Chapter 3 - Time to Sort
The first years looked straight down the long great hall and saw the newly appointed Hogwarts Headmaster, Filius Flitwick sitting in the Headmaster's chair. Albus saw Hagrid sitting next to Flitwick on his right and saw him waving at the first years, especially Rose and Albus. All the students were sitting at their house tables and
Albus looked straight towards James and Fred sitting in the middle of the Gryffindor House table. They both grinned at Albus as he walked through the centre of the great hall, but Albus, overcome with nerves, didn't reciprocate the grin and just smiled faintly back at the two boys. Albus saw quite a few of his cousins as well sitting in their houses.
He looked to the Ravenclaw table and saw his second eldest cousin Molly Weasley, his uncle Percy and aunt Audrey's daughter, who was in her sixth year at Hogwarts. She waved to Albus and gave him a smile.
He also saw his oldest cousin, Victoire Weasley, sitting at the Gryffindor Table. She smiled at Albus as he walked past her and she wished him good luck. He smiled at her with the same faint smile he had smiled at James and Fred with. Victoire also waved to Rose who she had always gotten along well with.
Albus looked to Scorpius, who was walking on his left, and noticed he was looking over at the Slytherin Table over to where the boys who glared at them on the Hogwarts Express were sitting. They were glaring at Albus as he walked through the Great Hall and they were also glaring at Scorpius. Albus didn't think about this for very long as he was so nervous about the sorting that he couldn't focus on anything for too long.
Albus looked above him and was staring at the ceiling in amazement. It looked like there was no roof.
"It's bewitched to make it look like the sky, my mother told me." Rose said to the girl walking next to her.
They continued to walk through the Great Hall, until they had reached the end of the house tables. The first years all bunched together and were standing directly in front of the new headmaster, Filius Flitwick. The teachers of Hogwarts all smiled at the first year students and Hagrid smile was the biggest.
Professor Longbottom, who had been walking in front of them, was now standing next to a vacant wooden stool. Professor Longbottom pulled out the Sorting Hat from thin air which amazed the nervous first years. He pulled out a huge parchment from his robe which fell to his feet. Albus looked at the parchment and knew he would be down the bottom, 'P' was one of the last letters in the alphabet so Albus would be one of the last first years to be sorted. The sorting hat had facial figures on it, it had two slits that were eyes and it also had a mouth. It was exactly how Albus imagined the hat to look like, just the colour of the hat was slightly faded from what Albus imagined it as.
Albus was now feeling like he was going to be sick. His stomach was overflowing with butterflies and his nerves were becoming overwhelming. Albus looked to see how Scorpius was feeling but Scorpius was still looking over towards the Slytherin table seemingly distracted. Albus realised that something was going on between the Slytherins and Scorpius. Albus didn't think about it for very long though and before long the first name was called out.
"Sarah Armitage" Professor Longbottom called out.
A short girl with long brown hair walked up to the stool and sat on it, Professor Longbottom put the Sorting Hat on her head and after about 30 seconds the Sorting Hat shouted "Ravenclaw!" All the Ravenclaws cheered as Sarah walked up to their table and sat down.
As the crowd of first years at the front of the hall got smaller and smaller due to more students getting sorted Albus got more and more nervous. He was now not sure if he could make it, he felt like he was going to be sick... The anticipation and adrenaline was certainly not helping him.
Albus saw a few familiar faces among the first years, Louise Finnegan, who Albus knew was the daughter of one of his dad's friends, was sorted into Gryffindor. Ella Corvin, whose dad worked with Albus' dad at the ministry was also sorted into Gryffindor, Albus thought Ella was remarkably pretty and he blushed when she smiled at him.
Albus, Scorpius and Rose were standing there together and more and more first years were getting sorted.
"Scorpius Malfoy" called Professor Longbottom loudly to the Great Hall.
Albus quickly turned to the boy on his left and saw he was already up at the chair, quickly striding the hat. Professor Longbottom put the hat on his head and the Sorting Hat and Scorpius looked like they were arguing.
Scorpius wasn't happy with the Sorting Hat and the Sorting Hat didn't seem to be particularly friendly with Scorpius and as the sorting got further along they seemed to be arguing more and more. Albus presumed that the Sorting Hat wanted Scorpius to be in Slytherin, while Scorpius had other ideas about his selection. The Sorting of Scorpius went for at least 10 minutes before the Sorting Hat had made his final decision as to his house.
The suspense was killing Albus and he wasn't sure if Scorpius would get his wish to not be sorted into Slytherin. After all, his whole family was sorted into Slytherin.
The Sorting Hat had made his decision and yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Surprisingly, There was as much applause from the Gryffindor's for Scorpius as anyone else. However, there were noticeably a few Gryffindor's not too impressed with the new addition to the house. Scorpius sat next to Ella Corvin with a grin on his face, clearly relieved he had not been sorted into Slytherin. Two students were sorted into Hufflepuff rather quickly after Scorpius' sorting.
Albus was extremely anxious, nervous and excited all at the same time as he waited for his name to be called out. The anticipation was killing Albus.
Albus was holding his breath and then Professor Longbottom shouted "Albus Potter".
Albus walked up to the chair and he felt like he had been here so many times, he had been here in his nightmares and his dreams for the past few weeks. Albus took a deep breath and sat down on the stool, he had butterflies in his stomach and nerves all through his body before he cleared them out and cleared his mind.
Professor Longbottom placed the hat on Albus' head and as soon as the hat hit his head, Albus heard a voice.
"Albus Potter eh? I remember your father, Gryffindor wasn't he? And so is your Mother and her family? Your brother as well eh? Well, maybe we should go for a bit of a change then, make you an individual in your family. You want to be different from your father and mother don't you boy? I can help you with that. What about Ravenclaw, you certainly have the brains for it, it would help you become an individual, your also witty which will help. You are very intelligent aren't you Albus! Or what about Hufflepuff, you are greatly loyal but you could do better in another house. Maybe Slytherin, I was close to putting your father in Slytherin, maybe I should make amends. Your very ambitious and your cunning, yes very cunning and also deceiving."
"Though you certainly are brave aren't you boy? Your courageous as well, very courageous indeed. You are very shy and quiet also, so maybe Gryffindor isn't the right place for you, you need to be confident to be in Gryffindor. Maybe Ravenclaw or Slytherin? Two very respectable houses, they could do great for you. Maybe Ravenclaw is a good place to get out of that shadow of your parents and will help you become an individual. You could be great and intelligent in Ravenclaw you know."
"Maybe Slytherin, But I see, you don't want to be in Slytherin? Been worrying about it for a bit haven't you boy? Ravenclaw, Slytherin or Gryffindor? Well then I guess you should be in … GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor's cheered louder than anybody sorted before in the house and Albus saw Victoire, James, Fred and many of his cousins on the Gryffindor table cheering for him. Albus let a sigh of relief and felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He was now a Gryffindor, where he had wanted to be his whole life, where he belonged, he felt like it was his destiny!
However, the Sorting of houses still went on. Ryan Brant was sorted into Slytherin as well as David Richardson. Jasper Thomas, who Albus had also met because their fathers were friends, was sorted into Hufflepuff.
Professor Longbottom yelled "Rose Weasley!"
Rose walked up to the chair and just before the hat had touched her head it yelled "Gryffindor!" Rose received a loud applause from her cousins on the Gryffindor table and Albus was glad to see his cousin join him on the Gryffindor table.
He knew Rose was glad to be a Gryffindor and she seemed that she had also had a weight lifted off her shoulders.
The sorting ended as Callan Yamper was sorted into Hufflepuff, Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic, stepped up in front of the students to speak.