Chapter 3
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "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.
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 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. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." When Professor McGonagall left the room filled with the murmurs of panicked children.
"How do you think they sort us?" Peter asked nervously.
"My brother Regulus told me that they take you to a muggle contraption called a computer and you have to take this thing called a personality test, which determines your house," Sirius replied.
"Um, Sirius, I think your brother lied to you. There's no way they would allow muggle technology into Hogwarts. Haven't you read Hogwarts a History?" stated Remus. They were cut off by the return of Professor McGonagall.
"Now form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."
They walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. It 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 there so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver.
To avoid all the staring eyes, the first years would look upward and be greeted with a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. 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.
Someone whisper, " It's bewitched to look like the sky out"
Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool, she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat. 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 be a Gryffindor,
Brave and daring like a knight,
Doing the right thing and never backing from a fight;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where all your friends are loyal,
But getting some respect from others might be a toil;
Maybe you will desire Ravenclaw,
If you're ready to learn,
Well step on up, it's your turn,
Or perhaps you'll do in Slytherin
Where not all are unkind,
But you may find yourself being stabbed from behind.
Or you may be in the oldest house
The Spectrals are a mystery
For not that many people know about it or its history
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 spectrals? Who are those?" Remus whispered to Peter, James, and Sirius.
" What are you talking about Remus?" James asked.
" The starting hat sang about five houses Griffindoor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Spectral. Weren't you listening?" Remus told the others.
"I think you had too much candy mate. The hat only sang about four houses, Griffindoor Ravenclaw Hufflepuff and Slytherin." Sirius said looking at Remus with worry. James and Peter were also worried about Remus but soon dismissed it when Professor McGonagall started calling names. Remus was also worried about his sanity but he was sure that what he heard was not a figment of his imagination.
"This is an ancient school they must have a library." Remus thought " It may have some clues about the spectral house."