Chapter Three – The Sorting
They waited in the darkness and silence that ensued after Professor Flitwick closed the door behind them. After a moment or two some people at the back of the crowd began to mutter quietly.
'Ehem,' Professor Flitwick cleared his throat, and, with another flick of his wand, lit the torches in the room. The students were all paying attention again as he began to speak.
'Welcome to Hogwarts,' he said. 'The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly. Before you could take your seats at the tables in the Great Hall, however, you must be sorted into your respective houses. The Sorting is one of the most important events you will participate in at Hogwarts. While here your house will be something like your family and home within Hogwarts. You will attend classes with your house members, spend your free time in your house common room, and sleep in your house dormitory.
'The four houses of Hogwarts are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw. Each of them has its own rich history and has produced extraordinary wizards and witches. During your time at Hogwarts, good behaviour and high academic achievements will reward your house with points. Misbehaviour will lose your house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the House Cup. I am sure you will all make excellent contributions to whichever house you will be sorted into.
'The Sorting will commence in a few minutes in front of the whole of the school. Please stand ready to be called and step ahead once your name is read.'
And with that he vanished behind a second door at the very end of the room. Muttering ensued almost immediately as he left the room. Many students were now nervously talking about the Sorting and what houses their relatives had been in. Some students – Albus guessed muggle-borns – looked utterly confused and afraid. Had nobody told them about the Sorting?
'I just want to get this over with,' said Scorpius. He was trembling now. Evidently, the prospect of having his name read to the entire school did not appeal to Scorpius either. Albus thought again of the stares and the giggles as he walked past the various compartments in the train. Duplicate that by about a thousand, he thought to himself bitterly.
The door to the Great Hall opened. Professor Flitwick motioned them in enthusiastically. The thousand or so candles that floated in the hall clashed with the ceiling that was bewitched to look like the dark night sky outside. As they stepped into the well-lit hall Albus spotted the many different faces gazing at their group as they entered. The new students were arranged into rows by Professor Flitwick as they stood beside the staff table. Albus spotted Hagrid and waved at him. Hagrid waved back and gave him an encouraging nod. He then turned to look at the other teachers at the table. He recognised Neville, or as he must remember calling him now, Professor Longbottom sitting on the right-hand side of an old and stern looking witch at the very centre of the High Table. This must be Professor McGonagall, he thought, as he observed the old witch tilting her head somewhat towards Professor Longbottom. She nodded slightly as he whispered in her ear. On Professor Longbottom's other side sat a beautiful young-looking witch with silky black hair, pale skin, and large blue eyes. She observed the crowd silently with a rather bored look on her face. On Professor McGonagall's other side was an empty chair, most likely Professor Flitwick's. Further down the same side sat a handsome and smartly dressed wizard with pale skin, jet black hair, and dark eyes. He was talking to a wizard that had appeared to be his perfect opposite. A shaggy looking man with buck teeth and slightly misaligned eyes.
Professor Flitwick pulled up a small stool which he placed in front of the House Tables. He then took out a shaggy looking old wizard hat from within his robes and placed it upon the stool. For a moment, the Sorting Hat stood silently on its seat looking as unimpressive as any ancient hat could look. Then, a rip opened near the brim of the hat, and it began to sing:
'Oh, look at me all ragged, patched, and torn,
A sorry sight and no delight,
Since before your forefathers were born.
Though I may smell, and not look well,
Do not throw me out just yet,
For I decide and choose and guide,
Which house you may be set.
A braver soul may seize it all,
In Gryffindor's old tower.
Though if to be smart and bookish is your goal,
At Ravenclaw may lay your power.
Great Slytherin should be your home,
Whether cunning or ambitious.
Loyal friends, however, go to Hufflepuff,
Whose food is quite delicious.
So come on now and put me on,
Fear not, I do not bite,
For I'm not known to've yet been wrong,
The smartest hat in sight!'
And with that, the Great Hall burst with the applause of the students and staff. The Sorting Hat bowed several times before becoming still again. Professor Flitwick pulled out a piece of parchment and began to read the new students' names.
'Abbott, Lily.'
A small girl with dirty blonde hair stepped forward. As the hat was put over her head it slid onto her face so that only her mouth was visible. A few seconds had passed when the hat called 'HUFFLEPUFF!'
