All That I Desire
Chapter One: Sorting
Author's Note: This is my first fanfiction \(^_^)/ I'm not much of a writer, but I was bored watching all of the Jubilee stuff so I decided to write this. There will probably be 2-3 more chapters and perhaps an epilogue if I feel like writing one. Anyways, I hope you enjoy. ~Rose-Phoenix00
"Grovemann, Tulip" called Professor Flitwick, his voice echoing off the grand stone walls of the Great Hall. Tulip gulped nervously as the stumbed forwards towards a raggedy old hat perched atop a three-legged could feel the gaze of the of the Hogwarts students as she made her way to the front of the Great Hall, just in front of the teacher's tables. Plopping herself on the stool and swivelling around to face the rest of the school, Tulip precariously placed the Sorting Hat on her head.
'Hmm... interesting...' a voice suddenly boomed directly into her left ear. This, of course, gave Tulip a frightful start and she almost fell of the stool completely. Giggles erupted throughout the number of students who happened to be seated at the front of their house tables. Blushing slightly, the first-year reseated herself into a more comfortable position.
'Sorry about that, the previous student had a bit of a hearing problem' said the voice again, albeit a lot quieter this time around. 'Anyway, let me see here, what does your brain have to offer to me? Ah, a Grovemann, it's been a while since I've had to sort one. Historically, you've all been Ravenclaws, am I right?' the Sorting Hat inquired.
Tulip stayed quiet, not knowing whether if she should speak or if the Sorting Hat was just talking to itself. 'Don't worry, you don't have to answer as such, after all I can see all of your thoughts in every crevice of your mind. Now, let me see here, shall I carry on the tradition and make you a Ravenclaw? Hmm, this is quite the puzzle. You could possess the wit and knowledge needed to become a Ravenclaw... no maybe not. Perhaps...yes, that's the perfect fit!'
"HUFFLEPUFF!", the Sorting Hat suddenly roared, which led to an outburst if cheering from the Hufflepuff table running through the centre of the Great Hall. But Tulip's spirit suddenly plummeted. She wasn't in Ravenclaw? Instead she was a stinking Hufflepuff? What would her parents think when they found out? All of her family, all of them had been Ravenclaws! Ever since the 18th Century, when Harold Grovemann had attended Hogwarts and up until this very day with no exceptions. Apart from Tulip, it now seemed.
With her head hung low, Tulip dragged herself over to her House table into the arms of her 'fellow' Hufflepuffs. The Head Girl, Rashika Shalma, shook her hand her hand with a wide grin on her face. "Welcome to Hufflepuff!" she beamed at the young girl, who was looking glumly at her shoes. "Hey, is everything OK?" Rashika asked, quickly catching on to the crestfallen look on Tulip's face.
"Oh, it's nothing, I'm just really hungry that's all." Tulip lied, giving a small false smile back.
"Me too! I didn't get a chance to eat anything from the trolley on the way here because I had to patrol the train the whole time. But just wait till you try the food here, it's amazing! A whole ton better than what my mum makes- don't tell her I said that, OK."
And then Rashika was off, describing in detail her favourite delicacies that she has sampled at various start-of-term banquets and recounting food fights that she had spectated. Tulip suspected that the Head Girl could have gone on for hours and hours on the subject of food if Professor McGonagall hadn't given her the 'glare of doom' for talking too loudly during a small blond boy's Sorting.
"If you've quite finished, Miss Shalma, then we shall proceed with the rest of the Sorting as we had originally planned., snapped the Headmistress. Immediately heads spun round to where the pair of Hufflepuffs were siting.
"Whoops!, said Rashika, colour rising in her olive cheeks. Then she and Tulip burst into a fit of giant giggles, almost entirely missing the Sorting of a Slytherin boy who, somehow, managed to accidentally set the stool on fire.
