Chapter 8 ~ The Sorting Hat
Ron took a few hesitant steps up to the stool. He sat down, staring at all the people. He could see his brothers, Fred and George and Percy who was now a prefect. He saw all the gnarled smiles of the Slytherins, the cunning eyes of the Ravenclaws and the kind faces of the Hufflepuffs. He wriggled awkwardly on the stool as McGonagall placed that hat on his head. It jerked about and made him jump.
"Well I know exactly what I should do for you!" The hat began to talk out of a large crease in the worn out fabric.
"You are a Weasely! How about Gryffindoor!" Ron smiled and was welcomed to the table by warm cheers. He was glad to be in the same house as the rest of his family had for generations.
McGonagall called out other names and soon Lucas stepped up to the platform. He could feel the blood pumping in his ears and the noise of loud students was drowned out by his own heartbeat. However he projected confidence and Max smiled up at him. She felt her stomach flutter as she saw her boyfriend march up there.
Before the hat even touched his head the hat called out " Ravenclaw!" Lucas smiled. He hoped Max was chosen to be there with him. He went and sat at the long table where he sat next to another first year with a cheesy smile.
The sorting ceremony lasted for ages. The adrenalin left pumping round at an alarming rate. Hermione was last. Harry, Ron, Mike and El were in Gryffindoor, Max and Lucas in Ravenclaw and Dustin and Will were in Hufflepuff. Draco, Crabbe and Goyle were in Slytherin. Hermione crossed her fingers and she sat cautiously on the little wooden stool. She could feel her chest getting tighter as she took in sharp, nervous breaths. The hat felt strange on her head! It was wiggling round and making up its hypothetical mind.
"Gryffindoor!" The hat shouted sending a joyous cheer out through the Great Hall. Hermione looked down at the table. Her other friends were there! She felt an enormous wave of relief swept of her as she perched next to Ron.
On the podium, an older wizard stood up. He was at the center of the staff table and had long plum robes with golden moons and stars embroidered in a fabric that seemed to glow. He rose up above the table and landed, smoothly, at the golden eagle stand. The stand had candles dripping in what seemed like years of wax. The old wizard looked over the eagle at the school and smiled, his soft eyes glistening behind his half-moon glasses. His silver beard glistened from the light of the candles and his long white hair shone, giving off a radiation of joy. His wrinkled face was creased with previous signs of laughter and happiness. This was Professor Dumbledore.
"Welcome, first years to Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry!" He gestured to the sky and the bewitched ceiling began to spin and spiral, displaying the galaxies and stars that float above the school.
"I can't tell you how overjoyed I am to see such young faces full of such potential arrive at my school tonight. Now I must stress that the dungeons are strictly out of bounds. This means Professor Snape has moved his office, and Filch his office to the empty classrooms at the bottom of the transfiguration tower. Those classes may be moved to the Great Hall at certain times of the day." His face had fallen to a serious tone but began to rise after his speech, a smile curving up at the edge of his lips until his whole body was smiling.
"All that is left to say now is: LET THE FEAST BEGIN!" and with two sharp claps the tables were filled with vibrant food and the hall filled with an aroma so amazing it would've made ones mouth water, 100 meters away! The hall echoed with squeals of delight and gasps of happiness as the school made their way through the enormous amount of food.
Will looked around and felt an immense warmth that he had been missing since his dad left. He truly felt like he belonged here and hoped that things were finally looking up. He looked around the hall and smiled at some of the other first years. Soon he relaxed and began to talk to those around him, laughing untill his stomach hurt. He was still laughing when the food was gone and there were tears of happiness rolling down his cheeks.
Professor Dumbledore stood up and instructed the prefects to take everyone to their common rooms and settle in for their first night at the castle. The tables emptied one at a time as the houses were lead out of the hall...
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