Professor McGonigle lifts the hat from Maddie's head, "Congratulations, dear."

Maddie sits there in a trance of cascading horror. Her deepest fears collide and make her breathing heavy. All of a sudden, the Great Hall is spinning.

"Maddie," a voice fills her ears, "are you alright?"

Hands steady her on the the stool and the Gryffindor's applause fades into murmurs. Maddie's fighting her lunch to stay put in her stomach. "Madam Pomfrey, thank you," Maddie hears from somewhere.

And then she's fighting black. It threatens to blur and lay itself down across her vision. And then Maddie is lying limply in the headmistress' arms. 

---

"She's waking," Maddie hears the muffle of a familiar voice. She then becomes aware she's lying somewhere with her eyes closed. A part of Maddie wants to turn over and keep sleeping for a reason she can't quite pin point. But, she reluctantly lifts her eye lids.

She discovers two faces peering at her from the edge of her bed. "Hey, Madds." Lena gives her a crooked grin. Maddie doesn't respond to her sister but sits up and surveys her surroundings. "You're in the infirmary, hun." A nurse offers. "Oh," Maddie grumbles. "Am I hurt?" She didn't feel hurt, but thought it worth asking because she hadn't the slightest idea of why she was lying in a hospital bed. "You don't... remember?" Lena bites her lip and chooses her words with caution, "You don't remember the sorting?"

The sorting? Maddie has a locked chest of thoughts sitting in the back of her mind, but no key. It has a large key hold, though, so she can get little bits of information. She remembered being at Hogwarts, remember that they would get sorted. But she couldn't remember it happening.

"Not really."

Lena and the nurse share some whispers Maddie can't make out.

"I'm Madam Pomfrey, nurse at Hogwarts. Do you remember Hogwarts?"

"Yes," Maddie also offers up all the information she remembers since the Hogwarts Express, hoping for an explanation of the sorting. "How do you feel?" Madam Pomfrey asks.

This was not an explanation. "What happened at the sorting?" Maddie demands. When no answer arises from Madam Pomfrey, she turns to Lena for help. She notices a green and yellow striped tie around her robe. "Lena, you got Slytherin! Congrats!" Maddie then looks down at her chest, but only finds the Hogwarts tie.

"Did I...?" Maddie's voice trails off, fearing the answer. Lena's eyes look like they're fighting tears. Maddie's stomach does a flip. "What did I get?"

Madam Pomfrey gives Lena a nod. "Why don't you girls finish this conversation outside? You can go to the owlry and send notes to your parents, I bet you miss them." Lena stands, "That's a wonderful idea, thank you." She beckons for Maddie to follow her out the door.

"Wait, why is this so secretive? And why don't I remember it?" Maddie stays put in the bed. "Maddie. Outside. Now." Lena points towards the door. Maddie senses something's up and follows her sister into the cool September air.

Once outside, Lena starts crying. "Lena," Maddie wraps an arm around her, "just tell me, it can't be that bad."

Lena sniffles and nods, "Well... you fainted. At the sorting."

Maddie nods and gives Lena a glance to tell her why. "You, uh..." it looks like the words are hurting Lena. "Maddie, you're a Gryffindor."