Chapter 4

James stood there in shocked silence. Penny watched him, worried. Jake looked everywhere but at James. James still looked as though he had been clubbed over the head. His mouth hung open, dumbstruck and he had a dazed look in his eyes. "James?" Penny asked, shaking James' shoulder "Are you alright?" James didn't have time to answer though because Professor McGonagall called "Settle down, settle down. First we have Irving Arching!"

"Hufflepuff!" cried the hat

"Gary Bones?"

"Ravenclaw!"

The list went on with no Gryffindor until,

"Chloe Fletcher?"

"Gryffindor!"

James, Penny and Jake waited until the list got to Penny's name

"Penndelin McMillan?"

Penny walked nervously up to the front and sat on the stool. McGonagall put the Sorting Hat onto her head and it shouted at the top of its lungs,

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Penny heaved an obvious sigh of relief, because, even though both of her parents had been in Hufflepuff, she had wanted to be in Gryffindor.

"Jacob Newton?"

Jake's face turned chalk white and then bright red, because she had said his full first name and then back to chalk white, because he was so nervous. He walked slowly up to the front of the Hall and had the hat put on his head. The hat then screamed for all to hear,

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Jake looked as excited as Penny did, about knowing someone in his house. They sat next to each other, anxiously waiting for James' time to be sorted.

"James Potter?"

A quiet whispering grew around the room as people realized that he was Harry Potter's son. Why would they not tell me? Thought James. How could they not tell me? I have the right to know important things like this. What about Albus and Lily? They still don't know. Should I tell them?

"James Potter!"

I am definitely writing to my dad. He thought. Dad and Mum. I wonder if they thought that we just weren't mature enough-

"POTTER!!"

James jumped at the sound of his name. "Mr. Potter, would you please grace us with the pleasure of sorting you, into your house. Snap out of your daydreams, please, and step up here." Said McGonagall, sternly.

"Sorry, Professor." Said James quietly.

He quickly stepped up the stairs to Professor McGonagall. She eyed him carefully and motioned for him to sit down on the stool. He sat down and she placed the Sorting Hat onto his head.

"Interesting," It said, making James jump. "A brilliant mind, like your mother, but a brave heart, like your father. Loyal and trustworthy. Very proud. What house to put you in?"

"Gryffindor, Gryffindor, Gryffin-" thought James, before he was interrupted by the Hat

"Gryffindor, eh?" said the Hat, "Good Choice. A house made for the brave at heart, where the students are loyal, as well as good followers, but make good leaders to. Alright then, GRYFFINDOR!!!"

A wild applause started from the Gryffindor table as James went to join his fellow Gryffindor, including Teddy Lupin.

Teddy was basically James' big brother. He was in his 7th year. Both his parents had died before he was even a year old, fighting a dark wizard. He was also in Gryffindor House and the reason that he was like a big brother to James was because James' dad was Teddy's godfather, and Teddy had lived in their house during his summers away from Hogwarts, all except for this summer because he had been working, with James' Uncle Charlie, in Albania with dragons. James hadn't seen Teddy on the train, but the Potters had received a letter from Uncle Charlie a week before that he would be bringing Teddy to Hogwarts personally, to thank Teddy for helping over the summer.

Teddy clapped James on the back as he walked by to sit between Penny and Jake. Across the table, two of his cousins, Fred and Lisa Weasley, high-fived him, saying congratulations. Fred and Lisa were fraternal twins, even though they looked so much alike. They were his Uncle George's kids. Uncle George had also been a twin, but his twin had died when they were 19 from the same causes as Teddy's parents. In total, James had 5 uncles and 4 aunts, He also had 9 cousins, Ron and Hermione's kids, Rose and Hugo, George and Angelina's kids, Fred (year 4) and Roxanne (year 4), Bill and Fleur's kids, Victoire (year 5), Dominique (year 2) and Louis (year 1), and Percy and Audrey's kids, Molly (year 2) and Lucy. It was Louis' turn now.

"Louis Weasley?"

Louis walked up and had the hat put on his head. The hat then yelled

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Lou looked relieved that he was with the rest of his family in Gryffindor and happily skipped down the isle to squeeze in between Fred and Roxy. As he sat down, he got a double clapping on the back from Fred and Roxy. James remembered how long his parents had fought about where Victoire and Dom were going to go. Their mother wanted them to go to her school, Beauxbatons Academy for girls. But Uncle Bill wanted them to go to Hogwarts with their brother. They decided in the end to send all 3 kids to Hogwarts, where Uncle Bill and all of his aunts and uncles, except for Aunt Fleur went to school.

"Well that concludes the sorting for this year. Now our headmaster would like to say a few words." Said McGonagall stepping down from the podium as Headmaster Steinwright stepped up.

" Thank you, Professor McGonagall, for the introduction." Said the headmaster, in a scratchy voice. He was a rather tall man with short white beard and a large stomach. He had flushed pink cheeks and a merry twinkle in his light brown eyes. He had his hands folded on top of his stomach and his eyebrows moved up and down when he talked. He had a tuft of white hair on his head and he had this look about him, like he always knew more than you did, but never gloated about it.

" I am going to keep this short and sweet. Welcome back to Hogwarts or welcome to Hogwarts. The years here are never alike, but I have a feeling that this year will be especially different from all others. I have no doubt that we will know this by the end of the year. I take this time to remind you that the Forbidden Forest is, as always, off limits to everyone unless you have special permission to go in there. Now, LET'S EAT!"