Chapter Three
Sorting Things Out
Teresa, Lee, Fred and George hung out in her compartment for the rest of the ride to Hogwarts. They told her about the school, the students, the professors, the houses and their experiences during their first two years. She had grown rather attached to them by the time the train had stopped and they all decided to share a horseless carriage up to the castle. Teresa was quivering with excitement, and an extreme case of nerves. "Are you sure the people will like me? They won't hate me because I am an American?" Fred laughed "Don't you worry. There is one other American girl in this school. Her name is Rachel. I think you'll be fast friends." Teresa listened intently. "Well, what school did she go to?" "Oh, Eastern. Same as you. Maybe you know her." Teresa thought for a moment, but did not remember anyone named Rachel in her house at Eastern. She shrugged and coughed on the dust that was kicked up by the rickety wheels of the carriage. The dry air didn't help at all. Lee prodded her in the side, "You play any Quidditch?" She nodded fervently. "Yup, I was a chaser for the team at my last school." "Any good?" "Well, I made the team, didn't I? Maybe I'll be on the team here too!" "Oh! The twins are on the team for Gryffindor, I do the commentary" Lee drew himself up proudly. "You know who the seeker is for our house? Harry Potter! You know who he is?" Teresa searched her memory, "The name is familiar.Oh yes! He got rid of The Dark Lord, didn't he?" The boys nodded. Soon after, the carriage came to a halt. The group clambered out of the carriage and found themselves standing before the castle in the dewy grass. Teresa was in awe. "So, this is where I'll be spending my next 5 years." she whispered to herself. She took in its turrets and towers, feeling as though they would slash holes through the dusky sky. She looked towards the doors and followed her new friends into the school. She then stopped, causing Fred to walk into her. She spun around and snatched him by the shoulders. "WAIT! Don't I need to be sorted?! Where should I go? HELP!" She wailed in anguish. He pointed to a door slightly off from the doors to what George told her was the Great Hall. "Go there. All the first years are there." She nodded, gave her friends hugs, which startled them slightly, not knowing this was normal for an American, and Headed away from the crowd, towards the door. She firmly grasped the handle and opened it. She was met by a sea of young, frightened faces and a woman with a stern expression on her face. The woman beckoned Teresa towards her.
"Good evening Miss Berenson. Normally, students in their first year are sorted, but considering your circumstances, you will be sorted as well." She explained the concept of houses, house points and behavior. It was nothing new to Teresa; she was familiar with the concept, most of it was used at Eastern as well. She also introduced herself as Professor McGonagle There she stood, surrounded by faces as scared as hers. Her heart thumped heavily in her chest, her breathing rapid. A small boy clutching a camera tapped her on the shoulder.
"Um, what do we do to get sorted?" He asked timidly. "How should I know?" she snapped. She calmed down a little "I'm sorry, I'm just nervous.really tense.I'm new.scared too." She replied in a soothing voice. He nodded understandingly, feeling the same way. Right then, professor got them into a line. Teresa's heart was going mad, she felt anxious, fearful and excited. "All right children. Lets go." Professor McGonagle led them through a set of doors that lead into the Great Hall. It was like nothing Teresa had ever seen. Four long tables and floating candles filled her vision. It's ceiling was high and mirrored that of the night sky outside, flecked with the beginnings of stars and a deep dusty blue. She gasped as a dash of light flew across it. A comet. She shut her eyes, and made a wish. The precession of new students made its way up to the front to the hall. Professor McGonagall placed a three-legged stool down on the floor. A man in a tatty old suit came and put a hat on the stool. The hat was big, dirty and had patches and several tears through it. Everyone was gazing intently at the hat. Teresa found it to be.boring, that was, until it started singing a song about Hogwarts. The simple shock of a singing hat stunned her a bit, but the was careful to listen, to hear any important information. She found that there were four houses, and they all had different sorts of people in them. Gryffindor associated with being brave and chivalrous, Ravenclaw with being wise and of wit, Hufflepuff with loyalty and toiling and Slytherin with cleverness and being sly.
