Chapter Three - The Sorting Ceremony

After they had gotten off of the train, the first years were escorted to the edge of a large lake where boats sat awaiting them. Luna was assigned to a boat with Lily, Sirius, and a boy that Luna had never seen before. He had light brown hair that was slightly disheveled and eyes that were metallic silver. His robes were shabby looking compared to the rest of theirs even though all of the first years had only just gotten them. He had a very kind face though, and when he smiled you could tell that he was a good person, whereas with Sirius you were left to wonder. He introduced himself as Remus Lupin and kept pretty much to himself, but occasionally he would make a few sarcastic comments that kept Luna and her friends entertained.

After the trip across the lake, they saw a majestic castle with turrets and towers everywhere that you could see. To Luna it looked like the sort of thing you would read about in a fairy tale. The castles that Rapunzel, Beauty, Cinderella, and other fairy tale princesses stayed in were nothing compared to the grandness of Hogwarts. The gates were gigantic, towering over every incoming first year that entered. The students rushed to get inside and away from the rain, shivering and soaked from their ride across the lake. Their shoes were squeaking as they came into the castle.

They were greeted by a witch with black hair that was worn down and cut to where it hung around her shoulders. She had horn rimmed glasses set on her nose and olive skin. She seemed cheerful, but looked as though she wouldn't tolerate any horsing around.

"Good evening, first years. I am Professor McGonagall and I will be your transfiguration professor this year. Please follow me into the Great Hall and we'll get you sorted into your houses," the relatively young woman said. The first years followed her cautiously into the Great Hall, where Luna saw that the ceiling appeared to be missing and they could see the evening sky.

They were led to the front of the room where a stool was positioned with a very shabby looking hat on top of it. Luna looked at who was at the table that was behind the stool and eyed the people sitting there. In the middle was a very old looking wizard with a greying beard and kind blue eyes masked by half moon shaped spectacles. On his left was a very short wizard with a mustache and the beginnings of a beard who seemed extremely cheerful. Next to this wizard was a somewhat plump witch who wore robes that had the illusion that she was wearing a garden. Luna didn't pay attention to any of the other professors because she saw that the sorting hat had begun to sing. The song began like so:

I may look a little bit dodgy.

You shouldn't judge by what you see.

For you will never meet a hat that

carries a tune like me.

I will sort you into houses of great

witches and wizards that excelled.

The houses' names were decided

by the founders themselves.

Godric Gryffindor, bold and brave,

you're in this house if you're considered a knave.

Daring people have passed this house,

and if you're in it you're no mouse.

Helga Hufflepuff seemed very royal

and her students are hardworking and loyal.

Great friends are those who reside here,

if you don't see where you fit it will soon become clear.

Rowena Ravenclaw was beautiful ever,

those in her house are wise and clever.

Wise ones rise and take your place

in Ravenclaw's house of ending grace.

Salazar Slytherin, powerful was he,

he accepted difference with no glee.

Those that are determined to shine,

please come here and stand in line.

Now that you've heard my lovely song,

please come up, and hurry along.

For I've only have a certain amount of time

to end my intelligent little rhyme.

Put me on, and gladly sit,

For we don't want to cause a fit.

I'll tell you where you ought,

and where you ought not,

to be!

There was a long applause as the sorting hat finished its song. Then, Professor McGonagall started to call students up.

" Anderson, Emma!"

A tall girl with a strawberry blonde plait down the center of her back rose and sat on the stool. She looked almost terrified and as the hat was placed on her head, she jumped in fright. After a matter of seconds, the sorting hat called out, "RAVENCLAW!" Emma smiled and took her seat at a table of loud students.

"Black, Sirius!"

Sirius stood and walked towards the stool, grinning. The hat sat on his head for a few minutes until it finally screamed, "GRYFFINDOR!" Sirius jumped for joy and went to sit at a table full of cheering students. He looked at James and mouthed 'I hope you get in Gryffindor'. James replied with a nod and a thumbs up, which he received in turn from Sirius.

" Carmichael, Candace!"

