(Hogwarts Dock, Outskirts of Hogwarts Castle, Scottish Highlands, Scotland, Great Britain, Europe)
People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Corvinus felt the cold night air going through his robes. Lamps came bobbing over the heads of the students lighting the area, Corvinus heard a large bellowing voice say: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?" It was the large giant of a man Corvinus had met in diagon alley, Gameskeeper Hagrid.
"C'mon, follow me -- any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" Hagrid said voice booming.
Slipping and stumbling, everyone followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of Corvinus. Nobody spoke much. Neville, a boy who apparently kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.
"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."
There was a loud "Oooooh!" From the students ahead.
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and a Weasley boy were followed into their boat by Corvinus and a pretty brunette with hair that would drive aunt dory batty. "Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then -- FORWARD!"
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them all as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood. What Corvinus knew about the school is that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is considered to be one of, if not the finest magical institutions in the wizarding world, though other notable schools included Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in France and the Durmstrang Institute in the general area of Either Scandinavia, Bulgaria, Russia, or the other Soviet States. But by Merlin was the sight truly magnificent.
Looking over at the other students in the boats Corvinus felt someone touch His hand, As soon as he looked over at the brunette, she retracted her hand quickly in a nevous manner her cheeks turning red, Now they were really close to Hogwarts.
"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.
''Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.
"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Corvinus wondered why the boy was so attached to a toad.'It just seems odd.'He thought to himself.
Together with the others, Corvinus walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door with the rest of the students.
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.
The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face this was not someone to cross. Corvinus recognized her immediately, this was Minerva McGonagall, Transfiguration Professor and Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was huge. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches the ceiling was so high it was hard to make out, there was a magnificent marble staircase facing Corvinus that led to the upper floors.
Corvinus followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. He could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right the rest of the school must already be here -- but Professor McGonagall showed them all into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They were bunched in, standing rather closer to other students that Corvinus would have liked.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "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. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room."
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours." She said not even needing to take a breath of air.
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Weasles's smudged nose. Corvinus could see Harry nervously trying to flatten his hair. Corvinus simply adjusted his robes.
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." She left the chamber.
"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Corvinus heard Harry ask Ron.
"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking." Corvinus, who knew what it entailed, rolled his eyes when he saw that it seemed to put Harry on edge he looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, every except Corvinus was showing fear but Corvinus could say that he was more bored than anything else.
Corvinus could hear that brunette, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. Corvinus was lucky that he had been taught a few spells by Kingsley Shacklebolt during his annual visits, now obviously he wasn't meant to but Corvinus had his means to convince him.
"So Its true then what they're saying on the train," A voice came from Corvinus left where a small White-blond haired boy came into view. "Harry Potter, has come to Hogwarts and not only thatCorvinus Cygnus Marvolo ArcturusGaunt is here too."
A burst of whispers came from the croud with a few people moving back a little from Corvinus although that girl hadn't moved Corvinus wasn't sure if she had accepted or that she was still thinking about her spells.
"This is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." He directed his conversation towards Harry.
The Weasley gave a snigger which he tried to hide with a slight cough. Draco Malfoy looked at him.
"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. Red hair, and a hand-me-down robe, you must be a Weasley." He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.
He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.
Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks. Corvinus heard a few sniggers come from the others, Corvinus gave a light chuckle, but tried to keep the laugh quiet.
"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either."
Draco looked at Corvinus after Harry had completely embarrassed him, "I hope you have more sense than Potter." Draco said before stalking off to sulk.
''Idiot. You'd not know it by looking at him, but that piece of work is my distant Cousin. I don't agree with his purist beliefs Potter, but he's not the kind of person you want to make an enemy of. His father has a lot of Power, and a really dark reputation.'' Corvinus warns Potter.
All of a sudden several people screamed behind them which made Corvinus look while that girl who seemed to have come back to reality grabbed his arm tightly, Ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. Corvinus heard them saying about a 'Peeves' and Corvinus while not sure what that is , did recall old man Phineas Portrait complainingabout something of the same name. "I say, what are you all doing here?" said a ghost wearing a ruff and tights noticing the new students. Nobody answered and the bushy haired brunette noticed she had grabbed Corvinus arm and moved her arm back, everyone was stunned into silence at some ghosts. Some of the ghosts noticed They were first years, and some of them started to hope some would be in their House.
Clearly these were the notorious Hogwarts House Ghosts, Nearly Headless Nick, Fat Friar, The Bloody Baron, and The Grey Lady herself.
"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." Professor McGonagall had returned shooing the ghosts. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall. "Now, form two lines so that someone is besides you," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."
Harry and the Weasley were in front of Corvinus and the girl who seemed so drawn to him was beside him. Together walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led us up to the front Corvinus could feel the hundreds of faces staring at him, but shrugged that feeling off, Portraits of Mentally unstable ancestors were worse.
