Professor McGonagall stopped at the teachers' table and motioned for them
to stand along in front of it. There was a stool sitting in the middle of
the space between the teachers' table and us, with a tattered wizards hat
resting on it.
Professor McGonagall reached into her robes and drew out a scroll, which
she unrolled and held open in her right hand. In her left hand she picked
up the hat from the stool and spoke,
"When I read your name from the scroll, you will come forth, sit on the stool and I will place the Sorting hat on your head, then you will be sorted into your houses. Alden, Bridget!"
A girl with wavy brown hair walked forward, trembling with nervousness. She sat down and Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting hat on her head. After a few seconds it shouted,
"GRYFFONDOR!" The Gryffondor table burst into applause and Bridget walked over to it and sat down, grinning.
After, "Carmen, Shirley!" "HUFFLEPUFF!"
Leah's name was called. "Chelzbaski, Leah!"
Leah walked to the stool and sat down. She wasn't as nervous as she could have been, but she wasn't relaxed either. Leah felt the hat being lowered onto her head and then she heard a tiny, slow voice, which felt like it was coming from inside her own head. No one could hear it, but she did and it said,
"I sense a longing to do good in you, but I also sense a certain lack of steadiness for the rules. Many before you have felt the same. You would to well in Ravenclaw, and Gryffondor. What do you think?"
As the voice seemed to be inside Leah's head she thought it only best to reply in thought. "Whatever you say, anything. But, please, just hurry!"
"All right," said the hat, "then it'll be GRYFFONDOR!" shouted the hat.
The Gryffondor table cheered and she got up, (after, of course, the hat had been removed from her head), walked to the Gryffondor table and sat down.
Many more first years where sorted, in fact in alphabetical order all the way down to 'Z', and then Professor banished the stool, hat and scroll.
She walked behind the teachers' table and sat down at the right of Albus Dumbledor. Then Dumbledor rose and addressed the packed hall.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! There are a few rules I would like to bring to your attention. Those who have heard this many times before may let their attention wander freely," he smiled around the hall, and then continued, "First of all, the dark forest on the grounds is strictly forbidden. Also, the North Tower except to those taking classes there, namely Arithmancy and Divination. Now, let the feast begin!"
As soon as Dumbledor sat down, the plates immediately filled with food and the pitchers and goblets filled with pumpkin juice. Leah also noted a large (and I mean LARGE) teapot and a stack of teacups. Leah couldn't decide what to have, so she just helped herself to a baked potato and filled it with butter and tomato ketchup.
When pudding arrived Leah had chocolate ditto and a slice of spotty.
Pouring herself some tea, Leah was engaged in conversation with two girls, Bridget and Lisa, and two boys, Seamus and Dean. Soon talk was about their families.
"I'm half 'n half." Said Seamus, "Mams a witch, dads a muggle. Bit of a nasty shock when he found out."
Dean sniggered.
"I'm a pureblood, an' both my parents went to Hogwarts!" said Bridget, and Dean nodded in agreement.
"Yep!" he stated, "Mine too!"
"How about you, Leah?" asked Lisa.
"I'm pureblood." Said Leah, sipping at her tea, "But my mom thinks she's a muggle.
"I'm muggle-born." Said Lisa, biting into a cream puff.
"I've always wondered what it would feel like, living in a muggle neighbourhood and having 'pure' muggle friends." Commented Leah.
"It's.odd." Said Lisa, then she burst into giggles.
Bridget joined her, laughing like a hyena. Leah saw Dean and Seamus exchange a look of half amusement, half exasperation.
All too soon dinner was over. Leah, Bridget, Lisa, Dean, and Seamus made their way to Gryffondor tower with a mingle of Ravenclaws and Gryffondors. At a fork on the corridor the two prefects, a Ravenclaw and a Gryffondor split the group up by calling,
"Ravenclaws! This way!" and
"Gryffondors! Follow me!"
Leah sidestepped to the left to let someone pass, and then caught up with Lisa and Bridget. Bridget was giggling and Lisa was looking exasperated.
Leah opened her eyes. Her red canopy was all she could see, so she rolled over to her right side, looking at her red curtains that hung around her bed. Propping herself up on her elbow, she pushed back the curtains.
