Chapter 4 - The Sorting Hat

After a while the train stopped at a village called Hogsmeade.

"Hey. I think we're here." said Nikki.

"Come on let's get our luggage and get of the train." said Harry.

All the students got out of their compartments with their luggage and got out of the train.

"First years follow me. Come on hurry up now. Oh hello Harry." said an 8 1/2" giant with a messy beard.

"Hello Hagrid." said Harry.

"Harry you know that giant?" asked Nikki.

"Yeh. He's the one who told me that I was a wizard and dropped me off at the station."

"Cool." said Ron.

All the first years followed Hagrid to the boats.

"Ok. Four students to a boat. Go on get in. Hurry up now." said Hagrid.

All the students got into a boat and they started drifting across the lake towards a magnificent castle.

"Wow. So that's Hogwarts." said Nikki.

The boats stopped at some stairs. Everyone stepped out of the boats and went up the stairs. A lady with emerald green robes and a pointy hat was standing at the top.

"Hello students. I'm Professor McGonagall. They are almost ready for you in the hall. When you go in you'll be sorted into one of our four houses Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Your house will be like your family. Any rule-breaking and you'll lose house points, just the same with any achievements and you'll win house points. I'll go and check if they're ready for you."

Professor McGonagall went through the giant double doors into the great hall to check if everyone was ready.

"So it's true. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts. I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy and this is Crabbe and Goyle."

"Hehe." whispered Ron.

"Find my name funny do you. Well there's no arguing who you are. Red hair, second hand books and hand-me-down robes. You must be a Weasley. And who's this?"

"Nikita Riddle, but you can call me Nikki. Why are you asking? Do you need to make fun someone else as well as him?"

"Nikita Riddle. Nice to meet you."

"I wish I could say the same thing about you Draco."

"We'll find out. You shouldn't make friends with the wrong people Potter. I can help you there."

"I think I can figure out people myself thanks."

"Ahem. They are ready for you. Please get in a single file and follow me." said Professor McGonagall.

"I hope you get sorted into Slytherin like I obviously will and keep the family tradition." whispered Draco to Nikki.

"I don't." said Nikki to herself.

They followed Professor McGonagall into the great hall in a single line. There were four large tables in the hall.

"Guys look at the ceiling." They all looked up and saw the ceiling looking just like the sky outside. "They've done an enchantment on it so it looks like the sky outside. I read it in Hogwarts a history." explained Hermione.

"Cool." said all the first years. They stopped at the stage where the all the teachers sat at the back of the hall. Professor McGonagall put a stool in the middle of the stage with a hat on top of it.

"When I call your name out, come and sit on the stool and I'll put the hat on your head and you'll be sorted into your house. Ok. Susan Bones."
Susan went and sat on the stool. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on Susan's head. As soon as the hat made contact with Susan's head it shouted...
"Hufflepuff!!!" Everyone clapped and cheered on the Hufflepuff table.

"Hermione Granger."

"Gryffindor!!!" Everyone cheered on the Gryffindor table.

"Draco Malfoy."

"Slytherin!!!"

Everyone clapped and cheered on the Slytherin table.

"Padma Patil."

"Ravenclaw!!!" shouted the hat. Everyone shouted on the Ravenclaw table.

"Harry Potter." All heads turned to face Harry while he sat on the stool. Everyone was silent.

"Tricky, very tricky. There's a lot of courage and bravery. Oh yes."

"Please not be Slytherin. Anything but Slytherin."

"Not Slytherin ay. Then it must be GRYFFINDOR!!!" Everyone on the Gryffindor table clapped and cheered.

"Ronald Weasley."

"Gryffindor!!!"

"Few!!" said Ron. Everyone cheered for Ron on the Gryffindor table.

One by one all the students got sorted. There was only one person left.

"Nikita Riddle."

She walked up to the stool and then sat down.

"I'm going to be in Slytherin. I just know it."

Professor McGonagall placed the hat on Nikki. After a few seconds the hat shouted...

"GRYFFINDOR!!!"

Everyone in the hall gasped.

"What. How can she be in Gryffindor when she's a Riddle?" said Draco.

Nikki walked up to the Gryffindor table and sat down. The Gryffindors started to clap and cheer.

Dumbledore stood up and the whole hall went silent.

"Welcome to our new students and welcome back to our old students. Well I hope all of you are happy with what house you're in. Just before we start our feast I wanted to remind you that the forbidden forest is of bounds and the third floor is of limits to all of you don't want to die a painful death. Let the feast begin."

All of a sudden food appeared on all four tables.

"Nikki. Dumbledore wants to meet you after the feast. Here's a letter." said Hermione.

"Ok. Thanks Hermione."

Everyone enjoyed eating the feast and telling people where they were from and who they were related to. When the feast was over everyone followed their Head boy and Head girl back to their house common rooms.

"Everyone please follow me. Keep up." said Percy.

"Percy can you tell me where Dumbledore's office is?"

"Nikki why don't you take Fred with you? He knows where to go."

"Ok. Thanks. Hey Fred can you take me to Dumbledore's office?"

"Sure. Follow me." Fred led Nikki to Dumbledore's office. "Do you want me to wait for you or will you be alright coming back to the Gryffindor common room."

"I'll be fine Fred, you can go." Nikki went up to the gargoyle and said...

"Sherbet Lemon."

The gargoyle jumped to the side revealing a spiral staircase. She climbed up the stairs and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

"Sir you asked me to come and meet you after the feast."

"Ah yes. Nikki please have a seat." Nikki went inside and took a seat opposite Dumbledore. "As you must be wondering, how did your parents die all those years ago as no one actually knows? Well apart from me, no one else knows. So I wanted to tell you myself, before someone else gave you the wrong information."

"Ok."

"So here's goes. You do know what happened to Harry don't you?"

"Yes I do."

"Well two years after the Dark Lord had tried to kill Harry and lost his powers, he came back to power and went to your house and killed your parents, but just like Harry, when he tried to kill you something strange happened and he lost his powers completely and you were left with that scar and because no one knew that he came back to power, they didn't know that he had given you a scar as well as Harry. Now I think you know now how your parents died."

"Sir who were my parents anyway?"

"I will tell you that in due course, but right now I think you should go to bed."

"Goodnight Sir."

"Night."