Disclaimer: I'm fairly certain I'm not JK Rowling, then again, no one can really be too sure.


Chapter 2: The Sorting

Harry and Ron were ready. A voice echoed through the train, informing them that they would be arriving at Hogwarts in five minutes' time and to leave their luggage in their compartments as it would be taken up to the school separately. Ron, Harry saw, looked pale under his freckles. They took the last few sweets and crammed them into their pockets, before joining the excited crowd filling the corridor outside.

When the train slowed down and finally stopped, people began to push their way towards the doors. Harry could see the dark silhouettes of trees outside through the windows. He took a deep breath, and stepped out onto a tiny, dark platform. Harry knew that they must be in Hogsmeade, as he knew the station was situated somewhere in the village, but he had never been close to it before, and he wasn't sure exactly where he was, only that it would be a long walk up to the castle. It was cold, and the students shivered in the night air. Harry tried not to think about the suffocating darkness around him.

Less than a minute later, a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice calling 'Firs'-years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?'

It was Hagrid, his big hairy face beaming at him over the sea of heads. Harry smiled and nodded slightly.

'C'mon, follow me- any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs'- years follow me!'

They followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path, slipping and stumbling as they went. It was so dark either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there, and his stomach clenched. He didn't want to think about it, not now. . . Harry reminded himself that he was surrounded by people, including Ron, and Hagrid, and that it was impossible for anything to happen when he was in the midst of a crowd. Nobody spoke much, and only Neville's occasional sniffs from somewhere behind Harry broke the silence.

'Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec,' Hagrid called over his shoulder, 'jus' round this bend, here.'

There was a loud, collective 'Ohhhhh!'

The narrow path had opened suddenly on to the edge of the Black Lake, and perched atop a high cliff on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was Hogwarts.

'No more'n four to a boat!' Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron got into one of the boats and were closely followed by Neville and Hermione.

'Everyone in?' shouted Hagrid, who had a whole boat to himself. 'Right then- FORWARD!'

And they set off, gliding across the smooth, green surface of the lake. Everyone was silent, staring up in awe at the great castle overheard. Even Harry had his mouth open in wonder. Hogwarts had always been especially beautiful at night, and he'd never seen the castle from this angle before.

'Head's down!' yelled Hagrid. The first group of boats had reached the cliff. They all bent their heads, and the little boats carried them through a wet curtain of ivy, which hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They travelled along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a sort of underground harbour. They clambered out onto a shore of rocks and pebbles.

'Oi, you there! Is this your toad?' said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

'Trevor!' cried Neville, and he held out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway that had been carved into the rock, following Hagrid's lamp, and came out at last onto a patch of smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They reached a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

'Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?'

Hagrid raised a gigantic first and knocked three times on the castle doors, which swung open at once. A tall, black haired witch in emerald green robes stood there. It was Minerva.

'The firs' years, Professor McGonagall,' said Hagrid.

'Thank you, I will take them from here,' she said, pulling the door wide to let them all through. The Entrance Hall was as big and welcoming as ever. They followed Minerva across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear hundreds of voices coming from the Great Hall. Harry expected to be led straight in, but instead he was surprised when Minerva led them into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They had all crowded in, and Minerva proceeded to tell them all about Hogwarts, how the sorting would work, and about the school houses. After informing them that it would take place in a few minutes and instructing them to smarten up a bit more, she left. Ron rubbed at a smudge of dirt on his nose, and Harry tried to flatten his hair, even though he knew it was useless.

'D'you know how they sort us into the houses?' Ron asked him. 'You know. . . 'cause you live here. Fred said it was some sort of test, and that it hurts a lot. That's not true, is it?'

Harry grinned. 'No, it's fine! It's just a hat.'

Ron looked extremely confused, but Harry only grinned further and refused to say anything else. Soon after they were interrupted as around 20 ghosts streamed through the back wall of the room, making most people- even Harry- jump a foot in the air. Several people behind him screamed. They were pearly white and slightly transparent, and they glided across the room as they talked to each other, hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing at something. Harry recognised The Fat Friar, who was saying 'Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance!'

Harry was very familiar with the ghosts, who always said hello to him when they spotted him wandering around the castle, especially Sir Nicholas. He was also all too familiar with Peeves, who he was sure the ghosts were talking about. Peeves had never targeted him specifically (picking on students was one thing, picking on a six-year-old was just not done, especially when said child was under the guardianship of Albus Dumbledore), so Harry held no grudges, and he'd always found a lot of Peeves' pranks quite funny. Once, when Harry was seven, the Poltergeist had managed to flood two of the corridors on the third floor and fill one of them with live, singing carp.

