VII

September 1st, 1991

Yvonne has seen so many unbelievable sights today. First, there was her initial step into Muggle London. Then, there's the crimson Hogwarts Express huffing and puffing with steam. In addition, the view of Hogwarts while sailing across the Great Lake is still at the forefront of her mind.

Despite all of that, as she walks down the middle of the Great Hall, Yvonne can sufficiently say she'll remember this moment for the rest of her life.

The Great Hall is a wide room filled with hundreds of lit candles floating in the air and swelling it with warmth. There's mounted gargoyles on the sides of the room and the room is backed by a wall of stained glass. The room is full of students, all sitting together in long, neat rows in the benches stationed at the four tables, and they're all watching the group of first-years being ushered into the room. In front of each student is an empty plate and goblet that shine like roads of gold. And the ceiling!

Yvonne gasps audibly at the splendor of it.

"It's not real, you know." A voice said from in front of her. "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."

Yvonne can still remember when she too had read about the enchanted ceiling. It is rumored to be one of the finest enchantments ever done and is heralded as one of Hogwarts most famous sights.

But, still, Yvonne did not think it would be this beautiful.

The night sky hangs above them, a sweep of velveteen navy painting the heavens on the carved ceiling. Dark, grey clouds drift through the inky blue and the face of the moon shines like a softly cast lumos. Hundreds of stars glimmer across the sky. It's like being in Wiseacre's but a thousand times better. The night sky is pouring down from the ceiling and she smiles when a brilliant streak of white shoots crosswise.

Yvonne's head cranes so far back her neck creaks.

So distracted by the enchanted ceiling, Yvonne doesn't notice the line of first years has stopped until she crashes into the back of the small, short haired girl standing in front of her.

"Sorry!" She gushes quickly, reaching out a hand to steady herself.

The other girl also apologizes, giving her a small smile before looking forward again. A kid from the left snickers at her misstep.

Yvonne doesn't even have the capacity to care.

Her eyes instantly turn back up and her mouth falls open at the detail of the sky.

She fails to notice the older witch stepping to the side to reveal a dusty, worn hat resting on a small stool posted in front of the table of professors. All the other students are staring at it, with its ragged edges and shabby, dingy brown coloring.

Yvonne startles as a resounding, hoarse voice starts 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

She looks up at the table sitting up above the rest, trying to find the person singing. There's a line of professors—all kinds of wizards and witches in all styles of dress and with an array of hairstyles. She sees the slicked-down hair of a short wizard wearing a suit. One wizard with a large, hooked nose and the fidgeting wizard next to him with a purple turban wrapped around his head.

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.

The song continues as Yvonne's eyes move down the table, seeing but unhearing in her study of the professors. There's a witch with wrinkled, cream skin with a pointed, feathered hat on her head. She's wearing all black and clashing with the waxen witch that sits beside her, covered in sequins with beads decorating the sheer, red shawl she has wrapped around her shoulders.

In the middle of them all is an impressive throne with golden peaks shooting up into the air. An old wizard in star-spangled, velvet-plum robes with ornate hems. His hair is long and white and his beard hangs down below the table. Half-full, circular spectacles rest on his nose and, when she meets his glittering gaze, he winks at her with a soft smile.

Yvonne gapes anew as she recognizes the wise wizard for who he is; Albus Dumbledore, the greatest Headmaster that Hogwarts has ever seen.

She has several of his chocolate frog cards at home and a book on wizards and witches with an Order of Merlin that she's read front to back.

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;

He nods his head at the frayed hat placed on the stool, shifting her focus, and Yvonne is confused until her eyes find the hat. She realizes what it is and suddenly the lyrics register to her. Her father told her all about the Sorting Ceremony. Yet—

It's singing, she realizes with a start, eyes widening. The Sorting Hat has been honest-to-Merlin singing this whole time! Her eyes look around and see all the other first years' clear confusion before they are back on the singing hat.

The old hat getting up and dancing would now surprise her less.

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 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!'

