Chapter 2: A Reason for Everything
Rose
"Clunk!" The wooden boat gently bumped against the shore. Rose leapt out and turned to look at her cousin, Albus, who was still in the boat. Her mouth dropped open. "Were you behind us the whole time?" she cried. "I'm supposed to stay away from you!" Then she stormed over the giant Hagrid to wait. She didn't notice the apologetic look that Albus gave the person Rose had shouted at.
Lead by Hagrid, the group of young witches and wizards started up the winding path leading to the castle. Rose bounced ahead of the others, eager to get inside. Then she stopped short. Why was Scorpius Malfoy in her boat?
Albus had chased him out of their compartment on the train. He had looked scared then. Why would he choose their boat to sit in after that?
Albus ran up to her, gasping for breath. "Why didn't you wait for me?" he panted. "I'm sorry," sighed Rose. "I was a bit upset." "Cheer up Rose, we're here," smiled Albus, looking over her shoulder.
Hagrid trudged to the intricate door and pounded his great fist on it. Then he took a step back as the door opened. A stern looking witch stepped out and ushered all of them inside. Hagrid stomped ahead, and through a large doorway not unlike the main.
The stern witch, Rose knew a Professor McGonagall, lead them straight past the door Hagrid had gone in, and took them to a smaller door next to it.
Rose listened intently to Professor McGonagall's speech about houses and rules. "If you do something good you will earn points and any rule breaking loses points for your house. The four houses are Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff after the witches and wizards who founded Hogwarts. Now I'll go see if they're ready for you. Wait here please."
Rose started fidgeting. Which house would she be in? She would most likely be in Gryffindor, but Ravenclaw was a possibility too. Hufflepuff wouldn't be so bad, but she would die if she were in Slytherin. Her mother would be sad. Willingly accept it, but she would be sad. Her father would hit the roof. He would cut off contact! He would disown her! He would throw her out! He-
"We're ready for you," Professor McGonagall announced, re-entering the room. "Come along."
Rose pushed to the front of the line, dragging Albus with her. She bounced behind the old professor smiling. Of course she wouldn't be in Slytherin; neither would Albus, no matter how much James had teased him.
Professor McGonagall stiffly reached out and opened the beautiful door and led the parade of new scholars into the Great Hall. Rose gasped. Hogwarts, a History didn't do it justice.
There were four student dining tables stretching the length of the hall. The staff table was on a platform at the opposite end of the hall. Students crowded both sides of the dinner tables, staring at the new kids. The ceiling was like a black velvet tapestry of the night sky, stars glittering like jewels on it. Candles floated in the air casting a warm glow over the entire Great Hall.
Rose could see her cousins; James sitting at the Gryffindor table and Victoire at the end of the Ravenclaw. Both were beaming at her and Albus. Her dad's friend, Professor Longbottom was smiling widely and Hagrid looked like he was sitting on two chairs.
When they reached the staff table, Rose turned her attention back to Professor McGonagall, who was taking an ancient hat off a three-legged stool. All the chatting stopped and everyone stared at the old hat. Then the hat began to sing.
"Welcome all to Hogwarts,
You are a charming lot;
You'll go through all your classes,
And show us what you've got.
"Before you take your places,
A house you will be in;
I can see inside your head,
And you'll be placed to win.
"Ravenclaw's are witty,
Hufflepuff's really love,
Slytherin's- very cunning,
Gryffindor's- bravest of above.
"You might be in Gryffindor,
Where brave at heart are placed;
You might be in Ravenclaw,
Where true wit is faced;
"You might be in Hufflepuff,
Where your real friends are;
You might be in Slytherin,
Where you will go far.
"You can't decide where you will be,
Put me on your head,
Because I am the Sorting Hat,
I decide instead."
The Hall erupted with applause for the song that went on for ages before Professor McGonagall was able to quiet everyone down. Then she began to speak again. "When I call your name, please come forward and sit on the stool. Then, when you are assigned to your house, please go to the correct table. Andrews, Eva!"
Rose clapped politely as each person was sorted. She had toned out most of the names until-
"Malfoy, Scorpius!" The blonde boy shakily stepped forward and sat on the stool. Rose was expecting for him to be sorted in a second. On the contrary, the hat was on his head for almost two minutes before Scorpius' house was shouted out. "Gryffindor!"
When Rose heard that, her jaw dropped wide open, while a sick-looking Scorpius trudged over to the Gryffindor table. "What?" she shrieked, then, quieter this time, "Did I say that out loud?" Albus snorted. Professor McGonagall glared hard at her and continued on with the list.
A few names later, Albus' name was called. It didn't take long for the hat to decide that Albus' would be joining his brother in Gryffindor. He threw James a "Dad was right" look and sat down.
Rose's name was the last called and she was getting anxious. She slowly walked up, sat down, and pulled the hat over her head.
"Hmm. You are very clever I see. Plenty of brain, but bravery too. You seem loyal, but cunning too. A difficult placer. You know what you want, and what you want is to not be in Slytherin. But you are a Weasley. You will fit just fine in- Gryffindor!"
The Sorting Hat shouted the last word to the crowd. Smiling happily, Rose bounced to sit next to Albus. She purposely averted looking anywhere near Scorpius.
Professor McGonagall took her place at the front of the Great Hall and waved her arms in the air. At once, the five tables were laden with all kinds of food imaginable.
The were joints of roast, piles of chicken, beef, ham slices; baked potatoes, scalloped potatoes, mashed potatoes; plates of different kinds of vegetables and fruits and sauces to go with it all. Rose smiled. Here was one thing that her father never lied about.
She ate hungrily. The twelve Chocolate Frogs she ate on the train had surprisingly not filled her up. Just when she thought she could eat no more, the dessert course appeared. Pudding, cakes, squares and ice cream of every flavour appeared. Plenty of it found its way onto her plate and into her stomach.
Then Professor McGonagall stood up and gave a longer speech on rules, and then dismissed all the students to go to bed.
Rose sleepily followed alongside Albus, while a Prefect directed them all to the Gryffindor Common Room. "The password is Venomous Tentacula- don't forget it," the stern Prefect told them. The boys' dormitory is on the right and girls on the left.
Rose tottered lazily up the stairs to her new dormitory and fell asleep instantly, her dream only broken by thought of home and the hopefully reformed Malfoy.