AFTER HASTILY DONNING HER ROBES, Ruby ran after Lavender, who wisely, had waited for her.
"Thanks Lavender," Ruby said, "I bet I would've been lost, had you not waited." Lavender nodded. They ran to the boats where Hagrud was loading the first years onto a fleet of tiny boats. Ruby and Lavender got onto the tenth boat with Hannah and Terry. While the boat was traveling accross the lake, Terry was telling them about his pet he'd brought to Hogwarts; it was a rottweiler puppy with a long tail and club paws. Terry said he couldn't stand to cut its tail short, no matter how traditional it was. It seemed the puppy could shoot sparks with its tail. They finally reached the edge of the lake and got off the boat, not a bit queasy. Hagrid walked them up to the massive front door where a severe looking woman was waiting with 36 other children.
"Its about time Hagrid." The woman said. "I am Professor McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher." Then she turned and walked, away with all the students following her, to a door where a multitude of voices were sounding. She walked past that door to one on the other side of the hallway. It was a small room. Near the front Professor McGonagall was saying something about a Sorting ceremony, but Ruby couldn't hear all that well. She supposed that it was the ceremony Jumelle had told her about. "You may want to smarten up now. She seemed to be looking at Ron when she said that; Ruby couldn't really tell from the back. She left and the other kids started to talk excitedly.
"I wonder how we're sorted." Terry asked.
"My sister said there was an old hat, but I don't believe her." Ruby replied.
"You don't suppose we'd have to do magic?"
"We might." Suddenly, 20-odd ghosts had walked through the back wall, right beside Ruby, Lavender, Terry, and Hannah. They were arguing. A little fat monk said:
"You know Baron, we really ought to..."
"Absolutly not."
"Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance---"
"My dear Fryer haven't we give Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us a bad name and you know, he's not really a ghost---- I say, what are you all doing here?" Ruby wanted to answer him, but Terry poked her in the back.
"Ah, New students! About to be Sorted, I suppose?" There were some nods. He ghost looked at Hannah, "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff. My old house, you know."
"Move along now! The Sorting ceremony is about to start."The ghosts left. "Now, form a line, and follow me." They got into line, Ruby was in front of Draco. They walked through a pair of double doors into...
"The Great Hall..." Ruby whispered. Maybe Jumelle was right about the Sorting after all. Professor McGonagall sat a stool down which had a very tattered hat on it.
"My sister was right, look at that." Ruby whispered to Terry. They were staring at the hat. It began to sing. Ruby couldn't concentrate on the song, she was engrossed in the ceiling. Clouds were straying accross stars, on a satiny black background. The hat finished the song, and absent-mindedly Ruby started to clap. Professor McGonagall started to call names. Hannah was first, and like the ghost had said, was a Hufflepuff. A skinny girl named Susan was next and she too was in Hufflepuff. Terry came next and was declared a Ravenclaw. Some more children were Sorted, some were in Gryffindor, and others in Slytherin, still others in Hufflepuff. Finally after Hermione was sorted, it was...
"Lapiz, Rubella L." Ruby walked up to the hat, which Hermione had left sitting neatly. She jerked it up over her head and waited. A voice said;
"Hmm, you have many talents Ruby. You'd be fit for most houses, except for Gryffindor. I just can't picture you in Gryfindor, after all, you hate the color red, do you not?"
'How'd you know?!' Ruby thought.
"It's my job; the student sets me upon their head and I read their thoughts and evaluate which house they should be in."
'Oh,'
"Your mother was in Beauxbaton's equivelant of Hufflepuff... No, your temper is fiestier than that... Your sister was in Slytherin like your grandmother... No, you're too nice... Your father was in "RAVENCLAW!"... Perfect!" that was the last thing the hat had said to her, perfect. It'd yelled out Ravenclaw, and so Ruby walked over to the blue ladden table where Terry shook her hand eagerly.
"Good work Rube," he said. Ruby was in a daze, she barely noticed when Harry Potter was sorted and was thinking to herself that she really wanted some fish'n'chips. After the Headmaster had spoken and everyone had clapped, she finally got to eat. She had alphabet soup, bacon that had obviously been cooked in a "Showtime Rotiseiry"(it was very dry), and eggs.
"Hey, Terry, look at my alphabet soup: the little pastas are spelling the word Butterbee. Isn't that your dog's name?"
