Chapter Four
The Sorting Ceremony

They jumped off the train onto the tiny, dimly lit platform that was Hogsmeade station, as a gruff, booming voice called from the far end of the platform:

'Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here! All right Lucy, Fred?' Hagrid shouted out to James' two cousins, as they hurried to meet the horseless coaches. 'Victoire, congratulations on makin' Prefect, knew you 'ad in in yeh!'

'Thanks Hagrid!' she replied, before hopping into a coach.

'James!' Hagrid boomed suddenly, making Matthew jump beside him. 'Yeh all right?'

'Hey Hagrid,' replied James.

'Righ' then, follow me firs'-years. Down the steps 'ere to the boats.'

They all followed Hagrid down the slippery steps down to the edge of the vast, black lake. There was a little hut ahead, with fifteen or so little wooden boats moored outside it.

'If yeh look across the Lake, yeh'll be able ter see yer firs' look at Hogwarts,' Hagrid called out, making his way down to the boathouse.

There were many 'oohs' and 'aahs' as they turned the corner and saw a glittering castle covered with many turrets and battlements, on the opposite side of the lake. They all climbed into a boat – four in each – and then set off across the glistening surface. James was sat with Matthew, a red haired girl who was jabbering rapidly about Hogwarts, and a boy with curly black hair and a bored expression on his face.

They ducked as the fleet of boats passed under a rocky outcrop and into an underground tunnel of some kind. Eventually, the boats all stopped at a bit of rock sticking out from the cave wall, which seemed to form a kind of makeshift underground harbour.

'Righ' then, get out and we'll head up to the Great 'All fer yer sorting.'

They followed Hagrid along another slippery path which wound its way along the edge of the cave and up to a large set of double doors. Hagrid knocked on them twice, and they swung open, revealing a tall man with a cheerful, friendly face. He was dressed all in crimson robes, carrying a battered old hat under his arm.

'Professor Longbottom,' said Hagrid, 'the firs' years.'

'Thank you, Professor Hagrid,' he said, 'head on up to the Hall. I'll take them from here.'

Hagrid hurried off up the sweeping marble staircase to the right of the Entrance Hall as Professor Longbottom ushered them all across the Hall to the vast set of double doors opposite.

'Right then, through here is the Great Hall,' he said, 'where you'll all be sorted into your Houses. Consider your Houses to be like your families while you're at Hogwarts. You'll sleep in the House dormitories, eat with your House, and spend much of your free time in the House common rooms. Teachers can give you House points for your triumphs, whilst they can be taken away for any rule-breaking. Your House Prefects will be able to guide you and answer any questions you may have, as can your Heads of House. I am Head of Gryffindor House, Professor Flitwick is Head of Ravenclaw House, Professor Fletchley for Hufflepuff, and Professor Venenum for Slytherin.'

'Sorted? Isn't it just random?' Matthew whispered to James.

'No. They put that hat on your head and it shouts out which House you'll be in,' James replied, pointing at the battered hat Professor Longbottom was holding.

Matthew huffed and looked away. Evidently, he had taken James' reply to be sarcasm, which was really fair enough, all things considered.

'All ready?' Professor Longbottom said, gaining a few murmurs of assent in response. 'Well then, in we go.'

He waved his wand, and the huge doors in front of them swung open, revealing the most magnificent hall imaginable. Along its length were four enormous tables, full of chattering students who fell silent as Professor Longbottom passed them. James spotted Fred, Lucy, and Teddy at the Gryffindor table and gave them a nervous wave.

'Where's the ceiling?!' Matthew said suddenly, in a shocked voice.

James looked up, past the thousands of floating candles which lit the Hall, at the roof. It was a dark shade of blue, with wisps of cloud rolling over it, occasionally masking the twinkling stars.

'It's not real,' replied James. 'It must just be enchanted or something.'

'Mind that tile!' came a shout from Professor Longbottom at the front, as he stepped around a darker coloured slab of stone set in the floor. 'If you stand on it Professor Rumina will be predicting your death for the next seven years.'