All around her, the other students and professors applaud the hat's song.

Of course the Sorting Hat is singing. Yvonne almost wants to huff in annoyance as she too joins in to the clapping. She will be writing a letter to her father right away. Why hadn't he told her about the singing hat?

After the anxiety she experienced the day she got her letter, Yvonne refused to go to Hogwarts without preparation and had endlessly asked him question after question. Obviously, one of her biggest concerns was the Sorting Ceremony. And she thought her father told her everything to know about it after she had earnestly begged him but, obviously, he had left out some important details.

Namely, a singing hat.

Good Merlin, she was so focused on the professors that she missed its song!

Yvonne pouts minutely. Now she'll have to wait until next year to hear the song in its entirety.

"So we've just got to try on the ruddy hat?" whispers a voice. "I'll kill Fred. He was going on about wrestling a troll."

Professor McGonagall, the strict, prim-lipped witch that explained the Houses to them before leading them into the Hall, steps forward. Her pine-green robes sit beautifully on her wrinkled, alabaster complexion.

"When I call your name, you will come forward and sit on the stool. Once I place the Hat on your head, you will be sorted into your Houses." The first-year students all burst into excited whispers.

A scroll of parchment appears next to McGonagall seemingly out of the air and unrolls swiftly. The old witch tilts her head back to read through her square eyeglasses. "Abbott, Hannah!"

Without a doubt, the Sorting Ceremony has begun. Yvonne watches as kid after kid has their name called and steps up the raised dais to sit on the stool. Once the hat is placed on their head, it's only a matter of time before it is bellowing out the name of their House. Some get their House assigned right away—Yvonne can't forget the arrogant smirk one blonde kid—Draco Malfoy—sends them all when the Hat barely touches his head before shouting Slytherin. But, some get sorted with a bit more hesitation—Neville, in particular, perches stiffly for a long moment as the hat seems to mull over his placement. When it finally calls Gryffinor, Yvonne claps along with the rest of the Gryffindor table at his sorting.

Fingers fidgeting, Yvonne slowly waits for her name to be called. It's all alphabetical, she notices as the ceremony goes on, and there are a lot of children in front of her. 'Shacklebolt' seems to be eons away.

One good thing is that Yvonne is able to learn the names of her classmates. The girl who helped Neville on the train is named Hermione Granger and she nearly skips off to the Gryffindor table once she's sorted, a pleased smile on her face. The kind, short-haired girl she bumped into earlier is Leanne Heron García and she gets sorted into Hufflepuff. A weedy boy by the name of Theodore Nott goes to Slytherin, silent and with no visible expression underneath his sweeping bangs. A pair of twins named Pavarti and Padma Patil are split between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw respectively. Seamus is welcomed by the booming cheers of Gryffindor.

Yvonne notes that they are the loudest table by far, whooping and cheering powerfully whenever a new student is sorted into their House. They never lose momentum, clapping exuberantly whenever the hat shouts their House, and maintain the same enthusiasm for each student.

However, nothing compares to the noise they make when Harry Potter is sorted into Gryffindor.

When he first steps up to the dais, the entire Hall has gone silent. There's not a wizard or witch that hasn't heard of his name. Even the Muggleborn students have probably heard of him, Yvonne thinks to herself, given the absolute stillness his name causes.

She herself is not above being star-struck by The Boy Who Lived. The only person to ever survive the killing curse. The boy who ended the Dark Lord.

"Potter?" Did she say Potter?" A voice hisses.

"The Harry Potter?" Another chimes in.

They all watch as he settles himself on the stool.

Yvonne stares at him as McGonagall places the hat on his head.

He's smaller than she expected—a lot smaller, if she's being honest. He's drowning in his Hogwarts robes and his skin is a pale beige that hasn't been touched by the sun. Brown hair and round, black glasses resting on a small nose—The Boy Who Lived is also plain. The only notable thing about him are the gentle green eyes that peer out from under the hat's brim.

