A/N: I don't own anything having to do with the Harry Potter Universe.
September 1, 2012
After the half-giant Hagrid transferred the responsibility for the trembling first-years to the tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes, she marched them across the flagged stone floor and into a small side room, in which every year, she introduced herself and the school's rituals.
"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor McGonagall. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
With that, the stern witch ordered the new students to arrange themselves in a single file line, and then she led them through the double doors into the Great Hall. It was lit by thousands of candles strewn midair over four long tables glittering with golden plates and goblets, where the rest of the returning students sat. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the line of first years to this table, bringing them to a halt facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, ghosts shone misty silver.
Professor McGonagall left the students briefly to silently place a four-legged stool directly ahead of the line's midpoint. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth. And, just like every year prior, the hat began to sing:
"I may not be pretty,
But into your heart I see,
Soon, I'll sit atop your head
And determine your destiny.
One by one, you'll be named
To sit here and be claimed
By one of the school's four houses,
Each one of them acclaimed.
There's not a secret that is too deep
For me to notice as I make my sweep,
So do not ask that a change my decision
Because that decision, I will keep.
If you are placed in Hufflepuff,
Your colors are black and yellow.
Your honesty and loyalty
Are what make you an excellent fellow.
If you are placed in Gryffindor,
Your colors are red and gold.
Your bravery will distinguish you
No matter what horrors unfold.
If you are in Ravenclaw,
Your colors are bronze and blue
Your value of wit and learning,
Will always see you through.
Perhaps you are in Slytherin,
Your colors silver and green
You cunningly set out to be a success.
On winning, you are keen.
So when your name is called,
Just put me upon your head
That way I can sort you,
And you can be assigned a bed!
As the hat finished its song, the hall burst into applause. The hat bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again. Professor McGonagall stood at the end of the long line of students holding a long roll of yellowed parchment and cleared her throat.
"When I call your name, you will sit on the stool and then place the hat on your head" she said. "Arabel, Isla!"
A pink-faced girl with long strawberry blond hair stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. After a minute, the hat shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Isla went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table.
"Boswell, Debbi!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Debbi scuttled off to sit next to Isla.
"Boot, Quinn!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Hailey as she joined them.
"Brocklehurst, Uma" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Covet, Matthew" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers.
"Graf, Nate," a sandy-haired boy, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Slytherin.
"Hemmings, Aurora!"
None of the first-years stumbled forwards. Professor McGonagall glanced up from the parchment scroll, pinched her nose, and scanned the line, repeating "Hemmings, Aurora?"
Again, none of the students budged. This was not an everyyear occurrence. First-year students rarely skipped the sorting ceremony. McGonagall shrugged it off, guessing that Aurora missed the train, and continued with the list of names.
"Penn, Abigail!"
That evening, a letter was sent via owl to the Hemmings residence. However, the owl returned the next day having not delivered the letter. It seemed as though there was no Aurora Hemmings. Not in England. Not in Europe. Not in the world.
Aurora Hemmings never arrived at Hogwarts.
