The door swung open at once and a tall, stern-faced, black-haired witch stood there wearing emerald green clothing.
I shouldn't cross this lady, was Hailey's first thought.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid stated.
"Thank you, Hagrid," Professor McGonagall said. "I will take them from here." She pulled the door wide open to show them a huge entrance hall.
Hailey leaned over to whisper to Mandy, "You can fit the entirety of my aunt and uncle's house in here." Mandy giggled.
The stone walls were lit with flaming torches, the ceiling was too high to make out, and there was a magnificent stone staircase that led to the upper floor.
Hailey heard a drone of voices coming from the doorway to the right, as they followed after Professor McGonagall to an empty chamber off the hall.
Hailey felt crowded with Ron, Hailey, Mandy, and Michael surrounding her. She looked around to see that Hermione and Neville were standing together.
"Welcome to Hogwarts." Professor McGonagall said and Hailey looked at her. "The start-of-the-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats, you will be sorted into your House."
Hailey's heart sped up at the thought of being separated from her first real friends. Dudley had made sure that she wouldn't have friends, which worked well because no one went against Dudley and his gang.
"The Sorting is a very important ceremony. While you're 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 your free time in your House dormitory. 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 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 smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
Professor McGonagall looked over at someone and Hailey followed where the professor was looking. She managed to see that Neville had someone fastened his cloak under his left ear. Hailey nervously tried to straighten her tie.
"I will return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly," Professor McGonagall said and left the chamber.
Michael looked at Ron, "How do they sort us in Houses, anyway?"
Ron shrugged, "Some sort of test, I think. George told me that it will hurt and Fred said something about wrestling a mountain troll. I think they were joking."
Michael looked a little terrified of wrestling a mountain troll and looked over at Mandy. Mandy shrugged helplessly, "My dad didn't tell me because he was busy helping me getting ready."
Hailey thought about it. There was a test? She didn't know magic at all. Yes, she did read the course books, but she didn't memorize any spells like Hermione, who was whispering under her breath.
I'm going to fail, aren't I? Hailey thought, I'm going to fail in front of the whole school. She was feeling nervous, like the time she brought home a report card stating that she turned some girl's hair green by accident, even though that girl shoved her into the wall. I'm doomed, she thought.
Someone screamed and Hailey turned around to see what was going on.
"What the—?"
Twenty ghosts streamed from the back wall. They were pearly white and looked slightly transparent. They glided across the room, arguing with one another, and not even noticing the first years.
Mandy had latched onto Ron's arm, looking terrified at the ghosts. Ron looked a little displeased at Mandy grabbing his arm, but he didn't say anything.
From behind, Hailey heard Michael say to himself, "I knew ghosts were real."
"—we ought to give him another chance—" a fat little monk said.
"Haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and he's not even a ghost—I say, what are you all doing here?" a man asked. He was wearing ruffles and tights.
No one said anything and the monk looked at them, smiling. "About to Sorted, I suppose?" Hailey heard Mandy whimper and looked over to see her take a step back. The Friar continued to smile, "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff. It was my old House."
Professor McGonagall said sharply to the ghosts, "Move along. The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."
The twenty ghosts disappeared through the front wall.
"Now form a line and follow me," Professor McGonagall said and the first years did as they were told.
Hailey was starting to shake with nerves and Mandy grabbed her shoulder in a comforting way, before removing it. They walked through the chamber and down the hall into the Great Hall.
It was lit with thousands and thousands of candles that floated in midair over four long tables where the rest of the students were sitting. The tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. Hailey looked at the entire scene and looked up at the ceiling. There was a velvety black sky dotted with stars and she knew that it was bewitched to look like the sky outside. She heard Hermione whispering, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read it in Hogwarts: A History."
Hailey wanted to believe that the Great Hall didn't have a ceiling, but she figured that Hermione and the book was right.
At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up there, so they came to a halt facing the students with the teachers behind them.
The hundreds of faces looked pale in the flickering candlelight. The ghosts were dotted among the students.
Hailey watched as Professor McGonagall placed a four legged stool in front of them and placed a patched, frayed, and extremely dirty, pointed wizard's hat on the stool.
Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon wouldn't let that hat in the house, she thought. What am I supposed to do with that? Pull a rabbit out of it? She noticed how everyone was staring at the hat and she looked at it too. The hat twitched and Hailey blinked at it. Did I just see that?
A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth and then it sang about the Houses. Gryffindor was known for their bravery, daring, chivalry and nerves. Hufflepuff was known for being just and loyal, patient and unafraid to toil. Ravenclaw was known to be intelligent, witty, and a ready mind of learning. Slytherin was known for being cunning, ambitious, and will use everything to achieve their means.
