centerChapter 4 - Sorting/center
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor Weasley, ushering the remaining first- years inside.
"'Lo, Mum," Michael said.
"Hi, honey. All right! In a few minutes, I will take you to the Great Hall, where you are to be Sorted. All you must do is try on the Sorting Hat, and it will place you in one of the four Houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Each has its admirable traits, so it really doesn't matter where you are placed." Liz thought she saw Michael's mother grimace slightly.
A fifth-year prefect peeked her head into the waiting room. "We're ready for them."
"All right. Thank you. Follow me, children."
All the nervous kids followed her reluctantly. Liz felt her stomach drop to her knees. How could a hat tell which House she should be in?
The Great Hall was gargantuan, and the ceiling was an echo of the night sky. Four tables, one for each House, were filled with students from first year to seventh year, and each student was looking at them. Liz felt Rachel shiver beside her. In the middle of the front, right underneath the platform where the High Table stood, was a stool, and on the stool stood a pointy hat. Liz's doubts about the Sorting increased tenfold.
Then the brim ripped open and the hat began to sing.
"Hello. I am the Sorting Hat. So good to meet you here. I'd ask you all to listen up and lend this hat an ear. There are four Houses and I'll try to list them one by one. Whichever one you're placed in, I'll assure you it's much fun. The Gryffindors are strong and brave and chivalrous and true. The Hufflepuffs, they are great friends. They'll help you if you're blue. The Ravenclaws are full of wit. Their assets are their brains. The Slytherins are cunning. They'll take tears and sweat and pain. So now you know about each House. Attention has been paid. So try me on, I'll pick your place, so just don't be afraid!"
The Great Hall exploded in applause. Professor Weasley clapped her hands and a piece of parchment appeared there. She began to read off of it.
"Alicea, Patrick!"
A short boy with sandy blonde hair raced up.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted to the waiting crowd. Patrick raced to the Hufflepuff table.
The next three became the first new Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin, respectively: Andrew Altamirano, Desiree Armstrong, and Andrew Bawfield. After Russell Benedetto became a Hufflepuff and Patsy Casarez became a Slytherin, Professor Weasley called, "Chen, Winnie!" Winnie smiled smugly as she placed the hat on her head. It screamed out, "SLYTHERIN!" almost immediately.
"Told you," she hissed at Liz as she made her way to the Slytherin table.
There was one more C, two D's, two E's, an F, and a G. Then a boy named David Hannigan was Sorted into Hufflepuff, and Liz thought vaguely that he was kind of cute. She also noticed that she was hungry.
The list dwindled past the L's. Alberta Monroe and Thomas Needham were Sorted into Gryffindor. Ida Oakley became a Ravenclaw. John Peterson was another Gryffindor.
"Potter, Elizabeth!"
A sort of buzz went through the Great Hall. All eyes turned to Liz as she nervously made her way up to the Sorting Hat. It barely touched her head before it said, "GRYFFINDOR!" to the crowd. A wave of relief washed over Liz as she hurried to the Gryffindor table.
"Santoyo, Louise!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Seiler, Anne!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Sorenson, Robert!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Sowder, Florence!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Steward, Martin!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Taw, Cathy!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
Liz tried to keep track of how many children went into each House, but she was too giddy with relief on being Sorted into Gryffindor. Her father had been in Gryffindor, so McGonagall said. Her other favorite choice had been Ravenclaw, since that had been her mother's House and she wasn't afraid to admit she was smart.
After "Valentine, Arlene!" and "Vinson, Glenda!" had been Sorted, "Weasley, Michael!" was called. Liz crossed her fingers and shut her eyes, hoping to hear-
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Liz cheered with the rest of them as Michael took a seat by her.
"Whitesell, Kristine!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Whitmer, Jimmy!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Yates, Rachel!"
Now both Liz and Michael crossed their fingers and hoped for the best. Rachel hesitantly placed the Sorting Hat on her head and crossed her fingers, too.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Rachel whooped and sat next to Michael.
