Chapter 5 – The Sorting Hat

Emma was among the first to see it and couldn't help but let out a quiet 'Oooooh!'.

The narrow path had opened suddenly on to the edge of a great black lake. There, sat at the top of a high mountain on the other side, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers, it's windows sparkling in the starry sky.

'No more'n four to a boat!' Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Emma, Ron, Harry and, a little to Ron's disappointment, Hermione, entered a boat.

'Everyone in?' shouted Hagrid, who had a boat all to himself, 'Right then – FORWARD!'

Emma barely noticed all of the boats setting off together. She was in complete awe of the glass-smooth lake, the partially-silhouetted castle and it's tiny yellow windows.

'Heads down!' yelled Hagrid as Emma's boat reached the cliff; she bent her head down, as did the others and the little boat carried them through a curtain of ivy which hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They kept going down a dark tunnel, which seemed to lead directly under the castle. Eventually they reached an underground harbour, of sorts, where everyone climbed out of their boats.

Hagrid then led them all up a passageway in the rock using his lamp as a guide until they came out onto smooth, damp grass right near the castle. Everyone walked up the flight of stone steps and crowded around Hagrid at the foot of the huge, oak front door.

'Everyone here?' Hagrid asked. He then raised one of his huge fists and knocked three times on the castle door.

The door swung open at once. Emma was surprised to see Professor McGonagall standing in the doorway. This time she was wearing emerald-green robes which suited her much better than the business clothes she wore when they first met. Her face was as stern as ever, but Emma was happy to see her again.

'The firs'-years, Professor McGonagall,' said Hagrid.

'Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here.'

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was vast, with flaming torches hanging on the walls. Emma could barely make out the ceiling far away above them. Ahead of them lay a beautiful marble staircase that led up into the upper levels of the castle.

Professor McGonagall led them across the flagged stone floor into an empty chamber off the entrance hall. The room was small and everyone squeezed in as best they could.

'Welcome to Hogwarts,' said Professor McGonagall. 'The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you can take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The sorting is a 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.

'The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your 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 honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.'

'The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.'

She eyed a few of the students in particular.

'I shall return when we are ready for you,' she said. 'Please wait quietly.'

She left the chamber and the nervous whispering started immediately. Most were wondering how the sorting works. There was some talk of fighting trolls or casting complicated spells. Emma tried to keep calm, after all, she wasn't the only one who was from a non-magical background, the school couldn't expect much from her so early.

Emma was just looking around the room to see what others were doing when about twenty glowing, white ghosts glided through the wall where she was looking. There were a few screams, followed by gasps from those around her. The ghosts seemed to be arguing about someone called Peeves until one of them noticed all of the first years below them.

'I say, what are you all doing here?' said a ghost wearing a ruff.

'New students!' replied a rather fat ghost smiling. 'About to be sorted, I suppose?'

Emma nodded, as did some others.

'Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!' said the fat ghost. 'My old house, you know.'

It was at that moment that Professor McGonagall came in and said 'The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin. Now, form a line.'

A few of the student's looked like they were going to be sick, but they all lined up and followed her into the Great Hall.

Emma followed closely behind Ron and Harry again and hoped she wouldn't be the first to be picked. At least if she wasn't first, she'd know what to expect.

Emma gasped in amazement as they walked into the Great Hall. It was huge. The ceiling looked like it wasn't even there. In it's place Emma could see stars and clouds. There were also thousands of candles floating above four long tables that the other students were already sitting at. They were all watching the first-years walk in single file. The room set up reminded her a lot of the orphanage dining room as there was another table at the far end of the hall, which they were heading to, that appeared to be where the teacher's ate. Every table was covered in golden plates, goblets and cutlery. 'Banquet', Emma remembered, feeling suddenly ill at the thought of so much food. The first-years finally got to the teacher's table and were lined up in front of it, facing the four student tables. The mass of faces staring at them was unnerving.

Professor McGonagall placed a small stool just in front of the first years. On top of the stool was a decrepit, pointy wizard hat. Emma was just wondering what it was for when the hat suddenly ripped open at the brim like a mouth and started singing.

'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 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'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 whole Hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four house tables and then became still again.

To Emma that didn't seem so bad. A mind reading hat which picked your house based on your personality. She wasn't too fond of the mind reading part, but at least she didn't have to cast any spells.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long scroll with a list of names on.

'When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted.'

She called many names out and Emma watched as each person put on the hat and walked to their respective house. The hat seemed to decide very quickly for some people, and quite slowly for others. Emma was paying attention to the names and they were obviously going in alphabetical order of surname. Hermione Granger was called, followed by 'Longbottom', 'Malfoy', 'Moon', 'Nott' and 'Parkinson'.

