The Great Hall was less spectacular without the hundreds of
levitating candleds and long house tables ladden with food. Or, at least,
so she assumed. Looking up at the wispy-cloud ceiling, though, it was
still pretty interesting. Of course, she knew the ceiling was just a
bewitchment, but that wasn't the only thing that perked her interest. The
ancient, solid stone structure of the castle was impressive. She had never
been in a building that had such a heaving feeling of time before. It was
almost as if giant gears loomed above her, slowly creeking and turning. It
was a little creepy. Absently, she wondered how many generations of
witches and wizards had studied magick here. For that matter, though, she
didn't know how many students studied magick here now. Probably not many
foreign ones. At least, that was the impression she had been given. It
didn't really matter, though, did it? This was her school now.
"Hogwarts," she said quietly to herself, "School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
She stood there alone for a moment, when a voice came from behind her, "Miss Tretski?"
The girl turned around to see an official looking woman with her hair pulled back in a tight bun. The woman smiled, "I'm Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of the school and Head of Gryffindor House. Welcome to Hogwarts, Miss Tretski."
"Hi," the girl smiled back with a bit of trepidation. "My name's Sareleine, Sareleine Tretski." Of course, the woman probably already knew that.
"It's not often that we get transfer students, "McGonagall explained, "espcially so far in their education. I understand that you're in your fifth year?"
"Mm," Sareleine nodded.
"Normally, we sort our new students into a school house the first day of school before the feast. There are four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw. Due to your position, however, the Headmaster thought it wise to sort you today, in private. And I do have to say that I agree. If you will follow me?"
Professor McGonagall turned and started walking down the corridor, Sareleine following her.
"I do hope you like it here in England," the professor said in an obvious attempt at small talk.
"I only just arrived yesterday. But I can't say that I have any complaints," Sareleine answered, then added as an afterthought, "Though I do wish my accent didn't give me away."
McGonagall smiled knowingly. "I wouldn't worry, our students have had a little exposure to foreign students in the past. And I daresay that you are a little less foreign."
The girl just smiled a little, not quite sure what to say to that. So they just walked in silence for a little ways, until they came to a large, stone gargoyle.
"Here we are," McGonagall said curtly. "Pepermint Gumdrop."
The large gargoyle blinked its heavy eyelids. Its stone lips curled slowly into a toothy smile and it lept to the side, exposing a twisted stone stairway. It wasn't just any stairway, though, as the stairs moved on their own accord, much like Muggle escalators. McGonagall gestured up the stairs and the two of the ascended upwards. The spiraling stairway ended at a large, oaken door. On it was an intricate brass knocker, also in the shape of a gargoyle. Professor McGonagall rapped once on the knocker and the large door swung lightly open.
Sareleine stepped into a beautiful, circular office. There were so many different things for her to take in that she had a hard time not doing it all at once. The thing that caught her eye the most, though, was a beautiful red-gold bird-roughly the size of a swan-perched by a sunfilled window. It blinked its bright eyes at her. She knew what it was: a Phoenix.
But before she had time to dwell on the magnificent bird, McGonagall beckoned her over to a stool with a shabby, beat-up old hat on it. Sareleine's eyes studied it for a moment. It was covered in patches and, to be honest, she had never seen a hat quite so...dingy.
"This," started McGonagall, "is the Sorting Hat. You put it on your head and it will sort you into the house in which you belong." There was a pause as Sareleine stared increduously at the hat. "Go on, then, sit down."
Sareleine slid into the stool, reluctantly pulling the Sorting Hat onto her head.
"Oh!" a voice exclaimed in her mind: the hat. "You're a little old for me, aren't you? ...Wait, oh yes, now I see..."
She waited patiently for the hat to make a conclusion, trying to ignore the invasive feeling of having something look into her head..
"Well, you're certainly clever enough for Ravenclaw... but there's something in you stronger than your intellegence...courage and strength...yes, a strength that you've needed, haven't you?...yes, well, I suppose I ought to put you in... GRYFFINDOR!"
Professor McGonagall smiled as she took the hat from Sareleine's head. She had said she was the Head of Gryffindor House, hadn't she? Well, that would explain the look of satisfaction on her face.
"I'll show you to the Gryffindor Common Room. Tomorrow you'll sit with the Gryffindor table at the ceremon and feast. Your scheduel-"
"The ceremony," Sareleine interupted, "that's when my brother will be sorted?"
McGonagall looked thoroughly taken aback by being interupted by a student. "As I understand it," she answered. "He will be starting his first year, will he not?"
"Just turned eleven last week," the girl grinned.
