Disclaimer- I do not own any of the H.P characters
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Chapter 9 - The
Sorting Hat
A
voice echoed through the train: "Please leave your luggage on the train, it
will be taken to the school separately."
The
boys crammed their pockets with the remaining sweets, joined Lily and the crowd
swarming the corridor. When they came out, the sun had gone and there was a
tall but old man standing with a loud voice: "First years over here! First
years! -"
"We'll
see you inside Lily! Good luck with the sorting… you'll need it!" shouted Remus
with a tone in his voice that got Lily worried. 'You'll need it?' Thought Lily.
"Yeah!
Good luck, be careful not think about Snape too much, or you'll end up in
Slytherin just as he did!" said James smirking.
Sirius
snorted. "Good luck Lily! I hope you make it in Gryffindor!"
Peter
opened his mouth but closed it again. "I guess everything was said," he
shrugged and his small beady eyes winked at Lily, "Good luck Lily on the test!"
They
waved to Lily and walked in a different direction to her.
"C'mon,
follow me, -any more first years? Mind the step. First years follow me! I'm
Ogg, the gamekeeper. You'll get your first sight of Hogwarts in a sec, just
around this bend!"
Lily's
mind was filled with questions as they followed Ogg. "What were they going
on about? Good luck on the test? Don't think about Snape or I'll end up
in Slytherin? What did they mean?" However, before Lily could go on the
other students Oooooooing and Ahhhhhing distracted her. The path had opened
suddenly on the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the
other side, its window sparkling in the starry night was a vast castle with
many turrets and towers.
"No
more than four to a boat," Ogg called, pointing at the fleet of boats in water
sitting by the shore.
"Jenny!"
Lily shrieked in surprise. She wasn't quite sure what to expect from Jenny, but
she was glad that she knew someone.
"Sorry
Lily, didn't mean to scare you," said Jenny, stepping in the boat with one girl
and one boy.
"Oh!
It's okay I just had a tiring day that's all, been eating a lot with James and
them."
"Alright,
by the way this is Sebastian, my boyfriend and this is Cassidy," said Jenny,
gesturing to a handsome boy and a tan, brown haired girl. "She's American",
whispered Jenny.
"Everyone
in?" shouted Ogg, who was in a boat with 3 other boys, "Right then – ON WE GO!"
The
fleet of little boats all moved off all at once, gilding across the lake, which
was as smooth as glass. Everyone fell silent, they were all busy either staring
at the starry sky or staring up at the great castle over head. It towered over
them as they sailed nearer. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed
to be taking them under neath the castle, until they reached a kind of under
ground harbour, they stepped out on to the rocks and pebbles. They walked past
a smooth, damp grass and then walked up a flight of stone steps that lead to a
huge, oak front door. Ogg raised his old weak fists and knocked three times on
the door.
The
door swung opened at once. A tall, black-haired witch in jade-green robes stood
in front of them. She had a serious face that made the conversations hush
quickly.
"First
years, Professor McGonagall," said Ogg.
"Thank
you Ogg. I shall take them from here"
She
pulled out the door wide. The entrance was so big, stone walls were lit with
flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make
out what was there and a magnificent marble staircase facing the oak door that
leads to the upper floors.
They
followed Professor McGonagall, as they passed a flagged stone floor, Lily could
hear the buzzing of a hundred voices from a doorway to the right. Professor
McGonagall showed the first years into an empty chamber off the hall. The first
years crowed in, Lily stood closely to Jenny, Sebastian and Cassidy, as they
listened to Professor McGonagall.
"Welcome
to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The star-of-banquet will begin
shortly, but before you take your seats, you will be sorted into your houses.
The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, they will
be sort of like a family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest
of your house, sleep in you house dormitory and spend free time in you house
common room.
"The
four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin (Lily's
stomach lurched with nerves as she recalled what James and everyone told her).
Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches
and wizards. You triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking
will lose house points."
'No
wonder why Gryffindor always lost,' thought Lily as she remembered the boys'
favourite past-times.
"At
the end of the year," continued Professor McGonagall, "the house with most
points is awarded the house cup, which is a great honour. I hope each of you
will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours". Professor McGonagall went
on about rules. "It will take a few minutes for you to enter and I suggest you
clean yourselves up!" she looked at Sebastian whose robes were dangling. "I
shall return when we are ready for you, please wait quietly".
She
left the chamber.
Soon,
other students were talking about how they were going to be sorted. Once again,
thoughts came back to her: "Good luck on your test"…Lily thought for a
while. "Maybe they'll give test, but what kind of test? I mean I know just a
little bit. I just hope they don't test me on Transfiguration…"
Lily
stopped her thoughts, when Professor McGonagall returned. "Now form a line,"
Professor McGonagall told the first years "and follow me".
Lily
stood behind Jenny, with her stomach still lurching. She felt like she was
going to be sick. They walked into a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.