The ghosts seemed to have now noticed the children.

'New students!' said The Fat Friar, smiling around at them. 'About to be sorted, I suppose?'

A few people, including Harry, nodded.

'Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!' said the Friar. 'My old house, you know.'

'Move along now, follow me,' said a voice suddenly from the doorway. Minerva had returned. 'The Sorting Ceremony's about to start.'

Harry got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the Entrance Hall, and into the Great Hall.

Harry felt strange and slightly giddy as he walked down the middle of the rows of tables. He'd done it many times before, of course, but never like this, surrounded by his fellow first years and about to be sorted, with all eyes on him. It seemed so surreal. The teachers sat in front of them at the High table, and some of them gave Harry small smiles as he got closer. Every single year before that, Harry had sat with them, in between Minerva and Albus, watching from above as each year's group of students were sorted.

Once they reached the front, they turned around to face the rest of the student body, huddled together more closely than they ever would again. Harry looked up at the ceiling, trying to avoid thinking about the hundreds of faces staring up at him. It was dark, filled with stars and what looked to be the milky way. Next to him, he heard Hermione whisper 'It's bewitched to look like the sky outside, I've read about it in Hogwarts: A History'.

Minerva placed a four-legged stool in front of them. On top of it, she put a pointed wizard's hat- the Sorting Hat. Harry waited, expecting it to start any second, and sure enough, the hat widened and a rip appeared near the brim, opening wide like a mouth. It 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 old 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, Harry nearly joining in as he always had before he realised that none of the other first years were clapping. The hat bowed to each of the four tables and then became entirely still again.

'Thank Merlin,' said Ron. 'You were right! I'm going to kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll!'

Minerva 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 over her eyes- and sat down. A moment's pause, and then the hat shouted 'HUFFLEPUFF!'

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down with the Hufflepuffs. Harry saw the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

One by one, the rest of the students began to get sorted. Susan Bones went to Hufflepuff, Terry Boot and Mandy Brocklehurst to Ravenclaw, Lavender Brown to Gryffindor, Millicent Bulstrode to Slytherin, Justin Finch-Fletchley to Hufflepuff, and Seamus Finnigan to Gryffindor. Hermione- who almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat on her head- was sorted into Gryffindor as well, and soon after Neville joined her, something which surprised Harry slightly. The shy boy hadn't seemed too brave when he'd come to their compartment. He watched Neville run off with the hat still on his head, before Malfoy, the nasty boy from the train, swaggered forwards to be sorted. It wasn't surprising that the second the Sorting Hat touched his head, it screamed 'SLYTHERIN!'

Malfoy's bodyguards, Crabbe and Goyle, clapped from their place at the Slytherin table. Harry wasn't really against the Slytherins, but it was true that most of the students in the upper years didn't like him, and although they'd never done anything to him before, nasty looks or sneers were occasionally directed at him in the corridors.

There weren't a lot of people left now. Moon, Nott, Parkinson, a pair of twin girls (Patil and Patil), Sally-Anne Perks, and then, at last-

'Potter, Harry!'

As Harry stepped forwards, several whispers broke out. Most of the student body knew him already, but there were still a few murmurs here and there amongst his fellow first years, who hadn't known he had been with them. Minerva gave him a small, encouraging smile, and Harry took a deep breath before sitting down awkwardly on the stool. The hat was placed gently on his head, and next second he was looking at the black canvas inside of the hat. He waited.

'Hmmm,' said a small voice in his ear. 'You're a difficult one, you are. Plenty of courage, I see. Oh yes. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes. . . now that's interesting. So where shall I put you?'

Harry gripped the edges of the stool. He had wanted to be a Gryffindor for as long as he could remember, and both Albus and Minerva had been Gryffindors. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw weren't too bad, but still. . . and if he was ever put in Slytherin house, well. . .

'Hmmm, yes,' said the small voice. 'So it's Gryffindor you want, eh? You are courageous, no doubt about that. You have survived through what many never have and never will-' Harry shivered slightly at that, but tried to concentrate on the rest of what the hat was saying as it continued, '-but you could be great, in Slytherin. It's all here in your head. . . no? Well, if you're sure. . . better be GRYFFINDOR!'

Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall, and he was immediately filled with a sense of relief so immense he nearly fell off the stool. He took off the hat and walked shakily to the Gryffindor table. He was a Gryffindor! A Gryffindor! He couldn't believe it. Harry was so happy and excited that he didn't notice he was getting the loudest cheer yet. An older boy got up and shook his hand vigorously, while two red-headed boys who could only be Ron's twin brothers (Harry was sure he had seen them around the school before) started chanting 'We got Potter! We got Potter!'

