A/N...Just to tell you, I think my Sorting Hat song really sucks. If you can improve it in ANY way, do not hesitate.
And you can DO it...in a REVIEW!
----------------------
"Harry?" came a voice from the hallway.
Harry swiveled around in his chair. "Yes, Gin?"
Ginny walked into the room, holding a plate with a sandwich on it. "I thought you
might like this," she said, setting it down on the table.
"Thank you," Harry said gratefully. He paused. "Are you thinking about Dane?"
"Yes and no," Ginny responded. She sat in the chair across from Harry's desk. "Harry,
you'd tell me if our son was in danger, right?"
Harry squirmed uncomfortably. "What do you mean, Ginny?"
Ginny's eyes flashed. "I can't believe it. Our son is in danger and you just neglect to tell
me?"
"What are you talking about?" Harry said angrily, cursing Ron in his head.
"Nothing," Ginny snapped. She got up and stalked out of the room, stopping in the
doorway. "I'll wait for you tell me what's going on in James' room. You know, our other son?
Presumably the only one that's going to be left?" Her voice was shaking with rage and she
walked down the hallway, swerving into James' room.
Harry sighed resignedly as he stood and went to inform his wife of the less-than-
thrilling news.
------------------------
The boat was slowing down as they reached the underpass that led them into the small
harbor within Hogwarts. As the boat stopped, a witch appeared in the doorway wearing robes
of sea green. Her hair was swept neatly into a rigid bun and she looked down at the tense group
from behind thick spectacles.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said, eyeing them closely. "My name is Minerva
McGonagall, and I am the Headmistress of this School." She turned to Hagrid, and nodded that
he may depart. Hagrid gave a merry wave and walked up the stairs through the enormous
doors.
"This is the place," Professor McGonagall continued, "Where you will learn much not
only about magic, but of the wizard community, discipline, and yourselves. For the next seven
years, this will be your home away from home, provided you all behave yourselves
accordingly."
She paused for emphasis, and the first years waited in stony silence.
"Right now, however, you will be Sorted into one of four honorable Houses; Hufflepuff,
Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin. Your house will be your home within Hogwarts. It is
usually where you find your best of friends, something of a family. Each house has produced
admirable and powerful wizards, no house is better than another."
Someone snorted in the back of the group. Professor McGonagall's eyes flashed, but she
continued her speech.
"As the days go by, you will earn House points for yourselves by demonstrating prowess
in any field. Misdemeanors will lose points for your House. At the end of the year, the House
with most points wins the Inter-House Championship.
"And now, if you will please follow me."
She turned on her heels and strode into the Entrance Hall. The first years awkwardly
followed her, trying to keep up with her pace in a place they'd never been to before.
"I'm so nervous!" one girl confided to Nora, who was the closest pair of listening ears
available.
"Me, too," said Nora fretfully. She clutched the girl's clammy hand.
Professor McGonagall opened an even bigger set of doors to an immense room, filled
with floating, flickering candles.
"Look at the ceiling!" the girl holding Nora's hand squealed.
"My mum told me it's enchanted to look like the sky outside," Nora said knowledgably.
The boy in front of her stopped abruptly, causing her to almost knock into him.
"Whoops," Nora whispered. She and the girl beside her giggled a little too hard.
Suddenly they noticed that the entire Great Hall had gone eerily silent. Nora followed their
collective gaze and found it resting on a tattered, shabby, wizard's hat. Nora thought, so this is
the Sorting Hat, but before she could tell anyone, the hat began to sing.
It has been a millennium
Since that day long ago
When four great wizards joined and made
A place that we all know
Their hope to make a haven
For young wizards to learn
Forced them to found a great school
For which many had yearned.
And way back then, while still alive
They carefully selected
For Houses of their own the ones
With attributes expected
For Gryffindor, the valiant
And brave struck his delight
You could not entire his domain
Without the chivalry of a knight
For Hufflepuff, the gentle were
Most worthy of her glance
The loyal and hardworking with
An endless supply of patience
With wily Rowena Ravenclaw
She'd only choose the most clever
To her, wits and knowledge would
Solve any endeavor
And finally, shrewd old Slytherin
Would only even consider
The ones with great ambition to be
Powerful, and a winner.
They put their requirements in me
So in the future I could choose
Where to put any mind
Don't worry, you can't lose
I know exactly where you'll go
So do not be afraid
With my help, you'll be Sorted
And then a wizard made!
The Great Hall resounded with applause at the end of the Sorting Hat's song.
"Now," said Professor McGonagall, "I will read your names off this list. When your
name is called, you will step forward and sit on this stool," she gestured to the hat's perch, "And
put the hat on. The hat will call out where you are to spend your years at this school."
