Chapter 2 - Susan's Story
By: Starr
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I was so excited. I wondered what house I would be sorted into. My mom was a Hufflepuff and my dad was a Gryffindor, but according to Grandma you weren't necessarily in the same house as the rest of your family. I was so nervous I barely noticed when a small boy stuck his head into the room.
"Hi, I'm Terry Boot. Can I sit with you," he asked.
"Sure," I replied. "I'm Susan, by the way. Susan Bones."
After he had sat down and we had bought snacks from the snack trolley we began to discuss houses.
"I think I'll be in Ravenclaw. That's the house my mom and dad were in," he informed me.
"My mom was a Hufflepuff and my dad was a Gryffindor. I don't really know where I'll be sorted into. I just hope it's not Slytherin," I said.
"If I were put in Slytherin I would transfer to Beauxbatons," Terry agreed.
Soon night had fallen and we went to the bathrooms to change into our school robes. Once we returned to the compartment the train had begun t slow down. We looked at each other nervously as the train pulled up to the platform in Hogsmeade.
"Good luck," I said.
"You too."
We descended from the train and a prefect told us to leave our stuff. It would be brought up for us.
"First years over here!" I heard someone yell.
I turned around and saw a huge man was the one who had yelled. He was way larger than anyone I had ever seen before. He had longish black hair and a bushy beard. However, he looked rather friendly, so I joined the other first years gathered around him.
He led us down a narrow forested path. It was very dark and I kept stumbling over rocks and pebbles. After what seemed like miles I heard the man call, "You'll get your first sight of Hogwarts in a second. Just around this bend here."
I could here the kids in the front of the group gasp. As soon as I turned the corner I knew why. It was magnificent! The castle had all kinds of towers and turrets. There were tree and plants all over the grounds. Up ahead I could even see the lake my grandparents had told me about. All the windows in the castle were alit, glowing with soft light, and adding to the magical feeling in the air. I felt like I had stepped right into a fairy tale. But fairy tales are fake, and this castle was real. This was Hogwarts!
We continued down a steep path to the lake. There a group of boats were waiting for us at the docks. I wondered if we would have to row across the lake.
"Alright, no more than four to a boat!" I heard the man, who someone told me was named Hagrid, call.
I joined Terry, a blond girl, and a brown haired boy in one of the boats. Once everyone was seated Hagrid shouted "FORWARD" and the boats took off on their own. Well, I guess that answered my question. As the boats silently glided across the lake we all stared in wonder at the castle looming ahead of us. After a few minutes we reached a cave-like passageway. We all ducked as we entered the tunnel. It was dark and damp inside. There were a few torches to guide the way and we soon reached a rocky shoreline. We disembarked and, after Hagrid returned a boy's pet toad, we followed Hagrid up another passageway.
I wondered where we were at. Judging by the rocky walls and dampness we were probably right under the school. We emerged onto the wet grass right in front of the castle. We all crowded onto the stone front steps. Hagrid knocked on the huge oak front doors and they swung open to reveal an older woman. She was wearing emerald robes and her black hair was in a tight bun. She looked very strict, but also rather kind. Hagrid introduced her as Professor McGonagall.
Professor McGonagall led us into an area in the main entranceway of the school. I could hear the rest of the students chattering and shouting in the Great Hall. My heart was beating so fast I was sure it would just jump out of my chest at any given moment.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. In just a few minutes you will join the other students in the Great Hall, but first you must be sorted into your houses. They are: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you are at Hogwarts your house will be like your family. You will share dormitories with your housemates and have classes with them. Your triumphs will earn your house points, and any rule breaking will cost your house points. At the end of the year the house with the most points will win the House Cup. Now, please straighten yourself up and I will return for you momentarily," said Professor McGonagall.
I nervously redid my long red ponytail. I straightened my robes and nervously made sure my tie wasn't lopsided. Just then Professor McGonagall returned. She motioned us to follow her as she pulled open the huge doors to the Great Hall. I walked inside and my mouth dropped open. The roof seemed to open up right into the sky! The whole hall was lit by thousands of brightly burning candles. Ghosts swooped and glided around the room. And there, right in the middle of the head table, was Albus Dumbledore himself!
We filed into a row along the front of the head table. A stool was placed in front of us and the Sorting Hat was placed on top of it. It sang its song and the sorting began.
"Abbott, Hannah!" Professor McGonagall called.
The blond girl from my boat went up and tried on the hat.
'HUFFLEPUFF," it shouted.
Hannah looked relieved and ran off to joint he Hufflepuff table.
