Theodore Nott and his fellow first years followed McGonagall into the great hall. It was a grand room with a seemingly open ceiling, four tables lined the room and at the front was the teacher's table.
McGonagall brought out the sorting hat a placed it on a small stool, where it burst into song. It sung about the four houses and described the traits necessary to enter each house, when it finally finished McGonagall stepped forward. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she instructed the group.
Nott looked around at the first years milled around him, they were, quite a normal looking group really, nothing very spectacular. Although there were four Death Eater sons (including himself), a few famous Auror children, a couple kids with Ministry connections, the famous Harry Potter, and a number of the girls were excessively attractive. Not that Nott had a particular desire to get to know any of them, he was already on friendly terms with Draco Malfoy, and had met Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe before, but other than that he hoped he wouldn't have to be friendly with too many of them.
"Abbott, Hannah!" cried McGonagall, snapping Nott out of his thoughts. A pretty girl with blonde pigtails ran to the stool and plopped the hat on. "Hufflepuff!" it screamed after around ten seconds.
Nott thought absently what house he would be in, but surely it was going to be Slytherin. Most of the Dark Lords supporters all came from that house, as had his father so it was more than likely he would go there.
"Bones, Susan" said McGonagall. An auburn haired girl with plump cheeks went, Nott thought she looked rather dopey. "Hufflepuff!" the hat cried immediately, and she scurried to the Hufflepuff table.
Terry Boot was next, a clever looking boy with brown hair, he went to Ravenclaw. Nott gazed at the Ravenclaw table, maybe he might be put there, as he was surely intelligent. Mandy Brocklehurst went next, her thick curly black hair seemed to hold the sorting hat a little higher on her head. "Ravenclaw!" it shouted.
Nott looked around, each person was getting more and more nervous as the sorting went on. Nott really couldn't understand why, all they had to do was put on that silly old hat.
"Brown, Lavender" screamed McGonagall. Nott noticed one of the prettier girls with brunette plaited hair and dark blue eyes walk forward, she became the first Gyffindor. Next up was Millicent Bulstrode, a burly girl with dark hair and an angry demeanour, Nott looked upon her with distaste. "Slytherin" cried the hat when she placed it on her head.
"Cadwallader Calvin," cried McGonagall. A tall boy with light brown hair approached the stool, he looked quite smug as he placed the hat on his head, but Nott was glad to see how disappointed he was when the hat yelled Hufflepuff. Michael Corner walked up next, he was a handsome boy with messy dark hair, and dark eyes, a few girls near Nott smiled at each other as he went up. "Ravenclaw" called the hat.
"Cornfoot, Stephen" yelled McGonagall. There were a few howls of laughter from the older students at this name, even Nott let out a small chuckle. The boy in question seemed to take no offence to this, he simply smiled and brushed away his long blonde air as he sat at the stool. The hat declared him a Ravenclaw as well.
Nott began to notice that not many students had been sorted into Gryffindor or Slytherin so far, he wondered how even the four houses would be by the end of the ceremony.
"Crabbe, Vincent" said McGonnagal, her voice starting to get a little lighter. Draco gave Vincent a pat on the shoulder as he went up. Nott considered Vincent, he was overweight and flat faced with a bowl style hair cut, although he was also quite tall, which meant you wouldn't want to cross him, although Nott was quite sure he had more intelligence in his little finger than Vincent could ever dream of having. Ever since Nott first met him he had considered him a moron. "Slytherin" cooed the hat. This seemed to convince Nott that he would most likely be in Slytherin. It seemed the hat merely placed you were your parents were, as Vincent hardly had qualities of cunning and determination.
Tracey Davis next walked up, she was an attractive girl with auburn hair and brown eyes as well as a very cunning face, and Nott thought it was justified when she went to Slytherin.
Kevin Entwhistle was next called. He seemed to be a very placid and calm boy. His brown hair was so dull it almost looked grey. He stared lazily at McGonagall, his eyes were as grey as his hair. "Ravenclaw" came the verdict.
"Finch-Fletchley Justin," called McGonnagal next. Nott was a little annoyed at this person's name, why would anyone need a hyphenated surname. Not surprisingly Finch-Fletchley did look like a dimwit. His dark curly hair was styled awkwardly and he smiled goofily at McGonnagal as she placed the hat on his head. "Hufflepuff!" the hat yelled.
The next boy called was named Seamus Finnigan. He had sandy blonde hair, and wore his robes messily. Nott had heard this boy talk loudly before and had heard a thick Irish accent, which was quite annoying. However he had to admit Finnigan did seem a fellow that would be easy to get along with. "Gyffindor" screamed the hat. The students at the Gyffindor table seemed to wake from a slumber, as this was only the second Gryffindor student announced.
Nott suddenly thought how many of these students would be muggle-born, he hoped there would be none as he didn't really want to associate with those sort of people, but his father had told him to expect at least a few in his year level. He looked around; it was really impossible to tell if any of them had no wizard backgrounds, most of them simply looked nervous.
