Second chapter! I won't be updating this regularly in the future; I just wanted to keep writing and the next chapter just happened! Sorting time! I tried to make it as accurate as I could, but there's probably something off somewhere. Thanks for reading!
DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter does not belong to me. Addie and Hervey do, most other people, nope.
Hervey and Addie had just shook hands when the door to the compartment slid open and a tall girl with dark red hair sauntered in, her wand in hand. "Hello," she said with an air of snootiness. "I'm looking for a boy with long black hair named Severus."
"We haven't seen him," Addie said sharply, wishing she would go away.
The girl eyed her with a judgmentalstare. "Who are you?" she asked.
Hervey answered for her. "She's Addie Hughes, and I'm Hervey Hawthorne."
The girl sniffed. "I'm Lily Evans," she said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to find Severus." She whirled around and waltzed out of the compartment, her school robes swishing at her ankles.
"I hopeshe'snot in my house," Addie grumbled after she had left."Oh, I'm looking for a boy named Severus!" she said in a high-pitched imitation of Lily's voice.
"Yeah," Hervey agreed. "Did you see the way she looked at us? Like she was so much higher above us?Please.I hope she's sorted into Slytherin." He suddenly realized what he had said and immediately wished he could take it back. Too late, though.
"I'm probably going into Slytherin," Addie snapped. "I hope she doesn't get into a house at all. I hope they made some mistake and she's a squib or something."
The train began to slow to a stop, and the children looked out the window to see a massive stone castle: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
A voice echoed through the train: "We've arrived at Hogwarts. Please leave your luggage on the train; it will be delivered to the school separately."
"We're here!" cried Hervey excitedly, and he pocketed his wand once more and stood up. "Come on! Let's go!"
Addie followed suit, feeling suddenly very nervous.What ifI'm a squib and they made a mistake?She pulled her hand into her sleeve and touched her wand. She had never used it before, not once. She had never used a single magical item before, not even Floo Powder or a Remembrall. Her parents worked for the Improper Use of Magic Office in the Ministry of Magic, and were very adamant that she not use any magic outside of school until she was of age.Perhaps I am a squib and I've never known it.She thought, and immediately felt much more nervous and sweaty. She decided to push the thought out of her mind for now.
As she stepped off of the train, Addie's skin prickled in the cold air and she pulled her robes tighter around her. It was very dark, but she could make out a dim, yellow light, a lamp shining just above their heads and a deep male voice said, "First years, please follow me! First years, follow me!"
Addie ran towards the man and bumped into someone on the way. She stepped backwards and sighed with relief. "Oh," she said. "It's you, Hervey."
He smiled. "This is so exciting! I can't believe we're finally here!" he squealed.
The man with the lantern moved. "All right! Everyone follow me!" he yelled, and the students filed behind him.
Hervey, walking down the dark path with strange vigor, said, "I wonder when the Sorting Ceremony'll start."
Addie looked ahead and gasped. "Look!" she cried, pointing with her finger.
Hervey turned and the two looked in awe of the gleaming, glass-like surface a of a deep, black lake. On the bank closest to them was a large boat.
"First years! First years! Pile in!" The man bellowed, getting into the boat himself.
Addie and Hervey climbed in, Hervey grabbing her arm to steady himself before they sat down. Addie's face grew warm and he let go, whispering a quiet apology.
The boat glided quietly along the surface of the glassy lake, and the students all peered over the hull to look into the depths. Hervey dragged his hand in the water, feeling the cold on his fingertips.
"Careful," the man with the lantern said gruffly. "There's a giant squid in the lake who likes to grab students."
Hervey pulled his hand out and sheepishly sat on it. "Could've told us earlier," he grumbled, but perked up when the boat reached the opposite shore and the students gathered on the top step, right by the great door to the castle.
The man knocked on the door twice, the knocks echoing through the while school and the door opened quickly, revealing a tall witch dressed in deep green robes and a stern expression on her face.
"Everyone," the man announced loudly. "Meet Professor MacGonagall."
She observed the group with a cold stare and nodded at the man. "Thank you, Silvanus. I'll take them from here." She pushed open the doors and led the students inside.
"Woah," Addie gasped, looking around the interior of the castle. She had heard that Hogwarts was a grand place, but she never thought it would bethis grand.They were standing in a massive entrance hall, with great stone walls lit up by sputtering torches. The walls seemed to go up forever, and nobody could see where they ended and where the ceiling began.
