The Sorting Ceremony
The smoke stung my eyes as I desperately peered through the thick haze to catch a glimpse of the scarlet train that I had been waiting all year to board. Its shiny façade was engrained in my mind exactly one year ago when my older brother was whisked away to begin his education leaving me alone with my judgmental parents. I longed to join him and enter a world I had only witnessed, a world I could explore, a world away from the scrutiny of my parents. At least when my brother was around they drooled over his intelligence and narcissism and left me to my own devices. But without him as a buffer, I came under great surveillance.
All of a sudden the air cleared and the Hogwarts Express came into full view: white smoke billowing from the engine, the red paint even shinier and brighter than I remembered, and the hundreds of students and their families shuffling around the platform.
I was about to take off running into the crowd, trolley cart and all, when a heavy hand landed on my shoulder and my father's booming voice rung out, "Aurelia, leave your luggage over there where Draco left his."
I hadn't even noticed that Draco had left our little throng of blonde wizards. I glanced down at my trolley and saw the cage containing my best friend: my cat, Artemis. "But Father, what about Artemis? Can she come with me on the train?" I asked nervously as his answer was usually a profound no.
"Well yes, silly girl, cats cannot be kept in the luggage compartments. Now listen carefully, I don't want to hear halfway through the year that you don't want to take care of that cat anymore. It's your responsibility; you understand?" His hard gray eyes met my identical ones and I flinched at his humorless expression.
Meeting his eyes once again, I replied, "Yes, Father." It made me uneasy that he had so little faith in my love and my ability to care for Artemis. Even in the past year, once Draco was gone and his attention had turned to me, he still had not noticed that this tiny creature meant the world to me.
When I returned from dropping off the trolley, cat cage in hand, I fell instep behind my father and Draco and next to my mother. She took my hand for a moment and whispered in my ear, "I know you will take great care of Artemis, you have been for a year now." I was a little surprised my mother would disagree with my father when he was only a few feet away but she was the one who had relented to my endless begging for a pet. I had had to resort to saying that I missed Draco and was too lonely without my perfect brother home in order for my mother to agree to adopt Artemis, a pure bred cat with pitch black fur and stark green eyes. In a way I did miss Draco, I missed the fact that he was the center of attention. I certainly did not miss his foul words, taunts, or plots to constantly land me in trouble with our father.
"There's Crabbe and Goyle!" Draco shouted, ready to join his dimwitted sidekicks but turning to hear a quick goodbye from mother and father first.
"Have a successful year at school, son. Get ready for your new position of the Slytherin House Quidditch team" Father said while clapping him on the shoulder. The smile of a spoiled boy spread across Draco's face.
"Come Kiss your Mother good bye, Draco" Mother said stepping towards him. The smile quickly left Draco's smug expression but he reluctantly kissed her on the cheek.
"Smell you later, Aurelia" Draco snickered and strolled off in the direction of his friends. I ignored his jeer as he had used it before. He would have to be more creative if he wanted to torture me at school.
"All aboard!" someone yelled as the train whistled.
"Shall we send off Aurelia on the Express now?" Mother suggested looking at me and Father. It still irritated me that both of my parents refused to call me by my preferred name, Lia. I would make a point of introducing myself as Lia to other students and professors. That thought filled me with excitement. Finally, I would be able to make my own friends instead of the select few that had been chosen for me, all young wizards my age from pureblood affluent families who were so dull that I preferred to chat with Artemis. I knew I would run into them somewhere at Hogwarts in the coming year but I would do my best to avoid them like the plague. At least one thing was certain, I would be free of my ancient tutor, Mr. Baggins, who favored history and theoretical magic over magical creatures and music, which are my favorites.
Father patted the top of my head, bringing me out of my reverie, and I looked in his direction to see him flick his long blonde hair behind his back and square his shoulders. He then nodded and said, "good luck this year Aurelia, make it count." I didn't know what to make of his words but turned to my mother for her good bye, unsure of her reaction.
She pulled me into a quick embrace and murmured, "have a great year, my dear, remember to write." I pulled back and smiled at her, it was unlike my strict mother to show affection in a public place. I could see my father's eyes had widened a bit, a sign of disapproval.
"Good bye, see you at Christmas" I said maybe a little too gleefully and turned to finally step onto the Hogwarts Express.
Slipping through the tight corridor of the train, dodging students and minor jinxes, I was nearly shaking with excitement. I found a compartment with two young girls sitting and chatting quietly. One girl had bright red hair who looked vaguely familiar and the other had curly hair the color of chocolate and olive toned skin.
Opening the door I asked quietly "Do you mind if I sit here?" The red-haired girl looked at me with questioning eyes while the second girl smiled widely and gestured for me to enter. I smiled back and sat opposite the two girls placing Artemis's carrier next to me on the seat.
"Hi," the girl with the dark hair spoke first, "my name is Elizabeth Crane but, you can call me Beth."
"And I'm Ginny Weasley" the red-haired girl added to not seem impolite.
"Hi, I'm Lia," I responded purposefully leaving off my last name knowing that Draco most certainly had a reputation already. "Ginny, you seem very familiar, have we met before?" I asked as the curiosity had already gotten to me.
"I think we did, in Diagon Alley the other day. Your Malfoy's sister aren't you?"
