Orion quickly shook Cello awake. The train had arrived at Hogwarts and Cello had fallen asleep only a short while after meeting Corin and Dante. Embarassing as it was, Cello shook himself away and wiped the sleep out of his eyes. Now that they were so close to their school, he felt the anxiety rise up in his stomach and take over his thoughts.
What if Maje makes fun of me? What if he doesn't like me anymore? What if Orion decides to leave me and I've got no friends?
It was only when two hands found themselves on Cello's shoulders, guiding him out the doorway that he felt his mind go blank. It was like a dream, not being able to think such bad thoughts. Cello looked over his shoulder and flushed. Corin's dark eyes met his own pale ones and he immediately felt ten times better. He smiled at the boy, feeling a warm fluttery feeling when he returned the gesture, and decided not to dwell on these new feelings. He most likely had that effect on everyone that he met.
There were so many kids of all ages pushing and shoving and trying to find their way around, it was a wonder that Cello and his friends were able to find the tall giant of a man.
"Firs' years over here!" he screamed, towering over everyone. He wasn't hard to spot, Cello thought happily, and he seemed nice enough. If all the staff here were like him he was bound to have a good time here at Hogwarts.
Cello, Orion, and the two mysterious brothers piled into one small boat with a lantern off the bow and watched in wonder as the boats seemed to row themselves across the expanse of the lake.
Leaning over the edge precariously, Cello gazed up at the giant school. It was pointy and thin with great gothic architecture carved into the sides of the building. Gargoyles seemed to move and look at the students passing underneath the first stone archway and stars guided their way and reflected off the dark surface of the lake. Cello thought that the whole scene must have come out of a poetry book.
He was sad to see the boats go, however, once his feet hit the ground and all of the skinny, scared-looking first year student all huddled together and talked in hushed voices.
"They're doing the Hogwarts theme in there," Dante hissed underneath his breath. "I've heard it before on a broadcast. Supposedly we'll be singing it next year. After a speech from the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, we will be allowed inside and will be sorted."
Corin nodded. "And then the feast!"
Cello's stomach growled. It had been an entire day and the only thing he had to eat was in the morning. He couldn't even remember what it was. Orion poked him hard in the side, pointing over to a group of children.
"Look!" she whispered. "That's Harry Potter!"
Cello followed her point and saw a very scrawny looking boy with messy black hair standing with his back towards them. "You don't know that's him," he accused. "If it was, why aren't more people gathered around him?"
Orion shrugged. "Too obsessed with their own problems right now?"
Before Orion could say anything more, the two great doors opened, letting in the steady stream of children. A tall, wiry looking woman looked down at them all with a stern eye. "Follow inside, single file. They will call you and you will be sorted into your appropriate house."
"Don't they usually do this in alphabetical order?" Corin asked Dante, who only shrugged.
Cello slipped in line behind his sister and in front of Corin. It seemed as though they would be some of the last ones to be sorted, which was fine by him. Another wave of anxiety was rearing its head and it seemed as though there was double amount of the stress floating in the air. No doubt the negative energy in the room was strong. No one liked first years and everyone was stressing out about what house they would be placed in.
"Gryffindor!" the hat cried to a bushy-haired girl. She looked absolutely overjoyed at the news and bounded over to the table as it cheered.
"I hope we get into the same house," Cello said to Corin, turning around in line. By now, they only had about two more people to go before it was their turn.
"Me too," Corin replied, not taking his eyes off of the old hat.
"Harry Potter!" the hat cried. The room went silent as all eyes went up to the front of the room.
There he was, the boy-who-lived himself. Cello had heard stories about him but never seen him, not even in papers. It seemed that wherever he was living in the wizarding world, it was very low profile. Cello couldn't blame him. If he was that famous he would probably be far too embarrassed to show his face anywhere.
He drug his feet walking up the hat, looking as though he simultaneously wanted this to last a second and forever.
He sat on the stool and waited for what seemed like an hour.
"Gryffindor!" it shouted finally.
He looked ecstatic.
The whole Gryffindor table erupted into cheers as he ran down to join them.
Another boy for Gryffindor later, Cello heard Orion's name be called. She walked up there fast—a jog, really, and sat down on the worn stool, looking hopefully at the hat. She made a face of surprise, before her normal smile returned to her face.
'Don't be slytherin, don't be slytherin…' Cello hoped.
"Slytherin!" the hat cried.
'Damn,' Cello inwardly cursed. 'Now I'm doomed to be alone, I just know it. Her and Maje will kick it off like they always do and I'll be alone.'
They called Cello up next and he walked up to the hat like it was a death sentence. In his mind, it was. A death sentence to a life of solitude. He sat down on the stool and waited as the hat was placed on his head and fell down over his eyes. He felt it picking through his brain.
"Oh, and interesting heritage," he heard its voice purr in his ear. "Very good. You know slytherin would truly bring out the beast in you."
Cello bit his lip. 'Heritage? Beast? What is it talking about?' he thought. 'I don't want to be in slytherin. I'll be alone.'
"Alone, you say? In Gryffindor you make friends for life. But I don't see that in you. Oh yes, well I know where you'll do nicely," its voice sounded very assured.
"Hufflepuff!"
For a moment, Cello was stunned into silence. Hufflepuff? He hadn't thought about that house before. Perhaps that was where he truly belonged.
Tarfish: whew! got done another chapter. I originally wrote this on gmail and then it deleted itself... I was very mad BUT NO WORRIES NOW BECAUSE CELLO HAS BEEN SORTED.
Death: To hufflepuff of all things...not that there's anything wrong with hufflepuffs...anyway next you see Corin and Dante's side of things and they'll get sorted.
PLEASE REVIEW!