A/N: You'll have to excuse me with this chapter and the next one. Because the first years travel together, Mandy pretty much sees and hears what Harry did during this time. Don't worry though, she won't be in his shadow for much longer. Thanks for reading!!
The train doors opened and everyone started pouring onto the dark platform. Mandy walked out, made sure Lisa was still with her, and then looked around. It was pretty chilly and all she could see was the many students around her. She turned as she saw a lamp coming towards them. "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there Harry?" said a deep voice. She got closer to the lamp and realized it was the big man from Diagon Alley. She looked to see who Harry was, and sure enough it was the boy that she saw walking with him on that day. 'So your name is Harry?' she thought to herself.
"C'mon, follow me -- any more firs' years? Mind yer step now! Firs' years follow me!" the man called again.
She looked over at Lisa and they exchanged a glance, then they began following the man. He lead them down a steep, narrow path. It was a little slippery and Mandy almost tripped twice. She couldn't see anything except what was allowed by the lamp the man was carrying. Everyone was keeping to themselves. She thought she heard someone sniffling, but she wasn't sure.
"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Howarts in a sec," the man called over his shoulder, "jus round this bend here."
Mandy's stomach got tight knowing she was about to see where she would be staying for the next year. She arched her head as they began coming around the bend. All of a sudden all the students let out an, "Ohhhhh," as Hogwarts came into view.
The narrow path had opened out to a very dark lake. The castle was atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky. It had many turrets and towers. Mandy had never seen anything like it before in her life.
"No more'n four to a boat!" the man called pointing to a bunch of little boats floating by the shore. Mandy and Lisa got into one of the boats. Following them were two boys. One with short brown hair, the other with ruffled looking blond hair. Mandy didn't really pay attention to the boys, her attention was captivated by the castle.
"Everyone in?" the man called. He was in his own boat because there didn't appear to be room for any students. He looked around and no one answered. "Right then -- FORWARD!"
All the boats began floating forward, across the dark water to the school. Still no one talked as they all gazed at their new school. Mandy couldn't believe she was this close, it felt as though the last month had been a very long and complicated dream. How could she be all the way at a school to become a witch. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them. She half expected to be looking up at the ceiling in her bedroom, but she was still staring at the school.
"Heads down!" the man yelled. Mandy crouched as they glided through a curtain of ivy. They then began traveling down a dark tunnel. Finally they arrived at what appeared to be an underground harbor. The boats rested on rocks and pebbles. She stepped out, held Lisa's hand to help her out and then stood looking at the large man.
She was startled as he spoke again, "Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" he asked a rather pudgy boy.
The boy's face lit up. "Trevor!" he cried as he scooped the toad into his arms. Mandy guessed that this must be Neville, Hermione had mentioned his name earlier.
They then began walking up a passageway. It was hard to see where they were walking so Mandy was touching the wall every now and again to make sure she didn't fall. They finally came out onto smooth, damp grass that was right next to the castle. The man led them up some stone steps and they all huddled around a large pair of oak doors. Mandy heard Lisa gulp beside her. The man turned around. "Everyone here?" he asked. They all slightly nodded in response. He peered at Neville, "You there, still got yer toad?" Neville very lightly said yes. He turned around, and knocked three times on the castle door.
The door swung open at once. A tall, black haired witch dressed in emerald-green clothes was standing in the entrance. The woman had a very stern looking face. She glanced around at the group of students.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," the man said gesturing at the woman.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here," Professor McGonagall said. 'So, his name is Hagrid,' Mandy thought. Professor McGonagall pulled the doors open. The entrance hall was very big. The stone walls were lit with torches and a grand marble staircase led to the upper floors.
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Mandy could hear tons of voices coming from a doorway to the right. She figured all the other students had been taken there while the first-years traveled by boat. Professor McGonagall led them into a small empty room that was reachable from the main hall.
"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."
She looked around at a few of the students. "I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."
She then left the small room. Mandy looked over at Lisa. "How are we sorted into our houses?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," Lisa replied. They looked around at the other students.
"I hope we're in the same house," Mandy exclaimed. Lisa smiled and they hugged. She looked around and everyone looked scared. She heard Hermione somewhere reciting spells. Would she have to say one? Her stomach began to feel queasy as she thought of messing up a spell in front of the whole school.
She was reciting her spells in her head when all of a sudden she heard a few people scream. She opened her eyes and she saw ghosts gliding across the room. They were pearly-white and slightly transparent. Were they really ghosts? So did this mean that ghosts were real? They seemed to be arguing with each other.
