CHAPTER 3- THE SORTING HAT'S DECISIONS
After they had departed from the bank where they left their boats, they came across the castle. It was a truly magnificent castle- turrets pointed high, the white marble proudly erect upon the great grassy hill which it stood. Doors and windows covered every side of it, and there seemed to be some sort of magical barrier emanating around the whole castle. "D'you feel that, Laura?" Joe muttered. Laura, although amazed that he knew her name already, nodded and shuddered.
The new first-years were led into a large and fairly brightly-lit hallway, whereupon Laura looked up at the ceiling and gasped in wonderment. The whole ceiling was awash with stars, or that's what it looked like. Someone whispered behind her- "I hear they bewitched the ceiling to look like the sky," a girl hissed. "Where'd you learn that?" she heard Joe's voice inquire. "Heard it from one of the fifth-years. Think his name was Potter- Harry Potter," she whispered. Laura heard Joe's mark of exclamation and smiled to herself. "! That's my brother," he said. Laura gasped, unknowingly. "What?" he asked. But before they could continue, a figure swooped down upon them like a hawk.
It was Minerva McGonagall. She wore emerald-green robes, and her hair was tightly bunched at the back. Joe thought she didn't look like a person who was gonna take any shit from any students. He shivered again. She wore spectacles, and she had a stern but fair face. She led them through the starlit hallway to the Great Hall. "Welcome," she said, "back, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." The first-years, looking around them still with expressions of awe on their faces, were led to a small, patched and very frayed hat on a stool. It was curling a little at the edges.
"This is the Sorting Hat," McGonagall explained. "You will be sorted into your houses, according to your thoughts and your nature. Now, I will read the students' names in alphabetical order. "Aaron, Stuart!" she called, and a small but tough looking boy stepped forward and jammed the hat onto his head. "HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted, and Aaron stood up and walked over to the Hufflepuff table reluctantly. Joe was sure he caught a look of severe embarrassment as he looked toward the table. "Acciecio, Luigi!" she boomed. A perfectly formed Italian boy stepped forward to have himself sorted. "RAVENCLAW!" the hat boomed. Luigi went over to the Ravenclaw table quite proudly.
The list ran all the way down. Joe watched, amused from the Gryffindor table as another boy walked forward and sat on the stool. The hat hovered above his head in McGonagall's hands before the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" Joe clapped with all the rest. Joe took a glimpse toward the staff's table. Here he saw Albus Dumbledore, with a look of mild amusement on his face, he saw Professor Flitwick, or rather he didn't see Professor Flitwick. He had to look under the table to see that Flitwick had forgotten his cushions. Then his eyes cast themselves across toward Snape. He was the Potions teacher, and as Joe looked at him, he stared back with a look of complete loathing. Joe remembered his brother Harry. Then there was Professor Trelawney. She wore the same mystic shawl that she always did and she was wearing an expression of total "I'm-better-than-you" ness. "Snape, Laura!" This jerked Joe from his hazy world, and he cast his eyes alertly toward the stool. As Laura took a seat, although he had hardly known her for a day, he couldn't help but think she was very pretty. At that moment a scream erupted from the Gryffindor table, followed by howls of laughter. Joe looked at the seat next to his brother and found (although he already knew) that it was Ron Weasley, Gryffindor's mischief- maker.
In between howls of laughter Ron shouted, "Snape has a daughter? That's Hilarious!" He screamed again and threw back his head, laughing hysterically. "Who'd be mad enough to sleep with snape?!" Laura jumped off the stool and ran (very speedily, Joe noticed) toward Ron. "Ow!" he yelled, as she punched him in the stomach. She delivered another blow to his head and then to his stomach again. She then kicked him in the shin. "MY MOM WOULD, AND SHE'S DEAD!" Laura roared. Snape rose from the staff table, and went to see his daughter. "What do you think you are doing, Miss Snape?" he smirked. "Dad! I was just." "I do not care what you were doing, little missy. You will come with me to my office." Snape said coldly. He led Laura off down the corridor, and instantly she knew this had to be a portent of doom.
