Welcome to the first part of the sorting ceremony. Before the chapter starts I have two quick notes to discuss. Firstly, several dialogue moments do belong to JKR (mostly dealing with Hagrid, McGonagall, and the ghosts) as well as the sorting hat song is from the book. Anything from the book belongs to JK Rowling. Secondly, regarding Harry's ethnicity. As one reviewer pointed out, in this story HP is brown, not white. This is mostly due to the fact I enjoyed the half Indian!Harry headcanon as well as black!Hermione headcanon and decided to weave them into this story.
Thank you for yasdnilgoth for your lovely review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Thanks for everyone who favorited and follow this story and I hope yall and any new readers enjoy! Leave a review on your thoughts so far!
The large wooden doors opened up to reveal a very familiar figure. Professor McGonagall stood in front of all of them. Her emerald and black robe flowed to the cornerstone floor. Her stern face was unmoving, but Maggie could have sworn she saw her lips twitched upwards as her eyes observed the group of incoming students.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
She pulled the door wide. Maggie never saw such a ginormous room in her life. The entrance hall could probably fit her motel they were staying at twice. The stone walls that made up the hall were lit with flaming torches that reminded Maggie of the ones she witnessed back at Gringotts and a marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.
All the first years followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Maggie could make out the muffles of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right. She assumed that the rest of the school must have arrived already. Was Cedric keeping his promise of holding a seat for her? Instead of being lead to the rest of the school McGonagall ushered all the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They shuffled in, all of the pack together in the room like a can of sardines.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," the familiar stern voice rang out. "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-"
Maggie tried to pay attention to the rest of what McGonagall was saying but she only could focus on her unsettling nerves. At least this information was inside the couple of sections of Hogwarts: A History that she managed to read through.
"-I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." And with that, she left the chamber leaving them to their own devices.
Maggie turned towards the Patil twins. "Do you know how we get sorted? I can't recall reading about it, then again I could have skimmed over it," said Maggie sheepishly.
"According to our parents we have to put on a hat," Padma replied, shrugging her shoulders, "Not sure how that leads to us being sorted."
Maggie slowly nodded, somewhat pleased that even those from wizarding families were as lost as she was.
The loud chattering of the other first years made it difficult for Maggie to hear what the other girls were talking about, but she managed to hear the word "Ravenclaw" leading her to believe they must have been talking about the houses.
Before Maggie could share her opinion, several shrieks startled her silent. Quicky she turned around and looked in awe as a group of twentysomething ghosts floated towards them. They seemed to kept the appearance of what they must have looked like when they were alive, but instead of warm flesh, they were a translucent white. One of the ghosts was a tiny round man who was wearing monk robes and holding a stick. "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance-" the monk like ghost said but was cut off by another ghost who was wearing Shakespearean era outfit, with tights, ruffs and all that jazz.
"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?" The victorian era ghost finally took notice at the nervous children.
They all looked at the ghosts with wide eyes and mouths gaping. The monk, the Friar, stared at them before a joyful expression came on his face.
"New students!" said the Friar joyfully, floating closure to the group of students. Maggie hand to restrain herself from seeing how it felt to place her hand through him. Instead, she watched as Parvati and Lavender quietly nod their heads while Padma observed the ghosts with curiosity.
"How exciting!" the Friar cheered, "Well I hope to see some of you in Hufflepuff. That was my old house you know."
"Move along now," said a sharp voice of McGonagall which signaled her return. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."
With that, the small monk and the rest of the ghosts glided through the closed doors where the rest of the school was waiting.
"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."
When McGonagall guided them in a single file line into the Great Hall, Maggie could honestly say she had never seen a more magical sight.
Thousands upon thousands of candles lit up of room. Four long tables made up most of the room. Each table was filled end to end with students of various ages. She felt their eyes rest on the group as they continued to walk forward towards the top of the hall where there laid another long table where the rest of the professors sat. When Professor McGonagall led them up there they ended up facing the student population with their backs towards the several professors. The older students face glowed in the candlelight while the ghosts floated around the back of the tables. Maggie heard someone gasp as their head tilted upwards. Doing the same thing she realized what caused that reaction. The ceiling of the building showed an amazing starlit sky with the entire galaxy in the center of the hall.
Bringing her head down she watched as McGonagall bring out a dirty brown hat and placed it on a stool. Maggie blinked as she took in the sight of the torn up hat. This must of been the hat Padma was talking about it. Though, similar to Padma, she wasn't sure how this thing was able to sort them into a house. That was until the hat twitch and a mouth-like opening appeared near the brim of that hat. It opened its mouth, and to Maggie's surprise, sung out:
"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 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 Great Hall erupted into claps and cheers at the end of the Hat's song. The sentient hat tilted to the four different tables before going still.
Professor McGonagall with a long roll of parchment stepped forward, gaining everyone's attention.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said announced "Abbott, Hannah!"
A tiny girl with blonde pigtails walked up to the stool and plopped down. McGonagall placed the large hat on Hannah's head. It only took a few seconds before the Hat yelled out: "Hufflepuff".
"Barker, Maggie!"
Jumping slightly at the sudden announcement of her name Maggie walked up. She quickly took her head seat on the wooden stool and gave McGonagall a shy smile before looking at the crowd. Maggie managed to find Roselyn, Adrian, and Elena sitting at one table with the two girls grinning widely at her while the pale boy just looked content. Quickly her eyes roamed and found the rest of the group of students she hung out with and as the Hat was placed on her head and covered her line of sight, she smiled. Cedric, Sophie, and Weston kept their promised and left an open seat for her.
