Chapter 4- The sorting
Hogwarts , Unplottable location, Scotland, Great Britain.
Sunday the 1st of September 1991.
7:30 PM
As they got to the platform they saw the older students heading to some horseless carriages. They were looking around to see where they should go when a loud voice was heard,
'First' yers . First years ova' here.'
It was a large man with black hair and a beard with beetle like black eyes. He was towering over everybody and holding a lantern, while indicating with his hands to get on the boats in the lake.
The three of them got in a boat with a curly blond-haired boy with soft caramel eyes, who introduced himself as Nicholas Blackwood. The boats took off and Aurora looked up to see the most majestic piece of architecture she'd ever seen. It was a huge castle that seemed to be towering over them, made of stone with huge windows that seemed to shine.
"Heads down!" yelled the giant man whose name she learned was Hagrid, as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.
"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.
"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.
"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.
As she got into the castle Aurora felt a huge rush of magic washing over her. She could practically taste it. By the looks of wonder and awe around her she wasn't the only one.
A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood in the middle of the corridor. She had a very stern face and Aurora's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Aurora could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right - the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, 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 something like 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 will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.
"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."
Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on a red headed boy's smudged nose.
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."
She left the chamber.
Almost immediately everyone began to speak.
'How do they sort us in houses?' she asked Theodore.
'Hmm, I don't know our parents aren't allowed to say for the sake of tradition. It must be a personality test of some sorts' he replied.
The red headed boy who seemed to be eavesdropping on their discussion said loudly 'My brother told me we're going to have to fight a troll'. Aurora seriously thought he was dense if he actually believed that. By the simultaneous snorts of disgusts by her companions, she deducted she wasn't the only one.
As she turned around to look at the paintings on the walls she came face to face with a pale blonde-haired boy and silvery gray eyes. He was flanked by too thick tall boys with rather stupid faces. According to her grandmother's descriptions he should be a Malfoy.
'You must be Aurora Potter. I am Draco Malfoy. Heir to the Ancient House of Malfoy.' He drawled in an arrogant voice. 'And this is Crabbe and Goyle', he added as in an afterthought.
'Pleasure. Aurora Potter. Heiress to the Most Ancient and Noble Houses of Potter and Black', she said taking delight in the way his cheeks turned red from anger. She was quite aware that he was the other person that could have been heir Black had there not been any interference from her godfather. She didn't like the way he felt, too many negative feelings.
'What lies are these' he hissed, 'I am the Black Heir, father told me so'
She showed him her heirship ring. 'Sorry Malfoy dear, but your father must be mistaken.' She said sarcastically.
Before he could say anything, else Professor McGonagall returned.
"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."
Feeling oddly as though her legs had turned to lead, Aurora looked at her companions and could see they were nervous as well. They nodded to each other and got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.
Aurora had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It 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. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Aurora looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. She heard Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."
It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.
Aurora quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty.
In her nervousness Aurora took hold of Blaise's hand and held it tight. He looked like he wanted to say something but then he looked at her pale face and instead squeezed back to reassure her. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:
"Oh, you may not think I'm 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 folk 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 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.
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. A moments pause -
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table.
"Bones, Susan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.
"Boot, Terry!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.
"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Aurora coukd see two red headed twins catcalling.
"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Sometimes, Aurora noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Aurora in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.
"Granger, Hermione!"
Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat.
Interesting Aurora thought. She was sure Hermione would have been a Ravenclaw.
When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. Aurora perked up at the sound of his name. He was her god brother. Blood or not he was family and she would take whatever she could get. With a little work he could go far. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."
Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"
Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself. Seriously him a Slytherin? She was sure he was a Gryffindor with how loud he was, she thought.
There weren't many people left now. "Moon"...,
After that it was Theo, who was under the hat for a full minute before…
SLYTHERIN
She caught his eye and smiled at him while applauding as hard as she could.
Then "Parkinson"..., then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil"..., then "Perks, Sally-Anne"..., and then, at last -
"Potter, Aurora!"
As Aurora stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.
