Disclaimer: There are some parts that are taken directly from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and some parts that are similar enough to prompt me to reaffirm that the FanFiction Descent is for entertainment value only and the author does not make any kind of money from writing it.
No Warnings
Chapter 10: In the Wake of Dawn Part III
Susan's fierce persistence was the only thing that made the twins leave the compartment; that and the fact that she threatened to tell Lily that they were in the compartment. After the twins left, Susan invited bushy haired girl to stay in the compartment with them. Harry's companion bristled unpleasantly when the bushy haired girl accepted.
Harry soon found out that the girl's name was Hermione Granger, and that her parents were dentists. Some of the next things that Harry found out was that Hermione was a know it all. Harry was surprised to find that he and Ron were able to agree on the fact that they greatly disliked Hermione. Although, Harry had a feeling that he was considerable more prejudice than Ron was. Neville was also having a hard time dealing with Hermione.
Hermione was faster than Susan to the draw, when she started a very long winded rant about how reckless it was to break the rules. Harry thought that it was a sucker punch that she had brought up the fact that none of them had even been to Hogwarts before and how he was going to get himself kicked out at the rate he was going. Susan almost kicked Hermione out when the bushy head mentioned something about dragging her into the mess.
Hermione immediately apologized and said that she was just nervous. Every time Harry tried to tune out of the conversation, Susan or Neville would bring him back into it. At one point, Hermione asked what book Harry was reading. The book was an advanced charms book, and the girl was looking at it longingly.
"Don't worry, we are all a little nervous," Susan said reassuringly. "Anyway, I should go get changed. I'm sure we are almost there."
The two girls left, and there was a moment of silence between the three boys.
"That was one of the most dreadful things I have ever had the displeasure of listening to." Ron said breaking the silence.
"I thought she was going to attack me with the way she was looking at my book," Harry cringed.
"She was worse than both your moms, Grans and Susan combined, on a shopping trip!" Neville said from the corner. Neville held up his Hogwarts robes. He ran his thumb over the Emblem of Four Houses. "Guys, I know that a lot is going to happen in school, and that some of us will probably be in different houses, but I really want us all to stay friends.
"Neville, all of us have been friends for as long as we can remember. We've all been through a lot already, and I think even in difficult times we'll be there for each other. That's just how we work." Harry said.
"You promise that we will always be friends?" Neville asked. "That even if something terrible happens and we drift apart, we'll be friends? All of us?"
Harry looked at Neville's slightly hunched form. It was a rare moment of insecurity for his friend. Harry knew that the Longbottom heir valued his friendships, and held all of his friends closely in his heart.
"Yes, Neville, I promise," Harry lied.
Students clamored off of the train as it rolled into the Hogsmeade train station. Small first years were lost in the sea of older students. Yellow, green, red, and blue badges colored the fronts of robes. They were headed toward carriages that were being pulled by nothing. Well, it would seem to be nothing, but in the Wizarding World nothing was what it seemed to be. Even from the distance Harry was away from the red headed twins, he watched George pet something at the front of the carriage. Fred popped his head out of the carriage and motioned for George to get in. A booming voice pulled Harry's attention away from his departing friends.
"FIRST YEARS! FIRST YEARS THIS WAY!" Harry, Ron and Neville whipped their heads around to see their largest friend.
"Hagrid!" Ron and Neville yelled together while Harry stood on his toes and waved.
"Arry, Ron, Neville! It's good ta see ya! Where is little Susan?" Hagrid asked quickly. "FIRST YEARS OVER HERE!"
"She's around here somewhere. With someone else probably." Neville said.
"Is this all a'ya?" Hagrid said softly and counted everyone. "Tha' seems ta be all ya. Now follow me and stick together!"
Hagrid led the forty first years to the very edge of the lake. In the distance stood Hogwarts in all its glory. No matter how many years passed, Harry was always awed by the buildings beauty and grace. Over two thousand years worth of wizards and witches trained at Hogwarts. Even though he was practically raised in the school, Harry couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with the fact that he would become a part of that history.
"Now, I want each a ya to get inter these boats here. And no more than three to a boat!" Hagrid said. Someone grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him into one of the boats. A skinny but tall boy with brown hair was pulling not only Harry but another person into the boat with him. Once all three of them were in the boat it started to move without any prompting.
"Sorry about that," the boy said. "I don't think I could have handled another moment with that girl."
Harry and the girl in the boat followed where the brown haired boy was looking. There was a dejected looking girl on the shore.
"I'm Theo," the boy said as he extended his hand toward both of the other occupants.
"I'm Sally," said the girl in glasses. She seemed to be very shy.
"I'm Harry. Who was that girl back there?" Harry asked while trying to hide the fact that he was eyeing the girl next to him.
