Chapter 3:
The Hogwarts Express and the Sorting
I walked down the long scarlet train. The compartments were all full. I wandered until I reached the back of the train. There were two boys and a girl in there. I knocked on the door and the older boy opened the door.
"Can I sit with you? All the other compartments are full" I asked. "Yeah, I guess. Wouldn't want you to sit out in the hallway, would we?" he said as I walked in and sat down next to the red headed girl.
"My name is James Potter. This is my younger brother Albus. And this is our cousin Rose Weasley or Rosie." He said. "Potter?" I exclaimed, "Are you related to THE HARRY POTTER?" "Bloody Hell, not again" James said angrily, "What is your blood status?" "What?" I asked shockingly "He means are you muggle born?" Roise asked softly. "Yes I am" I said, "I spent all summer reading A History of Magic. It is my favorite book. I just kept reading the exploits of Harry Potter. I want to meet him."
"James just gets upset when people recognize Uncle Harry from his name" Rosie said. "Ok, I am very sorry James." I said apologetically, "My name is Gabrielle Miller, Gabby for short." "Nice to meet you Gabby" said Albus, "Do you have any siblings who attend Hogwarts?" "Nope, I am an only child. I was very shocked and confused when I got my letter." I explained to them. "A first year" James said, "That's why you freaked out about my name."
"I am a first year too" said Rosie, "Albus is too. What house do you think you will be sorted in to?" "I don't know. I think they all seem like great houses to be in" I said, "I would like to be in Gryffindor because a lot of great witches and wizards came out of that house. But a lot of greats came out of Slytherin too. Ravenclaw is full of smart people, I think I'm smart. And Hufflepuff is not mentioned that much, so I don't know that to think about it."
"I think Hufflepuff would be just dreadful to be in. And so would Slytherin" Albus said. Just then the compartment door opened. A girl with a strange blue and silver badge on came in. "I think you should get your robes on, we are about to arrive soon" she said. "Ok Victorie. We will" said Rosie as she pushed her and me out of the compartment, "We are going to change somewhere else."
We changed into our robes. "Who is Victorie?" I asked. "She is our cousin" Rose replied. "My dad has 5 brothers and a sister. I have eleven cousins, and a brother. 4 of them aren't old enough to go yet. And 3 are first years like me." "That is a massive family" I said, "My dad died, before I was born, in a car accident. So I've never met him."
Just as we reached our compartment, the train came to a stop. We got off the train and heard a great booming voice. "Over hear first years" said the voice. We made our way over and I saw the tallest man I had ever seen standing there holding a lantern. "You're Hagrid aren't you?" asked Albus. "And you're Albus Severus Potter I presume. And you are Rose Weasley right?" Hagrid said. "Yes" Rosie said, "I am Rose." "And who are you?" Hagrid asked. "I am Gabrielle Miller or Gabby for short" I said confidently. "Nice to meet you. I hope you visit me at the edge of the Forbidden Forest" he said, "Now climb in a boat everyone. Three to a boat." We all climbed into a boat and set of for the castle in the distance. I was staring in awe along with the rest of the first years.
We finally crashed on shore and we climbed out of the boats. Hagrid pounded on the door and it opened slowly. An old woman opened the door. She gestured us inside. "Hagrid, you can go to the Great Hall now" she said. He left. "Now, you are about to enter the Great Hall. You will be sorted by the sorting hat into one of 4 houses, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin. You will line up and stay here until I wave you in" she said as she walked into the hall.
She gestured us in. We walked in between four long golden tables. At the end was an old tattered hat on a stool. It then started to sing:
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 some day be divided.
For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
Unless it was the second pair
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, so I can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.
Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those
Whose ancestry's 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
Maintained friendships firm and true.
So Hogwarts worked in harmony
for several happy years,
but then 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 dueling 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
as 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.
But this year I'll go further,
listen closely to my song:
though condemned I am to split you
still I worry that it's wrong,
though I must fulfill my duty
and must quarter every year
still I wonder whether sorting
may not bring the end I fear.
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
the warning history shows,
for our Hogwarts is in danger
from external, deadly foes
and we must unite inside her
or we'll crumble from within
I have told you, I have warned you...
let the Sorting now begin.
According to Nearly-Headless.
One by one the old woman started calling out names of students and they put on the hat and were sorted. "Potter, Albus" she called. He tried on the hat and it cried out "GRYFFINDOR." "Weasley, Rose" she called. She put on the hat and it sat for a moment. "Another Weasley. I know what to do with this one though, RAVENCLAW" the hat screamed. "Miller, Gabrielle" the old woman said. I walked up and the hat was placed on me. "Hmmmm… Very peculiar. You have characteristics of all four houses. But one shines through the most. And that would be RAVENCLAW." I smiled and ran over to the table and sat down next to Rosie.