"Potter, did she say?"
"The Aurora Potter?"
'She is so pretty.'
Despite the noises she walked with her back straight and her chin up. The last thing Aurora saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at her. Next second she was looking at the black inside of the hat. She only waited for a second before…
'Hmmm' a raspy voice said 'What do we have here? A metamorphomagus and an empath? What else? You'd prefer a house they wouldn't expect from you. To distance yourself of the title of the girl-who-lived.'
She tensed. 'You won't reveal anything you learn right? Cause if you I'd be the last person you sort Mr. Hat.'
'Again, with the threats' it said in an exasperated way. 'This has to be the thousand time I am threatened. But don't worry dearie your secrets are safe with me. I cannot reveal anything I learn. Yes, before you ask, not even to the headmaster. Now let's go back to the sorting.'
'Let's see then. Loyal to those you deem important to you, but all the friendliness of the badgers will suffocate you and they'll think you are too reserved'
'Ok' she thought. Not that she had anything against the puffs but they didn't seem her style.
'Difficult hmm. You have lots of courage, and you will do well in Gryffindor but they won't accept your more cunning reserved side or your darker interests. You won't be your true self-there. You'll wear a mask all the time.'
'Ravenclaw could be an option but their loyalties are hard to gain. And they are way too antagonistic with each other. You'll need some friends. And you only like specific knowledge.'
'Slytherin though, is where you will prosper and maybe you'll be able to change all the bad publicity the house gets. You are cunning and you want change as well as the power to accomplish it. Don't you Heiress Slytherin? If you change things there the whole magical society will change for the better, I think.' That was fine with her, she preferred Slytherin and Blaise and Theodore would be there too.
'So better be…
SLYTHERIN'.
She took off the hat and it took her only a second to realize that the hall was completely silent. She stood up and started walking with her back straight but after five seconds two pair of hands started clapping, Theo and Blaise. After that it only took a moment for the rest of the house to fall into incredulous yet somehow smug applause. She didn't know how they managed it. It must be some kind of Slytherin secret. The two red headed twins from before, were shouting:
'WE DIDN'T GET POTTER. WHY DIDN'T WE GET POTTER?'
Aurora sat down next to Theo and focused on the sorting even though she felt everyone still looking at her.
And now there were only four people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a Black tall boy joined the rest of the lions at the Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw. Next was the loud and rude red-haired boy, Ronald Weasley, who got into Gryffindor.
Finally, 'Blaise Zabini' joined Slytherin in a matter of seconds. Aurora applauded so hard her hands hurt. Blaise sat to her right side and she smiled at him. Getting a little nod with a half-smile back.
Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.
"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!"
He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Aurora looked at him in distaste. Either the power had gotten into his head and was now senile or he was way too good at playing the odd good nature grandpa. She didn't know and she really didn't want anything to do with him.
Suddenly dishes appeared on the table. And they were impressive. The dishes in front of her were piled with food. She had never seen so many things she liked to eat on one table, and she had seen Mopsey going on a cooking frenzy: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.
Aurora piled her plate with a bit of chicken, salad and potatoes. It was all delicious.
She could feel her housemates looking at her in a way they thought was discreet and trying to analyze her. Even though she was uncomfortable she didn't move an inch. They were predators and if she showed fear she would become prey. Her year mates weren't even trying to be discreet they looked at her every move warily and whispered to each other.
Suddenly their whisperings stopped. She looked up to see the Slytherin ghost, the Bloody Baron. The Baron was very pale and slightly transparent. He had wide, staring, black eyes and a gaunt face. He dressed in robes covered in silver bloodstains and carried chains He also sported a curly powdered wig and carried his sword.
He looked at the first years critically. He seemed to be evaluating them. He looked up and caught her gaze. She nodded at him and said in an even voice,
'Good evening great granduncle.' She was proud she didn't stutter. He was a very intimidating man. She was really happy she listened to the stories of her many great grandfather's Castor or she wouldn't know this very interesting tidbit of information.
