Chapter 3
Right after his hand fell to his side, the door swung open. A tall, black haired woman with green robes stood where the door use to be. She had a very strict face and it made all the kids know that they shouldn't mess with her.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid stated. The lady, Professor McGonagall, nodded towards the half-giant.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
She pulled the door even wider so all the first years, including herself, could walk through. Åsa and Fritzie were one of the last people to walk through the door into the entrance hall. They noted that they house was smaller than this hall alone. The walls were lit up with torches like any other fancy place would. The floors were made of flagged stone.
They followed Professor McGonagall through the hall and to a small, empty chamber away from the voices that Åsa and Fritzie could both hear. All of the kids crowded in, Åsa and Fritzie actually being the last ones because of their nervousness.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said from the front. "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, you 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 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.
"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."
Åsa noticed that she looked at Neville's cloak, which was under his left ear, and Ron's nose. She also notices Harry try to flatten his untamed hair.
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."
After she left the chamber, everyone started to talk. The twins both heard that Fred told Ron that it was test and it hurt a lot, but it must have been a joke. Åsa started to think about everything that could test them. Suddenly people started to scream, making lots of people jump from shock.
"What the –?" Åsa gasped, looking at the ghosts that were walking into the room not noticing the children. Fritzie was nearly jumping up and down with excitement since she was in love with paranormal things like ghosts and poltergeists.
"Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance—"One said, who looked like a little, fat monk.
"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?"The speaking ghost, who was wearing a ruff and tights, noticed the first years.
"New students!" The other ghost, named Fat Friar, smiled at the kids when they didn't reply. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"
Some people, which were mostly Fritzie and Åsa, nodded.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" The Friar exclaimed. "My old House, you know."
"Move along now," a strict voice stated. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."
Professor McGonagall returned and the ghosts floated through the way, just like the professor asked them to do.
"Now, form a line," she told them, "and follow me."
Åsa went behind Hermione Granger, who was still muttering some spells for the test, and Fritzie went behind Åsa, grabbing the younger twin's hand. They followed Professor McGonagall out the chamber, through the hall, and past a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. Everyone was looking up at the ceiling, which was bewitched to look like the sky outside as Hermione whispered. Candles were hanging in mid air with nothing holding them up.
They stopped in front of a long table that had all the Professors sitting there and staring at their new students. Professor McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of all the first years. On the stool she set down a pointed wizard's hat. The twins noticed that it had a rip near the brim.
Suddenly the rip opened up 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
You7'll make you real friends,
Those cunning folk us 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 went into applause when the hat finishes its song. The hat bowed to all for the long table that were in front of him. Åsa heard Ron that he would kill Fred since he went on about wrestling a troll as the test.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward with 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 young girl with blond pigtails went out of the line and put on the hat, which fell over her eyes. There was a moment of silence then –
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted out.
The table to the right of them rose up and started to cheer and clap and Hannah went to sit down.
"Bones, Susan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat shouted the same House out, and Susan went to sit next to Hannah.
"Boot, Terry!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The second table from the left cheered for Terry as he stepped down and joined the Ravenclaws.
Mandy Brocklehurst got Ravenclaw, but Lavender Brown became the first new Gryffindor. The table on the far left exploded and the twins could see that the Weasley twins were cat-calling. Millicent Bulstrode became the first Slytherin.
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Finnigan, Seamus!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Granger, Hermione!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The twins knew what was coming next. Åsa would be called first because of the first name, then Fritzie. The two were silently praying that they will get into the same house.
"Gunnarssen, Åsa!"
Åsa walked up the stairs and sat on the four-legged stool. The hat sat on her head for a second before it fell over her eyes like everyone else's turn.
"A tricky one, at the least," A small voice whispered. "Having that type of history will change a lot. I've found your house. It's—"
"GRYFFINDOR!"The hat finally shouted, getting lifted off of Åsa's head. She headed towards the far left table that was still cheering and sat across from Hermione Granger, who was sitting next to Seamus.
"Gunnarssen, Fritzie!"
Åsa watched as Fritzie walked up the stairs to the four-legged stool. The hat barely even touched Fritz head when it shouted out its answer.
"SLYTHERIN!"
The twins looked at each other when Fritzie was walking towards the table on the other end of the Great Hall. Many people where whispering things like 'Twins in enemy houses? How weird' or 'A Gryffindor and a Slytherin in the same household? Such a rare thing.' Lots of people, like Neville, Harry, and Ron were put into Gryffindor, but she was still in shock that her sister was in a different house than herself. It was the first time since birth that they had been separated.
After everyone was finished getting sorted, Albus Dumbledore stood up and spoke.
"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!"
As he sat down, everyone clapped and cheered. It was a strange thing to cheer about, but Åsa ignored it and started towards the food that appeared in front of them. She took some bacon and steak, roast potatoes, and carrots because they were closest to her. While she at her food, she looked at her sister, who was talking to Millicent and Blaise, two other first year Slytherins.
Smiling slightly at her sister when they met eyes, she started to eat her bacon and steak. She noticed that Harry and the others were talking to the ruff ghost, who happens to be named Sir Nicholas de Momsy-Porpington but better known as Nearly Headless Nick. Sir Nicholas showed his reason of being nearly headless, which made a lot of people gag.
"So— new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the House Championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the Cup sex years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable – he's the Slytherin ghost." Åsa looked back and saw that Fritzie was talking to the Bloody Baron excitedly while Draco Malfoy was unpleased with the seating.
"How did he get covered in blood?" Seamus asked.
"I've never asked," Sir Nicholas stated. After everyone was finished eating, the dessert appeared. There were blocks of ice cream in every flavor, which Åsa picked Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Flavor, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding, and many more types of treats.
The talking suddenly turned to their families.
"I'm half-and-half," Seamus stated. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mum didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him." Lots of others laughed at that.
"What about you, Åsa?" Seamus questioned.
"Well, I'm a muggleborn, as many people stated. My sister I learned we were witches on the eighteenth of July. We live in Skive, Denmark with our mother and father. Our oldest brother lives in Yorkshire, England for work. My two sisters go to Southern France for their private school and my other four brothers go to the Norwegian and Swedish border for their private school. What about you, Neville?" Åsa quickly went to another person to get away from her family.
She did notice that the Weasleys were whispering something as she was talking about her family.
"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," Neville stated, "but the family thought I was all-Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me – he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned – but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced – and the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here – they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so please he bought me my toad."
After the conversation dyed down, Åsa looked at the High Table. She saw the Hagrid was eating some things; Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore were talking. But Professor Snape was glaring at nothing as she looked over at him.
"Ouch!" Harry suddenly said from next to her, making her look over.
"Are you okay?" Åsa questioned as Percy asked, "What is it?"
"Nothing." Harry replied to Percy first. "I'm okay, Åsa."
"Okay." Åsa stated, and then dug back into her ice cream. A lot of other types of talking were going around and then the hall fell silent as Professor Dumbledore got to his feet and the food disappeared.
"Ahem – just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few star-of-term notices to give you. First years should not that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Dumbledore looked over at 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 Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year; the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bands to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."
Some people laugh, not including Åsa.
"And now, before we got to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore cried. "Everyone pick their favorite tune and off we go!"
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filing
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot."