Chapter 4
Just as Jade was coming back into their compartment a voice echoed through the train behind her, "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train; it will be taken to the school separately."
The three young girls were becoming more nervous by the second. They all got up and moved into the corridor and followed the crowd outside onto the platform. As they were crowding on to the platform, a lamp could be seen bobbing over the students head and a voice saying, "First years this way! First years!"
A man with a large beard appeared over the students directing them towards a path by the station.
"C'mon first years, this way please. All first years follow me!" said the large man. They followed him down a steep path that on either side was so dark there was no way to tell what was there.
"You're 'bout to see Hogwarts in just a sec, right 'round this corner," Said the man. He was very tall and could be seen by all the new students following him. He was definitely one hard man to miss in a crowd.
A moment of silence pasted over them each as the castle came into view then whispered chatter rose up over the crowd as they descended to the approaching shore.
"No more than four to a boat!" the large man said as they got closer to the boats at the shore.
Eve, Raven, and Jade all climbed into a boat. Eve and Jade sat next to each other while Raven choose to sit behind them. Out of nowhere the boats started to move on there own across the vast lake in front of them. It was a beautiful view that lay before them as they moved slowly across the lake towards the magnificent castle.
As they came closer to the castle they moved closer to the cliff it sat upon. When it looked as though they were going to crash into it the man they had all followed shouted, "Heads down!"
They all did as they were told. There was a curtain of ivy covering an entrance they passed through and went into a dark tunnel that looked to pass right underneath the castle itself. They soon came upon a harbor of sorts and climbed out onto the shore.
The large man directed them to a nearby staircase in the rock. They followed him until it came out onto soft grass just beside the castle they had seen on their way over. They then proceed to a flight of stone steps that led to large oak doors.
"Is everyone here? Good then, here we go," said the large man as he pushed open the doors.
The doors swung opened to show a tall, dark haired woman in emerald-green robes. She had a very stern face and from the way she held herself you would not want to cross her by any means, while also trying to gain her approval.
"First years, this is Professor McGonagall," said the large man.
"Thank you Hagrid, I've got them from here," said Professor McGonagall. Hagrid nodded and walked into the castle.
She walked back into the entrance hall. The hall was so big that it was almost big enough to fit Eve's home into. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches and the ceiling was so high you couldn't see it clearly in this light. There was a large marble stair case facing them that Eve was sure led to the higher levels.
The students followed the Professor across the flagged stone floor. They could hear the sound of hundreds of voices from the doors to their right but she led them to a small empty chamber off the hall. The students crowed into the room, closer than they preferred but didn't notice for how nervous they are.
"Welcome to Hogwarts, 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. Your house will be like your family. There are four houses. They are; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you are here your triumphs will earn you points, any rule breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points wins the house cup. In a few minutes the Sorting Ceremony will take place in front of the rest of the school so I suggest you prepare yourselves," said Professor McGonagall. She scanned the students then left the chamber. Chatter amongst the students started tem moment she was gone.
"I'm so nervous," Jade said as soon as the door shut. Jade had turned to Raven and Eve to talk while the rest of the students quietly chatted amongst themselves.
"I remember her she was the one who came to my orphanage a day after I got my letter from Hogwarts. She's nice but stern," Raven said, a bit of her nervousness coming out in her voice.
"I meant to ask how you were able to get your things but now that's been answered," Eve said with a little smirk. "So she went with you to buy all your school supplies."
"Yes, she was very nice and patient about everything." Raven said with respect thinking of Professor McGonagall.
"Oh, that's great she did that for you Raven. Do you guys know how we will be sorted? My brother said this magical hat puts you in the different houses. I don't really understand it though. How does some magical hat decide which house you belong," Jade rambled on. Her nervousness was coming out of her through her mouth. Not that they didn't figure out that was going to be a common thing with her.
"My brother said it can see into your mind. See what your personality is like and what you like and a bunch of other things," Eve said to answer what Jade was asking.