'Albatross, Jamie' was called next. A minute later he became another 'HUFFLEPUFF!' to many cheers from the table second from the left.
Next came 'Alvarez, Melinda,' which became the first 'GRYFFINDOR!'. As she walked over to take her place in the Gryffindor table, Albus spotted his cousin Victoire. This was her seventh and last year at Hogwarts. He wondered whether she would end up working for the Ministry like Teddy, their family friend and his father's godson, who had been recently spotted snogging her at King's Cross. His brother, James, was sat a few seats away from her with his two best mates; William Harrington and Fred Weasley, another cousin of theirs. Albus could see one more cousin of his, Molly Weasley, sitting at the far end of the table talking to her friends. They were all cheering loudly as Melinda joined their table.
'Avery, Gregory,' became the first 'SLYTHERIN!' And, right behind him, was his twin sister 'Avery, Sarah,' which became the next one to join the table on the far right. They both looked quite unpleasant to Albus, with their pale and stiff faces looking rather bored with everything that was happening around them.
After several Hufflepuffs and a few Gryffindors and Slytherins, 'Corner, Anthony,' became the first 'RAVENCLAW!' He sped over to the table second from the right. Albus saw his cousin Dominique, Victoire's sister, clapping politely from the Ravenclaw table. As the list dragged on, Albus seemed to get the impression that Gryffindor were a smug bunch. When 'Finnigan, Connor,' the boy from the train, was declared a Gryffindor, he walked over to the table with his head held high to various shouts and applause. They seemed loud and bullyish to him. Was his father like that when he was a boy? Of course, he knew his father was famous, he loved playing the hero at any chance he got. At least it seemed so from the stories he had heard about him from his school friends. Hot-headed, attention seeking, and with a raging hero complex. Yes, Gryffindor seemed to fit that description perfectly.
'Goldstein, Joshua,' was called over several minutes later and Albus recognised the short boy which stood at the door of their compartment with their cousin Roxanne. Two minutes later he was declared another 'RAVENCLAW!' by the hat. A couple more kids went by before 'Greengrass, Euphemia,' was called over to sit under the hat.
'That's my cousin,' whispered Scorpius in Albus' ear. She smiled at Scorpius swiftly as she became another 'RAVENCLAW!'
After what seemed like ten more students, it was finally the turn for 'Malfoy, Scorpius,' to be sorted. Scorpius stepped forward looking pale and squeamish as he had seemed on the train an hour or so ago. He sat on the stool with the hat sliding down onto his face. Not five seconds have passed when he was called for 'SLYTHERIN!'
The Slytherin table clapped for him as he joined their table, however this time, loud hissing and several low toned boos were heard from the Gryffindor table. Albus felt angry and resentful. How could they already hate this kid before he'd even had his first day at Hogwarts? They must know that he never chose to be born a Malfoy. Yet they seemed to have judged him already as an outcast, a "slimy turncoat just like the rest of the Malfoys". The "good" and "great" house of Gryffindor, a bunch of mean-spirited bullies more like.
'Marble, Leif,' was called next to become another 'GRYFFINDOR!', followed by 'Maxwell, Johnathan,' which was sorted into 'RAVENCLAW!' The hall started to become restless. This was a rather large new grade of students, and the older ones were, evidently, getting hungry and tired. People were talking amongst themselves in droves when 'McLaggen, Luke,' pompously strode over to the Gryffindor table. Indifferent chatter ensued all through the next six students until finally…
'Potter, Albus,' called Professor Flitwick.
The hall went silent at once. Every single face in the room was turned to him as he walked over to the Sorting Hat. Professor Flitwick placed it gently upon his head and his eyes were covered from the staring hall.
'Ah another Potter, eh?' said a little voice in his ear. 'Gryffindor house has been having a surge in popularity ever since Harry Potter came along. But – why that is quite peculiar… I do not sense a lot of courage in here. No, plenty of self-doubt, and a burning desire to prove yourself, but courage? Not much,' said the voice.
If "courage" means that I love playing the hero everywhere I go and bully people who don't deserve it, then I guess I'm not courageous, thought Albus.
The voice chuckled. 'Well, I always said you Potters could achieve greatness among the snakes… Though it seems that you rather expected to be sorted into Gryffindor?'
Wouldn't they be surprised then, thought Albus resentfully, when you call...
'SLYTHERIN!'
