The Sorting, Ella

"Allen, Miranda"

Ella gave a sigh of relief. "I'll probably be next." she thought, breathing a prayer of thanks for alphabetically-ordered lists. She thoroughly disliked not being among the first to do something, often taking the words "Best get it over with" as a saying to live by. After one minute and thirty-four seconds exactly (according to Ella's watch, at least), Miranda Allen was pronounced a Hufflepuff. Beaming all over her flushed face, the girl skipped off to sit at her table, where her housemates were clapping and cheering. She sat down next to a girl who looked so like her that Ella took the liberty to assume that they were sisters or even cousins.

"Asplund, Marie-Gabrielle"

Ella felt a sudden rush of fear but swallowed it, and trotted up to the stool. Her heart was beating too hard, like a captive bird inside her chest, pounding her sternum violently, trying to escape, so loud she felt certain everyone could hear it. Then, as she sat down and pulled the Sorting Hat over her eyes, she felt a bizarre tranquillity wash over her and realized that, up till then, she had been trembling like a leaf. All her adrenaline, all her anticipation, seemed to have evaporated, leaving her with nothing but a very vague sense of apprehension.

"Well, well, well. I wonder where to put you." buzzed a languid voice in her ear. "Somewhere that I can thrive, not strive", she begged. The Hat chuckled "You know what you want, but what do you have? A contemplative sort of silence filled her head. You are hardworking, yes, with a good sense of right and wrong, but you lack Hufflepuffs' unwavering stability." The voice paused, its owner seemingly deep in thought. "You like to observe, to question, to create - perhaps Ravenclaw is the home you seek." "I could do worse." she mused but was ignored as the Hat, after a brief deliberation, continued. "Yet you are too shrewd, too ambitious for that, I ought to put you in Slytherin, except that you could not lie your way out of a paper bag." To this remark, she almost spluttered with indignation and was again disregarded. "Loyalty and bravery, Gryffindor traits well worth admiring - but where is your daring?" Ella, who was feeling more than just slightly miffed, attempted to interject, but the Hat swept on. "Oh, well. One can only hope that a few years will bring it out… GRYFFINDOR!" it bellowed the last word out.

Relieved, Ella yanked the tatty thing off and joined her table with a bright smile. She was so relieved and happy she felt she might be glowing with it, almost as though someone had lit a candle in her heart. She slid in next to Percy, who smiled and gave her hand a small squeeze. Turning back to watch the Sorting, she caught Keosha's eye. The short girl looked terrified, so Ella mouthed "It's going to be fine", which seemed to calm her only a little. George, who was nearby, murmured a few words that appeared to soothe her more.

"Connington-Doyle, Amanda" called Professor McGonagall. Ella watched with interest as Amanda stepped up. The brunette looked somehow fragile and vulnerable, despite her straight back and aloof expression. To Ella's great surprise, the Hat needed only forty-seven seconds to determine that Amanda was a Slytherin. A Slytherin! Ella's eyes widened with shock as the fact fully settled in. A muggle-born Slytherin! Amanda, however, was oblivious to the significance of this and looked pleased as she sat down. In her heart, Ella wished her good luck.

As the Sorting resumed, the names of students being sorted, as well as their appearances, welded together into a confused and disorganized mess in Ella's mind, only a few sticking out. Among those few were Angelina Johnson, a tall, well-built girl with skin the color of cocoa; Lee Jordan, a merry-looking boy, who was also dark and, like Ella and Angelina, a Gryffindor; Graham Montague, a bull-like Slytherin with interesting hazel eyes; and Zacharias Smith, a handsome but arrogant-looking Hufflepuff with curly blonde hair and a snub nose. Spencer McGee (Ella had to bite her cheek to not giggle at the memories his surname brought back) was declared a Gryffindor.

When Keosha was called up, Ella watched with interest. After her, only the twins remained, and it was no mystery to anyone who knew the Weasleys where those two would end up. The brim of the Sorting Hat fell over Keosha's eyes, and Ella glanced at her watch. She counted exactly two minutes and fifty-seven seconds before the Hat roared "GRYFFINDOR!". Ella clapped as hard as she could, delighted, as Keosha scurried over and inserted herself beside Spencer. They all returned their attention to the conclusion of the Sorting.

"Frederick Weasley" and "George Weasley" soon joined the red-and-gold table, and Ella threw her arms around them, choking them into a hug. As the hubbub died down, Professor Albus Dumbledore - for the silver-bearded wizard now standing up could only be the headmaster himself - ran through a list of announcements: the Forbidden Forest was out of bounds to students (Ella smirked, knowing immediately that the twins would attempt to find a loophole to this rule); Dungbombs, Stinkpellets and so on were prohibited; tryouts for the Quidditch team would begin in two or three weeks time… Then, Dumbledore said something that made Ella's ears prick up in interest. "And now, I would like to welcome a new member of staff. This year, Professor Clanaghan will be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts. She is very well-travelled and experienced, and I'm certain she shall be an immediate success."

