Author's Note: The sorting hat song is my pièce de résistance. I will never write anything better than this. Happy reading! - L❤︎ xx
The wind nipped at Verity's cheeks like a troupe of Cornish pixies. Stumbling onto the platform, she pulled her robes tight around her shivering frame. If her nan were there, she would say the Hag o' Winter was banging her icy hammer tonight. A mountainous figure loomed towards them, carrying a glowing lantern. The heads of even the tallest students barely reached his chest!
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! C'mon, now - watch yer step there; it's a bit slippy. Firs' years follow me!" Said the man in a thick Gloucestershire accent. His face was hidden underneath a wild mane and a dark, bristly beard. Kindly, beetle-black eyes and a broad, welcoming smile peeked out from the brier. "The name's Hagrid – Groundskeeper o' Hogwarts - I'll be yer guide this evenin'. If ye'd like to follow me, I'll take yeh to the boats."
"Boats?" Whispered Peter.
They surged forward toward a tight track leading off from the station. Their eyes took a moment to adjust to the night, but still, they could barely see a foot in front of them.
The children slipped and slid down the steep, winding path. Remus shook his head, laughing at the girls and their squawks of protest every time their legs buckled underneath them.
"Are you part cat? How are you doing this?" Wheezed Verity, holding the stitch in her side as she giggled.
"Yeah, something like that."
Ahead, the groundskeeper cleared his throat and said, "if ye' didn't get a chance on the train, yer in luck. First glimpse o' the castle, jus' round the corner."
Like Remus, Hagrid had no trouble navigating the slope – his ginormous boots sunk into the mud, giving him a firm foothold. Rounding the bend, there was a smattering of 'Ooooh!' and 'Ahhhhh!' as the castle stood in all of its glory. Verity didn't think that she would ever get bored of that view.
"Right then, ev'ryone. Four to a boat, no messing about." He called, eyeing James and Sirius in particular. Verity had seen them racing each other down the track, roaring with laughter and almost knocking people off their feet.
Peter appeared next to them, the back of his robes slick with mud. "That hill was a bit unnecessary, wasn't it?" He said, doubling over to catch his breath.
"I dunno," Remus grinned, "I thought it was quite fun!"
"Yeah, only 'cos you were laughing at everyone."
Remus laughed and patted Peter on the back, and the four made their way towards the fleet of small boats. Verity looked for James and Sirius, but it was too dark to make out anyone's faces.
"Everyone in?" Shouted Hagrid, the water grasping at the lip of his boat. It looked as though it might sink at any moment. "Alright, then, if we're all ready - FORWARD!"
They moved as one, floating effortlessly towards the rock face. Verity let her hand glide through the cool water, imagining what lay beneath. She wasn't expecting something huge and slimy to curl over her wrist.
"Eurgh - something touched me!" She yelped, springing back from the edge of the boat.
"It was probably the squid!" Said Fran, as she peered into the inky black.
"The squid?" Peter whispered hoarsely, with a look of pure horror.
"Oh yeah, he lives in the lake – he's perfectly harmless." Said Remus with a reassuring smile. "My dad and his friends used to swim with him at break time. There's a rumour that he's really one of the Founders...and that he's guarding a secret treasure." He said, his eyebrows wiggling conspiratorially.
"I bet it's Salazar." Said Verity, making pretty patterns on the lake's surface. "I'm sure being turned into a Giant Squid must mellow you out a bit."
As Verity's fingers laced through the water, she felt someone watching her. Looking up, she realised it was Remus. The corners of his mouth twitched up in amusement.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing." He replied, "Don't expect me to fish you out if you fall in, though."
"Gee, thanks. My hero!"
"Mind yer heads!"
They slid through a large opening in the cliff, hidden by a thick curtain of ivy. A gloomy tunnel carried them towards a small, stony harbour. Fran and Verity hopped out, waiting patiently as Remus helped Peter clamber onto the shore. The poor thing nearly ended up with a face full of pebbles after getting his foot caught in his robes.
A narrow passageway, lit only by the swinging lantern, led them onto a sweeping lawn. In front of them stood the steps leading up to the castle. The enormous oak doors revealed a stern witch dressed in forest green robes. She regarded them all with a curt smile.
"'ere they are, Professor McGonagall."
"Thank you, Hagrid."
The children filed into a cavernous lobby. Ahead, a stunning marble staircase split and rose out of sight. She could hear the low thrum of voices through a doorway to their right, and she cringed - the cold creep of nerves prickling across her skin. Knowing she would have to walk in front of hundreds of other students somehow made her feel worse. Her stomach wriggled unpleasantly as the professor directed them into a smaller room to the left.
After Professor McGonagall had left the chamber, Peter rounded on his new friends,
"How are we Sorted into houses? I don't remember mum mentioning this at all."
"I don't know, actually - my mum never told me, either. Remus? Fran?"
"…I don't know. It's not in any of my books, and my dad conveniently left this part out."
