Scarless
I know that I got some of the details wrong last chapter. They should have seen the castle before they got in the boats and there should have been four kids in each boat. Oh, well, history was changed, and if Hogwarts Castle can constantly change, so can the grounds. Sorry it took me so long to update, I had almost finished this chapter, when I lost the file and had to write a new one.
Thanks for all of the reviews. Sorry to reedy70002, I add Author notes where I think they are needed, but I will try to not insert them as often.
Disclaimer: The idea, characters, places, spells, and all things related to Harry Potter, are property of Ms. J. K. Rowling and Warner brothers. Anything not featured in the books is of my design. This story will have spoilers from the sixth & seventh & pretty much all of the books. IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE HARRY POTTER BOOK SERIES, YOU PROBABLY SHOULD NOT READ THIS STORY, but you can if you want to. Oh, and I am not making any money off of this story. This story is based on the premise that Voldemort "dies" right out of Hogwarts.
Book 1: The Sorcerer's Stone rewritten or Harry Potter and the Mirror of ErisedChapter 6: The Sorting
The group of boats sailed quietly across the lake. Harry's dad had told him about the lake and the many creatures that were supposed to dwell within. Harry leaned over the edge and almost tipped headfirst into the drink when Ron leaned over to see what he was looking at. Harry grabbed his glasses before they dropped into the water and shot back to the other edge of the boat. The boat magically stabilized and Hagrid called out, "Try not to tip too much in th' boats. They'll try n' stay afloat, but you tip too much and yer in th' water." Harry kept away from the side after that.
About seven minutes into the ride, they came around an outcropping of rock, and there was Hogwarts. Several towers rose up above the many buildings, and thousands of windows glowed. Students 'ohh'ed and 'ahh'ed at the sight. Ron whistled, and Harry just grinned. He had been waiting so long to come to Hogwarts.
The boats sailed across the serene waters and arrived at a curtain of ivy. Every ducked as they went under the ivy curtain and arrived at an underground harbor. The students clambered out of the boats and on to the stony beach. Neville tripped while getting out of the boat, but Hagrid caught him by the back of his collar. Harry and Ron chuckled, until they saw Malfoy laughing. They glared at him, but burst out laughing when Lilia rocked the boat just as Malfoy started to climb out, and he sprawled on his face. Lilia then gracefully climbed out. Malfoy stood up, and flushed bright red when Lilia dusted off his front.
"Righ' then. Every one here? Follow me." They followed Hagrid up a set of worn stairs and emerged right next to the side of the castle. They walked around to a set of stairs and climbed up to the oak front doors. Hagrid raised his hand and knocked.
The doors opened. Standing in the doorway was a witch dressed in a long green robe. She had black hair and a stern expression. Hagrid coughed then said, "Firs' years, safe and sound."
The witch nodded, "Thank you, Hagrid. The other students just arrived." She turned to students. "All right, follow me."
She walked across the entrance hall, the first years following behind her. Even with his dad's stories and his mom's descriptions, he was still over whelmed by the size of the entrance hall. A marble staircase extended up from the middle of the hall and doors led of to the right into the great hall. The students passed a group of hourglasses filled with gemstones and marked with the seals of each of the four houses: rubies and a lion for Gryffindor, sapphires and an eagle for Ravenclaw, topazes and a badger for Hufflepuff, and emeralds and a serpent of Slytherin. The tall, stern witch led them into a corridor off the hall and into a deserted classroom. She turned to face them.
"Hello and welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration Teacher. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly and you will be brought out to be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because your house will be like your family here at Hogwarts. There are four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own unique history, and we hope you will add to that history," she paused for a moment, "positively. While you are here, you will be able to earn points for your house. Mischief will result in you losing points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points wins the house cup."
McGonagall checked a small bronze pocket watch, and then nodded. She turned back to the group. "You will be sorted in a few minutes. I suggest you use that time to smarten up." She left the room.
Neville walked over to where Harry and Ron stood. He looked very pale.
"What do you suppose they will have us do for the sorting?"
Ron too looked a bit apprehensive. "Fred and George said there was some sort of test. Said it was painful. They might have been joking of course." He didn't sound too sure.
Harry had to stop himself from bursting out laughing. He pondered whether he should tell them, but decided to just let them find out for themselves. He heard Hermione telling the messy blond haired kid about all of the spells she had memorized on the way here. Lilia was standing next to Malfoy, who was looking slightly uncomfortable. Harry turned to see who else he knew, when he heard someone scream.
Harry spun around to see several ghosts gliding through the blackboard at the front of the room. They were arguing about someone named Peeves, when one of them, a ghost wearing a large ruffed collar and tights spotted the first years.
"Oh ho, first years. What are you doing here, might I ask?" Silence.
