Rose's POV
"Professor Longbottom." Hagrid said to the man standing in the doorway.
Rose's eyes widened as the familiar name entered her ears. Standing on her toes to peer over the shoulder of the blond boy from the boat, her eyes found themselves fixed upon their old family friend. Enthusiastically, she started to wave wildly, nearly knocking over said blond boy. He ducked, covering his head with his hands, staring at her with a look of bewilderment on his pale, pointed face.
"Hi Neville!" she cried out, jumping up and down on her toes.
Albus, with a beat-red complexion tried to discreetly anchor and shush his cousin while all the other students looked on in alarm, dodging Rose's swinging arms. Neville's head turned and he grinned widely at Rose's enthusiasm.
"Hi Rose, Hagrid." he said, nodding at each of them with his slightly boyish face. He then turned towards the group of huddling first-years, "Hello everyone, my name is Professor Longbottom-", he looked pointedly at Rose, "I'm the Deputy Headmaster and the Head of Gryffindor House. I also teach Herbology out in the greenhouses. You are all about to be sorted into one of our four noble houses; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. Follow me please."
The doors swung wide to reveal a gleaming entrance hall, lit with torches in brackets on the stone walls. Craning her neck back to peer up, Rose realized the ceiling was so high, it was hidden in shadow. Before them was an incredible staircase which must have lead up to the upper floors. Rose gaped at the sight. She was just itching to see what was up those steps. But much to her disappointment, Nevil- errr...Professor Longbottom, led the group away from the steps and the great doors through a much smaller one off to the side. The first-years huddled together closely, casting nervous looks around them. Professor Longbottom turned to face them all once again. Rose noticed that Hagrid hadn't followed them into the small, slightly cramped chamber, for which she was thankful. Beside her, Albus was shaking slightly. She gripped his hand and he gave her a feeble smile.
"Welcome, everyone, to Hogwarts." Professor Longbottom held out his arms, smiling, "In a few minutes, I'll lead you through the doors to the Great Hall for the start-of-term banquet. But before we can begin the feast, you will be sorted into your houses. As I mentioned, the four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own, respective qualities, as do you all. We try to match those qualities to sort you into the house that best fits you. Your house will then become something of your family. You will earn points for your achievements and stand fit to lose them for any misdemeanors. At the end of the year, whichever house has collected the most points will win the honor of receiving the house cup. I wish you all luck and know that you'll be good representatives of our school and your houses.
"Now, I ask you all to remain here for a moment while I attend to something and then I'll return to lead you into the great hall. I might mention," he added, smiling sympathetically at them, " that the sorting ceremony takes place in front of the entire school and they'll watch you be sorted one by one, so...prepare yourselves."
Rose turned her head in time to see Al's knees almost give way. She sighed, shaking her head. She couldn't carry him through the hall. He'd have to get up the courage to do it on his own.
Professor Longbottom exited the room and as soon as the door closed, the other new students began to panic.
"How do they sort us?" one girl with dark pig-tails asked frantically to the boy standing next to her.
"How should I know?" the boy asked, wide-eyed, "I'm a muggle-born. I didn't know about any of this until recently."
"I've heard you have to fight off creatures." one voice said.
"Great..." said another, "I knew I should've read some of those stupid textbooks..."
Rose looked at Al.
"How do you think they do it?" she asked, "My mum and dad wouldn't tell me."
"I don't know." Albus replied, turning all sorts of shades of green, "My parents wouldn't tell me either, so I asked James. He said we had to sing and dance in front of the entire school. I'm fairly certain he was just teasing me though..."
"That's rubbish." a boy standing near them scoffed, "I heard it had to do something to do with trying of hats."
Rose turned on him defensively as Al focused on his own feet, blushing.
"Oh, and that doesn't sound like bloody rubbish, does it?" she growled with narrowed eyes.
The boy opened his mouth angrily to retort but was interrupted by Professor Longbottom's return.
"We're ready for you now. Please form a line and follow me. Good luck everyone."
He led the group out of the room into the entrance chamber again, away from the stairs towards a huge set of double doors Rose had somehow failed to notice. The doors swung open to reveal one of the most amazing sights Rose had ever seen in her life.
