Chapter 4 - The Sorting Hat and The Great Feast

Inside the huge entrance hall the stone walls were covered with flaming torches giving an odd sense of warmth yet forbidding at the same time. All the first years were too engrossed in the spectacle of the castle before them that they almost missed the tiny wizard who stood in front of them just beyond the doors, who was made to look even smaller when compared to the giant who brought them there.

"Welcome everyone and follow me," the tiny wizard said.

He was dressed in green robes and had long white hair and a long white beard.

The tiny wizard led them into a small chamber where he proceeded to stand on a stool. Even with this aid he was a little shorter than most of the eleven year olds in front of him.

"My name is Professor Flitwick. Shortly the great feast will began. All other students have taken their seats. But before you can, you must all be sorted into your houses."

As Professor Flitwick continued to explain the evenings proceedings, Barney struggled to concentrate on anything he was being told. He looked around at the room he was in. On the walls were paintings, but unlike ordinary paintings the people in these were moving. And Barney was pretty sure the people were moving from one painting to another like they were all connected. And he wasn't the only one to notice as some of the other students attention waned from the professor's words.

"Right if you all form a line we shall go in," Flitwick announced abruptly.

Barney got into line behind Thomas and in front of a red haired girl with glasses he hadn't met yet. All the first years followed the professor as he led them to another pair of huge wooden doors. This time there was no need to knock. As they approached the doors opened by themselves revealing an extravagant sight. The room was filed with students sat at four long tables, who all stared at the first years as they entered. The room was lit by thousands of candles that just floated in the air, making Barney nervous that one would fall on him and catch his robes alight. At the end of the room was another long table where the Hogwarts' teachers sat. Professor Flitwick led them down the centre of the room between two of the long tables and stood them just a short distance from a stool. On the stall sat a black pointed hat, which looked very old and worn and had clearly seen better days.

Flitwick took his seat at the table with the rest of the teachers. The room was silent. Everyone had stopped staring at the first years and now everyone's eyes were glued on the battered hat. Barney looked back down the line of first years but then heard a coughing noise and quickly turned back. Then he heard a noise which sounded like someone clearing their throat, but he wasn't sure who. If he hadn't known any better he would have said it came from the hat.

Just then the brim of the hat started to move and it began to sing:

Welcome to this school of magic,

But fear not my tale is not tragic,

For I am here to guide you right,

To your houses on this very night.

Hufflepuff are patient and fair,

For those who really do care,

And if you're brave like Gryffindor

This house will suit you even more.

Slytherin are cunning and resourceful,

And really not at all awful,

Ravenclaw have intelligence and wit,

Some of you will be the perfect fit.

They're the four houses of this here school,

And in front of everyone in this Great Hall,

Once my mind is made up and I am sure,

I will sort you into for evermore.

Each house will become your family forever,

But whether daring, loyal, ambitious or clever,

And though right now you might feel like none,

There is a house that is home for everyone.

And with that the hat bowed the top of his peak and the whole room erupted into applause and cheers. Barney had to admit that it was pretty out of this world having a hat sing to you. Barney noticed Professor Sinistra had gotten up from her seat and was walking over to the hat. As she stood beside it she unravelled a piece of parchment in her hand.

"First years when I call your name you you will come up, sit on the stall, place the hat on your head and be sorted into your house, who you will then join at their respective table," Sinistra announced as she glanced at the parchment. "Button, Thomas."

Thomas didn't move until he was nudged and pushed forward by his fellow first years. As he got to the front of the line he pulled out his inhaler from his pocket, took a puff and nervously took the last few steps towards the stool. Sinistra lifted the hat up and beckoned him to take a seat. Visibly anxious, Thomas braced himself as Sinistra placed the sorting hat on his head, his eyes screwed tightly shut as the hat began to talk.

"A muggle-born. Interesting, very interesting... but I can see strong magic ancestry here. Yes you have potential, but where to put you? Hmm... I think... Hufflepuff!"

A cheer broke out from the Hufflepuff table as they all stood up to welcome their new member. A relieved Thomas opened his eyes and beamed as Sinistra removed the sorting hat from his head and he walked over towards his fellow Hufflepuffs with a new energy as he was greeted with handshakes and pats on the back.

"Crane, Everard," Sinistra called out and the next student stepped up to be sorted.

