Chapter 5
The Sorting Hat
"I've only flown a broom once," Terry was saying, as Hermione slid the door of their compartment open, "But I've seen loads of quidditch matches, what about you, Neville?"
"Well my grandmother won't let me near a broom, says I'll hurt myself," Neville explained, "But my whole family supports the English International Team. My gran gets us tickets whenever they play Ireland."
Terry laughed, and said, "That must be rough, we haven't beaten Ireland in years."
Neville grinned, "True, but I've learned some good cuss words. You should hear the things my grandmother shouts at the keeper when he lets one in."
They continued to chat about broomsticks and quidditch as Hermione settled back into her seat. She managed to read a page of her book before Terry interrupted her with a question. Luckily, it had nothing to do with her parentage.
"Hey, uh, Hermione, could you… could you show me how to do that spell?"
Slightly taken aback, Hermione paused before saying, "Maybe we could attempt a different spell, there's one I've been dying to try."
"Sure!" Terry said enthusiastically.
Neville scrambled up onto his seat to open his trunk and pull out his wand. Trevor the toad seemed to have given up on escaping, at least for now. He sat on an empty seat, eating something that looked like dead crickets.
Hermione pulled out the 'Standard Book of Spells' and flipped to a page she had bookmarked. She reread the description of the wand motion, and then shut the book and placed it on the floor at the center of the compartment.
"OK," Hermione said, trying to maintain the spark of confidence she'd kindled while changing into her robes, "The incantation is 'Wingardium Leviosa'. It's a levitation spell, let's try a book first."
Terry managed to get the book to float after a half dozen attempts. At first, he swung his wand like a tiny sword rather than using his wrist as the 'Standard Book of Spells' recommended, but eventually, it worked, and the book lifted to float at head height.
Neville kept trying until, after at least thirty attempts, he succeeded. Sweat beaded his forehead, and he was a bit out of breath, but the book wobbled into the air for almost ten seconds before dropping back to the floor.
Hermione, who had managed to levitate the book on her third attempt, decided to try something bigger. Before she knew she was a witch, Hermione had been able to move small things like paper clips and pencils, but whenever she had tried to move anything larger, nothing happened.
"Wingardium Leviosa," Hermione said firmly, directing the spell at her heavy, second-hand trunk.
To her delight, it lifted off the luggage rack and began to lazily drift away from the wall. Unfortunately, as it floated out past the edge of the luggage rack, Hermione lost control of the spell, and her trunk fell to the floor with a nasty crunching sound.
They all froze, then Hermione bent down to assess the damage to her trunk. The corner had crumpled inward, completely compromising the structural framework of the box.
Still feeling confident, Hermione pointed her wand at her trunk again, and spoke a new incantation, "Reparo!"
"Oh yeah, the repair spell!" Terry said, "I saw that one when I was skimming the course books."
Hermione nodded, but unfortunately, nothing appeared to have happened. Disappointed, Hermione repeated the incantation, still, nothing changed. After her third failed attempt, Hermione began to grow frustrated.
Trying to determine what she was doing wrong, Hermione thought about her textbook on magical theory, and a particular passage came to mind. Not able to remember it exactly, Hermione pulled out her notebooks and found where she had copied the paragraph she was trying to remember.
"Some spells, like hexes, simply require knowledge of the spell's effect, and the intent to inflict those effects upon a target. Without the proper desire or passion, curses and hexes will be less potent or fail entirely. Because emotions can help fuel spells like these, they are easier to cast quickly.
Other spells, like complex charms and transfigurations, rely more on visualization, imagination, and focus. They can take longer to cast, and require a calm mind, and clear envisioning of the desired result."
The familiar act of looking something up in her notes had helped Hermione relax. She understood now that she had not been in the right state of mind.
"Reparo," she spoke the word as a whisper, eyes closed, envisioning her trunk in its original state.
