Chapter 4: Sorting

The platform was crowded, and the seven First-Years had no idea where to go. Then, towering a good meter over anyone else, was Hagrid.

"Firs' years, over here!" he called, "Firs' years! Come with me!" he noticed Matilda and Tabitha and grinned, waving. They waved back and followed him with the rest of the first years. He led them down a muddy bank to the side of a giant lake where a dozen or so boats were docked. Several people had slipped on the on the wet hill – including Neville – and were covered in mud by the time they made it to the boats.

"No more'n four ter a boat!" called Hagrid, taking one for himself. Tabitha, Matilda, Aaric, and Hermione ended up together, while the other three shared a boat with another girl.

Everyone gasped when they saw Hogwarts castle. Dozens of turrets and towers glowed slightly in the light of the moon and the lit windows. All the children were speechless for awhile, and then started whispering among themselves.

"Wow," said Tabitha to the other three. "We really get to live here?"

Soon they were getting out of their boats and walking up a steep but thankfully mud-less hill toward huge wooden doors. Hagrid knocked twice, and the door opened to reveal a stern-looking woman in emerald robes. Matilda and Tabitha thought immediately that this was not a woman to cross.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. Come in," she said, directing everyone through the giant doors and leading them into an empty chamber.

"Your attention," she called, though everyone was already quiet, "Thank you. Now, in a few minutes you will pass through these doors and be sorted into one of the four houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. While you are at Hogwarts, your house will be like your family. Triumphs will earn you point, and any rule-breaking will loose you points. The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily." She finished, and disappeared through a door to their right.

Everyone was fidgeting nervously. Neville was turning steadily green, Euterpe was paler than usual, and Ron looked slightly red again.

"So it's true then," said a loud, drawling voice. Tabitha and Matilda turned and recognized the boy from Madam Malkin's pushing through the crowd towards them. "What they're saying on the train. The Potters' have come to Hogwarts." He stepped up in front of the seven of them, looking very superior, flanked by two large boys that looked about as bright as the mountain trolls the twins had read about the previous night.

"This is Crabbe and Goyle, and I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." He said in that same arrogant tone, and Tabitha heard Ron snort loudly behind them. Malfoy's eyes flashed, his sleeked-back blond hair glimmering in the candlelight as he turned to glare at Ron. "Think my name's funny do you? No need to ask yours…red hair, and a hand-me-down robe? You must be a Weasley."

He turned back to Tabitha and Matilda, who were starting to dislike him more and more by the second. Who did this kid think he was, talking to people this way?

"You'll soon find that some wizarding families are better than others. I can help you there." Malfoy held out on pale hand.

Tabitha and Matilda both snorted and shook their heads. Matilda adjusted her glasses calmly.

"I think we can tell the wrong sort for ourselves, thanks." Tabitha said, glaring at Malfoy.

"We've a good idea of where to start," added Matilda.

He stared incredulously at them for a few seconds, until Professor McGonagall came up behind him, tapping him firmly on the shoulder and watching him in a hawk-like manner until he was back in line with the others.

"Follow me." The professor said, and led the way through the doors.

The room was filled with hundreds and hundreds of students, and Tabitha and Matilda were suddenly so nervous they were grateful for Hermione's whisper behind them as she said, "…It's enchanted to look like the night sky…" and the twins remembered that from Hogwarts, a History. They stared up at the ceiling in awe until they reached the front. It was a helpful distraction from all of the eyes on them.

"When I call your names, you will step forward and I will place the sorting hat on your head." McGonagall announced. She consulted her list, then called, "Abbott, Hannah!"

A very pink–faced girl with blond pig tails rushed forward, place the hat on her head, and sat down on the stool. After only a second, a rip near the brim of the hat opened and it shouted, "Hufflepuff!"

Hannah jumped down happily and ran to join the cheering yellow and black table.

"Bones, Susan!"

A girl with long black hair wore the hat next, and was also sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Boot, Terry!"

A very pale boy with long blond hair and glasses quickly placed the hat on his head and sat down. No sooner had he sat, than the hat yelled, "Ravenclaw!" and the blue and bronze table cheered happily as he joined them.

