Chapter Five: The Sorting
There are several dialogue quotes taken from JK Rowling's Sorcerer's Stone in this book. This is to convey the same story she wrote, but from another character's POV. The quotes taken directly from the book have three quotation marks (instead of two) around them to signify she wrote them and that I am citing them. Because I am transforming pieces of her work into something new this falls under the Fair Use Act. Additionally, JK Rowling has stated that she is okay with noncommercial fan fiction. All direct quotes, the Harry Potter storyline, and the characters all belong to JK Rowling.
The door opened and there stood a stern looking witch dressed in green robes. Draco knew she must be one of the professors and wondered and wondered what subject she taught.
"'The firs' years, Professor McGonagall,'" said Hagrid in his husky voice.
"'Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here'" replied the witch in a firm, but not quite angry voice.
Draco and the other first years walked into the magnificent entrance. Draco had read about Hogwarts many times, but was still dumbfounded by the beauty of the castle. This was the only place Draco had ever been in that was grander than his home. The ceiling was miles high. A marble staircase spiraled up the room. Paintings pointed and giggled at the new students, and even the suits of armor could not seem to contain their energy and excitement.
To Draco's disappointment, Professor McGonagall lead them into a small chamber. Draco was anxious to be sorted into Slytherin, and wanted nothing more than to get on with the ceremony. Finally, as the last of the first years trailed in, Professor McGonagall began to speak.
"'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.'"
"'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. I shall return when we are ready for you,'" said Professor McGonagall. "'Please wait quietly.'"
By the end of Professor McGonagall's speech, Draco wasn't listening. He had been so excited to start the ceremony, but now all the waiting around had made him anxious. He felt as if he may be sick at any moment.
"'How exactly do they sort us into houses?'" Draco overheard Harry asking Ron.
"'Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking.'" Ron responded.
Draco was none the wiser about how they would be sorted. It was not written in Hogwarts: A History, and Draco had no siblings to clue him in. The Granger girl was now muttering spells under her breath at rapid pace. Draco rolled his eyes. What did she care what house she was sorted into? It didn't matter for her or for Harry. It was Draco who needed to worry, it was Daphne who needed worry, it was Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, and the other respectable purebloods. They had a legacy to continue, and if Draco was to be sorted into any house but Slytherin he was quite sure his father may resort to the worst kind of punishment.
All of a sudden several ghosts came through the wall with no warning. Draco jumped in surprise, and several students let out audible gasps. Draco couldn't help but smile, he recognized many of the ghosts from books he had read.
"'Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -'" said a ghost that Draco recognized as the Fat Friar.
"'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?'" Answered a ghost who went by the name Nearly Headless Nick, or Sir Nicholas.
"'New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose? Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know.'"
Draco let out a small snort, "Better a muggle than a Hufflepuff," Draco whispered under his breath to Daphne and Pansy who laughed and rolled their eyes.
Professor McGonagall then returned, "'Move along now,'" she said firmly "'The Sorting Ceremony's about to start. Now, form a line and follow me.'"
The students were led back into the hallway and then into the Great Hall. The great hall was beautiful with four long tables stretched down the length of the hall, and one small table perpendicular to the four, where the staff sat. The ceiling was bewitched to look like the sky, and thousands of twinkling stars shone over the crowd. Thousands of candles floated underneath, flickering and providing light. Hundreds of golden plates were set atop each table. Draco's stomach gave a small growl.
Professor McGonagall sat a small brown stool down at the very end of the hall. She then placed an old brown wizard's hat on top of it. Draco looked around to see what the other students made of such a spectacle, and soon realized that they were just as confused as he was. The silence was almost getting awkward, when finally the hat moved.
At first it was just a small ripple of sorts, but then a rip in the seam at the brim opened up into a mouth of sorts, and the hat started to sing.
"'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 Hufflepuffis 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!'" (Excerpt from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling)
Pansy and Daphne gave Draco a terrified look, and he understood what it meant. This was their moment to make their parents proud, right here in front of the whole school. Draco would have done anything to guarantee his spot in Slytherin, but the fate of him and his friends rested in an ugly, old, fraying hat.
