A.N. (Thanks guys, for the reviews. Since you waited so long for this chapter, I made it extra long. Hope you like it! And I have one question for you: Do any of you think the underlining of passages taken from the book is annoying or gets in the way of you reading? Or do you want me to continue underlining them, so that you can see how much of the original story I'm changing? Just let me know, alright? Well, enjoy!)
2nd A.N. (There's a new poll in my profile titled, Who're your two favorite male characters in the Harry Potter series? Please do take the chance to vote. Thank you!)
1st Poll Winners: In my first poll: Which two female characters do you like the most in Harry Potter? the top five winners are: Luna Lovegood (10 votes), Hermione Granger (9 votes), Ginny Weasley (8 votes), Lily Evans Potter (7 votes), and Nymphadora Tonks (7 votes).
2nd Poll Winner: You'll find out in this chapter which house won!
Reminder: I changed the title of this story by the way. It is now called Sword, Diadem, Cup, and Ring
Chapter Six: The Sorting Hat's Mistake
The door flew open and a tall, greasy haired wizard with a sallow expression and cold black eyes opened the door. He did not look very happy to be there, and as his eyes drifted over the nervous looking first years, they narrowed, especially when they landed on a young boy with unruly jet black hair and -his heart beat painfully- the most brilliant emerald green eyes.
"The firs' years, Professor Snape," said Hagrid, "But…where's Professor McGonagall?"
"An urgent office call made her unable to escort the first years," stated Professor Snape simply, offering no other explanation. "Well?" he called out to the first years, "Are you coming or not?"
The kids all looked at each other rather uncertainly. This man didn't look like one to cross, but they followed him through the large door and into the entrance hall. The children's steps immediately slowed down, as they all stared in awe at the magnificent place they were in. Even Harry and Dudley were impressed. You could have fit the whole of the Potter kitchen into the wide sweeping entrance hall. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led up the stone steps.
"Well? Don't slow down!" Professor Snape snapped, glaring at the quivering first years. "I do have lessons to plan, and I don't find waiting around for a bunch of dunderheads taking their sweet time getting acquainted with this place particularly enjoyable!"
"A surly one, isn't he?" whispered Ron in Harry's ear. Harry nodded, and secretly agreed with his dad's description with Professor Snivellus. His mother of course, had told him not to be rude to any of his teachers, but his dad had told him to give them much grief if they were rude to him.
"Professor Snape, I will take over from here," came a voice from the top of the stairs. They all turned around and saw a tall stately lady in emerald green robes with her black hair done up in a tight 'no nonsense' bun. She had a very stern 'don't mess with me' expression, but there was also an amiable air around her, unlike Professor Snape.
Professor Snape looked relieved and gave her a curt nod as a thank you, sweeping out of the room.
They followed the lady across the flagged stone floor. They could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right - the rest of the school must be already here, but the professor showed the first years in to a small empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they usually would have done, peering about nervously.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall, "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. 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 here at Hogwarts any triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking and you 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 whilst you are waiting."
Professor McGonagall's penetrating eyes rested for a few seconds on Ron's pink nose, Neville's cloak which was fastened under his left ear, Dudley's socks which had gone down and now exposed a bit of his ankle, Harry's messy unruly hair, and…Malfoy's somewhat bloody nose.
"Mr. Malfoy," she said sharply, immediately noticing Lucius Malfoy's features in the young boy's face, "Whatever happened to you? Do you need to go to the hospital wing?"
Some of the first years sniggered at Malfoy's uncomfortable expression. "No," said Malfoy boldly and a little rudely, "I tripped on the train, that's all." He said all this with a cold stare at the other kids, as if daring them to make fun of him. Immediately the sniggers ceased and the kids looked elsewhere.
"Well, alright then," said Professor McGonagall with a stern expression, 'I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." She left the chamber.
"How do they sort us, do you suppose?" asked Justin Finch-Fletchley, who was standing nervously behind Ron and Harry.
"Dunno mate," said Dudley, "Uncle James and Aunt Lily didn't tell us anything. They said it was a surprise."
"Fred and George said it was going to hurt a lot," remarked Ron anxiously. Harry laughed.
"Don't worry; I know for sure it doesn't hurt. Mum said it was actually pretty fun," he said amused.
Ron looked relieved. "That's good then, because Fred and George kept going on about battling mountain trolls."
Harry chortled."No offense mate, but you actually believed them?"
"I didn't believe them!" said Ron, defending himself but turning pink. "I just repeated what they said!"
"Sure," said Harry. Ron mock glared at him. Suddenly, people around them gasped, and some even screamed. Harry and Ron turned around to see what the commotion was. They soon found out. About twenty ghosts had streamed through the wall opposite them, talking and muttering amongst themselves.