After they had departed from the bank where they left their boats, they came across the castle. It was a truly magnificent castle- turrets pointed high, the white marble proudly erect upon the great grassy hill which it stood. Doors and windows covered every side of it, and there seemed to be some sort of magical barrier emanating around the whole castle. "D'you feel that, Laura?" Joe muttered. Laura, although amazed that he knew her name already, nodded and shuddered.
The new first-years were led into a large and fairly brightly-lit hallway, whereupon Laura looked up at the ceiling and gasped in wonderment. The whole ceiling was awash with stars, or that's what it looked like. Someone whispered behind her- "I hear they bewitched the ceiling to look like the sky," a girl hissed. "Where'd you learn that?" she heard Joe's voice inquire. "Heard it from one of the fifth-years. Think his name was Potter- Harry Potter," she whispered. Laura heard Joe's mark of exclamation and smiled to herself. "! That's my brother," he said. Laura gasped, unknowingly. "What?" he asked. But before they could continue, a figure swooped down upon them like a hawk.
It was Minerva McGonagall. She wore emerald-green robes, and her hair was tightly bunched at the back. Joe thought she didn't look like a person who was gonna take any shit from any students. He shivered again. She wore spectacles, and she had a stern but fair face. She led them through the starlit hallway to the Great Hall. "Welcome," she said, "back, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." The first-years, looking around them still with expressions of awe on their faces, were led to a small, patched and very frayed hat on a stool. It was curling a little at the edges.
"This is the Sorting Hat," McGonagall explained. "You will be sorted into your houses, according to your thoughts and your nature. Now, I will read the students' names in alphabetical order. "Aaron, Stuart!" she called, and a small but tough looking boy stepped forward and jammed the hat onto his head. "HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted, and Aaron stood up and walked over to the Hufflepuff table reluctantly. Joe was sure he caught a look of severe embarrassment as he looked toward the table. "Acciecio, Luigi!" she boomed. A perfectly formed Italian boy stepped forward to have himself sorted. "RAVENCLAW!" the hat boomed. Luigi went over to the Ravenclaw table quite proudly.
The list ran all the way down. Joe watched, amused from the Gryffindor table as another boy walked forward and sat on the stool. The hat hovered above his head in McGonagall's hands before the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" Joe clapped with all the rest. Joe took a glimpse toward the staff's table. Here he saw Albus Dumbledore, with a look of mild amusement on his face, he saw Professor Flitwick, or rather he didn't see Professor Flitwick. He had to look under the table to see that Flitwick had forgotten his cushions. Then his eyes cast themselves across toward Snape. He was the Potions teacher, and as Joe looked at him, he stared back with a look of complete loathing. Joe remembered his brother Harry. Then there was Professor Trelawney. She wore the same mystic shawl that she always did and she was wearing an expression of total "I'm-better-than-you" ness. "Snape, Laura!" This jerked Joe from his hazy world, and he cast his eyes alertly toward the stool. As Laura took a seat, although he had hardly known her for a day, he couldn't help but think she was very pretty. At that moment a scream erupted from the Gryffindor table, followed by howls of laughter. Joe looked at the seat next to his brother and found (although he already knew) that it was Ron Weasley, Gryffindor's mischief- maker.
In between howls of laughter Ron shouted, "Snape has a daughter? That's Hilarious!" He screamed again and threw back his head, laughing hysterically. "Who'd be mad enough to sleep with snape?!" Laura jumped off the stool and ran (very speedily, Joe noticed) toward Ron. "Ow!" he yelled, as she punched him in the stomach. She delivered another blow to his head and then to his stomach again. She then kicked him in the shin. "MY MOM WOULD, AND SHE'S DEAD!" Laura roared. Snape rose from the staff table, and went to see his daughter. "What do you think you are doing, Miss Snape?" he smirked. "Dad! I was just." "I do not care what you were doing, little missy. You will come with me to my office." Snape said coldly. He led Laura off down the corridor, and instantly she knew this had to be a portent of doom.