I glared at my uncle and he barely glanced at me. His hateful, silvery-grey eyes bore into other students, seeming warmer than they actually were.
I followed him, nervously and I swallowed. This was the day I had been waiting for, for years and I was determined not to ruin it. Sebastian smiled at me, trying to cheer me. My heart pounded against my ribs painfully, and I breathed slowly.
My uncle led us into the Great Hall, without as much as a word uttered and the thunderous voices silenced instantly.
There was a deafening silence in the hall and I found myself glaring at the ceiling. I could see a pearly-white crescent moon, hanging low in the sooty-black sky, illuminating everything outside. There wasn't a breath of wind to be heard. Or the roaring of the waves, pounding the Scottish coastline, a hundred miles away.
"When I call your name," Professor Dale announced, his voice shattering the silence. "You will sit on this chair and I will place the Sorting Hat on your head. You will, then, be Sorted. Is that clear?" The First-Years nodded, muttering an agreement. The tension in the air was much more...relaxed now."Bane, David!"
"Ravenclaw!" There was a loud cheering, coming from the table closest to the windows. They seemed pleasantly elated.
"Bane, Michelle!"
"Gryffindor!" There was a thunderous roaring and Michelle swiftly made her way to her ner house. I looked back at the ripped hat. It seemed so fragile, so...weather-beaten...
"Black, Cassiopeia!"
"Ravenclaw!"
"Coeur, Gemma!"
"Better be... Hufflepuff!" The table, nearest the wall, sadly clapped and some even cheered, yelling her name thunderously.
"Dale, Jason!" My heart stopped beating for two seconds. I wasn't expecting to be Sorted so early.I swallowed nervously, a feeling of uncertainty washing over me.
This was my moment. I stepped forward, and slowly, sauntered over to the ancient, battered hat. I could hear a loud buzzing, in the hall, at that moment. My uncle placed the ripped yet beaten hat anxiously onto my head.
I closed my eyes and muttered a minute prayer I had made up years ago:
'For you the gleaming bell will chime twice,
Ensure the years make you twice as wise.'
A bone-chilling voice uttered in my ear..."A smart, cunning mind you have here, Dale... I can sense an ambition, a yearning for something...I see." I sighed, my breath rattling unearthily in my ears. "Hmm... Perhaps you belong in Slytherin..." it whispered tentatively, in my ear.
This is it. It's what I've been waiting for. "It's my choice, isn't it?" I demanded. It muttered something barely audible.
"Of course, Dale," it announces.
"Slytherin. I need to be in Slytherin!" I announced feebly, my voice so quiet now. The hat mutters incomprehensiblely and my heart leapt with joy.
"I knew it," the hat declared, making me smile broadly. "SLYTHERIN!" it bellowed and I heard a deafening roar. It greeted me like an old friend. I causally glanced at Professor McGonagall, and she nodded sadly. I sighed in relief, and shook hands with some of the Slytherins. They had broad smirks, upon their faces.
"Dark, Sebastian!" My friend swallowed and made his way to the hat nervously.
I saw him close his eyes and then for a brief moment- "SLYTHERIN!" I cheered loudly.
"Welcome back!" I announced, and he smiled gently. Two more Slytherins came my way and shook hands with me before the hat declared that 'Jason Hirst ' was a Hufflepuff. I felt reasonably better, now. Then, when I spotted her. She was the next one to be Sorted and I glanced at her elegant, muddy-brown eyes. They instantly melted my heart.
"Slytherin!"
I roared loudly, for her. She joined my table and shook hands with practically me and Sebastian.
"Emma Paterson," she quietly announced to me. I nodded, smiling. The hat was swiftly put away and I felt my insides churn. The Chocolate Frogs I had earlier seemed...gone.
I stepped into the icy cold dungeon and felt a surge of warmth overcome me. This is where I really belonged. I shivered slightly, goosebumps rising on the back of my neck. I casually glanced at Sebastian and he raised his eyebrows.
A stone snake, with glimmering emeralds for eyes, and silver daggers for protruding fangs, hissed thunderously. It stood, in front of a toweringly tall Prefect. The Prefect, with muddy-brown hair, glanced back at me, and I noticed a flicker of worry cross his eyes. He nervously swallowed and cleared his throat loudly.
"Anguis," he declared, loud enough for all the First-Years to hear.
I heard a deafening clunk, like a firework had just exploded then, and I smelt a faint pang of salty water. A part of the stone wall twitched and groaned, before moving to the right, leaving a wide, round space that was immensely big. I
heard another murmur of excitement ripple through the First-Years, before the Prefect beckoned us forward, into the impenetrable gloominess. A faint hiss emanated from the stone walls and several rusty, oily, battered looking lamps lit up, a blinding tawny-gold light in the midst of a cavernous, spacious, earthly room.
And then, I saw it.
A breath-taking, astounding display of eerie jade-green light, that seemed to be part of the bottom of the lake. I peered at the spectacular sight and found several pebbles and clumps of seaweed that littered the bottom of the lake. "
Wow," Sebastian muttered under his breath. "That's wicked." I nodded in agreement.
"Hey Maier, looks like the Mud-bloods managed to get here, anyway," sneered a snide voice behind me. Thankfully, it wasn't addressed to me or Sebastian. I spun around.
"Symphony," a girl announced. "Any good gossip?"
"Rosier. Anguem Rosalier," Rosalier declared, his hand outstretched. Emma swallowed and glanced at me. I felt a sudden breath of warmth overcome me. She was the one! Emma swiftly glanced away.
"Seems like it, Rosalier. Why they haven't made them leave, after all those years is beyond me..." a girl muttered.
"Rhiannon Maier," she declared, offering her hand to Emma. Smpyhony's outstretched hand returned to her side.
"I couldn't help, but overhear you complaining about the Mudbloods. I can get rid of them, of course," she declared, inspecting her fingernails. "For a price. Detention is the cheapest. Or I can them to the Hospital Wing anywhere from tomorrow to October." "
Sebastian," I murmured in his ear. "Listen to this!"
I must have spoken a litlle to loud, because the toweringly tall Slytherins turned around.
"I think you should start with him, Symphony," Maier growled,"he must be a Mudblood." She grabbed the scuff of my neck. I snarled loudly, raising my fist to punch Maier-
"Leave him alone," Rosalier growled.
Maier twisted her head, her face contorted somewhere between a grimace and amusement.
"What?"
"Leave him alone. He is Jason Dale. I presume you know Andrew Dale?" Rosalier snapped, pointing to his bloodied nose. "Or shall I let him punch you?" Maier took a few seconds to register the threat and she simply dropped me immediately.
"Thanks." Rosalier nodded.
I hurried away from the huddled group and into the new dormitories assigned for us. Sebastian glanced at me worriedly but let it go and I managed to get away peacefully. I laid on my bed in the impenetrable gloominess and thoughts whirred around my head, out of control. Tomorrow was going to be harder, I realized.
And I was right.