Pearly white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to each other and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying, "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance."
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?" A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years. Nobody answered.
"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be sorted, I suppose?" A few people nodded mutely.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."
"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."
Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall. "Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."
Excitement bubbling through him, Harry confidently followed Professor McGonagall, incidentally becoming the "leader" of the line, out of the chamber, down the hall, and through a pair of double doors which led into the Great Hall. Ron was behind Harry, and Hermione Granger, the bossy know-it-all girl from the train and boat, was behind him. Ron seemed disgruntled by this arrangement, because the entire way, Hermione kept muttering about all the different spells and charms she knew, and wondering which one she'd need to be sorted. Dudley and Justin, who had been in deep conversation, were somewhere in the middle of the line.
As the doors to the Great Hall opened, all the first years gasped in surprise and pleasure. Most of them had never seen such a splendid and breathtaking place before. The room was lit by thousands of candles that floated airborne over four long shiny tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. The four tables all had glittering golden plates and goblets, which were so shiny that they saw their reflections on them as they passed through the middle of the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables to get to the center of the hall.
At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty and silver.
Dudley, as he looked at the huge hall with so many students, felt his nervousness increase. Would he, a Muggle-Born wizard who had not known anything about magic's existence until the past two years, fit in? He looked over at Justin, who looked even more nervous than he, and felt a little braver. After all, Justin hadn't known anything about magic at all until only a few months ago, and he, Dudley, had known for two years. Dudley looked over at Harry, who was chattering quite freely with Ron, and willed himself to feel more confident. After all, hadn't his Aunt Lily been a muggle-born witch? And he'd heard so many stories about her from Uncle James that she'd been the smartest witch of their year, more than lots of purebloods.
Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Dudley looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione Granger whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History." It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.
Dudley quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, Dudley thought wildly, that seemed to be the sort of thing – noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth – and the 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 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 tables and then became quite still again. "So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry, who secretly felt relieved. He had been afraid they were going to have to exhibit some magical prowess. Dudley too looked much more relaxed, but he still was a little nervous about trying on the hat in front of everyone.
Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"
A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause – "HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat. The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her. Dudley gave a thumbs up to Hannah, who smiled shyly back at him.
"Bones, Susan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.
"Boot, Terry!"
"RAVENCLAW!" The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.
"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.
"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. The table on the far right burst into cheers as Millicent sat down satisfied at the Slytherin table. After a few more first years got sorted, Professor McGonagall called out, "Evans, Dudley!"
Dudley stood rooted to his spot on the floor, suddenly panicky about going up there in front of everyone. He hadn't expected to be called so soon. Justin poked him in the back and whispered, "Go! You were called!"
"I…I can't," squeaked Dudley, but Justin pushed him to the front. "Go!" he whispered again, this time a little louder. Dudley stumbled to the stool and quickly put the hat over his head. Before it slipped over his face, Dudley glimpsed his cousin giving him a thumbs up sign and smile.
"Hmm…relative of Lily Evans, are you?" the hat muttered. Dudley jumped. He hadn't expected the hat to talk to him.
"Yes," he said. "Now, can you please quickly sort me and get it over with?"
"Tut tut," said the hat, Impatience will get you nowhere. Well, let's see here. Yes, yes, you've got a practical mind, and much sense I see. Smart, but not intellectual, so Ravenclaw won't do you any good. Hmm, you have bravery, yes, and much courage, but there's much more to you than that, so Gryffindor won't do you much good either. Hmm…tough one aren't you? You've got a lot of ambition and want to prove yourself to others, so Slytherin would be a good choice, but you don't seem to be cunning, and you aren't the type to do anything to achieve your needs. You are very loyal, and sensitive I see. You are not very confident about yourself or your abilities, yet you will support those who you love until the end of the world. Hmm…better be… HUFFLEPUFF!"
Dudley had been sitting on the edge of the stool with growing anxiety and impatience, but when the hat shouted out Hufflepuff, he leapt off the stool, yanked the hat off of his head, and nearly ran over to the Hufflepuff table with relief. He sat on the other side of Hannah Abbot, who gave him a huge grin.
"I'm glad got sorted into Hufflepuff, Dudley!" she exclaimed.
"Thanks!" Dudley said, "I'm glad too, although I'd have been happy with any house…even Slytherin." It was true. Dudley looked over at the Slytherin table, and although most of the lot was mean looking, he knew there ought to be some good people in it. Aunt Lily had told him that she had had a best friend from Slytherin when she was at Hogwarts, although she never said who it was. Dudley turned back to the sorting, and after a few more people, Justin was called up, looking more nervous and shaken up than Dudley had, for all his convincing Dudley to go up.
