Me: Hey, my HP fans, how have you been? To cut this short, my health is been so-so, but it's being treated. So head of warning, my updates of all my stories will be slow, but they will be posted when I can.
Anyway, to those who reviewed: Sakura Lisel, white collar black wolf, Wishfull-star, Penny is wise, siggasigrun and ShadowMoon Paxs – I thank you all!
Well, I hope you all enjoy reading this new update!
There standing by the door was a tall, black hair witch in emerald robes with a very stern face.
"The first years, Professor McGonagall," said the giant.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take them from here," said Minerva. The giant, Hagrid nodded before giving the first years a simply nod then left. She looked over at the young students, "If you would follow me."
They followed McGonagall through the entrance of the castle into a hall before finding themselves in front of some large double doors.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Minerva. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You'll be having classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The sorting ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves us as much as you can while you are waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."
The moment she left, everyone started to whisper.
"How exactly do they sort us?" wondered Iris.
"Some sort of test. That's what Fred said. He also said that it hurts a lot," said Ron before frowning, "but I think he was just trying to scare me like always."
"I highly doubt it," said Azalea. "I think they're going to sort us by our personalities. Gryffindor represents bravery, Slytherin represents cunning, Hufflepuff represents loyalty and Ravenclaw represents knowledge."
"If they do sort us through our personalities, then how are they going to do it," asked Hermione.
As the others were thinking, Minerva returned with a rolled up parchment in her hands. She cleared her throat, "We are ready for you. Now, form a line and follow me."
The Potter siblings walked into the Great Hall and were in awe. The hall was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the older students were sitting. The tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.
As Minerva led the first years to the front where the teachers were sitting at, Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. Hermione leaned over to him, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in 'Hogwarts, A History'."
Harry smiled, "So did I. I asked my uncle if he can charm my room ceiling like that, but sadly he couldn't. He's not very good in charm spells."
Hermione widened her eyes while Iris and Azalea giggled.
The Potter siblings turned their attention back to Minerva who was standing next to a four-legged stool and on top of it was a pointed wizard's hat. The hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Suddenly, the hat twitched and began to sing.
"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 ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors 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 folk use any means
To achieve their goal.
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!"
The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became still again.
Azalea smirked, "Know it…"
"I'm going to kill Fred. He was going on about wrestling a troll," hissed Ron, angrily. The Potter siblings laughed, silently.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," said Minerva, unrolling the parchment. "Abbott, Hannah!"
Harry and Iris watched a pink-faced girl with blond pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes. Moments passed before the hat shouted, "Hufflepuff!" The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table.
"Bones, Susan – Hufflepuff!"
"Boot, Terry – Ravenclaw!"
"Brocklehurst, Mandy – Ravenclaw!"
"Brown, Lavender – Gryffindor!"
"Bulstrode, Millicent – Slytherin!"
"Crabbe, Vincent – Slytherin!"
"Davis, Tracey – Slytherin!"
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin – Hufflepuff!"
"Finnigan, Seamus – Gryffindor!"
"Goyle, Gregory – Slytherin!"
"Granger, Hermione – Gryffindor!"
"Greengrass, Daphne – Ravenclaw!"
"Longbottom, Neville – Gryffindor!"
"Malfoy, Draco!"
Iris watched as the blond boy swaggered forward to the stool, but when the hat barely touched his head it shouted, "Slytherin!" She watched him go to the Slytherin table and sat down with his two bodyguards, Crabbe and Goyle.
"Parkinson, Pansy – Slytherin!"
"Patil, Padma – Ravenclaw!"
"Patil, Parvati – Gryffindor!"
"Potter, Azalea!"
Azalea calmly walked to the stool with a smirk on her face upon seeing Dumbledore's shocked face. She took a seat on the stool and when Minerva was about to place the worn out hat on her head, the hat barely touched her and shouted, "Ravenclaw!"
The table second from the left clapped this time and several Ravenclaws stood up to greet her into their house. Azalea offered a smile before taking a seat by Terry.
"Potter, Iris!"
As Iris stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.
"Potter, did she say?"
"One of the Potter twins?"
"Oh man, she looks pretty cute!"
Iris ignored the whispers as she sat on the stool before feeling the hat being place on her head. Suddenly, she jumped a bit upon hearing a small voice.
"Hmm…yes, yes – oh, quite a reckless and brave child you are! Just like your father. I know where to sort you – Gryffindor!"
Iris jumped out of the stool as the hat was removed from her head and walked over to the cheering Gryffindor table. She sits next to Hermione after getting a hand shake from a redhead Prefect while twin redheads were yelling, "We have the female Potter! We have the female Potter!"
Minerva simply glared at them before continuing onward.
"Potter, Harry!"
Just like Iris as Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out again.
"It's the other Potter twin!"
"Oh, he's quite handsome!"
"Do you think he'll go out with me?"
