Chapter 2: The Sorting
Mia was standing on Platform 9¾ in awe. The train to Hogwarts was magnificent. All around her, she saw kids of all ages bidding farewell to their perspective families. Mia felt all the nerves of leaving home come crashing down on her just now. She wouldn't see her parents for months. Mia has never been away from her parents for this long before.
But she reached for her wand in her cloak pocket. This was her safety. Her confidence. All in the beautiful cherry wand. Feeling the wand's presence, Mia put a brave smile on her face as she bid her farewell to her parents.
Mia's mum looked in danger of tears as she said, "You will write to us every day! Use the family owl, Bixby." He's an old horned owl that's been the children's pet at Hogwarts since Mason's first year.
"Mum. Once a day is too many times! How about once a week?" Mia replied with reason.
"YES! Yes, of course! You must focus on your studies when you are at Hogwarts. No dilly-dallying like your brother did! You understand, Mia? Now give me a hug and a kiss before you go!", Mia's mum proceeded to hug and kiss her daughter's rigid form. She never really was good with physical touch, even with family.
"Mum you're embarrassing me!", Mia said but immediately regretted once she saw her mum's disappointed face. She decided to give her a big hug and enthusiastic kiss on the cheek.
"Now that's more like it! Goodbye honey!" Mia's mum said at last.
"Good luck, Mia. I think you'll do amazing this year. Make us proud." Her father said as he gave her a last hug.
As she turned away from her parents, Mia was overcome with a lump in her stomach. She was sure that it wouldn't go away until she really did make them proud. It bothered her, but she will change her mind. She will do her best. She is at Hogwarts to excel her magic expertise, not to have crazy adventures.
When she gave her ticket to the ticket collector and entered the Hogwarts Express train, she remembered that she now must look for Hermione. She's the only person who invited Mia to sit with her and already memorized the history of Hogwarts. The ultimate study partner and best friend in Mia's eyes. Mia scans each compartment for Hermione. She sees excited teenagers of all ages laughing with their friends. Just when she has lost hope, Mia spots some bushy brown hair in the last compartment. Sure enough, it's Hermione waving for Mia to come over.
As Mia approaches the compartment, she sees Hermione sitting with a boy and two girls.
"Mia! I'm so glad you found the compartment! Oh, look at me I'm being rude! This is Neville Longbottom." He was a nervous looking boy with dark brown hair and kind blue eyes. "And this is Padma and Parvati Patil." She gestured to the smiling girls. They seemed friendly enough to Mia.
She took a seat next to Hermione and was facing Neville and the Patil's. They talked and talked and before they knew it, they were hearing the conductor saying that we'd be at Hogwarts soon and to put on your robes. Mia has learned that Padma is more like herself than Parvati, but doesn't say anything about it because she can tell that they don't want to be separated in the sorting.
"Neville's worried he lost his frog, Trevor on the train. Me and Neville should look around the compartments and see if anyone's spotted them since we're already dressed in robes." Hermione says as she sees Neville getting more and more antsy.
As Mia relaxes with the Patil sisters a little longer, at the last second, Hermione comes bursting through the compartment doors. Mia expected to see her with Neville's frog, but she came empty-handed.
"Did Neville find Trevor, Hermione?" Mia said.
"No. But guess who I saw in one of the compartments!" Hermione said excitedly.
"Who?" said Padma. They were all intrigued by the potential of interesting news.
"HARRY POTTER!" Hermione exclaimed.
"What?!" Parvati couldn't believe it.
"Are you serious?" Padma said.
"The boy who lived?" Mia asked. She had heard the story from her older siblings once she realized everyone else knew something she didn't. She was in shock when she heard about it. Her parents would never tell her that story. Too worried it would scare her. It was only now that she realized that he is the same age as Mia. He will be sorted this year just like her.
Before Hermione could answer any questions, it was time to go. Everyone was already buzzing about a new year at Hogwarts, but the word is spreading that Harry Potter is here. A celebrity. In the back of Mia's mind, she was kind of annoyed. Will he get special treatment? Now he's the only thing people will talk and remember about this year. What a bummer.