"Goldstein, Anthony," called McGonagall. A boy with very light brown hair in a neat part walked up, he seemed to be taking the entire situation very seriously. "Ravenclaw" called the hat, and Goldstein took that hat off in a very dignified way and passed it to McGonagall.
Next called was Gregory Goyle. Nott gazed at his fellow son of a Death Eater. Gregory was surely even less intelligent than Vincent, but he was more bulk than fat. His beady eyes were almost hidden by his bristly hair. "Slytherin" yelled the hat. This left Nott a little exasperated, how could Gregory have qualities that fit any house other than Hufflepuff.
"Granger, Hermione" called McGonagall. Nott looked to his left. A girl with bushy brown hair and bucked teeth walked up determinedly, it was as if she had rehearsed the national anthem. Nott let out a chuckle, there was something amusing about the seriousness on her face, and Nott couldn't decide whether she was pretty looking, or goofy looking. "Gryffindor!" cried the hat after a few moments. She took the hat off and smiled brightly, breaking her rigid face. The transition in her facial expressions almost made Nott gasp, and he watched her all the way to the Gyffindor table. There was definitely something intriguing about her.
"Greengrass Daphne," barked McGonagall breaking into Nott's thoughts. Nott heard a similar laugh at this name, as he did to Cornfoot, though not quite as loud. Greengrass was not amused as she angrily put the hat on her head. Her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail, and her nose was noticeably pointy. "Slytherin" cried the hat, and this seemed to put Greengrass in a better mood.
Wayne Hopkins was called next, a bespectacled short boy with an excited expression. He went to Hufflepuff, as did the next person. A girl with dull brown hair and black-rimmed eyeglasses, her name was Megan Jones. Su Li was next called, a pretty Asian girl with a flicky ponytail. She seemed a little arrogant, but that didn't bother Nott. "Ravenclaw" yelled the hat.
"Longbottom, Neville," then cried McGonagall. This was a name Nott knew. The Longbottoms were a pair of famous Aurors that had suffered greatly during the war. Not that Nott's father would divulge much information about the matter. Not many other people in the hall seemed to know this fact however, as they were merely laughing at the ridiculously surname. Nott looked around hoping to see an impressive hard-face kid, but to his horror up walked the clumsy looking idiot that was looking for his pet toad earlier. Nott shook his head, as the moron put on the hat. The time the hat took to sort Longbottom seemed to be the longest so far. Finally he was placed in Gyffindor, which further strengthened Nott's theory of people being placed where their parents were. Much to the whole rooms amusement, Longbottom forgot the sorting hat on his head as he ran to the Gryffindor table. Nott shook his head once again, but he had to admit it was definitely lighting things up.
Next was Morag MacDougal, a hideous girl that had glasses nearly as large as her entire face and she walked up slowly, hunching down. Nott felt a slight twinge of pity, but it was quickly extinguished. "Ravenclaw" screamed the hat.
Suddenly Nott realised that his turn was not far away. He looked around at the shrinking crowd, Draco nodded at him, he would be sorted before Nott.
"Macmillan, Ernie," was the next name McGonagall called. If Nott had thought Goldstein looked pompous, it was nothing compared to Macmillan. His blonde hair was parted so cleanly, and he held his head up high. "Hufflepuff" yelled the hat, and Macmillan seemed very proud at the choice.
The next person called forth was Draco. He grinned at Nott as he walked up. Nott had been to Draco's house a number of times, and each visit had confirmed Nott's thoughts that Draco was simply a spoilt brat, but at least he was clever enough to engage in interesting conversations. His pointed features made him look exceedingly arrogant and troublesome, and his slick blonde hair screamed aristocracy. The hat barely touched Draco's head when it screamed out Slytherin. Nott was not surprised.
"Midgeon, Eloise" called McGonagall. A chubby girl with very dirty looking skin approached the stool. The hat declared her a Hufflepuff. She seemed to be a very outward sort of person considering her ugly appearance.
Nott thought that he would probably be next, but he was mistaken. A girl named Lilah Moon was called. Moon was a name that Nott recognized as another Auror. He turned to look at Moon, she had to be the most attractive girl out of the whole bunch, her blonde hair shone brightly, and she smiled devilishly, making Nott grin to himself. "Slytherin" yelled the hat.
Now surely it was Nott's turn, and sure enough McGonagall called his name next. Nott walked up calmly and took the hat off McGonagall, as he slid it over his eyes he quickly glanced at Granger, who was watching him. "Hmm interesting," said a little voice in his ear. "Come off it, we both know your going to put me in Slytherin," thought Nott. "Well that makes things easier for me then," whispered the hat. "What are you saying, that it's my decision?" asked Nott. However the hat did not reply, and after a few more moments it screamed to the whole hall, "Slytherin." Nott gave the hat back to McGonnagal and strided over to the Slytherin table and sat next to Gregory. He had been so busy studying his fellow first-years that he hadn't really taken in the rest of the students. The Slytherin's seemed to be a tough group, but Nott was determined to live out his school life a loner, so it didn't really matter who was in his house, but for some reason he was still interested in the rest of the first years.
