"So we just try on the hat?" Jade heard Crabbe question quietly. "That seems easy." Draco shushed him quietly. Jade wondered what the hat would see in her head because she had absolutely no idea which house she'd be best in, the hat would know better than her where she belonged and she'd be there for seven years. She'd grow up with the same people, she wondered who she would be friends with, the thought of her future made her uneasy, too many unknowns that she didn't want to think about. Professor McGonagall now 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. "Abbott, Hannah!" A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. Everyone watched her silently,
"Hufflepuff!" Shouted the hat and Jade's mind slipped to her dream again. The table on the far right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Jade watched as a plump ghost smiled and waved at the girl as she sat down.
"Bones, Susan!"
"Hufflepuff!" shouted the hat again, and Susan hurried out of the center of attention to sit next to Hannah.
"Boot, Terry!"
"Ravenclaw!" The table second from the right clapped this time, several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.
"Brocklehurst, Mandy." Mandy also went to Ravenclaw. "Brown, Lavender." She was the first Gryffindor to be announced and the table second to the left exploded with cheers much louder than the previous two tables. "Bulstrode, Millicent." This girl was the first Slytherin and the cheering coming from the far left table challenged the Gryffindors. Millicent was a tall girl, she had black hair that was cut slightly above her shoulders and bangs that covered her forehead. She was a large girl, she didn't move very gracefully as she stumbled down the steps and made her way over to the table of students wearing green ties. Jade looked over all the tables, everyone was wearing their house colors on their robes and ties but Jade noticed other little ways students represented their houses. She could see peeks of color on socks, hair ties, the older girls had makeup on, she could see students had colorful undershirts if they weren't wearing the school uniform under their robes. "Crabbe, Vincent." Crabbe went stiff next to Jade but then made his way towards the hat. He sat down on the stool and the hat sat there for a second before announcing that he would be in Slytherin. Jade watched as Crabbe went and joined his new house where they clapped him on the back and made room for him to sit down. "Finch-Fletchley, Justin!" The boy with a strong chin went to Hufflepuff. "Finnigan, Seamus," A sandy-haired boy sat on the stool and he sat there in silence for what seemed like forever before it finally announced Gryffindor. "Goyle, Gregory." Goyle also went to Slytherin but it took the hat a bit longer than it had taken Crabbe. "Granger, Hermione!" A girl with bushy hair carefully sat down on the stool and the hat sorted her into Gryffindor. When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing the toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. Jade let a smirk spread across her lips but nothing more than that because although it had been funny she felt bad for him. The hat sat there for a few seconds before he was sent to sit with the Gryffindors. "MacDougal, Morag." The name was called and Jade realized they were close to her name and she began to sweat. Jade didn't even notice where the boy was sent to she was just thinking if it would be her next. "Maddex, Jade." Professor McGonagall called and Jade took in a deep breath and steadily put one foot in front of the other and gently sat down on the stool. She didn't look at all of the staring pairs of eyes like she had in her dream, she closed her eyes instead. The four houses played in her head on an endless loop, she felt like the hat was taking a long time to decide.
"Slytherin!" The hat boomed and it made her jump slightly. The Slytherin table jumped and cheered as they had for the other first years, Jade waited a few seconds just in case the hat would shout another house as it had in her dream but when it didn't she quickly removed it and made her way to the table. She took the open seat next to Goyle and he gave her a proud smile,
"Well, look at that." He said and Jade gave him a small smile in return before turning her attention back to the Sorting Ceremony.
"Malfoy, Draco." She watched as a smirk formed on Draco's mouth and he walked up to the stool as if it was nothing important, as if he already knew what the hat was going to say. Apparently, he did because when the hat roared out that he would be in Slytherin after barely touching his head, his smirk grew into a large smile and he made his way over and sat down next to Jade.
"I had a feeling you'd be in Slytherin," Draco whispered to her as the Sorting Ceremony continued. There weren't many people left now. Jade shushed him quietly and he grinned at her but left her alone. He instead looked to Crabbe who was on her other side and began talking to him. Once Malfoy was sorted he didn't seem to care about anybody else. Jade watched as a few kids walked to their house tables and then she saw a familiar girl who was next in line,
"Parkinson, Pansy." The girl had a large smile on her face, she could barely contain her excitement as she sat down and the hat was placed on her head.
"Yes… Slytherin!" The hat announced and her smile faltered for a second, Jade knew she wanted to be in Hufflepuff. She rose from the stool and walked over to a boy who was signaling for her to sit next to him, Jade watched her take her seat and then Pansy locked eyes with her as she began scanning the table. Jade offered her a small smile and Pansy mimicked the gesture.
"Potter, Harry!" The name grabbed Jade's attention and her head snapped back to the Sorting Ceremony. She didn't know what she expected but Harry Potter seemed to be more… extraordinary in her mind, after all she had heard, after all everyone had portrayed him to be. He didn't look like anything special, just a kid like all of them. Whispers suddenly filled the hall, even though they were whispering the hall filled with them causing a constant hissing in the air.
"Potter, did she say?" Jade heard Pansy ask as she craned her neck to see over the tops of heads. Everyone watched closely as he made his way over to the stool and the hat sat on his head. The hat was quiet and the whispering stopped, even Draco had stopped his constant whispering to Crabbe, the hissing sound being replaced by the eerie silence, it was so quiet Jade could hear the crackling of the candles above her.
"Not Slytherin, eh?" The hat asked in the silent hall. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that." The hat spoke as if he was having a conversation with Harry but he hadn't said anything. "Well, if you're sure… better be Gryffindor!" The hall burst into cheers and whistles from the Gryffindor table and Jade jumped at the sudden change in the atmosphere.
"We got Potter! We got Potter!" Two boys with red hair cheered, Jade noticed that they were twins. They stood above the rest of the Gryffindors and clapped loudly. Harry Potter made his way over to the twins with a red face and an unsure smile on his face. Two other boys went to Gryffindor after Harry, one being the Weasley Draco had been talking about, she learned his name was Ron, and then a girl to Ravenclaw. There was one more boy left. Jade smiled as she recognized him, it was the boy from the robe shop.
"Zabini, Blaise," Professor McGonagall called, happy that she finally had reached the end of the list. Blaise, yes, that was his name. Jade remembered when he had said he wanted to either be a Gryffindor or a Slytherin and she hoped it was Slytherin. Zabini, that was a fun name to say. Jade couldn't tear her eyes away from the Sorting hat, she didn't know why she was so anxious, she barely knew the boy.
"Slytherin!" The hat announced and Blaise looked pleased with this assessment and came towards their table and sat on the end closest to the steps. Dumbledore had gotten up from his chair and he smiled proudly at all of the students.
"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" Jade's smile wavered for a second, she didn't understand why he had said those words in such a grand manner. She thought it was odd but looking around at the other students' faces she felt a bit better that she wasn't the only one who thought this. He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Jade watched as food materialized in front of her on the table and she hesitantly grabbed the golden plate that was sitting in front of her. Jade was surprised by the piles and piles of food, the piles went all the way down the Slytherin table. She looked over at Draco and he grabbed a chicken leg and took a bite out of it. She felt odd just grabbing at the food but she reached a hand out and grabbed a scoop-full of vanilla pudding and it splattered onto her plate, Draco looked down at her almost empty plate as she grabbed the spoon next to her plate.
"Is that all you're having?" He asked her and she shrugged a shoulder at him,
"I'm not very hungry but I can't say no to pudding." Draco chuckled at this, "It's my favorite. My mum and I make it for the holidays." She explained. Draco grabbed his own spoon and took some of Jade's pudding and placed it in his mouth. She watched for his reaction and he raised his eyebrows and shrugged.
"Not bad." He told her and she laughed as he moved his tongue on the roof of his mouth to try and get the texture out of his mouth. Jade looked past Draco at the incoming ghost. He had blood-stained robes on and he didn't speak to anyone. He sat down next to Draco and he turned to look at what Jade had been staring at and then immediately turned back to her. The look of quiet alarm on Draco's face made her giggle but he wasn't laughing. She understood, the ghost was a frightening sight, he had a blank stare and she couldn't help wonder how he got those stains on his robes, or better yet, who he was. She looked past Draco again and hesitated,
"Excuse me, sir?" She asked and the ghost slowly turned his head to meet her gaze and a shiver ran up her spine. She noticed the chains he wore around his neck, "Hello." She greeted him but he didn't speak, "What's your name?"
"They call me the Bloody Baron." She opened her mouth to speak again but the ghost rose up from his seat and floated away from them. Draco and Jade exchanged a look,
"He's odd," Draco muttered and Jade nodded, she turned back to her pudding but she pushed her plate away from her. She watched as the food in the middle turned to sweets and candies. Jade looked over the table and saw Pansy talking to the boy who wanted her to sit by him, she looked happier now. She then looked to the end of the table and saw Blaise sitting silently as he finished the food on his plate.
"I'll be back." She told Draco but he didn't notice her leaving as he reached for one of the cupcakes on a platter. She took the seat across the table from Blaise and he glanced up and then back down and then recognized Jade and looked back up at her again. She smiled and a grin broke out onto his face. "You did say you wanted Gryffindor or Slytherin." She told him and he nodded,
"I'm not upset with where I am. What about you?" He asked her and she shrugged,
"I'm not upset. I'm more excited about classes." She smiled, "Learning charms will be fun. What are you most excited about?"