Nora and her nameless companion exchanged apprehensive glances.
Professor McGonagall unrolled a long roll of parchment and called out, "Alcott,
Morag!"
And so it began.
A blonde girl lurched forward to sit on the stool. A moment passed, and then –
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat roared.
The Hall applauded as Morag joined the table Nora yearned for.
"Austin, Pallas!"
The girl holding Nora's hand let go, flashed her a nervous look, and approached the
stool, trying to keep her composure and failing, pulling on her white-blond hair nervously.
"RAVENCLAW!"
Pallas relaxed and made her way over to the Ravenclaw table, where many voices
congratulated her.
"Barry, Nicholas!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Bryant, Terrence!"
Nora watched sickly as her friend from the boat stumbled over to the stool. She hoped
he would keep his promise of silence.
"RAVENCLAW!"
Terrence looked visibly relieved as he leapt over to the Ravenclaw table.
"Cherice, Shelby!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Court, Kincaid!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
Nora flinched. That was the last word she wanted to hear coming out of the hat's
mouth…er, rip.
"Darby, Nathan!"
The hat took a mite longer deciding with this young man, before finally proclaiming
him a Gryffindor.
"Dorchester, Malcolm!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Eilmann, Amanda!"
The timid girl from Nora's boat strode with her head bowed down toward the stool. She
sat and placed the hat on her head.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Nora clapped along with the others.
"Emerson, Agnes!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Greeley, Jacob!" A jovial looking boy walked calmly to the hat and put it on.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Harrow, Lydia!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The girl looked surprised and dazed as she walked over to the table. A boy at the
Gryffindor exclaimed, "What?" But Professor McGonagall continued with "Innes, Liane"
("SLYTHERIN!")
Almost half the people had been sorted already. Cursing her alphabetical destiny, Nora
knew that she could stand the anticipation almost no longer.
"LeMange, Thatcher!"
Nora's heart stopped as she turned to the boy now standing next to her. "Did she say
Lestrange?" Nora said in disbelief.
The boy shook his head. "No, LeMange – oh, that's me!" he said, as Professor
McGonagall had just called out "Kingsley, Jeffrey!" Nora looked on enviously as he joined the
Gryffindor table. Next was Constance Knowles, who was deemed a Hufflepuff, and then –
"Malfoy, Vincent!"
A hush fell over the Great Hall. Nora froze. A Malfoy?
A tanned boy with light brown hair walked nervously over to the Sorting Hat. He put it
on, and almost immediately it yelled out –
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Nora blinked. Gryffindor? A Malfoy in Gryffindor. She watched the boy, a broad grin
on his face, hurry up to the Gryffindor table, where only the first years congratulated him.
Everyone else just stared. No one even noticed as Nancy Maylor became a Hufflepuff.
Nora was still trying to grasp the concept of a Malfoy in Gryffindor and missed
Shannon O'Rourke become a Ravenclaw, then Mortimer Rasmusen joining the Slytherins. She
snapped back into attention as "Roark, Phineas" was called. She watched as her final companion
from the boat ride was announced a Gryffindor. He strolled over to his table and took his place
next to Vincent Malfoy, whom he eyed carefully. Vincent seemed oblivious to his odd reception
as he listened interestedly to the boy who Nora remembered was named Nathan Davis.
"Sorben, Jessica" was declared a Ravenclaw, followed by "Snarling, Valerie," a condescing-
looking girl who was sent to Slytherin. Ferris Stevens took a place next to Amanda Eilmann at
the Hufflepuff table, and then two girls, Sandrine Trilson and Alexandria Townsend, made their
way over to the Gryffindor table.
"Umber, Patrick!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Van Gellis, Rudyardt!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Weasley, Nora!"
Nora's eyes widened as she floated over to the Sorting Hat. She vaguely noted that the
only person left was a black boy, looking as though his knees were about to give, before the
hat's brim covered her eyes.
"Ah, another Weasley, eh?" said a tiny voice somewhere in the depths of her head.
Y-yes. Even Nora's thoughts were stuttering.
"Well, where should I put you?" The hat appeared to be pretending to think very hard.
Gryffindor? Nora suggested meekly.
The hat sighed. "It appears so. I just wish for some diversity. Oh well, maybe some day
I'll get to place a Weasley into a House other than GRYFFINDOR!"
The last word reverberated through the Great Hall, and Nora weakly joined the
Gryffindor table. At last, she found herself in the place she wanted to be in. She was so
overjoyed that she didn't even notice "Yardmark, Matthew" becoming a Ravenclaw.
I can't wait to tell mum and dad, she thought happily, as the conversations of her fellow
Gryffindors surrounded her.
----------------------------
A/N...Trust me, there is GOOD stuff coming in the next chapter, but mostly in the ones after that.