"Everybody goes into a house right? Nobody is sent home if it doesn't sort you?" Raven asked nervously. She was afraid of being sent back to the orphanage if she wasn't put into a house.
At hearing this Jade and Eve looked at Raven and smiled. They both realized that is what Raven has been thinking about this whole time when she would go quiet.
"Raven," Eve said with sympathy and kindness. "Nobody has every not been sorted. You won't be sent home I promise." Eve was hoping that had helped reassure Raven but wasn't too sure if it had.
"Yeah, you belong here that's why you were sent a letter and Professor McGonagall came and helped you with buying supplies," Jade said to Raven grabbing her hand to give it a little squeeze.
Just as they were about to say more reassuring things to Raven Professor McGonagall returned and said, "It's time, please form a line and follow me." The students did as they were told and followed after her. Raven, doing what she did before at the boats, put Jade and Eve in front of her as they left the room back to the hall and to the double doors that led into the Great Hall.
When they entered their eyes moved to look above them, for there where thousands of candles floating above their heads and the ceiling looked like the night sky. Below the candles, on the floor were four long tables filled with students from the doors almost to the end of the tables at the opposite end of the room. Gold plates and goblets lined the tables from end to end.
Professor McGonagall led them to a table at the end of the hall facing them with teachers seated along it.
As they came to the end of the tables alongside them the Professor said, "Wait along here please."
She walked over to the wall to collect something but nobody was paying much attention to her because the first years were to nervous and just shuffled there feet and shot little glances around the hall. When she returned to them, they all looked up to see her placing a stool and an old raggedy hat atop it.
Everyone stared silently at the hat and waited. The hat twitched which surprised the first years. A rip near the bottom of the hat opened and the hat started to sing:
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see.
I'm most certainly the smartest hat
You will ever meet.
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're 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!"
Almost seconds after the song was finished the hall broke out into applause. The hat bowed to each table and became still again. Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will come forth, sit, and I will place the sorting hat upon your head to sort you," she said to the students. After this Eve didn't really listen to the names being called her mind was only going to pick up her and her friends names.
A minute or so after she had started they heard, "Greengrass, Jade!"
Jade froze; Raven and Eve gave her a little push to get her to move up to the stool. She sat down and Professor McGonagall put the hat on her head and they waited.
"Ravenclaw!" the hat shouted. It only took a few moments for it to decide.
The table to the far right of them roared. Eve noticed there was one person in particular who cheered the loudest while she walked over to him. She sat next to what Eve guessed to be her older brother because of how similar they looked.
After that she continued calling names. Not long after Jade was called Eve heard the one thing she was most nervous about, "Night, Evelyn!" Students in the hall, hearing the names started to chatter a little and some giggled at the name.
Raven remembered how nervous Eve was, grabbed her hand and gave it a little squeeze. Eve, knowing that Raven was probably more nervous and scared than she was, squeezed back and gave her a little smile before she walked up to the stool.
When the hat was placed upon her head she heard a voice speak inside her mind, "Oh Night huh. Well let me see you are very intelligent, you have a very eager mind, and so was I believe your older brother. Well then…" Through the entire hat talking, only Eve could hear it so when it shouted, "Ravenclaw!" it made her jump almost out of her skin.
Professor McGonagall took it off her head and she walked over to join Jade and the other Ravenclaws. When she reached the table she sat next to Jade who hugged her before she barely had a chance to sit down.
"Oh, I'm so glad you're with me in Ravenclaw!" she almost shouted into Eve's ear. Eve would have shaken hands with the other students around her but she was worried about Raven being by herself up there.
A few moments past as others were called up and sorted as they waited for Raven. Then almost 5 minutes later what the two had been waiting for happened.
"Stone, Raven!" was yelled out. Her friends sat quietly there as she walked up to the stool and had the sorting hat placed upon her head.
It took less than a minute for the hat to decide when it shouted, "Ravenclaw!"
Eve and Jade were so happy they screamed and jumped up and down in their seats for how happy they were. Raven walked over to her friends and sat across from them. She shook hands with a few people already seated at the table with her.
