This is where we start to see the major changes in my world compared to the books. Don't worry I'll be introducing Ron in the next chapter
Getting off the train was very overwhelming; Harry hadn't realised just how many witches and wizards were on the train. It didn't feel like the train was overly large but then again, he supposes with magic anything is possible. However, his mind is very much on the distant family he could have out there. Hagrid the lovely man who came and told him about being a wizard says they will be getting into the boats and that its 4 to a boat so with him, Hermione, and Neville in one they had space for another of which a sandy-haired boy sat and then he hears Hagrid shout 'FORWARD!'. Harry checks that Neville still has Trevor as he can only imagine how upset he'd be if he lost Hedwig, and he ducks when Hagrid tells them to at the edge of a cliff and suddenly, they all awe in the beauty of Hogwarts, the place they will call home for the next 10 months. They come to a stop and Harry gets off first so that he can help Hermione and the other two boys off the boat without anyone slipping. Hagrid knocks three times on the entrance doors and a tall witch with long black hair wearing emerald robes opens it. She looks like someone you wouldn't want to cross, and Harry hopes he never does, she does however look like she might be old enough to have been here when his parents were students so that's at least one person he can ask about them.
They were taken to some sort of room where they could hear other people even though they couldn't see them, there looked to be around 40 students, but Harry couldn't be sure on exactly how many. They were all lined up and the witch asks them to tidy themselves up and eyes Harry before noticing his hair and rolling her eyes, he had tried to sort it before getting off the train, but it never settles down and always looks like it could do with a good comb through it. She then proceeds to tell them about the houses but him, Hermione, and Neville had spoken about the house they wanted to be in, and they had agreed, but with Hermione going first unless she went into Ravenclaw which the called the smart house the boys would try and join her. Neville said he wanted Gryffindor as that's the house his mum and dad were in and then mentioned to Harry this his parents had also been Gryffindor's. Harry was just happy to be here in the first place and if he ends up in the same house as his parents well that's just a bonus. The teacher left them for a second to go see if the rest of the school was settled down and ready for what she called the sorting when the boy from the robe shop stepped out of line and stopped in front of Harry.
'We never got to finish our conversation the last time we met. I am Heir Draco Lucius Malfoy of the Ancient and Noble House of Malfoy. I am also Heir Presumptive of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black.' He holds his hand out for Harry to shake and harry not knowing all the customs looks at Neville to see what he should do; Neville gives a small nod to say to go ahead and shake Draco's hand. 'Nice to meet you Heir Malfoy, I am Heir Harry James Potter of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter. This here to my left is Heir Neville Francis Longbottom of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom and this here to my right is Miss Hermione Granger a first-generation witch. It's a pleasure to meet you, I would like to discuss somethings with you another time if that would be alright?' Heir Malfoy nods his head, but Harry does notice that he turned his nose up to Harry calling Hermione a first-generation witch, and goes and stands back with his friends, just in time too as the teacher comes and leads them into the room where everyone else is.
Harry see's four tables all aligned and then at the top of them a table with what looks to be just the teachers although Hagrid is there too, so maybe it is the staff table. In the middle he sees an elderly wizard wearing bright purple robes sat in a golden chair who he knows is Albus Dumbledore from the cool little card he got out of his chocolate frog who smiles brightly as he looks at the first years and he can just tell that he's a proud Headmaster. Looking at the table he sees many members of staff namely the one he recognises from the Leaky Cauldron with the turban on, next to him is a hook-nosed teacher with jet black hair wearing black robes, next to him is a short plump woman who seems to have something on her nose. On the other side of Headmaster Dumbledore, he sees an empty space which must mean it is for the teacher who came to collect him and the other first years, a short man who looks like he might suffer with dwarfism, and Hagrid is sat right at the end. In front of the empty seat but closer to the student tables Harry sees a four-legged stool with a pointy hat that wouldn't look out of place mixed in with Harry's non-magical clothes. Just as he was thinking that it needed to be sewn up a large slit opened and started singing:
'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
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use 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!'
Harry was gobsmacked, the damn thing could talk, like really talk. He's relieved that he only has to put the hat on but he's a bit worried, what if the hat said he didn't belong in any of those. He doesn't feel very brave in fact he's scared witless, he's not very wise and although he likes learning he's had to dumb himself down for so long he isn't sure just how smart he actually is, he isn't sure what just means but he definitely isn't unafraid so that one's out and he's not very cunning. Maybe this is all a mistake, he should save himself the embarrassment and just walk out and get back on the train, but his legs won't move. Headmaster Dumbledore nods his head and says, 'when your ready Professor McGonagall' and Harry realises that Hagrid called her that too and now he knows at least three members of staff's name. She steps forward holding a scroll and says 'when I call your name you will sit on the stool and I will put the hat on your head' she starts with Abbot, Hannah who joins Hufflepuff and it feels like Harry blinks and suddenly the professor is calling Granger, Hermione. Harry sees Hermione take a deep breath in and slowly release it before she steps forward, it feels like it takes forever, and Harry hears whispers of the word hatstall whatever that is before the slit opens its and he hears 'GRYFFINDOR' and Harry is so relieved because now he can at least try to get into the same house as her, more people went and then it was LONGBOTTOM, NEVILLE's turn. He also took a long time but when the hat yet again called GRYFFINDOR the boy looked so relieve and went and sat next to Hermione, Harry was even more nervous now, what if he was the only one not in the same house would they still be friends with him? Would they want to study with him? Would he see them outside mealtimes? Harry was spiralling so much that he almost missed the call of POTTER, HADRIAN however he didn't miss the whispers of his name going round mostly them saying 'Hadrian don't you mean Harry' like they couldn't comprehend that Harry is the nickname for Hadrian, and now he definitely knows Hagrid wasn't lying about everyone knowing his name. He walks up to the seat, and he looks over at the Gryffindor table sat towards his friends and then he's looking at the inside of the hat, he didn't expect it to speak to him.
