Chapter 5: Hogwarts Sorting
Suddenly, The large doors opened, revealing another person. A person Simon had already met over the summer.
"Here they are, Professor Longbottom," said Hagrid waving towards the kids.
"Thank you, Professor Hagrid," said Longbottom, smiling down at the eleven year olds. "First years, would you please follow me." And they did. They followed Professor Longbottom down a little ways down a hallway and to another set of tall oak doors, and then stopped and turned to the first years.
"Welcome to Hogwarts new students!" Longbottom excitedly greeted with a grin, "The start-of-term banquet will begin very shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. There are four houses in case you are all wondering; Hufflepuff, Ravenclaws, Slytherin, and Gryffindor. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts; your new brothers and sisters. You will take your lessons with your house, as well as sleep in the same house dormitories and spend your free time in the house common room.
"Each house has its own noble history and has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs and good deeds will earn you house points while breaking the rules will cause you to lose them, though there will be the occasional points for breaking the rules to doing the right thing, but never mind that. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup, tis a great honor that is. And I hope each of you will be a credit to whatever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few moments in front of the rest of the school."
Simon looked at Lily who looked at Hugo who looked at Alice who looked as Gabriel who looked to his left and saw a strange person floating there next to him. He wore old time clothes and he was very transparent. Gabriel's eyes widened in fright and looked away and tried to ignore it the best he could like some of the other first years were trying to do. Simon however was looking at the ghost with interest. The ghost was of a man wearing strange clothes with chains and what looked like to be a lot of blood on his torso. He turned to Simon and gave him a ghoulish grin. Simon grinned back.
"I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." Longbottom spoke, walking away.
"So how does this sorting work?" Simon asked while he was looking at a ghost lady floating behind the kids.
"It's some type of test," Hugo said, smiling, and started moving his hands, "It tests your skills and you have to wrestle a-oof!" but he didn't finish because he had gotten elbowed by Lily.
"My brothers told me that you just put on a hat and it decides for you," explained Lily who glared at Hugo, who innocently smiled. Simon frowned a little. A hat that chooses for you? Shouldn't you be the one who chooses where you're going to be? That is sure different than Simon expected.
"Move along now," Longbottom's alto voice cut in to Simon's thinking, reappearing out of no where, "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." The ghosts slowly headed off through the wall and Longbottom turned back to the students. "Form a line and follow me," he instructed.
Simon soon forgot about the ghosts and his earlier thoughts as he got into the line between a boy with surprisingly green hair and Alice, his heart was pounding and his stomach felt like it was tied into knots. The line began following Longbottom back through the hallway and through the large doors. Simon's mouth fell open in amazement as he stared around the room probably large enough to fit a house. He took in the faces staring at them from four long tables covered in silver plates and goblets before looking at the floating candles above them, then to the fifth table at the end of the room where several adults, obviously the teachers, were sitting. Longbottom led the students to the front of that table so they were facing out at the other students.
Simon let his gaze go up to the head table. In the middle of the table was an aged man with short white hair with a tinge of black, grey eyes, and a handsome face, but the most noticeable thing of him was that he had a small scar over across his eye. Her wore dark grey robes, and had a demeanor of confidence and pure authority.
Longbottom brought out a stool and a hat. He put the hat on the stool and seconds later, it began to sing, shocking some of the first years.
"Oh you may not think me pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find A smarter hat than me.
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.
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;
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 folks 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!"
The hat bowed to the four tables as applause filled the room. Simon and his new friends looked around not really understanding the song.
"Now, first years, when I call your name, you will put on this hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," Longbottom said, looking to the scroll, "Ammos, Samuel."
A short boy with curly blonde hair went up and sat on the stool looking nervous. "Hufflepuff!" yelled the hat, and the Hufflepuff table started clapping and cheering, and the boy went to that table.
"Aphrodite, Melanie!"
A small girl with blonde hair in a ponytail and grey eyes walked up and sat down at the stool looking very excited. The professor put the hat on her head, which then shouted, "Ravenclaw!" And then there was another burst of applause and cheering from another table, the Ravenclaw table. Melanie grinned, hopping off the stool and running to the table.
