Jean's Tale
By Rurple101
Chapter SEVEN
The trip from the station (after the train had pulled in) had been to follow a half-giant named Rubeus Hagrid, across the lake in small boats towards the historical school.
Jean was beyong exicted. Her nerves were tingling and she was happy to be in a place where she wouldn't be bullied for what she was, and that she was special to contain magic.
The half-giant named Hagrid had a kind personality, jean thought after she spoke to him briefly as they walked up the hill underneath the castle. The castle had looked spectacular and in the dark looked warm and inviting.
Jean was the only one fit enough to keep up with the huge man.
"Mr Hagrid?" Jean asked, panting slightly and he smiled warmly at her.
"What's yer name?" he asked gruffly.
"I'm Jean Brown" she replied.
"Oh, are yer Mabel's daughter?" he asked happily.
"You know Mistress Mabel?" she asked, confused.
"Yes! She has mastery in Charms! Don't yer know?" he asked eagerly.
Jean stopped short. "No, she never mentioned it!"
Hagrid smiled kindly at her. "Maybe it was something she didn't want you to see until you were able to perform magic yerself."
"That actually does sound like her" Jean muttered.
Hagrid chuckled and patted her shoulder and she was surprised that she hadn't sunk several feet into the soft ground they walked on.
*They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front doors. Hagrid raised a giant fist and knocked three times on the castle doors.
The door swung open almost immediately, and revealed a thin, black-haired witch in emerald green robes. She had a stern face and came across at once as a strict and professional teacher. Her hat was long black and pointed and she had an ebony wand, poking out of one of her long draping sleeves. The look suited her perfectly.
"The first years, Professor McGonagall" Hagrid said in a slightly hushed whisper, as if he was trying to not speak too loudly and startle her.
"Thank you Hagrid, I shall take them from here, you may join the Great Hall." She dismissed him, in a stern voice that matched her appearance.
Hagrid turned and gave Jean the thumbs up and she smiled. Another friend she may have made.
"Please follow me" Professor McGonagall directed them and without a word, the group of first years followed her silently.
Jean was amazed at the design and articheture of the building and how it appeared to a newcomer such as herself.
There, directly in front of the front doors, was a large and dominating stone staircase that went up to the many higher levels. To the right of the staircase, there was a huge doorway, slightly smaller than the main front doors which had the sound of hundreds of voices.
Jean's nerves kicked in and she grinned, she was so excited!
Professor McGonagall guided them across the flagstone floor, past the noisy doorway which (if her knowledge from her favourite book was correct) was the Great Hall, the centre of Hogwarts and had an enchanted ceiling which reflected the night sky outside.
The first years were lead into an empty classroom down the hallway from the Great Hall. She ushered them in.
"Welcome to Hogwarts" Professor McGonagall said and then said "The beginning of term feast will begin shortly, but first you have to be sorted into your houses. The sorting ceremony is very important here at Hogwarts as while you reside here, your houses will become something like your family. You will go to your lessons by house and you shall have free time in your house common room or dormitories."
"Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and witches. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you points, and any rule breaking will lose points".
"The sorting ceremony will take place in few minutes" Professor McGonagall continued and stated that she would return in a minute and that they might want to "smarten up as you will be on show to the rest of the school".
Jean gulped silently. What would they have to do?
Then her memory calmed her, they were sorted into houses by the sorting hat.
I really need to stop being such a know-it-all, she scowled herself. One of these days, people will think I'm vain and then they won't talk to me!
Jean had finished taming her hair (by pushing it down with her hands frantically) when Professor McGonagall returned.
The chamber went silent when she arrived and without a word, they followed her out in a single line. As they drew closer to the door to the Great Hall, Jean's heartbeat increased until the door automatically opened to reveal the room.
Four long house tables ran down the length of the hall at the end of the hall, was a raised platform where the teacher's table was and that ran across the width of the hall, looking down at the students sitting at the long tables. Above each table were banners, displaying what house the table represented.
Jean looked up and heard others gasp as she did.
The ceiling was exactly as 'Hogwarts; A History' had described it. No picture would have done it justice. The night sky was clear and dark, displaying the stars and some faded clouds theta drifted across the skyline.
As they walked down the hall, she noticed that the other houses were looking at the first years in turn, wondering what students from a glance looked like a Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin.
They grouped at the bottom half of the raised platform and Professor McGonagall strode on top of the steps and then stood beside a stool which was placed in the middle of the hall and perched on top, was an old withered wizard's hat.
There were a few moments of silence, until the hat raised itself and gap near the brim opened and it burst into song:
"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 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 hall burst into applause.
Jean was completely confused, and gauged the meaning of the sorting. It sounded like some childish ritual yet in dark times could be seen as a life or death matter.
Some of the first years behind her were muttering on how they thought they'd have to wrestle trolls to get sorted. She rolled her eyes.
When her name was called ("Brown, Jean!") by Professor McGonagall and she slowly ascended the steps to the stool. She sat on the stool and Professor McGonagall gently placed the hat on her head, closing her eyes shut as she did so.
Then she heard a voice in her ear and she was worried if anybody else heard what the hat was saying.
"Well, well, a very clever young lady here, plenty of knowledge, a lot of courage as well, kindness and oh – a longing for unrequited love? (Jean scoffed) No, I'm sure you will grow to love the boy Miss Brown. You shall do great things and I believe that those great things will be best achieved whilst you are in…RAVENCLAW!"
The hat bellowed the word and a table on the left of the Gryffindor table with a blue and bronze banner clapped wildly and cheered. Jean spotted the fellow three boys she'd met and with one finger to her forehead, she saluted them with a wink.
She sat down at the Ravenclaw table, as she was the first new Ravenclaw and greeted enthusiastically. As the sorting commenced, she watched Lily get sorted and watched her walk towards the Gryffindor table and Jean saluted her as Lily copied her and they exchanged a grin.
Danny, Cedric, Philip and Celia and Delia were all sorted in Ravenclaw she was and they all hugged Jean when they got to the table.
Severus's sorting had been painful to watch, at least she'd thought, with his brains, he'd be sorted into Ravenclaw as well. But when the hat had been there for less than she had, it roared "SLYTHERIN!"
Ah, crap.
Severus caught her eye but she didn't respond to him at all, no salute or smile. Just a stone-dead-cold expression and narrowed eyes. He ducked his head and she saw him mutter something but was too far away to hear it.
Jean enjoyed the feast and hearing more of her friend's tale and family. Cedric had been brought up in a very lavish and exclusive lifestyle while the twins had been experienced to serious poverty, but their mother had now sorted out her issue and they'd have a suitable home to return to for the Christmas holidays.
*ACTUAL extract from HarryPotter&ThePhilsopher'sStone at the end of chapter six.