"Brown, Lavender!" was sorted into Gryffindor after a few moments, then, "Brocklehurst, Mandy!" went to Ravenclaw and "Bulstrode, Millicent!" went to Slytherin. "Corner, Michael!" a boy who was handsome to the point of being pretty at his age was sorted into Ravenclaw, as was, "Cornfoot, Stephen!". "Vincent, Crabbe!", the first of Malfoy's henchmen, went to Slytherin, "Davis, Tracey!" went to Slytherin, and "Entwhistle, Kevin!" to Ravenclaw.

"Evers, Morrissey!" went to Ravenclaw and "Finch–Fletchley, Justin!" went to Hufflepuff. "Finnegan, Seamus!" became a Gryffindor, "Goldstein, Anthony!" went to Ravenclaw, and "Goyle, Gregory!", Malfoy's other henchman, went to Slytherin, along with a pretty girl named "Greengrass, Daphne!"

"Granger, Hermione!" McGonagall called, and Tabitha, Matilda, Euterpe, Aaric, Neville, and Ron smiled encouragingly at her as she walked forward. She sat down with the hat on, and after almost a minute it yelled, "Gryffindor!" and the scarlet–and–gold table erupted into cheers. Beaming, Hermione set the hat down and ran to join them.

"Hopkins, Wayne!" went to Hufflepuff, "Jones, Megan!" joined him while "Li, Su!" went to Ravenclaw.

Then it was: "Longbottom, Neville!"

Neville was trembling as he ascended the stairs and sat down, the hat dropping over his eyes as it had all the others. After almost a minute, the hat finally yelled, "Gryffindor!" and Neville smiled so brightly it looked painful, and he started to run towards the table with the hat still on, but Euterpe grabbed it and handed it to the McGonagall, who called, "MacDonald, Aaric!" and Aaric stepped forward, looking nervous. The hat put him almost immediately in Gryffindor, and he rushed to sit with Neville and Hermione.

"Macmillan, Ernie!" was a blond boy who looked strangely large and muscular for an eleven year old, was sorted into Hufflepuff while, "Malfoy, Draco!" went – surprisingly – to Slytherin before the hat even touched his hair. "McDougal, Morag!" went to Ravenclaw and "Nott, Theodore!" went to Slytherin.

"Noble, Euterpe!"

Euterpe was grinning as she took her seat, unlike the others who – besides Malfoy, who had simply looked smug – had all looked either vaguely green or pale white. The hat considered for a moment, then yelled, "Gryffindor!"

The twins had a vague thought that all their friends who had been sorted so far were in Gryffindor.

"Parkinson, Pansy!"

"Slytherin!"

"Patil, Padma!" A pretty Indian girl with long black hair went up to the stool, and the hat proclaimed her "Ravenclaw!"

"Patil, Parvati!" was a girl identical to the first down to the last hair, but when she wore the sorting hat, she became a Gryffindor.

"Potter, Matilda!" she cried. A hush filled the Great Hall. Tabitha gently squeezed her sister's hand and Matilda walked forward and sat down on the stool, glad that the hat covered her eyes. It was less awkward this way

'Ah, one of the Potter girls…' said a voice in her ear. 'I've been waiting for you…let's see…loyal, yes, not a bad mind at all, either…there's power, oh yes, and a thirst to prove yourself…but where to put you? You could go anywhere…'

'Not Slytherin, not Slytherin…' Matilda thought desperately.

'Not Slytherin? But you could be great there, both of you…it's all here, in your head. And Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that…no?'

'Please,' thought Matilda, 'I want to be with my friends, and so will Tabitha.'

'All right then, if you're sure….better be…'

"Gryffindor!" the hat yelled, and Matilda was so happy she could have flown to the table where Euterpe, Hermione, Neville, and Aaric were waiting for her, grinning, as everyone yelled louder than ever. Two of Ron's older brothers, the twins, were chanting, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"

"Potter, Tabitha!" Professor McGonagall cried. There was a hush yet again.

Tabitha hurried to the stool, pulling on the hat. She just wanted to get it over with.

'Here's the other one…your sister was quite difficult…I hope you'll see to reason.'

'What do you mean?' Asked Tabitha.

'I told her she would do well in Slytherin, both of you would…she insisted on Gryffindor, but I'm sure you'll be more reasonable…you would do very well in Slytherin indeed.'

'No,' Tabitha thought firmly. 'I want to be with everyone else, and I won't be Dark either…I know what Slytherin would do to us. Besides, Matilda and I don't separate.'

'Fine then,' said the hat, sounding rather frustrated, 'Have it your way.'

"Gryffindor!"