"That would be Lavender Brown. She's nice enough, but she's too much like Pansy\. They think they like you and the next moment they are asking you to marry them." Theo shuddered. "I'm sorry, you guys were closest to me, and I really didn't want to get stuck in a boat with Lavender."
"It's okay. I was just worried that no one would want to share a boat with me. I'm actually kind of glad I didn't have a choice." Sally blushed.
"I guess the whole point of school is to make new friends," Harry laughed. As the boat came closer and closer to Hogwarts the quieter all of the boats became. The aw of the school stunned everyone.
The boats pulled up to a little dock at the very bottom of a winding staircase. Hagrid herded the first years into the shed that held boats. Harry realized how cold he was now that he was standing in a warm room.
"Everyone follow me and watch your step," Hagrid said again. Everyone wasn't looking forward to having to brave the chill of the night again. The students trudged up all of the stairs, what seemed like hundreds. Finally, all of the first years had made it to the impressive doors of Hogwarts. Harry knew that just beyond the doors was the Entrance Hall. Hagrid pushed the doors open and motioned everyone to enter.
Everyone entered the Entrance Hall. There was no one waiting for them, and when some of the students had turned around Hagrid had already left. Confused, everyone just stood just inside of the doors. Until there was a loud splash and a scream. Heads whipped around to see what had happened.
Hermione Granger stood soaked to the bone with water. Another splash and a burly looking boy was soaked as well. Harry looked up to see buckets filled with water floating above them. Theo noticed Harry's gaze and followed it to the ceiling as a bucket started to tip above the two. They both dived away to avoid getting wet.
"Look at the firsties dance!" a voice said from above the students. Harry recognized the voice.
"Peeves! What are you doing!?" Harry asked as he pulled himself up.
"All of you looked like you needed a bath!" the apparition laughed as he dropped another balloon. Luckily the other students jumped out of the way.
"Come on Peeves, this is a special occasion," Neville said from the opposite side of the room. Soon after a bucket of water was chucked at him. Neville was fast enough to get out of the way, but the others around him weren't. All of them got soaked. Peeves finally showed himself, but he was sticking his tongue out at Neville.
"What's so special about firsties?" Peeves laughed while pouring all of the buckets out on top of the students.
"Peeves!" a shrewd voice bellowed from across the hall. Some of the students turned to see a harsh looking woman with graying hair and rectangle spectacles. Her wand was out and pointed to the ceiling. Those that didn't turn toward the woman were looking up at water that was suspended in the air. "Stop this nonsense now!"
"No!" the poltergeist laughed while trying to get the water to move by splashing in it.
"Peeves, do not make me get the Baron!" the woman raised her voice just barely with impatience. Peeves suddenly stopped all movement and visibly shuddered, then splashed as much water as he could toward the woman and whisked away. "Now, let's get this mess cleaned up."
All of the students who had gotten wet were now as dry as a bone and warm. The water had vanished as well. Muggleborn students were stunned, and the wizarding children were all impressed by how strong the woman's magic was.
"Now then, I am Professor McGonagall, and in a moment I will lead you into the Great Hall so you may be sorted into one of the four House: Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. You will live with your housemates, learn with them, and compete against the other houses with them. The Sorting Ceremony is very important and all of you should be on your best behavior."
Professor McGonagall seemed to have zeroed in on Neville and Harry, who had found his friend when the professor arrived, when she finished. The two looked at each other in confusion for a moment. It only took them that moment to realize exactly who the woman was to them. Once when they were eight, their families had visited Hogwarts in the summer as a birthday gift. On that visit the two of them had all but destroyed three of the Transfiguration classrooms with accidental magic and dungbomb war. The two paled and looked straight forward without meeting the woman's gaze.
"Shall we," Professor McGonagall magically opened the doors to the Great Hall. Four long tables filled most of the Hall. Each table had students wearing badges indicating which house was which. Gryffindor and Slytherin were closest to the walls, and Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were in the middle. At the very end of the Great Hall was another long table, where all of the staff seemed to sit. In front of the staff table sat a stool with an grungy old hat placed on it.
When the large group reached the stool, the entire hall quieted as if waiting for something. Only a second passed before the dirty hat started to move. Where there had been stitches before became 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 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 yet 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,
Those cunning folk us 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!" (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Chapter 7)
The hat took a slight bow and everyone applauded and roared for the old hat. After the hat bowed to each table, the hall once again became quiet. "When I call your name I want you to come forward and sit in the stool and put on the hat to be sorted." Professor McGonagall said while holding the Sorting Hat. "Abbot, Hannah!"
A blonde girl with pigtails stumbled forward nervously sat on the stool and pulled on the Sorting Hat, which went over her eyes. There was a moments pause when the Hat shouted:
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The table on the right cheered loudly and welcomed the girl with a series of hugs.