She overheard a ghost that looked like a fat little monk say, "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?"
A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had just noticed all of them standing there. Nobody answered his question, they were all gaping.
"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?" Mandy saw a few people nodding their heads to his question this time.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."
"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." The owner of the voice was Professor McGonagall. She had returned to the students. The ghosts floated away.
"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."
Mandy and Lisa stood beside each other behind Harry and a boy with red hair. The line walked out of the chamber, across the hall, and through a pair of doors into the Great Hall. Mandy was struck in awe by the splendid room. Candles floated in the air giving the room more light. Four very long tables stretched the length of the room with golden plates and goblets in front of each person. A long table was at front and all the teachers were sitting at it. Professor McGonagall led them to the teacher's table and had them face all the students sitting in the long tables. Mandy couldn't believe all the faces that was staring back at her. She was starting to get even more nervous.
Mandy heard Hermione say something about the ceiling so she looked up. It appeared as if she was looking up at the stars. Hermione said that it was just an illusion but Mandy could swear that this room had just been built without a ceiling.
Mrs. McGonagall placed a stool in front of them all. On top of the stool she placed a very old and worn looking wizard's hat. It was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Mandy wondered what they would be using it for. All of a sudden a rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth -- and the hat 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 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!"
The whole hall burst into applause. The hat bowed to each of the long tables and then became still again. So Mandy had to put the hat on, and it would determine her house. She felt a little better that she wouldn't have to be performing a trick or anything. She looked over at Lisa and she smiled very weakly at Mandy. From the corner of her eye she saw Professor McGonagall step back up with a long parchment in her hand.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"
A girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of the group and walked to the stool. She sat down and put the hat on her head. It slipped down over her eyes and there was a moment of silence.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted.
The table on the right began to cheer and clap as Hannah walked over to the table and sat down at the Hufflepuff table. Mandy caught the sight of the fat friar waving at Hannah.
"Bones, Susan!" Professor McGonagall called.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat called again. Susan ran over to the table and sat next to Hannah.
"Boot, Terry!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The table second to the left clapped this time. Several of the members got up to shake Terry's hand as he joined them.
"Brocklehurst, Mandy!"
Mandy's throat went dry. She couldn't feel her legs as she walked towards the stool. Somehow she got herself onto the stool and Professor McGonagall placed the hat on top of her head. All Mandy could see was darkness as she waited for the hat to announce her house.
The train doors opened and everyone started pouring onto the dark platform. Mandy walked out, made sure Lisa was still with her, and then looked around. It was pretty chilly and all she could see was the many students around her. She turned as she saw a lamp coming towards them. "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there Harry?" said a deep voice. She got closer to the lamp and realized it was the big man from Diagon Alley. She looked to see who Harry was, and sure enough it was the boy that she saw walking with him on that day. 'So your name is Harry?' she thought to herself.
"C'mon, follow me -- any more firs' years? Mind yer step now! Firs' years follow me!" the man called again.
She looked over at Lisa and they exchanged a glance, then they began following the man. He lead them down a steep, narrow path. It was a little slippery and Mandy almost tripped twice. She couldn't see anything except what was allowed by the lamp the man was carrying. Everyone was keeping to themselves. She thought she heard someone sniffling, but she wasn't sure.
"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Howarts in a sec," the man called over his shoulder, "jus round this bend here."
Mandy's stomach got tight knowing she was about to see where she would be staying for the next year. She arched her head as they began coming around the bend. All of a sudden all the students let out an, "Ohhhhh," as Hogwarts came into view.
The narrow path had opened out to a very dark lake. The castle was atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky. It had many turrets and towers. Mandy had never seen anything like it before in her life.
"No more'n four to a boat!" the man called pointing to a bunch of little boats floating by the shore. Mandy and Lisa got into one of the boats. Following them were two boys. One with short brown hair, the other with ruffled looking blond hair. Mandy didn't really pay attention to the boys, her attention was captivated by the castle.
"Everyone in?" the man called. He was in his own boat because there didn't appear to be room for any students. He looked around and no one answered. "Right then -- FORWARD!"
All the boats began floating forward, across the dark water to the school. Still no one talked as they all gazed at their new school. Mandy couldn't believe she was this close, it felt as though the last month had been a very long and complicated dream. How could she be all the way at a school to become a witch. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them. She half expected to be looking up at the ceiling in her bedroom, but she was still staring at the school.
"Heads down!" the man yelled. Mandy crouched as they glided through a curtain of ivy. They then began traveling down a dark tunnel. Finally they arrived at what appeared to be an underground harbor. The boats rested on rocks and pebbles. She stepped out, held Lisa's hand to help her out and then stood looking at the large man.