Teresa felt .or was it heard.a tinny whine in her ear, a long whistle. She shook her head and a few moments later, it was gone. "When I call your name, you are to come sit on the stool and put on the hat." Professor McGonagal announced. She began to run down a list of names in alphabetical order. She wasn't listening. A Shudder went though her body. She didn't really care who "Albert, Donald" was. Her main concern was keeping her breakfast down. And then she heard it. "Berenson, Teresa!" The professor called. Teresa stepped forward, and began towards the hat. She lifted the hat up and placed it over her head, it fell into her eyes, obscuring all vision. Once again, a tiny sound filled her ears, but it was not a whine, but a voice. The hat was speaking! "Hmmm.let me see. Teresa, Teresa. A trouble maker I see.tut tut.Teresa." She could hardly believe it! She was being told off.BY A HAT! "Well.this is difficult.hmm.Well then, I suppose it ought to be... but then.if.not.but if it should.hmm. Difficult. You have ties to Gryffindor...but still...im not sure...Very peculiar... I suppose....perhaps...yes... then....SLYTHERIN!" The hat announced it's decision and Teresa removed it to gaze across the Great Hall. She stood and made her way over to the table that could only be Slytherin. Many of the boys at the table were chanting her name and slapping each other high five. She chewed on her lip nervously as she took a seat at the table. Her gaze turned to the table where Fred, George and Lee sat, clearly disappointed. She made to get up from the table and go over to them, but a hand clapped down on her shoulder, impeding her ascent. She looked up to see the face of Draco Malfoy, his face pulled into a cold sneer. "Well, well, well. Welcome to Slytherin, my dear." He drawled. Teresa gave her best attempt at a smile, which, at the moment, looked more like a grimace. "Err...thanks...Blako, was it?" She stammered. Draco narrowed his eyes and uttered something that might have been a laugh. "Draco, my fine lady. But for you we can make an exception, if you'd like." Teresa tried to smile again, but gave up, considering that several of the people around her were inching away, looking at her as though she might suddenly be sick. "That's okay, I don't want special privileges..." She trailed off, gazing wistfully towards the Gryffindor table, where she could clearly see Fred, George and Lee talking amongst themselves. They glanced in her direction and she waved enthusiastically at them. Their faces brightened and they waved back. All hope was not lost after all.
Sorting Things Out
Teresa, Lee, Fred and George hung out in her compartment for the rest of the ride to Hogwarts. They told her about the school, the students, the professors, the houses and their experiences during their first two years. She had grown rather attached to them by the time the train had stopped and they all decided to share a horseless carriage up to the castle. Teresa was quivering with excitement, and an extreme case of nerves. "Are you sure the people will like me? They won't hate me because I am an American?" Fred laughed "Don't you worry. There is one other American girl in this school. Her name is Rachel. I think you'll be fast friends." Teresa listened intently. "Well, what school did she go to?" "Oh, Eastern. Same as you. Maybe you know her." Teresa thought for a moment, but did not remember anyone named Rachel in her house at Eastern. She shrugged and coughed on the dust that was kicked up by the rickety wheels of the carriage. The dry air didn't help at all. Lee prodded her in the side, "You play any Quidditch?" She nodded fervently. "Yup, I was a chaser for the team at my last school." "Any good?" "Well, I made the team, didn't I? Maybe I'll be on the team here too!" "Oh! The twins are on the team for Gryffindor, I do the commentary" Lee drew himself up proudly. "You know who the seeker is for our house? Harry Potter! You know who he is?" Teresa searched her memory, "The name is familiar.Oh yes! He got rid of The Dark Lord, didn't he?" The boys nodded. Soon after, the carriage came to a halt. The group clambered out of the carriage and found themselves standing before the castle in the dewy grass. Teresa was in awe. "So, this is where I'll be spending my next 5 years." she whispered to herself. She took in its turrets and towers, feeling as though they would slash holes through the dusky sky. She looked towards the doors and followed her new friends into the school. She then stopped, causing Fred to walk into her. She spun around and snatched him by the shoulders. "WAIT! Don't I need to be sorted?! Where should I go? HELP!" She wailed in anguish. He pointed to a door slightly off from the doors to what George told her was the Great Hall. "Go there. All the first years are there." She nodded, gave her friends hugs, which startled them slightly, not knowing this was normal for an American, and Headed away from the crowd, towards the door. She firmly grasped the handle and opened it. She was met by a sea of young, frightened faces and a woman with a stern expression on her face. The woman beckoned Teresa towards her.
