Chapter 2:

The Sorting and the Feast

I climbed into a boat as far away from the giant man as I could. He could see that I was scared of him, but he said nothing and he was a very cheerful person. It was just another case of my intense shyness coming out to play. I hated it. I felt like it grew around me in a cloud and I was the tiny girl in the middle of it struggling to stand tall.

"Does the big giant man scare you?" asked a snide voice in my ear. "I heard he eats children for breakfast."

"Don't be absurd, Knott," said a snickering female voice beside me. "I heard it's hags who do that. I heard one of them lives in the forest outside school."

There was a forest on the grounds? I loved forests. Unfortunately, this one would probably be forbidden and full of nasty creatures. Maybe I would just look in from the treeline.

"Don't mind my uncouth companions," said the last child, another boy. "Hagrid doesn't eat people, although other giants might. They live far away though, and so do hags. My name is Blaise Zabini."

I stammered out my name again as I shook Blaise's hand. Knott and Parkenson were whispering about how I'd be sorted into Hufflepuff for sure with the way I was acting, but I tuned them out as I gazed at the fantastical view of the school. We ducked under the curtain of ivy, though I trailed my hand in its fronds, and the towers and turrets of Hogwarts castle were made visible. Even the others in the boat gasped along with me as we looked at the huge castle we were to be living in for 7 long years, 7 years where I could only see my parents on holiday breaks. It was daunting and I was terrified. I clutched my good luck charm, safely hidden in my robe pocket. I felt a rush of warmth pass up my arm and settle throughout my body. I could make it if I tried.

We all trooped up a flight of stone steps and waited as Hagrid knocked heavily on a huge wooden door. It was ornately carved with the crest of Hogwarts and I watched, from the back of the line, as it was opened by a stern looking woman. She lead us into an antechamber and gave us a short speech about the school, then left. I was just starting to settle down when the whispers began.

"I heard Fred says it hurts a lot," said the tall red headed boy to the small boy I had seen in the empty compartment.

"Maybe we have to wrestle a troll," commented someone else.

"Or maybe we have to demonstrate spells," said a girl with bushy brown hair.

"Why would we do that?" I piped up shyly. "We don't know any spells."

Some of the kids looked at me snootily as though they thought I was dumb and didn't know anything. I cringed away from them, but the small boy waved at me shyly and nodded in agreement. At least he seemed to be on my side.

I was just about to relax, when what seemed like hundreds of ghosts suddenly burst through the wall opposite me. I couldn't help it, but I screamed loudly and shrilly, cowering against the wall. I was terribly afraid of ghosts. I closed my eyes and pretended I wasn't there and couldn't hear them talking until Professor McGonigal came back into the room. She ushered us into the great hall and I completely forgot about the ghosts as I stared wide eyed at the ceiling.

"It's enchanted to look like the sky outside," came a snobby, all knowing voice. "I read it in Hogwarts, a History."

It's not that I didn't like book worms, but she seriously needed an attitude adjustment. I stood there, trying not to startle each time the sorting hat who liked to sing apparently, yelled out the house names as each person was sorted. It was all too soon it seemed when I heard my name being called.

"Voth, Violet."

"What kind of name is Voth?" a sneering voice came from one of the tables as I walked on shaky legs to the stool. "It sounds muggle, and dumb."

"It's a Mennonite name you pure blood ass hole," I thought as the hat descended over my eyes.

I ignored the talking hat. I just tried to think of nothing at all as it went picking through my brain. I didn't care where I was sorted as long as there were kind people there, as long as I could find at least one friend. I didn't have any friends here in Britain. My best friend Lizzie was all the way in Canada, going to Manitoba Magical Academy without me. It turned out she was a muggle born, and so my mother began to teach her magic as well as me, the theory anyway.

"Hufflepuff," shouted the hat.

I stood up and walked toward the table of students clad in yellow and black. They waved cheerfully at me and I smiled shyly. I sat as far away from the ghost as possible and watched a Ronald Weasley (the mean red headed boy), and Blaise Zabini get sorted. A small paper airplane landed on my shoulder and I unfolded it.

"Too bad you got sorted with the Puff's, Violet. We hoped we would see you in Gryffindor, but we understand the hat knows best. Good luck in your house and come to us if you have troubles with anyone or if you'd like to chat. Yours in mischief, Gred and Forge Weasley."

The airplane turned into little butterflies which then vanished in a swirling cloud. Those twins were smart if they knew magic so advanced. I looked over at the Gryffindor table until I spotted them. I waved shyly and they smiled back.

"Hi Violet," said the pigtailed girl sitting next to me. "I'm Hannah. You must be hungry."

"Hungry?" I asked in befuddlement, then noticed that food had appeared on the table in a vast quantity. "Oh um, yeah I'm hungry. It's been a while since I've had lunch."

I put some mashed potatoes and meatloaf on my plate, and Hannah offered me some vegies which I gladly accepted. We struck up a tentative conversation, soon joined by the girl on my other side named Susan. By the time I had finished a piece of strawberry chocolate cheesecake, I was happy to call Susan and Hannah potential friends.

"Alright first years," said a large boy with what seemed to be a prefect badge pinned to his robes. "Follow me and I'll show you the way to the common room."

I got up and we all followed the boy, who was named Darren, chatting quietly. He showed us which barrel to tap and what the pattern was, explaining that if we got it wrong, we'd be doused with vinegar. We were soon inside and up to bed. I chose a bed next to Hannah's, closing the curtains as I climbed into it. I tucked the good luck charm under my pillow as I dressed in my cat covered pajamas.

My curtains moved a little and a kitten hopped onto my bed. It wasn't mine, for I didn't have a familiar. I poked my head out to ask if anyone had lost their cat, but everyone was already sleeping. The kitty curled up on the pillow next to my head and began to purr.

A/N what do you think?