As Mia exited the train and hopped on a boat with the Patil sisters holding a lamp, she saw the magnificent Hogwarts in all its glory. Her mind is no longer on Harry Potter, and how he might outshine her year. She's enjoying the beauty and excitement that lies within those gates they're approaching.
When they finally reach the entrance, she sees Hermione again and clings to her as people pair off walking through the gates and to the Grand Hall where her sister must already be inside. Hermione mentions something about the ceiling and as Mia walks into the Great Hall, she immediately is drawn to the ceiling. There is none. She now listened to what Hermione said. It was spelled to look like the night sky. Mia was over the moon. The beautiful stargazing without the cold weather.
As she and all the other first years huddled in the front of the Great Hall, she sees Dumbledore for the first time before. She remembers seeing him on her Chocolate Frogs, but this is totally different. She also spots in the Ravenclaw table, her older sister giving her thumbs up and a smile. Mia smiles back as she waits for her entire destiny to unfold.
A stern looking woman with a lengthy scroll and a frumpy hat explains to us that this ugly hat will be sorting us into our houses. Mia thinks to herself how ridiculous it is that a crucial decision like this is made by a hat. So much power given to an inanimate object. Her life could be so easily altered by which house she will end up in. Mia secretly prays that the stupid hat won't put her in the wrong house.
Mia's surname is Barnes, so she will be sorted early. Before her, a girl named Hannah Abbott is sorted into Hufflepuff. The woman calls out Mia's name and suddenly her stomach is twisting in knots as she approaches the stool. As soon as Mia sits down, a dark voice coming from the sorting hat on her head shocks her.
"Hmmm another Barnes. Your family history varies in house choices, so let's see what we have here…" the Sorting Hat says straight into Mia's ears. She's shocked. This hat is speaking to her and can read what's in Mia's brain? Her traits? She hopes he knows that she would prefer to be in Ravenclaw.
"You want to be in Ravenclaw, eh? Want to join your sister, would yeh? Let's see…. I see some Ravenclaw inside of you for sure, but that would be the obvious house, wouldn't it? Let's dig a little deeper." The Sorting Hat talked again. Mia was beyond shocked. How does he know what I'm thinking? She wants to be in Ravenclaw so bad! The thought of any other house is a letdown to Mia.
"I understand you want Ravenclaw, but I need to put you in the house you truly belong in. You are smart and creative for sure, but I can see you are also very kind and loyal. Good traits for Hufflepuff, like your brother. But if I am to also take into account your preferences…very well….RAVENCLAW!" The Sorting Hat finally yelled.
A shaking and euphoric Mia stumbles off the stool to the roaring Ravenclaw table. She grabs a seat on the bench next to her sister. Madison gives her a welcoming hug.
"You made it!" Madison screams in Mia's ear.
"Wow. I've never seen the Sorting Hat take that long to make a decision in a while." The teenage boy across Madison mentions. Mia just sits in awe that she finally made it. She's a Ravenclaw! This is all she's ever dreamed of. As she sits, other first years are getting sorted. The women with the scroll (Mia heard Madison call her Professor McGonagall) called Hermione to the stool. Mia looks up with excitement. Her friend is finally being sorted. Mia's happiness is short lived. As soon as Hermione sits down, and the hat is placed on her head, she hears the hat call out GRYFFINDOR!
Hermione makes eye contact with Mia and reluctantly goes to sit with a group of red-headed boys in the Gryffindor table. What? How could this happen? Hermione is Ravenclaw through and through. How could that stupid hat put her in Gryffindor?
After everyone is sorted, Mia sees that the hat also separated the Patil sisters. Parvati is with Hermione in Gryffindor and Padma is with Mia in Ravenclaw. She called it. She knew they were going to get separated. But it still sucks. At least she still has Padma. And people in different houses can still be friends, right?
No, not right. Harry Potter sits next to a now laughing Hermione. As the feast in going on, Mia can only think of how Harry Potter stole her only friend in Hogwarts.