James looked down at the tile as he walked past, and saw with a jolt of surprise that it was inscribed:

On this spot on the second day of May, 1998, the dark wizard Voldemort was defeated by Hogwarts student, Harry James Potter. This stone remains here as a commemoration, and as a reminder of the sixty-one Hogwarts students and teachers who lost their lives during the Battle of Hogwarts.

As he passed it, he heard someone snort behind him. It was a tall boy, with short dark brown hair and a gaunt, angular face. He was pointing at the slab and laughing. James frowned before quickly looking back. Eventually, everyone came to stop in front of a rickety little stool, on top of which Professor Longbottom placed the hat. Matthew glanced at James side-on. Suddenly, a rip near the brim of the hat opened wide, and it began to sing.

I'm sure you think I'm tatty, torn, and old,
But you mustn't judge on what you see,
For I'm sure you'll never find a smarter hat than me.

Now I'll tell you that there's nothing I can't see,
Inside your head there's nothing 'scured from me,
Since I must tell you where you ought to be.

It might be Gryffindor for you,
If you're daring, brave, and strong;
Or perhaps in Hufflepuff,
For the patient, just, and loyal.

Yet still maybe it's Ravenclaw,
Where they're wise and of an open mind;
Or maybe you'll fit in Slytherin,
With those cunning, zealous folk.

So in short just try me on,
For there is no need to fear me,
I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat!

As the Hat finished, the whole Hall burst into applause. James turned to see Matthew gaping at the Hat, mouthing silently.

'I thought you were joking,' he whispered.

After a few seconds the Hall fell silent again, and Professor Longbottom pulled out a roll of parchment from his robes.

'I'll call your name, and then you'll sit on the stool and be sorted,' he called. 'Abbott, William!'

A little boy with blonde hair stumbled past James and Matthew and clambered up onto the stool. Professor Longbottom dropped the hat over his head, and it fell down so that it covered his whole face, causing a small titter of laughter.

'GRYFFINDOR!' shouted the Hat, after a moment's pause.

The Gryffindor table erupted in applause, clearly pleased to get the first new student. James watched as William half-ran across the hall and seated himself next to Teddy.

'Avery, Marcus!'

The Hall fell silent again as the tall, gaunt boy who had been laughing earlier sauntered up to the stool. The Hat fell down on top of Marcus Avery's head, and in even less time than it had taken for William Abbott, it screamed:

'SLYTHERIN!'

The Slytherin table cheered loudly this time. Next, 'Blishwick, Amy' was sorted into Gryffindor. 'Bott, Isobel' then became Hufflepuff's first new student. A Brown and a Burke went to Slytherin, followed by Fawley, Fletcher, and Forsby to Ravenclaw. Hesper Greengrass ended up in Slytherin after a full minute and half's deliberation, and then Louise Jacobs went to Hufflepuff.

'Johnson, Ruby!'

The red haired girl who had been with James and Matthew on the boat went up to the stool, and put on the Hat.

'RAVENCLAW!' came the call.

'Lestrange, Rebecca.'

A deathly silence fell over the entire Hall. James looked up to see that Professor Longbottom had turned a shade of white, and a blonde haired girl with large brown eyes was shuffling up to the stool.

'What is it? What happened?' asked Matthew, in a barely audible whisper.

'Lestrange,' said someone on the other side of Matthew. 'She must be related to her...'

'Who's her?' said Matthew, now utterly confused. 'I don't understand.'

'Not now,' hissed James in response.

James glanced around as Rebecca Lestrange sat down on the stool, looking thoroughly miserable. Nearly everyone else in the Hall had stopped their conversations and turned to look at the front, with only a few Muggle-born first-years looking around and whispering confusedly.

Professor Longbottom gingerly lowered the Hat onto Rebecca's head, and it had barely grazed the top of her hair before screaming:

'GRYFFINDOR!'

There was silence. Rebecca looked like she was about to cry. Then, a single person started clapping from on the High Table. It was Professor McGonagall. The rest of the Hall followed suit, breaking out into scattered applause as Professor Longbottom directed the now-crying Rebecca towards the Gryffindor table after whispering something in her ear.

