Disclaimer: JKR owns all. I borrowed the characters for a quick story, that's all.

Percy's Sorting

"Weasley, Percival." Professor McGonagall called out.

Percy shot a quick look at the other two. At least I'm not the last one to be sorted. I was worried that I'd end up last. He hurried to the front of the hall and glanced at the Gryffindor table before sitting down. Charlie gave him a quick smile.

Then the hat was placed over his head and all Percy saw was the dark cloth of the sorting hat. Er – Hello Mr Sorting Hat.

Just how many Weasleys are there? The sorting hat asked him, There always seems to be more of you.

There's seven children. Next year is Fred and George, they're twins. Then Ron and finally Ginny. Percy thought to the hat. He bit his lip when he thought about his younger brothers and sister. He was already missing them, even if they got on his nerves and messed up all his things.

You want to be in Gryffindor. The hat said. It wasn't a question.

Yes. All my family's always been in Gryffindor. Percy didn't even want to consider another house. I know that Gryffindor will let me meet important people, Gryffindors tend to be favoured by Dumbledore. And I really want to get into the Ministry. Maybe even become Minister. . .

You are not a Gryffindor. You have ambition, a thirst for success and wealth.

Not wealth! Percy protested mentally. I just want to have enough money, to be able to take vacations, buy food, get the books I want. Nothing over the top.

Percy could almost feel the hat nodding. You will never find that in Gryffindor. If you want to be the manipulator and the boss, then you must learn how. Gryffindors learn how to follow orders, not how to give them.

But I have to! You've got to put me there! Percy protested. His father had told him that ambition only had one place and he'd better crush those wants of power before they landed him somewhere that he didn't want to be.

I think not! I am the one doing the sorting and I know that you won't like Gryffindor. The hat was quiet for a moment. Then it announced, "SLYTHERIN!"

Percy threw the hat off and glared at the hall, trying not to cry.

Professor McGonagall called it to her with a charm and looked disapprovingly at him. "Right over there." She pointed to the table of green and silver.

Is it my opinion or do they look even less welcoming than before? Percy got to his feet and slowly trudged over to his new house. He sat down on the end of one of the benches.

"Wood, Oliver." Ended up in Gryffindor where Percy wanted to be and Robert Yader was a Ravenclaw. Professor McGonagall put the sorting hat away and food appeared on the tables.

The mood at Gryffindor table was tense. Quidditch star, Charlie Weasley was angry and his mood reflected on his entire house. He'd waited throughout his brother's sorting. There was still an empty place next to him, one he'd been saving for Percy.

But that place would never be filled now. He'd watched in horror was the hat called Slytherin and his brother left to sit with the snakes. I never thought that Percy was like that. He should be in Gryffindor! Charlie thought angrily.

The Slytherins were just as nervous. True, the Weasleys were pureblood, but they had always been Gryffindors with a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs mixed in. One of them being sorted into Slytherin was a new development, and they weren't sure what it meant.

Percy glanced at the other first years in his house. He didn't know any of them, they weren't the kind of people that Weasleys usually associated with. Not that he had a choice now. "Hello, I'm Percy Weasley." He said, offering his hand to the girl sitting next to him.

To his surprise she smiled and shook his hand warmly. "Lynn Fawcett. I was worried that no one would talk to me."

Percy smiled and glanced around the hall. "I thought that Fawcetts were Ravenclaws."

"I thought Weasleys were Gryffindors." Lynn and Percy exchanged smiles, glad to know that they weren't the only people who didn't fit into their families.