"Ares, Simon."
Simon swallowed, and then walked up, feeling a little nervous, but he was hoping to be in the same house with his friends. He didn't want make new ones, he like the ones he already had. Simon sat down, and the hat was placed upon his head. He tried to look up at it
"Oh-ho! What do we have here!? A little difficult one? I always like a challenge," said the hat in Simon's mind.
Simon looked around trying to figure where the voice came from. "It's in your mind young Ares." Simon looked up to the hat. "Very new to the Magical world I see. Hmm. Pretty ambitious and intelligent. But there is something else here inside you. You have a lot of courage, same as him. You are very strange and very interesting, Young Ares." Simon looked confused as he wondered what the hat was talking about.
"Gryffindor!" the hat shouted loudly, causing Simon to jump at the voice. The Gryffindor table started clapping as Simon stepped off the stool and walked over to the Gryffindor table, sitting next to a light dark skinned boy who Simon thought looked familiar. He then turned his attention back to the Sorting.
The next student that was next was put into Hufflepuff, and the one after her became another Ravenclaw, and the girl after him became a Slytherin who happened to be Jeffrey Dawson. And the next two girls were both put into Gryffindor, and then the next boy who was put into Hufflepuff.
"Harkness, Gabriel!"
Gabriel wiped his head and exhaled. He walked up to the stool, sat down, and shut his eyes. The hat was put on his head. "Ravenclaw!" it shouted. The Ravenclaw table clapped and Gabriel smiled all the way towards the table and sat down. And a couple of students went up, both thrown in Hufflepuff, and then.
"Longbottom, Alice!"
Alice then nervously moved up to the stool and sat down. Her father smiled at her as he placed the hat on her head, which then shouted, "Gryffindor!" Alice smiled relieved and excitedly walked over to the table and sat down next to Simon.
The next two boys, Markovics and Murphy were then sorted into Slytherin, Then two girls were too sorted into Slytherin.
"Potter, Lily."
Lily went up to the stool a little nervous and excited. "Ravenclaw!" the hat yelled surprisingly. Lily smiled nonetheless and went to her table, waving at Simon and Alice, and sat next to some fellow Ravenclaws, next to Gabriel.
The next boy was put into Gryffindor, and then next boy was put into Slytherin, and the first years group was getting smaller and smaller.
The next girl was sorted into Hufflepuff, but the next girl after her became a Slytherin. The next girl and boy after her both became Gryffindors, and then there were only 8 kids left, including Hugo. The next boy was put into Ravenclaw, and then next boy in Hufflepuff, and then...
"Weasley, Hugo!"
Hugo exhaled and then walked over to sit on the stool, and smirked for some reason when the hat was on his head. And then the hat shouted, "Gryffindor!" Hugo grinned and joined Alice and Simon over at the Gryffindor Table. And then there were 3. One was sorted into Ravenclaw and two into Hufflepuff.
Once the sorting was over, Longbottom put the Sorting Hat and the stool away and sat down at the head table.
The headmaster then stood up with a gentle smile and spoke with a deep and loud voice, "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! Now let's start off another great year at Hogwarts by beginning our feast."
Simon blinked and looked back at the table, grinning to see piles of different foods had appeared. Wondering how it got there, Simon began piling his plate with some of everything. He didn't always eat a lot, but there was a lot of food there and he just couldn't help himself, and began to stuff himself.
As he ate, Simon looked at the other first years. The boys were him, Hugo, a tanned skinned boy named Raphael Ramirez, and an American light skinned boy named Joey Walker who was talking about how he had just moved to London. The girls were Alice, Lori Thomas, Jasmine Greene, and Penelope Grier. Simon sat in between Alice and Raphael with Hugo sitting across from him.
Simon looked up when he heard a rumble in the magical sky in the great hall, something he he hadn't even noticed yet. "What's that?" Simon asked Hugo while pointing to the ceiling.