Eve, now that her friends were sorted, looked up at the table that sat the teachers. At the end nearest them sat the large man known as Hagrid and at the center of the table next to an empty chair, Eve guessed was for Professor McGonagall, looked to be the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Her brother told her of most of the teachers he had when he was at Hogwarts and the very famous headmaster.
At the last name called, Professor McGonagall rolled up the scroll and took the stool with the hat away. When she joined the table of teachers Professor Dumbledore stood up and looked out at the students.
"Welcome, students! A new year has started at Hogwarts and I know how hungry you must be so that is all I will say for now so let's eat! Thank you!" he said. As soon as he was seated the plates and goblets in front of them filled with food and drinks.
All the foods Eve could think of appeared before her: roast beef, chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and peppermint humbugs.
They dug in and ate all they wanted and all they could. Just then a ghost appeared out of the table a little down from them. It was a beautiful young woman. She stopped to talk to a few students she had come up by. Eve wasn't as surprised as Raven at this because her brother had told her many things about what lived in the castle along with them.
When everybody was finishing up eating dinner the plates cleared back to the shiny clean plates that were there before they appeared with food. Now they filled with about as many different desserts as foods.
Eve and her friends eat their fill on desserts just as they did with the food from before.
Just as Raven and Eve were helping themselves to some chocolate ice cream students started talking about their families and blood.
Jade being the most talkative of most of the students was first, "I'm pureblood along with my brother here. Eve, Raven, tell my brother about yourselves so he'll stop bugging me about it."
The boy Jade was talking about was her brother, who was one year older than her. He was taller than her by a good few inches and was even taller than Raven by a couple of inches. He had short, slightly curly blonde hair, almost like his sisters. He wasn't as pale and doll like as Jade because he looked more active and had a slightly sharper look to his face.
He had been speaking softly trying to get information about his sisters new friends. However, Jade being who she is, decided to just make him work for it.
Raven being more comfortable now spoke first, "I'm a muggle born and hope we can be friends," she said to the boy Jade had pointed at when she was telling then to talk.
"Oh it's a pleasure to meet you Raven I'm Shayne Greengrass at your service," he said to her. He smiled very charmingly to them with encouragement. He then looked to Eve for her to reply.
Eve was shy about talking to the boy but swallowed it as best she could and said, "I'm mixed but closer to pure-blood. My brother was in Ravenclaw a year ago." Eve thought it was enough with that and looked back down at her plate, now to finish eating her ice cream and treacle tarts.
"Oh, really that's awesome. If he was here last year I might have met him. What's his name, maybe I've heard of him before?" he asked her. He could tell she was shy and was hoping to bring her out a bit more.
"It's Jonathan. Jonathan Night," Eve replied. She looked at him to see if he had heard of the name before. Apparently he had.
"Jonathon Night, Jon? Yeah I know him. He was a great quidditch player when he went here. That's so cool Eve, right?" he said to her.
"Uh yeah," she replied.
Eve saw the smile and look of recognition on his face to know he was telling the truth. She wasn't surprised at this because she knew Jon was very popular while at Hogwarts. The amount of letters he got on breaks can attest to it.
When Eve was starting to get tired from eating her fill Professor Dumbledore stood and said to the students, "Ahem, before I send you off to bed I have a few start of term notices I wish to tell you. First years should note that the dark forest on the grounds is forbidden to all. I have been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you that no magic should be used in the halls between classes. Also quidditch trails will be held in the second week of this term. Anyone interested should contact Madam Hooch."
"And finally let us sing the school song!" At this he waved his wand. A long golden ribbon flew from the tip of his wand, then rose high overhead and twisted into words. "And off we go!"
The entire school began to sing, in different tones and pitches:
"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."
Everyone finished at different times and Dumbledore conducted them till everyone was finished.
Eve and her friends enjoyed singing the school song not matter how silly it might sound.
"Ah, well now that was lovely. Alright, everyone off to bed, pip pip," said Professor Dumbledore.
"First years follow me," could be heard coming from every table as the prefects gather them to take to the common room.
