The door was opened almost immediately by a belly with a walrus moustache, as it seemed. A pair of beady eyes stared over the moustache to reveal an oldish wizard dressed in emerald green robes.
"Professor Slughorn." Hagrid greeted the stranger.
"I'll take them from here Professor Hagrid, you proceed to the feast."
The first-years were escorted inside by the Professor, they trooped past a warm entrance hall and into a little side-room. Through the walls, Albus could here the lively voices of the rest of the school.
Turning to face them, Slughorn said "Now first-years, first-years. My name is Professor Slughorn, head of Slytherin House. Very soon the sorting will begin. There are four Houses in Hogwarts, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Each of them have produced outstanding witches and wizards. I do hope that you are students to make your house proud. Now, is everybody ready?"
Nodding silently, Professor Slughorn threw open the doors, and led the way into the great hall.
Glancing around, Albus saw thousands of different faces winking out a him, his heart in his throat he stayed close to Rose as they walked the length of the hall.
Finally they approached the old patched hat sitting on a three-legged stool. Everybody was staring at the hat so Albus decided that he should stare at it too.
To his astonishment, the brim of the hat opened, and a voice echoed from it.
In times of old when I was new
And Hogwarts barely started
The Founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted:
united by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning
To make the world's best magic school
And pass along their learning.
"Together we will build and teach!"
The Four good friends decided
And never did they dream that they
Might someday be divided,
For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
Unless it was the second pair
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?
So how could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why, I was there and so can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.
Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those
Whose ancestry is purest."
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose
Intelligence is surest."
Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those
With brave deeds to their name,"
Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot,
And treat them just the same."
These differences caused little strife
When first they came to light,
For each of the four founders had
A House in which they might
Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance, Slytherin
Took only pure-blood wizards
Of great cunning, just like him,
And only those of sharpest mind
Were taught by Ravenclaw
While the bravest and the boldest
Went to daring Gryffindor,
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,
And taught them all she knew,
Thus the Houses and their founders
Retained friendships firm and true.
So Hogwarts worked in harmony
For several happy years,
But the discord crept among us
Feeding on our faults and fears.
The Houses that, like pillars four,
Had once held up our school,
Now turned upon each other and,
Divided, sought to rule.
And for a while it seemed the school
Must meet an early end,
What with duelling and with fighting
And the clash of friend on friend
And at last there came a morning
When old Slytherin departed
And though the fighting then died out
He left us quite downhearted.
And never since the founders four
Were whittled down to three
Have the Houses been united
And they once were meant to be.
And now the Sorting Hat is here
And you all know the score:
I sort you into Houses
Because that is what I'm for,
And now it's time for all of you to face your differences and divide
But although we are all different, we should all stand side by side.
Applause filled the hall when the song stopped, Professor Slughorn unfurled a piece of parchment and read out,
"Adams, Titania."
Ravenclaw!
"Coats, Rory."
Gryffindor!
Professor Slughorn proceeded down the list until he reached,
"Finnigan, Sean."
Sean ran up the stairs eagerly as the professor dropped the sorting hat on his head.
Gryffindor!
Cheers erupted from the Gryffindor table as Sean ran off to join them.
Too soon, it seemed, the Head of Slytherin called out,
"Parker, Holly."
Ascending the steps nervously, Holly sat down on the stool, the moment the hat touched her midnight-black hair, it shouted
Gryffindor!
Looking pleased, Holly went to join the Gryffindor table.
Next, Albus knew, would be
"Potter, Albus."
The Hall fell silent, as Albus made his way towards the stool, the hat dropped on his ears. Instantly he heard a small voice in his ear.
"Hmm, another Potter, I think we all know what do do with you. Gryffindor!"
His knees weak with relief, Albus went to join his friends at the Gryffindor table. He watched the rest of the Sorting until at last,
"Weasley, Rose."
Rose was the last one to be Sorted, making her way to the hat, it called out the thing Albus least expected to hear.
Ravenclaw!
An angry muttering broke out from the Gryffindor table as the Ravenclaws cheered and clapped as loudly as they could.
Albus could hardly believe his ears, Rosie? Ravenclaw?
The rest of the feast passed in a daze, even when Headmistress Minerva McGonagall stood up to deliver a speech, he wasn't paying attention. He only snapped out of it when he heard his cousin's voice of "First-years this way! Gryffindor First-years follow me!"
Molly Audrey Weasley was standing by the door herding the rest of the Gryffindor first years. Shrugging at each other, the three of them stood up and followed the Weasley throughout the halls, up countless stairs until they reached a picture of a sleeping Lady.
Opening one eye the picture asked "Password?"
"Dumbledore!" replied Molly as the picture swung open to reveal a cozy common room decorated with crimson armchairs and a roaring fire. Molly turned to face them and said "Girl dormitories on the left, Boys dormitories on the right."
Winking at the two boys, Holly set off up the left staircase with four other girls around her. Albus and Seamus started walking up the rift staircase, the stairs wound round and round and round, until at last, the reached a door with a plaque "First-Years."
Opening the door, Albus stared around the dormitory that was to become his home.