Disclaimer: I do not own the world or character's of Harry Potter.
Author's note: Enjoy!
The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Cassie's first thought was that this was not someone to cross, she doubted from her piercing eyes that this Professor would tolerate any trickery in her classes.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," the shaggy haired man said and Cassie suddenly remembered Remus telling her about the Gryffindor's formidable Head of House.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
She pulled the door wide. The Entrance Hall was so big you could have fitted Remus' house in it twice. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor and showed the first years into a small empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said 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 in 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 rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. 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."
Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose.
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."
She left the chamber.
Cassie's nerves returned in force. The sorting ceremony was going to happen very soon and then people would know. They would know her name and never trust her. What house could possibly want her? There wasn't a chance she'd ever qualify for the loyal Hufflepuffs and the smart Ravenclaws, her inner troublemaker wouldn't allow it, which just left Gryffindor, the house her father betrayed or Slytherin the house of Deatheaters, liars and cheats. It was difficult to judge, people would expect her to be a Slytherin like most of her ancestors and she could fit in there, but it wasn't where she wanted to be. The people she'd met on the train had convinced her of that. She wanted to be in the same house as the troublemaking twins, as Neville Longbottom, who she was sure would be a Gryffindor, the bossy muggle-born Hermione Granger and particularly Harry Potter. She wanted to know him like her father and uncle knew James Potter (minus the epic betrayal part at the end). To be in any other house didn't feel like an option, she was not her father and she would prove it to them.
Cassie was taken aback by several people's screams.
About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to each other and hardly glancing at the first-years. They seemed to be arguing. She recognised what looked like a fat little monk as the Fat Friar from her Uncle's descriptions. "Forgive and forget, I say. We ought to give him a second chance-"
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and, you know, he's not really even a ghost- I say, what are you all doing here?"
A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.
Nobody answered.
"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be sorted, I suppose?"
A few people nodded mutely.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."
"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."
Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.
The tense knot in her stomach tightened. Feeling slightly numb, she got into line behind Ron, with Hermione and Neville behind her, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.
Remus' descriptions had not done it justice. There were thousands of candles which floated in mid-air over the four long house tables, where rest of the students were sitting. At the top of the Hall was another long table where the Professors sat behind it. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shine misty silver. Cassie found some comfort in Hermione's whispered quotations. "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside, I read about it in Hogwarts: A History"
It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.
Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first-years. On top of the stool she put the pointed Sorting hat. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth – and the hat began to sing:
'Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!'
The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.
"So we've just got to try on a hat!" Ron whispered to Harry. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."
Cassie was too nervous to laugh.
Professor McGonagall now stepped forwards holding a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"
A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause-
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table.
"Black, Cassiopeia!" Professor McGonagall's eyes went wide in surprise and she turned to the line of first years to watch for her. Hermione gave her hand a light squeeze as she stepped up to the stool amid the murmurs and whispers of the other students. Cassie breathed a sigh of relief as the hat covered her eyes, blocking out the pale faces staring up at her.
"Ah well, well, well. A young Black eh? Plenty of cunning I see and the bravery of your father too. My, my, aren't you a tricky one. No particular preference my dear? Ah yes, Slytherin would be the easiest of paths for you but what's life without a few challenges, I think- GRYFFINDOR!"
There was smattering of applause that was soon hushed, but was taken up by some enthusiastic first years behind her. Cassie flashed them a grateful smile before hurrying over to the table where the twins were exchanging dumbstruck looks.
Immediately after taking a spare seat as far from the older student's as she could get, she turned back to the Sorting, focusing on it intently without really taking it in. Her heart was still pounding.
At least she'd partway become Neville, Hermione and Harry's friend. She knew it wasn't likely to last but hopefully they could look past her family name.
She applauded with all of the others when "Brown, Lavender," became the second first-year to join Gryffindor, followed soon after by "Finnigan, Seamus."
"Granger, Hermione!"
Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on to her head.
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Cassie cheered and Hermione almost ran over to join her. On Hermione's other side another, older Weasley boy stuck out his hand and shook hers. The glittering prefect badge on his chest puffed out proudly.
When Neville Longbottom was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "Macdougal, Morag."