Professor MacGonagall turned to face the students. "Welcome to Hogwarts," she said sharply. "The banquet will begin in a few minutes, but before we eat, you will all be sorted into your respective houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your houses will become a sort of family. You will eat at the same table, sleep in the same dormitory, and spend your free time together." Addie got the impression that she had performed this speech many, many times.
The professor went on. "There are four houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Hufflepuff. Each house has its own grand history and has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, good behaviour will result in gaining house points, and negative behavior will result in a reduction of points. At the end of term, the house with the most points wins the house cup." She paused and surveyed the first years. "The Sorting will take place shortly, and I will be right back." She left the chamber quietly, making almost no noise.
Hervey poked Addie in the arm. "Do you suppose it'll hurt?" He whispered.
Addie looked nervous. "I hope not," she said anxiously. She noticed the redheaded girl from the train, Lily, standing just to her left.
"I hope I'm getting in Gryffindor," Lily announced.
A boy with a dark shock of horribly messy hair laughed. "I hope not! I'll be in Gryffindor, and I couldn't stand it if I'm with you!"
The first years laughed. Lily'sface turned very red but she said nothing.
Professor MacGonagall returned and looked at the students. "Form a line," she said. The students obeyed. "Now follow me."
Addie, following Lily and leading Hervey, walked with the rest of the students into the Great Hall.
They all gasped, some looking at the hundreds of people staring at them and some looking at the many candles suspended above them. Addie was looking up at the ceiling, which seemed to open out so they could see the jet black night sky, sprinkled with stars like salt grains.
Professor MacGonagall placed a stool in front of the first years and placed a tattered old hat on top of this.
There was silence in the hall, then the hat began to sing.
Addie had to cover her mouth to keep from gasping again. A wide rip at the bottom of the had had opened up like a mouth and the hat was now singing a song.
Hervey looked absolutely awestruck as he listened to the hat's song and they both applauded furiously when the hat had finished.
Professor MacGonagall, holding a scroll in her hands, stuff in front of the students once more. "When I call your name," she said. "You will sit on the stool and put on the hat to be sorted." She looked at her parchment and called out, "Armstrong, Thomas!"
A young, nervous looking boy with blonde hair stepped forward and sat down on the stool. The hat was placed on his head, falling down to his eyes, and, after a moment, the hat cried, "GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table applauded madly.
Professor MacGonagall looked at her parchment again. "Books, Megan!"
A skinny, black haired girl sat down and the hat sorted her into "HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Black, Sirius!"
A bit with dark hair came forward. "GRYFFINDOR!" the hat proclaimed.
After 'Charleston, Jennifer' had been sorted into Slytherin and 'Dawson, Albert' in Ravenclaw, 'Evans, Lily' was carried forward.
She sat delicately on the stool and the hat stood still for almost a full minute before hollering, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Then came 'Hamilton, Alexander' who went to Slytherin and then "Hawthorne, Hervey!" was called.
Hervey gulped and walked over to the stool. He put on the hat and sat down. The hat sat there, on his head for a moment before opening is rip and yelling, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
Hervey beamed, flushing bright pink as he skipped off to join his house.
Addie's heart sank.We won't be in the same house then.She hoped that she'd still be able to see him.
"Hughes, Adelaide!"
She jumped, startled, and quickly made her way to the stool. As she sat down and the hat was placed over her head, she fingered her wand in her sleeve.
A small voice spoke in her head. "Hmm... interesting... Got plenty of smarts, but ambitions too...hmmm..."
Please,she thought hard to herself.Not Gryffindor. Anything but Gryffindor.
The voice spoke again. "Not a fan of Gryffindor, eh? Well, in that case, let's have you in RAVENCLAW!"
She stepped off the stool and joined her new housemates, and looked over her shoulder to where Hervey was applauding madly. "Good job!" He yelled. "We both got what we wanted!"
She smiled back, but felt a bit sad that she and Hervey wouldn't see each other much.
As 'Windermere, Fletcher' was sorted into Ravenclaw, the sorting was finished, and a tall wizard with a long grey beard stood up. "Congratulations!" He cried, smiling. "Now, before we begin, is like to remind everyone that the Forbidden Forest is the one just down the hill from the school, and it is forbidden for students!" He held up a goblet. "Now, everyone, let's eat!"