A short friar spoke up, "They are obviously first-years. You are waiting to be sorted, aren't you?" Silence, though a few people gave feeble nods. Harry was quiet more because of the chilling scream that one of the girls had let out then by the presence of the ghosts themselves.
"Well," said the friar, clapping his hands together, "I hope to see you in my house. I am the Hufflepuff House ghost."
"And I," said the ruffed ghost, "am…", but at that moment, the door opened and Professor McGonagall strode in.
"The Sorting is about to begin. Follow me." The ghosts waved and flew through the blackboard again, as the students lined up. Ron stood behind Harry, who was behind the messy-haired blond boy.
McGonagall exited the room and the first-years followed. They marched back across the Entrance Hall and up to the doors leading into the Great Hall. Harry's jaw dropped as he entered the hall. It was enormous. He had thought the Entrance Hall was big, but the great Hall dwarfed it. The arched ceiling rose up high above them, enchanted to look like the night sky. Harry heard Hermione explaining that to a girl behind her. The first-years walked between the tables to the front of the hall, where the teachers sat. The students formed a line in front of the Staff Table, and paused. A man with a wrinkled face and matted hair walked out, carrying a stool and a hat. He set down the stool and placed the hat on it.
'So, this is the Sorting Hat?' thought Harry. He grinned slightly. Ron was looking at the hat curiously.
"What are we supposed to do with that? Fred said that we are supposed to wrestle something. Are we going to wrestle the hat?" Harry snorted.
Just then, a tear on the brim of the hat opened, and it began to sing.
(Insert Sorting Hat Song, First Year) (I am not going to write it all out. Go read the book, it is on page 117 in the US version.)
Every one applauded. Ron looked indignant.
"All we have to do is put on the hat?!? I am going to kill them." Harry laughed.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a roll of parchment. "I am going to read off your names. When you are called, come forward to be sorted. Abbott, Hannah!"
A pink-faced girl came forward and put on the hat. There was a short pause, and then it cried, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Bones, Susan!" "HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Boot, Terry!" "RAVENCLAW!"
"Brocklehurst, Mandy!" "RAVENCLAW!"
"Brown, Lavender!" "GRYFFINDOR!" Harry cheered along with the Gryffindor House table.
"Bulstrode, Millicent!" "SLYTHERIN!" She walked off. Harry really hoped Lilia wouldn't end up looking like her.
"Devon, Zachary!" "RAVENCLAW!" The messy-blond next to Harry walked to the Ravenclaw table.
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!" went to Hufflepuff, "Finnigan, Seamus!" went to Gryffindor, and then it was Hermione's turn. She ran up to the stool, nearly tripping on her way up the steps. She sat on the stool for several moments before calling out, "RAVENCLAW!" Hermione pulled off the hat, looking pleased, but Harry noticed that she glanced at the Gryffindor table before walking down to join the rest of the Ravenclaws. The sorting continued.
"Longbottom, Neville!" Neville walked up to the stool and trembled as it was placed on his head. The hat sat still for a moment, then, "GRYFFINDOR!" Neville sighed with release and handed the hat to the next boy before stumbling down to the house table.
"Malfoy, Draco!" Malfoy swaggered up to the stool as his name was called, and was in Slytherin before the hat had touched his hair. He grinned at Lilia, who smiled back, and then swaggered off to the Slytherin table.
"McGonagall, Diana!" Whispers broke out throughout the hall. "McGonagall?" "Do you think it's her daughter?" "Got to be." "Teacher's daughter, lucky." Diana, the black haired girl who had walked down beside Hagrid to the boats, walked calmly up to the stool. The hat cried, "GRYFFINDOR!" as fast as it had called, "SLYTHERIN" with Malfoy. Diana got up gracefully, and walked slowly down the stairs, before she let out a shriek and ran to the Gryffindor table, grinning. Harry snorted.
The Sorting seemed to be speeding up. "Moon!…Nott!...Parkinson!...Patil!...Patil!...Perks!" and then, "Potter, Harry!" Harry walked up to the Hat. He was nervous. He knew he would get sorted, but…what if he didn't? He sat down, and McGonagall placed the Hat on his head. It slid down until it covered his eyes. Harry sat for several moments, then, "Hmmm." Harry jumped. "O-ho, jumpy, I see. But,…there is plenty of courage, not a bad mind. Talent, and…oh…a thirst to prove yourself. Well, it isn't hard to tell where you're going." Not Slytherin. Harry forgot about asking for Gryffindor. He just knew that he did not want to be in Slytherin. Even if Uncle Snape was one, Harry just couldn't stand the thought of being a Slytherin. Plus, James would probably disown him. Please, just, not Slytherin. "Slytherin? Goodness, no my boy, you're going to GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted the last word. Harry sighed with relief, and pulled off the hat. The Gryffindor table was cheering. Harry walked down to the table and sat down. A red haired boy, who Harry recognized as one of Ron's twin brothers, Fred or George, Harry couldn't tell them apart, leaned across the table and said, "Good job, Harry!" He patted him on the arm, then turned back to the front.