When Hermione opened her eyes, she saw the corner of the trunk pushing back outward, flattening the sides and bottom once again. Cracked wood reknit itself, and somehow the tattered leather became sleek and shiny. The metal trim and lock gleamed, looking as though they'd just been polished.
"Wow," Neville said in awe, "That was cool."
Hermione blushed, smiling shyly.
Then she turned back to her trunk, which now looked brand new, and flicked her wand, saying, "Wingardium Leviosa."
She made sure to visualize the trunk floating slowly to the ceiling, and it obliged, lifting above her head. Then with a thought, Hermione moved the trunk sideways to hover over the luggage rack, and dismissed her spell. The trunk settled back into place with a gentle thunk.
They took a break from practicing the charm to finish their sandwiches, drinks, and cakes. Neville had already finished all of his food, so Hermione gave him one of her cauldron cakes so he wouldn't feel left out while she and Terry ate.
While they were finishing their last sips of pumpkin juice, a voice echoed through the train, announcing that they'd be arriving at Manchester Station in five minutes. As the train slowed down, Hermione realized how much she was enjoying spending time with kids her age, a new experience for her. She had been bullied by most of her peers, and besides Margaret, the only other child who had been kind to her was David, the son of Mr. Abidi who ran the corner store near Margaret's apartment.
Smiling happily, Hermione looked out the window, she watched as the train pulled to a stop at a platform similar to the one she had boarded from. Squinting, she saw a sign that read, 'Platform Ten and a Half'. Once the train was stationary, students began to board.
A minute later, the compartment door slid open, and a pair of twins stepped inside. They both had beautiful dark hair with a shiny, smooth luster that immediately made Hermione feel self-conscious about her frizzy ponytail. One of the twins wore many bracelets and a pair of small earrings.
They introduced themselves as Padma and Parvati Patil. It was soon obvious that despite their identical appearance, the two girls had very different personalities.
The one who wore gold jewelry was named Parvati, she set down her trunk and said, "Can you two put my trunk on the rack please?"
She flashed a smile at Neville and Terry, who hastened to do as she asked. She had phrased it as a request, but it came across as more of a command than a genuine question.
Hermione thought her smile was gorgeous. Perfectly even teeth that were brilliantly white, especially in contrast to her tan skin. Hermione ran her tongue over her incisors, wishing she could have a smile like that.
The boys introduced themselves after setting Parvati's trunk onto the luggage rack.
Padma, who wore no jewelry, did not ask for help. Instead, she began to awkwardly lift her trunk by herself.
Hermione got up and helped heft Padma's trunk into place. Padma gave her a nod of thanks and then opened her trunk to pull out a few items, including a copy of 'A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration'.
As Padma began to read, Parvati began to talk, "Boot and Longbottom, I think I've heard of your families, do you have any older friends or siblings at Hogwarts?"
Terry shook his head no, but Neville said, "I've got a cousin who's a fifth year."
"Oo," Parvati squealed, "That means he's old enough to go to the dances, maybe you can introduce me. It's completely unfair that we can't attend dances until fourth year unless an older student invites us. Other than Hogsmead trips and watching quidditch, dances are one of the main things I'm looking forward to. Are either of you going to try out for your house's team?"
"Um, I might give it a try, I'm a decent flyer," Terry said, sounding more confident about his flying abilities than he had a few minutes before, "Do you know many older students, Pavarti?" He asked, running a hand through his hair.
Hermione noticed that Terry seemed more awkward now. He kept messing with his hair and adjusting his robes. The way he stared at her, it was obvious Terry was interested in Parvati, though he had butchered the pronunciation of her name.
"It's Par-vati," she corrected him politely, flashing her flawless teeth in another smile, "And yeah, I know a few third-year girls from my village, they're a couple of train cars up."
As Neville, Terry, and Parvati continued to talk, Hermione felt increasingly invisible. She felt overly aware of her lack of jewelry, and lack of interest in dances or sports. She had been having such a great time playing with magic, and now she suddenly felt shut out.
