Chapter 14

Professor Flitwick led them into the Great Hall. Rose was glad to see that she was not the only student who gazed around in awe at their surroundings. The ceiling was the dark blue of the night sky and hundreds of candles floated above their heads. Four large fireplaces were each filled with a roaring fire, each in a different colour: red, blue, green, and yellow.

They walked to the front of the Hall where an old and ragged hat sat on a stool. A tear near the hats brim opened and it began to sing.

Tonight for you I'll sing a song

And afterwards find where you belong

Perhaps you'll go to Gryffindor

with those who are good and daring

Or in Hufflepuff

where dwell the loyal and caring

To Ravenclaw

go those with brains who always do strive

Or perhaps to Slytherin

for those with cunning and drive

I'll look into your heads with my magical sight

And put you where you ought to be, for I am always right!

After the hat finished its song the Great Hall erupted into applause. At the head table a witch in flowing velvet robes stood up. She motioned for silence and the whole room went quiet.

Professor Flitwick clambered up on a footstool next to the Sorting Hat. In his hand he held a piece of parchment, which unfurled was longer that he was. He cleared his throat and called out in his high-pitched voice,

"Anderson, Zoe!" A girl edged her way through the crowd and hesitantly sat on the stool. Professor Flitwick placed the hat on her head, and after a few moments it called out, "Hufflepuff!" The yellow fire blazed brighter for a few moments, and the table filled with students dressed in yellow and black erupted into cheers. Zoe smiled and scurried over to the Hufflepuff table. A girl who was obviously her sister gave her a hug, and she was clapped on the back by many of her sister's friends.

Professor Flitwick continued through the roll, and soon every house had received a new member.

"Johnson, Aria!" Aria walked confidently up to the stool and sat. Professor Flitwick, from his perch on top of his footstool placed the Sorting Hat onto her head. Almost immediately the slit that served as its mouth opened and in a great voice it boomed out "Gryffindor!" The red fire burned brightly as Aria's face broke into a large grin and she quickly hurried over to the Gryffindor table where she was congratulated and welcomed by the students already sitting there.

Several more students were sorted before Rose recognized another name.

"Malfoy, Scorpius!" A thin boy with white blond hair walked forward, his shoulders back and his head held high. He sat on the stool, his eyes hard and confident. After a minute of the hat being on his head he frowned slightly, but when at last the hat called out "Slytherin," his face broke into a satisfied grin. The green fire flamed and he confidently walked over to the Slytherin table which had erupted into cheers and hooting.

"Potter, Albus!" At the sound of his name the entire Great Hall fell completely silent, and then the whispering started. That's Harry Potter's son. Potter? Did he say Potter? The Potter? Al had turned bright red and he slowly approached the hat with his head down. He slumped on the stool, his mouth set in a hard line and his eyes filled with anxiety. The hat had barely been placed on his head for a moment when it called out, "Gryffindor!" Al's shoulders sagged as the tension left his body and he smiled. The Gryffindor table was going mad, calling and shouting and clapping. Rose saw James leap up and give him a hug. Al looked slightly shell-shocked and more than a little relieved.

Rose stopped paying attention to the sorting, content to look at the ceiling. She had never seen so many stars before and could not believe that she was not looking at the actual night sky. She snapped back to attention as she heard a familiar name.

"Shah, Nisha!" Rose smiled at Nisha as she passed her. Nisha returned the smile, if a little nervously. She perched on the stool, her legs too short to touch the floor. After some consideration the hat declared that she ought to be in, "Hufflepuff!" Nisha smiled and was welcomed loudly by the Hufflepuffs.

"Spencer, Thomas!" Thom looked even paler than he had a few days previously, and Rose thought he might faint. But he made it to the front of the crowd and sat on the stool. He looked immensely relieved when the hat called out, "Hufflepuff!"

Rose was startled out of her day dreaming about quidditch by the sound of her own name.

"Watson, Rose!" Rose's stomach did somersaults as she approached the stool. She heard Rose Weasley whisper "good luck." And then she was sitting on the tall stool, the entire school hushed, and watching her. Rose tried to stay calm, tried to remember to breathe, but she was mostly concerned with staying upright on the stool and not falling over. Professor Flitwick placed the hat on her head.

"Ah, a muggle-born." A silky voice said inside her head. Rose started a little. "No family history to draw on, so let's just look at you. Hmm, very bookish and studious. Rather intelligent too. I know where to put you. Ravenclaw!" The hat shouted and Rose could feel herself grinning. The blue fire burned a little more brightly. Cheers erupted from the Ravenclaw table and she practically ran over. A tall girl with short brown hair moved over and motioned Rose to sit next to her.

"Congratulations!"

"Welcome to Ravenclaw!"

"You're going to love it here, we're pretty much the best house."

"I'm Isabelle," the girl who had given Rose a seat stuck out her hand. "And welcome to Ravenclaw, the greatest house at Hogwarts." She smiled at Rose. "Is your family pretty Ravenclaw?"

"I'm actually a muggle-born, but my family would be Ravenclaw. My parents are professors at a muggle university, we're all nerds."

"Well, nerds are the best. And if you have any questions about how things run around here, just ask. I'm a third year, so I pretty much know how things work."

