Hogwarts was beyond anything Darcy could've ever dreamed. She had known it was a castle, and tried wrangling every detail she could about it from her parents, but even her imagination could not compare to the real thing. Thousand of windows glittered against the night sky as the towers stretched up into the heavens. And it's sheer size made the Malfoy manner look like a mere peddler's cottage.
The boat ride across the lake was uneventful -if beautiful- and at the castle's steps the first years were handed over from the giant man to a stern looking woman.
The professor, introduced to them as Professor McGonagall, took them into a small empty chamber off the hall, and spoke to them about the sorting.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," began Professor McGonagall, "The start-of-term banquet will began shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room."
Years of training to be a proper pureblood lady was the only thing keeping Darcy from jumping up and down on the balls of her feet in excitement. It was happening, she was here, and she just wanted to be sorted all ready! No matter how much she pretended otherwise in polite society, she never had much patience.
"The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Huffelpuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin." McGonagall continued. "Each House has it's own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, you're triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule breaking will lose your House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup; a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours."
Darcy knew all about the Houses and the point system. She silently willed McGonagall to finish her speech so that they could get on with the ceremony.
"The Sorting will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as you are waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."
She left the room, and Daphne and Pansy began straightening their cloaks and uniforms, even though they were fairly straight to begin with. Darcy ignored them. She knew she was presentable, and did not need to bother with pointless fussing.
After a few moments of the students' nervous chattering Professor McGonagall back inside.
" Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."
She led them into the great hall and Darcy had to gasp at it's splendor. Candles floated about their heads, gold plates glittered upon the tables, and the night sky reflected on the ceiling as if there was no roof at all.
Once they were all present at the front of the room, Professor McGonagall placed a four legged stool before them. She then placed upon it a tattered, pointed wizard hat. Darcy listened in awe as the famous Sorting Hat began to sing;
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
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 be a 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've 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!"
The entire Great Hall burst into applause and Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a long scroll in hand.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat cried.
"Bones, Susan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Boot, Terry!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
Bulstrode, Millicent became the first Slytherin. Vincent, Gregory, and Daphne all joined her not long after. Then, after what felt like a lifetime, it was finally Darcy's turn. She walked up to the stool with all the refinement and grace that benefited a Malfoy, but on the inside she was a squirming mess of nerves and excitement. Professor McGonagall motioned for her to sit and then began to lower the hat. It barely had touched her hair when it called out,
"SLYTHERIN!" The silver and green House burst into applause as she went to go sit down next Daphne, feeling pretty pleased with her self. Nobody else was sorted so quickly. Her parents would be proud.
There weren't many people left now. Theodore Nott was the next to join them at their table, and Pansy followed directly after. She and Daphne shared an excited squeal with each other.
Three names later the one person everyone had been waiting for was called.
"Potter, Harry!"
The boy Darcy had so desperately tried to impress timidly made his way to the front of the hall.
It looked as though the Sorting Hat and Potter were having a conversation from the silent moving of the boys lips, almost as if they were arguing. Perhaps the Sorting Hat was having trouble placing him. The entire school waited with baited breath for what felt like forever before the hat made its decision.
" GRYFFINDOR!" It shouted to the hall. There was a moment hesitation before the applause broke out, especially from the Gryffindor table.
One pare of redheads began obnoxiously shouting,
"We got Potter! We got Potter!"
It took quite a while before the hall settled down enough for Professor McGonagall to continue.
"I don't know why it took so long to decide," Darcy huffed quietly, "We all knew which house the Golden Boy was going into. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that he was destined for Gryffindor."
But secretly Darcy had wished that Potter would be sorted into Slytherin. If they were in the same House she would get an opportunity to show him a better side of herself, perhaps even eventually become friends. There was no chance of that happening now that they were in rival Houses.
The Sorting continued on. The Weasley followed him into Gryffindor close to the end of the ceremony, and the last student Zabini, Blaise went into Slytherin. When the last of the applause had died, the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore rose to his feet.
"Welcome!" He said, looking incredibly pleased as he beamed with his arms open wide. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words! And here they are; Nitwit! Blubber! Oddement! Tweak!
"Thank you!"
He sat back down to claps and cheers. Darcy just snorted. Her father was right, he was an old loony. But she had no time to think for long on the matter. The food appeared, and she had to fill her plate quick. Vincent and Greg were already eating everything within sight.
Once everyone had been stuffed full, the Headmaster stood again, this time with a proper speech, explaining several start of the year notices, such as forbidden areas, Quidditch trials, and their rule of no magic in the hallways. After that it was time for bed, and each House was dismissed.
...
The Slytherins followed the prefects Adrian Pucey and Megan Rowstock down to the dungeons, where they came to a halt at a perfectly ordinary stretch of wall.
"This is the entrance to the Slytherin common rooms." Adrian explained for the benefit of the first years. "Unlike several of the other Houses, we do not have a distinguishing landmark to remember it by, so please pay close attention to your surroundings in order not to get lost. It only opens with a password, which is different each month. Please refer to the notice board for changes. This month's password is Adder."
At the sound of the word, the wall began to melt away into an open arch, and the Slytherin students filed inside. The decor was sleek and modern, mixed with several old fashioned touches such as the large fireplaces and torches on the walls. They were situated under the lake, for the large windows looked out into the greenish water. Darcy even saw several fish swim by. She loved it. It felt as though she were inside of a shipwreck.
"First years stay here, upper years may make way to the dormitories." Megan said, and the students began to split. Boys went to the left, girls to the right, and soon only the prefects and first years were left.
"Being a Slytherin is a taboo with the rest of the school." Adrian said bluntly. "You will not find much help from other Houses. Even teachers can show prejudice against us in certain situations. Being a Slytherin means being there for each other and standing united, no matter what personal problems we might have behind closed doors. If you need any assistance, wether with classes, directions, or advice, ask an upper year, or Megan and myself. As prefects, it is our job to assist. You may also speak with Professor Snape, our head of House. Your class schedule will be given to you tomorrow at breakfast."
"So get a good nights sleep." Megan finished. "Tomorrow will be your first day as a Hogwarts student. Welcome to Slytherin."