With a glance over at Padma, Hermione saw she was paying the discussion no mind. She had her Transfiguration book open on the seat beside her, and she had a writing board on her lap with a long sheet of paper laid across it. She appeared to be taking notes with an absurd feather quill pen, and a bottle of ink that she dipped the tip of the quill into every few sentences.
Hermione had seen writing supplies like these for sale in Diagon Alley. She had assumed they were a novelty item, though now she realized she'd seen no normal pens or pencils for sale at any of the different shops. Padma wrote in flowing cursive, taking her time on each stroke of the quill. While impressed with her penmanship, Hermione thought using a quill, and writing so slowly would be a waste of time. She enjoyed art, but taking notes should be a pragmatic activity, not this elaborate affair.
Still, she thought Padma seemed better than her sister, who reminded Hermione of Chelsea, and other obnoxious girls she had known.
Internally, Hermione chastised herself, "You're acting as if you're better than her, better than all of them, just because you're good at studying. What has that gotten you? Try at least taking some interest in what other kids your age like, if not you'll probably be friendless forever."
Despite recognizing the problem with her attitude, Hermione still felt sullen. Thoughts of Margaret, and her awful cousin kept coming to mind. To distract herself, Hermione opened 'Hogwarts a History' once again, and began reading where she'd left off.
When the train arrived at the Edinburgh Station, Hermione had just finished reading a bit in her book about the dining hall at Hogwarts.
"In the mid-thirteenth century, the ceiling of the Great Hall was enchanted to mirror the image of the sky above the castle. This meant it could show stars, lightning, clouds, or bright sun.
If a Headmaster or Headmistress so chooses, they can bewitch the ceiling to show a bright blue sky, even if it is overcast outside. This trick is often utilized to improve the mood in the castle during long stretches of bad weather that are common at Hogwarts due to it's northern location."
A few more students climbed aboard, but no more first-years joined them in their compartment. Soon after, they were off again.
"Just a bit longer," Hermione thought, remembering Percy's comments about arriving at Hogwarts a couple of hours after the stop in Edinburgh.
For the next two hours, Hermione read while Padma took notes on her Transfiguration book. Meanwhile, Terry, Neville, and Parvati played some kind of game that looked similar to marbles.
Hermione finished the last page of her book right as the train began to slow. She grinned and put it back in her trunk, then she used another levitation charm to lower her trunk to the floor. Luckily, she managed it more smoothly this time and there was no damage to her now pristine trunk.
Based on her look of amazement, Padma appeared impressed by her display of magic, but her sister didn't seem to notice. She continued to tell Terry all about her friend Pansy, and how Terry needed to meet her.
Hermione left the compartment before the others, and when the train had come to a complete stop, she was one of the first to disembark. She knew from the book she'd just finished, that this was Hogsmeade Station, Platform Eleven. The sun had set behind a series of mountains to the west, and lanterns were hung along the platform to provide illumination.
A booming voice shouted, "First years, first years this way!"
Hermione followed the loud voice until she found its source, and she was quite surprised to discover it was the gigantic man she'd seen stumbling out of the Leaky Cauldron. He wore the same brown overcoat, though he did not appear to have his pink umbrella.
"Alright you lot, you're with me!" The giant called once the train was empty, and all the first years were assembled, "Leave your trunks here," he indicated a series of benches, "and follow me!"
They set their trunks down and walked for a while along a stone path. The cool night air felt refreshing to Hermione, though she heard several others complaining about the cold. Eventually, they reached a twenty-foot-tall, wrought iron gate, with equally tall fencing stretching off into the distance on either side.
The giant man walked up to the gate and pulled a silver key from his pocket. In his enormous hand, it looked perfectly normal, but it was so large, Hermione wasn't sure she would be able to hold it with one hand. He inserted the oversized key into an equally oversized silver lock.