"Bones, Susan," Professor McGonagall called.
I nervously went and sat down on the stool. I put the Sorting Hat on my head and it fell down clear past my ears.
"You have great ambitions," it said. "You're very brave, but Gryffindor isn't best for you. You're very loyal and hard working. Better be HUFFLEPUFF!"
Relieved, I took off the hat and joined Hannah at the Hufflepuff table. Thank goodness I wasn't a Slytherin! I cheered as Terry was made a Ravenclaw. The rest of the Sorting went by quickly and it was soon over.
Dumbledore stood up and said a few words., Then, with a wave of his hand food appeared on the golden plates in front of us. I had never seen so much food before in my life. Steak, roast, potatoes, pasties, anything you could think of. Needless to say, by the time the feast was over I was stuffed. We sang the school song and Dumbledore sent us off to bed.
"Over here!" a prefect at the end of our table yelled, motioning all of the new Hufflepuff's over.
She led us out of the hall and down a huge marble staircase. From there on it seemed like a huge labyrinth to me. We went up several staircases, past tapestries and paintings, through narrow corridors and down long sweeping hallways. After what seemed like years we stopped in front of a painting of a young girl. I tried to figure out where we were at. I was guessing the third floor but I wasn't sure.
"Unicorn tears," I heard the prefect say. The portrait swung open to reveal a hole - the entrance to our common room. I climbed in and my mouth dropped open - it was beautiful!
A fire was roaring in the fireplace. Some of the older students were already sitting in the squashy armchair surrounding the fire. There were several kids finishing summer work around a coffee table. The whole room seemed so welcoming and warm.
The girls and boys were then shown up to their dormitories. I walked in and saw that our trunks had already been brought in. There was a pale yellow canopy bed and nightstand for each of us. I took middle bed and sat down on it. My housemates were already putting on their pajamas. I slowly got up and put on my pajama pants and T-shirt. I knew it was useless, though. I would never be able to sleep before my first day of classes. Until late at night I lay in bed just thinking. What would classes be like? Would I like my teachers? Would I make a lot of friends? I would find out tomorrow.
*******************
I hope you liked it! Thanks to Mystical Witch for reviewing and for the suggestions! Please review! No flames, please!
Next chapter will be up soon!
~Starr~
By: Starr
******************
I was so excited. I wondered what house I would be sorted into. My mom was a Hufflepuff and my dad was a Gryffindor, but according to Grandma you weren't necessarily in the same house as the rest of your family. I was so nervous I barely noticed when a small boy stuck his head into the room.
"Hi, I'm Terry Boot. Can I sit with you," he asked.
"Sure," I replied. "I'm Susan, by the way. Susan Bones."
After he had sat down and we had bought snacks from the snack trolley we began to discuss houses.
"I think I'll be in Ravenclaw. That's the house my mom and dad were in," he informed me.
"My mom was a Hufflepuff and my dad was a Gryffindor. I don't really know where I'll be sorted into. I just hope it's not Slytherin," I said.
"If I were put in Slytherin I would transfer to Beauxbatons," Terry agreed.
Soon night had fallen and we went to the bathrooms to change into our school robes. Once we returned to the compartment the train had begun t slow down. We looked at each other nervously as the train pulled up to the platform in Hogsmeade.
"Good luck," I said.
"You too."
We descended from the train and a prefect told us to leave our stuff. It would be brought up for us.
"First years over here!" I heard someone yell.
I turned around and saw a huge man was the one who had yelled. He was way larger than anyone I had ever seen before. He had longish black hair and a bushy beard. However, he looked rather friendly, so I joined the other first years gathered around him.
He led us down a narrow forested path. It was very dark and I kept stumbling over rocks and pebbles. After what seemed like miles I heard the man call, "You'll get your first sight of Hogwarts in a second. Just around this bend here."
I could here the kids in the front of the group gasp. As soon as I turned the corner I knew why. It was magnificent! The castle had all kinds of towers and turrets. There were tree and plants all over the grounds. Up ahead I could even see the lake my grandparents had told me about. All the windows in the castle were alit, glowing with soft light, and adding to the magical feeling in the air. I felt like I had stepped right into a fairy tale. But fairy tales are fake, and this castle was real. This was Hogwarts!
We continued down a steep path to the lake. There a group of boats were waiting for us at the docks. I wondered if we would have to row across the lake.
"Alright, no more than four to a boat!" I heard the man, who someone told me was named Hagrid, call.
