The unusually chilly September wind blew against the Hogwarts students'
faces as they exited the train. Hermione was one of the last to step off
the train. Excited voices echoed into the darkness, and one loud voice
overpowered them all.
"Firs' years! Firs' years this way!" A ghost-like lantern lit the face of an enormous being. Hermione noticed straight away that it couldn't have been a man, for he was at least 10 feet tall. She huddled around the beast with the other first years, and trotted behind him when he led them to the boats. Hermione slipped on the rock and fell right into the boy in front of her. They stumbled together for a few seconds, shoes slipping wildly, but both managed to stay on their feet.
"You okay?" He asked with a smile. Hermione realized he was holding her hand. His fingers wrapped around her own quite tightly, and weren't in a hurry to let go. She pulled away quickly, "I'm fine," and blushed furiously in the darkness.
"Oooooooh!" everyone chorused, and Hermione jumped embarrassingly, thinking they saw what just happened, but realized that Hogwarts had just come into view.
'Wow,' Hermione thought, her mind forgetting about the boy. It looked even more magical than in the pictures. A swarm of rowboats bobbed at the shore of the enormous lake.
"No more'n four to a boat!" she heard. Neville appeared next to her, sniffing a little. They followed two people into a nearby boat. The lantern in the boat lit up their faces, and Hermione could see it was Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.
The boat was off, and they all made their way to the castle. Hermione couldn't believe how still the water was, despite the disturbance of boats propelling through it. Hermione knew they were heading for the harbor located under the castle, she read about it in Hogwarts, a History.
"You there! Is this your toad?" The tall man asked when they got to the shore. Hermione and Neville both turned to the voice with surprise. "TREVOR!" Neville cried and gathered his toad.
"See," said Hermione with a nod, "I told you he would show up." They entered Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with excited nerves. All of them followed a Professor McGonagall into a small room where she explained which houses they were to be sorted into.
Hermione's breath stopped in her lungs. She'd forgotten about the sorting ceremony. It failed to mention, in Hogwarts a History, how exactly the students were sorted into their houses. She knew that in order to be sorted into Gryffindor, she would have to display bravery and courage...
Professor McGonagall left them alone, and Hermione began to think through her spell books. She heard Ron Weasley mention that a test was involved, and he should know, he has at least 3 older brothers. A test? Hermione held her breath, realizing that she had been muttering various spells she'd learned out loud as she thought of them.
"Come along, now!" Professor McGonagall returned, "We're ready to begin the Sorting Ceremony." Hermione stepped into line right behind the boy who caught her as she fell. She tried to get into another spot before he noticed her, but he turned and smiled right at her. Hermione blushed again, this time more visibly, and they began to file into the Great Hall.
The night sky stared down at them as they made their way between two of the four long tables. "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside," Hermione told the boy in front of her, "I read about it in Hogwarts, a History." She managed to say the entire thing without her voice shaking, a difficult task considering that every other part of her body was trembling with nerves.
An old witch's hat was placed on a four-legged stool in front of everyone, and the room became very quiet. Hermione shifted her weight from one leg to the other, the only movement in what seemed like the entire hall.
The hat sang a long song, but Hermione could barely pay attention. She was still thinking about spells and Gryffindor and the smiling boy who was now standing just the right of her.
"...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 hat sang.
Hermione sighed with relief. Putting a hat on was more logical than making everyone perform spells.
She sat impatiently as various students' names were called and sorted.
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!" was called. The smiling boy next to her stepped forward. The hat was placed on his head, and about five seconds went by before he was announced a Hufflepuff. She watched him walk to the Hufflepuff table, and for a fleeting moment, wished she could be in Hufflepuff, but then came back to her senses. Hermione couldn't let some small attraction towards a boy keep her from being in Gryffindor, the best house in Hogwarts.
"Granger, Hermione!"
Hermione forgot about Justin, and jumped into action (perhaps a little more quickly than she expected). She half skipped to the stool, high with adrenaline, and had the hat placed on her head.