Barney watched as student after student had the sorting hat placed on their head to find out their Hogwarts' house. He witnessed his new friends from the train find out their fate. An ecstatic Billy was placed into Gryffindor just like his father and Gwen and Elio both joined Thomas in Hufflepuff. The sorting hat took an exceptional long time to decide to put a skinny blond haired boy into Ravenclaw, having also toyed with Gryffindor, before the only three first years left were Barney and the twins who had joined him in the boat.

"Webster, Arlo."

The first twin stepped up and the sorting hat had no problem putting him into Gryffindor. Arlo proceeded to join his new house with a rapturous reception from them as his brother was called up.

"Webster, Theo."

There was a gasp of shock when Theo, unlike his brother was sorted into Hufflepuff. Theo looked a little disappointed at the thought of being separated from his brother, having never spent more than a few hours in his whole life apart from him. But the Hufflepuffs waisted no time in making him feel at home in their ranks.

As the commotion died down, Barney was left standing in the middle of the hall all on his own, the last first year to be sorted. Having watched all the other thirty-seven students find out their house, it was finally his turn.

"And last but not least, West, Barney," Sinistra announced, giving Barney a friendly smile as he approached and took his seat. Sinistra placed the hat on his head and added a comforting and reassuring pat on his shoulder before she took a step back to allow the sorting hat to do his work.

"Another muggle-born! Hmm... this is tricky... yes exceptionally tricky... I can see a lot of bravery in you, but also great loyalty. Definitely intelligence and a lot of ambition. You could go anywhere. But no... I know where you'll do best..."

Though the hat only paused for a second it seemed like a lifetime for Barney as he waited to hear who he would spend the next seven years with.

"Slytherin!"

There were gasps throughout the hall and no cheering and applause like there had been with any of the other decisions. The Slytherin table did not stand to greet or congratulate him. Instead there were murmurs and whispers of disappointment amongst themselves.

"But he's a muggle," one boy from the Slytherin table cried out in protest.

"Put him somewhere else," another Slytherin yelled out.

"Silence!" Sinistra bellowed with a stern look towards the Slytherin table. "I will have no such comments. The sorting hat's decision is final. Go ahead and join your house Barney," she continued as she removed the hat from his head.

Barney slowly walked to the Slytherin table. Most of the students sat at it didn't even look up and avoided eye contact with him. Those that did just scowled at him. This was a rather muted clapping from the other tables as a sympathetic consolidation. No one on the Slytherin table made room for him to sit down like they had down for the other first years who had joined. Instead Barney was forced to walk all the way down to the end of the table and perch on the very end, much to the annoyance of those forced to sit near him.

As Professor Sinistra removed the stool and sorting hat and took her place at the teacher's table a tall witch, who looked very serious, stood up and walked around to address the room. She had grey hair in a bun and glasses perched on the end of her nose. She stood behind a gold lectern, which had materialised in front of the teachers table and what chatter there was in the room stopped instantly.

"Welcome and good evening," she said in a strong Scottish accent. "To all the first years I am Professor McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts and may I say how excited we are for you all to be joining us. And to all other students a warm welcome back. This year we are also welcoming two new teachers. Professor Goodwill who will be teaching defence against the dark arts..."

A very attractive young woman in her early thirties with short blonde hair and wearing a silvery and black robe briefly stood and smiled to acknowledge her presence.

"And Professor Slughorn," McGonagall continued, "having won high praise and accolades for his recent work and discoveries with Acromantula venom, has been invited to tour the great wizarding teaching institutions of the United States to talk about his work. As such a great honour that is, he will unfortunately not be with us for the first term this year. But we're delighted to be welcoming Professor Strange, a highly skilled potioneer and twice awarded the Alchemists order of merit, who will be taking potion classes and also acting as temporary head of Slytherin until Professor Slughorn returns."

An olive skinned man with long black hair and a short black beard stood but didn't smile. His face was stern and his eyes were piercing and he quickly sat down again.

"That's Serafin Strange," an older girl on the Slytherin table announced. "Didn't he almost end up in Azkaban?"

"He was tried but not convicted," another Slytherin replied.

"First years take note," McGonagall continued, "that the Forbidden Forest, as the name suggests, is forbidden to all students. And the South Tower is still out of bounds until further notice due to the Pygmy Trolls that our former Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher, Professor Feargal foolishly unleashed, are still causing havoc."

Sniggers and whispering between students broke out on hearing this as they remembered all the commotion and hysterics it caused in the school last year and ultimately led to the firing of Professor Feargal.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Any student wishing to try out should speak to Madam Hooch."

