See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me
And no one knows, how far it goes
If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me
One day I'll know, if I go there's just no telling how far I'll go
The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face that reminded Clementine of a less intense version of her mother.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.
"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 the Clementine's house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor and to a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.
"Ouch, you're on my foot!" Clementine hissed as she pushed Ron off of her. He apologized, but Hermione shushed them as the old woman- Professor McGonagall began speaking.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," She said. "The start-of-term banquet 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." Clementine couldn't help but look at Padma; if she got into Ravenclaw like she wanted, would she and Clementine still be allowed to be friends? The redhead was beginning to feel less and less sure about Hogwarts the further she went.
"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 rulebreaking will lose house 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. "
Professor McGonagall's eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was somehow fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. To her left she saw Harry try to flatten his hair. She didn't know why he bothered; his hair never stayed flat.
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly. " Once she left the chamber, the other first years immediately began talking amongst themselves.
"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." Clementine doubted any of the teachers would be allowed to cause harm to them for the sake of sorting them. Seeing the distress on her cousins face, she took his hand and he looked at her.
"It's going to be fine," She assured him. "Your name's been on the list for Hogwarts since you were born- just like Hagrid said."
She could see that he words helped, but not by much. However, everyone's attention was taken by screams that sounded behind them. Clementine and the others whirled around to see- what she could only describe as- ghosts running through the back wall of the room; 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 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'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 the first years, "and follow me."
With everyone pushing, Harry and Clementine were separated as a line formed and she found herself a few spaces behind him between Hannah and Neville who had put his toad into the pockets of his robes.
If Harry's family's estate was grand, Hogwarts was opulent; the room was lit by thousands and thousands of white 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 they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside," Clementine heard Hermione whisper quietly and she followed her gaze to see the starry night sky. "I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."
Looking forward once more, Clementine saw that a tall stool had been place in front of the group. Professor McGonagall placed a pointed wizard's hat on top; it was patched and frayed and extremely dirty like the clothes Harry used to wear before Clementine's mother began giving him Dudley's hand-me-downs.
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 to Harry. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll." Clementine could see Harry looked a bit more relaxed than he had before the ceremony began, but not entirely untroubled.
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!"
Hannah's eyes widened as she stepped out of line and made her way to the stool. She put on the hat and it fell right down over her eyes. After a few moments of silence, the hat shouted out; "HUFFLEPUFF!" The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Clementine couldn't help but think of Hannah as another friend she would never get to know.
"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 as Lavender went to sit with them.
"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. She went over to the table on the far left. They didn't look to bad of a lot- Clementine could see Draco's brother Arcturus sitting among them. As if he knew someone was looking at him, he turned his head and his blue eyes met her green ones. Immediately looking away, she watched as "Crothers, Allison" became a Ravenclaw.
About a dozen other kids went up before it was her turn; "Dursley, Clementine!" Professor McGonagall called out and she stepped out of line before going to the stool. Pulling herself up slowly, she tried to ignore the twisting feeling in her stomach as the elderly woman placed the hat on her head.
"Hmmm," She heard a gravely voice say and she could tell it was coming from the hat. She, however, seemed to be the only one who heard it. "You're going to be a tough one," The voice said. "You're smart, focused- a great Ravenclaw you'd make, but you'd do well in Huffelpuff, too; helpful and kind to all. Always giving the benefit of doubt and understanding.
"However," The voice said. "You have a level of protectiveness I have not seen in a very, very long time. Helga Hufflepuff and Godric Gryffindor would spend hours fighting over you," Clementine didn't know where she wanted to go; she knew that Harry would probably end up in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor and she wanted to be there for him, but he would have Ron to watch over him. If she and Padma both managed to get into Hufflepuff, Clementine would have her first friend who wasn't Harry. "Interesting," The voice mused as if it heard her thoughts. "It takes kindness to sacrifice personal happiness for someone else', but- at the same time- it takes a different kind of bravery to choose your own happiness over someone else's. It's a thin line between bravery and selfishness, so I suppose you should go to..."
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat yelled out a the Gryffindor house table erupted into applause as the hat was taken off of her head and she made her way over to them. A space was made for her and Clementine sat down between a taller dark skinned girl and a shorter Asian girl with long black hair.
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Finnigan, Seamus!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Granger, Hermione!"
Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. The hat was taken off of her head and Hermioned rushed over to the table and sat next to Clementine.
The ceremony continued on and Gryffindor got Neville and Parvati, but Padma was put into Ravenclaw. After a few more people were sorted, it was Harry's turn.
"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?" The girl next to Clementine whispered to a redheaded boy and everyone watched as he walked up to the stool. Before the hat went over his head, Clementine tried to send him an encouraging look. The hat only took about thirty seconds to sort Harry into; "GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers as Harry came over and a tall redheaded boy stood and shook his hand as two more (who were identical) began yelling, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Harry sat down across from Clementine and she gave him large grin. He returned it and Clementine was glad to see a smile on his face.
