It's sort of a repost. I have no beta. All sentence fragments are intended.

Warnings: none that I can think of

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Prompt: Crest

When the hat announced its choice everything froze. I'm shaking so hard I can't get off the stool. Someone removes the hat from my head. The hall is silent. I don't understand. What's happening?

Someone pushes me towards my new house table. The silence is oppressive. When everyone else's house was called there was cheering. Why won't anyone cheer for me?

I feel sick. I sit down at the table. Everyone stares. Silence. No other names are being called. Did the world stop for me? I wish it would. I wish the world would stop. Why did this happen to me?

Slowly the sorting resumes. Everyone's subdued. The rest of the new students all get less applause than they expected. No one seems to notice. They're all staring at me. Why can't the world swallow me up?

I look down at my robes. That crest. Why this crest? It's mocking me. It's mocking everything I believed in. I thought this was my chance. I thought for once I wouldn't be a freak. When this crest attached itself to my robes my one chance at happiness was destroyed. I hate it.

Why won't the world stop for me? The snake on the crest just sits there—mocking me. I wish I were anywhere but here.

Why can't the world swallow me up?

Please review. It's nice to know that someone's reading. I 'd love to hear what you thought of the fic, even if it's just one word.