"Bones, Susan!" Professor McGonagall called. Harry and Neville perked up to see which house the girl would be sorted into. They saw Susan square her shoulders and hesitantly walk forward. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on Susan's head as she sat on the stool. The Hat was on her head for moments before the hall resonated:
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Susan smiled brightly and ran off to sit with the other Hufflepuffs, many of whom got up to shake hands with Susan. The Fat Friar even gave the red head a hug. Susan shuddered for while after that.
"Boot, Terry!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The table on the left cheered, and like Susan, several Ravenclaws stood to shake hands with Terry. Brocklehusrt, Mandy was also sorted into Ravenclaw. The girl who looked dejected on the docks, Brown, Lavender was the first Gryffindor to be sorted. The table on the farthest left cheered louder than the other tables so far. A girl, Bulstrode, Millicent was the first to be sorted into Slytherin.
Harry looked to the Slytherin table. The students sitting there mostly looked pampered. They were going to need to be whipped into shape, but they had potential. It would hard for the child of an Auror to be accepted by some of them, but Harry had a good feeling that they would soon be willing to follow him. Harry turned back to the Sorting Ceremony.
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Harry wondered how long the Hat would take to sort him. For Susan and several others the Hat shouted the house almost immediately. For others it took its sweet time. In fact, Finnigan, Seamus was on the stool for nearly a minute before the hat shouted Gryffindor. And Granger, Hermione was just a minute short of being a Hatstall before she was sorted into Gryffindor. Harry and Neville could hear an audible groan from somewhere behind them. Ron didn't seem to happy about bushy head being a Gryffindor.
When it was Neville's turn to be sorted he also was just shy of being a Hatstall. Harry wondered what was taking Neville so long. When the Sorting Hat placed him in Gryffindor, Neville almost ran off with the hat. Harry had to stop himself from tapping his foot impatiently the closer Professor McGonagall got to calling his name.
"Moon" "Nott" "Parkinson" the "Patil" twins and then finally "Perks, Sally-Ann" Professor McGonagall finally called out, "Potter, Harry!"
Harry took a calming breath and stepped up to the stool. The Sorting Hat went on his head, and, like everyone else, the went over his eyes. Slowly, like a trickling, Harry could hear a voice inside his head.
"Hm…hm…" the head said within Harry's head. "I see, a clever mind and courage…and cunning. Oh yes, very cunning. You know where I'm going to put you, don't you?" the hat asked, but before Harry could think of a response the Hat yelled out.
"Slytherin!"
The table on the far right cheered, and the Weasley twins were the loudest among them. Harry gave Professor McGonagall the Sorting Hat and strode to the House of Snakes.
"Way to be Harry!" the twins said. Although, Theo looked pale to see that he had actually met Harry Potter, the son of a distinguished Auror, he still offered to let Harry sit next to him. Sally from earlier, whose full name was Sally-Anne, also welcomed Harry. Draco Malfoy was not so welcoming to Harry. In fact the blonde openly glared at Harry.
But, Harry wasn't focused on Draco Malfoy. He was looking to the Head Table, specifically he was looking to the Potions Master of Hogwarts. Severus Snape looked paler than usual. Harry didn't doubt that he would have to be the one to tell his mother that he was sorted into the House of Snakes. Harry sniggered a little.
Dumbledore was the next line of focus for Harry. The twins had said that the old man had been…different from the last time they had seen him. They said that Dumbledore had actually seemed to be nothing more than a nice old coot, a very powerful old coot, but an old coot none the less; and that had been in their first year. They hadn't reported any changes in the man's behavior. Now was a perfect time to see the changes in the Headmaster.
The twins were right, there was something "different" about the Headmaster. Dumbledore was sitting in the middle of the Head Table smiling peacefully. It wasn't just any kind of peaceful smile, it was a genuine smile. It was unlike anything Harry had seen on the man's face before. All of the other times Harry had ever seen the Headmaster, Dumbledore had masked his reactions carefully and was always fake. The man in front of Harry seemed to simply be free.
Harry decided that it would be best if he discussed it further with his companion when he was alone or with the twins, and turned his attention back to the Sorting. There only seemed to be a few more until it was Ron's turn to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean" became a Gryffindor, and "Trupin, Lisa" became a Ravenclaw. Finally, Professor McGonagall called out "Weasley, Ronald" barely a second after the hat was placed on his head, the Hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!"
Ron seemed to be very proud and thankful that he got into Gryffindor. "Zabini, Blaise" was the final Slytherin and student to be sorted. With that, Professor McGonagall rolled up her parchment and took away the stool and the Sorting Hat.
Harry looked around the Great Hall and at the faces of all of the students. They all seemed happy to be spending the year at Hogwarts, and Harry would be lying if he said he wasn't. Harry was ecstatic that he was able to study under powerful witches and wizards, but the green calculating eyes couldn't help but see the changes that needed to be made. He couldn't help but see that the fall of Hogwarts might actually be easier than he anticipated.