The entirety of the Great Hall clapped and the hat even bowed to the four tables, before going still.
"We got to try on the hat," Ron whispered from the other side of Mandy. "I'm going to kill Fred."
Hailey smiled weakly. She wasn't sure what would happen if she put on the hat. She was queasy at the moment. There should've been a House for nervous people.
"When I call your name, you come forward and sit on the stool. I will put on the hat on your head to be Sorted," Professor McGonagall said.
Hailey thought that sounded a little unhygienic and Professor McGonagall unrolled a long roll of parchment.
A blonde pig-tailed girl by the name of Hannah Abbot went to the stool and the professor put the hat on Hannah's head. There was a pause and the hat shouted "Hufflepuff" to the cheers of the Hufflepuffs. There was another girl named Susan Bones who also went to the Hufflepuff table.
Hailey remembered that Hagrid had said something about how the Boneses was killed in the war with You-Know-Who. She couldn't help but wonder about Susan a little.
"Boot, Terry!" Professor McGonagall called out and the brown haired boy, who was standing next to Michael, went to the stool.
The hat was placed on his head and it shouted, "Ravenclaw!"
The Ravenclaw table cheered for their newest member and Mandy joined the Ravenclaw table too, with Hailey clapping for her. Ron slowly clapped twice for her.
Millicent Bulstrode went to Slytherin and Hailey was started to feel a little ill again. She was reminded of being picked for teams last because no one wanted Dudley to think that they liked her.
Michael Corner went to Ravenclaw as well and Hailey clapped for her friend as well. Justin went to Hufflepuff and a boy named Seamus went to Gyffindor, along with Hermione, who took a little longer on the stool.
Hailey heard Ron groan at the fact that Hermione went to Gyffindor and she patted his shoulder. Anthony Goldstein went to Ravenclaw as well. More got sorted and Neville had gone to Gyffindor as well. There was a Sue Li who went to Ravenclaw, Malfoy went to Slytherin, a few more were Sorted when a Padma Patil got sent to Ravenclaw.
"Potter, Hailey!" Professor McGonagall called out and the Great Hall seemed to go quiet. Hailey stepped forward, shaking like the time she had to give an oral report in front of the class.
She heard someone whisper, "Did she just say Hailey Potter?"
Hailey stepped forward, and sat on the stool and the Sorting Hat was placed on her head.
"Hmm," a voice said in her ear, nearly making her jump up. The voice continued, "Very difficult. Yes, very difficult. Very intelligent. There's lots of talent like your parents who were in Gyffindor, themselves. Now where I shall put you? What about Gyffindor? Gryffindor could help you to greatness, like your parents. You're very intelligent, like them, too. Hmm…"
Hailey gripped the edges of the stool, wondering if she somehow broke the hat.
The voice said, "I know another House that could led you to where you need to be. Better be—Ravenclaw!"
She removed the hat and stood up. She noticed that she was shaking and looked over to Ron, who seemed upset. She gave him a small smile and shakily moved towards the Ravenclaw table. She would find a way to still be his friend.
Apparently she was getting the loudest cheers from the Ravenclaws.
Hailey was shaking as she walked to the table and an older, dark-haired boy stood up from sitting across from Padma Patil. He had a crest on his robes and had a badge with the letter P in the middle of it. He shook her hand vigorously; "I'm Robert Hilliard, Ravenclaw's prefect. Welcome to the Ravenclaw House." He had an Irish accent. Hailey nodded at him and noticed a grey lady ghost wearing old-fashioned robes had nodded at her from the front of the table.
Hailey nodded back at the ghost and sat down next to Padma Patil. Hailey looked at the Head Table and saw Hagrid who seemed to smile and give her a thumb's up. She smiled back and looked at table at the professors. In the center sitting on a large gold chair was Albus Dumbledore, who she recognized from the Chocolate Frogs card. Dumbledore's hair was silvery and seemed to shine brightly in the Great Hall along with the ghosts. She looked down the table to see that Mandy and Michael were having a conversation with the other Ravenclaws. She looked at the Sorting.
A black boy named Dean Thomas went to Gyffindor, a brunette girl named Lisa Turpin went to Ravenclaw, and now it was Ron's turn, and he went to Gyffindor.
Hailey caught his eye and waved at him. Ron held up his hand and went to Gyffindor's table.
After the last student got sorted, Professor McGonagall rolled up the parchment and took the Sorting Hat away.
Hailey looked down at the empty gold plate. The sweets from the train seemed like ages ago.
"Welcome!" A man said and Hailey looked up to see that it was Dumbledore who had spread his arms out. "Welcome to the 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 and everyone clapped and cheered.
Hailey wasn't sure if she should laugh or not. She looked at Robert Hilliard and asked uncertainly, "is he…mad?"