"Yes, it is..." Terry began, but a Prefect walked up and said,
"You have a dog at Hogwarts?"
"Er, well, yes."
"Dogs are not allowed here. I'll have to report you to Headmaster Dumbledore." The Prefect immediately made Terry get up and walked him to the staff table. Ruby followed curiously. Dumbledore had gone to the kitchens for a moment and Professor McGonagall was busy handling a food fight at the Slytherin table. The Prefect took them back to the Ravenclaw table and said, "Mr. Boot, after the other first years are put to bed, you and her," he motioned to Ruby, "will be taken by myself to the Headmaster's office." He left them to finish their meal. Terry didn't speak again. After the feast, Dumbledore had returned and was saying stuff like "...The forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils... ...Interested in playing for their house team... ,and The third floor corridor om the right hand side is off limits to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."
"And now before we go to bed, let's sing the school song!" Dumbledore flicked his wand and a gold thread ran out. "Everyone pick their favorite tune, and off we go!" Then everyone started to sing about Hogwarts and learning. Then Dumbledore dismissed them. The Prefect lead the first years off to bed, and after they'd reached the common room, he lead Ruby and Terry off in the opposite direction. When they got to Dumbledore's office, the Prefect(who they learned was named Don) said to a gargoyle,
"Chocolate Chip Cookies." That seemed to be a password because the gargoyle moved to show them a flight of stairs. They climbed them and stood outside the door because Dumbledore was talking to someone. They stopped talking and the Prefect, Terry, and Ruby walked in.
"Ah, hello Mr. Boot. We were just talking about you." Dumbledore and a greasy haired man were standing beside Dumbledore's desk. "Severus seems to think your dog ought not to be allowed at Hogwarts."
"Yes, Headmaster, some of the students may be allergic to dogs."
"What about cats," Terry said angrily," someone might be allergic to them too."
"Hold your tounge boy," Snape said." It may lead to your downfall."
"Peace Severus, Terry, I have no intention of forcing you to abandon you puppy. However, if someone is allergic to dogs, please keep keep her away from them. Have a chocolate chip? Imagine, Minerva wanted to put them into cookies!" The very annoyed Prefect lead them back to the common room, and there they parted. Ruby went up to her dorm, found the bed with her trunk, fell down on it, and went to sleep.
"Thanks Lavender," Ruby said, "I bet I would've been lost, had you not waited." Lavender nodded. They ran to the boats where Hagrud was loading the first years onto a fleet of tiny boats. Ruby and Lavender got onto the tenth boat with Hannah and Terry. While the boat was traveling accross the lake, Terry was telling them about his pet he'd brought to Hogwarts; it was a rottweiler puppy with a long tail and club paws. Terry said he couldn't stand to cut its tail short, no matter how traditional it was. It seemed the puppy could shoot sparks with its tail. They finally reached the edge of the lake and got off the boat, not a bit queasy. Hagrid walked them up to the massive front door where a severe looking woman was waiting with 36 other children.
"Its about time Hagrid." The woman said. "I am Professor McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher." Then she turned and walked, away with all the students following her, to a door where a multitude of voices were sounding. She walked past that door to one on the other side of the hallway. It was a small room. Near the front Professor McGonagall was saying something about a Sorting ceremony, but Ruby couldn't hear all that well. She supposed that it was the ceremony Jumelle had told her about. "You may want to smarten up now. She seemed to be looking at Ron when she said that; Ruby couldn't really tell from the back. She left and the other kids started to talk excitedly.
"I wonder how we're sorted." Terry asked.
"My sister said there was an old hat, but I don't believe her." Ruby replied.
"You don't suppose we'd have to do magic?"
"We might." Suddenly, 20-odd ghosts had walked through the back wall, right beside Ruby, Lavender, Terry, and Hannah. They were arguing. A little fat monk said:
"You know Baron, we really ought to..."
"Absolutly not."
"Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance---"
"My dear Fryer haven't we give Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us a bad name and you know, he's not really a ghost---- I say, what are you all doing here?" Ruby wanted to answer him, but Terry poked her in the back.
"Ah, New students! About to be Sorted, I suppose?" There were some nods. He ghost looked at Hannah, "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff. My old house, you know."
"Move along now! The Sorting ceremony is about to start."The ghosts left. "Now, form a line, and follow me." They got into line, Ruby was in front of Draco. They walked through a pair of double doors into...