There were only four people left to be Sorted. "Snape, Lilia!" The Hall broke out into the loudest bunch of whispering yet. "Snape?!?" "Who would marry Snape?!?" "Two Professor's daughters." "What a year." "WHO would marry SNAPE!?!" The whispers died as the hat was lowered onto Lilia's head. "SLYTHERIN!" The Slytherin table broke out into applause, as Lilia stood and walked over to it.
Fred, or George, leaned over to Harry. "Well, no surprise there. Snape…"
"…is the Head of Slytherin House. I know, he is my uncle. Shhh, Ron's about to be Sorted." Harry turned back, grinning at the look of pure shock that was etched across the Weasley twin's face.
"Thomas, Dean!" had been sorted into Gryffindor, and "Turpin, Lisa!" just became a Ravenclaw. Then, McGonagall read, "Weasley, Ronald!" Ron walked up to the stool and sat down. As the hat slid onto his head, he trembled even worse than Neville. He sat for a moment then, "GRYFFINDOR!" rang across the hall. Ron stood bolt upright. McGonagall smiled and took the hat off Ron's head. Ron walked down to the Gryffindor table. He sat down next to the twin, then turned towards him. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU, FRED. YOU AND GEORGE HAD ME GOING ON ABOUT WRESTLING A TROLL, AND ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS PUT ON A HAT. I OUGHT TO…" However, whatever Ron ought to do was lost, as Fred caused his tongue to stick to the roof of his mouth. Harry recognized the spell, and removed it when he stopped laughing.
After "Zabini, Blaise!" was made a Slytherin, Dumbledore stood up. Harry recognized him instantly from the pictures that hung in the Potter's house, especially his parents' graduation photo, various pictures in the Daily Prophet, and the six copies of his Famous Witches and Wizards card that Harry owned. Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly and then opened his arms.
"Welcome, to another year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our feast, I would like to say a few choice words: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you." He promptly sat down. Harry clapped and cheered with the rest of the students. Ron looked at Harry proudly. "He is completely…mental." Harry laughed.
The dishes in front of them filled with dozens of tasty foods. Harry grinned and dug in, piling the food on his plate and savoring each bite. He almost snorted into his pudding when he saw Ron stick two chicken legs in his mouth at the same time. Fred laughed, and pounded on Ron's back when he started gagging on his mouthful.
After the last desserts were cleared away, Harry turned his attention back to the head table. Dumbledore stood up.
"I hope you have all enjoyed the feast, and are now feeling quite contented." A general cheer rose from the tables, with even the Slytherins joining in. Dumbledore smiled. "Alas, now I must break your contentment with a few start-of-term announcements." A few of the students laughed.
"First, the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds for all students unless given permission by one of the staff. Second, Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked that I remind you that there is to be no magic in the corridors, and that he has added Creeping Carpets and Mesmerizing Mosaics to his banned items list. And third, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is off-limits to those who do not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you. You are dismissed." The Hall was a buzz after the last announcement.
"Perfect," said Fred. "He didn't mention Tickling Tapestries. I will just switch the one I've got with the tapestry across from Filch's office and…"
"Is Dumbledore serious about the death?" Ron looked apprehensive. The ruffed ghost from the classroom glided over.
"Oh, I assure you he is. I visited the corridor before term, and…" but the ghost seemed to realize he had said too much.
Ron looked at him startled, then said, "Hey, aren't you the Gryffindor ghost…Nearly-Headless Nick?"
The ghost looked miffed. "I would prefer Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington." The ghost floated off.
Harry looked at Ron. "Nearly-Headless?"
"Yeah. Didn't your folks tell you about him? Apparently, his beheading was botched up, so now his head is stuck on by a flap of skin and sinew." Harry shuddered.
"First years, follow me please." A red-haired boy was calling over the heads of the crowd.
"That would be Percy. He is a prefect." Harry nodded. The two hurried over to Percy. Percy led them out of the Hall and up the marble staircase. They followed him up a grand spiral staircase, until they came to a seventh floor corridor. Percy led them along the corridor until they came to the portrait of a fat lady in pink.
"Password?" she asked.
"Gobstones," said Percy, properly. The Fat Lady nodded, and swung in to reveal the Gryffindor common room. After listening to Percy lecture them on respecting each other's privacy and treating each other courteously, Harry and Ron ran up the staircase to the boy's dormitories. They entered the first-year dormitory, and, finding the four-poster beds with each of their things next to them, they undressed and jumped in bed. With a few hastly muttered "G'nights," they promptly fell asleep.
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Okay, due to the reviews I got on the subject, Hermione is now a Ravenclaw. She will still be friends with Harry and Ron, but now she is around like-minded people.