The sorting continued uneventfully after that, with James feeling steadily more sick as his name approached. Gryffindor also gained Alex Macmillan and Sinead O'Hare; whilst Hufflepuff got David Matthews (the sullen boy with curly hair from James' boat), Natalie McCormack, and Madeline Midgen. Annabelle Max and Frank McDougal ended up in Ravenclaw, and Ella Parkinson became the fifth Slytherin. Then, finally:

'Potter, James!'

A different kind of hush fell over the Hall this time. Whereas before it had been dark and brooding, now it was as if the whole place was waiting with baited breath. It didn't make James feel any better. And then:

'GO ON JAMES!' came a yell from the Gryffindor table, followed by a ripple of laughter.

'Yes, thank you for your input, Mr Weasley,' Professor Longbottom called out sternly.

Feeling much better, thanks to Fred's pronouncement, James sat on the stool as the Hat was dropped over his head.

'Ah!' the Hat shouted, causing James to jump. 'Another Potter. Oh— a Potter and a Weasley. Well, there's really not much choice here, is there? GRYFFINDOR!'

The Hat shouted the last word to the entire Hall, causing the Gryffindor table to erupt. Professor Longbottom whipped the Hat off his head and whispered 'Congratulations, James' into his ear.

Now smiling broadly, he made his way down between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables, stopping to wave at Victoire, who winked in reply. He passed Rebecca Lestrange, who was sitting on her own at the end of the Gryffindor table, and James realised with a momentary pang of guilt that the empty seats around her hadn't been empty at the start of the Sorting. Eventually he sat down between Teddy and Lucy, opposite Fred.

'Never any doubt,' Teddy said, beaming.

James craned his neck to look up at the High Table, which could only see properly now that he was sat down. He spotted Hagrid at the far left end, dwarfing the tiny man next him that James knew to be Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher. Next to Flitwick was a vaguely familiar teacher dressed in pale yellow robes, and then another in austere black. Then there was an empty chair, where Professor Longbottom presumably sat, and then, right in the middle, was Professor McGonagall. James knew her from his parent's stories, and she didn't look like she had changed one bit. She was still draped in emerald green robes, wearing a tall pointed hat with large brim. James also spotted Gawain Roberts, his dad's former boss, who was presumably teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts, surveying the Hall with a stern expression.

Whilst James had been inspecting the teachers, Gryffindor had gained Nathan Prewett, whilst his brother, Benedict, went to Hufflepuff.

'Prince, Sadie!'

'SLYTHERIN!'

'Reed, Matthew!'

James looked up at Matthew, who had now turned a delicate shade of green. A moment later:

'GRYFFINDOR!'

James clapped loudly with the rest of the table as Matthew came over and sat down next to Fred. They all turned to watch the final few people get sorted. Slytherin got Miranda Rosier and Loretta Travers, while Hufflepuff gained Charles Selwyn and Hector Travers, and Ravenclaw got Stewart Thompson and Lucy Winters.

'Now then!' called Professor McGonagall after Professor Longbottom had cleared away the stool and hat. 'Now then!' she called again as the Hall fell back into an expectant silence. 'Before we start, I have two introductions to make:

'Firstly, I want to welcome our new Potions Master, Professor Venenum,' there was scattered applause as the austere man raised a hand in acknowledgement. 'Professor Venenum has had a long and successful career as a Healer and working for the Ministry's Office for the Development of Experimental Remedies, and we are delighted to have him join us here.

'Next, I am happy to welcome back Madam Tattel, who has once again agreed to manage our own Inter-House Quidditch tournament. Any student wishing to tryout for their House teams should contact her or their House Captains.' Madam Tattel got a much louder round of applause than Professor Venenum, mostly due to her friendly smile. 'That is all.'

Professor McGonagall sat back down, and the dishes in front of James miraculously filled with piles of food. There was roast beef, gammon, chicken, potatoes cooked in every possible way (sauteed, roasted, boiled, baked, mashed...), savoury pies filled with steak, or vegetables, or pork, large boats filled to the brim with simmering gravy, burgers, sausages, mountains of peas and carrots...

