The Message in the Sorting
The three girls tried to fight there way through the crowd of excited Hogwarts Students, only knowing which direction to be heading in by a loud, warm voice calling, "Firs' years! C'mon, firs' years over here!"
The sight that met Maria's eyes when she emerged from the crowd was amazing. Standing before her was a gigantic man; she would have to guess ten feet at least. And she was not the only one amazed; Faye and Shelly seemed to be gaping at the enormous man as well. Suddenly, one of Harry's stories seemed to pop into Maria's head; a man rescued Harry from Knockturn Alley. Harry had mentioned this man a few times; a massive teacher at Hogwarts, almost twice the size of a normal man. His name was Hagrid.
"Excuse me, but are you Hagrid?" Maria asked, her voiced raised so that he could hear her over the loud, thumping rain crashing down on them all.
"Yeah, an' who migh' yeh be?" Hagrid smiled, kindly.
"My name is Maria Thompson. I'm Hermione Granger's sister." Maria replied.
"Ah, Hermione sen' me an owl abou' yeh." Hagrid said. "Good ter meet yeh. Yeh'll be takin' the boats out ter the school."
"The boats?" Maria asked, a bit skeptically.
"Yup. It's traditional." Hagrid began calling for first years again. "Firs' years, this way, hurry up!"
Maria smiled and followed Faye and Shelly into an empty boat. The rain was beating down on their heads, but they didn't care; they just wanted to get to the school and have a good look around. They all seemed to be starving, too.
A girl with straight, long black hair entered the same boat as Maria, but Maria was gradually getting colder and could not bring herself to saying hello, so instead she nodded welcomingly toward the girl. The girl smiled and returned the nod, then took a seat and awaited the moment when they could depart, along with the others.
"Are yeh all in?" Hagrid asked. "Great, let's move!"
The boats began to glide towards the school, and the rain pounded harder on the first years as the boat moved faster and faster.
Finally, after the long, agonizing journey across the lake, the boats reached the castle. It looked ten times larger close up, and Maria was very anxious to get inside.
Hagrid escorted them all to the enormous, oak door that led into the castle.
"Ev'ryone, this is Professor McGonagall." Hagrid introduced them all to a stern looking witch standing at the top of the flight of stone steps leading inside the castle. "She'll be takin' yeh ter the Sortin'."
Maria looked up at Professor McGonagall, apprehensively. She looked very cross indeed, and Maria did not want to be the one to upset her even more than she already appeared to be.
"It's Peeves again, Hagrid." McGonagall explained. "He knocked over all of the tables in Professor Trelawney's Tower. Broke several crystal balls and a few of her favorite tea cups."
"I s'pose Filch is angry?" Hagrid inquired.
"Furious. Ranting and raving about finally ridding the school of Peeves once and for all. Okay, Hagrid, I must take the first years to the Sorting. Thank you very much for bringing them." McGonagall said.
"Been a pleasure." Hagrid beamed. He walked past everyone, waving to Maria on his way and entering what looked like an enormous room that seemed to be holding the rest of the school.
"Now, welcome to Hogwarts." Professor McGonagall greeted. She began to get into the details of Hogwarts; how it was founded by Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff, how your house was your family, how the point system worked, and how they will now all follow her into the Great Hall to be sorted into their houses.
Faye looked terrified.
"Do I have to do magic?" She asked, trembling. "I haven't learnt anything of value yet!"
"Oh, no." Maria smiled, glad that she finally knew something the others didn't. "Hermione told me that it's only a wretched old hat that you put on your head and it tells you which house to go to."
Faye and Shelly looked extremely relieved, but said no more as they followed McGonagall into the Great Hall.
Maria felt like she was on display as all of the students stared at the first years. She caught a glimpse of Hermione giving her two thumbs up and waved timidly.
"Now, when I call your name, you will proceed towards the stool and place the Sorting Hat upon your head. Let's begin. Abbott, Shelly!"
Maria and Faye both hugged Shelly as she proceeded towards the stool. She placed the hat upon her head, and a few seconds later it shouted-
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Relieved, Shelly smiled as she climbed down the stool and towards her older sister, who was beaming with pride.
"Banton, Rabia!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
Rabia flew off the stool and half-walked, half-ran towards the Ravenclaw table.
"Delaney, Drucilla!"
Dru strutted towards the stool, once again looking bored.
Maria glanced at Hermione, but saw that she was sharing an unpleasant look with a blond boy over at the Slytherin table, who was smirking at her. Maria distinctly saw him mouth, "Mudblood."
This must be Malfoy, Maria thought, glaring at him as well.
Dru approached the stool and picked the hat up. She placed it on top of her head, but looked ready to get up right away as though she planned for the hat to shout her name straight away. However, it didn't. The hat sat on Dru's head for at least a whole two minutes before it finally shouted-
"SLYTHERIN!"
Dru looked highly affronted as she took the hat off of her head, and she threw it down on the stool harder than necessary. However, she grinned as she approached the Slytherin table and her cousin, who pulled her into a tight hug.
