The Last of the Four- Chapter 2
Two Muggle borns and a Sorting Hat
By Lillian Evans
As soon as Remus stepped onto the platform, the first thing he saw was a shaggy black head poking above the heads of the students, and the first thing he heard was a deep gruff voice calling over the other noise.
"Firs' years, this way!"
Remus glanced over at Peter and they headed slowly towards the man, stopping at the edge of a large lake, where twenty or so boats stood in the black water.
"Now, you all are goin' across the lake. It's only first years, so enjoy the experience and be sure to introduce yourself to the Giant Squid. Don' look so scared, he's never hurt no one. Now climb in, four to a boat."
Remus climbed into the nearest boat, where he was shortly joined by Peter, and two girls, a red head and a blonde. The red haired girl introduced herself as Lily Evans, the blonde as Ashley Kemp. Both girls turned out to be muggleborn.
"Don't worry," Remus told them, "we don't hate muggleborns, that would be the Slytherins."
"But we haven't been sorted yet, so how- " Lily began, but Peter cut her off.
"If they put us in Slytherin, we've both decided we'd probably leave. We couldn't stand to be around any of them for long periods of time."
Lily and Ashley laughed. "So, what house do you want to be in?" Ashley asked, looking at Remus rather than Peter.
"Well, Gryffindor would be nice, but knowing my grades, Hufflepuff is much more of a realistic goal." Peter piped up immediately.
"I'm not sure," said Remus, "of course Gryffindor would be terrific, but I wouldn't complain if I were put in Ravenclaw." He smiled at Ashley, who blushed.
"I don't know very much about any of the houses." She admitted, "but from what I've heard, Gryffindor sounds the best."
"I'd take anything, I'm just happy I'm here and not at home with my sister. She's dreadful. She nearly strangled me when I got my letter." Lily said with a shudder.
Ashley put her arm around Lily, who was beginning to look forlorn. "It's alright, Petunia is was back in London. You don't have to see her for a year. Her sister isn't a fan of anything abnormal." Ashley added to Remus and Peter.
"Ooh!" Lily suddenly exclaimed, looking around her. They had just passed through a curtain of vines, and an elaborate door was in front of them. The giant man got out of his boat and knocked loudly three tiems on the great wooden door. Shortly, a prim looking witch wearing emerald robes opened the doors, her thin lips forming a smile when she saw the students.
"Thank you, Hagrid," she told the man, before turning to the awaiting students in the boats. "Welcome to Hogwarts! I do hope you have all had a pleasant journey." A few students nodded their heads, and she continued. "My name if Professor McGonagall, and very shortly, I will be taking you upstairs into the Great Hall, where you will be sorted into one of the four houses. Many of you have traits that would probably fit several houses, but we'll find the perfect house! Now, if you'll follow me please, we'll begin."
She lead the way up a long staircase and down a corridor as students climbed out of the boats. Remus stuck with Peter, Ashley and Lily, and the girls gasped as the doors opened to reveal a beautiful hall brightly lit by floating candles and stars on the ceiling. Professor McGonagall left for a moment and came back in with a five legged stool and a ragged looking old wizard's hat. All of a sudden, the hat burst into song.
"Gryffindors are Godlier
There is no doubt in that
Our heads are high up in the clouds
And we strut around like cats
Those ever sinning-Slytherins
Are gonna wind up down,
They always bully, they always brag,
And they always smirk and frown.
When talking with the Ravenclaws,
We find their conversations dull
Their brains are far too large we fear
For their tiny little skulls
And of course the Hufflepuffs
Are easy to forget
They won't amount to anything
But are fun to keep as pets
And so in brief conclusion
As I'm sure you see
If it were your choice to make
A Gryffindor you'd be!
Once the song was finished, and the gap that had opened up around the brim closed, a table at the far left of the hall burst out in applause. Remus guessed that this was the Gryffindor table. He marveled at the fact that the hat was allowed to be so biased, but he figured that it must have a certain alliance to Gryffindor or something. Before he could ask Peter about where the hat came from, Professor McGonagall had pulled out a long scroll that reached the ground and began calling out names. The first person Remus recognized was one of the black haired boys who had been so rude. "Black, Sirius" Professor McGonagall called, and the boy with the neatly combed hair almost swaggered to the stool. Remus exchanged a glance with Peter, and when Ashley began to ask, he whispered that he'd explain it later. Black to Remus and Peter's disgust was sorted into Gryffindor ("he doesn't deserve it!" Peter muttered under his breath"). Soon after, Lily was called, and she sat nervously down onto the stool. It only took the few seconds to decide her fate before it called out "Gryffindor!" Remus clapped loudly, happy that Lily had been sorted where she wanted. After Ashley was also placed into Gryffindor, Remus found himself very badly wanting to join them. After all, he told himself, two of my new friends are there!