Emma had been looking around at each house individually when they'd gotten a new member and she had decided that she would be happy going into any house, except Slytherin. Their cheers seemed at first to be as friendly as all the others, but she couldn't help the bad feeling she got when she looked at them. Maybe it was the disdain they showed to the ones not sorted into Slytherin, or maybe it was just that Malfoy had been sorted there.

Emma became very nervous when two twins called 'Patil' were called, she was going to be next.

'Pearson, Emma!' called Professor McGonagall.

Emma stepped forward nervously, picked up the hat and sat down, placing the hat on her head as she did so. It went down past her eyes and everything went black.

'Hmm, what do we have here?' said a voice in her ear. 'Close choice, yes, very close indeed. Courageous and intelligent I see, but also very cunning and determined. So, what'll it be? Gryffindor, Ravenclaw or Slytherin? Hmm.'

'Please don't put me in Slytherin, Mr Hat.' thought Emma. 'I'm not evil.'

'Not evil?' replied the Hat with a mocking sneer. 'So says the vampire! Very well, have it your way – GRYFFINDOR!'

Emma heard the hat shout the house name to the entire hall. She took the hat off, placed it back on the stool and walked slowly toward the table full of cheering students in a complete state of shock. She didn't even notice what house she was put in. The hat had just called her a vampire. Emma didn't know if it had said that just because it was her fear that she might be a vampire, or whether it was actually true. There certainly seemed to be a lot of evidence to suggest she was. In her shock she barely noticed the Gryffindor students patting her on the back, or a prefect, who turned out to be another Weasley, held out his hand to shake hers. She didn't shake his hand, she just slumped in her chair.

'You alright?' asked a girls voice beside her.

Emma looked and it turned out to be Hermione.

'Yeah... just... overwhelmed.' she said truthfully.

Hermione nodded in agreement.

'Yes, it can be quite an experience.' said the prefect pompously, sitting back down. Happy with Emma's excuse for ignoring him.

Harry Potter was just about to be sorted and Emma turned to watch but caught Hagrid's eye behind the remaining first-years, he was smiling at her and gave her a thumbs up. She couldn't smile back. She was still taken aback by what the hat had said. Instead she mouthed, 'We need to talk.' to Hagrid. He nodded looking suddenly a bit awkward. They were then interrupted by Harry being announced as a Gryffindor too, and he came and sat next to Emma. Hagrid also beamed at Harry with two big thumbs up. How did Harry know Hagrid? Had Hagrid helped Harry home too? A question for another time, Emma thought.

The rest of the sorting, even Ron's, was just a blur to Emma until Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, got up to speak.

'Welcome!' he said. '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! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!'

He sat back down. Everyone clapped and cheered and many people laughed. They soon stopped though, as every table had suddenly filled with food. Everything looked so sickly and filling, Emma thought. Roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, lamb chops, sausages, bacon, steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, chips, Yorkshire puddings, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup and mint humbugs.

Everyone around her started to dig in and pick what they wanted but Emma just sat where she was. She looked up at the ceiling to try to stop herself from feeling nauseous, though it wasn't really helping with the sound of everyone around her scoffing their faces and talking with their mouths full.

'Not having anything, Emma?' asked Percy Weasley, the prefect.

'No... thank you.' replied Emma, weakly.

'Are you sure you're alright?' asked Hermione, looking a little worried. 'You're as pale as a ghost.'

'I'm fine.' she lied.

'Why aren't you eating?' asked Harry, also looking concerned. 'At least have a drink.'

If Emma didn't say something they'd all be fussing her until she'd eaten something, and she really didn't think her stomach could take it.

'I... can't eat with other people around.' lied Emma, looking down, feigning embarrassment.

'Are you mad?' laughed Ron, snorting as he took a mouthful of his drink.

'Why not?' asked Hermione, glaring at Ron.

'Some kids at the orphanage used to bully me about the way I eat.' she lied again. Lying felt a bit too easy, she thought, guiltily. Maybe the Sorting Hat should have put her in Slytherin after all.

'That does look good though.' interrupted the ghost in the ruff, with a sad expression on his face, as if Emma's pretend phobia wasn't a very good excuse.

'Can't you -?' asked Harry.

This was a good line of discussion thought Emma, it was drawing them away from her.

'I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years,' said the ghost. 'I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower.'

Ron blurted out, 'I know who you are! My brothers told me about you – you're Nearly Headless Nick!'