The Great Hall was fantastic. Incredible. Rose felt her jaw drop and her eyes bulged out of their sockets as she tried to take in the image. All around her were the heads of students, all turned towards the group of frightened first-years. The older students were seated at four long tables which she assumed were sorted by the four houses. At the front of the enormous room there was another long table where all the teachers appeared to be sitting. Floating above the heads of everyone were thousands upon thousands of lit candles and further up still was the most amazing part of all. The ceiling high above them was no ordinary ceiling. Rather than being made of stone, like the rest of the castle, it seemed to open up to the heavens. Currently, it matched the night sky outside in a dark indigo speckled with stars. Happily, she realized, looking to her right at her cousin's relieved face, that this would be of great help to Albus. Ever since they were children, he had been in love with stargazing.
The line continued to move forward and then came to a halt before the staff table. Peering around the bodies in front of her she saw everyone's eyes were now fixed on a truly unordinary looking sight; an old, filthy looking pointed hat seated upon a stool. The boy from earlier who had scoffed at them turned to stick his tongue out at her. She responded by shaking her fist at his smirking face. It seemed like they were waiting for nothing, but then, as soon as she was beginning to lose interest, a large tear near the brim opened up and the thing suddenly began to sing.
As astonished as Rose was at this, she was even more astonished when her dear cousin jumped in fright and toppled backwards onto her, sending the back half of the line sprawling. As she wiggled out from under Albus and pulled him to his feet, Rose realized that all of the attention had turned from the hat to the two of them.
Seeing as her cousin looked as if he might faint, she pushed him back in line and gave some quiet, hurried apologies to the annoyed students behind her. Rose held out her hand when she realized the boy behind her had been the blond one from the journey there and helped him to his feet. He looked viably shaken but nodded politely at her, smiling a little. Maybe she'd made a new friend. He seemed likable enough.
Apparently, in all the confusion, the hat had continued to sing, despite the fact that everyone's attention was focused elsewhere. Turning back towards the front, Rose realized it was nearing the end of its song. Before she had been vaguely interested in what it had to say, but now she had begun to worry about what came next.
The faded, old hat finished its message and bowed to all the tables to an initially scattered applause. It then became still.
What happens next? Rose wondered impatiently, bouncing on her toes. She looked at Neville's face as he stepped forward and wondered why he was giving the gross old hat such fond looks. He was holding a rather long roll of parchment.
"I'm going to call all your names." he said to the line of first-years, "When I do, I want you to step forward and put the hat on to be sorted into your houses."
He looked down at the parchment to read the first name, "Anson, Joey!"
The tall boy who's name had been called stumbled forward and, shaking slightly, put the hat over his head. After a minute, the hat yelled out-
"RAVENCLAW!"
At the table second from the left everyone stood up and cheered and Joey practically ran to them to get out of the spotlight.
On it went and Rose realized that her cousin would be going up in front of the school before her. Immediately she felt sorry for him and reached forward to grip his sweaty hand in hers reassuringly. He returned the pressure.
She wasn't paying much attention to the others now. For the first time, Rose Weasley felt nervous. She felt nervous for herself and for her cousin. What if she ended up in Slytherin? What if she and Al didn't end up in the same house? Suddenly, she heard a name that made the hair's on the back of her neck prickle.
"Malfoy, Scorpius!"
In disbelief, Rose stared as the blond boy who'd been in line behind her walked forward, head held high. The hall was completely silent. Inwardly, Rose was filled with rage. She'd heard about that family and what they'd done.
The hat sat on the pale boy's head for several minutes. Rose hadn't noticed any of the others taking this long and she wondered what was holding it up. Maybe his evilness had broken it, she thought darkly. Then-
"SLYTHERIN!"
As the table to the far right erupted Scorpius Malfoy got up and walked slowly over, looking rather disappointed What was with that kid?
After several more names, they were getting further down in the alphabet. Rose knew that poor Al's turn was coming up soon and she felt horrible for him. Sure enough...
"Potter, Albus!"
Professor Longbottom's mouth twitched with a smile as whispers swept through the crowd. Albus somehow managed to make his way up to the stool and, shaking and drenched in sweat, slid the hat over his head.