Maria rolled her eyes and turned once more to the Sorting Hat. It was now sorting a boy named Raul Ebberforth, who was declared a Hufflepuff. Adriana Fairchild was also declared a Hufflepuff.
"Fox, Aiden!" McGonagall called.
A handsome boy stepped forward and advanced towards to hat. Maria gazed at him, before she realized she was staring. She quickly looked away.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Aiden smiled and headed towards the Gryffindor table, where Ron gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder and Harry shook hands with him.
A few more names were called before McGonagall reached-
"LaQuinta, Gabrielle!"
The girl with the long, black hair who had shared a boat with Maria, Faye and Shelly across the river glided smoothly towards the stool. In no time, the hat announced her a Gryffindor.
"Matthias, Faye!"
Faye crawled forwards, giving Maria one last smile. As she jammed the Sorting Hat onto her head, her expression changed to extremely nervous, but she kept her cool.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Faye was proclaimed as the third Gryffindor of the evening. She beamed and ran towards the Gryffindor table, taking a seat opposite of Gabrielle and Aiden Fox.
Several more names were called, and as the crowd of first years thinned out, Maria became more and more nervous. Students were being sent out to the four houses one by one, until finally McGonagall got to the T's.
"Thompson, Maria!"
Maria smiled, endured one more of Hermione's encouraging waves, and proceeded towards the hat.
She sat on the stool and placed the hat carefully on her head.
"Hmm, strange, very strange." A voice said into her ear. The hat was speaking! "You seem to share the same- but no, there are differences. Many similarities, but few differences that help me determine where to put you. Both in one night- this will cause problems. I suppose I'd have to say GRYFFINDOR!"
Maria threw the hat off her head, very relieved. The hat had sounded strange, as though Maria's mind seemed familiar. But she pushed these thoughts out of her mind as Hermione squeezed her tightly. Harry, Ron and Ginny had hugged her as well.
Maria took a seat besides Faye.
"Congratulations!" Faye squealed.
"Yeah, congratulations." Maria turned to see who spoke, and saw Aiden staring straight at her. He was smiling, and his smile broadened as Maria returned it to him.
The chattering died down immediately as Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, stood to address the school.
"I wish to share only two words with you all right now. As the French say, bon appetite!"
The sea of faces all stared up at him.
"Okay, perhaps that was six words, but you all know where I was going with it. I meant the two words to be bon appetite, the other things were-"
"Albus, enjoy the feast." McGonagall prodded, taking his arm and pulling him gently into his seat.
"Ah, to right I will." Dumbledore smiled.
He stood once more. "Let the feast begin!"
Hundreds upon hundreds of dishes appeared before their eyes. The food all smelled delicious, and Maria was starving. She piled a little bit of everything onto her plate, as did Faye, Ron, and Harry a few seats down. Hermione looked at them all as if they were mad.
"How you eat all of that is beyond me-"
"Hermione?" Ron interrupted.
"Yes?"
"Shut up." Ron bit into a large chicken leg and Hermione went back to eating, huffily.
When the feast was over, Dumbledore stood up and once more addressed the school. "As you all are aware, there has once more been a change in the staff. We have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but she seems to be running a little late-"
"I'm here!" A voice cried. A woman entered the Great Hall, her hair a bright purple color and her face young and excited.
"Students please welcome Professor Tonks." Dumbledore smiled.
Harry, Ron and Hermione's mouths dropped open, but they soon recovered from the shock and applauded with the rest of the school, harder than most.
Maria recognized this woman as part of the group who was waiting for Hermione and her friends at Kings Cross station at the end of the previous year.
"Professor Tonks is an auror for the Ministry of Magic, but she has kindly agreed to substitute as our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher until a more permanent employee happens to come along." Dumbledore explained.
Tonks smiled and waved over to the Gryffindor table at Harry, Ron and Hermione. They all waved back.
"Now, onto further things," Dumbledore continued. "As you all should be reminded, the Forbidden Forest is off limits to everyone. Magic is not permitted within the halls of Hogwarts, as our caretaker, Argus Filch, will be only too happy to remind you all at least five times a day. Quidditch tryouts will be held at the end of September; for all of you wishing to try out, please go to your Quidditch Captain for further details. I believe that's about it. I bid you all farewell, have a wonderful sleep."
And with that, he sat back down and joined into a conversation with Professor McGonagall and a squat looking wizard who could only be the Charms teacher, according to Hermione's descriptions.
Faye yawned. "Ready to go to sleep?"
"Definitely." Maria nodded.
"First years, please follow me." Ginny called. Hermione and Ron led Ginny, Colin (the new Gryffindor male prefect) and the rest of the first years through the passageways and tricky staircases of Hogwarts until they came to rest outside a portrait with a fat lady in a pink, silk dress, who immediately asked them for the password.
"Devil's Snare." Hermione stated.
The portrait swung open, and Hermione directed Maria and the other first years to their dormitories. Maria was so tired that she passed out straight away, along with the rest of her roommates.