Corvinus heard the girl whisper, "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History." It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all. Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of Corvinus and the rest of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty.
The hall was complete silence. Suddenly the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth, the hat began to sing about how he was smart and would be able to tell you which house a student would be placed in.
''Will it be Gryffindor, Where dwell they who are brave at heart, Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart.'
'Or Hufflepuff, Where they are just and loyal, Those patient Hufflepuffis are true And unafraid of toil.'
'Or mayhaps Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind, Where those of wit and learning, Will always find their kind.'
'Then there's Slytherin, You'll make your real friends, Those cunning folk use any means, To achieve their ends.'
These seemed to be a description for each house or a requirment. The whole hall burst into applause, giving Corvinus a minor shock, as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.
"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Corvinus overheard Weasley whisper. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."
This was much better than needing to perform spells to prove your own magic ability. Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Hannah, Abbott!" A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause --
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat. The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.
"Susan, Bones!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.
"Terry, Boot!"
"RAVENCLAW!" The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them. "Mandy, Brocklehurst" went to Ravenclaw too.
"Lavender, Brown" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers.
"Millicent, Bulstrode" then became a Slytherin. Slytherin the traditional House for the Gaunt family but Corvinus was still unsure if he wanted it or whether he could avoid it, after all he heard about Slytherin, it is apart of his family history and their beliefs.
"Justin, Finch-Fletchley!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Corvinus noticed, the hat shouted out the house immediately, but at others it took a little while to decide.
"Seamus, Finnigan." Seamua sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat yelled at long last.
"GRYFFINDOR." The hat said after finally deciding on what house.
"Hermione, Granger!" Hermione brushed past Corvinus quickly as she pretty much ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head. Hermione huh? Corvinus had a name for the face.
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Corvinus heard Weasley groan, he really didn't like the fact she had joined Gryffindor.
"Neville, Longbottom" Was called a few laughs from the tables apeared, the boy who kept losing his toad, fell over on his way to the stool. Again Corvinus could hear a few of the students already at the tables laugh, The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid more laughing from even more students.
After Neville a student walked up and got placed in Ravenclaw but Corvinus didn't catch the name.
"Draco, Malfoy!" Professor McGonagall called.
Corvinus had heard about the Malfoy family that they were also pure-blood supremacist family like his and also a known Slytherin family. He had a neutral relationship with the Lady Narcissa.
Draco was a slender boy with sleek white-blond hair and a a pale complexion fit the description of the Malfoy's from what Corvinus had read, He moved forward when his name was called and it seemed got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" He went to join his friends that were already sat at the table.
There weren't many people left now. "Theodore Nott" Slytherin, Next twins girls "Padma Patil" Ravenclaw and "Parvati Patil" Gryffindor. Somthing about the twins getting separated hit Corvinus. "Pansy Parkinson" Slytherin.
"Harry, Potter!" Corvinus noticed more than half of the people started paying attention Harry stepped forward, you heard whispers suddenly like little hissing fires all over the hall. "Potter, did she say? The Harry Potter?"
The hat dropped on his head, people adjusting themselves to get a good look at him.
The hat started to think, Corvinus saw Harry close his eyes like he was concentrating.
"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, no doubt about that -- no? Well, if you're sure -- better be GRYFFINDOR!" you noticed how loud the cheer was, It was loudest cheer yet out of everyone.
"Dean, Thomas!" a Dark-skinned boy even taller than Harry and Ron, He joined Harry at the Gryffindor table after the hat chose.
"Ronald, Weasley!" He looked sick when he heard his name, Ron placed the hat on a second later the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" Corvinus could hear Weasley's brothers cheer louder than the rest.
"Blaise, Zabini!" was made a Slytherin after Ron had sat down.
Corvinus had been left till last somthing he had feared, "FinallyCorvinus Cygnus Marvolo Arcturus Gaunt!" McGonagall said with a little uncertainty.
Just like what happend with Harry Corvinus noticed a roar of whispers "Gaunt?" and he watched as faces started to concentrate on him, Corvinus stepped up to the stool and sat as the hat was placed upon his head.
''Just call me Corvus will you?'' He said groaning, he hated it when people used his full name.
"Interesting... Your mind is plagued with conflit," The hat started to analyse you "Very Smart, Very Brave, Very Loyal and Very Ambitious." The hat just mentioned a trait from each of the four Houses. "A talented young wizard with advanced skills, it's difficult to get a read on you boy.. You could go far, but where to place you. You will be a key to whatever house I place you in. This is a difficult decision...Hmm, I need time...
Chapter End
I fucking hate Reading Cliffhangers, but I sure as shit love writing them. Just so we're clear there were two maybe three Female OC's we didn't see sorted, whether or not they were Gryffindor remains to be seen.
Once again,
Cordially Yours as always,
TheRagFromTheCrag