Lily
gasping and awing, thousands and thousands of candles lighted the Great Hall,
which were all floating in mid-air over four long tables where the other
students. On last table on her right, there she saw Sirius, James, Remus and
Peter all waving to her, sticking out their thumbs and smiling. It gave Lily a
little bit of encouragement. The tables lay with glittering golden plates and
goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers sat.
"Ghosts!"
muttered Jenny. "I really don't like them…"
Lily
smiled, but didn't say anything. There were ghosts everywhere, some of them
were sited or standing near the tables. They were all wearing olden day
clothing around about 15th century. The first years walked along an
aisle where the other students shook their hands and wishing them good luck,
they came to a halt in a line facing the teachers. Lily could see a hundred of
eyes staring and her, she tried to avoid them especially Sirius and James who
were now waving madly, as she stared at the ceiling. Hogwarts had a velvety
black ceiling with dotted stars. Lily knew it's bewitched because she had read Hogwarts,
a History. By the time she looked down Professor McGonagall placed a
four-legged stool in front of the students. On top of the stool, she put a
pointed wizard's hat. This had been patched, ragged, and extremely dirty. Lily
thought maybe you had to put on the hat and it'll give you questions and then
calculate all the answers and place you in one of the houses. Lily's little
theory gave her something to think about, as she thought that it made sense.
The
hall was now quiet and everyone stared at the hat. Then the hat twitched. A rip
near the brim opened wide like a mouth – and the hat began to sing:
Long ago,
before your time
Even when
Hogwarts began,
There
lived four wizards
Who had a
great plan.
They built
an enchanted castle
High up on
a mountain hill
Away from
prying eyes
There it
stood safe and still.
Although
they needed to sort
It was
Gryffindor who made the call
Now you
see before your eyes, the Hogwarts Sorting Hat,
The smartest
hat of all
Maybe you
belong in Gryffindor
Whose
courage dwell at heart
Always
willing to help
Right from
the start
Or maybe
you belong in Ravenclaw
Cleverest
of them all
Full of
wit and learning
They stand
proud and tall
Or yet in
Hufflepuff
Loyal to
their friends
Hard-workers
is what they are
And honest
till the end
Or perhaps
Slytherin
Who speaks
their mind
Always
striving for the best
With the
cunning and skill, they combine.
So, I
stand before you
Ready to
announce
Just put
me on you head
And I will
place you into a house.
The
hall burst into applause as the hat finished the song along with Lily to her
amazement and relief. 'So, I just have to try on the hat?' thought Lily.
Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.
"When
I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted,"
she said. "Aalto, Hugo"
A
muscular boy with black hair came out of the line, put on the hat, which sited
on his head and sat down. A pause-
"RAVENCLAW!"
shouted the hat.
The
second table on the right cheered and clapped as Hugo sat down.
"Abbado,
Claudio!"
"Slytherin!"
shouted the hat again, and Claudio walked over to the Slytherin table where
Snape and his friends were smirking and clapping loudly.
"Bane,
Francis!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The
table second from the left applauded this time. Some of them standing up and
shaking hands with Francis.
"Benedictsson,
Ruth!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
declared the hat.
As
Ruth sat onto the Gryffindor table, Lily wondered what group she would be in,
but she hoped that it would be Griffindor, for she wanted to know more about
James and his friends. As Lily drew closer to the front of the hall, she became
more nervous than ever before. She could not stand still, she could feel her
knees trembling as the next student was called out.
"Lily
Evans!"
As
soon as she stepped forward, she heard Sirius, James, Remus and Peter cheering
loudly. Feeling half anxious and half excited, Lily sat on the chair and wore the
hat. Sitting there she waited while, unconsciously, swaying her foot in anticipation,
up and down.
"Hmm,"
said a small voice, which sounded like an old man, in her ear. "Worried are
you? There's no need to worry."
'How
did he know?' she thought to herself.
"I
can tell what you are thinking and what is inside your brain. I know what your desires
and fears are and the talents that is hidden inside of you that you can learn
to develop…" there was a long pause. Then the calming voice spoke again, "There
are various types of talents inside of you – hmm – hard to determine which
house will develop these skills for you. Valour and intellectuality are your
greatest assets, but where shall I put you? I see you want to be in Gryffindor…"
Lily
was astounded. She had no idea what to feel, she was so dumbfounded and
surprised that she could not think straight. This hat knew everything she was
thinking or wanted, but what astonished her the most was how the hat stated
that she had talent…Lily never really thought whether she had talents or not,
she never even realised she had some, until now.
"Ravenclaw would do you well! It
would very much enhance your intellectual skills, but I see your heart lies
somewhere else…"
Soon, Lilly heard nothing from
the hat. She thought that she might have upset him since she didn't really
wanted to go where he thought she would be good in, but she strongly wanted to
belong in Gryffindor, where she knew people and would feel comfortable with… "Sorry,"
she muttered, but no reply. She waited apprehensively for the hat to speak…
"GRYFFINDOR!" it bellowed.
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Next Chapter: Overjoyed, that Lily now belongs to a group, she acquaints
herself with new and interesting people. Lily was settling in, when she started
to hear strange sounds in the night…