Yvonne thinks that's what makes him so fantastic though. A normal, young boy who defeated the Dark Lord. It's a tale for the ages. The ultimate inspiration for any magical folk.

Everyone watches on as the Sorting Hat takes its time with Harry Potter.

Yvonne thinks the entire hall is holding its breath.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Finally shouts the hat and the middle table explodes into applause. The students are standing up and clapping boisterously. There's voices chanting "We got Potter! We got Potter!" but no one looks happier than Harry himself. The eyes that were previously squeezed shut are now widened with delight and his smile is absolutely over the moon. He hops off of the stool without hesitation to go for his new House.

Everyone is enthusiastically trying to shake his hand as Harry tries to settle in at his table.

The students that are sorted after that don't receive quite the same welcome as Harry Potter, but the applause and cheering continues nonetheless.

It's right after a Clarissa Runcorn that Yvonne finally gets her turn on the raised dais. She walks up the small steps slowly, taking extra care not to fumble her way to the stool.

McGonagall looks down at her sharply once she's settled and has to tell her to face front so she can put the hat on her head.

Looking out into the sea of faces makes Yvonne's fingers tremble in anticipation. All the way up to this moment she's been nothing short of absolutely and completely excited but, now, her anxiety catapults into something fierce. The feeling of worms dancing in her stomach starts and she presses her lips together to make sure she doesn't spew out her nerves in front of the whole Great Hall.

She would never live that down.

As the shadow of the Sorting Hat falls over her head, she understands why Harry had shut his eyes. Yvonne's mind is going through hundreds of thoughts and the importance of this moment is almost too much to bear.

While her father has always been proud of his Slytherin placement, Yvonne hopes desperately that she won't be placed there. By an unfortunate event, both Pansy Parkinson and Sophie Roper have made it to Hogwarts. The both of them are now sitting comfortably at the Slytherin table. She knows she would hate to be roommates with them and she can't imagine what her life at Hogwarts would turn to if she was forced to constantly be around a girl like Pansy.

She just can't be in Slytherin.

But, what about the other Houses? Gryffindor has Neville and they seem to be a kind House. They're known for their bravery, daring, and, now, for being the House of Harry Potter. Surely, she could do well there?

"Pah! A head full of knowledge but ignorant of one's own self!"

There's a voice in her head! Yvonne wants to scream at the hoarse words that are seemingly whispered between her ears, but her lips are sealed so tightly that her body jerks with surprise instead. She nearly topples out of her seat with the motion, but manages to catch herself by gripping at the top of the stool.

It wobbles precariously for a second before settling.

"You're neither suited for Slytherin nor Gryffindor! Too much curiosity, too much compassion. Patient and fair, yet thoughtful and creative. A sharp mind that's as equally steadfast. Where to put you, where to put you." The voice quibbles with itself.

Yvonne holds her breath and pushes back her own thoughts. At least she won't be with Pansy. The Sorting Hat will know best. She will accept whatever the hat says.

"Aha! I found it! I see the thirst for knowledge in you now! A girl with her eyes pointed forward; an innovator! You will change theory as we know it! Better be—RAVENCLAW!"

The far left table breaks out into cheers and salutations for Yvonne as she makes her way towards her new House. She completely misses a step and stumbles forward, but the glee on her face doesn't care for her small mistake.

Who cares if the school thinks she's a clumsy fool—she got sorted into Ravenclaw!

She nearly spins her way to Ravenclaw, but has enough sense left in the face of her joy to not make anymore of a showing. Her curls are bouncing against her cheek though and her face hurts from the strength of her smile.

She's clearly overjoyed with her sorting.

Penelope Clearwater is waiting for her when she slides onto the bench and the other first year girls are done giving her congratulations.

"Welcome to Ravenclaw! We're happy to have you." Penelope smiles at her from down the table. "I figured you were coming to us, but congratulations either way."

"Thank you," Yvonne replies sweetly.

"You're absolutely chuffed, aren't you?" the girl next to Yvonne leans in to whisper from across the table. "I'm Sue Li." She's a lovely girl, with golden ivory skin and onyx, upturned eyes. Her raven black hair is thick and hangs around her chubby cheeks like tendrils of silk.