With a twist of the key, the lock clicked, and the giant man pushed the gate open and called for them to hurry. Once they had all gone through the gate, the man closed it and directed them up a small hill. At the top, they got their first view of Hogwarts. The castle perched on a small cliff, overlooking an expanse of black lake water. Stone buildings were surrounded by a thick outer wall. Three towers rose high into the sky, their many windows sparkling with reflected moonlight. The path they were on descended downward to the edge of the forest, then continued up a long sloping lawn towards the castle.
It took them another quarter of an hour to make their way to the castle's outer wall. They passed under an archway with a retracted portcullis hanging across its top, and made their way across a long courtyard that was surrounded on three sides by seven stories of gray stone. Quite a few windows and a few balconies looked down onto the courtyard, and despite seeing no one as she looked up and around, Hermione felt as though she were being watched.
They reached a set of huge wooden doors that led into the castle. Hermione had grown quite cold at this point, and her stomach began to growl, distracting her from thoughts of an unseen observer. Hours had passed since the sandwiches and cakes and Hermione was ready for her first warm meal of the day.
The giant man pushed the doors open and led them into a grand entrance hall with a high vaulted ceiling. The walls were lined with doors, hallway entrances, and staircases leading up and down. There were also paintings, suits of armor, and stained glass windows. At the other end of the entrance hall was a broad set of ten steps that led up to another set of double doors. Hermione guessed these doors led to the dining hall, or the Great Hall, as her book had called it. The size and ornate nature of it all left Hermione feeling small and insignificant.
At the top of the steps stood a tall woman with hair in a tight bun, who spoke in a terse voice, "Hello students, I am Professor McGonagall. You will form two orderly lines, and follow me into the Great Hall for the sorting ceremony."
Nervously, the first years shuffled into two long lines. As they assembled themselves, Hermione realized 'Hogwarts a History' had failed to explain anything about the sorting ceremony. It had included much about the founders, and the attributes characteristic of their house, but nowhere had it explained how the sorting worked.
Professor McGonagall waved her wand, and the doors behind her swung open and she turned to walk into the Great Hall.
The first years followed and found themselves in a room even larger than the entrance hall. There were four extremely long, sturdy tables that stretched the length of the room, each laden with golden plates, cups, bowls, and serving dishes. As they entered the room, hundreds of students in black robes turned to watch Hermione and the other first-years. At the opposite end of the hall was an elevated table that overlooked the room. Two dozen adult witches and wizards sat at this head table, wearing robes of various colors.
Thousands of candles floated in the air above the tables, illuminating the room with their soft light. The ceiling above showed a field of black velvet, dotted with uncountable stars, and the hint of a quarter moon that was half-hidden by a passing cloud.
The girl beside her stared up at the ceiling in awe, and Hermione whispered "Its enchanted to look like the night sky, I read about it in -"
Hermione stopped talking as someone made a shushing noise. Professor McGonagall was standing in the center of the room, next to a four-legged stool, holding a roll of parchment. On the stool stood a hat. It did not look very remarkable, similar to the pointed hats many of them wore, but rather old, patched, and dirty.
The room grew quiet, everyone seemed to be waiting for something. Then the hat moved. A hole opened at the inner edge of the hat's brim, and it began 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 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 folks 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!"
Thunderous applause rang through the hall, and Hermione felt a surge of relief run through her. She hadn't been sure what to expect, but something as simple as putting on a hat had never crossed her mind. McGonagall lifted the hat by its tip and called the first student on her list forward.
As Hannah Abbot stepped forward to sit on the stool, Hermione considered what house she hoped to be in. Based on what she'd read about the history of this school, Gryffindor seemed like a good choice, though it seemed Ravenclaw house valued intelligence, so that could be a good fit as well. As Hermione weighed her options, Professor McGonagall set the ancient hat on Hannah Abbot's head and took a step back.
"Hufflepuff!" Shouted the sorting hat, and applause and cheers broke out from the table to Hermione's left. Hannah walked over to take a seat with the rest of the Hufflepuffs.
