Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or places in this story, they are all the wonderful work of J.K. Rowling. The only character I own is Astra Liu.
Author's Note: The song isn't very good, I'm am not a poet!
I'm going to start dedicating my chapters to certain people who I admire or think deserve to be recognised. This chapter is dedicated to Reading Redhead, my first reviewer for the second chapter. Thankyou!
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Astra suddenly wondered what the Sorting consisted of. Maybe they had to perform magic. She suddenly felt very sick, she didn't know a single scrap of magic, these children were probably up to their ears in it. A few minutes later Professor McGonagall reappeared.
"Follow me," she said.
She led them out of the chamber and across the Entrance Hall into a very large room with four long tables lined up in it and a fifth up the top. It was lit with thousands of candles hovering in midair. Seated at the four tables were hundreds of chattering students wearing the same black robes as she was and black pointed hats. As soon as the oak doors closed behind them silence fell in the hall. All eyes were on the first years and Astra. Professor McGonagall led them up the middle of two tables. They stopped in front of the top table, the staff table and Professor McGonagall placed a stool in front of them and put a tatty old hat on it. Everyone stared at the hat.
"Let the Sorting begin," said Professor McGonagall.
Chapter 3
A rip in the brim of the hat opened wide, rather like a mouth and suddenly, the hat burst into song.
'Another year has come my friends
And I am here once more
To tell you the house to which you belong
And help you in the door.
Could you be in Ravenclaw?
If you're the cleverest.
Or will you be in Slytherin?
And be challenged above the rest.
But maybe you're a Gryffindor?
Like Godric, noble and brave?
If not it could be Hufflepuff,
The one's Helga chose to save.
So step right up young student
Put me upon your head,
And I will tell you where you belong
Then tiptoe of to bed.'
There were many relieved sighs from the students before they all broke into a round of applause. When the clapping had finally died down, Professor McGonagall unrolled a long scroll and cleared her throat.
"Adams, Louise," she called out.
A tiny girl with short blonde hair stepped out of the line and picked up the hat. She climbed onto the stool and put the hat on her head. Almost immediately, the hat cried out, "RAVENCLAW!"
Louise Adams took the hat off, and smiling nervously, went to sit down at the Ravenclaw table. Astra suddenly felt very sick. What if she wasn't really a witch? What if she was here for no reason?
"Andrews, David."
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Benjamin, Katherine."
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Brown, Dylan."
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Collins, Jack."
"SLYTHERIN!"
And so it went on, each student was sorted into their house. Professor McGonagall passed the L's without Astra and she started to get worried. What if she wasn't on the list? What would happen to her? There were six children left to sort. Five... four... three... two... one. And then Astra was standing there in front of the whole school. People were looking at her curiously while Professor McGonagall rolled up the scroll.
"Students," Professor McGonagall said, "This is Astra Liu. She will be joining us this year as an- er- exchange student. If you'd like to step up to the Sorting Hat Astra? You will now be sorted."
Relief spread through Astra. She was being sorted, she was joining Hogwarts. She sat down on the stool and put the hat on her head. Unlike the first-years, she could see perfectly well out from underneath it. She jumped in her seat when a little voice spoke to her.
'Australian? I see. Well I see talent, and a desire to prove yourself worthy of... maybe, being here? Interesting... Well you seem to have many qualities of a Slytherin... But also extremely intelligent. Ravenclaw maybe?'
Astra jumped at the name of the only house she had heard of.
'Yes, you'd like to be in Ravenclaw wouldn't you? Well then let it be... RAVENCLAW!'
Astra took of the hat and, grinning, went to sit down at the applauding Ravenclaw table between Dylan Brown and a girl with dirty-blonde hair and a vacant expression. She smiled absently at Astra when she sat down. Astra smiled at her.
"Hello," said the girl, "You're from Australia."
"Yes, I am," said Astra, "I'm Astra Liu."
"Luna Lovegood."
Astra didn't have any more time to speak to Luna. Dumbledore had stood up and was clearing his throat.
"Welcome to another year. For the moment, eat up."
There was cheering from the students, Astra had just realised how hungry she was.
"Would you like some roast beef?"
It was Luna. She was holding a golden plate of steaming beef. All the plates in front of Astra seemed to have filled, as if by magic. Well it was a magical school. Hogwarts... Astra was so glad to be here, surrounded by all these students and Luna who was chatting away happily and didn't seem to realise that Astra wasn't really listening. The puddings arrived in the same fashion as the mains and Astra helped herself to apple pie while she told Luna about Australia.