I joined Terry, a blond girl, and a brown haired boy in one of the boats. Once everyone was seated Hagrid shouted "FORWARD" and the boats took off on their own. Well, I guess that answered my question. As the boats silently glided across the lake we all stared in wonder at the castle looming ahead of us. After a few minutes we reached a cave-like passageway. We all ducked as we entered the tunnel. It was dark and damp inside. There were a few torches to guide the way and we soon reached a rocky shoreline. We disembarked and, after Hagrid returned a boy's pet toad, we followed Hagrid up another passageway.
I wondered where we were at. Judging by the rocky walls and dampness we were probably right under the school. We emerged onto the wet grass right in front of the castle. We all crowded onto the stone front steps. Hagrid knocked on the huge oak front doors and they swung open to reveal an older woman. She was wearing emerald robes and her black hair was in a tight bun. She looked very strict, but also rather kind. Hagrid introduced her as Professor McGonagall.
Professor McGonagall led us into an area in the main entranceway of the school. I could hear the rest of the students chattering and shouting in the Great Hall. My heart was beating so fast I was sure it would just jump out of my chest at any given moment.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. In just a few minutes you will join the other students in the Great Hall, but first you must be sorted into your houses. They are: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you are at Hogwarts your house will be like your family. You will share dormitories with your housemates and have classes with them. Your triumphs will earn your house points, and any rule breaking will cost your house points. At the end of the year the house with the most points will win the House Cup. Now, please straighten yourself up and I will return for you momentarily," said Professor McGonagall.
I nervously redid my long red ponytail. I straightened my robes and nervously made sure my tie wasn't lopsided. Just then Professor McGonagall returned. She motioned us to follow her as she pulled open the huge doors to the Great Hall. I walked inside and my mouth dropped open. The roof seemed to open up right into the sky! The whole hall was lit by thousands of brightly burning candles. Ghosts swooped and glided around the room. And there, right in the middle of the head table, was Albus Dumbledore himself!
We filed into a row along the front of the head table. A stool was placed in front of us and the Sorting Hat was placed on top of it. It sang its song and the sorting began.
"Abbott, Hannah!" Professor McGonagall called.
The blond girl from my boat went up and tried on the hat.
'HUFFLEPUFF," it shouted.
Hannah looked relieved and ran off to joint he Hufflepuff table.
"Bones, Susan," Professor McGonagall called.
I nervously went and sat down on the stool. I put the Sorting Hat on my head and it fell down clear past my ears.
"You have great ambitions," it said. "You're very brave, but Gryffindor isn't best for you. You're very loyal and hard working. Better be HUFFLEPUFF!"
Relieved, I took off the hat and joined Hannah at the Hufflepuff table. Thank goodness I wasn't a Slytherin! I cheered as Terry was made a Ravenclaw. The rest of the Sorting went by quickly and it was soon over.
Dumbledore stood up and said a few words., Then, with a wave of his hand food appeared on the golden plates in front of us. I had never seen so much food before in my life. Steak, roast, potatoes, pasties, anything you could think of. Needless to say, by the time the feast was over I was stuffed. We sang the school song and Dumbledore sent us off to bed.
"Over here!" a prefect at the end of our table yelled, motioning all of the new Hufflepuff's over.
She led us out of the hall and down a huge marble staircase. From there on it seemed like a huge labyrinth to me. We went up several staircases, past tapestries and paintings, through narrow corridors and down long sweeping hallways. After what seemed like years we stopped in front of a painting of a young girl. I tried to figure out where we were at. I was guessing the third floor but I wasn't sure.
"Unicorn tears," I heard the prefect say. The portrait swung open to reveal a hole - the entrance to our common room. I climbed in and my mouth dropped open - it was beautiful!
A fire was roaring in the fireplace. Some of the older students were already sitting in the squashy armchair surrounding the fire. There were several kids finishing summer work around a coffee table. The whole room seemed so welcoming and warm.
The girls and boys were then shown up to their dormitories. I walked in and saw that our trunks had already been brought in. There was a pale yellow canopy bed and nightstand for each of us. I took middle bed and sat down on it. My housemates were already putting on their pajamas. I slowly got up and put on my pajama pants and T-shirt. I knew it was useless, though. I would never be able to sleep before my first day of classes. Until late at night I lay in bed just thinking. What would classes be like? Would I like my teachers? Would I make a lot of friends? I would find out tomorrow.
*******************
I hope you liked it! Thanks to Mystical Witch for reviewing and for the suggestions! Please review! No flames, please!
Next chapter will be up soon!
~Starr~