A short, round, and shy girl carefully approached the stool. Her mouse brown hair was styled childishly into to pigtails, her face covered with many freckles and when she smiled Luna could see that she had very crooked teeth. Fidgeting atop the stool, Candace waited a for a few silent moments before the Sorting Hat screamed, " HUFFLEPUFF!" Candace managed another shy smile before she stepped off of the stool and went to sit at a table covered in yellow and black decorations.

There were a few more students sorted and then Professor McGonagall called, "Evans, Lily!"

Lily beamed and in that instant, Luna saw how scared she looked. Her green eyes were bulging and her teeth were chattering. She sat on the stool and squinted, bracing herself for the moment when she would find out what house she was in. After only a few seconds, the hat chimed loudly, " GRYFFINDOR!" Lily squealed with excitement, waved to Luna and mouthed, 'Good Luck!'. Luna grinned and nodded. Luna waited as a few more students were sorted into their houses, some blonde, some dark haired; some good looking, some not so fortunate, until Professor McGonagall cried out, "Kepson, Iris!"

A girl with skin so pale that she looked like a ghost, very grey eyes, stringy black hair and a depressed expression on her face approached the bench glumly. As Iris sat on the stool, Remus Lupin, who was standing right next to Luna, leaned over and whispered in her ear, "She looks rather grim." "Grim?" Luna whispered back, " She looks downright depressed." He nodded in agreement and they both looked up just as the Sorting Hat screamed out, "SLYTHERIN!" Iris sulkily took her place at the table full of sneering students.

"Lupin, Remus!"

Remus smiled at her and as he turned to go up to the stool, Luna mouthed, 'good luck, Remus'. He smiled again and mouthed back, 'you too'. I hope so. Luna thought. She wanted so badly to get into Gryffindor with Sirius and Lily and after the Sorting Hat screamed, "GRYFFINDOR!",Luna wanted to even more. Remus went to sit with Sirius and Lily and Luna waited impatiently for her turn.

"Marigold, Anthea!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Norton, Galahad!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Pettigrew,Peter!"

A short and chubby boy with blonde hair and blue eyes started towards the bench. He fidgeted quite a lot in his chair before the Sorting Hat called, "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Potter, James!"

James grinned slyly at Sirius and approached the stool. He waited there for about five minutes before the hat called out, "GRYFFINDOR!" He jumped up and quickly went to sit down at the Gryffindor table with Lily, Sirius,Peter and Remus.

Luna waited impatiently for a few minutes as 'Rigby, Kentigern' was sorted into Slytherin and other students were sorted into other houses. Finally, Professor McGonagall said, "Sinistra, Luna!" Luna looked over at her friends at the Gryffindor table who were all giving her the thumbs up sign. She cautiously approached the stool and sat down. Professor McGonagall placed the hat upon her head. All of a sudden, she heard a voice inside her head saying, Now where should I put you? Please, she said inside her head, put me in Gryffindor. I don't know. You're a little too clever for them, you'd belong better in "RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted. Luna sank slightly and looked over at her friends in Gryffindor. 'It's okay,' they mouthed. Luna wasn't so sure.

She sat down at the Ravenclaw table where a lot of smiling faces greeted her. She smiled back, trying to hide her disappointment. She waited and waited hoping the ceremony would soon be over. 'Snape, Severus!' was sorted into Slytherin and when he was sorted, Luna realized that he was the boy who was lying in the hallway with the greasy hair. She waited about ten more minutes and finally the ceremony ended with 'Windstar, Christina' being sorted into Gryffindor.

Luna sat there sadly, staring at the people in front of her. There was the girl with strawberry blonde hair who had been sorted first, a girl with flowers in her hair, Luna thought this was very strange and didn't look at the girl for fear of laughing right in her face. She continued staring and she saw a boy with black hair and very tan skin on her left. He introduced himself as Dante Tyson and said that his father was a wizard and his mother was a muggle. Although he looked Middle Eastern, he said that he and his family lived in London. She took one last glance around the table and silently prayed that she would make some more friends that night at the feast.