Professor Weasley clapped her hands and the parchment disappeared. Then she went to collect the stool and hat, which bowed to the students before it was carried out of the Hall.
McGonagall clapped her hands. The plates before them filled with food. "Awesome!" Michael cried out, immediately grabbing three chicken drumsticks at once.
The rest of the first-year Gryffindors introduced themselves. Desiree Armstrong was a pretty brunette girl who was always perky. Keith Dircks was a sullen-faced boy who tried to perk up a big when he learned who Liz was. Bettie Hess smiled patronizingly and bobbed her black curly hair every time she said something. Alberta Monroe had long, stringy brown hair and a long face to match. Thomas Needham had messy brown hair and glasses, and he snorted when he laughed. John Peterson was sitting on the other side of Liz and he smiled every time she spoke to him. Robert Sorenson was totally obsessed with Quidditch and kept going over players and statistics, and lamenting about the fact that first-years couldn't be on the House team. John told Liz in secret that Robert was really awful at Quidditch.
"First-years follow me!" a prefect called when the meal was over. "First- year Gryffindors, this way please!"
The ten of them followed her through the maze of the castle to a portrait of a lady who wasn't exactly on the small side. The canvas was ripped and torn, as if the painting had been there for a very long time.
"Password?" the lady asked.
"Kneazle knees," the prefect answered. The painting swung forward to reveal a cozy-looking common room with a fire crackling in the fireplace.
"Girls to the left, boys to the right. Oh, and welcome to Hogwarts," the prefect said. Liz and Rachel waved goodbye to Michael and headed left with Alberta, Bettie, and Desiree to the dorms.
"If you have owls, they are up in the Owlery!" the prefect called after them.
Desiree opened the door, and they all saw their new home. Five beds lined the walls, and a trunk was on the end of each bed. Each bed had a canopy. Liz grinned and flopped down on her new canopy bed. She was where she belonged. She was home.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor Weasley, ushering the remaining first- years inside.
"'Lo, Mum," Michael said.
"Hi, honey. All right! In a few minutes, I will take you to the Great Hall, where you are to be Sorted. All you must do is try on the Sorting Hat, and it will place you in one of the four Houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Each has its admirable traits, so it really doesn't matter where you are placed." Liz thought she saw Michael's mother grimace slightly.
A fifth-year prefect peeked her head into the waiting room. "We're ready for them."
"All right. Thank you. Follow me, children."
All the nervous kids followed her reluctantly. Liz felt her stomach drop to her knees. How could a hat tell which House she should be in?
The Great Hall was gargantuan, and the ceiling was an echo of the night sky. Four tables, one for each House, were filled with students from first year to seventh year, and each student was looking at them. Liz felt Rachel shiver beside her. In the middle of the front, right underneath the platform where the High Table stood, was a stool, and on the stool stood a pointy hat. Liz's doubts about the Sorting increased tenfold.
Then the brim ripped open and the hat began to sing.
"Hello. I am the Sorting Hat. So good to meet you here. I'd ask you all to listen up and lend this hat an ear. There are four Houses and I'll try to list them one by one. Whichever one you're placed in, I'll assure you it's much fun. The Gryffindors are strong and brave and chivalrous and true. The Hufflepuffs, they are great friends. They'll help you if you're blue. The Ravenclaws are full of wit. Their assets are their brains. The Slytherins are cunning. They'll take tears and sweat and pain. So now you know about each House. Attention has been paid. So try me on, I'll pick your place, so just don't be afraid!"
The Great Hall exploded in applause. Professor Weasley clapped her hands and a piece of parchment appeared there. She began to read off of it.
"Alicea, Patrick!"
A short boy with sandy blonde hair raced up.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted to the waiting crowd. Patrick raced to the Hufflepuff table.