"Nice to meet you." Yvonne says and the two girls share smiles over the table.

The Sorting Ceremony continues on without pause until the last boy sorted is a dark-skinned boy with narrowed, charcoal eyes named Blaise Zabini. He seems to strut to the Slytherin table where they welcome him in with smirks and grins.

Professor McGonagall claps after the last sorting and swishes her hand causing the parchment floating next to her to roll up and disappear with a snap.

As she's taking her seat, Dumbledore comes from behind the High Table and smiles greatly at the students before him. Everyone quiets down at the Headmaster's presence.

"Welcome, welcome! Let's offer a very warm welcome to our new students and a happy welcome-back to our returning students." He pauses and claps his hands, the rest of the Hall joining in.

"Now!" He starts once again, silencing the room. "Before we begin the Welcoming Feast, I have a couple of words to share. They are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

Yvonne blinks and shares incredulous looks with the rest of the first years sitting around her.

"Thank you." The Headmaster ends seriously, tipping his head at them before returning to his seat.

"What the—" one boy begins but Penelope cuts him off.

"Don't question it." She shakes her head at them but the small smile on her face is fond as she claps for Dumbledore. "Trying to figure out the Headmaster's mind will make you feel like a nutter. Just enjoy the feast."

And, as if responding to Penelope's words, the long tables that were previously empty suddenly fill with dishes, steaming hot and brimming with food. All different types of roasted and chopped meats, Yorkshire puddings and Shepherd's pie, potatoes—boiled and roasted—carrots, broccoli, corn, chips and beans, gravy and stew—as far as the eye can see, there is a new dish to be sampled.

Yvonne fills her plate up and pours spiced, apple juice into her goblet. The food is nothing short of delicious—savory, rich, and packed with the warmth of a home-cooked meal. The rolls are made from scratch and soak up the gravy easily. The chips are crispy and the roasted vegetables taste as if they're straight out of the oven.

While the first year students talk around her, Yvonne quietly tucks into her meal and watches on. Now that the climax of the day is over, all the emotions she's phased through today weigh down her shoulders. The hall is suddenly a touch too loud and busy. Plus, she's more aware of it now than ever before; she's surrounded by strangers.

Her body itches all over just thinking about it.

Around her, everyone is talking about their family and where they've come from. Padma and her sister are from Leicester and grew up with their Muggle father and Magical mother in the city. Sue and her Muggle mom live in Manchester while her father works overseas for the Magical Republic of China.

Mandy Brocklehurst is from Barnton.

Lisa Turpin is from Chudley.

When asked, Yvonne weakly replies she's from Cornwall. They leave her alone after that.

On and on, the girls talk while the boys dig into their plates. They eventually start up their own getting-to-know-each-other conversation separate from the girls but Yvonne is in a perfect spot to switch between both. At some point, Amanda Griffiths joins the conversation with the boys when they start talking Quidditch.

The food warms Yvonne's belly and feels like the snug hug of a duvet. The heaviness of her journey weighs down on her the more she eats and Yvonne lets out a long yawn after she's finished her first glass of juice

Kevin Entwhistle and Isobel MacDougal seem to be the only Muggleborn Ravenclaws in their class and, once they know, the other boys start dumping information onto Kevin. This starts a heated debate over which subject is the most essential to master to become a 'respectable wizard' and Yvonne watches it all in fascination. On the other side, Isobel is trying to explain what an 'abba' is to both Mandy and Lisa.

Halfway through their meal, a cold breeze all of a sudden wisps through the hall and, with it, twenty or so translucent ghosts burst from the walls and start floating haphazardly around the room. They laugh and delight at the shock of all the new students, appearing through tables and loudly announcing their presence.

