Chapter 11
Ravenclaw
There was a small group of boats on the shore of the lake, which Hagrid led the group of first-years to. "Three to a boat," he said as they neared. Harry, Ron and Draco took one, but Harry was forced to sit between them in order to stop them snapping at each other. "Come on," he sighed. "Just lay off each other for a sec. Look! We're almost at Hogwarts!" The boats then started to move by themselves, gliding silently across the lake, towards the school. The students waited with baited breath as they came closer and closer toward the school. As they reached it they passed into a tunnel underneath the school, which would have been pitch-black if it wasn't for the torches hanging in brackets every couple of metres. They continued for several minutes until they finally reached ground again, and everyone clambered out. They waited for Hagrid to show them the way and moved on up a flight of stairs, getting brighter the higher up they went. Eventually they reached through to the surface, and were standing in front of the massive doors that led into Hogwarts' entrance hall. Hagrid pushed the door open and they crowded inside.
The entrance hall was huge. The ceiling was lost in shadows. To the right was another large set of doors, and from it there was the large gabble of lots of people talking at once. To the left was a darker passageway that led down, and at the other end of the hall – almost too far away to see properly – was a large flight of stairs that led to everywhere else in the castle.
Hagrid led them to the door to the right, but instead of going through the large doors that led to the racket, they entered a smaller door beside it and went down yet another passageway that lead to a small room, with nothing but two torches, and a door leading to the Great Hall. Hagrid went through it and told them to wait there.
A talk started up within their small group, wondering what would happen next. "I heard there's some sort of test you have to do before they tell you what House you're in," a guy said. Harry's stomach dropped. A test? What about? He wasn't ready! He may have read all his books, but he had never done actual magic, and he was immediately certain that he wouldn't be able to do it, and that he would make a fool of himself in front of the entire school. He began to tremble. Harry looked to his side where Draco was standing. Draco was trying to look calm but not doing it very well.
"What do you think?" Harry asked, thinking he ought to try cheer up Draco, despite the fact his own heart was hammering so hard it was threatening to burst out of his chest.
"About what?" Draco asked, starting a little before turning to Harry.
"Have you decided what House you want to be in yet?" The moment the words were out of Harry's mouth he knew they weren't going to help Draco. Draco paled even further, and his face took on a slight green colour.
"I-I don't know. I-I I think I have to go in Slytherin. It's what Father wants of me."
"Yeah, because you always do what your father says, daddy's boy?" Ron sneered.
"Leave me alone, filthy blood-traitor," Malfoy muttered under his breath.
Harry left them too it, and went back to worrying about the Sorting. He didn't have long, however, before a strict-looking witch wearing black robes lined with red and gold and glasses came into the small room and addressed them.
"Would everybody look this way please? Thankyou. I am Professor McGonagall and I am here to lead you into the Great Hall, to your Sorting ceremony. You will gather in front of the teachers' table and there I will call your names one by one and you will come up to be sorted."
At these words Harry was greeted with yet another burst of nerves. He wasn't the only one though; groans echoed across the small room even before Professor McGonagall had finished speaking. She turned and left through the door she had come through and, reluctantly, the first years began to follow.
The room they entered was enormous, with hundreds of other students sitting on four tables spread adjacently across the room. In front of them was what was no doubt the teachers' table, and to prove the fact McGonagall started heading towards it. They headed toward the centre of the room, in between two of the tables and facing the teachers' table. They all looked up at the table anxiously. There were around fifteen or so adults standing there, including Hagrid, taking up over twice as much space as everyone else. Harry felt a little better when he saw him.
Presently, Professor McGonagall was walking up the few steps to the teachers' table, and then turning around and moving a stool with what looked like a pile of cloth on top where everyone could see it.
So what's the test? Harry wondered. Do we have to make a robe with magic, like in Madam Malkin's shop? But, now that he looked closer . . . yes! The pile of cloth was actually an incredibly old and battered wizard's hat that looked even older than him. As he watched, the hat started moving. The hat stretched up straight, looked around, and then a voice emanated from it:
Welcome, first years, feel right at home,
To the best magic school ever known.
But you may wonder, how did it start?
Four wise mages played their part.
Godric Griffindor, strong and brave,
Good and true and well-behaved;
Salazar Slytherin, calm and cool,
Doesn't stand for any fools;
Helga Huffelpuff, with her strong pride
Cares most for what's on the inside;
Rowena Ravenclaw was very wise
Could easily see through any lies.
They raised this school from the ground
Houses in their name they found.
So if you feel you share some traits
I will help you find your fate.
So come on now you have a date
With the smartest hat you will find
I'll take a look inside your mind.
I'll decide where you belong;
It won't take long!
With that the hat's song concluded, but Harry still felt a little confused. The hat would choose where we would go? Harry felt giddy with relief, but it wasn't long before he started getting nervous again; what if the hat put him in a house he didn't want to be in? Harry closed his eyes and attempted deep breaths, but Professor McGonagall had started calling up students and was going through them swiftly. How dearly Harry wished that his last name began with a Z.
All too soon, his name was called. Feeling considerably green, Harry tottered forward, sat on the stool and felt the hat get placed on his head. He heard small mumblings in his ear from the hat, "Hmm . . . complicated . . . so many similarities . . . should it be Slytherin? Hmm . . ."
Harry's eyes widened, and immediately shook his head. All he had heard of Slytherin, and that's were he was going to be placed? No! he thought furiously. Anywhere but Slytherin! Please!
"Oh?" came the Hat's reply. "Are you sure? You seem so similar . . . to him; Salazar."
How would you know? Harry thought his reply.
"Even I am much older than I look. I belonged to the founders, once, over a thousand years ago. No-one but me can properly choose where each individual should go. But we're getting off track. I've decided what house you should go in." There was a slight pause, building the suspense, and then . . .
"RAVENCLAW!"