Chapter 4

The Sorting Hat

Emily and Fi followed the group of first years up a staircase. When they reached the top they saw a woman with a tall witch's hat on.

The woman saw the girls and said, "You two will be sorted first so, come up front please."

The girls walked up to the front of the group and the two giant doors opened. The woman led the group into the Great Hall. They walked up a long aisle till they reached a stool with an old hat on top of it.

The woman took out a roll of parchment and said, "Before we sort out first years, we have two transfer students that need to be sorted, Emily Smith will you please come forward."

Emily walked to the stool and the woman placed the hat on her head. She could feel the hat moving on top of her head.

Then it started to speak, "Where should I put you, you are very smart and brave," he continued saying all the great things about her.

She started to whisper to herself, "Please put me in Gryffindor."

The hat stopped and said, "Alright then, GRYIFFINDOR!" Emily was relieved and walked to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Harry.

"Fiona Hermsdale, please come forward," Professor McGonagall exclaimed and Fi went up and the woman placed the hat on her head.

"Well I can tell you are a friend of Miss Smith, you two work well together, I know where to put you, GRYIFFINDOR!" Fi was relieved as well and went to the table and sat next to Ron.

The Professor McGonagall continued with her list. When the last student was sorted, a man with a long white beard stood up.

"Welcome back all of you, now I can see you are all hungry so, let the feast begin." After he said that, food appeared on the table.

While they were eating Emily asked who the woman was that sorted them. Harry told her that that was Professor McGonagall and the old man was Professor Dumbledore. After the feast they all went up to their houses. Harry led Em, Fi, Ron, and Hermione to the Gryffindor house. When they got there Emily noticed a painting of a fat lady in a pink gown. Emily was very confused, so was Fi.

"Um Harry, how do we get in?" Emily questioned.

Harry laughed and told them that the room was behind it so they need to use a password to get in.

So he turned to the lady and she said, "Password please."

Harry looked at her and said, "Dragon scales."

Right after he said that the portrait swung forward. The group walked inside and they were in the common room.

"This is the Gryffindor common room, you can do homework here or just hangout," Harry told Emily and Fi.

The girls looked around and saw two squishy chairs and a big squishy couch. All the furnishings were a maroon color and there was a blazing fire in the fireplace.

After taking a look around the common room Hermione took the girls up to their dormitory. When the girls got up there they saw that all their stuff was already up there. They unpacked their things and got ready for bed. All of a sudden Emily's owl flew in the girls' window. It had a roll of parchment on its leg.

"What have you got there?" she asked the bird as she unrolled the parchment.

It was a letter from Zack,

Emily,

I'm down by the lake. Come and see me, I want to talk to you NOW! Come alone if you know what's good for you.

Zack

She had a look of terror on her face.

"What is it Emily what's wrong?" Fi asked as she grabbed the letter.

"That little, Emily you can't go out there, especially by yourself, you're too weak right now."

She was right, Emily was almost at her weakest and Zack knew this as well.

"Okay, I'm confused," Hermione said looking strangely at Fi.

"Oh, sorry. There is an ancient prophecy that says during the four days before her 16th birthday she will become very weak and on the day of her birthday she will be at her weakest and something will come to fight her. If she can defeat whatever monster comes her way, she will become more powerful than ever," Fi explained.

Now Hermione understood why she couldn't go. Emily changed back into her clothes and went downstairs to the common room.

Fi followed her and so did Hermione. Harry and Ron were still in the common room and they saw Emily coming down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Ron asked when she reached the portrait door.

"Zack is by the lake and I have to see him." She started out the door and Fi grabbed her arm.

"You're not going alone, I don't care what his letter said, and I'm coming with you."

Harry stood up and walked to her, "I'm coming too; I don't want anything to happen to the only person who has so much in common with me."

Fi and Harry took her arms and they walked out the door.

Ron and Hermione stood in the common room and watched them go. "You think we should follow them?" Ron asked Hermione.

"I suppose we should just incase there's real trouble," Hermione answered.

The two ran out the door and followed Emily. They made it outside without getting caught, and when they reached the lake Zack was sitting on a bench. He looked up at Emily and rose to his feet.

"I thought I told you to come alone," he said looking at Fi and the others.

"We came to protect her from you," Fi said coldly.

"So, what do you want, I'm not going anywhere with you so you can just for get it," Emily said staring deep into his hazel eyes.

"Well then, if you don't want to be with me, I don't want you to be with anyone," he said that with a cruel smile on his face.

He reached in his pocket and before they could get away, he stabbed Emily in the stomach. Then he disappeared and Emily fell to the ground. All her friends were in shock.

Harry quickly picked her up and ran back to the castle.

"Where are you taking her?" Fi was in a terrible panic.

"I'm taking her to the hospital wing, she's losing a lot of blood, we have to hurry or she'll die!" Harry shouted.

When they reached the hospital wing Madam Pomfrey was still awake. She saw Harry then she saw Emily and a trail of blood.

"Oh my good gracious, what happened?" she asked as she ran to Harry.

"Some how her old boyfriend got here and stabbed her," Harry replied. Madam Pomfrey hurried to a bed and had him lie her down.

Emily was still breathing but it was very shallow. Then she said something, she looked at Fi and said, "Fi… I'm sorry…I shouldn't …I was stupid."

"You stop that. None of knew he would do something like this. You're going to be fine, do you hear me?!" Fi was starting to cry.

Emily's body went limp. The bleeding wasn't stopping. Harry was in shock, Ron was trying to console Fiona. Madame Pomfrey ran off to get Dumbledore and a few other professors. Emily was going downhill, and going fast.