Chapter Seven:
September 1st, 1991. Hogwarts Castle.
Hermione and Harry were standing in the entrance hall with the other first years with Hagrid who they've learned was a half-giant. "It's so big." Harry would say looking around the entrance hall as they walked up the stairs.
"I know." Hermione would mutter as she noticed a Professor waiting for them at the top of the stairs and would smile slightly realizing who it was.
"I'll take it from here Hagrid." A strict voice would say firmly. "Welcome to Hogwarts, my name is Professor Dumbledore." He'd clear his throat. "I'm the Head Of Gryffindor, and Transfiguration Professor." Aberforth would catch Hermione's eye but would quickly look away. It pained him to look at his niece as she looked like Minerva. "You will be entering the Great Hall in a moment to be sorted in your houses. While here your house will be like your family. You do good, you'll earn points, and any misbehaving will result in losing points. The house at the end of the year with the most points will win the house cup." Aberforth would turn to walk into the Great Hall. "Wait here while I go see if they're ready for you." He'd say walking off.
"So it's true what they said on the train then? The Girl who lived has come to Hogwarts." An arrogant male blonde would say walking over towards Hermione and Harry.
"Yeah, so what? She was going to arrive eventually, after all her father is the Headmaster, it would be weird if his own daughter didn't attend his school." Harry would say defensively.
The blonde would simply scoff at Harry. "I wouldn't recommend you to hangout with the likes of these people, I could introduce you to proper, starting with myself. My name's Draco Malfoy." Draco would say extending his hand to shake Hermione's.
"I think I can hangout with whomever I want to." Hermione would say glaring at Malfoy. She hated arrogant people like him, but she would prefer to 'kill him with kindness.'
Draco would start to retort but would not respond as he felt someone tapping him on his shoulder. He'd turn around seeing Aberforth glaring at him slightly before addressing the other students. "We're ready for you now." Aberforth would say turning around to walk back into the Great Hall, but this time the students would be following him.
"Woah." Harry would say walking next to Hermione looking at the ceiling that had shooting stars going across it. "That's amazing!"
"I've heard it's bewitched to look like the night sky, I've read it in Hogwarts: A History." Hermione would say having remembered reading about the Great Hall in a book she received on Christmas last year from her Uncle Aberforth via post.
"Of course you read it in a book." Harry would smile shaking his head playfully at Hermione.
"Wait here please." Aberforth would say turning around to stop the children from getting any closer to the stool that had an old looking hat placed on top of it.
The first years were looking at each other confused with what an old hat had to do with their sorting, but to their surprise the hat started moving and talking.
"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 folks 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!"
Everyone in the Great Hall started clapping after the hat finished it's song before the Headmaster tapped his spoon against his goblet to request silence waiting for Professor Dumbledore to continue.
"When I calm your name please step up to the stool so we may place the sorting hat on your head, and you can join your house." Aberforth would say unrolling a piece of parchment. "Hannah Abbot." Aberforth would say as a small girl with orange hair walked to the front nervously sitting on the stool letting him place the hat on her head.
"Ah...yes...better be….HUFFLEPUFF!" The sorting hat would shout. Everyone would clap as Hannah joined the Hufflepuff table.
"Ouch." Hermione would mutter touching her scar suddenly as she felt it burn.
"Hermione what's wrong?" Harry would ask looking at her while she was staring at one of the Professor's at the staff table.
"Nothing, my scar just started to hurt, I'm fine." Hermione would say trying to cover her scar with her hair before clapping as a student joined Ravenclaw.
"Hermione Dumbledore." Aberforth would say as the Great Hall got quiet. "Hermione Dumbledore he say?" One boy asked to another at the Gryffindor table. Everyone was whispering to each other as she walked to the stool, most were curious to see what house the Girl who lived was going to be placed in. Headmaster Dumbledore leaned forward in his chair from the staff table watching in interest to see where his daughter was going to be sorted into.
Hermione sat down on the stool and closed her eyes as she felt her uncle place the hat on her head. She was waiting until she heard "Hmm,", said a small voice in her ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, my goodness, a nice thirst to prove yourself, and lots of booksmart, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?" The sorting hat was saying in Hermione's ear.