"Susan Bones!" McGonagall called.
Another girl stepped forward, and the hat placed her in Hufflepuff as well.
Terry Boot was next, and the sorting hat seemed to take a little longer this time before deciding on, "Ravenclaw!"
Hermione grew more nervous, fretting about what house she would end up in, and how students in that house would treat a muggle-born. Distracted by her worries, Hermione only caught the names of a handful of students throughout the sorting ceremony.
Lavender Brown became the first new Gryffindor, Millicent Bulstrode joined the Slytherins, and then Vincent Crabb became a Slytherin as well. A couple of minutes later, an extremely nervous-looking boy named Justin Finch-Fletchley was sorted into Hufflepuff.
Anthony Goldstein's name was called, and once the hat was placed on his head, it immediately shouted, "Ravenclaw!"
Next, a husky boy named Gregory Goyle sat his broad backside on the small stool. After a couple of moments, the sorting hat decided he would be in Slytherin.
Too soon, it was Hermione's turn. She took a seat, and the brim of the hat lowered over her eyes as McGonagall sat it on her head.
To her surprise, she heard a small voice in her ear, "Oh, quite a clever one you are, and such a desire to prove yourself, hmm."
"Could you… could you put me in Gryffindor?" Hermione whispered as quietly as she could, hoping the hat would be able to hear her.
"Gryffindor is it?" The hat replied, "Why would you choose his house? You seem more clever than brave, not that I don't sense bravery in you, young muggle-born."
"Because of exactly that," Hermione said quietly, "He defended muggle-borns. I figure I'll be better off in Gryffindor's house than any other."
Wheezing laughter filled her ears, then the hat said, "Godric Gryffindor was a competitive loudmouth and a bully. I may only be his hat, but I became a better person than he ever was. What makes you think Godric's house is so noble?"
"Didn't he fight with Slytherin because he refused to teach my kind?" Hermione whispered quickly, confused why the hat would be so insulting towards his creator.
"True, but that duel with Salazar had more to do with their personal history than Godric's nobility or kindness," the sorting hat explained, "If things had been reversed, and it was Salazar insisting on allowing muggle-borns into the school, well Godric would have fought him over that instead. All four of them were petty, self-serving fools. You don't believe me, I can tell, but if you want to know what kind of man Godric truly was, read up on how he treated his daughter."
In her head, Hermione wondered, "Can the hat read my thoughts?"
"Yes, yes I can," the hat answered cheerfully, "And that is why I know you belong in… Ravenclaw!"
The sorting hat shouted the last word for everyone to hear, and the Ravenclaw table applauded and cheered. McGonagall pulled the hat from her head, and Hermione walked over to find an empty seat. The older students welcomed her, and Terry Boot, who was sitting a few seats down, gave her a thumbs up. Hermione smiled at him, then turned to watch the rest of the first-years be sorted.
After hearing the sorting hat's opinion on Godric Gryffindor, Hermione had mixed feelings when the friendly Neville Longbottom was sorted into his house. Their table was next to the east wall, and Neville had to walk around the end of the Hufflepuff table to reach it.
He paused at the end of the table, and joyfully shouted, "Trevor!"
Then he bent to grab his toad, who had managed to escape his owner for a time.
Many people chuckled, and Neville's face was scarlet with embarrassment as he found an empty seat next to a pearly white figure. Hermione realized with shock that it was a ghost. They were semi-translucent and glowed with a strange pale light. Her books had mentioned the existence of ghosts, but seeing one sitting amidst the students made Hermione's eyes widen with amazement. Glancing around she realized there were at least a dozen ghosts in attendance tonight, and now that she was paying attention to the ethereal creatures, she caught sight of one passing directly through a wall, exiting the Great Hall.
Returning her focus to the sorting ceremony, Hermione saw a boy sitting haughtily on the stool as if it were a throne. McGonagall lowered the hat onto his blonde hair, and before she had even let go of the hat's tip, it opened its mouth and shouted, "Slytherin!"