But he hardly had time to get this thought out before, "Lupin, Remus" was called. His heart gave a small jolt as he walked up to the stool and sat down.
As the hat was placed over his eyes, he heard a small voice in his ear. Ah, our very first werewolf. Welcome to Hogwarts, I knew Dumbledore would pass that law! But where should I put you? I'm sure you should be in Slytherin, because of your specialty, no, don't worry boy, it isn't a bad thing. Remus was shocked; apparently, the hat could read his thoughts! Yes, boy, I can see everything you are thinking, right down to your lust after that Kemp girl I just placed. The hat chuckled to itself. I'm sure you're dying to join her, and indeed, your sense of adventure and daring is quite obvious. I see you also love the good joke, like Mr. Black. Remus thought his disgust at being compared to Sirius. Obviously, the hat noticed. I see, well, even so, I think you would definitely do best in GRYFFINDOR!
Remus could swear his heart had skipped a beat. He grinned widely as the hat was lifted from his head, and he walked over to the Gryffindor, where he sat down next to Ashley. Half and hour later, the ceremony had finished, and Peter was seated next to him. Unfortunately, James Potter, the other black haired boy was also seated at their table, and was currently conversing with Sirius. They both kept looking over to the farthest table, which was apparently the Slytherin table. Remus followed their gaze to a greasy haired boy who had just been sorted there. He wasn't sure, but he didn't think that "Snape, Severus" looked like the type of person he should cross. He made a mental note of this, and then tucked it away, because Dumbledore had finished warning the students to stay away from a recent addition to the Hogwarts grounds, the Whomping Willow, which Remus knew had been put there for his use during the full moon.
The tree had been put in the entrance of a secret tunnel that led to a small shack in the village of Hogsmeade. Both the tunnel and the shack had been built for Remus to use so that he would not harm anyone when he transformed. But Dumbledore had finished giving other warnings, and a delicious looking feast appeared on the platters and dished in front of them. Remus dug in, forgetting everything else on his mind.
As soon as Remus stepped onto the platform, the first thing he saw was a shaggy black head poking above the heads of the students, and the first thing he heard was a deep gruff voice calling over the other noise.
"Firs' years, this way!"
Remus glanced over at Peter and they headed slowly towards the man, stopping at the edge of a large lake, where twenty or so boats stood in the black water.
"Now, you all are goin' across the lake. It's only first years, so enjoy the experience and be sure to introduce yourself to the Giant Squid. Don' look so scared, he's never hurt no one. Now climb in, four to a boat."
Remus climbed into the nearest boat, where he was shortly joined by Peter, and two girls, a red head and a blonde. The red haired girl introduced herself as Lily Evans, the blonde as Ashley Kemp. Both girls turned out to be muggleborn.
"Don't worry," Remus told them, "we don't hate muggleborns, that would be the Slytherins."
"But we haven't been sorted yet, so how- " Lily began, but Peter cut her off.
"If they put us in Slytherin, we've both decided we'd probably leave. We couldn't stand to be around any of them for long periods of time."
Lily and Ashley laughed. "So, what house do you want to be in?" Ashley asked, looking at Remus rather than Peter.
"Well, Gryffindor would be nice, but knowing my grades, Hufflepuff is much more of a realistic goal." Peter piped up immediately.
"I'm not sure," said Remus, "of course Gryffindor would be terrific, but I wouldn't complain if I were put in Ravenclaw." He smiled at Ashley, who blushed.
"I don't know very much about any of the houses." She admitted, "but from what I've heard, Gryffindor sounds the best."
"I'd take anything, I'm just happy I'm here and not at home with my sister. She's dreadful. She nearly strangled me when I got my letter." Lily said with a shudder.
Ashley put her arm around Lily, who was beginning to look forlorn. "It's alright, Petunia is was back in London. You don't have to see her for a year. Her sister isn't a fan of anything abnormal." Ashley added to Remus and Peter.
"Ooh!" Lily suddenly exclaimed, looking around her. They had just passed through a curtain of vines, and an elaborate door was in front of them. The giant man got out of his boat and knocked loudly three tiems on the great wooden door. Shortly, a prim looking witch wearing emerald robes opened the doors, her thin lips forming a smile when she saw the students.