'Hmm difficult, very difficult. Plenty of courage (which Harry disagreed with), not a bad mind either (why thank you very much), lots of talent my goodness you have talent (I'll trust you on that one), oh and there's a thirst to prove yourself (have to prove I belong) but where should I put you?' Harry nervously moves his hands to his lap and thinks 'I want to be with my friends in Gryffindor please' the voice comes back with 'are you sure? You could be great in Slytherin, it's all in your head' and Harry can't help but think he just wants to be with his friends and the next thing he hears isn't inside his head its out loud and it's a call of 'GRYFFINDOR' and he's never felt so relieved as he thanks the hat. He quickly walks to sit on the other side of Hermione next to a ginger haired boy with a badge on his robes that say PREFECT. Well at least he knows one of the prefects in case he needs help. The rest of the sorting goes by quickly and he notices that Gryffindor has 5 boys, but 4 girls and he wonders if all the other houses were an even split like that. Dumbledore starts the feast and Harry is sure he's never seen so much food in his life. He eats so much that it actually makes him feel sick, but he's found his absolute favourite pudding in treacle tart, and he hopes its not just a feast pudding. The food disappears and Dumbledore gives notices including the forbidden forest is forbidden and Harry can't help but feel that's self-explanatory but the prefect looks down at two other ginger boys and rolls his eyes so Harry can only assume that they've tried to enter it, he then says that the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bound which is fine but then he says about not dying a painful death and well if that doesn't scare Harry. They sing the school song which everyone sings to a different tune before he dismisses them to their dorms.
They follow the prefect who introduces himself as Percy Weasley and the ginger boy in Harry's year goes bright red and Harry remembers his name is Weasley too. Percy is telling them some of the important rules like making sure you turn up to all classes on time, make sure you pre-read your schoolbooks as you never know when a teacher might ask you questions and that each month on the first the house has house meetings with Professor McGonagall who is their head of house. He advises them to be down in the common room for 7:30am so that one of the prefects could guide them back to the great hall for breakfast and that it will happen for one week before they are left to attend breakfast on their own. He explains that their common room is guarded by a portrait called the fat lady (Harry thinks this is very rude and is determined to try and get her name) and that they must give her the password of which if you get wrong she wont open it for even if she recognises you, he explains that the password changed per term so it wont be that hard to forget. He lets them in to the common room where the rest of the house is seated with the cushions all laid out first years to sit on at the front of the group, when Harry looks at the height of the group it seems they are sitting in year order with the youngest being at the front. Harry sits next to Neville and Hermione again and they wait for their head of house to enter and begin their first ever house meeting.
It doesn't take long, and Professor McGonagall looks at the bunch with a smile, she doesn't look so mean here but she still looks like you don't want to get her angry. She introduces herself and has the group introduce themselves starting in the 7th year all the way down to the little first years and they all look at Harry in awe, but she soon puts a stop to that. She lays the rules down, no first year is to be left unattended for the first week, a prefect is to guide them to all classes and to meals, on Saturday the 7th year prefects will be showing them around the classroom however she explains that her office is two portraits down from the portrait of Lolanthe Peverell (wait Harry thinks he knows that name, he's sure he does) which is what everyone else calls the fat lady. She explains her open times and she assures people that before classes start tomorrow a prefect will be taking them all to the owlery so that everyone can send a letter home. She explains the rules of the common room which are simple: don't be too loud, be respectful at all times, if you see someone struggling help them, if you want quiet time, you have a dorm room and don't get into arguments. She explains that she will be meeting with everyone during this first week to ensure they are settling in well and to do their beginning of term health checks, that these health checks are mandatory and no you aren't getting out of it even if you're a 7th year. She tells them its past curfew which Harry though makes total sense because Percy was telling them the two different curfew times on the way to the common room, 8pm to be in your common room and first years have a bedtime curfew of 9pm and he was sure it was already 8pm when they got to the common room anyway. He nods his head to Hermione who is following the female 5th year prefect Kasey Jones whilst Harry and the rest of the boys are following Percy who explains that whilst the girls are able to get into the boys rooms the boys are unable to get into the girls' rooms as the stairs turn to a slide. He bids them goodnight outside their dorm room and Harry barely even remembers getting his pyjamas on before he's fast asleep.