The next three became the first new Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin, respectively: Andrew Altamirano, Desiree Armstrong, and Andrew Bawfield. After Russell Benedetto became a Hufflepuff and Patsy Casarez became a Slytherin, Professor Weasley called, "Chen, Winnie!" Winnie smiled smugly as she placed the hat on her head. It screamed out, "SLYTHERIN!" almost immediately.
"Told you," she hissed at Liz as she made her way to the Slytherin table.
There was one more C, two D's, two E's, an F, and a G. Then a boy named David Hannigan was Sorted into Hufflepuff, and Liz thought vaguely that he was kind of cute. She also noticed that she was hungry.
The list dwindled past the L's. Alberta Monroe and Thomas Needham were Sorted into Gryffindor. Ida Oakley became a Ravenclaw. John Peterson was another Gryffindor.
"Potter, Elizabeth!"
A sort of buzz went through the Great Hall. All eyes turned to Liz as she nervously made her way up to the Sorting Hat. It barely touched her head before it said, "GRYFFINDOR!" to the crowd. A wave of relief washed over Liz as she hurried to the Gryffindor table.
"Santoyo, Louise!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Seiler, Anne!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Sorenson, Robert!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Sowder, Florence!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Steward, Martin!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Taw, Cathy!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
Liz tried to keep track of how many children went into each House, but she was too giddy with relief on being Sorted into Gryffindor. Her father had been in Gryffindor, so McGonagall said. Her other favorite choice had been Ravenclaw, since that had been her mother's House and she wasn't afraid to admit she was smart.
After "Valentine, Arlene!" and "Vinson, Glenda!" had been Sorted, "Weasley, Michael!" was called. Liz crossed her fingers and shut her eyes, hoping to hear-
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Liz cheered with the rest of them as Michael took a seat by her.
"Whitesell, Kristine!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Whitmer, Jimmy!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Yates, Rachel!"
Now both Liz and Michael crossed their fingers and hoped for the best. Rachel hesitantly placed the Sorting Hat on her head and crossed her fingers, too.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Rachel whooped and sat next to Michael.
Professor Weasley clapped her hands and the parchment disappeared. Then she went to collect the stool and hat, which bowed to the students before it was carried out of the Hall.
McGonagall clapped her hands. The plates before them filled with food. "Awesome!" Michael cried out, immediately grabbing three chicken drumsticks at once.
The rest of the first-year Gryffindors introduced themselves. Desiree Armstrong was a pretty brunette girl who was always perky. Keith Dircks was a sullen-faced boy who tried to perk up a big when he learned who Liz was. Bettie Hess smiled patronizingly and bobbed her black curly hair every time she said something. Alberta Monroe had long, stringy brown hair and a long face to match. Thomas Needham had messy brown hair and glasses, and he snorted when he laughed. John Peterson was sitting on the other side of Liz and he smiled every time she spoke to him. Robert Sorenson was totally obsessed with Quidditch and kept going over players and statistics, and lamenting about the fact that first-years couldn't be on the House team. John told Liz in secret that Robert was really awful at Quidditch.
"First-years follow me!" a prefect called when the meal was over. "First- year Gryffindors, this way please!"
The ten of them followed her through the maze of the castle to a portrait of a lady who wasn't exactly on the small side. The canvas was ripped and torn, as if the painting had been there for a very long time.
"Password?" the lady asked.
"Kneazle knees," the prefect answered. The painting swung forward to reveal a cozy-looking common room with a fire crackling in the fireplace.
"Girls to the left, boys to the right. Oh, and welcome to Hogwarts," the prefect said. Liz and Rachel waved goodbye to Michael and headed left with Alberta, Bettie, and Desiree to the dorms.
"If you have owls, they are up in the Owlery!" the prefect called after them.
Desiree opened the door, and they all saw their new home. Five beds lined the walls, and a trunk was on the end of each bed. Each bed had a canopy. Liz grinned and flopped down on her new canopy bed. She was where she belonged. She was home.