The first years followed Hagrid down a path to the water's edge.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore.
Harry, Ron, Neville and Hermione climbed into one.
"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then – FORWARD!"
It was a silent trip across the lake, except for when Hagrid called out, "Heads down!" as they reached the cliff.
They finally reached an underground harbor, and the first years all clamored out onto rocks and pebbles.
Then they clamored up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.
Neville struggled to keep hold on Trevor who was making another bid for freedom.
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.
"Everyone here?" the half-giant asked.
Hagrid raised a giant fist and knocked three times on the castle door.
The door swung open to reveal a tall, black-haired witch in emerald green robes. She had a very stern expression on her face.
Neville turned to Harry and whispered, "She's one witch that I wouldn't want to cross."
Harry nodded his agreement. 'Aunt Minnie can be terrifying when she's upset.'
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
The students followed Professor McGonagall across the entrance hall, passed the large double doors that seemed to lead to the Great Hall, and into a small empty chamber. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said. She gave a short speech about the different houses, and said, "The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
Her eyes seemed to linger on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose.
"I shall return when we are ready for you," she said. "Please wait quietly."
She left the chamber.
"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Hermione asked nervously. "'Hogwarts, A History' didn't say."
Ron answered her, "Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."
Hermione's face paled, and she began muttering about which kind of spells she might need.
Harry was just about to tell them how they would really be sorted, when some people behind them screamed.
"What the…?"
Harry spun around, wand in hand, to see…ghosts. 'That's what they were screaming about? Well…I suppose if you've never seen one before, or didn't know that Hogwarts had some, then it would be a shock.'
The ghost that looked like a fat little monk was saying, "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance…"
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name, and you know, he's not even really a ghost…I say, what are you all doing here?"
The ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.
Nobody answered.
"New students," said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"
A few people nodded mutely.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."
"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to start."
Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.
"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."
They followed her out of the room, and to the double doors they had passed earlier.
The doors opened before them, and they walked up to the front of the room.
Neville and Ron gawked at the ceiling, causing Hermione to whisper something about it from 'Hogwarts, A History'.
Professor McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of it she placed a battered looking pointed wizard's hat.
Everyone stared at the hat. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth – and the hat began to sing.
When it finished singing, the hall burst into applause. The hat bowed to each of the four tables, and became quite still again.
Professor McGonagall now stepped forward 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.
Hermione was the first of the four friends to be called. She walked nervously forward, and placed the hat on her head. She shook her head slightly.
'I wonder what she said "no" to.' Harry knew that the hat would sometimes have a talk with the person it was sorting.
A brief moment later, and the hat yelled out, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Hermione looked relieved.
A few more names were called, and then McGonagall called out, "Longbottom, Neville!"
The hat was on his head for less than a minute. "GRYFFINDOR!" it called out.
Neville beamed, and ran to sit next to Hermione.
A few names later, Malfoy was called forward.
He sat under the hat for two minutes. His face paling the longer he sat there. Suddenly his face turned bright red.
"SLYTHERIN!"
Malfoy looked relieved.
'It would seem that the hat didn't want to put him in Slytherin. I wonder where it did want to put him,' Harry wondered.
A minute later, "Potter, Harry!"
The whole hall broke out in whispers.
Harry rolled his eyes in annoyance as he approached the stool.
When he was seated with the hat on his head, it began to talk to him.
"Interesting…You strive to learn, much like a Ravenclaw. Yet, you also feel extraordinarily loyal to those you love. Hufflepuff would suit you well. Hmm…you also seem to have a portion of yourself that could only belong to Slytherin…interesting. Gryffindor fits you well also. You are quite brave…I don't want to sort you. Truly, you could go anywhere. Albus has often said that it is a person's choices that define them…so, where do you want to go?"
Harry sat in shock. 'I get to choose? That isn't supposed to happen.'
The hat chuckled in his head, "Nevertheless, I will not choose for you."
'I suppose…Gryffindor, like my parents.'
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat bellowed to the hall.
Cheers burst out from three of the four tables, but the loudest was Gryffindor.
Harry took off the hat, and walked shakily up to the table, and sat down opposite Hermione and Neville.
A few minutes later, Ron was sorted into Gryffindor as well.
"Well done, Ron," one of the twins said.
"Yes," said the other. "We might even claim you as our brother now."
As soon as the last student was sorted, Professor McGonagall took the stool and hat away. Then she joined the other professors at the Head table.
Albus Dumbledore stood up. He beamed at his students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.
"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new 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. Everybody clapped and cheered.
"Is he – a bit mad?" Hermione asked the twins.
"Mad?" said one.
"Of course he's mad!" said the other.
"He's a genius…"
"…and everyone knows that genius…"
"…and madness goes hand in hand."
Harry laughed at the duo as he served himself food from the now laden table.
Throughout dinner, the new Gryffindors chatted with Nearly-Headless Nick about his death, and subsequent after-life.
Throughout dessert they talked about their families.
"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."
Neville explained about living with his gran, and how his family had thought that he was a squib for years.
Harry grinned at Neville and said, "Don't worry, Nev. You'll prove them all wrong. You just need a little confidence, is all."
"Well, I'm Muggle-born. I didn't know anything about magic at all, until I got my letter. It was ever such a surprise. Of course, my parents don't really understand it at all." She finished sadly.
During dessert, Harry looked up at the staff table and noticed that Professor Snape was looking at him.
That really didn't surprise Harry at all; after all Harry did look identical to his father, the professor's school nemesis.
What did surprise Harry was that, when he met the professor's gaze, his scar hurt.
Harry quickly looked away, rubbing his forehead.
The desserts disappeared not long after that, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.
"Ahem – just a few start of term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is completely forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."
Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.
"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors."
"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch."
"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death."
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore.
'Oh no,' Harry thought. Padfoot and Moony had told him about the school song. 'This can't be good.'
Everyone sang at different speeds and to different tunes. It sounded terrible.
Finally, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march.
Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped the loudest.
"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
"Yup…mental, that one…completely mental," Harry muttered to Ron.
The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the castle. After a brief run-in with the castle poltergeist, Peeves; they finally reached the portrait of a very fat woman in a pink dress.
"Password?" she said.
"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it – Neville needed a leg up from Harry – and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.
Harry didn't bother listening to Percy drone on and on about the school rules. 'Honestly, how many times, in one speech, does he need tell us not to leave the common room after curfew…Ooh, that would be twelve total,' Harry thought as Percy finally stopped talking, and let them go to their dormitories.
In the Harry Potter books, Sirius gives Ron an owl. What kind is it?
Fifteen points for the correct answer.
See my profile for the rules to the House Cup competition.