Minerva McGonagall
I didn't know much about the magical world. I knew that I was a witch and so was my mum but mum never talked about Hogwarts or any of that stuff. My dad was a Muggle, or I think that's what you call it. I was standing in the Great Hall, which really was great and waiting to be sorted. This morning at eleven o'clock I boarded the Hogwarts Express that left from Kings Cross Station in the heart of London. The train journey from Scotland to London had been bad enough, I had to wake up at three o'clock in the morning with my mum and now I was very tired. Then I had to travel all the way back to Scotland, all because my mum had wanted me to use the 'normal way', even though walking would have been easier. Mum was crying when I left, and I don't think it was just because she was going to miss me though. She wanted to go back to the magical world so much but she couldn't, because of dad. I felt bad for her; she gave it all up for my dad, me and my two younger brothers. Now I had just left her to go to Hogwarts the place I'd been dreaming about since my mum told me. She'd only told be a castle so I had left the rest to imagination.
I'd read Hogwarts: A History only briefly but I knew the basic principles of all the houses. I knew I was destined for Ravenclaw. I tend not to brag about it but I'm quite clever for my age and after all my mum was in Ravenclaw. I always got top marks at my Muggle primary school, which was hard, because when all these Muggle 'evacuees' from the city came the class doubled in size because of the war. Fortunately it didn't affect me that much. I still learnt to read, write and add up numbers. "McGonagall, Minerva." Professor Dumbledore called.
I nervously walked up to the front where a small stool sat, the young Professor holding the hat. I sat down and the hat was placed on my head. "Smart, I see." A voice by my ear said quietly.
"So are you going to put me in Ravenclaw?" I asked.
"Not necessarily." The hat said. "You also show courage."
"Really?" I asked. Me brave, I thought; that's likely.
"You need to stop underestimating yourself. You're brave and very loyal as well!"
"What? You're trying to put me into Gryffindor?" I asked in disbelief. I'd only ever thought of myself as a Ravenclaw.
"Maybe, but I can't be sure." It said. We sat in silence not talking for a couple of minutes. I was very apprehensive and the fact that the hat was searching through my brain didn't seem to ease my nerves funnily enough.
"So Ravenclaw or Gryffindor?" I asked the hat.
"Well; where do you want to go?" it asked.
"Don't they just all mess about in Gryffindor? I do need to study, but otherwise it really doesn't matter!" I said. I really didn't know anymore.
"No, they don't, they're not as serious, but you'll be able to study. They just think friends and family are more important than good marks in class. A Ravenclaw will do whatever it takes to be as clever as possible even if it means deserting their friends to study." The hat said.
"I thought that would be more Slytherin?" I said.
"No it is prone to occur with Ravenclaws more. In Gryffindor you'll make better friends. But I must leave it to you, what do you think is more important, intelligence or friends?"
"I've never really had a proper friend, but I'd probably say friends!" I said after contemplating the question.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted. It took me a while to realise that it hadn't said it in my head. The whole hall was applauding, but none more enthusiastically than the Gryffindor. I went over to join them, I supposed even though I hadn't thought I'd be in Gryffindor in a million years, it wasn't that bad…