"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of Halliwell manor; all three floors, basement, and attic included. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.
We followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. To my right I could hear the drone of hundreds of voices behind the door. Hm, the rest of the school must already be here. Professor McGonagall, however, showed us into a small, empty chamber off the hall. We crowded in, standing closer than I usually would to a bunch of kids that I haven't or just met, peering about nervously.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said sternly. "The start-of-term feast will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.
"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. I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."
She left the chamber, the rest of us lot began talking quickly.
"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Harry asked Ron.
"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."
A test? Alexa hadn't mentioned anything about the Sorting Ceremony. it can't be too terrifying, or else she would have warned me about it, right? A test? Alexa hadn't mentioned anything about the Sorting Ceremony. it can't be too terrifying, or else she would have warned me about it, right?
There was a swoosh from behind and a cold chill filled the room. Several people behind me screamed, and Harry practically jumped out of his skin.
"What the - ?"
I gasped slightly,along with the people around me. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What 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 really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?"
A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.
Nobody answered.
"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at us. "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's 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 us, "and follow me."
I legs felt slightly like lead as I got in line behind a girl with long, pearly blonde hair, Harry behind me. We walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.
I gasped quite loudly, instantly regretting it for feeling foolish, as we entered the Great Hall. The Hall was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that we came to a halt in a line facing the Professors, with the rest of the student body behind us. I glanced upward and saw what looked like the night sky. It was a deep navy blue with stars dotted everywhere. If I looked close enough, I thought i could make out a few constellations; the big and little dipper, Aquila, and Capricornus, to name a few. From behind me I heard heard Hermione whisper, "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."
It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.
I quickly looked back to the front as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the Hall. On top of the stool she placed a pointed wizard's hat. The hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Two questions were running through my mind.
One, how bloody was that hat? Maybe ole' Olivander had worn it to a hip soirée in his time, whenever that was.
Two, how was this suppose to help us be sorted? Maybe we had to try and get a rabbit out of it. I've seen stand up magicians do that before. Maybe they had learned it at Hogwarts? Although, after seeing only a few things from this school, I'm sure those top hat, tailcoat magicians were frauds. Not even David Blaine could compare.
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:
"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. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.
"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."
I let out a quiet sigh of relief. So, no magic involved? Just trying on a dust old hat? I think I could handle that.
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. "Abbott, Hannah!"
A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause -
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.
"Bones, Susan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.
"Boot, Terry!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.
"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers, Ron's twin brothers catcalling as she sat down.
"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. It may have been my imagination, but it looked like they Slytherin's looked like an unpleasant lot, maybe even a bit nauseated.
"Cradey, Miranda!"
Now there's a name I hadn't heard in years. Sage had hated her first name since she was old enough to know that was her name. It's a beuatiful name, but I guess she didn't think it fit her. For as long as I could remember (which wasn't long, mind you) she had always told people her name was Sage, and if anyone would accidentally or persist on calling her by her first name she would throw a fit.
I looked around the group, and spotted my twin looking from two people next to her, friends she made on the train I'd assume, uncertainly. They nodded, ushering her forward. She looked around slowly as she approached the stool, catching my eye. I waved and smiled to her encouragingly. She returned a nervous wave and faint smile before sitting on the stool, the hat dropping down just above her eyes.
The Hat thought a little before shouting out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
Sage smiled brightly, looking more relaxed, before joining the table on the right as they cheered and clapped, the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her. I took a breath, knowing what was about to happen next.
"Cradey, Stephanie!"
I took a shaky step forward up the few stairs before stopping in front of Professor McGonagall. She gestured to the seat, holding the hat by the tip with her other hand. I sat down on the and looked out at the entire school, all of which were looking at me. With all the pairs of eyes on me, my heart started racing slightly. Thankfully, the hat slipped onto my head and over my eyes, hiding the rest of the Hall from my view.
"Ah, a third Cradey, I see," a voice in my ear whispered. I jumped slightly at the sudden sound. "You may be more difficult to sort than your sisters. Let's see...yes, every house would be fitting for you, but which is most fitting? I see a bright mind here, oh yes, and a quick and sharp tongue. Yes, yes...I see lots of loyalty to friends and family. Great amounts of courage, a willingness to do anything for your loved ones, no matter the danger to you. What's this I see in your past? Oh my, what a terrible thing to happen to such a young child. And what terrible aftermath. My, my, you have had a hard life these last few years, and yet here you are today. What bravery that takes."