"The Great Hall..." Ruby whispered. Maybe Jumelle was right about the Sorting after all. Professor McGonagall sat a stool down which had a very tattered hat on it.
"My sister was right, look at that." Ruby whispered to Terry. They were staring at the hat. It began to sing. Ruby couldn't concentrate on the song, she was engrossed in the ceiling. Clouds were straying accross stars, on a satiny black background. The hat finished the song, and absent-mindedly Ruby started to clap. Professor McGonagall started to call names. Hannah was first, and like the ghost had said, was a Hufflepuff. A skinny girl named Susan was next and she too was in Hufflepuff. Terry came next and was declared a Ravenclaw. Some more children were Sorted, some were in Gryffindor, and others in Slytherin, still others in Hufflepuff. Finally after Hermione was sorted, it was...
"Lapiz, Rubella L." Ruby walked up to the hat, which Hermione had left sitting neatly. She jerked it up over her head and waited. A voice said;
"Hmm, you have many talents Ruby. You'd be fit for most houses, except for Gryffindor. I just can't picture you in Gryfindor, after all, you hate the color red, do you not?"
'How'd you know?!' Ruby thought.
"It's my job; the student sets me upon their head and I read their thoughts and evaluate which house they should be in."
'Oh,'
"Your mother was in Beauxbaton's equivelant of Hufflepuff... No, your temper is fiestier than that... Your sister was in Slytherin like your grandmother... No, you're too nice... Your father was in "RAVENCLAW!"... Perfect!" that was the last thing the hat had said to her, perfect. It'd yelled out Ravenclaw, and so Ruby walked over to the blue ladden table where Terry shook her hand eagerly.
"Good work Rube," he said. Ruby was in a daze, she barely noticed when Harry Potter was sorted and was thinking to herself that she really wanted some fish'n'chips. After the Headmaster had spoken and everyone had clapped, she finally got to eat. She had alphabet soup, bacon that had obviously been cooked in a "Showtime Rotiseiry"(it was very dry), and eggs.
"Hey, Terry, look at my alphabet soup: the little pastas are spelling the word Butterbee. Isn't that your dog's name?"
"Yes, it is..." Terry began, but a Prefect walked up and said,
"You have a dog at Hogwarts?"
"Er, well, yes."
"Dogs are not allowed here. I'll have to report you to Headmaster Dumbledore." The Prefect immediately made Terry get up and walked him to the staff table. Ruby followed curiously. Dumbledore had gone to the kitchens for a moment and Professor McGonagall was busy handling a food fight at the Slytherin table. The Prefect took them back to the Ravenclaw table and said, "Mr. Boot, after the other first years are put to bed, you and her," he motioned to Ruby, "will be taken by myself to the Headmaster's office." He left them to finish their meal. Terry didn't speak again. After the feast, Dumbledore had returned and was saying stuff like "...The forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils... ...Interested in playing for their house team... ,and The third floor corridor om the right hand side is off limits to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."
"And now before we go to bed, let's sing the school song!" Dumbledore flicked his wand and a gold thread ran out. "Everyone pick their favorite tune, and off we go!" Then everyone started to sing about Hogwarts and learning. Then Dumbledore dismissed them. The Prefect lead the first years off to bed, and after they'd reached the common room, he lead Ruby and Terry off in the opposite direction. When they got to Dumbledore's office, the Prefect(who they learned was named Don) said to a gargoyle,
"Chocolate Chip Cookies." That seemed to be a password because the gargoyle moved to show them a flight of stairs. They climbed them and stood outside the door because Dumbledore was talking to someone. They stopped talking and the Prefect, Terry, and Ruby walked in.
"Ah, hello Mr. Boot. We were just talking about you." Dumbledore and a greasy haired man were standing beside Dumbledore's desk. "Severus seems to think your dog ought not to be allowed at Hogwarts."
"Yes, Headmaster, some of the students may be allergic to dogs."
"What about cats," Terry said angrily," someone might be allergic to them too."
"Hold your tounge boy," Snape said." It may lead to your downfall."
"Peace Severus, Terry, I have no intention of forcing you to abandon you puppy. However, if someone is allergic to dogs, please keep keep her away from them. Have a chocolate chip? Imagine, Minerva wanted to put them into cookies!" The very annoyed Prefect lead them back to the common room, and there they parted. Ruby went up to her dorm, found the bed with her trunk, fell down on it, and went to sleep.