Neville took a seat opposite them, next to Seamus.
"I think that moment makes it into the top ten most embarrassing moments of my life." Neville grimaced, leaning slightly over the table to talk to the two girls better.
Cassie laughed good naturedly, the knot in her stomach had loosened, the decision was made, she was a Gryffindor. "What number did this moment make?"
"Ssh!" Hermione hissed, intently watching the sorting.
Neville solemnly held up four fingers before cracking out a shy grin, making Cassie struggle to hold on to her laughter.
"Potter, Harry," made them at last turn their attention back to the sorting.
As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like hissing fires all over the hall.
"Potter, did she say?"
"The Harry Potter?"
People were craning to get a better look at him as the hat dropped onto his head. It took a full minute for the hat to finally decide on "GRYFFINDOR!" and the relief on his face was evident as he was given the loudest cheer yet. Percy the Prefect got up and shook his hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"
And now there was only three people left to be sorted. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now, a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Cassie settled on a brief, polite clap rather than the enthusiastic cheering she had given for Harry. Ron collapsed into the seat next to him.
"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley pompously across them as "Zabini, Blaise" was made a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting hat away.
Albus Dumbledore then got to his feet , his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.
"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are. Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!
"Thank you!"
He sat back down. Everyone clapped and cheered.
"Is he- a bit mad?" Harry asked Percy uncertainly.
"Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad yes. Potatoes, Harry?"
The feast spread out before them was of a size and magnitude Cassie had never seen. In fact it was more food than she felt she'd ever seen and it all looked mouth-watering. She had some of everything, even a couple of mint humbugs, although she couldn't figure out what those muggle sweets were there for.
She watched as the twins' friend Lee Jordan levitated his 'pet' tarantula over to the Hufflepuff table, landing in front of a second year who promptly screamed quite girlishly.
Then Professor McGonagall was there, her lips a thin line of exasperation.
"Mr Jordan, detention! And I'll be holding onto your pet until then."
The twins high-fived Lee as the Professor stalked away. "And the award for the first detention of the year goes to Lee Jordan!" The twins cheered happily.
Cassie snorted into her pumpkin juice, making Neville and Hermione look at her strangely.
"What was that about?" Neville frowned.
At the look of disapproval Hermione shot at the twins Cassie mouthed "later" to Neville and swallowed another gulp of pumpkin juice.
When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food disappeared and Professor Dumbledore called for attention again.
"Ahem- just a few more words now we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.
"First-years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."
Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.
"I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.
"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.
"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."
There was a smattering of laughter throughout the hall. Cassie was intrigued. What could they possibly have put in a school full of children that was so dangerous? Why would they have put anything there?
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore.
He gave his wand a little flick as if he was trying to get a fly off the end and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself snake-like into words.
"Everyone pick their favourite tune," said Dumbledore, "And off we go!"
And the school bellowed:
'Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies an bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot."
Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand, and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped the loudest.
"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
The Gryffindor first-years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall and up the marble staircase. Cassie stifled a yawn, as she gazed about in wonderment. The people in the portraits whispered and pointed as they passed and Cassie watched them in awe. Uncle Remus and herself lived a lot in the muggle world so she wasn't used to seeing so many moving portraits. And the castle itself was a moving labyrinth of staircases and vanishing doors, sliding panels and hidden rooms. She could barely contain her excitement at getting to explore the halls of Hogwarts and find out all of its secrets.
Her toe caught on the edge of a step and she almost fell through a missing stair. Percy caught her arm just before she slipped through the gap. "Mind your step, they often vanish."
Behind her, Neville gulped and clung to the railing as he leapt past her. She was so busy watching her feet from then on that she completely missed the whole exchange with Peeves.
As Percy told the Fat Lady portrait the password, "Caput Draconis," they all scrambled in and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cosy, round room full of squashy armchairs.
Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory, it led to a spiral staircase and at the very top they found their beds at last. Their school trunks already laid at the base of the bed, all Cassie could bring herself to do was scribble out a quick note to Remus, promising herself that she'd send it in the morning.
To Remy,
GRYFFINDOR! I'M IN GRYFFINDOR! You were right.
From the one and only,
Cass X