Robert shook his head, "Heavens, no! He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! If I didn't know he was a Gryffindor, I would think he came from Ravenclaw. We have a habit of producing eccentrics after all, which you will soon learn about tomorrow. Potatoes, Hailey?"
She looked at Robert wondering why she was asked that and looked at the table, seeing that the empty plates now had food on them. There was a lot of food on one table and it kind of overwhelmed her. Roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, lamb chops, sausages, bacon, steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and for some reason, there was a bowl of peppermint humbugs.
She wasn't starved when she was with the Dursleys, but she wasn't allowed to eat as much as she would've liked, since Dudley took everything she wanted, even if it made him sick.
"Are you going to eat?" Robert asked, looking at the eleven year old girl.
Hailey realized she was staring at the food and blinked. She noticed that even Padma looked a little concerned. She nodded and piled her plate high with nearly everything except for the peppermint humbugs. She looked over at the Gryffindor table to find Ron and she noticed that the ghost in tights had pulled his head to the side, scaring the first years at the table. It startled her too.
Robert looked over at the table and back at Hailey. "That's Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, but we all call him Nearly Headless Nick. He's the resident Gryffindor ghost. The Bloody Baron is the Slytherin's resident ghost, while the Fat Friar is the Hufflepuff's resident ghost." He looked over at the Slytherin and Hailey looked over, too. She was pleased to see that Malfoy wasn't happy sitting next to The Bloody Baron.
Padma looked over to look at the Bloody Baron and then at Robert. "How did he get covered in blood?" She sounded curious and Hailey looked at Robert.
"All I know was that he was stabbed, but that doesn't explain the whole covered in blood bit," Robert said. "The other ghosts don't know either. The Grey Lady knows but she doesn't like to talk about it."
Hailey wanted to change the subject, "So, who had won the House Cup?"
"The bloody Slytherins won it for six consecutive years in a row," Robert said darkly.
Hailey nodded, if Slytherin won this year, she was going to eat one of Dudley's old socks that Aunt Petunia sometimes gives her.
Soon, the food faded away, leaving the plates sparkly clean and then dessert appeared on the plates. Hailey grabbed a treacle tart and a chocolate éclair and heard that the talk turn to their families.
Mandy was talking about how her dad was a wizard and she heard Michael telling Terry about how his mother was a witch, but she never told his dad, so it was surprising when he got the letter. She heard him say that they had a huge argument about it.
"Paravati and my parents were both a witch and wizard," Padma said to Robert and Lisa Turpin.
Hailey looked over at the Gryffindor table to see that Paravati's twin sister was over there with the Gryffindors.
Robert nodded, "I'm a half-blood. My dad was Muggle-born but my mother came from a wizarding family."
Hailey looked confused. "If your father is Muggle-born, doesn't that mean that you're a pure-blood, because your mum is a witch?"
"It's because of the Muggle heritage," Robert said. "There are families out there who hate them, despite the fact wizards and witches would've died out if we hadn't started marrying Muggles. You know, since you're both interested, you could start looking into them as well. I looked into at one point, but even families like the Malfoys happen to have muggle-ancestry."
She nodded, and was starting to feel warm and sleepy. She looked at the table to see Hagrid drinking from his goblet, passed Professor McGonagall who was having a conversation with Headmaster Dumbledore, passed Professor Quirrell who was wearing a purple turban for some reason who was talking to a greasy-haired, hook-nosed teacher with shallow skin. The hook nosed teacher looked past Professor Quirrell and straight into Hailey's eyes. His eyes seemed to narrow and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Hailey's forehead. She dropped her treacle tart and grabbed her forehead, "ouch!" The pain faded faded away, along with the slight sleepiness that she had been feeling.
Padma and Robert were looking concerned. Sue Li looked confused, while Mandy and Michael were looking over at her.
"What is it?" Robert asked, eyeing her.
"N-nothing," Hailey said. She glanced over to the hook-nosed professor who seemed to hate her. "Who's the professor sitting next to Professor Quirrell?"
"You know Quirrell already?" Robert asked and looked over at the table. "Oh, no wonder why Quirrell seems nervous. That's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to."
"Why teach something that you don't want to?" Padma asked.
"Everyone knows that Professor Snape wants Quirrell's job because Snape knows a lot of the Dark Arts," Robert explained.
Hailey looked at Professor Snape for a few minutes, but the professor wouldn't look at her again.
The desserts disappeared and then Dumbledore stood up. The hall fell silent.
If only my previous teachers had respect like this. Hailey thought, remembering how her former classmates kept talking when the teacher did.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, "Just a few more words now that we have been fed and watered. I have a few start-of-the-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all its pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." He looked in a direction and Hailey followed Dumbledore's gaze to see the Weasley twins.