Wherever I go, I just want to feel happy, safe, and accepted.
"Happiness, eh? Safety and acceptance, too? Well, if that's what you want most, I can see which house will be best..."
"GRYFFINDOR!"
I jumped down from the stool as the whole hall erupted with applause. I looked over the the farthest table to the left, all of whom were clapping the loudest. I happened to find Alexa and Sage, each of them sitting at their own, separate tables. We smiled heepily to each other, ad that none of us shared a house. I sat down across from the Lavender girl, plenty of empty seats near me as the Sorting continued with 'Dreer, Rachel', who was sorted into Slytherin.
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Gallows, Jennifer!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The petite girl came over to our cheering table and sat next to my left. Her long blonde hair was pulled into a side braid, draping over her left side.
"Granger, Hermione!"
Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."
After 'Leaves, Susanne' was also sorted into Ravenclaw, Sponge Hair Square Face, whose name turned out to be 'Malfoy, Draco', swaggered forward. He got his wish when the hat had barely touched his head and screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"
There weren't many people left now. "Moon"..., "Nott"..., "Parkinson"..., then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil"..., then "Perks, Sally-Anne"..., and then, at last -
"Potter, Harry!"
As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.
"Potter, did she say?"
"The Harry Potter?"
He sat down on the stool, the hat dropping down over his face, just like everyone else. It seemed like every student, professor, and ghost in the hall was holding their breath. Which house would be graced with 'Harry Potter's' presence? The hat took maybe a minute before announcing it's decision.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Percy the Prefect got up and shook Harry's hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Harry sat down to my right, a great big smile plastered to his face..
And now there were only a few people left to be sorted after, 'Stetler, Marley ' became a Ravenclaw. 'Thomas, Dean,' an African- American boy, joined Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Ron's brothers, Fred, George, and Percy, held their breaths as the hat thought before shouting, "GRYFFINDOR!"
"All my family's been in Gryffindor," Ron explained a he sat down next to Harry, his brother's cheering loudly for him.
"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley pompously as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin, and "Zuirch, Annabel' was lastly made Ravenclaw. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.
Professor Dumbledore had gotten to his feet now. He was beaming at the 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 as everybody clapped and cheered. I wasn't exactly sure what just happened, but clapped none the less with the rest of my peers.
Food suddenly appeared on the dishes in front of us. Roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs littered the dishes around me. The snacks on the train seemed forever ago, as I took some of everything and piled in on my plate.
A ghost with a strange ruffle around his neck popped up out of the stack of chicken wings Ron was hastily grabbing for. He dropped the drumstick his hand was on suddenly, shocked.
"That does look good," said the ghost sadly once his body, or apparition of it, was out of the food and sitting across from Harry.
"Can't you - ?" Harry started.
"I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. 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 - " the ghost began stiffly, but Hermione with her quizzical mind interrupted.
"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"
Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.
"Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. I gasped suddenly as his whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done a very good job. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on our 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? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable - he's the Slytherin ghost."
Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood.
"How did he get covered in blood?" Seamus asked with great interest.
"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.
When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding...
At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.
"Ahem - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is 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 very painful death. And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. As I started walking I realized how heavy my eyes had become and how lethargic I seemed to be. I wasn't too tired, however, to see the portraits around us moving and talking to one another as we passed. We climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging our feet, when we came to a sudden halt.
A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.
"Peeves," Percy whispered to our group. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves - show yourself."
A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.
"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"
There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.
"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"
He swooped suddenly, causing us all to duck.
"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.
Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.
"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as we set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."
At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk 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 - and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.
Percy directed each of us to where our dorms were; girls through one door and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase the first year Gryffindor girls, which ended up including myself, Hermione, Parvati Patil, Lavender Brown, Jennifer and Susanne, found our beds at last: six four-poster beds hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Our trunks had already been brought up, and Kovu was perched on the bed I assumed to be mine.
Hermione wanted to get a bright start tomorrow for the first day of class, and rushed to bed at once. The rest of us were just plain tired, and also decided on sleep. I pulled on a pair of pink flannel pajamas, and tucked myself into bed. Once I was settled I picked Jersey up and laid him on my bed. He padded over and laid down beside my head, puring frivolously. Silly cat, I thought. He's been here for only hours, and already he's at home. Hopefully I would be, too.