"It's not all it's cracked up to be you know," she told her, "People think all we do is hang around at the beach and play with kangaroos but it's not. It's really rather the same as here, just hotter."
Luna nodded. "Daddy says there is a large herd of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks near Uluru. We're going to go there for Christmas and look for them."
Astra smiled. She couldn't even imagine how hot it would be at Uluru in Christmas time. It was bad enough in Sydney. After the puddings had vanished Dumbledore stood up once more.
"Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you that there will be no Fanged Frisbees in the corridors this year and that the forest in the grounds is still out of bounds to all students unless accompanied by a teacher. If there are no objections..."
He looked around at the teachers who shook their heads, "Off to bed!"
There was a huge scuffle as everyone pushed back there chairs and stood up, heading for the doors.
"Where do we go now?" Astra asked Luna.
"The Ravenclaw common room. I'll show you the way," Luna replied.
They followed a bunch of Hufflepuffs out the doors and across the Entrance Hall. The Hufflepuffs veered off to the left but Luna led Astra up the marble staircase. They turned left and ascended another staircase before sneaking behind a tapestry into what Luna called a 'secret passage'. Astra was so tired she couldn't remember where they went next. Finally they stopped outside a large suit of armour.
"I'm a prefect," Luna announced proudly, "So I know the password. It's Cornish Pixy."
At her last words the suit of armour saluted them and stepped to the side, revealing a veil of soft, royal blue material. Luna pulled back the veil and led Astra behind it. They emerged into a large, cosy room with a large fire and many royal blue couches and pouffes arranged around it. Along one wall was a row of desks for one, presumably for study. In the middle of the room was a huge Persian rug. Many paintings of famous Ravenclaws were hung on the walls not covered with bookshelves and one large notice board was hung in the corner.
"The girls dormitory is over here," said Luna, leading Astra through a door by the fire.
They were in a long hall that was quite cool compared to the common room.
"If any boys try to get in here, the door handle melts away," Luna explained, "We're allowed in their dorms though. Rather silly, actually. Some girls don't just want to visit you see."
Luna opened a door halfway along the corridor on which a sign had been pinned. It read 'Fifth Years'. The room was semi-circular. Around the wall there were six impressive double beds. They looked rather squashed, as though one had been squeezed in at the last moment. At the foot of each bed was a trunk.
"That's your bed," said Luna, "I see you've got an owl."
It was true, on Astra's bed sat a large tawny owl holding an envelope in it's beak. Astra approached it nervously.
"Don't worry," said Luna, "She won't hurt you."
Astra took the envelope from the owl but it didn't leave. She ripped it open and read the letter:
Dear Astra,
I am writing to inform you of your schedule tomorrow. Since you have no wand, books, robes etc. you will be escorted to London with our Care of Magical Creatures teacher and groundskeeper Professor Hagrid. Hagrid will meet you at the front doors at 6:30 in the morning, so make sure you get a good night's sleep. You will leave Hogwarts before breakfast and have a bite to eat in London. There you will purchase your wand, books and robes. You will return in time for dinner and ready to start classes on Tuesday. You will attend classes with the first-years and a copy of your timetable is attached to this letter.
Your dormitory is with the fifth-year Ravenclaws, though you would already know this if you are reading this now. I thought you would prefer to share a dormitory with girls your own age.
I hope you have enjoyed your stay at Hogwarts so far and are looking forward to the next few years you will spend here.
Yours truly, Professor Dumbledore.
P.S. You may keep the owl, her name is Lily.
"Who's it from?" asked Luna.
"Dumbledore," said Astra, "I'm going to London tomorrow to get my books and stuff. And he says I can keep the owl."
"Wow! She's a very pretty owl Astra, what's her name?"
"Lily."
Luna smiled. Just then, the door opened and four girls entered the room.
"Hello Georgia,Jodie, Lucy, Francesca," said Luna, "This is Astra Liu."
"Hi," said a girl with tight black curls and startling blue eyes, "I'm Francesca, but everyone calls me Fran."
She eyed Luna with disgust.
"And I'm Jodie," said a very pretty girl with long blonde hair, "This is Georgia," she gestured towards a short, plump girl with a huge smile and mousey brown hair, "And Lucy," a tall black girl with shoulder-length plaits.
Astra smiled at them, they seemed very nice. The six girls changed into their pajamas (Astra had found pretty, pale blue nightgown in the trunk) and hopped into bed. Astra stared up at the perfect, patterned ceiling and a smile crept across her face.
Finally, she felt like she belonged.