Yvonne watches as the Gryffindors at the next table over engage with a ghost about his 'nearly-headless' status. At her own table, Mandy and Padma are talking with a ghostly woman in extravagant dress robes and carefully coiffed hair. She welcomes them to Ravenclaw differently from the other ghosts, quiet and demure but with judging, assessing eyes. On the other side of the room, a blood-stained ghost is swinging his sword around at the Slytherin students, much to their annoyance.

By the time the feast has ended, Yvonne is full and sleepy. The large supper and dessert drag her to a sleepiness unlike ever felt before. She wants to simply curl up in her bed with Copernicus and fall asleep.

The other first years around her are not faring much better. Michael Corner looks as if he's going to fall asleep at any moment.

Right as Yvonne starts to ask Penelope what time they will return to their rooms, Dumbledore is standing up again and clearing his throat. The Hall is once again bathed in silence.

"I have a few more words to share now that we are all fed and watered. Just some start of the term notices, if you will. To our first-years: please note that the Forbidden Forest is, in fact, forbidden to all persons. A few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Dumbledore's beard twitches in poorly concealed amusement as he glances towards the Gryffindor table.

"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 term and those interested may contact Madam Hooch. And finally," Dumbledore clears his throat and something about him becomes more serious. "I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor, on the right hand side, is out of bounds to anyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you."

Except for a scattering of laughter, confusion hangs over the Hall at the Headmaster's words. Surely, he is joking, Yvonne wonders. She looks to Penelope, as do some of the other students, but the Prefect looks just as bewildered as the rest of them.

"And now!" Dumbledore recalls everyone's attention with a once-again happy shout. "Before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Using his wand, Dumbledore creates a long ribbon that rises overhead and slowly twists itself into words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune, don't be shy! And—off we go!"

The whole Hall, students and professors alike, promptly jump into the song.

'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,

Yvonne, despite her sleepiness, can't help but giggle as everyone sings. There are people singing loudly and off-tune, while some try to follow the same melody as the Headmaster. It's clear though, that half the Hall is not bothering to hold the same tune. Yvonne herself starts to sing along, following an old, French nursery rhyme her mother always sings.

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.'

It takes a moment for the song to finally finish. A pair of ginger-headed twins at the Gryffindor table are trudging through the song, singing as dreadfully low as they can. It's like they are performing at a funeral despite the wide grins on their pale, freckled faces. Dumbledore seems just as pleased with their display because he claps the loudest even after they hold out the last note.

Yvonne can't keep the smile off her face.

"Ah, the sound of music. A magic beyond all that we know." The older wizard wipes at his glittering eyes. "And now, bedtime! Off you trot!"

With one last clap from the Headmaster, all the students rise from their tables and pile out the door. Penelope swoops in before Yvonne and the rest of the first years can get lost in the crowds. She navigates them through the chattering students, who slow down to catch up with old friends and mill about.

"Don't get left behind and try to keep up!" Penelope calls over the crowd as they all follow behind her like a trail of ducklings. "We're heading for the dormitories now and some of the upper staircases shift more than others."

Padma and Amanda are walking next to her and Yvonne can hear Padma's exclaim of surprise. "Did she just say the staircases 'shift'!"

The question goes unanswered though, because, as soon as they are out of the Great Hall and into the corridor, it quickly becomes clear that Penelope did say the staircases shift because there's no mistake that that's exactly what is happening when they enter the Grand Staircase. Marble staircases are detaching themselves from the wall and floating up and down, left-to-right, forwards and backwards. Some shrink and widen as they move, some twist and lengthen.

Everyone stops to stare in awe at the active staircase in front of them.

"I said—keep up." Penelope calls, already halfway up some stairs, and they all scramble to catch up with her.

As they move along, Yvonne tries to make note of Penelope's words as the Prefect guides them through the path to Ravenclaw Tower, but her eyes keep straying. A couple of times, she looks over the edge of the staircase and stares down at other students moving about the staircase. She watches as they get tinier and tinier as her group moves up. More often she gets distracted by a painting on the wall. The staircase is covered in them and they all come alive and merrily greet the passing students. Yvonne waves back to every painting that speaks to her and Penelope is clearly annoyed by the third time because she tells Yvonne to walk next to her for the rest of the journey.