"Oh, it's bewitched to look like the sky outside," Hugo answered, glancing up at the sky. "Looks like it's going to rain tonight." Hugo and Simon then began to converse about random things, and Simon was having the most fun he had in a long time.
Once the feast was over, Professor Orpheus stood to his feet.
"Ahem," He cleared his throat. "Just a few more words now that all our stomachs are full of food," he said, "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 students, To all students." He said firmly as his eyes lingered over to the Gryffindor table. Simon looked around the table seeing some of the the older Gryffindors looking the other way, some keeping their eyes down, some trying not to laugh.
"I have been asked by Mr. Porter, the caretaker," he waved over to the Great Hall doors. Many students turned to the doors to see a middle-aged man in a sort of three piece muggle suit without a jacket, in a vest with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. There sitting next to him was a husky type dog with bluish grey and white hair, breathing with its mouth open. "To remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors, and that there is a list of banned items on his door of his office.
"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Mister Wood. Captains will need to talk to their head of houses to assign Quidditch try-outs.
"And finally, I must tell you that this year we will be housing a new professor this year. Professor Xander Blake who will be teaching Transfiguration as our last transfiguration teacher has dreadfully passed away." There was a nice and short applause for the new professor who was pretty tall, fit, wore green teacher robes, blonde hair and green eyes. Simon was looking at him, knowing he looked very familiar and then realized with was the man from the train, who saved him from being pummeled by Markovics.
"That is all. Now off to bed with you lot. Prefects don't forget to escort the first years to their dormitories. I'm sure that if you first years have any questions to ask, they will be more than happy to answer them for you." Finished the headmaster.
"First years this way!" yelled the fifth year Gryffindor prefects as everyone got up to leave. The Gryffindor First years walked over to the two prefects. "Hello, I'm Tabitha Spinnet and this is Roger McMillan," she said as she indicated Roger who was standing there looking over the first years. Both were at the same height. Tabitha had sandy brown hair to her shoulder with a peach skin, and a pretty face, with brown eyes. Roger also had brown curly hair but hazel eyes, with a face lightly littered with acne.
The prefects showed the first years everything along the way towards Gryffindor tower, which was all the way up of seven flights of stairs and floors. They then arrived at a portrait of a fat lady wearing a pink dress. "Password?" she asked.
"Cauda Draconis," Tabitha answered. The lady nodded, and the portrait opened.
When they came in, they were in a beautiful room decorated in red and various shades of gold. Near the pathway's exit was a large fireplace, which was currently crackling away and providing heat to the room. In front of it was a red enormous, semi-circular couch that looked as if it could seat a dozen students easily. Other chairs and couches, all looking quite plush and comfortable, were littered about the room, as well. A number of tables were scattered around, as well. All of the first years were stunned at how beautiful and amazing it was. There were already older students already inside. Simon and the others were pretty impressed with they way the room looked.
"Amazing," Simon said quietly. The others silently agreed.
"Now can I have your attention please, I'd like to explain to the first years where they're to be sleeping. Over here, you'll see two staircases. The one on the left leads up to the boys' dormitories, and the one on the right leads up and to the girls' dormitories. First years, you'll come across your rooms first." explained Tabitha waving her arms over to the stairs.
"Right, then! Off to bed with you lot. You'll receive your class schedules tomorrow at breakfast. If you've got any problems, don't hesitate in getting a hold of Tabitha or me. We're prefects and we'll do what we can to help you if need be. There are also other older prefects as well, and even the head boy and girl will help as well," Said Roger.
Simon and Hugo waved bye to Alice who waved back and followed the other two boys up to their dormitories. They walked through the door to their dormitory and looked around. There were four poster beds decorated with red and gold colors. Simon and the others were impressed with the room. Simon changed into his pajamas and lied down onto his new bed, the second from the right. Hugo was to his right, Raphael to his left, and Joey to his far left. Simon smiled as he sunk into his bed. This turned out the best day ever, he thought as drifted off to sleep thinking of the possibilities tomorrow would hold.