Another hush fell over the hall as Professor Flitwick called out the next name,

"Weasley, Rose!" Rose walked purposefully towards the stool. Some whispers could be heard throughout the Hall, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley's daughter. A sure thing for Gryffindor. She seemed calm, if a little nervous. After what seemed like several minutes the hat cried, "Gryffindor!" Rose smiled and made her way to the Gryffindor table where she was greeted warmly by her cousins and all of the other students.

And with that, the sorting was complete. Professor Flitwick rolled up the long piece of parchment, and made his way to the staff table where he sat at the right hand of the Headmistress. Who again stood up.

"Good evening students. I am Professor McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts. I would like to offer a warm welcome to all of our new students. I am sure you are all hungry, so I'll save the rest of my words for after the meal. Dig in!" She waved her hands and suddenly the dishes in front of them were piled with food.

Rose served herself vegetables and mashed potatoes, pasta and tofu (she made a mental note to write Ben and inform him).

"Rose!" She turned around and saw Al and Rose Weasley sitting right behind her. "Congrats on Ravenclaw, the hat almost put me there." Rose Weasley said.

"You happy with Gryffindor?"

"Definitely, mum wouldn't have minded, she was almost put in Ravenclaw too, but basically every Weasley ever has been a Gryffindor, wouldn't want to be the one to break that family tradition." Rose said with a laugh.

"Pumpkin juice?" Isabelle asked Rose, who nodded. Isabelle turned to the people sitting next to her, who were also third years, and began chatting away. Rose was sitting at the very end of the table, as she had been the last Ravenclaw to be sorted. Across the table a few first years were talking, judging from their conversation, they already knew each other.

Rose wasn't sure if she should try to join the conversation and introduce herself. She was not good at making new friends, having had the same friends for years.

One of the boys looked up and noticed Rose eating quietly. He stuck out his hand.

"Hi, I'm Leo. You're Rose, right?" She nodded. "This is Maria and Leah," he gestured to the two girls sitting on either side of him. They smiled.

"Heya" said Leah, "you the first in your family to be in Ravenclaw?"

"I'm the first in my family to go to Hogwarts, I'm muggle-born."

"Wicked, one of my mum's is a muggle so we live a bit in both worlds. You get used to it."

"My dad's muggle-born" Leo said. "But now I think he's more a part of the wizarding world than my mum even is, and she's pure blood."

They spent the rest of the meal chatting about their families, and where they came from. Leo asked Rose what subject she was looking forward to most, but before she could answer Professor McGonagall stood up.

"I do hope you enjoyed that magnificent feast, but now we must turn to business. Classes begin promptly tomorrow morning, all students will find their timetables in their house common rooms. Those wishing to join their house quidditch team should speak with Madame Airee. I know I do not have to remind you that the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden for all students. Now let us sing the Hogwarts song!"

The words for the song erupted out of the end of her wand and the whole school sang together. As they all finished, Professor Mcgonagall cried out, "good night!"

Everyone scrambled to their feet and all of the older students began making their way out of the hall. Isabelle waved to Rose before following her friends.

"Ravenclaw first years!" Two tall students with auburn hair and bright blue eyes called to them. They quickly gathered around them. "Alright everyone, I'm Lizzie Thomas, your female prefect-"

"And I'm Will Thomas, I'm your male prefect."

"Yes, we're twins," they said in unison before anyone could ask. They led the first years out of the Great Hall and up a massive staircase. Then they took them behind a large tapestry. Down a corridor and up another staircase.

"Watch for the vanishing stair!" They called behind them. After what seemed like an hour to their exhausted minds, but was actually only a few minutes, they reached a large bronze door. In the centre of the door hung a bronze door knocker in the shape of an eagle. Lizzie reached out and knocked.

The mouth of the eagle opened and a musical voice came pouring out.

"What does the poor man have that the rich man desires?"

"Nothing." Rose blurted out.

"Well reasoned," said the doorknocker, and the door swung open. Her classmates congratulated her on the riddle as they entered the common room.

The room was large and circular, with marble floors and walls. The ceiling was painted like the night sky. Huge windows filled every wall, and every other free spot was filled with bookshelves. A large fire roared in the grate and the ceiling was draped in blue silks. Several desks and matching chairs filled the room, but for tonight at least, they were empty. The older students who had already reached the common room sat on blue divans and sofas. When the first years entered they whooped and cheered and cried out greetings.

"Come on everyone, let's show you the dormitories." Lizzie and Will led them past a tall marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw and up a marble staircase, which branched at the first landing. "Girls follow me,"

"And boys follow me." They separated and were led up to the first door. Lizzie opened it.

"First year girls, welcome to your room!" Moonlight streamed through the large windows and illuminated the five four-poster beds. Each bed was hung with blue and bronze silk curtains with a pattern like the night sky. Glowing blue orbs floated above each of the beds, providing further light. Their trunks and animals had already been placed at the foot of each of their beds. "I'd recommend introducing yourselves to each other and then heading to bed, because tomorrow is an early day. You can pick up your time tables tomorrow morning. Good night!" Lizzie existed the room. Silence settled over the room.

Rose was the first to come forward.

"I'm Rose." They all introduced themselves to each other. Besides for Leah and Maria, there were two other Ravenclaw first-year girls: Nina and Jane. They all changed into their pyjamas, unpacked their trunks and walked down the corridor to brush their teeth before bed.

They chatted a little, but then their comfortable beds were too much to resist, and they all drifted off to sleep.