"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 the term. Anyone interested in playing for their House teams should contact Madame 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."
Sue Li looked at Robert, her eyes wide, "Is he serious?"
Robert seemed to study the Headmaster, "he must be. He usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere. Everyone knows that the forest is full of dangerous creatures. I would think he would've at least told the prefects about it."
"Now, before we go to bed, let's sing the school song!" Dumbledore said and flicked his wand a little. A long golden ribbon flew out of it which rose high above the tables and twisted itself into words. Hailey gaped at the sight. "Everyone pick your favorite tune and off we go."
Everyone started singing a song, although Hailey couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that the forest is full of dangerous creatures and a corridor has something in it that involves a very painful death. She wondered what type of school is this.
Everyone finished the song at different times with Fred and George singing to very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they finished, he was the one who clapped the loudest. "Ah, music," he said wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! Now, bedtime. Off you trot."
They followed Robert through the chattering crowds in the Great Hall. Mandy and Michael had walked up to Hailey. Mandy wrapped her arm around Hailey's right arm and Michael stood on Hailey's left side.
"We're sorry that Ron got sorted into a different House," Mandy said, sounding sympathetic.
"I'll find a way to talk to him," Hailey said. She was getting sleepy and noticed that people in the portraits were moving.
They started walking up a spiral stone staircase that went in tight, dizzying circles and Hailey wasn't entirely sure how long it took or how many circles she made to get up to Ravenclaw's Tower, but they finally made it.
They made it to a door that looked like aged wood, but it didn't have a handle or keyhole, but it had a bronze, eagle shaped knocker.
Robert turned to the first years. "If you knock once, it gives you a riddle. I know some of you might be terrified of answering the question, but you will learn to enjoy the challenges it gives you. It's not uncommon to find twenty people outside trying to figure out the day's riddle but it's great to meet older Ravenclaws and learn from them. I advise you to triple-check your bags to see if you have everything. The dorms are in turrets on the main tower. The boys' dorms are on the left and the girls' dorms are on the right. Girls can't enter the boys' dorms and vice versa."
He knocked on the door once and the beak of the eagle knocker opened. A soft, musical voice said, "what came first: the chicken or the egg?"
Hailey looked at Michael and Mandy. "Did it seriously ask that question?"
Michael nodded, "it did."
Mandy seemed like she was thinking the question over and Michael seemed to be thinking it, too.
"The egg, because dinosaurs laid eggs before the chicken came round," Robert said.
"Well stated," the musical voice said and the door opened to the common room.
The common room was a wide, circular room and airy. Graceful arched windows punctured the walls. The walls were hung with blue and bronze silks. Hailey knew that by day, they would have a nice view of the mountains. The ceiling was domed and painted with stars and she looked down at the midnight-blue carpet also covered with stars. There were tables, chairs, and bookcases. In a niche opposite the door was a tall female statue made out of white marble. There was a door beside the marble statue to where Hailey presumed led to dorms above them.
They went to the door and opened it. There were fourteen different doors and two sets of stairs that were going in a spiral pattern. A sign above the first two doors said: Seventh Year Ravenclaw Boys and Seventh Year Ravenclaw Girls. The room above the seventh year ones was Sixth Year Ravenclaw Boys and Sixth Year Ravenclaw Girls. At the very top it said: First Year Ravenclaw Boys and First Year Ravenclaw Girls.
The girls climbed the stairs all the way to the top.
"After you," Mandy said to Hailey, grinning.
Hailey was confused, "Why me?"
"Well, you are the Girl-Who-Lived," Mandy stated.
Hailey looked confused and opened the door. They stepped inside the circular room. There were blue and bronze silks on the dome ceiling. There were five poster beds with sky blue covers and drapes for privacy. There was a door off to the side with a shower, sink, and toilet. There was the sound of wind whistling through the windows, but it seemed very relaxing.
Their trunks had been brought up already and Hailey ended up next to the window with the view of what seemed to be the Forbidden Forest. They got dressed, with Hailey in her dark blue skirt and light blue shirt and got in bed.
She heard Lisa Turpin say, "Hogwarts is the best school ever."
Hailey fell asleep. The next thing she knew, she was woke up sweating and shaking. She couldn't remember the dream she had, so she rolled over and fell asleep.
A/N: And this where the big difference comes in to play. I had to look up riddles to use for the door to use, even if it's not magical, like the Phoenix and the Flame question or where disappeared objects go.
I even had to open up Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to look at the description of the Ravenclaw common room and even looked on the Harry Potter wikia to see what the dorm rooms must look like and looked in Robert Hilliard's page who is the Ravenclaw Prefect for the year.