A/N: Okay, so I'm a little... a lot... late on updating. But now that COVID-19 has taken over our world, I thought I'd better write some more.
Enjoy.
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, 'Arry?" the giant from Diagon Alley called. "C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" The giant was getting farther and farther away.
I struggled up stream, getting jostled left and right. My arms were steadily turning black again. So much black in one day.
"Celia! Here," one of the Weasley twins appeared at my side and grabbed my hand, forcing his way ahead of me through the crowd. "I'll see you at the sorting ceremony, okay?" With that, he disappeared into the crowd.
I stared at my hand for a moment. Hadn't he seen the black? The claws? As I looked, the black slowly faded away. Did he really not see it?
It was quieter here, on the path to the lake. I slipped and slided as I made my way on the winding, dark path. The rocks were wet and mossy and my hands squished into them as I struggled to stay upright. The wind whipped at my hair, trying to knock me off balance and the water sprayed.
"Okay, now we have all the firs' years!" the giant boomed as I rounded a corner. The others gazed at me expectantly and I shrunk back into a rock until they turned away. "Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a second," he called over his shoulder.
Sure enough, as we rounded yet another corner, the castle came in sight. I blinked at the lights, not having expected it. It gave off a yellow, homey sort of glow the longer I looked.
There was a loud "Oooooh!"
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore.
I sat in the back of a boat behind two girls and a boy who were bickering.
"Everyone in? Right then - forward!"
The little fleet of boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, smooth as glass.
Everyone was silent, finally, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over us as we sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
"Heads down!" yelled the giant as the first boats reached the cliff.
I ducked my head, but kept my hands out to trail the curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. We traveled through a dark tunnel, seemingly right underneath the castle until we reached a sort of underground harbor where we all clambered out of the boats.
"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" the giant asked a boy who climbed out of one of the boats before me.
"Trevor!" the boy cried blissfully, holding out his hands.
We walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.
"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" The giant raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.
The door swung open all at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." I started as I stared at the woman. So that's where I recognized her. Nymph had described her plenty of times, having gotten in a lot of trouble with the Gryffindor Head of House over the years.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." Pursing her lips and giving us a cursory glance, Professor McGonagall pulled the door wide and led us across the flagged stone floor to a small, empty chamber off the hall. We crowded in, standing closer than I would have liked.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. 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." McGonagall paused to look us over. "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 rule-breaking 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." Again, she paused to look around at us, staring at me for a moment. I backed up instinctively, bumping into the person behind me who snapped at me. When I looked back, Professor McGonagall had looked away. "I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."
Almost immediately after Professor McGonagall left, the students around me broke into whispers.
"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" I heard Harry ask.
"Some sort of test, I think," came Ron's reply. Looks like they became fast friends. "Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."
I merely blinked. People jostled me as they moved to find their new friends and get away from the front. My fingers were black. Black. Turning black and becoming claws-
"What the -" Several people screamed and gasped. I cringed away, covering my arms. Someone had noticed. Someone would-
About twenty 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. I saw the Fat Friar - he was rather obvious - saying: "forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"
"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?" It was Nearly Headless Nick, I guessed. He had just noticed us, but nobody answered.
"New students!" the Fat Friar exclaimed, smiling around at us. "About to be Sorted, I suppose? Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know."
"Move along now," McGonagall's voice called. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to start."
McGonagall waited for the ghosts to disappear into the Great Hall.
"Now, form a line, and follow me." We marched into the Great Hall. There was the Sorting Hat, just as Nymph described. It looked ordinary, but Nymph said it would grow a face and burst into song as soon as we came to a stop.
"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 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!"
The whole Hall burst into applause as I glanced around. The ceiling was as starry as the night outside, hundreds of candles floating in mid-air, providing additional light.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," Professor McGonagall said. "Abbott, Hannah!"
One of the girls who had been arguing walked up to the stool.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Bones, Susan!"
The other arguing girl went up as Hannah took her place at the Hufflepuff table.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Terry Boot, Mandy Brocklehurst, Lavender Brown, Milicent Bulstrode, Michael Corner, Vincent Crabbe, Tracey Davis, Fay Dunbar, Bem Elloh, Justin Finch-Fletchely, Seamus Finnigan, Anthony Goldstein, Gregory Goyle, Hermione Granger, Daphne Greengrass, Gwendoline Hedgeflower, Wayne Hopkins, Kellah Irene, Anna Jones, Megan Jones, Leanne Ledler, Sue Li, Neville Longbottom.
The boy ran off with the Hat to sit at the Gryffindor table, then had to run back to return it to the stool. I felt bad as the whole Hall erupted into laughter.
Isobel MacDougal, Ernie Macmillan, Draco Malfoy, Lily Moon, Theodore Nott, Pansy Parkinson, Padma Patil, Parvati Patill, Sally-Anne Perks -
"Potter, Harry!"
