Chapter 4: 'GRYFFINDOR!'
Professor McGonagall led the first years through the main doors and into the Great Hall. As they walked in-between the long tables James looked up at the ceiling at saw to his astonishment that it had no roof. He could see the clear sky dotted with stars.
When they reached the front of the hall, Professor McGonagall placed a very worn, tattered and pointed black hat on a stool. James looked around bewildered, but every one was looking expectantly at the hat. Suddenly a tear opened just above the brim and the hat actually started to sing.
"You may wonder
Where you belong
To fit in right
With this throng
So put me on
And I will tell
In which house
You will dwell
If you're courageous
Brave and true
Then Gryffindor's
The one to suit you
But if you're patient
And hard-working too
Then Hufflepuff's
Where you belong
If you're the cleverest
Above the rest
Then turn to Ravenclaw
Fit with the best
And then Slytherin
Where the cunning lie
The most ambitious
Are wont to lie
So try me on
I'll have a look
You're in safe hands
You'll end up right"
When the hat had finished to tumultuous applause, McGonagall walked forwards and unravelled a large scroll.
"When I call your name, you will place the hat on your head and be sorted into your houses."
James and Sirius looked at each other, both confused.
"Andrews, Thomas."
A very scared, small boy with almost white blonde hair walked nervously up the steps and put the hat on. It was silent, then yelled,
"RAVENCLAW!"
The table to James's right erupted with cheers as Tom smiled with relief and he went to join them.
"Black, Sirius."
Sirius walked up and the hat had barely touched his head when it yelled,
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Sirius grinned and walked over to join his housemates.
James didn't pay much attention to the next few to be sorted. He was too busy miming falling asleep to Sirius who was silently laughing. But his head jerked to the front when he heard,
"Evan, Lily." And he saw Lily, easily spotted by her mass of red hair, move to the front. His mouth dropped. Questions kept running through his head, 'What is she doing hear?, Why didn't she tell me?"
Lily put the hat on but as she turned to the front she saw James. She sat down with a jerk and stared at him. Even as the hat yelled,
"GRYFFINDOR!" she just sat gaping at him. It wasn't until Professor McGonagall touched her arm that she realised she was still sitting there. She took the hat off with a smile and went to sit down.
James started getting impatient as more and more children were sorted. When finally he heard a name he was interested in.
"Lupin, Remus." He watched as Remus made his way to the hat. He looked extremely nervous but he had nothing to worry about because as soon as he put the hat on it yelled,
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Malfoy came straight after Remus and was made a Slytherin and after another one, he heard,
"Potter, James." James walked slowly to the front. He sat down and put the hat on. Without warning he heard a little voice in his ear.
"Well, well. Mr. Potter. Now let me see. Courage, oh yes plenty of that. And lots of talent. Loyalty, now there's something you don't see very often. Good, that makes it obvious. You're a GRYFINDOR!"
James smiled and went to join Lily, Sirius and Remus. The names were coming quicker now.
"Quirrel..SLYTHERIN!,"
"Rider, Roberts,", both Hufflepuffs.
"Smith, GRYFFINDOR!,"
"Snape, SLYTHERIN!,"
Two Hufflepuffs, another Slytherin,
"Walker, RAVENCLAW!"
The next three went very quickly, and then finally,
"Zonova, GRYFFINDOR!"
After the last cheers had died down and Professor McGonagall and removed the sorting hat and stool, Professor Dumbledore stood up.
"Welcome, to you second years and above, I hope your brains and nice and empty ready for the year ahead, and to you new first years, I hope you are looking forward to the year ahead. For now though, eat up." As he sat down the plates in front of them filled themselves with food as the whole school tucked into it with delight. In-between mouthfuls, James and Lily were both berating each other.
"Why didn't you tell me you where coming here?" James asked.
"Why didn't you! Look there's no point in moaning about it as we're here now."
"Guuf pught."
"Huh?" Lily looked at James strangely as he swallowed what he was eating.
"Good point."
"Oh."
As they'd cleared that up the talk turned to wands.
"I heard some boy managed to conjure a stag. Apparently it was snow white and galloped the length of Diagon Alley. I just shot stars out of mine. What about you James?"
He choked,
"I, um…well…I…yeah, stars."
All too soon the plates were emptied of the delicious food. Professor Dumbledore stood up again and clapped his hands sharply to cut the hubbub of noise that was gradually rising.
"As we are all full and tired I think bed would be a good suggestion. Prefects, can you please lead your house first years to your common rooms."
"Well, they're not exactly going to lead some other houses first years to their common room are they." Sirius whispered to James and Lily who both collapsed into giggles.
As the Gryfindor common room was fairly near to the Great Hall, it didn't take them long to get there. They stopped next to a painting of a very fat old lady. She faced the prefect, who'd introduced himself as Arthur Weasley and said,
"Password?"
"Herpo the Foul." He answered curtly. The painting swung slowly inwards to reveal a large room with lots of armchairs and a roaring log fire with chairs around it. Arthur led the small first years in and the door closed with a snap. They crowded round the bottom of a flight of stairs leading up the tower.
"Boys, you're the first door on the left. Girls, the same on the right. You'll find your luggage is already on your beds. Have a good night." And with that he went to join his friends round the fire.
They slowly climbed the stairs and James and Lily hugged tightly before going into their dormitories. As soon as he sat on his bed, which was in-between Sirius's and Remus's, James realised that although it was only 10pm he was very tired. He shoved his trunk off his bed, and was asleep before his head hit the pillow. His friends tip-toed round and quietly closed the curtains around his bed.