She was startled as he spoke again, "Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" he asked a rather pudgy boy.
The boy's face lit up. "Trevor!" he cried as he scooped the toad into his arms. Mandy guessed that this must be Neville, Hermione had mentioned his name earlier.
They then began walking up a passageway. It was hard to see where they were walking so Mandy was touching the wall every now and again to make sure she didn't fall. They finally came out onto smooth, damp grass that was right next to the castle. The man led them up some stone steps and they all huddled around a large pair of oak doors. Mandy heard Lisa gulp beside her. The man turned around. "Everyone here?" he asked. They all slightly nodded in response. He peered at Neville, "You there, still got yer toad?" Neville very lightly said yes. He turned around, and knocked three times on the castle door.
The door swung open at once. A tall, black haired witch dressed in emerald-green clothes was standing in the entrance. The woman had a very stern looking face. She glanced around at the group of students.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," the man said gesturing at the woman.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here," Professor McGonagall said. 'So, his name is Hagrid,' Mandy thought. Professor McGonagall pulled the doors open. The entrance hall was very big. The stone walls were lit with torches and a grand marble staircase led to the upper floors.
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Mandy could hear tons of voices coming from a doorway to the right. She figured all the other students had been taken there while the first-years traveled by boat. Professor McGonagall led them into a small empty room that was reachable from the main hall.
"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."
She looked around at a few of the students. "I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."
She then left the small room. Mandy looked over at Lisa. "How are we sorted into our houses?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," Lisa replied. They looked around at the other students.
"I hope we're in the same house," Mandy exclaimed. Lisa smiled and they hugged. She looked around and everyone looked scared. She heard Hermione somewhere reciting spells. Would she have to say one? Her stomach began to feel queasy as she thought of messing up a spell in front of the whole school.
She was reciting her spells in her head when all of a sudden she heard a few people scream. She opened her eyes and she saw ghosts gliding across the room. They were pearly-white and slightly transparent. Were they really ghosts? So did this mean that ghosts were real? They seemed to be arguing with each other.
She overheard a ghost that looked like a fat little monk say, "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?"
A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had just noticed all of them standing there. Nobody answered his question, they were all gaping.
"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?" Mandy saw a few people nodding their heads to his question this time.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."
"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." The owner of the voice was Professor McGonagall. She had returned to the students. The ghosts floated away.
"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."
Mandy and Lisa stood beside each other behind Harry and a boy with red hair. The line walked out of the chamber, across the hall, and through a pair of doors into the Great Hall. Mandy was struck in awe by the splendid room. Candles floated in the air giving the room more light. Four very long tables stretched the length of the room with golden plates and goblets in front of each person. A long table was at front and all the teachers were sitting at it. Professor McGonagall led them to the teacher's table and had them face all the students sitting in the long tables. Mandy couldn't believe all the faces that was staring back at her. She was starting to get even more nervous.
Mandy heard Hermione say something about the ceiling so she looked up. It appeared as if she was looking up at the stars. Hermione said that it was just an illusion but Mandy could swear that this room had just been built without a ceiling.
Mrs. McGonagall placed a stool in front of them all. On top of the stool she placed a very old and worn looking wizard's hat. It was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Mandy wondered what they would be using it for. All of a sudden a rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth -- and the hat 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 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!"
The whole hall burst into applause. The hat bowed to each of the long tables and then became still again. So Mandy had to put the hat on, and it would determine her house. She felt a little better that she wouldn't have to be performing a trick or anything. She looked over at Lisa and she smiled very weakly at Mandy. From the corner of her eye she saw Professor McGonagall step back up with a long parchment in her hand.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"
A girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of the group and walked to the stool. She sat down and put the hat on her head. It slipped down over her eyes and there was a moment of silence.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted.
The table on the right began to cheer and clap as Hannah walked over to the table and sat down at the Hufflepuff table. Mandy caught the sight of the fat friar waving at Hannah.
"Bones, Susan!" Professor McGonagall called.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat called again. Susan ran over to the table and sat next to Hannah.
"Boot, Terry!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The table second to the left clapped this time. Several of the members got up to shake Terry's hand as he joined them.
"Brocklehurst, Mandy!"
Mandy's throat went dry. She couldn't feel her legs as she walked towards the stool. Somehow she got herself onto the stool and Professor McGonagall placed the hat on top of her head. All Mandy could see was darkness as she waited for the hat to announce her house.