Leah sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. She heard a soft humming coming from behind her curtains on the left side. Leah opened them and saw Hermione Granger sitting on her neatly made bed, fully dressed and even wearing her shoes. She was writing quickly on a piece of parchment and pausing now and then to mutter under her breath about something or other.
"Good morning!" said Leah, quietly as to not wake the other four girls that shared the first year dormitory.
Hermione looked up, smiled and said, "Good morning." Back.
Leah looked at her watch. It was 6:00am.
"What are you doing?" asked Leah, looking back at Hermione and then down at the parchment.
"Hmm? Oh, writing down the chronological order of the goblin rebellions since 1804 to 1892. I'm just practicing for out History of Magic class today."
"Oh.cool." Said Leah, wondering why anyone would want to study on such a beautiful morning at such an early hour.
Hermione smiled, "Yes, but I always like to know what's coming in the day."
"I guess." Leah yawned softly and pulled back the covers.
It was surprisingly warm for a stone tower. A bird chirped outside the window nearest to Leah and Lisa woke with a start.
"Morning." Whispered Leah and Lisa smiled groggily.
"So, Leah, what are your parents like?" asked Lavender.
Leah thought for a second before answering. "Well, my dad is always excited, and he's always happy, which is good and embarrassing at the same time. My mom doesn't like being a witch as much as my dad likes being wizard, so she wears regular muggle clothes all the time and she even has fake nails, you know, the acrylic ones."
"My parents are totally different, mom's a witch and dad's a muggle. Mom hates magic and dad is a magician. They fight a lot. It's funny." Said Lisa.
"My parents are perfect. My mom and dad are both wizards and mommy does everything for me, it's great! Daddy is real athletic and handsome and everyone likes him!" gloated Bridget, who they had found out to be a brat.
'Does Voldemort like him?' Leah thought bitterly.
As Leah soon found out, she should have studied for History of Magic like Hermione. It was taught by a ghost, Prof Binns. He had a high, reedy voice. It was dull and depressing the way he talked about death and Goblins and the terrible things they did. He never asked questions or did anything interesting, and it was hard to follow.
Leah even saw Hermione put down her quill for a moment and stare longingly out the window. The day passed without much interest, all except for Charms, which was a hoot.
"When I read your name from the scroll, you will come forth, sit on the stool and I will place the Sorting hat on your head, then you will be sorted into your houses. Alden, Bridget!"
A girl with wavy brown hair walked forward, trembling with nervousness. She sat down and Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting hat on her head. After a few seconds it shouted,
"GRYFFONDOR!" The Gryffondor table burst into applause and Bridget walked over to it and sat down, grinning.
After, "Carmen, Shirley!" "HUFFLEPUFF!"
Leah's name was called. "Chelzbaski, Leah!"
Leah walked to the stool and sat down. She wasn't as nervous as she could have been, but she wasn't relaxed either. Leah felt the hat being lowered onto her head and then she heard a tiny, slow voice, which felt like it was coming from inside her own head. No one could hear it, but she did and it said,
"I sense a longing to do good in you, but I also sense a certain lack of steadiness for the rules. Many before you have felt the same. You would to well in Ravenclaw, and Gryffondor. What do you think?"
As the voice seemed to be inside Leah's head she thought it only best to reply in thought. "Whatever you say, anything. But, please, just hurry!"
"All right," said the hat, "then it'll be GRYFFONDOR!" shouted the hat.
The Gryffondor table cheered and she got up, (after, of course, the hat had been removed from her head), walked to the Gryffondor table and sat down.
Many more first years where sorted, in fact in alphabetical order all the way down to 'Z', and then Professor banished the stool, hat and scroll.
She walked behind the teachers' table and sat down at the right of Albus Dumbledor. Then Dumbledor rose and addressed the packed hall.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! There are a few rules I would like to bring to your attention. Those who have heard this many times before may let their attention wander freely," he smiled around the hall, and then continued, "First of all, the dark forest on the grounds is strictly forbidden. Also, the North Tower except to those taking classes there, namely Arithmancy and Divination. Now, let the feast begin!"