At the staff table, a young woman stood up and bowed theatrically as the students gave a round of polite applause. She was petite and slim, with a short bob of strawberry-blonde hair and brightly coloured, intricately patterned robes. Ella rather liked the look of her. "Her face has something bright about it." she thought. "She looks like someone I could trust." As Professor Clanaghan sat down, Dumbledore concluded his speech, welcoming them all to "a brand new year at Hogwarts!" and encouraging them to "tuck in!". Ella and Keosha, who was sitting across from her, exchanged a look of confusion that lasted half a second, as Ella's eyes fell on a platter of roast potatoes underneath the other girl's chin.

She immediately noticed that the whole table had magically become laden with a multitude of scrumptious-looking dishes: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, lamb chops, sausages, bacon, steak, joints, steak and kidney pie, boiled potatoes, more roast potatoes, mashed potato, chips, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and peppermint humbugs. For dessert, blocks of assorted ice cream, apple pies, spotted dick, chocolate gateau, treacle tart, pumpkin tart, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, jelly, and rice pudding adorned ornate platters. The sheer amount of food, as well as the kaleidoscope of mouthwatering smells that came with it, briefly overwhelmed Ella, and all she could say was "Oh, my."

Seeing her face, Percy laughed. She grinned at him. "You never told me there would be so much food.", she said, her tone slightly accusatory. "Isn't it a pleasant surprise, though?" he said, almost teasingly. Ella marvelled at the change in him, she had rarely seen him so relaxed, so carefree. "Hey, Percy!" called someone, and they turned their heads towards the source of the cry, a sixth-year boy. "Where's Charlie?" he asked, leaning back in his seat a little to see them better. "Down with a nasty flu. He'll be back next week, mum reckons." Percy informed him. The eldest Weasley still attending Hogwarts, both a prefect and Quidditch Captain, was indeed in convalescence, and Ella knew he hated every minute of his confinement to the Burrow. The sixth-year, looking disappointed, thanked Percy.

"Oi! Ella! Are you deaf? Pass the pepper!" George nudged her with his foot. "Sorry!" she squeaked and handed it to him. Spencer observed their exchange with a queer sort of expression on his face. "I wish I had siblings.", he said, a little wistfully. "Maybe then dealing with father would be easier.", he whispered, seemingly to himself. Ella was sure she hadn't been meant to hear his last sentence. "Being an only child has its benefits though, don't you feel?" she asked. "I guess I haven't discovered any then.", he replied, shrugging his thin shoulders. Ella felt her heart go out to him. "Then I'll make sure to invite you the next time the Weasleys have a de-gnoming or cleaning day.", she said, only half-joking. Fred, who up till then had been engrossed in a conversation with his twin and Lee Jordan, chuckled. "Do we even have any protective gear in case he gets in mum's way?"

Keosha jumped into the conversation. "I'm not sure what you mean by that, but if he stays overnight you'll definitely need to find a way to silence his snores!" she said, adding, "They sound like a train engine purring." Ella stifled the gale of laughter that was rising in her throat. "Good luck sleeping tonight then, boys." she teased. George shrugged. "Eh. We've gotten used to Percy, to tell you the truth, so I doubt Spencer will keep us awake." Their brother turned beet-red. "I don't snore!" he muttered. "You know they're only joking.", said Ella soothingly, although she resolved to have a word or two with the twins in private. She disliked their thoughtless jibes, which could be quite cruel, especially when unprovoked. Oblivious to the small exchange, Spencer glared at Keosha. "I DO NOT snore. Not that bad at least." Keosha gave him a look. "I was right next to you! I couldn't sleep the whole night, for Pete's sake!" Ella raised her eyebrows so high she thought they must be touching her hairline. "And, why, pray tell, were you two so… um… close to each other in your… slumber?" she inquired, struggling to keep her voice steady and toneless. "We both were watching a movie when he fell asleep on my lap. I tried to sleep to but that failed miserably, and I couldn't lift him up off my lap, so…", Keosha explained.

Feeling mightily relieved, Ella asked "Which movie?" at the exact same time as the twins queried, in unison, "What's a "moo-vee"?". Equal parts amused and chagrined, Ella rolled her eyes, mouthing "wizards". She had explained to them several times the exact function of a TV, as well as the DVDs and VCRs. So far, out of all the Weasleys, Arthur, Bill and Percy had actually listened. Keosha grinned and said, "Indiana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark. It's Spence's and my all time favourite movie." Ella nodded, smiling as though she agreed with every word the other girl was saying, even though she hadn't actually seen the movie in question. She preferred the classics from the Golden Age of Hollywood, Women (1939) was one of her favourites. Percy and Bill preferred Cry Wolf (1947), starring Errol Flynn, who Ella's mother had had a crush on in her youth. They had sometimes had movie afternoons at Ella's house, usually when the others were playing Quidditch. Occasionally, Ron or Ginny or even Luna Lovegood would join them, but it was mostly just Ella and Percy (who, although they liked Quidditch, weren't avid athletes). Scooping up a spoonful of peas, she watched her aforementioned friend talking animatedly, pointing out various teachers to Spencer while Keosha was explaining to the twins what a "moo-vee" was.

