Chapter Four - The Sorting

The group of students were huddled in the Entrance Hall, a woman named Professor McGonagall had briefly explained the four houses and had then left. Chatter broke out among the students, all were wondering about how the Sorting happened. Draco Malfoy did not look scared, caught Bree's eye and raised his eyebrow and seemed to be mouthing 'Slytherin.' Bree looked away, she didn't like the way he had talked to Justin on the train but she couldn't help glancing back over at him. Harry Potter was standing with a red haired boy she vaguely recognised from Diagon Alley, they both looked very nervous. Bree edged over to them with an uneasy smile.

"Hello Harry. Do you remember me? From the Leaky Cauldron?" She asked breathlessly.

"Oh, yes." Harry nodded, "You fell over."

Bree felt blood rush to her usually pale cheeks, "Yes, I did."

"I'm Ron Weasley." The other boy said, looking between Harry and Bree.

"This is…" Harry suddenly realised he didn't know her name.

"Bree Roberts, pleased to meet you Ron!"

Above their heads two pearly white ghosts floated along deep in conversation with each other, Harry watched them with deep interest but Ron simply returned to looking nervous. Bree looked around the crowd, Hermione was muttering incantations to herself, Neville was clutching Trevor so tightly it seemed as though his eyes were about to pop, Bree's friends from the train were pacing and Bree really didn't want to look over at Malfoy. She let out a sigh of relief when Professor McGonagall lead them into the Great Hall. Bree's legs seemed to turn to lead and jelly at the same time and she could feel hundreds of eyes watching the group walk slowly to the front of the Hall where a dirty hat sat on a stool.

Bree's eyes widened as its brim opened and it began to sing, the song was about the qualities of all the Houses. Bree began to feel nervous, what if the Hat didn't think she belonged in any of the Houses? One by one the students were sorted, the people from the train were sorted into Hufflepuff, Hermione, Neville and Harry became Gryffindors while Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy became Slytherins. Now it was Bree's turn, the dirty hat was slipped onto her head and she heard a voice whisper in her ear.

"Hmm. There is a great darkness in you, no mistaking that. Oh my, part-vampire, interesting. But you're not a Slytherin…you're so nervous, understandable with your secret. Where do you belong? Hmm, I see it now, you're a HUFFLEPUFF." Bree felt the hat being lifted off her head and she ran towards the cheering Hufflepuff table and took a seat next to Hannah Abbott. Over on the Slytherin table Malfoy looked a bit disappointed as though he'd lost a toy, those at the Gryffindor table clapped politely. The Sorting finally ended with 'Zabini, Blaise' becoming a Slytherin and the empty plates filled with more food than Bree could ever imagine. She filled her plate with steak, chips, carrots and chicken, she dug her teeth into a rare steak with a satisfied smile. The people sat around her began giving introductions and telling each other about their lives, Justin said that he was going to go to Eton and his parents were very wealthy investment bankers, Ernie proudly said his Mother was probably one of the best seekers Ravenclaw had ever seen. A ghost who looked like a short, fat monk had joined the table and was squeezed between Hannah and a handsome third year.

"Hello my dear Hufflepuffs and a warm welcome to our newcomers!" He smiled at each of them in turn, "I am known to most as the Fat Friar, but you may all call me Sir Francis Fairweather the Third."

"Or Francis," the third year added, "Or Friar."
"Ah yes Cedric. I trust you'll take these first years under your wing and give them the benefit of your experience?"

"Of course." He smiled his grey eyes twinkled and he took a bite out of a lamb chop.

"Cedric is on the Quidditch Team. He is a fabulous Seeker." The Fat Friar smiled proudly and spent the rest of the Feast introducing the First Years to other Hufflepuffs and even started pointing out students from other Houses often gaining a happy wave in the process. It was clear that the Fat Friar was a popular ghost although most Slytherins meet his gaze with a surly scowl.

The Feast was over all too soon and after a rousing sing-along to the Hogwarts Song the Hufflepuffs were being led down to their common room. The prefect leading them stopped outside a still life painting of a room, the prefect put his hand up to the painting and placed his finger on a chair and dragged it towards a desk, there was a quiet click and the wall swung upon. Behind the wall was a well lit staircase which led down to the common room. Inside the room there were lots of fat armchairs dotted around and yellow hangings, a portrait of Helga Hufflepuff hung over a fireplace which had little badgers carved into it. The first years were told to take a seat and their prefects introduced themselves.

"I'm Faith Summers and this is Robert Oliver, we'll be showing you around tomorrow so no-one gets lost." The girl smiled.

"Hogwarts is a big place and we Hufflepuffs always look out for each other." Robert added, looking around at them, "If you ever need anything just ask."

Bree was glad she was put in such a nice House and couldn't help but smile. They were shown to their dormitories whish were at the end of little underground tunnels and had perfectly round wooden doors. The dormitory had four four-poster beds hung with yellow curtains, each bed had a trunk at the end of it. Bree recognised hers because Cressida was lazing in a cat basket next to it. Bree pulled on her pyjamas and said goodnight to Hannah and the other Hufflepuff girls, Susan Bones and Sally-Anne Perks. Bree didn't sleep well all night, she kept having a chilling dream that she woke up and discovered her new friends lying dead in their beds, pale and drained of blood with very distinctive marks on their necks.


AN- I hope you like it, I put Bree in Hufflepuff because the House doesn't really get much focus in the books and I thought it would be interesting to explore it, let me know your thoughts. All reviews are appreciated.