Wonderful, not even five minutes as a Hogwarts student and already I was branded as Malfoy's sister. "Uh yes, I am his sister. I do remember that. Anyone who can stand up to Draco and embarrass him is my hero." I laughed a little at the memory. Father, Draco and I had gone to pick up school supplies when we ran into the Weasley family and Harry Potter, who Draco and Father both despised but I could not understand why; they seemed like fine people to me. Draco had begun picking on Harry, Ginny, and Ron but Ginny cut him short and turned the sneer around onto him. I remembered wishing I was that witty.
Ginny laughed and said "I guess brothers are all the same; I have six."
"What?!" Beth exclaimed, "I have twin baby sisters and they're no trouble at all."
"You're lucky then, I wish I had a sister," Ginny confided turning back towards Beth.
"Same here, the closest thing I have to a sister is Artemis" I said while patting the top of her cage. Artemis meowed quietly. I knew she hated being confined to such a small place.
"I love cats! Your cat is so beautiful. I wanted to take one of our family cats to school but my Dad insisted I take an owl" Beth said leaning forward to get a closer look at Artemis.
"My parents wouldn't let me even have a pet. Ron got to take his rat, Scabbers. I think its unfair" Ginny added.
"Ew! A rat!" Beth shouted recoiling. Ginny and I laughed at her reaction.
"He is rather gross. He's missing one of his toes" Ginny agreed.
"Parents can be so pushy sometimes" I concluded with agreements from Ginny and Beth. The remainder of the train ride continued in this fashion, comparing stories and worries for the year to come.
Once the three of us stepped off the train, we saw a very large bearded man, named Hagrid according to Ginny, rounding up the first years. We followed the half-giant to the lake where we climbed into boats that rowed themselves. As we crossed the Black Lake, Hogwarts castle came into view. Its magnificent stone towers and brightly lighted windows stood out against the night sky. This beautiful castle seemed to beckon to me and say "welcome home."
Once all of the first year students were waiting on the staircase outside the Great Hall for Professor McGonagall to speak to us, Beth whispered in Ginny and my ears, "So what house do you think you'll get?"
"All of my brothers are in Gryffindor, so I'm hoping to join them" Ginny admitted, her brow creasing.
"My Dad was in Ravenclaw so I wish to be there too, but I'm not sure if I'm smart enough" Beth declared diverting her gaze.
"Beth, I'm sure you're very smart but it's not the end of the world what house you're sorted into. What house was your mother in?" Ginny asked curiously.
"Oh, my Mum isn't a witch, Ginny. She's a muggle" Beth responded.
"I wouldn't have guessed; you seem to know a lot about the Wizarding World."
"Yeah, my Dad has kept me up to date. It's pretty neat being a part of both worlds I would say. Enough about me, Lia what house do you think you're going to be sorted into?" Beth pushed for an answer again.
"Well," I said reluctantly, "my family has been in Slytherin for centuries, so I'm assuming Slytherin then."
Before Ginny or Beth could respond, Professor McGonagall joined us in the stairwell, "first years, it is time for the Sorting Ceremony. You will follow me into the Great Hall and will listen for me to call your name. Once you are called, I will place the Sorting Hat on your head and you will join your house. You will be rewarded for achievements with points, break the rules and you will lose points. The house at the end of the year with the most points will win the House Cup. It is time, follow me."
The extravagant doors opened revealing the crowded yet mesmerizing Great Hall. The ceiling was bewitched to resemble the night sky and flickering candles floated above our heads. I briefly searched for Draco to see which table I would find myself at for the next seven years. Once I picked his bright blonde head out of the crowd, I returned my attention to the front of the Hall where the ratty, graying hat sat on top of a stool.
Professor McGonagall unrolled a long piece of parchment, picked up the Sorting Hat and read, "the Sorting Ceremony will now begin. Please come forward when you name is called."
I could feel the excitement start to bubble inside me one again. My name was in the middle of the alphabet and I knew I would have to wait until I could be sorted.
"Charles Avery" McGonagall called out. I cringed once I heard his name as he was one of my supposed friends. He was standing at the front of the crowd of first years and quickly climbed the steps to take a seat on the stool. McGonagall placed the oversized hat on his head.
After a few seconds the hat came to life and its voice echoed throughout the stone hall "Slytherin!" A sigh of relief seemed to pass through Charles as he hopped off the stool and ran towards the table of cheering Sytherins.
"Elizabeth Crane" McGonagall read from the parchment. Beth squeezed by Ginny and me, smiling at us as she passed.
The Sorting Hat seemed to deliberate for a while before exclaiming, "Hufflepuff!" I could tell Beth seemed a little disappointed as she left the stage but then perked up as a dozen Hufflepuffs tried to congratulate and introduce themselves at once.
McGonagall continued to read off the list. I recognized some of the names: Sullivan Fawley who is the grandson of a former Minister of Magic and Astoria Greengrass, another one of my friends who was favored by Draco. McGonagall was nearing the middle of the alphabet and I could not wait to join my house. I smiled at the prospect of meeting my fellow students, even if they were Slytherin…
"Aurelia Malfoy" McGonagall announced. Ginny turned to me and smiled. I could feel Draco's eyes on my back as I slowly pushed through the group of young wizards and ascended the stone steps to be sorted into my house.
Once McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on my head, a strange unfamiliar voice entered my mind, "Hmmm, not a bad mind… a love for animals and other magical creatures and the arts… very optimistic… a desire to succeed… plenty of courage… most interesting, a feeling of not belonging, a sense of loneliness… I know just where to place you…"
"Gryffindor!"