For several minutes her cousin's face was hidden by the filthy, frayed wizard's hat. Rose didn't understand what was taking so long. She couldn't stand the suspense. She just knew her cousin could make it into Gryffindor. But in front of her, Albus's knees were shaking almost uncontrollably. Professor Longbottom was looking slightly worried and confused, which didn't help in reassuring her. Then came the one answer no one was ready for.
"SLYTHERIN!"
No.
There was no way, Rose thought. She must have misheard.
The entire hall let in a collective gasp. Then there was complete silence.
Her cousin just sat there for several more seconds, on that stool with the hat still on his head. Professor Longbottom, wearing a large frown on his boyish face for the first time that night, reached over and lifted the hat off of Albus's head.
Al's face was sheet-white. Looking terrified and disbelieving, he pulled himself off of the stool and trudged, as if being sent to the gallows, over to the Slytherin table to climb, sill shaking into the seat next to Scorpius Malfoy.
There was no way.
Rosie was angry. The hat had cheated him. Her cousin didn't belong with those stupid snakes. All of their family had been in Gryffindor. How could he end up in bloody Slytherin? It was supposed to be full of evil people.
Narrowing her eyes at the hat, which was currently sitting on Alex Prewett's head, she decided she'd ask it herself. Rose Weasley had a bone to pick with that bloody thing. Who did it think it was?
She watched, fuming, as Alex was sorted into Gryffindor and the rest of the line quickly disappeared. She didn't take in any of the other names but continued to glare at the hat, hoping it could feel her fury. Then, at long last-
"Weasley, Rose!"
More whispering, but she didn't care. Dashing forward and smashing the mangy thing down on top of her fiery red hair, everything became dark.
"Oh?" came a small voice inside of it, "A Weasley. I have to sort more of you? I know just what to do with you."
What, she thought angrily, you gonna put me in Slytherin too?
"Aye?" whispered the voice, "You're angry about your cousin? He belonged where I placed him. In time you'll see. But until then, let's put you in GRYFFINDOR!"
The hat yelled the last word for all the hall to hear. But Rose wasn't done with it yet.
No, she thought, NO! You're wrong about Al!
But the hat was silent now. Rose felt it being tugged off her head and the light of the hall returned, but she jumped off the stool and spun to face the lifeless-looking hat.
"No, dammit!" she yelled at it and the clapping stopped, "I'm not done with you! You're wrong about my cousin! Who the bloody hell do you think you are? You're just a goddamn hat and everybody knows it-"
At that moment, Professor Longbottom rushed her off to the Gryffindor table across the hall. She continued to yell insults at the still object and shake her fist around Neville, but still the hat was silent. Professor Longbottom ushered her onto the bench in between her cousin, James, and that Alex Prewett, but Rose was still infuriated. She tried to get back up but James held her back.
"Rose Weasley," Neville whispered to her angrily, "You will sit there, and you won't get up until the feast is over, do you understand me? Your behavior is disgraceful. Your parents would be ashamed of you. Stay there and behave, do you understand me?"
"Yes, sir!" she spat out and he nodded and returned to the front of the hall for the rest of the sorting. No one was paying attention though. They all had their eyes fixed upon Rose. She made sure to glower back at them.
"Bloody hell, Rose!" James whispered at her and she prepared herself to punch him if he reprimanded her, "What happened with Al?"
Surprised, Rose turned to look at her older cousin, who, for once, had a serious expression on his usually mischievous face.
"I don't blame you," James continued, "I almost did the same thing myself. What in the world happened? I was only joking when I told him he'd end up there because I thought there wasn't any chance he would."
"I don't know." Rose replied gruffly. She still had a few choice words for that stupid hat.
The sorting ceremony appeared to be done now though and it, along with the stool, were removed from the hall. A woman who was now withering somewhat with age, but who looked stern and still very able stood up and began to speak.
"Welcome, students, to another year at Hogwarts. Before we begin the feast, Mr. Filch and I wish to remind you all that there should be no magic whatsoever used in the corridors between classes. I also wish to state to all new, and somewhat older students-" I thought she may have glanced towards James at this and I saw him grinning widely now, "-that the forest outside the school is strictly forbidden. If it is found that you have entered it, you will lose house points and find yourself in detention, is that understood?"