But the cheer she had felt when talking to Rashika soon melted as she started chatting to her seventh-year friends and the first few Ravenclaws started getting Sorted. Tulip spent the rest of the Sorting in a sulk, viciously staring daggers at any newly dubbed Ravenclaws that walked past her.
The Sorting Ceremony soon ended with the Sorting of Young, Liam who was placed in Gryffindor. Professor Flitwick tottered over to roll up the Sorting Hat and with a swish and flick of his wand he floated it to a small chamber off the side of the Great Hall, with the stool following closely behind. Professor McGonagall rose from her chair and smiled down at her students.
"Welcome, welcome, students new and old to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!", she began. Tulip zoned out for the rest of the Headmistress' welcome speech, fuming about the Sorting Hat's judgement. She was also terrified about what her parents would think about her. They would probably not be able to bear to look at her, their prized daughter, she who they had such high hopes for be wasted in a House like Hufflepuff.
Terrible butterflies were writhing in her stomach and she hardy noticed when the food for the feast suddenly appeared at the table in front of her. Sighing, Tulip filled her plate with honey glazed pork, roasted parsnips, chip-shop style chips and a spoonful of peas. Reaching for the gravy boat, she spotted an almost completely untouched bowl of mint humbugs. Catching her puzzled look, a curly-haired Prefect quickly answer her unspoken question.
"They've been here since Dumbledore was made Headmaster.", he began, unwrapping a humbug that lay on his plate. "Apparently Dumbledore was always a fan of muggle sweets and was very enthusiastic to get them on the menu. Despite them being the least popular food of the entire feast, McGonagall decided to keep them as a mark of respect." Finishing his speech he popped the humbug in his mouth and turned to speak to his girlfriend.
'Honestly,' Tulip thought, 'these Hufflepuffs are so over-friendly. They're like bloody Labradors! Minus the shiny nose and droopy tongue.' she added as an after thought.
The main course dishes soon disappeared and replaces themselves with an array of equally delicious looking deserts. As Tulip cut herself a slice of apple pie she listened in to the conversations across the House table. 'These people. They don't seem real. Everything they say, they say with a smile on their face. It all seems fake. I bet on the Ravenclaw table their laughing over intelligent witty banter. Unlike over here where they still probably laugh at toilet humour.' she thought bitterly.
Despite their many attempts, none of the Hufflepuffs could get Tulip to join in their chatter; they just marked her as being shy. 'Good. Let them think that. Typical Hufflepuffs, always judging without bothering to get to know you.'.
Soon the feast was over and the remaining morsels of food were soon whisked off downstairs into the Hogwarts kitchens.
"Right then all new Hufflepuffs, follow me!" Rashika called cheerily, gathering the first-years around her. "I'm going to take you all to out House common room, which will pretty much become your home during your time at Hogwarts. There you will find your dormitories where, no prizes for guessing, you will sleep. Now pay attention as I lead you there, as you'll be expected to make your own way to the Great Hall for breakfast tomorrow. I can tell you it's not nice getting lost on your first day and running into Peeves. He's the school Poltergeist and he loves to prey on 'ickle firsties', so it's best to give him a wide berth."
"Ooooh, did someone say 'ickle firsties'?" cakled Peeves, swooping down from one of the school's 142 staircases.
"Get lost Peeves or I'll curse you into oblivion!"
"Ooohoo, I don't think so, you might set your own hair on fire. You are a Hufflepuff after all." Peeves added slyly.
"I- I-well- HOW DARE YOU!" screeched Rashika, swiftly drawing her wand and pointing it at Peeves' throat.
"I was kidding, I was kidding! Or maybe I wasn't..." And with that Peeves whizzed off to flick chalk at a gang of second-year Slytherins.
Author's Note: So there we go, my first chapter on my first fanfiction! I apologise for any spelling/grammatical mistakes :S I don't know when the next chapter will be up but hopefully it will be in a week or so's time. But in the meantime, feel free to review *hint hint* :P
Bleh, I suck at ending chapters :/
~Rose-Phoenix00