Eyes drifting over the staff table, Ella realized that she already recognized most of the professors. The severe-looking witch at Dumbledore's right, for example, could only be Minerva McGonagall, in the same way, the thin, sour-faced man at the headmaster's left was beyond a doubt Professor Snape. To her great surprise, she didn't find him quite as unattractive as he had been described to her, just... bad-tempered-looking. His hair was in desperate need of a trim and wash, however. Looking past him, Ella also identified the diminutive Charms professor, Flitwick. She had a spot of trouble remembering the name of the Astronomy teacher, a tall woman with ebony-colored skin and eyes like black pearls. Sinistra, yes, Aurora Sinistra, she recalled at last.

A cry of surprise from Keosha startled her and she dropped her fork, while Angelina Johnson spilt gravy on the tablecloth. At the other tables, Ella heard similar shrieks and "Oooh"'s. Looking up, she gasped.

A procession of ghosts had entered the Great Hall. Some were swooping and cackling, turning cartwheels above the students' heads, while others glided gracefully to sit at the tables. Among these were a rotund man in a monk's habit - the Fat Friar - and a young man with a goatee, wearing an extravagant Elizabethan outfit - probably Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, if the ruff was of any indication. The latter floated over to the Gryffindors, beaming. "Blimey!" exclaimed George, before the ghost could say anything. "You're Nearly-Headless Nick, aren't you?" asked his twin excitedly. Sir Nicholas scowled, looking extremely affronted. "I am Sir Nichola-" he began, but another first year, a girl sitting next to Angelina, interrupted. "My mother told me all about you!" she said, eagerly. "Forty-five blows of the axe, was it?" The ghost - Ella decided she'd just refer to him as Nick - sighed mournfully. "Correct." he said. "Messy business indeed." Keosha, confused, asked, "What was messy?" Nick sniffed delicately and shuddered, as though he could not bear to answer. The other new girl - whose name was Alicia, if Ella remembered correctly - grimaced and drew a finger across her throat, miming Nick's decapitation.

Keosha's eyes widened, and she turned to stare at the ghost. "Wow! That's really fascinating. Although, whoever was swinging that axe must not have been very skilled at it. Forty-five blows and still not fully decapitated?" She shook her head. Privately, Ella thought it was less the executioner's prowess (or lack thereof) at fault, merely the bluntness of the instrument itself. Nick scoffed. "Half an inch of skin and sinew! Nothing more keeps my cranium tethered to the rest of me." he declared, his head wobbling slightly. This made his long, dark hair ripple like waves, and Ella felt a bizarre urge to touch it, to twine her fingers in the translucent curls, to see if she could hold down air. Instead, she averted her gaze, turning it towards the Slytherin table and seeking out Amanda. She found her friend deep in conversation with The Bloody Baron, who looked just as horrific as the Weasley brothers had described. He would have been quite handsome, Ella thought, if not for his wildly staring eyes and ripped, blood-splattered robes, through which she could see his intestines. Amanda looked downright ill, and by the way she kept trying to avoid looking at her House's ghost Ella realized that it was the sight of blood that repulsed her. Other than that, she seemed to be settling in just fine. Satisfied by this fact, Ella joined a heated debate between Percy and Oliver Wood on Quidditch teams.

When the feast was over, all the first-years were rounded up and shepherded to their respective common-rooms. For Gryffindor, a 5th year prefect called Hailey Buhre led them all up several flights of stairs, before coming to stop in front of the portrait of a very large woman in a pink dress. "Password?" she drawled. "Sesquipedalian" the blonde prefect replied, to which the painting swung forwards like a door. The first years scrambled through the opening and into a plush, spacious room adorned with tapestries and hangings in different hues of scarlet. Everyone oohed and aahed over the opulent decor until Hailey directed the girls up one stairway and the boys up another.

Ella found herself in a dormitory with Keosha, Angelina, Alicia (whose last name turned out to be Spinnet) and a tall, skinny girl called Patricia Stimpson, who seemed to be long everywhere, from her pasty, horsy face, to her waist-length, dark hair. As if to make up for this, she had very round, pale blue eyes. Ella found her relatively pleasant, if shy and unattractive. The girls discovered that their trunks had been brought up to the dorm and were neatly under their beds. After the five minutes it took them to brush their teeth and change into their nightclothes (in Ella's case, a lacy white nightgown that looked straight out of the 1800's), all five girls were tucked up in bed. Ella's last thought, as she drifted off to sleep, was of the following morning, wondering which lesson they would have first.