His eyes seemed to light up as he looked at her with curiosity. In a hoarse whisper he answered 'Great niece. It seems someone did their research.' He nodded at her and flew away.
Everyone who heard that discussion looked at her with open jaws. Blaise raised an eyebrow and smirked while muttering under his breath to himself 'How many secrets you keep, I wonder?'
Soon after her year mates started introducing themselves.
The girls would be Daphne Greengrass a pure- blood witch with golden hair and sapphire eyes. She was kind of an aloof girl with a stone-cold façade that would be difficult to break. Tracey Davis a half-blood witch with soft curly brown hair and amber eyes. She seemed quite bubbly. Pansy Parkinson, a pure- blood witch with black hair and brown eyes. She was listening to every word out of Draco Malfoy's mouth like it was the most interesting thing in the world. She knew she would avoid her like the plague. Millicent Bulstrode was black-haired pure blood witch and had a heavy, jutting jaw. She had a large, square build that allowed her to physically intimidate smaller people and seemed to be already Parkinson's guard dog.
The boys she already met.
She looked up at the High Table. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore who was smiling merrily with a weird twinkle in his eyes. A professor in an absurd turban was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.
'Theodore?' she asked in a light voice. He turned his head and looked at her 'Who is that professor' she said while shaking her head the professor's general direction.
'Professor Snape, our head of House'.
She jerked slightly at the name. Her head of house was the man her father bullied and her mother stopped hanging out with for being a racist pig? Oh, her school life definitely wouldn't be boring.
At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.
"Ahem - 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."
Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the red headed twins, that were probably Weaseys' too considering their similarities with Ronald.
"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.
"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."
Aurora looked at him suspiciously, what was he planning?
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Aurora noticed that the other teachers and her older housemates' smiles had become rather fixed.
Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.
"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"
And the school bellowed:
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, 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. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.
"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
The Slytherin first years followed Caleb Jugson, the Slytherin fifth year Prefect through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and down the stairs. They walked for approximately fifteen minutes and the got lower and lower. They took turns and walked into hidden doors twice. The air seemed to get chillier. They stopped in front of a wall with a small snake on its upper corner.
'Pureblood' said Jugson and the wall opened to reveal a large room inside. 'Remember the password. It changes every 1st of the month so look at the notice board every so often.'
The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling, from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. Aurora thought they must be under the lake. All around the room were comfortable looking emerald couches and armchairs as well as mahogany tables. Even though the rest of the dungeons were chilly the fireplaces all around the room made the temperature comfortably warm. Aurora quite liked her common room.
Gemma Farley, the Female fifth year prefect started talking 'As you are definitely very tired right now I'll make it short. Tomorrow lessons start at nine o'clock. You'll be here at 7:00 and we'll take you to the Great Hall. Afterwards we'll show you the way to your classes and tell you the Slytherin rules.' She clapped her hands 'Now boys to the left, girls to the right. We'll take you to your rooms. Unlike the other houses we have our own rooms and bathrooms', she said with a small smirk as the first years scrambled to get into lines. 'Each year's rooms connect to a common study room. Moreover, your room will stay the same till the time you graduate so you can change it however you like and the changes will stay. Before you get in you should set a password of your choice. The rooms will just move one level higher as you grow older by the way. Now move along'.
Aurora waved goodbye to Theodore and Blaise and followed the other girls. Her room was the further down the hall. It had her name on it in Black calligraphy. She thought for a minute and then hissed in parseltongue 'Always Pure at Heart'. It was the moto of House Black 'Toujours pur' with a little twist.
Inside the room was plain white. It had a four poster bed with emerald green and silver velvet curtains. A mahogany desk and chair with two shelfs on top. Her trunk was in front of her bed. There was a door that led to the bathroom and another that led to the closet.
Feeling dead tired Aurora changed into her pyjamas and fell into bed. Not even seconds later she was asleep.
A/N. Took me some time but I updated.
For once again I don't own the parts from the book. All rights go to J. K. Rowling.
Please please review. I want to hear your opinions.
Edited: 17/6/18
xoxo