"What about hexes?" He asked and her smile fell slightly, Blaise's smile grew at this, "I'm kidding. I think Transfiguration will be challenging." Out of the corner of her eye, Jade saw Professor Dumbledore get to his feet again. The hall instantly settled down and eventually fell silent.
"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 is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." A forest? She hadn't seen a forest on the way up, then again it was pretty dark outside when they arrived. "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." Jade loved to watch a good quidditch match, she had no interest in playing herself though. She was already looking forward to attending games. "And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." Jade smiled and the hall had a few scattered laughs here and there but Dumbledore didn't smile and Jade quickly corrected herself and cleared her throat,
"He's not serious, is he?" she muttered to Blaise and he shrugged his shoulders.
"I guess,"
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. The school song, she had heard Rodrick humming it at home a few times but she couldn't remember it. Dumbledore turned and raised his wand. Jade looked at the other teachers and their smiles seemed a bit forced. "Hogwarts, Hogwarts," Dumbledore started and the words glowed in the air brightly as all of the students sang along with him, Jade tried her best to quietly sing the correct tune.
"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." Everybody finished the song at different times. Jade glanced at Blaise who was watching her, barely containing his smile. He hadn't been singing the song with the rest of them and Jade frowned. Everyone clapped loudly once everyone finished and Dumbledore smiled at the students. "Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!" The students began rising from their tables and Jade looked around,
"Do you know where we're going?" Jade asked as she came around to Blaise's side,
"First years, follow me." An older boy shouted and she quickly hurried to the boy as he began to leave the Great Hall so she didn't get lost. The older boy took them down to the dungeons and Jade noticed it was colder and she pulled her robe close to her. "The Slytherin Common Room is down here in the dungeon, it's actually partially under the lake." The boy explained and he opened the entrance to the Common Room by stroking a specific brick on the wall and then stepped to the side to let the first years in. When Jade stepped into the Common Room she noticed the tint of green in the room, not only were the sofas and armchairs green, but the room itself glowed. There were large windows that showed an underwater view of the lake. The low lighting and the sound of the crackling fire in the fireplace eased Jade into a sleepy state. "Girls' dormitory to the left," He said as he pointed, "Boys' to the right. If anyone tries to sneak into the other it's charmed to ensure that you do not." They waited for more of an explanation but the boy turned to enter the boys' dormitory and it was clear they weren't going to get one. The children started to split to their dormitories and Jade followed the rest of the girls, her exhaustion catching her off guard by how suddenly it came on. The four-poster beds hung with deep emerald green velvet curtains. Jade looked around for her trunk and then claimed the bed as hers. Ezekiel was sitting in his cage on the bedside table and she smiled as she looked him over, someone had fed him and he was pleasantly flapping his wings at the sight of Jade.
"Beautiful owl." She heard a voice behind her say and she turned to see Pansy sitting on the bed next to hers.
"Thanks." Jade smiled as she sat down on her own bed,
"Strange they didn't send him to the owlery," Pansy told her and Jade looked at him again, She reached over to his cage and opened the door. Ezekiel happily flew onto Jade's shoulder and she giggled as one of his feet pressed a sensitive spot near her neck. She walked towards the window between Jade and Pansy's beds and clicked her tongue twice and extended her arm, Ezekiel traveled down to her wrist where he then sat and peered up at her.
"Do you know where the owlery is?" She asked him, she didn't know, she'd be impressed if he had. She extended her arm out of the window. "Go on." She encouraged him, "I'll see you tomorrow." She brought her other hand around and gently scratched the top of his head and he hooted appreciatively. Ezekiel then took off and she watched him soar through the sky until she couldn't see him anymore.
"So, Slytherin." She sighed, turning her attention back to Pansy as she sat down on her bed and swung her feet up so she could lay down, Pansy mimicked her motion and laid down as well, staring at the ceiling of her bed.
"Yes, Slytherin. I'm fine with it though," She announced and then turned her head and lowered her voice to a whisper, "I'm happy to be in the same house as you, I think we're going to be good friends." She smiled and Jade gave her tired smile,
"I'd like that." Pansy then sat up for a short time to let her curtains fall and seclude her in her own space. Jade then closed her own curtains. Today had felt very long, she'd woken up in her own bed and been with her family only to be put on a train with hundreds of other kids and brought here. Jade let her eyes fall closed, she could still hear the murmurs of other girls in the dormitory who hadn't completely settled down yet but the noise and light didn't stop Jade from falling asleep.