"Good evening Miss Berenson. Normally, students in their first year are sorted, but considering your circumstances, you will be sorted as well." She explained the concept of houses, house points and behavior. It was nothing new to Teresa; she was familiar with the concept, most of it was used at Eastern as well. She also introduced herself as Professor McGonagle There she stood, surrounded by faces as scared as hers. Her heart thumped heavily in her chest, her breathing rapid. A small boy clutching a camera tapped her on the shoulder.
"Um, what do we do to get sorted?" He asked timidly. "How should I know?" she snapped. She calmed down a little "I'm sorry, I'm just nervous.really tense.I'm new.scared too." She replied in a soothing voice. He nodded understandingly, feeling the same way. Right then, professor got them into a line. Teresa's heart was going mad, she felt anxious, fearful and excited. "All right children. Lets go." Professor McGonagle led them through a set of doors that lead into the Great Hall. It was like nothing Teresa had ever seen. Four long tables and floating candles filled her vision. It's ceiling was high and mirrored that of the night sky outside, flecked with the beginnings of stars and a deep dusty blue. She gasped as a dash of light flew across it. A comet. She shut her eyes, and made a wish. The precession of new students made its way up to the front to the hall. Professor McGonagall placed a three-legged stool down on the floor. A man in a tatty old suit came and put a hat on the stool. The hat was big, dirty and had patches and several tears through it. Everyone was gazing intently at the hat. Teresa found it to be.boring, that was, until it started singing a song about Hogwarts. The simple shock of a singing hat stunned her a bit, but the was careful to listen, to hear any important information. She found that there were four houses, and they all had different sorts of people in them. Gryffindor associated with being brave and chivalrous, Ravenclaw with being wise and of wit, Hufflepuff with loyalty and toiling and Slytherin with cleverness and being sly.
Teresa felt .or was it heard.a tinny whine in her ear, a long whistle. She shook her head and a few moments later, it was gone. "When I call your name, you are to come sit on the stool and put on the hat." Professor McGonagal announced. She began to run down a list of names in alphabetical order. She wasn't listening. A Shudder went though her body. She didn't really care who "Albert, Donald" was. Her main concern was keeping her breakfast down. And then she heard it. "Berenson, Teresa!" The professor called. Teresa stepped forward, and began towards the hat. She lifted the hat up and placed it over her head, it fell into her eyes, obscuring all vision. Once again, a tiny sound filled her ears, but it was not a whine, but a voice. The hat was speaking! "Hmmm.let me see. Teresa, Teresa. A trouble maker I see.tut tut.Teresa." She could hardly believe it! She was being told off.BY A HAT! "Well.this is difficult.hmm.Well then, I suppose it ought to be... but then.if.not.but if it should.hmm. Difficult. You have ties to Gryffindor...but still...im not sure...Very peculiar... I suppose....perhaps...yes... then....SLYTHERIN!" The hat announced it's decision and Teresa removed it to gaze across the Great Hall. She stood and made her way over to the table that could only be Slytherin. Many of the boys at the table were chanting her name and slapping each other high five. She chewed on her lip nervously as she took a seat at the table. Her gaze turned to the table where Fred, George and Lee sat, clearly disappointed. She made to get up from the table and go over to them, but a hand clapped down on her shoulder, impeding her ascent. She looked up to see the face of Draco Malfoy, his face pulled into a cold sneer. "Well, well, well. Welcome to Slytherin, my dear." He drawled. Teresa gave her best attempt at a smile, which, at the moment, looked more like a grimace. "Err...thanks...Blako, was it?" She stammered. Draco narrowed his eyes and uttered something that might have been a laugh. "Draco, my fine lady. But for you we can make an exception, if you'd like." Teresa tried to smile again, but gave up, considering that several of the people around her were inching away, looking at her as though she might suddenly be sick. "That's okay, I don't want special privileges..." She trailed off, gazing wistfully towards the Gryffindor table, where she could clearly see Fred, George and Lee talking amongst themselves. They glanced in her direction and she waved enthusiastically at them. Their faces brightened and they waved back. All hope was not lost after all.