The entire hall was dead silent as they listened to the tall old woman dressed in emerald green. Some students nodded hurriedly at her when she asked the question. She certainly commanded a presence. Seemingly satisfied, the woman spoke again, this time with a small smile on her pursed lips.
"If so, then you may now begin the feast."
Rose was straining without avail to find Albus at the Slytherin table when something happened to divert her attention. All the dishes on the tables which had before been empty were now piled with food. Stomach grumbling, Rose decided that she could turn her attention away from her cousin for a few minutes to eat something. On either side, James and Alex were digging into their plates. Her cousin, James was in his third year already and seated on the other side of him was her other cousin, Fred, who was in the same year. The two were inseparable and lived to cause havoc and mayhem wherever they went. It didn't help probably that her uncle George, Fred's father, owned a joke shop which her mischievous cousin had practically grown up in. Rose piled food onto her plate and dug in. James was now talking to Fred, so she turned her attention to Alex on her right.
"Food's pretty good..." she said through a stuffed mouth.
"Yeah," replied Alex, looking slightly scared of her but was too busy cramming food in his mouth to care, "I didn't really realize how hungry I was until now. I was absolutely terrified during that sorting ceremony. It really took the energy out of me. I'm really glad I ended up her though."
At the look on Rose's face he added, "Really sorry about your cousin though. I understand why you're upset. He seemed really nice, even though he was so shy. That Malfoy kid seemed really cool too. I don't know what happened. Maybe Slytherin isn't so bad...?"
Rose scoffed at this through her full mouth, spraying food everywhere and earning her looks of disgust from those seated close.
"Yeah right, Slytherin's are bloody evil. No way can they be good. My cousin doesn't belong there."
Alex shrugged at this and continued eating. The feast went on and Rose talked to a few people at the table who didn't seem too frightened of her. The food was delicious, but what she really wanted was to talk to her cousin. She knew he couldn't be enjoying himself over at the other table. They made their way through dessert and finally, the old woman, who turned out to be a Professor McGonagall dismissed them for the night. As Rose was getting up to find her cousin though, she heard her name being called. It was the old bat herself. She instructed one of the older students to wait and walked over to tower over Rose with a very stern look on her face.
"Rose Weasley, I am appalled at your behavior earlier."
She did feel vaguely ashamed at this point, but not enough to take back what she'd done. Rose held her gaze defiantly.
"Sorry, Professor." Rose said, not really meaning it.
"As well you should be. "she replied, "I expect you to restrain yourself from any future outbursts or you can expect to find yourself in detention, which would be a discredit to your house. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Professor." Rose was now looking at her feet, all pride once felt fleeing her quickly.
"Good. I expect you to behave from now on. You may go. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Professor."
Rose followed the Gryffindor prefect, along with all the other first-years in her house, out the double doors and up the marble stairs she had been so curious about earlier. Now she didn't care. Albus and the Slytherins had been gone by the time they had left and it was all her fault.
They were led through corridors lined with paintings which whispered among themselves as the small group passed by and passed through a couple of different hidden passageways. Rose felt very tired all of a sudden as she found herself dragging her own body up many flights of stairs. It seemed like the walk would never end when finally, they came to a corridor that led nowhere. Instead, there was an enormous painting of an extremely large woman in a silky pink dress.
"Password?" she asked, looking down upon the little group.
"Venemous Tentacula." the older boy answered curtly.
The woman's portrait swung forward and Rose saw that there was a large hole in the wall, which they all clambered through to find themselves in what she was assuming was the Gryffindor common room. It's coziness just made her feel more sleepy and she ached to sink into a bed and forget her troubles for a while. The prefect pointed the few girls towards one stairway leading up and she led the group as they climbed and eventually found themselves in a comfy, circular room with five four-poster bed,s complete with heavy scarlet curtains hanging.
Rose Weasley crashed onto the mattress, still dressed in her school uniform, forgetting to draw her curtains and closed her eyes. Somewhere in the castle, her cousin and best friend of all her life was probably laying wide awake, scared and uncertain, with his enemies sleeping close.
Poor Al...she thought sadly to herself. And then, Rose Weasley dropped into dreams she wouldn't be able to remember in the morning.
If you've gotten this far, then thanks for reading! :) It means a lot. I hope you liked it. If not then tell me how to improve. I'd really appreciate reviews! Thank you!