The boy smirked and made his way around the Ravenclaws to join the Slytherins, whose table ran along the western wall. Soon it was Padma's, then Parvati's, turn to try on the ancient hat. Interestingly, despite being identical twins, Padma became a Ravenclaw, and Parvati joined the Gryffindors. Seeing that the sorting hat could make such nuanced choices made Hermione feel more confident about where she had ended up. She also admitted to herself that she would rather have Padma in her house than her sister.
After another five minutes, there were just two first years left to be sorted. Ron Weasley joined his three brothers at the Gryffindor table, and Blaise Zabini became a Slytherin.
"Finally," an older boy next to her grumbled, already holding a knife and fork in his hands, staring at the empty platters and serving dishes. Hermione saw that his robes bore a patch with a bronze eagle on it, as well as a number five.
A man at the center of the head table stood up and tapped a spoon against his goblet. He had silver-white hair that hung to his waist and an equally long beard. On his head was a blue hat, decorated with many silver stars of different sizes. Small half-moon spectacles rested on the end of his large and somewhat crooked nose. His robes were the same shade of blue as his hat, and they were also adorned with silver stars. The room fell silent, and a tension seemed to fill the air.
Part of Hermione wanted to laugh as she took in his appearance, which seemed so stereotypical she thought it must be intentional, but the heavy silence that filled the room and a feeling deep in her mind and stomach, gave her pause.
"Welcome students," he spoke in a soft baritone that managed to carry to every edge of the room, "I am Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of this fine school. I will save most of what I have to say until after you have satisfied your hunger, but first a few important words. Nitwit, blubber, oddment, and tweak!"
With that, Dumbledore sat back down, threw his beard over one shoulder, and began loading his plate with food. Hermione looked at the dishes before her and saw they were now full of soups, pasta, various curries, meats, potatoes, rice, steamed vegetables, and loaves of fresh bread. Students began loading their plates and filling their goblets with juice or water. Hermione watched as an empty pitcher refilled itself with juice. The same thing happened with a platter of chicken legs. The moment after someone took the last piece, it was fully loaded once more with steaming chicken.
The room filled with the sounds of talking, and the clatter of silverware on dishes.
A girl to Hermione's right said, "I can't stand the smell of curry, anyone want this?"
She pushed the deep platter away from her section of the table, and another girl said, "I bet that first-year wants some."
Hermione looked up, but she saw that the girl wasn't talking about her, she was looking at Padma, who sat across the table, and to Hermione's left. Padma's plate was already loaded with buttered bread, zucchini, and a chunk of salmon, but the older girl set the curry directly in front of her and smiled nastily, as did the two girls near her.
So focused on the issues of muggle-borns and pure-bloods, it took Hermione a moment to realize what was happening. The third-year girls, she could see the number three on their blue patches, were making a foul joke. They could tell, as could Hermione, that the Patel sisters were of Indian descent, and they seemed to think it was funny to assume she would want the curry because of that. Padma said nothing, frowning down at her food and picking at the fish on her plate. Hermione loaded some rice on her plate, then stood, and leaned out to grab the dish of curry.
She drizzled a large helping of the yellow sauce and vegetables on top of her rice, looked at the older girls, and with a smile said, "Thanks, curry is my favorite."
One of the third-year girls rolled her eyes, and then they turned away and started eating. Hermione looked at Padma, but the other girl avoided her gaze.
Soon after Hermione finished a second plate of the excellent curry, the dishes became instantaneously empty and clean. Then, just as suddenly, they were full of a multitude of desserts.
Already quite full, Hermione contented herself with a small serving of coffee ice cream. Before long, Professor Dumbledore stood, and the dishes became spotlessly clean once again.