"Well, then yes, you'll see him tomorrow. Tonight you'll be staying in the Gryffindor dormitory, alone, I'm afraid. The rest of the students will be arriving tomorrow. Your scheduel will be given to you tomorrow, as well. If you have any trouble finding any of your classes, your house prefects should be able to help you. I do hope you enjoy it here at Hogwarts, Miss Tretski."
"Hogwarts," she said quietly to herself, "School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
She stood there alone for a moment, when a voice came from behind her, "Miss Tretski?"
The girl turned around to see an official looking woman with her hair pulled back in a tight bun. The woman smiled, "I'm Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of the school and Head of Gryffindor House. Welcome to Hogwarts, Miss Tretski."
"Hi," the girl smiled back with a bit of trepidation. "My name's Sareleine, Sareleine Tretski." Of course, the woman probably already knew that.
"It's not often that we get transfer students, "McGonagall explained, "espcially so far in their education. I understand that you're in your fifth year?"
"Mm," Sareleine nodded.
"Normally, we sort our new students into a school house the first day of school before the feast. There are four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw. Due to your position, however, the Headmaster thought it wise to sort you today, in private. And I do have to say that I agree. If you will follow me?"
Professor McGonagall turned and started walking down the corridor, Sareleine following her.
"I do hope you like it here in England," the professor said in an obvious attempt at small talk.
"I only just arrived yesterday. But I can't say that I have any complaints," Sareleine answered, then added as an afterthought, "Though I do wish my accent didn't give me away."
McGonagall smiled knowingly. "I wouldn't worry, our students have had a little exposure to foreign students in the past. And I daresay that you are a little less foreign."
The girl just smiled a little, not quite sure what to say to that. So they just walked in silence for a little ways, until they came to a large, stone gargoyle.
"Here we are," McGonagall said curtly. "Pepermint Gumdrop."
The large gargoyle blinked its heavy eyelids. Its stone lips curled slowly into a toothy smile and it lept to the side, exposing a twisted stone stairway. It wasn't just any stairway, though, as the stairs moved on their own accord, much like Muggle escalators. McGonagall gestured up the stairs and the two of the ascended upwards. The spiraling stairway ended at a large, oaken door. On it was an intricate brass knocker, also in the shape of a gargoyle. Professor McGonagall rapped once on the knocker and the large door swung lightly open.
Sareleine stepped into a beautiful, circular office. There were so many different things for her to take in that she had a hard time not doing it all at once. The thing that caught her eye the most, though, was a beautiful red-gold bird-roughly the size of a swan-perched by a sunfilled window. It blinked its bright eyes at her. She knew what it was: a Phoenix.
But before she had time to dwell on the magnificent bird, McGonagall beckoned her over to a stool with a shabby, beat-up old hat on it. Sareleine's eyes studied it for a moment. It was covered in patches and, to be honest, she had never seen a hat quite so...dingy.
"This," started McGonagall, "is the Sorting Hat. You put it on your head and it will sort you into the house in which you belong." There was a pause as Sareleine stared increduously at the hat. "Go on, then, sit down."
Sareleine slid into the stool, reluctantly pulling the Sorting Hat onto her head.
"Oh!" a voice exclaimed in her mind: the hat. "You're a little old for me, aren't you? ...Wait, oh yes, now I see..."
She waited patiently for the hat to make a conclusion, trying to ignore the invasive feeling of having something look into her head..
"Well, you're certainly clever enough for Ravenclaw... but there's something in you stronger than your intellegence...courage and strength...yes, a strength that you've needed, haven't you?...yes, well, I suppose I ought to put you in... GRYFFINDOR!"
Professor McGonagall smiled as she took the hat from Sareleine's head. She had said she was the Head of Gryffindor House, hadn't she? Well, that would explain the look of satisfaction on her face.
"I'll show you to the Gryffindor Common Room. Tomorrow you'll sit with the Gryffindor table at the ceremon and feast. Your scheduel-"
"The ceremony," Sareleine interupted, "that's when my brother will be sorted?"
McGonagall looked thoroughly taken aback by being interupted by a student. "As I understand it," she answered. "He will be starting his first year, will he not?"
"Just turned eleven last week," the girl grinned.
"Well, then yes, you'll see him tomorrow. Tonight you'll be staying in the Gryffindor dormitory, alone, I'm afraid. The rest of the students will be arriving tomorrow. Your scheduel will be given to you tomorrow, as well. If you have any trouble finding any of your classes, your house prefects should be able to help you. I do hope you enjoy it here at Hogwarts, Miss Tretski."
