A week later found Eric re-groomed, composed and prepared for the most important night he ever had. As he sat and watched out a corridor window, the boats carrying the first-years to Hogwarts glided across the lake, their lantern floating in the night like a score of fireflies. His belongings were packed away and his room was locked up for the term. He waited until the group of them passed him on the stairs before taking up a place in the back. If he tried to cut in he'd have to explain himself, and he just wasn't ready to be that sociable.
He had watched the first-years make their entrance into life at Hogwarts for half a dozen years now, safely perched high above the floor and hidden by the ceiling spells. Now he was actually there among the students, taking his place in one of the four Houses. Eric's patience was wearing thin: he wanted to get into his house and onto dinner, and he had heard that inane rhyme of the hat five times too often.
Yet wait he had to as most of the other children were called, watching as they were directed to this house or that. Eric found that the hat seemed to know what it was doing. The children who ended up in Ravenclaw seemed quiet and serious, while Hufflepuffs all seemed quite happy in their seats. The Gryffindors were the usual outgoing lot. Slytherins, well, those that ended up there seemed as happy as the rest, evidently sitting where they felt they belonged.
Then the hall grew very quiet as the name everyone was waiting for was called. The hat seemed to take forever considering the fate of Harry Potter before finally chiming out "GRYFFINDOR!" Eric noted that the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws seemed to take the news with quiet acceptance, while the Slytherins seemed to sneer and scoff at Harry; belittling him since, obvously, he wasn't Slytherin material.
As Harry found his seat, the din had suddenly become so loud that Eric almost missed it when his own name was called. Proudly, he drew himself up: this was his chance to get into the finest house he could. He needed the best house Hogwarts had to offer, because he was going to be the best: the smartest, cleverest, first in every effort that he found himself in…
"SLYTHERIN!"
Eric's entire body went numb. Slytherin? How by Sweet Brigid's Ghost did he end up in Slytherin? It couldn't be, there had to be some mistake. Finally, Professor McGonagall had to push Eric off the chair in order to get him moving again. Knowing that what the hat said was final, Eric made his way to the Slytherin's table.
He sat through the rest of the sorting cerimony locked in a vacant fog. He already hated how the other students were staring at him. He could hear them making comments about his clothes and hair. The upper classes were passing word up the table about how their house just took in 'the orphan of Hogwart's'. Worst of all, he found himself across the table from a boy named Draco Malfoy, who he was sure was lining up ways to make his life miserable.
Eric looked up to Hagrid, hoping to catch his eye in order to gain so much as a sympathetic glance. However, Hagrid seemed to be taken up with a new student - Harry Potter. Of course, Eric knew who Harry was, most of the wizarding world did. Yet it hurt Eric deeply that Hagrid would just overlook him for some other boy, no matter how famous.
Not even the start of the feast cheered Eric up. None of the other Slytherins said a word to him, other than to demand that he pass the plates shoved at him. It was fortunate that he wasn't feeling hungry, as most of the dishes before him vanished without substitution. It was therefore quite a surprise when Eric found himself staring at a plate of shepherd pies, with the most delightful spiced aroma. The pleasant surprise lasted only a moment before Malfoy stole the plate away for himself and two other rather abnoxious first years.
Eric was about to file this way as just another of the evening's disappointments when another pie and two cherry tarts appeared directly in front of him on a plate, with a small note tucked under the plate. Not wishing to surrender yet another chance at redeeming the meal, Eric dug in quickly. Once finished, he slid the note to the side of the table for an ounce of privacy.
Sorry to see that things have turned hard for you. Don't forget – you're never without friends in Hogwarts! Sincerely: Willy and the Kitchen Staff.
Eric quickly tucked the note away and cast a smile to nowhere in particular. If nothing else, at least Hogwart's house elves were still his friends. With friends like them, Hogwart's couldn't help but be a welcoming place.