Professor McGonagall unrolled a long parchment. "'When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!'"
Draco paid little attention to what was going on and who was going where as he fretted about. He snapped back into reality for a moment when the sorting hat said Slytherin for the first time. He looked up in time to see an unpleasant looking girl by the name of Millicent Bulstrode walk over to Slytherin's table.
The Granger girl and crying toad boy, Neville, got placed in Gryffindor, and Draco thought to himself that maybe being placed in Gryffindor was more of an insult than Hufflepuff. By this point Daphne, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle had all been placed into Slytherin, but Draco noticed something quite odd.
Slytherins always cheered louder than any house table when someone new was sorted to them. At first Draco proudly thought that Slytherins must have the most house pride, but then he realized the truth. Any time someone was sorted into Slytherin, the other houses grimaced. Several students from each of the other houses would actually boo and blurt out insults.
As Daphne walked from the hat to the Slytherin table, someone from the Gryffindor table stuck out his foot to trip her. She almost landed face first into the ground, but managed to regain her balance. Draco recognized him as one of the Weasley twins. Draco's face contorted into a sneer. The older Slytherins cheered louder than any table because they were trying to protect the feelings of the young Slytherins.
Professor McGonagall called Draco's name and he sauntered towards the hat, no longer nervous, but now angry and ready to prove himself. The hat had barely touched his head when it shouted Slytherin. Draco stood up amid the cheering and the booing and strutted his way over the Slytherin table as if his head wore a crown atop it.
After a few more names, Harry Potter was finally called. He slowly made his way to the hat and put it on his head. Whispers flooded the Great Hall as everyone waited in anticipation. Daphne turned to Draco and whispered "One of us you reckon?"
"Not Slytherin" Draco replied with a sneer.
The hat seemed to take ages with Harry, until finally when everyone was starting to lose interest, the hat shouted, "Gryffindor!"
The boy happily ran to the Gryffindor table where Hermione and Neville were already seated. Only a few people were left to be sorted. The new Weasley kid was also sorted as a Gryffindor, and Draco laughed to himself that they were the perfect little loser family. The pureblood boy from Draco's boat was sorted into Slytherin and sat down right next to Draco.
Dumbledore finally stood up beaming with pride at the Great Hall packed with students. "'Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!'"
The pureblood from Draco's boat turned to Draco. "What a lunatic. If we spend seven years with him, imagine how mad we'll turn out," he said.
"Perhaps he won't be here long," Draco replied with a smirk. "My father always said Dumbledore was the worst thing to ever happen to this school"
The pureblood held out his hand "Blaise Zabini" he said.
"Draco Malfoy," Draco replied. "I thought I recognized you. Our families have definitely crossed paths at parties and such."
"Most likely, but I hate those events. They're boring, so I often stay at home," Blaise responded.
"Tell me about it," Draco said.
The golden plates were suddenly piled with more delish foods than they could ever eat. There was ham, steak, roasted chicken, potatoes, vegetables, Yorkshire pudding with beef and gravy, and so much more.
Suddenly a ghost sat himself down between Draco and Blaise. Draco's face turned white, and he didn't even turn his head. He knew who it was, the Bloody Barron. The other students seemed to pay him no mind but Draco had read about him. He knew that the Barron had killed Helena Ravenclaw, the daughter of the founder of Ravenclaw. Silver blood still dripped down his clothes, chains still wrapped around him for penance.
Draco did not like the sight of blood. It made him quite squeamish despite being on a ghost who had died hundreds of years ago. Draco knew the story. The Bloody Baron killed Helena in a jealous rage when she refused his sexual advances. He later killed himself with the same knife out of guilt. Now he sat right next to Draco, unknowing of the nausea he was causing him.
Draco finally snapped back to reality and listened to the end of the Bloody Baron's speech. "-and that is why we need to continue the legacy. I will not have any of you embarrassing me, this house, Salazar Slytherin himself. I expect another win of the house cup this year," he spoke.
"Do you understand me boy?" The Bloody Baron asked, now turning to Draco specifically.
Draco just nodded his head. The Barron eventually left to join the other ghosts, but Draco didn't feel like finishing the food on his plate. That was until the feast suddenly disappeared and was replaced with more desserts than even Draco had seen in his life.