"A few start of term announcements before you head off to bed," Dumbledore said in his gentle voice, smiling at the room full of students, "Classes start tomorrow morning. Your schedules will be waiting for you in your dormitories. Those wishing to try out for your house's quidditch team should give their names to their head of house before the end of the month. A warning to our first-year students, and a reminder to the rest of you, magic is not to be used on other students outside of the context of lessons. Students who use hexes or curses on another student will be punished with detention, suspension, or expulsion, depending on the severity of the spell in question. Additionally, the forest at the edge of the grounds is forbidden to students, unless entering with a teacher. It is full of dangerous creatures that will not hesitate to harm you."
After a pause, Dumbledore continued, "Lastly, I would like to speak of the Potters. Most of you know that ten years ago, a dark wizard named Lord Voldemort was defeated by Lily and James Potter. They were a pair of talented, and wonderful people who gave their lives to destroy a great evil, but they were not the only ones who died that night. Their one-year-old son, Harry, was also killed. If not for Lord Voldemort, another first-year student would be sitting here with us this evening. We may never know him, but let us not forget the name of Harry James Potter."
One of Hermione's textbooks had mentioned Voldemort and explained that most witches and wizards called him "You-know-who', or He-who-must-not-be-named', rather than say his name aloud. Both times Dumbledore said 'Voldemort', many in the room jumped in surprise, or gasped audibly.
"It's not normal to speak his name," Hermione thought, "Glad I saw this reaction, I would have thought ten years after his defeat people would be comfortable saying the name, but I guess the fear is still there."
She knew Voldemort had committed atrocities, but she would have to learn more about the specifics of his rise to power. With Dumbledor's speech finished, the students began to get up and exit the hall. A boy and girl at each table wearing Prefect badges began calling for their house's first years to follow them to their dormitories.
The Ravenclaw Prefects, who Hermione noticed were fifth-years, introduced themselves as Taylor Goldstein and Sandra Livingston. They led Hermione and the two dozen other first years out of the Great Hall. Ten minutes later, after two staircases, multiple corridors, and even a stone bridge, they arrived at the end of a corridor and found a door with no handle or keyhole.
The Prefects called for quiet, then Sandra said, "To get into Ravenclaw tower, you have to answer a riddle, once you figure out the answer will function as the password for about a week. Then the door will change the riddle and you'll have to figure out the new one, or find someone who knows the answer."
Taylor turned and put his hand on the blank door. In response, the bronze eagle head opened its metallic mouth, and in a sing-song voice said, "I'm taller when younger, shorter when old. I'm of little use in the light but at night worth more than gold."
It only took Hermione a moment to figure out the answer, and it seemed the Prefects also found it easy to solve, because almost immediately, Sandra replied, "A candle."
In response, the door swung open, and the group stepped inside. As they did, Hermione noticed the patches on the first-year's robes changing as they stepped through the doorway. The lion, badger, and snake fading away, leaving only the bronze eagle on a blue background. The circular common room was decorated with bronze wall hangings and deep blue carpets. There were several bookshelves, fireplaces, and many tall windows. Older students already lounged in comfortable-looking chairs, or on couches. Some read, others talked. The Prefects took the first years to a branching set of spiral staircases that led upward in opposite directions. Sandra took Hermione and the other girls to the right, while the boys went left.
They walked past many doors before Sandra stopped in front of one, pulled a list from her pocket, and said, "Brocklehurst, Granger, Li, and Patil. You're in here."
Hermione and three other girls entered their new room. It had four large beds with curtains on the sides that could be closed for privacy. Their room also had one large window, a brazier, and a small bathroom for their use. A trunk sat at the end of each bed. Hermione found hers and began to get ready for bed. After washing up, and changing into pajamas, she lay her wand on the bedside table and crawled into bed. Despite having dozens of questions and worries floating around in her head, Hermione could barely keep her eyes open, exhausted by the long day.
Yawning, and marveling at how soft the mattress felt underneath her, the last thing Hermione thought before drifting off to sleep was, "Hopefully there's time for me to go to the library tomorrow. I wonder how many books I can check out at one time."