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Chapter 3: The Sorting Ceremony

"Welcome to Hogwarts!" A tall witch in stunning crimson robes looked out upon the first year students. "Follow me please." The first years were lead into a magnificent entrance hall and into an antechamber beside a door which many students voices were coming from.

"Again welcome to Hogwarts. You will all be sorted into your houses..."

"...your houses by the school's sorting hat." Harry finished under his breath. Ron looked at him funny. "What?""Never mind." Harry said. 'How did I do that? All I remember is that an image played in my head and that was what she was gonna say.' he contemplated. "The four houses are Gryffindor..."

"...Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin."

'How did I do that?' Suddenly a series of images flashed through his mind of him walking into a place and a hat singing a song with these words:

Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you want to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Griffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in SlytherinYou'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!

Another image of the same hat yelling out GRYFFINDOR! whilst on his head and many other images that didn't make sense right then.

"Harry come on mate!" Ron said before they took off behind the rest of the group. They all walked into a silent hall filled with all the other students and stood in a line in front of the head table. On a stool sat a battered hat that everyone was staring at. It opened it's mouth and started to sing a song:

Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you want to be." It sang.
"You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Griffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends." Harry sang with it,
"So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)For I'm a Thinking Cap!" It finished to a thunderous applause.

"When I call your name, put the hat on your head and you will be sorted. Abbott, Hannah!"

Hermione waited impatiently as Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, and Justin Finch-Fletchey were sorted into Hufflepuff, Terry Boot and Mandy Brocklehurst went to Ravenclaw, Lavender Brown and Seamus Finnigan went into Gryffindor and Millicent Bulstrode was in Slytherin. 'I hope I'm in either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor' she thought, 'I would hate to be in Slytherin!'

"Granger, Hermione"

'Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!' Hermione walked up to the stool and sat down upon it, placing the hat on her head.

"Hmmmm...Hermione Granger you have a brilliant mind and a thirst to prove yourself. The obvious answer would be...GRYFFINDOR!"

Draco Malfoy watched as Hermione got sorted into Gryffindor. 'I actually like my friends,' he thought as he watched as others got sorted into their respective houses, 'I hope I'm in Gryffindor!'

"Malfoy, Draco"

'Well here goes nothing!' he thought as he approached the battered sorting hat.

"Well, well, well Draco Malfoy. Until you made friends with Ron, Hermione and Harry you would have been in Slytherin. Now the only choice for you is GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry Potter watched as the Slytherins stared in disbelief at Draco as he got sorted into Gryffindor. He was so nervous that when McGonagall called his name, Ron had to elbow him to get him to go to the chair.

"Ahhhh... Harry Potter, the next Know It All. Well that makes the decision easy. You will be in GRYFFINDOR!

Ron Weasley watched as Harry made his way to the Gryffindor table with a thoughtful look on his face. He'd have to ask him about that later. He was glad Harry, Hermione and Draco were in Gryffindor, but he only hoped he would be too!

"Weasley, Ronald!"

"Another Weasley ehhh? I know just what to do with you! That'll be... GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry watched as Ron joined their table, and cheered loudly with the rest of his house. The hall fell silent as Dumbledore stood to give a speech. "Tuck in!"

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco were all talking and eating dinner when Harry got a piece of paper that said:

Harry,

Please stay after dinner. I have something I would like to discuss with you.

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

Headmaster

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

"That's odd. Why would he want mmpppppphhhhhhh." Harry couldn't say anything because a sock appeared in his mouth. He handed the letter to Draco, Ron and Hermione.

"That's a confidential note," Draco said, "My father used to leave those for me. No one but the person it was intended for can read it and the person can't talk about it or something happens. In my father's case it was pain but in this case it was a sock. If you don't talk about it, you can probably take the sock out of your mouth." He laughed along with Ron. Hermione just smiled.

"Very funny." Harry said as he contemplated what the sorting hat said and what Dumbledore could possibly want