As Barney sat and listened he wondered what 'Quidditch' was. He considered asking one of his fellow Slytherin but thought better of it, having been ignored by them all since he sat down. He was beginning to feel very lonely.

"And finally as is custom at Hogwarts that students travel on the 1st of September, meaning tomorrow is a Sunday and as classes will not begin until on Monday, special activities have been lined up for each year group tomorrow. You will be collected tomorrow when it is time for you to partake."

Excited students chattered around their tables, wondering what the teacher's had lined up for them.

"Now with out further ado, let the feast begin."

And with that Professor McGonagall clapped her hands and suddenly the tables that had been bare were now piled high with every kind of food imaginable and some foods that Barney couldn't even imagine and had never seen before. Roast beef, sausages, chicken drumsticks, roast potatoes, something that looked like mash potatoes but was purple, Yorkshire puddings, cauliflower cheese, meatballs, fish fingers and a green and slimy dish that Barney could have sworn was still moving and many, many more dishes. All the students wasted no time in piling up their plates and passing food to their friends, chatting noisily and laughing as they did. But no one made an attempt to engage Barney. He went to grab some potatoes but another Slytherin was quick to grab the bowl and move it away from him. Barney was starving, only having had some sweets and biscuits on the train. There was a bowl of cabbage and a plate of sardines right in front of him and he grabbed some quickly before anyone had chance to move those away from him too. He ate in silence as everyone else enjoyed their meal and jabbered endlessly to each other, whilst all still ignoring him.

Desserts came and Barney was unable to grab any of the delicious looking cakes or tarts before his house mates removed them out of his reach and instead had to settle for a rather small satsuma.

As the meal ended McGonagall announced it was time for bed. Eben and another older student Barney recognised from Diagon Alley, Eliza, led the Slytherins from the hall and down steep stone steps to the dungeons where their common room was located. As they walked down the corridor the first years got a fright when a figure emerged through one of the walls. The being was a transparent white, with a gaunt face and clothes that looked like they were covered in stains. He sported an old fashion curly wig and carried chains and crossed the hallway in front of them before disappearing again through another wall.

"Don't worry about him," Eben called out sensing their angst. "That's just the Bloody Baron."

'Great' thought Barney. The castle is haunted.

They reached a bare stretch of wall and Eben stopped as everyone behind him followed suit.

"Basilisk," Eben called out and in the bare wall a passage was revealed.

"Please remember the password," Eben declared, "I don't want to find anyone lurking in the dungeon corridors because they can't get in."

Eben stood aside to allow the rest of Slytherin to enter. Barney was on his own at the back and reluctantly followed everyone else in but Eben stopped him from entering.

"Don't worry about them," Eben said sympathetically. "In a few days they will have gotten over you being muggle-born and won't care."

Barney tried to force a smile but he couldn't and he quickly walked through the passage into what was to be his new home. But it didn't look like a home to him. The was an odd green glow to the room from the lamps that hung on chains. The walls were stone and rough and the room was filled with oppressive dark wooden furniture and leather chairs. There was a fireplace with an elaborate carved mantelpiece. And though the fire was lit, it didn't seem to offer any warmth to the room. Above the fire place was a portrait of a solemn man with cold black eyes, long black hair and a long pale face. He looked as if he'd never smiled in his whole life. Barney wondered why the Slytherin's had given such pride of place to a portrait of a man who looked so sour and gloomy.

Eben gave the first years a brief tour of the common room and dormitories before all the students started hanging out in the common room, too over excited and not quite ready for bed yet. Barney slipped away quietly. Not that anyone cared or noticed. He made his way down the spiral staircase, which led to the boys dormitories and found the first year's bedroom. His trunk was already in there, placed at the foot of an uncomfortable looking bed against a cold stone wall with a small window above it. He quickly found his pyjamas in his trunk and changed before getting under the covers of his bed. Still hungry he found the last Switch Bix he had left over from the train and ate it. It tasted burnt and did nothing to suppress his growling belly.

The room was cold and dark with only a couple of candles lighting it. Barney must have lain alone for an hour before his fellow male first years retired to bed. He pretended to be asleep and curled up facing the wall as they entered.

"I can't believe they put a muggle in Slytherin," a boy with cropped blond hair declared, not caring if they disturbed Barney.

"Wait till my dad hears about this," said another boy, who had dark skin and a shaved head.

As the others got ready for bed Barney realised he had never felt this alone before in his life. The great adventure he was meant to be going on felt more like a nightmare. He wished he'd never been told he was a wizard.