The cheering was deafening. The Gryffindors were ecstatic to have both the Potters, and it showed. Several of them looked close to tears. Tabitha plopped down next to Matilda, across from Euterpe, Aaric, Neville, and Hermione, and grinned at each other.

The Sorting continued. "Smith, Zacharias!" was sorted into Hufflepuff, and then it was, "Thomas, Dean!" who became a Gryffindor as well, and took a spot next to Seamus Finnegan as "Turpin, Lisa!" became a Ravenclaw.

"Weasley, Ron!" Ron was bright red, gray, and green all at the same time as he pulled the hat over his flaming hair and matching ears, but his worry was for naught, because he became a Gryffindor as well, and ran over to sit by the twins.

Lastly, "Zabini, Blaise!" became a Slytherin.

After all the cheering had subsided, Albus Dumbledore stood up. He was beaming, his light blue eyes glittering as he said, "Welcome all! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it! Tuck in!" and everyone cheered as Dumbledore sat down and – amazingly – food appeared out of thin air.

Tabitha and Matilda had never seen this much food in one place in their whole lives – maybe not even this much combined! There was no one here to stop them from eating as much as they wanted, so they grabbed everything they could reach. Ron did the same while Hermione watched him in distaste as she slowly spooned small portions of vegetables and chicken onto her plate.

"I'm half and half. Me dad's a Muggle, mum's a witch. Bit of a nasty shock for him when he found out." Seamus was telling Dean, who laughed.

"My parents are both Muggles," he said. "We're not sure who could have been magical in our family…we think it might be my Uncle; none of us has seen him in a few years."

Ron was stuffing chicken and potatoes into his face like he hadn't ever eaten before, and Aaric watched him with disgust, as if unable to look away. As he reached forward to grab his fifth chicken leg, a head popped up in the middle of the platter. Ron gasped, choking on his chicken. Aaric thumped him on the back.

"Hello there! Welcome to Gryffindor!" the head said, rising slowly out of the chicken. It was a man – the ghost of a man to be exact – and he wore tights and a ruffled collar.

"Oh, I know who you are!" cried Ron after swallowing, "You're Nearly Headless Nick!"

The ghost frowned, "I prefer Sir Nicholas, if you don't mind, or Nick if you must."

"Nearly headless?" asked Hermione sceptically, "How can you be nearly headless?"

Nick gave her a withering look. "Like this," he said, and tilted his head to the side.

All the first-years gasped, and Neville and Hermione shrieked. The ghost's head had flopped off the one side, held on by a piece of skin, like a hinge.

As the dinner cleared away and was replaced by desert, Tabitha happened to glance at the teachers' table. Charity and a woman who Tabitha thought must be the astronomy teacher, Professor Sinistra, were talking and laughing. Dumbledore and McGonagall were deep in discussion, their heads bent towards each other. At the very edge of the table, Tabitha saw a man with long, greasy looking black hair. He was talking to Professor Quirrell, whom she recognized from The Leaky Cauldron. She nudged Matilda, and the other twin followed her gaze to the black haired man, who happened to look at them at that moment.

A bolt of pain shot through both girls' scars at the same time, and they both clapped their hands to their foreheads, saying, "Ow!"

Euterpe, Neville, and Ron looked at them curiously, but they ignored that and Matilda leaned over towards Percy down the table.

"Percy, who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?"

"Oh, that's Professor Snape." Answered Percy, "He teaches potions, but everyone knows it's the Dark Arts he fancies. Been after that position for years, he has."

After Dumbledore's announcements and the school song, the children were dismissed for bed. The Gryffindor first years followed Percy upstairs, through tapestries, down halls and all over the place, all of them to sleepy to say anything or pay attention to where they were going.

"Girls, you dormitories are up the stairs and down on your left, boys, the same on your right. You'll find all your belongings have already been brought up. Breakfast starts at six and ends at nine, which is when the first bell rings for class. You'll be given your schedules tomorrow at breakfast – be sure not to loose them."

Tabitha, Matilda, Hermione and Euterpe followed Percy's instructions and ended up in a circular dorm with six four poster beds arranged along the sides. Two others girls entered after them, Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. Both were very pretty, and seemed to have already become friends.

They were all tired, and didn't talk much as they put on their nightgowns and brushed their teeth. Matilda chose a bed across from the door, Tabitha to her left and Hermione to the right, with Euterpe on Tabitha's other side. It didn't take long for anyone to fall asleep, even as excited as they were for their first day.