As soon as Dumbledor sat down, the plates immediately filled with food and the pitchers and goblets filled with pumpkin juice. Leah also noted a large (and I mean LARGE) teapot and a stack of teacups. Leah couldn't decide what to have, so she just helped herself to a baked potato and filled it with butter and tomato ketchup.
When pudding arrived Leah had chocolate ditto and a slice of spotty.
Pouring herself some tea, Leah was engaged in conversation with two girls, Bridget and Lisa, and two boys, Seamus and Dean. Soon talk was about their families.
"I'm half 'n half." Said Seamus, "Mams a witch, dads a muggle. Bit of a nasty shock when he found out."
Dean sniggered.
"I'm a pureblood, an' both my parents went to Hogwarts!" said Bridget, and Dean nodded in agreement.
"Yep!" he stated, "Mine too!"
"How about you, Leah?" asked Lisa.
"I'm pureblood." Said Leah, sipping at her tea, "But my mom thinks she's a muggle.
"I'm muggle-born." Said Lisa, biting into a cream puff.
"I've always wondered what it would feel like, living in a muggle neighbourhood and having 'pure' muggle friends." Commented Leah.
"It's.odd." Said Lisa, then she burst into giggles.
Bridget joined her, laughing like a hyena. Leah saw Dean and Seamus exchange a look of half amusement, half exasperation.
All too soon dinner was over. Leah, Bridget, Lisa, Dean, and Seamus made their way to Gryffondor tower with a mingle of Ravenclaws and Gryffondors. At a fork on the corridor the two prefects, a Ravenclaw and a Gryffondor split the group up by calling,
"Ravenclaws! This way!" and
"Gryffondors! Follow me!"
Leah sidestepped to the left to let someone pass, and then caught up with Lisa and Bridget. Bridget was giggling and Lisa was looking exasperated.
Leah opened her eyes. Her red canopy was all she could see, so she rolled over to her right side, looking at her red curtains that hung around her bed. Propping herself up on her elbow, she pushed back the curtains.
Leah sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. She heard a soft humming coming from behind her curtains on the left side. Leah opened them and saw Hermione Granger sitting on her neatly made bed, fully dressed and even wearing her shoes. She was writing quickly on a piece of parchment and pausing now and then to mutter under her breath about something or other.
"Good morning!" said Leah, quietly as to not wake the other four girls that shared the first year dormitory.
Hermione looked up, smiled and said, "Good morning." Back.
Leah looked at her watch. It was 6:00am.
"What are you doing?" asked Leah, looking back at Hermione and then down at the parchment.
"Hmm? Oh, writing down the chronological order of the goblin rebellions since 1804 to 1892. I'm just practicing for out History of Magic class today."
"Oh.cool." Said Leah, wondering why anyone would want to study on such a beautiful morning at such an early hour.
Hermione smiled, "Yes, but I always like to know what's coming in the day."
"I guess." Leah yawned softly and pulled back the covers.
It was surprisingly warm for a stone tower. A bird chirped outside the window nearest to Leah and Lisa woke with a start.
"Morning." Whispered Leah and Lisa smiled groggily.
"So, Leah, what are your parents like?" asked Lavender.
Leah thought for a second before answering. "Well, my dad is always excited, and he's always happy, which is good and embarrassing at the same time. My mom doesn't like being a witch as much as my dad likes being wizard, so she wears regular muggle clothes all the time and she even has fake nails, you know, the acrylic ones."
"My parents are totally different, mom's a witch and dad's a muggle. Mom hates magic and dad is a magician. They fight a lot. It's funny." Said Lisa.
"My parents are perfect. My mom and dad are both wizards and mommy does everything for me, it's great! Daddy is real athletic and handsome and everyone likes him!" gloated Bridget, who they had found out to be a brat.
'Does Voldemort like him?' Leah thought bitterly.
As Leah soon found out, she should have studied for History of Magic like Hermione. It was taught by a ghost, Prof Binns. He had a high, reedy voice. It was dull and depressing the way he talked about death and Goblins and the terrible things they did. He never asked questions or did anything interesting, and it was hard to follow.
Leah even saw Hermione put down her quill for a moment and stare longingly out the window. The day passed without much interest, all except for Charms, which was a hoot.