"GRYFFINDOR!" It shouted. Hermione smiled and took her place at the Gryffindor table. Perhaps this wasn't going to be so bad after all...
"Firs' years! Firs' years this way!" A ghost-like lantern lit the face of an enormous being. Hermione noticed straight away that it couldn't have been a man, for he was at least 10 feet tall. She huddled around the beast with the other first years, and trotted behind him when he led them to the boats. Hermione slipped on the rock and fell right into the boy in front of her. They stumbled together for a few seconds, shoes slipping wildly, but both managed to stay on their feet.
"You okay?" He asked with a smile. Hermione realized he was holding her hand. His fingers wrapped around her own quite tightly, and weren't in a hurry to let go. She pulled away quickly, "I'm fine," and blushed furiously in the darkness.
"Oooooooh!" everyone chorused, and Hermione jumped embarrassingly, thinking they saw what just happened, but realized that Hogwarts had just come into view.
'Wow,' Hermione thought, her mind forgetting about the boy. It looked even more magical than in the pictures. A swarm of rowboats bobbed at the shore of the enormous lake.
"No more'n four to a boat!" she heard. Neville appeared next to her, sniffing a little. They followed two people into a nearby boat. The lantern in the boat lit up their faces, and Hermione could see it was Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.
The boat was off, and they all made their way to the castle. Hermione couldn't believe how still the water was, despite the disturbance of boats propelling through it. Hermione knew they were heading for the harbor located under the castle, she read about it in Hogwarts, a History.
"You there! Is this your toad?" The tall man asked when they got to the shore. Hermione and Neville both turned to the voice with surprise. "TREVOR!" Neville cried and gathered his toad.
"See," said Hermione with a nod, "I told you he would show up." They entered Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with excited nerves. All of them followed a Professor McGonagall into a small room where she explained which houses they were to be sorted into.
Hermione's breath stopped in her lungs. She'd forgotten about the sorting ceremony. It failed to mention, in Hogwarts a History, how exactly the students were sorted into their houses. She knew that in order to be sorted into Gryffindor, she would have to display bravery and courage...
Professor McGonagall left them alone, and Hermione began to think through her spell books. She heard Ron Weasley mention that a test was involved, and he should know, he has at least 3 older brothers. A test? Hermione held her breath, realizing that she had been muttering various spells she'd learned out loud as she thought of them.
"Come along, now!" Professor McGonagall returned, "We're ready to begin the Sorting Ceremony." Hermione stepped into line right behind the boy who caught her as she fell. She tried to get into another spot before he noticed her, but he turned and smiled right at her. Hermione blushed again, this time more visibly, and they began to file into the Great Hall.
The night sky stared down at them as they made their way between two of the four long tables. "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside," Hermione told the boy in front of her, "I read about it in Hogwarts, a History." She managed to say the entire thing without her voice shaking, a difficult task considering that every other part of her body was trembling with nerves.
An old witch's hat was placed on a four-legged stool in front of everyone, and the room became very quiet. Hermione shifted her weight from one leg to the other, the only movement in what seemed like the entire hall.
The hat sang a long song, but Hermione could barely pay attention. She was still thinking about spells and Gryffindor and the smiling boy who was now standing just the right of her.
"...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 hat sang.
Hermione sighed with relief. Putting a hat on was more logical than making everyone perform spells.
She sat impatiently as various students' names were called and sorted.
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!" was called. The smiling boy next to her stepped forward. The hat was placed on his head, and about five seconds went by before he was announced a Hufflepuff. She watched him walk to the Hufflepuff table, and for a fleeting moment, wished she could be in Hufflepuff, but then came back to her senses. Hermione couldn't let some small attraction towards a boy keep her from being in Gryffindor, the best house in Hogwarts.
"Granger, Hermione!"
Hermione forgot about Justin, and jumped into action (perhaps a little more quickly than she expected). She half skipped to the stool, high with adrenaline, and had the hat placed on her head.
"GRYFFINDOR!" It shouted. Hermione smiled and took her place at the Gryffindor table. Perhaps this wasn't going to be so bad after all...