"Thank you, Hagrid," she told the man, before turning to the awaiting students in the boats. "Welcome to Hogwarts! I do hope you have all had a pleasant journey." A few students nodded their heads, and she continued. "My name if Professor McGonagall, and very shortly, I will be taking you upstairs into the Great Hall, where you will be sorted into one of the four houses. Many of you have traits that would probably fit several houses, but we'll find the perfect house! Now, if you'll follow me please, we'll begin."
She lead the way up a long staircase and down a corridor as students climbed out of the boats. Remus stuck with Peter, Ashley and Lily, and the girls gasped as the doors opened to reveal a beautiful hall brightly lit by floating candles and stars on the ceiling. Professor McGonagall left for a moment and came back in with a five legged stool and a ragged looking old wizard's hat. All of a sudden, the hat burst into song.
"Gryffindors are Godlier
There is no doubt in that
Our heads are high up in the clouds
And we strut around like cats
Those ever sinning-Slytherins
Are gonna wind up down,
They always bully, they always brag,
And they always smirk and frown.
When talking with the Ravenclaws,
We find their conversations dull
Their brains are far too large we fear
For their tiny little skulls
And of course the Hufflepuffs
Are easy to forget
They won't amount to anything
But are fun to keep as pets
And so in brief conclusion
As I'm sure you see
If it were your choice to make
A Gryffindor you'd be!
Once the song was finished, and the gap that had opened up around the brim closed, a table at the far left of the hall burst out in applause. Remus guessed that this was the Gryffindor table. He marveled at the fact that the hat was allowed to be so biased, but he figured that it must have a certain alliance to Gryffindor or something. Before he could ask Peter about where the hat came from, Professor McGonagall had pulled out a long scroll that reached the ground and began calling out names. The first person Remus recognized was one of the black haired boys who had been so rude. "Black, Sirius" Professor McGonagall called, and the boy with the neatly combed hair almost swaggered to the stool. Remus exchanged a glance with Peter, and when Ashley began to ask, he whispered that he'd explain it later. Black to Remus and Peter's disgust was sorted into Gryffindor ("he doesn't deserve it!" Peter muttered under his breath"). Soon after, Lily was called, and she sat nervously down onto the stool. It only took the few seconds to decide her fate before it called out "Gryffindor!" Remus clapped loudly, happy that Lily had been sorted where she wanted. After Ashley was also placed into Gryffindor, Remus found himself very badly wanting to join them. After all, he told himself, two of my new friends are there!
But he hardly had time to get this thought out before, "Lupin, Remus" was called. His heart gave a small jolt as he walked up to the stool and sat down.
As the hat was placed over his eyes, he heard a small voice in his ear. Ah, our very first werewolf. Welcome to Hogwarts, I knew Dumbledore would pass that law! But where should I put you? I'm sure you should be in Slytherin, because of your specialty, no, don't worry boy, it isn't a bad thing. Remus was shocked; apparently, the hat could read his thoughts! Yes, boy, I can see everything you are thinking, right down to your lust after that Kemp girl I just placed. The hat chuckled to itself. I'm sure you're dying to join her, and indeed, your sense of adventure and daring is quite obvious. I see you also love the good joke, like Mr. Black. Remus thought his disgust at being compared to Sirius. Obviously, the hat noticed. I see, well, even so, I think you would definitely do best in GRYFFINDOR!
Remus could swear his heart had skipped a beat. He grinned widely as the hat was lifted from his head, and he walked over to the Gryffindor, where he sat down next to Ashley. Half and hour later, the ceremony had finished, and Peter was seated next to him. Unfortunately, James Potter, the other black haired boy was also seated at their table, and was currently conversing with Sirius. They both kept looking over to the farthest table, which was apparently the Slytherin table. Remus followed their gaze to a greasy haired boy who had just been sorted there. He wasn't sure, but he didn't think that "Snape, Severus" looked like the type of person he should cross. He made a mental note of this, and then tucked it away, because Dumbledore had finished warning the students to stay away from a recent addition to the Hogwarts grounds, the Whomping Willow, which Remus knew had been put there for his use during the full moon.
The tree had been put in the entrance of a secret tunnel that led to a small shack in the village of Hogsmeade. Both the tunnel and the shack had been built for Remus to use so that he would not harm anyone when he transformed. But Dumbledore had finished giving other warnings, and a delicious looking feast appeared on the platters and dished in front of them. Remus dug in, forgetting everything else on his mind.