SPOV: It was a bit strange stepping foot into Hogwarts for the first time. It was a place that I had been told so much about, a place that held so much history in its walls, the place that I would spend the majority of the next seven years of my life. I found that last thought a happy one. How many nights had I spent lying awake in my bed, looking out at the stars listening to my parents failing marriage? Too many for a boy of only eleven, that's for sure. I was standing in the large entrance, waiting to be let into the Great Hall for sorting, my white blonde hair falling messily into my grey eyes. I had been told on many occasions that I looked exactly like my father and I had done all that I could to stop the similarity between us growing. I put great effort into keeping my hair long and unruly instead of cropped and pristine like his, I wore t-shirts at least two sizes too big for me unlike my father's preferred suits and I slouched, not at all like his way of standing that made you feel so small. But no matter how hard I tried, I could not change my appearance completely and I would always be told that I was a spitting image of the man who helped create me. Suddenly, a tall, round man came forward and introduced himself as professor Longbottom and lead us into the hall.
To say the hall was grand was by far an understatement. I was far larger than any of the rooms we had back at home and housed four long tables, all filled with chatting students, craning their necks to get their first glimpse of the new students. The ceiling, however, was by far the most impressive feature of the room. I looked up and saw a perfect replica of the night sky. Full of twinkling stars, I could even see some of the familiar constellations I was used to seeing at home. I heard someone behind me say that it was enchanted but I found myself only half caring. It was beautiful.
We finally got to the front of the Hall and lined up in front of the teachers table. The teachers were a rather odd bunch of people-ranging in appearance so much that you would never have guessed that they had ever been connected by anything, least of all their work. Then the person who was sitting in the middle stood up and started to talk. She was a very tall and slender woman, with angular features and thin lips. Her grey hair was pulled into a tight knot at the back of her head and her face was ridden with many lines which gave the appearance that she was of an old age. "Welcome students to what I hope will be another pleasant year at Hogwarts. Second to seventh years will already be well aware of the school rules but for the benefit of our new members I will run through them once more." At this point you could hear several groans from what seemed a rather displeased audience. "There is to be no magic used in the corridors; for your safety and the safety of others. The forest at the edge of our school is forbidden, and for those of you with a lower IQ that means out of bounds" I could see her look over to three students sat in the second table to the right who just looked back at her with a similar grin spread across their faces. You could tell that this sort of abuse was exchanged regularly and that no offense was intended or taken. "And all students found breaking this rule will receive a detention with yours truly, whether you view this as a punishment or a treat it is up to you. So I think everything's been covered, if I've missed anything I am more than positive that our prefects will give you the run down. Let's start the sorting!" I suddenly became aware of the fact that a stall had been placed in the hall with an old weathered hat sitting on it. Professor Longbottom then started reading out names and one by one they tried on the hat and waited for their names to be called out. Some students seemed surprised that this was the manner of sorting and I realised that maybe not all families had told their children how they sorting process happened as not all of them could be muggle-born. I found myself wishing that my parents, too, had not told me, but instead waited for me to have discovered this little piece of magic for myself. I waited patiently for my name to be read out. Amelia Johnson- Slytheryn. Lily Potter- Gryffindor. Toya Green- Ravenclaw. Then I heard the name Lee Thompson called and instead of seeing a boy walk up to the hat, a girl showed up. She was small, no, tiny. She could have only been around 5foot. Her dark brown hair was unevenly cut around her shoulder and fell across her pale face, framed by a pair of black glasses. She moved slowly to the hat, taking small steps with her eyes wide. She resembled a frightened rabbit. I felt a pang of sympathy for her. She was terrified. Then the unexpected happened. The hat had barely touched her head when it cried out "GRYFFINDOR!" There was an echo of cheers throughout the hall. This terrified girl had been placed into the house that was renowned for being brave.
Several more names were called about before I heard "Scorpius Malfoy" called out. It was me. The hall went completely silent as I walked up to the hat. I could feel the schools judging stares all trained on me, and even a few whispers. I couldn't hear them, but I could guess it was something about how my father had been a death eater. The hat was placed on my head and nothing happened…for quite a while. It was just me, wearing an unresponsive hat, with a couple of hundred people judging my every move staring at me. Finally, after God knows how long of waiting the hat shouts out "SLYTHERYN!" Unlike the other first years humongous cheers, I only got a half hearted clap; most probably only because some people didn't know my family's history and because the others were just being polite. I sat down next to another first year, a girl with thick, dark blonde hair and green eyes. Instead of ignoring me like I was expecting her to, she turned around and smiled. "Hey" she said, her voice friendly and full of warmth "I'm Shelley." I looked at her, a bit confused as to why she was talking to me, and not shunning me like the rest of the house. "Hi, I'm Scorpius" She smiled and we just started talking to each other about small things like what classes we were looking forward to (I was particularly looking forward to Astronomy) what Quidditch team we supported (Chuddley Cannons all the way) and the food (which was amazing!) and all too soon it was time to go to our dormitories. Our prefect hushed us up and took us down to the dungeon where our common room was.
I hadn't realised how tired I was until I was lying down in my bed, but for some reason I was unable to sleep. My brain kept remembering the events of today. Boarding the scarlet Hogwarts Express, saying goodbye to my weeping mother and stone faced father, getting sorted, the schools immediate resentment to me, meeting Shelley. Finally my thoughts gathered around the frightened Gryffindor girl. What was her name? It was a boys' name…Harry? Joe? Lee? Yes that was it, Lee Thompson. I finally drifted off into the world of sleep with her face flittering through my thoughts…