So please...just please...REVIEW!
--Renee
And you can DO it...in a REVIEW!
----------------------
"Harry?" came a voice from the hallway.
Harry swiveled around in his chair. "Yes, Gin?"
Ginny walked into the room, holding a plate with a sandwich on it. "I thought you
might like this," she said, setting it down on the table.
"Thank you," Harry said gratefully. He paused. "Are you thinking about Dane?"
"Yes and no," Ginny responded. She sat in the chair across from Harry's desk. "Harry,
you'd tell me if our son was in danger, right?"
Harry squirmed uncomfortably. "What do you mean, Ginny?"
Ginny's eyes flashed. "I can't believe it. Our son is in danger and you just neglect to tell
me?"
"What are you talking about?" Harry said angrily, cursing Ron in his head.
"Nothing," Ginny snapped. She got up and stalked out of the room, stopping in the
doorway. "I'll wait for you tell me what's going on in James' room. You know, our other son?
Presumably the only one that's going to be left?" Her voice was shaking with rage and she
walked down the hallway, swerving into James' room.
Harry sighed resignedly as he stood and went to inform his wife of the less-than-
thrilling news.
------------------------
The boat was slowing down as they reached the underpass that led them into the small
harbor within Hogwarts. As the boat stopped, a witch appeared in the doorway wearing robes
of sea green. Her hair was swept neatly into a rigid bun and she looked down at the tense group
from behind thick spectacles.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said, eyeing them closely. "My name is Minerva
McGonagall, and I am the Headmistress of this School." She turned to Hagrid, and nodded that
he may depart. Hagrid gave a merry wave and walked up the stairs through the enormous
doors.
"This is the place," Professor McGonagall continued, "Where you will learn much not
only about magic, but of the wizard community, discipline, and yourselves. For the next seven
years, this will be your home away from home, provided you all behave yourselves
accordingly."
She paused for emphasis, and the first years waited in stony silence.
"Right now, however, you will be Sorted into one of four honorable Houses; Hufflepuff,
Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin. Your house will be your home within Hogwarts. It is
usually where you find your best of friends, something of a family. Each house has produced
admirable and powerful wizards, no house is better than another."
Someone snorted in the back of the group. Professor McGonagall's eyes flashed, but she
continued her speech.
"As the days go by, you will earn House points for yourselves by demonstrating prowess
in any field. Misdemeanors will lose points for your House. At the end of the year, the House
with most points wins the Inter-House Championship.
"And now, if you will please follow me."
She turned on her heels and strode into the Entrance Hall. The first years awkwardly
followed her, trying to keep up with her pace in a place they'd never been to before.
"I'm so nervous!" one girl confided to Nora, who was the closest pair of listening ears
available.
"Me, too," said Nora fretfully. She clutched the girl's clammy hand.
Professor McGonagall opened an even bigger set of doors to an immense room, filled
with floating, flickering candles.
"Look at the ceiling!" the girl holding Nora's hand squealed.
"My mum told me it's enchanted to look like the sky outside," Nora said knowledgably.
The boy in front of her stopped abruptly, causing her to almost knock into him.
"Whoops," Nora whispered. She and the girl beside her giggled a little too hard.
Suddenly they noticed that the entire Great Hall had gone eerily silent. Nora followed their
collective gaze and found it resting on a tattered, shabby, wizard's hat. Nora thought, so this is
the Sorting Hat, but before she could tell anyone, the hat began to sing.
It has been a millennium
Since that day long ago
When four great wizards joined and made
A place that we all know
Their hope to make a haven
For young wizards to learn
Forced them to found a great school
For which many had yearned.
And way back then, while still alive
They carefully selected
For Houses of their own the ones
With attributes expected
For Gryffindor, the valiant
And brave struck his delight
You could not entire his domain
Without the chivalry of a knight
For Hufflepuff, the gentle were
Most worthy of her glance
The loyal and hardworking with
An endless supply of patience
With wily Rowena Ravenclaw
She'd only choose the most clever
To her, wits and knowledge would
Solve any endeavor
And finally, shrewd old Slytherin
Would only even consider
The ones with great ambition to be
Powerful, and a winner.
They put their requirements in me
So in the future I could choose
Where to put any mind
Don't worry, you can't lose
I know exactly where you'll go
So do not be afraid
With my help, you'll be Sorted
And then a wizard made!
The Great Hall resounded with applause at the end of the Sorting Hat's song.
"Now," said Professor McGonagall, "I will read your names off this list. When your
name is called, you will step forward and sit on this stool," she gestured to the hat's perch, "And
put the hat on. The hat will call out where you are to spend your years at this school."
Nora and her nameless companion exchanged apprehensive glances.