Justin had only worn the hat for exactly 10 seconds (Dudley counted) when the hat shouted "HUFFLEPUFF!"
Dudley clapped hard. This was too good to be true. So far, all of his friends had been sorted into Hufflepuff. Was it too much to hope that Ernie would too?
After a few more people, Hermione Granger was called up. She ran over to the hat and eagerly jammed it on, as Dudley and lots of other people looked on interestedly. Which house would that braniac we sorted into? Ravenclaw, no doubt, but…
"GRYFFINDOR!" Or not, thought Dudley, with an amused smile. He had been sure that Hermione Granger would go into Ravenclaw, but maybe there was more to her. Who knew?
"I'm awfully hungry," Justin complained, his previous nevousness replaced by excitement and hunger.
"Just a couple of more minutes," said an older looking girl who sat across from them. "I'm Jane Phillips, by the way," she said, "one of your fifth year prefects."
"Hello," Dudley said, introducing himself, "I'm Dudley Evans."
"And I'm Justin Finch-Fletchley," Justin said, "and exactly what do you mean by a couple of more minutes?"
Jane laughed. "Oh, maybe a half hour more."
"That long?" Justin complained.
"The Sorting Ceremony's not everyday," Jane said, smiling. "It's special, expecially since it's for your class."
"Longbottom, Neville!" came Professor McGonagall's voice.
"And we're only at the Ls," Justin muttered under his breath. Dudley elbowed him.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"I thought Neville was going to come to Hufflepuff," said Jane, looking surprised, but clapping cheerfully nonetheless.
"You know him?" asked Dudley.
"Umhmm, his grandmother and he live next door to us. He's a sweet boy, and awfully loyal too, but afraid to death of nearly everything, and nervous out of his wits when he meets strangers. We're really close though, because he's like a little brother to me. I'm an only child like him."
"Maybe there's more to him," suggested Dudley.
"Probably," said Jane, "You mark my words. That boy will outshine everyone one day. He ought to, with parents like his."
Dudley didn't say anything. Of course, he knew the story of the Longbottoms, and the terrible fate that had gone to them. Poor Neville. Hopefully, he would make good friends in Gryffindor and come out of his nutshell.
"My Aunt was best friends with Neville's mother," said Dudley.
"Who's your aunt?" asked Jane with interest.
"Mrs. Lily Potter," answered Dudley promptly.
"Your cousin is Harry Potter?" asked Jane incredulously, "Oh, will you get me an autograph?" Dudley rolled his eyes.
"Only when I want to get the living daylights punched out of me," he replied. "Seriously, he's very sensitive about that. You want to be his friend, don't mention anything about Voldemort."
Jane gasped in horror. "What?" asked Dudley frantically, "What happened?"
"You…you said his name!" Jane exclaimed.
"Whose name?" asked Dudley with confusion.
"His name," said Jane gulping, "you know…the dark lord!"
"Oh him?" asked Dudley carelessly, "I mean, oh, sorry. It's a habit back at home. None of us say you know who. Aunt Lily says that fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."
"You ought to be in Gryffindor," said Jane, looking at Dudley disbelievingly.
"Why? I don't think saying someone's name has anything to do with bravery or anything. I mean…it's a name. How can a name be scary?"
"You know, I don't know," said Jane reflectively, "I guess it's also a habit to be afraid of his name."
Just then, Ernie MacMillan came over to their table, and Dudley realized that he had missed lots of the sorting. Oops!
"Lucky huh, all of us in the same house!" Ernie said cheerfully.
"Yup," said Dudley, scooting over to make place for Ernie.
"Malfoy, Draco!" came Professor McGonagall's voice, sharp and crisp as ever.
"I bet you five galleons that he's going to be in Slytherin," said Ernie, as Malfoy pompously strode over to the sorting hat and jammed it on. Dudley smirked and shook his head.
"I wouldn't take that bet if my life depended on it," he said.
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the Sorting Hat.
"WHAT!" Dudley, Ernie, and Malfoy yelled out. The hall became so silent that a pin drop could have been heard.
"Mr. Malfoy, you heard the sorting hat. Please go over to your house," Professor McGonagall finally said. Malfoy was staring at her with an open mouth.
"There…there has to be a mistake professor," he finally muttered.
"I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy, but the Sorting Hat does not make mistakes. Now, there are still quite a few first years ready to be sorted. Please go forth to the Gryffindor Table," Professor McGonagall finally said.
A.N. (Evil Grin) So how do you like it? I hope you don't mind this twist in the plot. After reading HP and the Deathly Hallows, I felt Draco Malfoy really didn't belong in Slytherin. I know, I know, I was supposed to stick with the series, but I couldn't help it. Everything's going to be more interesting this way anyway, so please don't hate my story! Looking forward to reading the reviews…(wink wink)