Fran shrugged, pulling a face. "Beats me; I just thought we'd be divvied up by the teachers."
"Oi, Potter - Potter!" Verity hissed, as people around her 'shushed' and tutted.
"What?"
"How do they sort us into houses?"
James' face fell, biting his lip as he went quiet. He pushed his way through the crowd towards her amid quiet protests - Sirius followed, looking just as perplexed as the rest of them.
"I dunno, y'know - my parents never mentioned it. Did yours?"
"Nope. Maybe we have to do a test? Or, some kind of fight to the death? Only the strong survive." Joked Sirius, and James cracked up laughing.
"A test?" Moaned Fran, "Bleedin' Norah, I knew I should have practised more on the train!"
Several people screamed - one boy even tried to run for the door. Verity hadn't even noticed the shadowy figures hovering above their heads.
"Good evening! No need to be alarmed; we're just passing through." Said a portly monk with a kind smile.
"I… I've never seen a ghost before." Stuttered a girl next to them, looking white as a ghost herself.
"Clearly." Said Sirius, derisively.
"Form a line, please, students!" Verity jumped as the brisk voice of their new Professor cut above the chatter.
Verity gasped as they entered the Great Hall. The air above was bewitched with a multitude of floating candles, which lay below a ceiling that perfectly mimicked the sky. The moon looked like it had been hooked on a fishing line and reeled towards them. Nudging Remus, she pointed upwards, and his whole face lit up. The stars reflected in his green eyes like glittering jewels.
Four long tables stretched out in front of them, lined with the expectant faces of older students. Each was laid with plates and goblets of pure gold, glowing in the candlelight. Above each table hung majestic banners in the house colours, with their name and mascot on a coat of arms. Over her shoulder, the teachers sat waiting patiently. Aunty Peg caught her eye - she was seated next to Russ. They both gave her a little wave, beaming like a pair of Cheshire Cats. Verity blushed, throwing them a quick thumb's up in return - how mortifying.
Professor McGonagall placed a spindly four-legged stool in front of them. There, she set an ancient, crooked hat – careworn and filthy. A flurry of whispers broke out between the children, but one dangerous look from the raven-haired witch made them all fall silent; even James knew better than to try his luck.
A crude mouth formed in the wrinkles near the brim. Unexpectedly, it began to sing:
"When Hogwarts School had first begun,
I was just a crooked hat,
I belonged to dear old Godric,
On his lofty head, I sat.
I had no brains, nor charming voice,
I was thick as two short planks,
Until, one day, the Founders four,
Brought me into their ranks.
From my seat, I was gently plucked,
And filled with all this witty stuff,
To divvy up the diligent,
the smart, the crafty, the tough.
Gryffindor, he chose the daring,
The courageous and the bold,
For Hufflepuff, hard workers,
With hearts of solid gold,
Ravenclaw, she valued wisdom,
She sought this in new additions,
While Slytherin picked the students,
That showed cunning and ambition,
They lived and worked in harmony,
By these rules, they abided,
Until one day, their differences,
Caused them to be divided.
For Helga thought that the purest hearts,
Were what mattered the most,
While Salazar argued purest blood,
Was sole reason to boast,
Upon this sword, our mighty school,
To her knees, she almost fell,
I fear history repeating,
In these dark days as well.
One sets to cause a rift,
To forge a wall between,
I pray you form alliances,
You must work as a team.
I may not be a wizard,
But I can tell you how this ends,
Brothers become enemies,
Friends will turn on friends.
If you can work together,
Great friendships, you may find,
In a world where you can be anything,
Above all else, be kind.
The hat bowed to the four tables and fell silent. Verity felt more nauseous than before, as she mulled over the cryptic warning. Both James and Remus held similar expressions - bleak and brooding, respectively. Peter seemed to be one of the few students who looked relieved,
"Well, at least it isn't a test, eh? They would have sent me home!" He said as he chortled happily. Verity managed a shaky smile, raising her eyebrows at James.
A hush fell over the hall as Professor McGonagall stepped forward. Straightening a roll of parchment, she said, "when I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool. The hat will tell you where you belong."
Verity felt like she had eaten an entire tubful of wriggling flobberworms. Why, oh why, did her surname begin with 'W'? Why couldn't it have been 'A'? She would have even settled for 'E' if it meant she wouldn't have to wait so long…
"Abebe, Yolanda."
A young witch tripped forward, shuffling awkwardly towards the stool. Placing the hat on her dark, braided hair, it thought for only a moment before shouting,
"Hufflepuff!"
Smiling nervously, she made her way towards the table on the right, who were clapping and cheering.
Sufia Amin and Bertram Aubrey were sorted swiftly into Ravenclaw, much to the delight of the table second on the left. A thin, pointy-faced boy named Alistair Avery had barely sat down when the hat had roared 'Slytherin!' Ludo Bagman followed him to the far right of the hall, practically skipping to his seat.
"Black, Sirius."
