The door swung open at once. A tall, elderly, black-haired witch in dark red robes stood there. She had a very stern face and her hair was tied into a tight bun, that looked very uncomfortable.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid happily.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall had big stone walls that were lit with shimmering torches, the ceiling was so high you couldn't see the top, and marble staircase facing them led to the upper floor. To Maddie it looked like a scene from a period movies (with Wizards, witches and other magical creatures)
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Maddie could hear the hundreds of voices from a behind a big wooden doorway to the right – signalling that the rest of the students had already arrived– but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, boring, empty chamber. They crowded in, peering about nervously.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall.
"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 your family within Hogwarts. You will have 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..."
Maddie zoned out thinking MacGonagall? That just won't work. Racking her brain she thought of the name her dad and his friends had called her when they were at Hogwarts... Minnie! That's better! She didn't bother listening to her talking about the rules because in her opinion rules were made to be broken. Once she finally started paying attention again Minnie had already started talking about something else.
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
She said staring distastefully at some of their wet robes.
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."
She left the chamber. Maddie grinned bouncing on her heels.
"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" she asked Fred.
"Don't know my brother's wouldn't tell us." He said with a sigh.
"You have siblings here already?" She asked curiously
"Yeah, Bill already graduated. Charlie is in his final year and Percy is in his third. Then we have two more siblings one brother called Ron who is coming in two years and a sister called Ginny who's coming in three." He explained
"That's a lot of siblings!" She exclaimed "I only have one brother but I haven't seen him in years. He'll actually be in the same year as your younger brother, I think"
Fred opened his mouth to respond but got cut off by Minnie walking back into the room.
"Now, form a line," Minnie told the first years, "and follow me."
Maddie quietly got into line behind a girl with blue hair and together they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.
Maddison's jaw infolenteraly dropped. She had grown up with magic but this was unlike anything she had ever seen before. The great Hall was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Minnie lead the first years up here, so that they same to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them.
Maddie quickly looked down at Minnie, as she silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put an old patched-up hat.
Maddie blinked wondering what they were supposed to do with the a old hat. Her question quickly got pushed out of her head, as the hat began to sing.
She didn't pay attention to what he was singing, to busy looking around the hall.
The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.
"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Fred exclaimed to Maddie
Maddie grinned and nodded, exited to finally start the ceremony.
She noticed that Minnie had stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Anderson, Harrison!"
A tall blond haired boy stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over his eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause –
"RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat.
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Harriosn went to sit down at the Ravenclaw table.
"Bailey, Morris" Then became the first Hufflepuff closely followed by "Backer, Beatrice" who then became a Slytherin.
Maddie zoned out and then quickly snapped out of it once she realised they had already reached the letter J.
"Jones, Amelia!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
Maddie noticed, that the hat sometimes shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide.
"Jordon, Lee!"
A small boy tumbled up the stairs and sat down on the chair.
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat causing the Gryffindor table to burst into applose.
When "Malfoy, Ursula" was called Shrimpy swaggered Forward with a smirk the hat calling out "SLYTHERIN" befor it had even reached her head.
There weren't many people left now.
Maddie bounced up and down until she heared.
"Potter, Maddison!"
As Maddie bounced forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.
"Potter, did she say?"
"The Maddison Potter?"
The last thing Maddie saw before the hat dropped over her eyes was the entire hall gawking at her.
"Hmm," said a small voice in her head "Difficult. Very Difficult. Not lacking bravery, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, definitely. Very cunning. Where to put you...?"
Slytherin or Gryffindor. I don't care. Maddie though closing her eyes.
"Gryffindor or Slytherin, eh?" said the hat's voice. "I know just what to do with you, you belong in... SLYTHERDOR!"
A shocked gasp echoed around the hall. Everyone was staring at Maddie in shock. She got off the chair and looked at Minnie wondering what she was supposed to do now.
"Go sit at the Gryffindor table for now Miss. Potter and stay here after the Feast, so that we can discuss what will happen next." Minnie said still looking very shocked.
Maddie nodded and raced towards the Gryffindor table. After a couple more seconds of sielance the sorting continue.
Maddie watched as Fred got called up. The sorting hat was sielant for a couple of seconds before roaring the word. "GRYFFINDOR!"
Next, George was called up. The sorting hat stayed sielant for a whole Minuit before eventually shouting "GRYFFINDOR!"
The twins each sat on either side of her and grinned. Once the feast started hundreds of dishes full of food appeared on the tables.
"Wow, I can't believe you got sorted into Slytherdor! I've never heard of that before!" George said to Maddie
"It hasn't happened in over two hundred years!" Maddie told them, still in shock from her own sorting.
"So, should we start our prank cause the Feast is nearly over." Fred cut in.
"Yeah." Maddie said with a smile and pulled a small Firework out of her pocket.
Meanwhile Fred and George pulled out their wands. "So, we make the Firework say exactly what we discussed on the train. Right?" George asked getting a nod in return form the other two.
"Wait, we still need a name!" Maddie exclaimed looking at the twins
"What about... the terrible three. No wait, I got it! The trouble trio.
"Alright! Let's do this!" And with that Maddie droped the magical Firework that race d up into the air and burst into hundreds of beautiful multi coloured stars. At the same time the twins had cast a very simple spell making the Firework make out the the words:
"HELLO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO A BRAND NEW YEAR AT HOGWARTS. WE HEARBY SOLEMLY SWEAR TO CAUSE AS MUCH CHAOS AND TROUBLE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN DURING OUR TIME AT HOGWARTS! LOTS OF LOVE THE TROUBLE TRIO"
After the Fireworks died down all the students cheered and the teachers all seemed to have gone pail and Minnie muttered "Here we go again. I should have retired while I had the chance." but no one geared her over the roaring crowd of students. The trio quickly got up and bowed causing the the students to burst into more cheers.
The noise quickly died down, once Dumbledore got up and cleared his throat.
"What a lovely way to start our school year! Before we all leave for our respective rooms I have a few notices. First of all I would like to remind you all that the Forbidden Forest is off limits to all students. Now, allow me to introduce you to our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher... Professor Jones!"
The hall burst into applose, as a tall black haired man got up and nodded.
"Now, off you pop!" Dumbledore exclaimed and waved them all off.
"We'll meet you here for Breakfast tomorrow. Deal?" George asked her
"Yeah. See you tomorrow" Maddie replied and sat back down watching the Great Hall empty itself slowly.