Whispers broke out through the Hall.
"Potter, did she say?"
"The Harry Potter?"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"We got Potter! We got Potter!" I heard George and Fred shout.
Zacharias Smith, Dean Thomas.
"Tonks, Celia!"
I started, looking up sharply at my name. I walked slowly, dragging my feet as if pulled by some invisible force. I looked out in the Hall desperately and locked eyes with one of the twins before the brim of the Hat covered my eyes.
"I remember sorting your sister. People still don't understand why she was in Hufflepuff," the Hat muttered. "But you… you are an entirely different matter. A challenge, really. I don't believe I have ever met someone quite like you. A few that were similar, yes, but no one like you."
My hands were black again, the dark crawling up my arms. I felt cold where it touched.
"Yes," the Hat sighed. "You will be difficult to Sort. Never have I encountered someone like you." It was almost as if the Hat was shaking its head. "Tragic, really. A metamorphmagus who doesn't use her gifts. That's quite dangerous, you know. But, yes, I suppose you do know.
"But to cut yourself off completely? Never in my thousands of years have I come across a student who was so afraid as you are. It's a shame, really. You have so much potential that you are blocking yourself off from, all because of a little fear."
I began to shiver.
"Hmm… you really ought to stop that if you don't want anyone figuring out what you are. It is truly remarkable that you are able to be here tonight. I suppose you don't understand that. No, you wouldn't. Dumbledore is very peculiar. Perhaps he wished to give you a chance. Maybe he even knows a way to cure you."
I stopped shivering, blinking in the darkness the Hat gave me.
"Now I've got your attention. Yes. We can get back to the Sorting, now."
I thought in the moment of silence what Nymph had told me about her Sorting.
"Oh, no, no, no. Your Sorting will be quite different from your sister's. You may be a metamorphmagus like your sister, but the two of you are very different. Very different indeed.
"You could fit into any of the Houses, really, if I try hard enough," the Hat said. "But I do not think Gryffindor is for you."
I sank down a little. I had met people who could be…
"Yes, I know you have friends there. Yes, I say friends for a reason. You ought to stick by them. However, Gryffindor is not for you. While I put Mr. Longbottom in Gryffindor because he needed to learn to be brave, I do not think you will need to learn to be brave.
"You are smart. Very smart. But you don't consider it as important as some other things. You would be overwhelmed by the expectations placed upon Ravenclaws, I think. It would do you little good to be surrounded by people who are all the same in many ways. Yes, they are different, but the challenge for you would be making true friends there.
"Slytherin… I think not there. You have ambition, to be sure, however misplaced it is.
"Hufflepuff… you could do well there. Surrounded by nature… people who are kind… Yes. You need true friends. You need comfort. You need to open up and you won't do that in any of the other Houses. True, it will take time to open up, regardless, but you will have more opportunity. Hufflepuffs tend to be more understanding, less prejudiced. They will support you and encourage you.
"I think perhaps we have found your House. Is there anything you would like to say, Ms. Tonks?"
I sat and pondered.
"Very well. Best announce it now.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
I blinked as I could suddenly see again, the Hat having been yanked off of my head. I stood slowly, shakily, and walked slowly down the steps.
Lisa Turpin. Ronald Weasley. Blaise Zabini.
"Well done!" a voice on my right called as I sat down. I looked over as a hand was stuck out for me to shake. I blinked at it as the hand withdrew slowly. "I'm Cedric. Cedric Diggory. I'm a third year."
I nodded, looking at my hands. Cedric seemed to be fine with that.
"So, another Tonks, eh? Your sister was a riot. And you! Wow! You're the first Hat Stall since Professor McGonagall!"
I looked at him curiously. What was a Hat Stall?
"Oh. Right. A Hat Stall is someone who's Sorting takes longer than five minutes to decide which House you're going to be in. We were all sitting there for a while, but it's fine. We're all happy you're here!" Cedric said with a laugh.
"Welcome!" Professor Dumbledore called from the Head table. "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!"
Professor Dumbledore sat back down as everyone clapped and cheered.
When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before.
Cedric sighed happily and shot me a grin. I gave him a small smile and his grin grew.
"So you can smile," he said with a laugh. He really did laugh a lot.
Professor Dumbledore got to his feet and the Hall fell silent.
"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 our older students would do well to remember that as well." My gaze flickered to George and Fred who looked sheepishly down.
"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."
I heard a few people laugh. What sort of painful death was Professor Dumbledore talking about? A curse? A creature? I suppressed a shiver as my fingertips froze and turned black.
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" He gave a little flick of his wand and a long, golden ribbon flew out of it and twisted into words. "Everyone pick their favorite tune, and off we go!"
Everybody finished at different times. Finally, only George and Fred were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Professor Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they finished, clapped loudest.
"Ah, music," Professor Dumbledore said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