James spooned out some potatoes and roast beef onto his plate, and looked up in amusement as Matthew began piling his plate high with legs of roast chicken.

'Wha'?' he said, mouth already full of potatoes. 'I'm 'arving!'

Lucy raised an eyebrow at him. 'You're going to choke on all that food if you don't slow down, you know. The banquet goes on for a two full hours, there's plenty of time to try everything.'

As she said it, Matthew began to cough violently, spewing bits of potato everywhere. Just as he began to turn blue, Teddy pointed his wand at his throat and muttered anapneo, clearing his throat instantly.

'Thanks,' he said, gasping.

'No worries,' replied Teddy, cleaning up the bits of potato with his wand. 'It happens to at least one person each year.'

James had always been used to having Kreacher whip up culinary wonders at a moment's notice, and of course the legendary cooking of Grandma Weasley, so he'd never really considered anyone being as shocked as Matthew was at the sheer quantity of food.

'How do they make all this food?' Matthew asked, taking a much more modest bite of chicken.

'I heard they have thousands of house-elves down in the kitchens,' piped Alex Macmillan from the other side of Teddy.

'Not thousands,' replied Lucy scathingly. 'Maybe a hundred or so.'

'What're house-elves?' asked Matthew, looking blankly around.

'We've got one at home,' replied James, 'they're a bit like goblins, except they really like to work. It's like their entire purpose in life.'

'You've got a house-elf?' Alex exclaimed, now leaning across Teddy.

James blushed. 'Er, yeah.'

'What? What's wrong with having a house-elf?' asked Matthew curiously.

'Well—'

'Nothing,' snapped Teddy quickly, cutting Alex off. 'Free ones—'

He was cut off by a loud scream from the other end of the table. James looked up to see a dozen pearly-white ghosts streaming through the walls of the Great Hall. They soared across the Hall, some going straight for a particular table, and some just gliding around aimlessly.

'New Gryffindors! Good to see you all in the clearly superior House,' said one ghost wearing a neat little ruff.

'Sir Nicholas,' Teddy called out, 'it's good to see you. Have you managed to get into the Headless Hunt yet?'

'Alas, no,' replied Sir Nicholas. 'I am still "insufficiently decapitated", as they so eloquently put it.'

He looked very put-out by this.

'"Insufficiently decapitated?"' said Alex. 'What does that even mean?'

Sir Nicholas fixed Alex in a deadpan stare, and pulled on one of his ears. All the first-years along the table gasped as his head flopped off his shoulders, dangling by only a few inches of skin.

'Ah,' said Alex, looking a bit green.

An hour or so later, once everyone was feeling thoroughly stuffed, the food vanished from the table. Not a moment later, they were replaced with piles and piles of puddings. Huge blocks of ice cream held in crystal trays and towers of profiteroles were stacked up next to pies of every imaginable kind. Treacle tarts, sticky toffee pudding, apple pie, doughnuts, chocolate fountains, strawberries, bread and butter pudding, jelly, trifles...

'Are you all James' family then?' asked Matthew, taking a slice of apple pie and ladeling custard over it.

James laughed. He had clearly been holding that one in for a while.

'Yeah, Lucy's my cousin, and so is Fred,' he replied. 'Teddy's my—'

'Fourth cousin once removed,' offered Teddy promptly.

'—godbrother. Also my fourth cousin once whatever.'

'Your what?'

'Teddy is James' godbrother,' Lucy explained, 'but all wizarding families are interrelated really, so Teddy's Great-great-great-great-grandfather – did I get that right?'

'Yep.'

'So Teddy's Great-great-great-great-great-grandfather is—'

'No, you got it wrong that time. There are four "great"s.'

'Oh, sorry. So Teddy's Great-great-great-great-grandfather is our,' Lucy gestured at James, Fred, and herself, 'Great-great-great-grandfather – that's three "great"s – hence fourth cousins, once removed.'

Matthew blinked at them. 'Blimey. How many cousins do you have?!'

'Er, well, there's Lucy's sister, Molly—' James began.

'She's starting next year,' said Lucy.

'—and Fred's sister, Roxanne—'

'Also starting next year,' said Fred.