Embarrassed, Harry sat down opposite Sir Nicholas, who beamed at him and cried, 'Welcome to Gryffindor, Mr Potter!'

Harry looked up at the High Table. He caught Hagrid's eye, and Hagrid gave him the thumbs-up. And there, in the centre of the table, was Albus. He raised his golden goblet slightly at Harry, blue eyes twinkling, and Harry smiled.

The last few people were left to be sorted. Lisa Turpin became a Ravenclaw, and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Harry crossed his fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted 'GRYFFINDOR!'

Harry clapped loudly with the rest of the students as Ron plonked down on the chair next to him.

'Well done, Ron, excellent,' said the older boy who had shaken Harry's hand as Blaise Zabini was sorted into Slytherin. He had to be one of Ron's older brothers. Harry noticed a shining Prefect's badge on his chest, and remembered what Ron had told him earlier. Ah, Percy then. Harry looked down at his empty gold plate, realising suddenly how hungry he was. The Chocolate Frogs seemed ages ago.

Albus had got to his feet. He was beaming at the students, arms open wide.

'Welcome,' he said. 'Welcome to another 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, and everybody clapped and cheered. Harry rolled his eyes.

'Is he. . . always like this?' asked Ron hesitantly.

'Yes,' said Harry happily, and he smiled widely when the plates and platters in front of them filled with food; roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, chips, yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and for some strange reason, mint humbugs. Harry filled his plate with a bit of everything, minus the humbugs, and began to eat. Somehow the food was even more delicious than all of the other feasts he had had.

'That does look good,' said Sir Nicholas sadly, watching as Harry cut up his steak.

'Sorry Nick,' said Harry sympathetically. He knew ghosts weren't able to eat.

'Yes, well, I suppose one gets used to it,' said the ghost. 'I haven't eaten in nearly five hundred years!' he paused, turning towards the other first years. 'I don't think I've introduced myself. Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower.'

'I know who you are!' said Ron suddenly. 'My brothers told me about you- you're Nearly Headless Nick!'

'I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-' Sir Nicholas began stiffly, but Seamus Finnigan interrupted.

'Nearly headless? How can you be nearly headless?'

Sir Nicholas looked quite annoyed, but nevertheless, he still seized his left ear and pulled, causing his head to swing off his neck and fall on his shoulders as if it was on a hinge. Harry had never seen this happen before and winced. It was quite disgusting, especially close-up. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, 'So- new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the House Championship this year? Gryffindor have never gone so long without winning. Slytherin have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable- he's the Slytherin ghost.'

Harry hadn't really interacted with the Bloody Baron before, but he did know to stay away from the gloomy, slightly scary looking ghost, who now sat at the table near them, right next to Malfoy (Harry was glad to see the other boy didn't seem too pleased with the seating arrangements).

After a bit, the dishes around them were replaced by dessert- blocks of ice-cream in every flavour, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs, jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries and other fruits, jelly, rice pudding. . . As Harry helped himself to a slice of treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.

'I'm half and half,' said Seamus. 'Me dad's a Muggle. Mam didn't tell him she was a witch 'till after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him.'

The others laughed.

'What about you, Neville?' asked Ron.

'Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch,' said Neville. He told them all about how his family didn't think he was magical, and the time his Great Uncle Algie had hung him out of an upstairs window by the ankles, accidentally let go, and how Neville had managed to bounce all the way down the garden and onto the road instead of falling to his death.

The Feast ended soon after that, once Albus had given them the usual start-of-term notices and they'd all sung the school song. The First Years followed Percy through the castle until they reached Gryffindor Tower, only stopping when Peeves appeared and dropped a bundle of walking sticks on poor Neville's head. They entered Gryffindor Common Room through a portrait hole, which was hidden behind a painting of a plump, friendly looking lady. Harry had just enough time to look around and take in a roaring fireplace, several red and gold armchairs and couches, and a thick, dark red carpet in the middle of the floor, before they were directed up some narrow, spiralling stairs that led them up to their new dormitories. Their trunks and other belongings had been placed at the foot of each four-poster bed. Harry's was next to the window. There were three other boys sharing the dormitory with him and Ron; Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville. They were all too tired and full to talk to each other, so they changed into their pyjamas in silence and got into their respective beds. Harry tried to stay awake, going over everything that had happened that day, but eventually his eyes started to droop, his brain seemed to slow down, and soon he had fallen fast asleep.


A/N: Please review, feedback is much appreciated :)