'I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy -' the ghost began stiffly.

'Nearly Headless?' asked a sandy-haired boy called Seamus Finnigan. 'How can you be nearly headless?'

Sir Nicholas looked extremely put-out that the conversation wasn't going his way.

'Like this,' he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it were on a hinge. Obviously the result of a poor beheading, thought Emma. Pleased with the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back on properly and said, 'So – new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the House Championship this year? Gryffindor have never gone so long without winning. Slytherin have gotten the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable – he's the Slytherin ghost.'

Emma didn't pay much attention to the rest of the conversation. She looked up at the ceiling again and marvelled at it. It was as if the ceiling was there, but also not there. She remembered Hermione commenting on it earlier, saying that it was bewitched to look like the sky. The contrast of the night sky, and the floating candles made the room look quite eerie, but wondrous at the same time.

Another conversation caught Emma's attention again, this time it was Hermione and Percy Weasley talking about lessons.

'I do hope they start straight away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course it's supposed to be very difficult.' said Hermione, talking fast again.

'You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing.' replied Percy.

'Professor McGonagall teaches that doesn't she?' added Emma.

'Yes, that's right.' said Percy. 'She's quite strict, but she's very good. Can turn herself into a cat, don't you know.'

The conversation was stopped short again, this time by Harry who looked like he'd just been slapped.

'Ouch!' said Harry, clapping his hand to his forehead.

'What is it?' asked Percy.

'N-nothing.' stuttered Harry. 'Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrel?'

'Oh, you know Quirrel already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to – everyone knows he's after Quirrel's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape.'

Emma remembered what Hagrid had said about Professor Snape, 'Professor Snape's an ass though'. Now that she saw him, he certainly didn't look very friendly.

At last, the food disappeared and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The Hall fell silent.

'Ahem – just a few more words now we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.'

'First-years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well.'

'I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.'

'Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.'

'And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death.'

Emma laughed at this, as did Harry, but they were among the few who did. Emma heard Harry and Percy whispering, but couldn't make out what they were saying.

'And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!' cried Dumbledore.

He gave his wand a little flick and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself into words.

'Everyone pick their favourite tune,' said Dumbledore, 'and off we go!'

Emma joined in, quite happily with most of the Hall, although some people were obviously singing different songs. Some, the Weasley twins in particular, sang very long and slow songs, and eventually when they had all finished, the whole room shook with applause.

'Ah, music,' said Dumbledore, wiping his eyes. 'A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!'

The Gryffindor first-years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall and up the pristine marble staircase. Emma seemed to be the only one besides Percy, and maybe Hermione, that were as wide awake as ever. Everyone else, Ron in particular, seemed to be very lethargic. Emma watched as they passed portrait after portrait and was quite surprised to see the people in them move as if they were alive. What Emma had become most interested in, however, was the route Percy was taking them to the dormitories from the Great Hall. They had passed through a number of what appeared to be secret passageways. One was hidden behind a sliding panel in the wall and another behind a hanging tapestry. Emma wondered how many secret passageways there were. Ever the explorer, she decided there and then that she'd try to find as many as she could during her stay here.

At one point Percy suddenly stopped. There was a bundle of walking sticks floating in mid-air ahead of them and as Percy took a step towards them, they started throwing themselves at him.

'Peeves,' Percy whispered. 'A poltergeist.' He raised his voice, 'Peeves – show yourself.'

There was an answering, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon.

'Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?'

There was a small pop and a little man with dark, wicked eyes appeared floating cross legged in the air, holding the walking sticks.

'Oooooooh!' he said, with an evil cackle. 'Ickle firsties! What fun!'

He suddenly swooped down and everyone ducked.

'Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!' barked Percy.

Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. He flew away rattling suits of armour as he went.

'You want to watch out for Peeves,' said Percy, as they set off again. 'The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us Prefects. Here we are.'

They now stood in front of a large portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

'Password?' she asked.

'Caput Draconis,' said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room. It was cosy and filled with squashy armchairs and cushions.

Percy directed Emma and the other girls through one door to their dormitory, and the boys through another door. At the top of a spiral staircase they found their beds. There were five four-poster beds, hung with deep-red velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up and Emma's was sitting at the foot of the bed nearest the door. Hermione's was next to Emma's, and the other three were taken by Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil and Fay Dunbar. Emma grabbed the book she had been reading on the train out of her trunk and laid on her bed. The others got into their pyjamas, said goodnight and shut the curtains on each of their beds. 'Finally.' thought Emma, now able to get a few hours to herself.