Pansy Parkinson was the next person called by McGonagall, she was a cute girl with short black hair, although her sneer did not help her looks. She was sorted into Slytherin as well, and came to sit on Nott's left. Nott tried his best to ignore her, instead gazing across the table at the model like Moon. However directly behind her three tables back Granger caught Nott's eye again. This time Nott was feeling a little uncomfortable at his interest in her and shook his head. He was determined to watch the rest of the sorting, but it was a little more difficult to do so from this new vantage point.
Padma Patil went to Ravenclaw, then her twin sister Parvati went to Gryffindor. "Perks, Sally-Anne" called McGonagall, as a pretty girl with brunette plaits was sorted into Hufflepuff.
"That McGonagall has an annoying voice," sniggered Draco, as Vincent and Gregory laughed. Nott noted that Draco seemed far more relaxed now that he was on the Slytherin table.
"Potter, Harry," called McGonagall. It seemed to Nott that she had said this name a little slower than the rest, and as the boy walked up Nott could here whispers of great interest in this boy. Of course Nott knew who Potter was. The famous boy who had survived the Dark Lords death curse and somehow made the Dark Lord's power diminish. Nott had pressed his father for details about the incident, but apparently even he knew very little about what happened. Nott gazed at Potter, concentrating on his face more than anyone else. He wore glasses and had messy black hair. He seemed nervous like everyone else, but his nerves seemed more justified as the whole hall had grown silent, as they gazed at the famous boy. Nott thought hard. He knew his father surely hated Harry Potter, for destroying the Dark Lord, but Nott's father had never told him of all the murders he and his fellow Death Eaters had participated in, but Nott had eventually found out. This had made him regard his father in a darker light, and since then he hadn't been sure if he even liked his father anymore, let alone support the Dark Lord's cause. "Gryffindor" yelled the hat, as Potter took it off looking very relieved. The Gryffindor table roared with delight. Nott watched as Potter joined them. He really did seem to be simply a normal kid, so Nott decided to reserve judgment.
McGonagall seemed to take her time calling the next person. Finally the name "Rivers, Amanda," spilled from her mouth. Rivers had red hair, and a number of freckles decorating her face. She followed Potter to Gryffindor.
Nott's eyes where dancing everywhere now, most people had lost interest in the ceremony after Potter's sorting, and for the first time Nott really noticed the Headmaster sitting at the centre of the staff table, he was definitely an impressive figure with long silvery hair and beard, he seemed rather amused by everything. Sitting to the Headmaster's left was a man Nott thought he recognized. He was a sallow faced man, with long dark hair and beady black eyes, he was donned in black robes, and his expression was very hard to work out.
Nott turned his mind back to the sorting. Zacharias Smith, who was the next person to be sorted, seemed disgusted by the lack of interest in his sorting compared to Potter's. He had blonde hair and an upturned nose. Nott knew a few famous wizards named Smith, but since it was such a common name it was impossible to tell if Zacharias was related to any of them. The hat determined him to be a Hufflepuff.
The next person to put the hat on was a very attractive girl with long black hair, named Jessica Spinks, she was put into Gryffidor, as was the next person. A handsome boy with dark skin and a cheery face called Dean Thomas. Lisa Turpin, who was a plain-faced girl with dark hair, was then put into a Ravenclaw and suddenly there was only two people left to be sorted.
Nott realised that if one of them went to Gryffindor and the other went to Slytherin, there would be exactly five girls and boys representing each house for his year level. That couldn't possibly be a coincidence. He studied the remaining two boys. One looked similar to Dean Thomas, in that he had dark skin and was quite handsome, except he had none of Thomas's cheer. The other was a redhead who looked very upset to be one of the last to be sorted.
"Weasley, Ronald," called McGonagall, and the redhead boy went up. Weasley was definitely a name Nott knew, his father often talked about him as a muggle loving idiot. Although Nott agreed that muggle loving was a silly act, he still knew that Weasley had fought against the Dark Lord in the war, and perhaps this could mean his son would be just as noble. "Gryffindor," screeched the hat. Weasley looked very relieved as he scurried to the Gryffindor table to sit next to Potter, and near Granger…
"Zabini, Blaise," said McGonagall as she rolled up her parchment with all the names. Zabini seemed just as wanting for the sorting to end as the rest of the hall. He was hastily put into Slytherin by the hat, and the sorting was over.
Nott's suspicions seemed to be confirmed, there were exactly five boys and five girls to represent each house. Nott then considered himself and his thirty-nine fellow first years.
"Interesting," he accidentally said aloud. "What was that," demanded Parkinson. Nott simply ignored her, "Well you're a weird one aren't you," she said as spitefully as possible, but Nott barely heard her he was still thinking about the seven years of schooling ahead, and whether he would enjoy them, or not. Also his mind kept floating dangerously towards the Granger girl, what was it about her that intrigued him?
Nott looked around the hall. Hogwarts was now his home, and Nott wondered why he had accepted that fact so quickly.