Professor McGonagall unrolled a long roll of parchment and called out, "Alcott,
Morag!"
And so it began.
A blonde girl lurched forward to sit on the stool. A moment passed, and then –
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat roared.
The Hall applauded as Morag joined the table Nora yearned for.
"Austin, Pallas!"
The girl holding Nora's hand let go, flashed her a nervous look, and approached the
stool, trying to keep her composure and failing, pulling on her white-blond hair nervously.
"RAVENCLAW!"
Pallas relaxed and made her way over to the Ravenclaw table, where many voices
congratulated her.
"Barry, Nicholas!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Bryant, Terrence!"
Nora watched sickly as her friend from the boat stumbled over to the stool. She hoped
he would keep his promise of silence.
"RAVENCLAW!"
Terrence looked visibly relieved as he leapt over to the Ravenclaw table.
"Cherice, Shelby!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Court, Kincaid!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
Nora flinched. That was the last word she wanted to hear coming out of the hat's
mouth…er, rip.
"Darby, Nathan!"
The hat took a mite longer deciding with this young man, before finally proclaiming
him a Gryffindor.
"Dorchester, Malcolm!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Eilmann, Amanda!"
The timid girl from Nora's boat strode with her head bowed down toward the stool. She
sat and placed the hat on her head.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Nora clapped along with the others.
"Emerson, Agnes!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Greeley, Jacob!" A jovial looking boy walked calmly to the hat and put it on.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Harrow, Lydia!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The girl looked surprised and dazed as she walked over to the table. A boy at the
Gryffindor exclaimed, "What?" But Professor McGonagall continued with "Innes, Liane"
("SLYTHERIN!")
Almost half the people had been sorted already. Cursing her alphabetical destiny, Nora
knew that she could stand the anticipation almost no longer.
"LeMange, Thatcher!"
Nora's heart stopped as she turned to the boy now standing next to her. "Did she say
Lestrange?" Nora said in disbelief.
The boy shook his head. "No, LeMange – oh, that's me!" he said, as Professor
McGonagall had just called out "Kingsley, Jeffrey!" Nora looked on enviously as he joined the
Gryffindor table. Next was Constance Knowles, who was deemed a Hufflepuff, and then –
"Malfoy, Vincent!"
A hush fell over the Great Hall. Nora froze. A Malfoy?
A tanned boy with light brown hair walked nervously over to the Sorting Hat. He put it
on, and almost immediately it yelled out –
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Nora blinked. Gryffindor? A Malfoy in Gryffindor. She watched the boy, a broad grin
on his face, hurry up to the Gryffindor table, where only the first years congratulated him.
Everyone else just stared. No one even noticed as Nancy Maylor became a Hufflepuff.
Nora was still trying to grasp the concept of a Malfoy in Gryffindor and missed
Shannon O'Rourke become a Ravenclaw, then Mortimer Rasmusen joining the Slytherins. She
snapped back into attention as "Roark, Phineas" was called. She watched as her final companion
from the boat ride was announced a Gryffindor. He strolled over to his table and took his place
next to Vincent Malfoy, whom he eyed carefully. Vincent seemed oblivious to his odd reception
as he listened interestedly to the boy who Nora remembered was named Nathan Davis.
"Sorben, Jessica" was declared a Ravenclaw, followed by "Snarling, Valerie," a condescing-
looking girl who was sent to Slytherin. Ferris Stevens took a place next to Amanda Eilmann at
the Hufflepuff table, and then two girls, Sandrine Trilson and Alexandria Townsend, made their
way over to the Gryffindor table.
"Umber, Patrick!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Van Gellis, Rudyardt!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Weasley, Nora!"
Nora's eyes widened as she floated over to the Sorting Hat. She vaguely noted that the
only person left was a black boy, looking as though his knees were about to give, before the
hat's brim covered her eyes.
"Ah, another Weasley, eh?" said a tiny voice somewhere in the depths of her head.
Y-yes. Even Nora's thoughts were stuttering.
"Well, where should I put you?" The hat appeared to be pretending to think very hard.
Gryffindor? Nora suggested meekly.
The hat sighed. "It appears so. I just wish for some diversity. Oh well, maybe some day
I'll get to place a Weasley into a House other than GRYFFINDOR!"
The last word reverberated through the Great Hall, and Nora weakly joined the
Gryffindor table. At last, she found herself in the place she wanted to be in. She was so
overjoyed that she didn't even notice "Yardmark, Matthew" becoming a Ravenclaw.
I can't wait to tell mum and dad, she thought happily, as the conversations of her fellow
Gryffindors surrounded her.
----------------------------
A/N...Trust me, there is GOOD stuff coming in the next chapter, but mostly in the ones after that.
So please...just please...REVIEW!
--Renee