Hermione gripped the edges of the stool tightly and thought, not Slytherin, not Slytherin. She didn't belong in Slytherin she knew it, she wanted to be, no she had to be sorted into Gryffindor.
"Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness...well, if you're sure….better be…..GRYFFINDOR!" Hermione sighed in relief as she heard the hat shout Gryffindor. She felt her uncle lift the hat from her head and patted her shoulder softly before she practically ran to join the Gryffindor table. On her way to the table Gryffindor Prefect by the name of Percy Weasley stood up and shook her hand introducing himself to her while the Weasley twins shouted "We got Dumbledore! We got Dumbledore!" As she sat down next to Percy. She was finally able to get a good look at the staff table and smiled as she saw her father tilt his goblet towards her in a small congratulations.
The sorting continued and after a while Harry joined her in Gryffindor. After the last student was sorted Headmaster Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, especially Hermione. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words."
He'd clear his throat. "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" Albus would say before waving his hand making food appear on all the tables in the Great Hall.
Hermione would chuckle at her father's choice of words as she started to place food on her plate.
"I told you we'd end up in the same house Hermione." Harry would say from next to her reaching for a chicken leg but would gasp as he saw a ghost rise up through the table.
"Welcome to Gryffindor, I'm Sir Nicholas, resident ghost of the Gryffindor tower!" Sir Nicholas would exclaim before floating away.
"He also goes by Nearly Headless Nick." The new first year by the name of Ronald Weasley would say stuffing his face. "My brothers told me about him."
"I think I'll just call him Sir Nicholas." Hermione would mutter staring at the staff table. "Percy, who is that Professor talking to Professor Quirrell." Hermione would say looking at the teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.
"That's Professor Snape, Head of Slytherin and Potions Professor, but everyone knows that he's been after Quirrell's job for years." Percy would say taking a sip of pumpkin juice.
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The food had disappeared and Headmaster Dumbledore stood up to make one more announcement for the night. "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." Albus would clear this thoat. "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." Albus would say hearing the Weasley Twins snicker. "And lastly, 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." He'd say seriously, but would quickly have a smile reappear on his face. "Tomorrow starts the first day of classes, so we should all be well rested. Off you go." Albus would say dismissing the entire Great Hall.
"First year Gryffindors this way!" Percy shouted as they walked through the crowds leaving the Great Hall and up the main staircase. It was a long day, and Hermione was tired and full. She was too sleepy to notice that the people in the portraits were talking and moving. They climbed more staircases, yawning while Hermione and Harry started to wonder how much further they had to go before they came to a stop seeing water balloons floating above them. "Peeves, show yourself!" Percy shouted. "Don't make me go get the Bloody Baron?"
There was a pop, and a small ghost with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating in front of them.
"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"
He swooped suddenly at them.
"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron will hear about this!" Percy shouted one last time before watching Peeves float away cackling. "You'd want to watch out for Peeves, he'll only listen to the Bloody Baron." Percy would sigh.
At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress. "Password?" she asked looking at the first years.
"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all struggled to walk through it, but on the other side, they found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, room full of armchairs, sofas, and a roaring fireplace.
"It feels so homey." Lavender Brown, one of the first year girls commented, and Hermione had to agree, it did make her feel like she was home.
Percy directed the boys through one door to their dormitory and the girls through another at the top of the stairs. Hermione and Harry bid each other goodnight before separating to head into their separate dorms. When Hermione entered her, she saw five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Her trunk was placed next to the bed that was by the window. She was too tired to talk to her roommates, so she changed into her pajamas and drew the curtains close around her bed, telling the other girls goodnight. "I told you mum that I'd make you and dad proud." Hermione would whisper to herself smiling before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep, excited for her first day of classes tomorrow.
Tbc….
Sorry it took a while for this chapter to be posted, I was having a writer's block. (I actually used some things from the book.) Then with everything that's currently going on in the world, it's hard to get inspiration to continue writing, but I'm back now! I know at the end of the last chapter, I said this one was going to be the sorting and the first day of classes, but it's going to be two separate chapters as I didn't want one chapter to be too long. Please review and follow the story! But please don't review if you don't have anything nice to say. I'll be posting the next chapter in a few days. Thanks! -Calliope Prince
