Welcome to Hogwarts!
Hana: Why am I doing this now? I'm soooo hungry! *stomach growls*
Blackie: You have to feed me first, you know. It's the law!
Hana: Fine. I'll eat you! (chases Blackie around the house with a maniacal gleam)
The door swung open at once. Holly smiled to see Professor McGonagall standing there, looking exactly as she had last time Holly had seen her.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
She pulled the door open. The entrance hall was huge, with torches to light the way in brackets on the walls. A magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Holly could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right – the rest of the school must already be here – but Professor McGonagall showed the first-years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer than they would usually have done. Holly found herself next to Hermione and Neville, slightly behind Harry and Ron.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The state-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."
Holly hoped she'd get sorted into Lee Jordan's house, Gryffindor. He was sure to be able to help her get used to Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall continued.
"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."
"Well," thought Holly, "that shouldn't be too hard. Even if there's a lot of homework, I like learning, so that's ok." She kept her attention on Professor McGonagall, who was still talking.
"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."
Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair, which she saw (of course). She smiled to herself when she saw Holly and Hermione standing together. Holly was the smallest of all the first-years, yet McGonagall couldn't help thinking that she looked the most mature.
"I shall return when we are ready for you," Professor McGonagall said. "Please wait quietly."
She left the chamber. Holly bit her lip and smiled as she turned to listen to Hermione, who was whispering to her very quickly about all the spells she'd learned and what spells she might need to use. No one else was talking very much. Holly heard Harry ask Ron.
"How exactly do they sort us into houses?"
"Some sort of test, I think," Ron answered. "Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."
Holly's mind flashed to the tall, lanky boy with the drawl and mischievous grin. "He probably was," she thought dryly.
She flashed a sympathetic smile at Harry, who looked terrified, trying not to show how nervous she was at the idea of a test.
Suddenly, several people screamed.
Holly gasped in wonder. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. 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.
No one answered.
"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be sorted, I suppose?"
Holly nodded silently with a few others.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar genially. "My old house, you know."
"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to start."
Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.
"Now, form a line of three people to a row," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."
Holly swallowed and got into line next to Hermione and Neville. In the row ahead of them, Harry and Ron stood next to a boy with sandy hair.
Silently, they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.
It was awe-inspiring. The Great Hall 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 here so that they came to a halt facing the other students, with the teachers off to one side. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Holly caught Lee's gaze. He gave her a wink and Holly smiled. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty-silver. Holly saw Harry glance up and followed his gaze. The ceiling looked like the night sky, velvety-black and speckled with stars. Hermione leaned in and whispered to Holly.
"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."
Holly found it hard to believe there was a ceiling at all. She looked on as 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, which was frayed, patched and dirty.
What on earth? Holly glanced around. As she did so, she accidentally locked eyes with a teacher who had a hooked nose, wavy shoulder-length black hair and extremely pale skin.
Holly's eyes snapped back to the stool. She felt breathless, as though she'd been punched. The look in the teacher's black eyes had been bored and a bit jaded. "However," Holly thought, "He's sad. His soul is lonely."
Just then a rip near the hat's brim opened like a mouth – and then 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 get 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,
These 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 still again.
"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Holly heard Ron whisper to Harry. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."
Holly smiled wryly to herself. That certainly sounded like Fred from what she knew of him.
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!"
A pink-face girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell down right over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause –
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit at the Hufflepuff table. Holly noticed the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at Hannah.
"Bones, Susan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit with 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 right exploded with cheers; Holly could see Fred, George, and Lee catcalling.
"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin and the table on the far left cheered this time.
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Holly noticed that some people were sorted right away, while others had to wait for a while. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Harry waited a whole minute before becoming a Gryffindor.
"Granger, Hermione!"
Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Ron groaned. Holly felt a silent pang of sympathy for him.
When it was Neville's turn, he fell over on the way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."
"Malfoy, Draco!"
A pale boy with sleek icy-blond hair slipped past Holly with a disdainful look. The hat barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"
Malfoy went to join two human-gorillas, looking pleased.
The list was dwindling.
"Moon" …, "Nott" …, "Parkinson" …, then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" …, then "Perks, Sally-Anne" …, and then 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?"
Holly felt pity for Harry. Bad enough to be sorted, but also to be so famous ….
The hat spoke up.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Harry took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. Holly saw that he was getting the loudest cheer yet. A Weasley she hadn't met yet stood up to shake Harry's hand, while Fred and George yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Harry sat down and suddenly – it was Holly's turn.
"Smith, Holly!"