'Interesting, Interesting' an ancient voice boomed out in her head causing Maggie to jump slightly in the air. Telepathy? Is that how it is able to figure out who goes where?
'A quick mind you have child. Great quality for Ravenclaw, but cunning. Yes...very cunning.'
Maggie kept her face blank as the enchanted hat shifted through her mind.
'It has been forty-one years since I last looked through the mind of someone like you' it mused. Maggie felt a wave of confusion at the Hat's confusion.
'Let me see what we have here. Loyalty, ah yes very loyal to those you feel deserving of it. A strong drive. Resourceful as well. Not surprising considering...'
Maggie felt a bubble of annoyance growing within her. What was it going on about?
'A strong thirst for knowledge, but only for your own benefit it seems.'
She frowned at the sorting Hat's avoidance of his previous statement. After several moments of silence and her butt starting to go sore she glared angrily at the hat. Why was it so hard to place her where she best belonged?
'Where you belong hmm? Where you prosper and grow eh? Then I see no other choice but-'
"SLYTHERIN" the Hat yelled. Instead of clapping and cheering that greeted Hannah Abbott, Maggie Barker was greeted to astonished looks and silence. She wasn't sure why everyone seemed shocked, but the eerie quietness only fueled her annoyance that the sorting hat brought her. As she got off the stool, a sparse amount of clapping sounded off. It wasn't hard for her to figure out which several people celebrated.
She quickly walked towards Roselyn, Elena, and Adrian. She ignored the strange looks and glares that she got as she took her seat and rested her head in her palm. Her glasses squishing into her face.
"Well," Adrian whispered in her ear, "At least you won't have people gossiping about your accent."
She merely peered up at him to give him a questioning look which he responded with a look that clearly said 'later'.
Roselyn gave her a sympathetic pat on the back while Elena grinned at her.
The silence that Maggie somehow created was broken when Susan Bones was sorted into Hufflepuff.
Maggie kept staring at the table, her mind focusing on what the Hat had cryptically hinted.
She managed to hear the Hat yell out a couple of Ravenclaws and Gryffindors followed by joyous cheers. Even when Slytherin was yelled out her table clapped loudly which left a sour taste in her mouth.
The feeling of being watched forced Maggie to look up from the table. She glanced around, trying to figure out where it was coming from before landing on bewildered green eyes.
"Harry?" she couldn't help but mouthed in shock as she saw the familiar brown skin of her elementary school friend standing in line with the few remaining first years.
"Maggie?" he mouthed back before a guilty look came across his face. That look suddenly reminded Maggie why she had forgotten him and her anger flared back up and she quickly turned her attention back to McGonagall.
"Malfoy, Draco!" she said loudly as a pale-blonde hair kid swaggered up and sat down. Maggie wasn't sure what his deal was, but she already knew she despised this boy and was praying that he didn't end up in this house.
"SLYTHERIN!" the sorting hat yelled, barely even touching his head. The boy stood up and walked confidently to their table to the cheers that came from the students. She watched as he threw her disgusted sneer and glared at her which she returned.
Elena looked at confusion at Maggie's face and followed towards the rat faced boy. A look of understanding shone on her face as she rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Potter, Harry!"
The hall went deathly quiet. Only a few murmurs of "Potter?" and "The Harry Potter?" echoed across the room.
Once again Maggie felt confused as well as a headache coming in. Why would they care about Harry? While she didn't mean that in a rude way, but he was just Harry.
Harry awkwardly walked to the stool and sat down. His vivid emerald green eyes stayed on her sea blue ones as the hat was placed on his head.
Only a few minutes later did the Hat yell out "Gryffindor" and Maggie felt her stomach drop. Right when she was reunited with her friend, ex-friend, whatever, they were once again split apart. While Maggie's spirit were lowered in defeat, the entire Gryffindor broke out into cheers. Two redhead twins, which Maggie recognized as Fred and George, stood up and started cheering: "We got Potter, We got Potter!"
While the Gryffindors cheered the other three tables groan in defeat and frustration. Even Roselyn let out a disappointed groan.
"Why are the Gryffindors so happy to have Harry?" asked Maggie, making sure her voice was low enough for her three older friends to hear.
Roselyn gave her a confused look while Adrian rolled his eyes. "Muggleborn Roselyn, remembered?" he snarked. She flushed light red before throwing him a rude gesture.
"Enough!" McGonagall shouted to bring order back to the Hall. Though Maggie managed to see a proud look on her face, as if even she was happy that Harry was in Gryffindor as much as the students were.
Harry was finally released from the many hugs and back claps and sat down somewhat near the bossy dark hair girl from the train. Maggie felt her eyes stay on him. She was easily able to spot his discomfort from all the attention he just recieved no matter how hard he tried it.
He caught her stare and held it, a conflicted and slightly sorrowful look on his face. She waited for him to turn away from her like he did that day at the park but he didn't. And neither did she.
Despite nearly placing Harry in Slytherin, I ultimately kept him in Gryffindor mostly due for certain plot points that will happen in later chapters (especially during PoA and GoF). Plus the whole Gryffindor/Slytherin dynamic is fun to explore. I hope yall enjoy this chapter! Next time on Maggie's adventure: The end of the sorting, the Feast, and Maggie having to deal with a migraine personified (aka Draco Malfoy and several other Slytherins).