With a sudden resurgence of his appetite, Draco helped himself to jello, ice cream, pudding, treacle, doughnuts filled with jam, and pie. He tried to eat as much as he could, but left a mountain of food on his plate. He looked to Crabbe and Goyle and saw that somehow they had practically demolished the food on all the plates surrounding them.
Dumbledore at last got up again, and immediately the remaining food vanished to Crabbe and Goyle's dismay. He walked over to the podium and began to speak again. "'Ahem — just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of the older students would do well to remember that as well.'"
Dumbledore eyed a few particular students before moving on. "'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. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, 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.'"
Draco rolled his eyes in response to Dumbledore's last remark.
"Do you think he's serious?" Pansy muttered under her breath.
"Probably just trying to scare us." Daphne responded.
Blaise and Draco locked eyes and smiled knowing they were thinking the same thing.
"'And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!'" Dumbledore cried with joy.
"He's too into this nonsense, isn't he?" Draco remarked not even trying to whisper. This ignited the laughter of several Slytherins, but soon they were drowned out by several hundred different tunes screaming out the words:
"'Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot, just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot.'" (Excerpt from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling)
Draco held his hands over his ears, trying to drown out the nonsense of the song, when finally his eyes met Snape's. He also was not engaging with the song, looking quite done with the whole affair. Draco was about to wave to him, until he suddenly looked away.
The Weasley twins were, of course, the last to finish, drawing out the horrible tune, and finally when it was finally finished Dumbledore started to tear up. "'Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here!And now, bedtime. Off you trot!'"
At this point Draco was more sure than ever that Dumbledore was as much of an old goon as his father had said. He and the rest of Slytherin followed their prefect, who introduced himself as Erick Silverling, to the Slytherin common room. Erick led them down several steep staircases until they were finally in the dungeons of the school.
Pansy scoffed in disbelief as they were led to a blank stone wall. However, Erick spoke the password "felix felicis," and a passageway opened up revealing the Slytherin common room.
The room was somewhat dark yet flooded with green light. There were several plush black and dark green chairs and sofas that filled the room. The atmosphere was somehow cold yet cozy at the same time due to the grand black marble fireplace that erupted a large warm fire. Dark wooden book shelves lined the walls. Paintings of famous Slytherins hung above the bookshelves, and of course the skull which was rumored to be Salazar Slytherin's himself sat atop the fireplace mantel.
On the wall opposite of the fireplace stood two passage openings in the wall. An older Slytherin girl instructed the girls to follow her through the right passage, and Erick led the boys through the left. As they climbed down the spiral staircase there were several levels. Each level was for a different year of Slytherins. The seventh year Slytherin dormitory was located closest to the common room, while the first year dormitory was located all the way at the bottom of the spiral staircase.
Erick led the first years all the way down to the bottom, as the older kids broke away to their own dormitories as they passed them. When they reached the bottom, Erick told them that the password to the Slytherin common room would change every 14 days, and that the new passwords would be posted in the common room a few days before it changed. He then left the group of first year boys to go to his own dormitory.
The Slytherin dormitory was a reasonably sized round room with several four poster beds lined along the wall. Dark green curtains hung from each of the poster beds which could be closed to give some privacy. All of their trunks had already been delivered and were sitting in front of each student's bed.
Draco walked over to his bed and looked out the large window beside it. There was something quite off about it. Draco knew that they were underground, so a window should not be possible. Additionally, instead of showing the night sky, the window appeared to hold an endless green nothingness. He was trying to make sense of what he was seeing, when a large fish swam by. Draco couldn't hold back his grin. Of course, he thought, they were quite literally in the Black Lake. "Brilliant," he whispered to himself.
Draco then came to the realization that Niklaus and the other Slytherin owls must have been taken to the Owlery, as there were no usable windows for their owls to fly out of. He made a mental note to make sure he went and visited Niklaus tomorrow. He got quite snippy when Draco did not pay him enough attention.
Draco was so tired by this point that he crawled into bed without saying much to anyone. He quickly slipped into a dreamless peaceful sleep.