Holly slipped past Ron and walked to the stool. Sitting on the stool, she put on the hat, which slipped down past her nose. Looking at the inside of the hat, she tried to breathe and waited.
"Hmm," said a small voice in her ear. "Interesting. You possess all the qualities of Hufflepuff quite strongly. Yet, I'm not sure if I should place you there."
Holly wondered if she could think-talk to the hat.
"Yes, you can." the small voice replied.
"Ok," Holly thought. "Then, Mr. Hat, it's entirely up to you. I just want to be put where my abilities will be put to the greatest use."
"Ah. If that's the case, then it will have to be GRYFFINDOR!"
The last word was said aloud to the whole hall. Holly took off the hat and walked toward where Harry was sitting. Lee called to her, "Holly, come sit by us." Holly complied, sitting between Lee and Harry. Fred spoke up.
"Holly, this is my brother, Percy the Prefect."
Percy (the Weasley who'd shook Harry's hand earlier) gave the twins a withering look and turned to Holly.
"I am honoured to welcome you to Gryffindor."
"Thank you very much."
"Thomas, Dean" a black boy taller than Ron joined them at the Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Holly bit her lip and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Harry and Holly clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed on the other side of Harry.
"Well don, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley pompously across Harry as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.
Holly looked toward the head table. A man had gotten to his feet.
The man was tall and thin, with bright, sparkling blue eyes gazing out from behind half-moon spectacles. His hair and beard were silver and almost long enough to reach the floor.
Holly whispered "Who's that?" to Lee. Lee turned to her.
"Who's that? That's Albus Dumbledore, our Headmaster. He's one of the greatest wizards in the whole world. Oh, he's going to speak!"
"Welcome!" Dumbledore said. "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!"
He sat back down. Everyone clapped and cheered. Holly bit back a grin. She had a feeling she was going to like Dumbledore.
"Is he – a bit mad?" she heard Harry ask Percy uncertainly.
"Mad?" Percy said airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?"
Harry's mouth fell open. The plates were now piled with food. Harry took some potatoes and then passed the platter to Holly. Pretty soon, they were all eating hungrily.
"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly.
"Can't you –?" Harry began.
"I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor tower."
"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you – you're Nearly Headless Nick!"
"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy –" the ghost began stiffly, but sand-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.
"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"
Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.
"Like this," he said irritable. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So – new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherin's have got the cup 6 years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable – he's the Slytherin ghost."
Holly and Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was sitting right next to Malfoy who, Harry was pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements.
"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Holly.
"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.
As the dinner progressed, Holly sat back. She just watched everyone, occasionally sipping her water. As the dishes cleared and then filled with dessert, as separate conversations broke out, her attention turned to the teacher's table. She saw Hagrid and McGonagall and Dumbledore. Her eyes found the hook-nosed teacher. He, all in black, was talking to a pale nervous young man in a large purple turban. Holly watched him, wondering. Why did she feel like he was always in pain? Why was she feeling her cheeks flush? Why was her heart beating faster when she looked at him? Suddenly the teacher looked at her – no at Harry.
"Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head.
"What is it?" asked Percy.
"N-nothing."
"Are you okay?" asked Holly.
"Yes."
"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" he asked Percy. Holly realized that Quirrell must be the teacher in the purple turban. She listened as Percy said "Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape." Snape! She had a name for him! "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."
Holly and Harry watched Snape for the rest of the meal, but Snape didn't look their way again.
At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.
"Ahem – just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. 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."
Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins. In response to Holly's look, the twins shrugged sheepishly.
"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 Madame Hooch."
"Quidditch?" Holly mouthed to Lee. He mouthed back, "Tell you later." Dumbledore continued.
"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 laughed, but he was one of the few who did.
"He's not serious?" he 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. Holly noticed the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed, except for Snape who hadn't smiled once during the entire feast.
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," said Dumbledore, "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. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted the 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 that we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the clattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Holly was one of the few first-years not tired. In fact, she felt wide-awake. Following silently, Holly noticed that the people in the portraits hanging on the walls talked to them and moved as they passed. Or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, most yawning and dragging their feet. Holly was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.
A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them, they started 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. Everyone except Holly 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 on Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling the 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 forward through it – Neville needed 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. Holly found she was next to Hermione. Hermione said goodnight and fell asleep almost instantly. Holly lay awake in her black pajamas for a while, thinking. Hogwarts was wonderful, but she missed Megan and Mrs. Riley. She wondered what her classes would be like, especially Potions. Blushing, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