Ignoring the whispers, Harry walked to the stool after giving a small nod towards his godfather. He sits on the stool and waited to be sorted, but unlike his twin, the hat barely touched his head and shouted, "Slytherin!"
There was ultimate silence from the entire hall before the Slytherins started cheering and clapping, loudly even Draco joined in.
Harry handed the hat to a shocked Minerva and walked over to the Slytherin table. He sits next to Draco and smirked, "How much do you want to bet that everyone thinks that I'm going to be the next dark lord?"
Draco smirked while Tracey and Daphne, who was sitting across from her in the Ravenclaw table, giggled. Recovering from her shock, Minerva continued the sorting again.
"Thomas, Dean – Gryffindor!"
"Turpin, Lisa – Ravenclaw!"
"Weasley, Ronald – Gryffindor!"
Iris and Hermione clapped for the boy they meet at the train as he came over to them and collapsed next to Iris. Ron had a sheepish smile as the redhead Prefect patted his back, "Well done, Ron, excellent!"
As the last student, Zabini, Blaise was sorted into Slytherin; Minerva rolled up the scroll and took the Sorting Hat away along with the stool.
Albus got up from his seat and beamed at the students, his arms opened wide, "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"
Harry made a face, "Is he mad or something?"
"That depends on the person you are asking Harry, but he is a strong wizard," replied Tracey.
Draco snorted, "Strong, okay. Mad, definitely. Father says that he needs to retire and the school board needs to hire a new Headmaster."
"Ah, greetings new first year snakes!"
Harry turned around to see a ghost with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and his robes were stain with silver blood.
"Bloody Baron, my young serpents. Slytherin's house resident ghost."
"Pleasure to meet you, sir. I'm Harry Potter."
"Yes, your sorting was rather…shocking, but I'm rather pleased of it child," said Baron.
"Why is that, sir?" asked Tracey.
"As you see, the Slytherin house gets blamed for being the house for dark wizards, but since Mr. Potter was sorted here, then everyone will start thinking twice about the Slytherin house," explained Baron before leaving them.
"Hmm…never thought about that," murmured Draco.
"I did. And I'm going to make sure that the Slytherin house gets the respect they deserve like the other three houses," said Harry, seriously. Some of the older Slytherins overheard what Harry said and had a small smile among their faces.
Meanwhile at the Gryffindor table, Iris was talking with Hermione when a ghost appeared before them. Ron and most of the first years jumped while Iris giggled.
"Greetings new Gryffindors! I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost for the Gryffindor house."
Ron widened his eyes, "You're Nearly Headless Nick! My brothers told me about you!"
"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy…" The ghost was interrupted by Seamus, "Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"
"Like this," Nick said as he seized his left ear and pulled it. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, "So, I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year. Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup for six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable – he's the Slytherin ghost."
Iris looked over at the Slytherin table to see the ghost talking to her brother.
"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus.
"I've never asked," replied Nearly Headless Nick before leaving.
When everyone had eaten their feast, the remains of the food faded from the plates and were replaced by desserts. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding…
As Iris helped herself to a treacle tart, the others started talking about their families.
"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "My dad's a muggle. Mum didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."
"What about you, Neville?" asked Ron.
"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, "but the family thought I was a squib. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off guard and force some magic out of me – he pushed me off the end of Black pool pier once, I nearly drowned – but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced; all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here – they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see."
"Well, glad to see you are here," said Dean while Iris was frowning. "What about you, Iris?"
"I live with my distant uncle from my dad's side who married my mum's older sister," replied Iris. "They live in Paris, but we're living in the main Potter manor while Harry, Azalea and I are attending Hogwarts."
"Paris?!" said Ron while the girls minus Hermione were in awe.
Iris continued to eat her dessert, ignoring the girl's questions about the clothes in Paris when the remaining desserts disappeared, and Albus got up to his feet again.
"Ahern – just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds in forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."
Iris looked over were Dumbledore's twinkling eyes were flashing to, Ron's twin brothers.
"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, this year, the third floor corridor on the right side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."
Harry made a face, "He's not serious, is he?"
"I'm not sure, Potter," replied Marcus Flint. "Usually he gives a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere – the forest's full of dangerous beast, everyone knows that. He could at least told us Prefects about the third corridor. I'm going to ask Professor Snape if he knows something about it."
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" said Albus. He gave his wand a little flick and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words. "Everyone pick your favorite tune – and off we go!"
Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot.
The Potter siblings and a most Slytherins didn't really sing while the rest did.
"Ah, music," said Albus, happily. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime! Off you trot!"
Azalea frowned before looking over at Terry, "Are we horses to him?"
Terry shrugged before they and the Slytherins waited for the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs leave the hall. Azalea waved to her cousins as starting tomorrow, the real action begins.
-Break Line-
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Next chapter: Classes