Chapter 3: The Sorting Hat
A loud voice booms over the noise of the students gathering on the platform:
"Firs' Years! This way! Don' be shy now! Firs' Years!"
"Hagrid!" Calum calls up.
I look to Calum. Do they know each other. Mum and dad never old me about the magical World I'm in, so I know nothing. I've rarely left the house, except when my parents treated Charlie, and couldn't leave me alone. I hate to be rude and ask Draco or Ginny, despite the fact they've said "no matter what I want to know, I could ask them."
"Li'le Calum. 'Ow yeh doin'?" The ten foot tall giant asks.
I shrink behind Calum, slightly scared.
"Gracie, it's ok. He won't hurt you." Calum says. He turns to me and pulls me into his protective embrace.
"Another familiar face I remember, Grace. I've not seen you since you were a toddler."
"I ... I don't remoment seeing you." I manage to whisper, once I finally find my voice.
"Don't worry your fair little head. I'm not gonna hurt yeh. I helped you dad and his friends a few years before 'e died."
My head shoots up.
"Did you know my dad? Who was he?" I ask, hoping to find out anything, a clue to who he was.
"Yeh mean ter tell me your 'mother' never told you nothin' about yer dad?" he asks, shocked.
"N...no." I say quietly.
"I'll tell yeh sometime in the year." he says gruffly. "Firs' years! To the boats now please! No more than five to a boat!" he calls again over the noise.
Calum, myself and two other boys go to one of the boats with Hagrid and climb in, and he watches over the scared looking first years clamber five to a boat inside safely.The boats drift slowly across the black, vast lake. A large castle stands on a crumbling hill that never seemed to erode away. Its many windows are lit up like white Fairy lights you find at Christmas time.
I can't help but to stare at it in awe along with everyone else. Even Calum.
The lake is as calm as water could be, except for its tiny little waves that gently lift us and drop is, carrying us toward the shore.
We finally get to shore as the heavens open. Hagrid leads all of us shivering first years up the muddy, rocky pathway up to the enormous entrance doors. We are lead into the Entrance Hall where a young woman about seventeen or eighteen stands.
She has long dark hair, snow pale skin, and deep blue eyes.
"Hello. I'm Professor Ryan, Head of Gryffindor House. Headmistress McGonagall is ready for you." the young woman says.
She leads us into the vast Hall, Candles floating above us, as well as the lit torches on the walls. The ceiling reflects the sky outside.
We stop in front of a raised platform where a long table full of teachers stands, and a small wooden stool with an old hat on it. the Teachers' Table faces the four longer tables in the room.
'What do we have to do? Is there a test or something?' I think worriedly.
Calum seems to read my mind and holds my hand comfortingly. "Mum told me all we have to do is put hat hat on and it sorts us into one of the four Houses, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin." he says.
I feel a bit more comforted.
There's a rip in the hat, just above the visor. The rip opens and it bursts into song.
"You may not think I am a nice looking hat.
Don't judge on what you see.
If I had teeth and you found a better hat than I, I would eat myself.
I can cap all of yor black bowler and sleek, tall top hats.
The sorting Hat can see every inch of your mind, there is not point trying to hide anything from me.
I'll tell you where you should be, if you try me on.
You may belong in Gryffindor,
where the daring, nerve, chivalry,
where the brave at heart lay,
set Gryffindors apart.
You may belong to Hufflepuff.
Those loyal and friendly folk.
Patient and true those Hufflepuffs.
Or maybe in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you be ready in mind and full of wit.
Those full of learning and curiosity, they'll always fly to their kind.
Or maybe in sly old Slytherin,
those cunning folk use any means to acheive their ends.
Try me on, and though I have none, you are in safe hands. Put me on. Don't be in a flap! I'm the thinking cap of Hogwarts School of witchcratf and wizardry!"
The whole room bursts into applause.
Professor Ryan takes out a long scroll of parchment and begins to read out names.
"Diggory, Grace." she reads out.
I walk trembling to the stool and sit on it. My palms feel sweaty from nerves and I look around wildly. I feel the hat being put on my head and feel it searching through my mind. It seems like forever before it finally says,
"A mix of Hufflepuff and Gryffindor in your blood, not a bad combination. Being pressured into things at only eleven ... A thirst to be brave and prove people wrong ... Well then ..." there was a pause, and then, "GRYFFINDOR!"
I slip off the stool and to the floor as the Gryffindor Table clap and cheer. Calum pushes his way to the front and helps me up. I cling to him as my legs go weak and turn to jelly.
"Mr Malfoy, take her to her appropriate Table and come back." Professor Ryan says, pointing to the right table.
Calum takes me over to the Gryffindor Table and hugs me.
"I hope you're with me." I whisper.
He kisses my cheek and says, "Don't worry. Chances are I will be." He walks back to his place in the cluster of students.
"Finnegan, Mark!" she calls out.
A sandy haired boy, same height as me, walks shakily to the stool, the hat instantly shouts "GRYFFINDOR!" without even touching his head.
He slips down and hurries over to me.
A few more students are sorted.
"Longbottom, Nicola!" Professor Ryan calls out. She is sorted into Gryffindor along with three other girls and a boy.
Four boys and two girls in Ravenclaw, one boy and one girl in Hufflepuff. Thirteen have been sorted, twenty two remain.
"Malfoy, Calum."
Calum walks confidently to the stool and looks unphased. Just like Mark, the hat barely touches his head when it shouts "GRYFFINDOR!"
He runs down and takes a seat beside me, hugging me.
I hardly pay attention to the rest of the sorting, neither does Calum, we're too busy gazing at each other and holding each other. We told each other we felt empty when the other wasn't there.
An older woman calls for quiet when the sorting is over. The Hall of students goes quiet almost immediately.
"Now, students, as the late Albus Dumbledore would do each year, we shall sing our school song, however daft it may sound." she says, causing giggling from various students. "Don't worry if you don't know it, our new arrivals, just pick your own pace and tune and try to join in."
The older woman waves her wands and a golden ribbon is snaked from it, an emerald green snake protrudes from the wand and snakes itself into the words of the song.
The room starts at different paces.
Ginny and Ron's brothers had taught Calum and I the song and we sing it word for word proudly, in time with a few of the older years.
"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 nteresting 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 forgot/
Just do your best, we'll do the rest
And learn until our brains all rot."
"And now time for bed. Go on." the older woman says.
Everyone leaves the Hall, the Head boy and Girl of each house leading thie first years to the Common Rooms.
"Calum!" a girl shouts.
He turns to see ...
"Jane, Ella! I'll catch you up Gracie," he says and walks to the Potter twins.
"I'm not jealous." I tell myself.
I feel a tap on my shoulder.
"How come your name came up as Diggory, when you know it's Weasley?"
It's Charlie.
The hairs on the back of my neck prickle in fear and I tense slightly.
I shrug andway. "I don't know. Take it up with the Head." I say simply.
"Don't take that tone with me!" he says viciously and pushes me forcefully to the ground and hits me.
I stay there until he leaves with Hayley and I slowly get up, glare at his back, and walk away. I manage to find my way to the Common Room after an hour later, without crossing paths with my brother and his girlfriend, and walk in as a young boy says the password (Triwizard).
Don't ask me why it's that, I don't have a clue.
I walk in to see Calum kissing one of the Potter twins.
My heart breaks and I run up to the Girl's Dormitories and cry.
Well ... That's ... my third chapter of my life ...
join me soon xxxxxxxxxx
Grace Emmeline Diggory