The hall fell silent as Sirius sauntered to the stool. The seconds ticked by, first ten, then thirty, then sixty. Verity could see him muttering under his breath, but she was no good at lip-reading. Finally, the hat opened its fraying maw,
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindors clapped and stamped their feet, but the sound was not loud enough to drown out the buzz from the Slytherin table. Narcissa Black, Sirius' older cousin, watched the scene with a mixture of incredulity and horror - eyes wide, with a dainty, lily-white hand placed over her mouth. Sirius threw Verity and James a wink, setting his eyes forward and marching off to join his new House.
Bones, Catchlove, Chen - two Cullens in different houses…Verity couldn't keep track. She fidgeted and squirmed as Professor McGonagall made her way through the D's, then the E's. Verity silently wondered if this was part of the test – seeing who had the most patience.
"Evans, Lily!"
Verity looked up to see the fierce girl from the train tottering towards the stool. The hat had barely grazed her fiery locks before it roared,
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Her friend 'Sev' groaned as Lily threw him a small, sad smile. When she sat down, the first thing she saw was Sirius Black grinning back at her. Scowling, the small girl turned her back on him and folded her arms in defiance. Verity giggled and nudged James in the ribs,
"Taking bets on how long Lily can hold a grudge."
The boy scratched his head and scrunched up his face. "Um, forever? Beyond the grave? Into her next life?"
"Watch out; McGonagall's on the warpath." She whispered, trying to suppress her giggles. "My nanny calls that the 'Paddington Bear Hard Stare'."
"Fallow, Francesca!"
Franny bounced towards the chair with an expression of unbridled excitement. She stuffed the hat on her head and crossed her fingers, clamping her eyes shut.
"RAVENCLAW!"
With a squeak, she scampered off to join the table adorned in blue and bronze.
"Oh, look! There are my cousins!" Said Verity, waving to the Fawley twins. Alice joined Sirius in Gryffindor, while Marshall ended up in Hufflepuff.
Feng, Fenwick, Flint…Verity zoned out as the noise peaked and troughed, focussing her attention on the ceiling. The floating candles and twinkling stars made her feel sleepy. She leant on James for support, resting her eyes for a few minutes.
When she heard the stern, raven-haired professor call, "Lupin, Remus!" she popped an eye open and whispered, "Good luck!"
His face was a sickly green as he staggered off towards the stool. To his visible surprise, the hat was on his head for a matter of seconds before it roared,
"GRYFFINDOR!"
He thanked Professor McGonagall three times before stumbling over to the cheering Gryffindors. Verity grinned - she felt like cheering for him, too.
James looked down at her, his face full of mischief. "You fancy him."
"Don't be gross, Jamie; he's my friend."
"I'm going to tell him you called him gross."
"No, don't!" Verity hissed, her eyes flitting in Remus' direction. Then, after seeing the expression on James' face, she scowled playfully back. "Go away, Potty, or I'll tell your mum you let off dungbombs at breakfast."
"Now you're just giving me ideas, Vez. Don't fuel the fire."
McGonagall gave them another silent warning, eyes beady and mouth pinched, as Davina McCullick ambled dreamily over to the Hufflepuffs. Dorcas Meadowes, Ziba and Abe's daughter, promptly tripped and fell right in front of the stool. Brushing herself off, she grinned as she felt the hat alight on her puff of dark hair. A second later, the hat bellowed,
"RAVENCLAW!"
She did a half-jog across the hall, where she plonked herself down next to Fran, who was investigating the golden goblets.
Peter's eyes darted between all the tables - the grip on his own hands uncomfortably tight. Verity could practically hear the cogs ticking as he tried to figure out which House he would be in. The boy had gone white and clammy – pearly beads rolled steadily down his forehead. She put her hand on his shoulder and smiled encouragingly at him. James rolled his eyes - he stood with his arms crossed, the picture of confidence. Peter didn't have long to wait; the hat whipped through a handful of students before their Professor cried,
"Pettigrew, Peter!"
All eyes were on him as the hat sat in complete silence. The minutes dragged on...and on. Susurrations reverberated around the hall, followed by pockets of laughter. Verity felt a twinge of sympathy for him. He gripped the stool so hard that she thought it might snap in two. James tapped his foot, impatience exuding from every pore. He groaned loudly as another minute slipped by.
"Maybe he's a squib." James mused. Verity tutted, throwing him a look. "Don't get your wand in a knot, Wildey; I'm only joking."
After five minutes or so, the brim of the hat opened to shout,
"GRYFFINDOR!"
As the noise began to settle, Professor McGonagall called, "Potter, James!"
He winked at Verity and gave her a nudge. "Catch you on the flip side!"
The hat barely scuffed his dishevelled mop before it thundered,
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Smirking, he joined the bellowing Gryffindor table, sliding in next to Sirius. They fist-bumped and started chatting between themselves, shooting looks at Verity as she tried to ignore them.
She had a feeling that those two were going to be trouble.