"Now," Penelope says, stopping them on a landing at the top of a spiral staircase. "To get into the common room, you have to answer a riddle. Unlike the other houses, this will require some thought on your end so make sure you're always ready whenever you want to enter." Seeing the panic on their faces, Penelope reassures them promptly. "It won't be a difficult riddle, but it changes throughout the day to keep you on your toes. Watch."

She turns to the heavy, peaked door with a bronze knocker on it. The bronze eagle perched on top of the knocker suddenly comes to life, flapping its metal wings and peering up at Penelope with a sharp gaze.

"Take away the whole and some still remains. What is it?" The bronze eagle grinds out in a low voice.

Penelope smiles smartly and answers without hesitation. "The word 'wholesome.'"

The eagle bows forward, tucking its wings and head as the oak door gradually creeks open.

Penelope turns to them then. "See? It's simple."

Yvonne breathes out a sigh of relief and follows the rest of the students into the common room. She was worried for no reason, obviously—riddles like those will be easy-peasy.

"Now, the stairs to the dormitories are beside that statue there. On the left is for the boys and the right is for the girls. I will warn you all now—the stairs to the girls dormitory are enchanted to turn into a slide if anyone who is not a girl tries to walk up them, is that clear?" Penelope informs them pleasantly and gives the boys a searching glance until the nod.

"Once you go up the stairs, you'll reach a landing and corridor of doors. Each door will be marked with your year. That's where you'll be staying for the rest of the term. The bed you find your trunk in front of is yours and cannot be changed." Penelope gives them a hard look before continuing. "Don't try to switch beds because Professor Flitwick will know. Then, I'll have to stop whatever I'm doing to come and switch you back. Understood?"

They barely nod their heads before she continues.

"Right! Now off to bed! I'll be taking you to breakfast in the morning and you'll get your schedules there."

Penelope shoos them towards the statue so quickly that Yvonne barely gets to look around the common room. It looks like the inside of a library, with dark wood paneling on the wall and a bookcases built into the wall. She gets a glance of the windows circling the room and the silver glass cases full of instruments in every corner. There's long, royal blue drapes hanging from the peaked ceiling that spiral at the top. But, the main attraction seems to be the fireplace situated in the center of the room and all the cozy, blue couches that surround it. The older students that are in the common room are all gathered there with books already in their hands.

Yvonne wonders if it would be against school rules to make a pile of pillows on the lush, cobalt carpet that stretches across the floor.

Seemingly in the blink of an eye, Yvonne is in her dorm along with the other girls and she spots her bed right away. Copernicus is out of his cage and curled up on the blue duvet. It's a four posted bed with silver drapes tied to the sides that can be let down for privacy. The pillows look extra inviting and the sheets are all made of warm flannel to combat the winter.

Yvonne moves silently to her bed and changes into her pajamas. The other girls clearly aren't as tired as her because they natter loudly, gathering around each others' beds to go over the day. But, Yvonne doesn't have the energy for it. The thought of more conversation makes her shoulders slump and all she can think about is cuddling up with Copernicus in her warm bed.

She lumbers through her night routine, cleaning her teeth and wrapping up her hair, before finally crawling into bed. She slips her wand under her pillow and turns on her side to settle in for the night. The curtains of her bed must recognize her intention because they gradually drift close.

"Do you think they'll give us a map?" is the last thing Yvonne hears before she falls asleep.


A/N: Hello all! I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. It's been wild in the US with the covid cases spiking like they are. Remember to be kind to each other as we all continue through this pandemic. I hope you and all the people you love will be okay as we try to move past this spike. I myself have been feeling a bit down and I had to edit the chapter I am currently writing since the tone got a little...depressing and serious LOL

Either way, enjoy and tell me how you feel about Yvonne's placement. Did you expect Ravenclaw? Were you hoping for something else? I lowkey teared up a bit while writing it because like wow, at god: when.

Anyway, favorite, review, or follow :D