The Ravenclaw first years stood up and followed an older boy that directed them out of the hall. They walked up the marble staircase they had passed when they first entered the hall that night. Instead of going up the stairs to his left he directed them down and into a passage at his right from the top of the marble staircase.
Eve and her friends were becoming tired from the long journey and all the food they ate. She followed the other students through a few more corridors and doors that brought them to a spiral staircase that went up as far as she could see. At the moment that wasn't very far, because the only light being admitted was from the fires on torches and lamps hanging around the castle.
They walked up the stairs for what seemed like forever till the boy stopped them. They all gathered around a plain wood door that had a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle on it.
The boy turned to them and said, "This is the only entrance and don't forget this is the 5th floor. To enter the dormitory you have to answer a question, its quiet simple. Let's see if any of you can get it right." He then reached up to the knocker and knocked once.
The mouth of the eagle opened and in a soft, musical voice said, "What came first the seed or the flower?"
Eve thought through the question but before she could answer another student said in hast to answer first, "The seed because you can't have flowers before a seed."
Everyone stood still waiting for the door to open but nothing happened.
At this the boy said, "Guess not, any others?" He looked around at the first years hoping one of them would be able to answer.
Eve felt she knew the answer but didn't want to be like the boy but she was feeling the hour and really wanted to go to bed. Tiredness got the better of her.
So she spoke up and said, "Well a cycle has no beginning." A few of the students near her looked to her when she spoke along with Jade and Raven. They were surprised she answered because of how shy they thought she was.
"Nicely put," said the voice from the knocker and the door swung open.
The students filled in and when Eve walked past the prefect he patted her on the back before he had them all gather around the room.
The Ravenclaw common room was a wide and circular room that was very airy. There were large arched windows in the walls with long blue and bronze silks hanging from the tops of them. When Eve looked up to the ceiling there were stars which matched the midnight blue carpet they were standing on. There were tables, chairs, bookcases, and in a column opposite were they entered was a large white marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw. This stood on what seemed to be a ledge in the middle of a railing half way across the room.
"As I hope most of you know this is Rowena Ravenclaw," said the boy. "Right now we are standing on the loft over the study area. This is the bulletin board that will tell you any news regarding quidditch, classes, and other things you yourself may post here." He was pointing at a large board on the wall to their right.
"No follow me," he said as he walked down a staircase to their left that brought them to a living room area with couches, a few tables between them, and a few other comfortable chairs. The windows starting form Eve's left after descending the stairs, showed the vast night sky. When they all were down the stairs they could see a large fire place right under the column that the statue was under, to their right. They could see behind it a study area with bookcases, desks, and chairs.
"Here is where you can relax and over there is the study area," he said as he moved over to the study area. "And behind the bookcase to my right is the girls' dormitory and same for the boys on the left. You may all go to bed now and tomorrow become more acquainted with the common room and other students. You'll also find that your things have been brought up and put in your rooms."
Eve and her friends, being very tired by this point walked with the rest of the girls and opened the secret door to the dormitory to find their rooms. They walked down the staircase and every few steps was a door for a room with three to four beds in each. At about the fifth door Jade walked into the room and motioned for Raven and Eve to follow having found it was their room.
"Oh I'm so tired I could sleep for days," Jade said as the three walked into the room. When they entered they saw a heater in the middle of the room surrounded by a wardrobe and desk for each bed that was in its own nook in the wall. The beds had blue with bronze trim bedding with blue and bronze curtains that had little stairs on them. Each nook also had its own window and curtains to match. The three beds lined the wall well enough that they almost reached the door. The room had plenty of space between the heater and the beds to the walls.
They figured out whose bed was whose by were their trunks were placed by the wardrobes. Eve walked to hers on the left side of the room while Raven and Jade moved to theirs. She changed and went to bed almost as fast as it took them to fall asleep.
Well another chapter up! Let me know what you guys think. It helps me determine in which way to further the story and whether or not I need to pick it up.
Thank you all for staying with me thus far and I will try to update regularly. ;)