'—and there's Rose and Hugo, they're brother and sister. And you've already met Victoire,' James gestured at the Ravenclaw table, 'she's got a sister—'

'Dominique,' offered Teddy.

'—who's at Beauxbatons this year, and a brother—'

'Louis.'

'—who's only five, so nine in total,' James finished. 'Oh, and there's Albus and Lily, my brother and sister.'

'I've got three,' said Matthew blankly.

Eventually, the puddings also vanished from sight, but only after James had eaten enough for for what felt like at least three lifetimes. Professor McGonagall stood up again as the last vestiges of the feast disappeared from the plates and cutlery.

'A few more announcements now that we've all eaten.

'Mr Filch has asked me to remind you, for what he claims is the five hundred and thirteenth time, that no magic is allowed in the corridors between lessons, and that an exhaustive list of items are banned. Additionally, I would have thought it would be obvious, but past experience has taught me better, the Forbidden Forest is, in fact, forbidden. Students are not to enter it under any circumstances. Finally, I remind all of our first-years that Muggle technology,' she said the word like she had swallowed a particularly sour sherbet lemon, 'does not function in the vicinity of Hogwarts. Please do not bother your Prefects with inane questions about why you cannot use it. It will work perfectly fine again upon your departure from Hogwarts.'

There was a pause, and James spotted an auburn haired first-year (Sinead, he remembered from the Sorting) pull out something from her pocket and frown at it.

'Now, as you all know, each year two of the best students from each House are selected by the Heads of House and myself to be House Prefects for the remainder of their stay at Hogwarts. This year's selection was as hard to decide on as ever, but decide we have done. So, a round of applause, please, for:

'Holly Ryedale and Jason Shuttleworth, the new Gryffindor Prefects.'

The Gryffindors clapped Holly and Jason, who James spotted sitting at the far end of the table, by the main doors.

'For Ravenclaw, Victoire Weasley and Sanjay Patil.'

James, Lucy, Fred, and Teddy all turned to clap Victoire, who was positively glowing with pride.

'For Hufflepuff, Kameko Minami and Patrick Loughton.'

The Hufflepuff table burst into applause.

'And for Slytherin, Kendra Flint and Septimus Borgan.'

The Slytherins all clapped and stamped, clearly determined to be the loudest table.

'And a round of applause for our new Head Girl, Tabitha Denholm of Slytherin, and Head Boy, Peter Sutan of Hufflepuff.'

By now, James' hand were sore from all the clapping, and he was starting to feel warm and sleepy.

'Now then, off to bed. Lessons start at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. Your timetables will be waiting for you in your dormitories.'

The Hall erupted in noise as the great doors swung open. James could vaguely hear the distant shouts of the new Gryffindor Prefects as they tried to chaperone the first-years out.

'You better follow Holly and Jason,' said Teddy, when James tried to follow him, Lucy, and Fred instead, 'go on.'

Reluctantly, James followed Matthew and the rest of the first years out of the Hall in a long column lead by Holly. She lead them up staircase after staircase, through a doorway hidden behind a tapestry that vanished as they stepped through it, up more staircases, through some more hidden doorways, round a corner, through an empty hallway, and up one more staircase, until they finally stopped at a portrait of a very fat woman with black hair, wearing a pink frilly dress. James had a sudden flashback to the dress worn by the frog-woman toys in Uncle George and Uncle Ron's shop.

'Password?' asked the portrait.

Matthew jumped. 'They can talk?'

'Fremitus leonis,' replied Holly, and the swung forward, revealing a doorway.

They all clambered through, and emerged into Gryffindor common room. It was a round room, with a fireplace, and scattered with little tables and squashy armchairs.

'First year girls are through here,' Holly said, pointing at one of the doorways out of the room, 'and boys up there.'

They all hurried up to their rooms. On each of their beds was a timetable for the next day, and a red and yellow striped tie. James didn't bother checking them, but quickly changed into his pyjamas and collapsed onto the warm bed.

- JP -

Just as an FYI, I'm cross-posting this to AO3, under the same name (ukwritr). Feel free to leave a review here, there, or everywhere :D.