There were only four other people left in line both Ron and a tall dark skinned boy named Dean Thomas became Gryffindors while Lisa Turpin became a Ravenclaw. Blaise Zabini became a Slytherin. afterwards, the hat was put away and a tall man with white hair and a matching long beard wearing powder blue robes stood to give a speech with a large smile on his face.
"Welcome," he boomed. "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!"
Everybody clapped and cheered as he sat down, and Clementine clapped along although she had no idea what had just happened.
"Is he - a bit mad?" Harry asked the redhead boy who had shaken his hand.
"Mad?" asked the boy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?"
Both Harry and Clementine's mouths fell open when they looked down to the table; The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: 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.
After dinner was done, the food that remained disappeared and was replaced by deserts; 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. . .
As desert commenced, everyone began talking about their families.
"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus Finnegan. "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." The others laughed as Seamus looked to Clementine. "How 'bout you?"
"I'm a muggle born," She told everyone. "Neither of my parents were very happy about it, though,"
"Well, they ought to be," Ron interjected. "Having a wizard in the family would be wicked for a muggle."
"My parents hate everything that isn't normal," Clementine told him. Ron shrugged before turning to Neville to ask about his family. Clementine decided to try one of the deserts on the table and decided on cheesecake. She had just cut off a large slice and put it on her plate when, suddenly-
"Ouch!" Clementine looked up from her plate to see Harry with a hand clapped a hand to his head. His face was pinched in pain.
"Are you okay?" Clementine asked and Harry hesitantly nodded.
"I'm fine," He confirmed as he lowed his hand. "I-It was nothing. Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" he asked, turning to the redheaded boy who Clementine had learned was Ron's third eldest brother Percy.
"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you?" Percy asked, following Harry's gaze and Clementine followed it to see the squirrelly, stuttering man who she and Harry had met when Hagrid had taken them to the Leaky Cauldron before heading into Diagon Alley. "No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape." Clementine's assumed that was the man who sat beside Quirrel; he was pale with shoulder length black hair and wrinkles that made Clementine think he was near her mother's age. "He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to - everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."
"They teach Dark Arts here?" Clementine asked and Percy shook his head.
"Defense Against The Dark Arts," He corrected. "Teaches us to defend ourselves against spells- best class if you want to become an Auror,"
"What's that?"
"They're witches and wizards who fight dark witches and wizards," Percy answered. "They keep the peace,"
"Oh, they're police," Percy nodded before turning back to Hermione who he had been talking to about classes.
After about twenty minutes, the desserts disappeared like the dinner dishes had, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent and Clementine looked around to see everyone looking at the headmaster with undivided attention.
"Ahem - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered," He began. "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." Professor Dumbledore's eyes went to the two redheaded twins. Clementine had learned that they were also Ron's brothers and she had begun to realize why Draco had assumed she was related to him. "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." He gestured to a woman with a small pixie-like face and matching graying hair who sat at the table near Professor McGonagall. "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."
Harry and Clementine both laughed, but they were two of the few who did.
"He's not serious?" Harry muttered to Percy.
"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere - the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least. "
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words. "Everyone pick their favorite tune," He instructed and Clementine's eyebrows furrowed as did a few of her friends, "and off we go!"
And the school bellowed:
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot, just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot. "
Everybody finished the song at different times. Clementine was one of the first as she had sang to the tune of Winter Fantasy- not wanting to be the only one who hadn't complied. The Weasley twins were the last to stop singing nearly a minute after everyone else as they had chosen to sing 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 loudest.
"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! 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. Clementine's legs burned before they even made it up the second flight of stairs. She could see that the other first years were in similar states- huffing and puffing like Dudley did after P.E.. However, her breathless state didn't stop her from noticing the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed. She also noticed that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. She made sure to remember that as they climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet until, finally, Percy came to a stop. Everyone looked up, following his gaze to 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 the first years. "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 at them. They all ducked.
"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 and Clementine managed to pull Neville away before they landed on his head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.
"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they 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 - with Neville, Clementine, and a few of the shorter first years needing a leg up - and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.
Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase - they were obviously in one of the towers - they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up.
Clementine wished that she had more energy to stay up and take a look at her new surroundings, but couldn't keep her energy up. So, like the other girls (Hermione, Parvati, Lavender, and another witch named Ximena Carrick), Clementine pulled on her night dress and fell asleep the moment she slipped underneath her covers.
Hey, I know I don't usually put AN's at the end of my chapters and I'm not gonna make a habit of it- I promise. Anyway, I love all the support I've been getting from from you guys favoriting and following, but I would love to hear your feedback, so please review. Every one of them counts and makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Also, I have a poll up so you guys can tell me what you want to see from the rest of Clementine's story.