Chapter 4
The door opens to find Professor Longbottom is waiting to take the first-years towards the hall.
He says, "I'll take it from here, Hagrid. Come along children. Ah, hello again Albus and Rose," nodding to each of them. "And I see someone fell in the lake did they? Now that happened in my fourth year at Hogwarts. It was Dennis Creevy, if I remember rightly." He turned and briskly walked down the hall into Hogwarts.
The children followed Professor Longbottom inside, where he led them into a room.
"I will come back for you once the headmaster is ready," Professor Longbottom said. "But for now stay in here."
He turned and disappeared through a door on the other side of the room that no one had noticed before. For a moment Albus could see the main hall. It was filled with students and teachers. Only one person stood out. It was Arthur Weasley, Albus's grandfather and headmaster of Hogwarts. Arthur was wearing green dressrobes to celebrate the new people coming to Hogwarts.
Meanwhile in the room behind the main hall no one knew what was going to happen once they stepped out of that room.
"What do we have to do?" a girl said. "Ahhhh!" She screamed and cowered behind her friend.
Four ghosts had just come through the wall into the room the first-years were in. They immediately shrank back towards the wall. One ghost stepped up before the others. He was fat and short, and he was holding a mug out before him. He looked like a monk, with the robes and belt he was wearing.
He said, "Don't be afraid. I am the Fat Friar."
But the children still cowered away from him.
"I won't harm you," he said.
"Albus stepped forward and a pointing at a ghost standing behind the Fat Friar.
"Are you... Are you Nearly Headless Nick?" Albus asked.
He floated towards Albus.
"I prefer to be called Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, if you please," he said.
"Excuse me. How can you be nearly headless?"
"Like this," Nearly Headless Nick said. He took hold of the hair on his head and pulled. Slowly you could see a hole appearing in his neck, the dark red blood still glistening from when he had died. The hole was now wide open. There was only a slit of skin holding his body together. "The executioner had a bit of a blunt blade, I have to say. He didn't cut my head off properly."
The door was opened and in came Professor Longbottom, holding a wooden, three-legged stool and an old and battered hat.
"Children, we are ready now," he said.
The children filed out of the room after Professor Longbottom. Albus caught a glimpse of the masses of students staring at him and immediately turned away and looked at the ground. Meanwhile Professor Longbottom had stopped and put down the stool with the hat placed on top. The hall was in nervous silence as they waited for the thing in front of them to move. Then, the first-years saw an amazing thing. The hat came to life! It just jumped up and gaped his mouth wide and started to sing:
I am a sorting hat,
And a talking one at that.
I may be old and battered,
But I am from the founders.
I can read you easily,
As easy as can be.
Just put me on your head,
And I can see your secrets.
Now Godric Gryffindor,
He valued the ones brave at heart.
Of course Salazar Slytherin,
The sly and cunning are his own.
The loyal and just were given,
To Helga Hufflepuff.
Rowena Ravenclaw,
Liked girls and boys with interlect.
Now that is all the founders,
Who made this school one and true.
Which house will you be in,
Now that you are here as well?
I give you a warning.
Someone is coming.
Lestrange is back,
And never was gone.
Heed my warning,
And good will prevail.
Someone, a new one,
Stands in her way.
Heed my warning,
Sweet children.
She wants something,
Something in Hogwarts.
So you had better watch out.
The Sorting Hat closed its mouth. Up sprung whispers all over the hall. The Sorting Hat Song had produced many worries before, but this was the worst. The headmaster banged his hand on the table and shouted to everyone to be quiet. The hall fell quiet at Arthur's touch.
"There is no need to be hysteric," Arthur said, "Everything will be fine and we will get on with the sorting. Professor Longbottom, come forward to read the names."
Professor Longbottom stepped forward and took hold of the hat, lifting it up so all could see.
"Now, in the order that I read your names out, you will come and sit on the stool and I will place the hat on your head. The Sorting hat will then tell us what house you are to be in," Professor Longbottom said. "Arthur, James"
A boy walked slowly and carefully towards the stool, looking fixedly at a point high up on the wall. He slowly shrank down onto the stool and Professor Longbottom dropped the hat on his head. The Sorting Hat then opened its slit for a mouth and shouted:
"GRYFFINDOR!"
James walked slowly down to the Gryffindor table, where people cheered for their first Gryffindor of that year. James held his head up high and he had on the biggest smile you could have had.
"Auburn, Suzie"
A girl stepped out of the crowd of first-years. She seemed shy but she had the most exemplary green eyes that protruded from her face. She sat down and Professor Longbottom placed the Sorting Hat on her head. Almost immediately it shouted:
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Suzie walked down to join her fellow Hufflepuff students.
"Bailes, Ivy"
The girl who walked out of the crowd had brown and viciously curly hair and glasses perched on her nose. She sat on the stool and the hat was put on her head. The hat had barely touched her head when it shouted:
"RAVENCLAW!"
Ivy walked to the Ravenclaw table and sat amidst the greatest thinkers of all time at Hogwarts.
"Burns, Amber"
A confident girl sauntered out of the first-years as they made a path. She had vast amounts of make up on and she looked like a queen in ordinary clothes. She sat on the very edge of the stool as the hat was dropped on her head by a worshipping Professor Longbottom. When the hat finally told the crowd Amber Burns' house, it said:
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Amber walked down as people politely clapped her.
"Cathers, Jamie"
A tiny boy shuffled slowly from the back of the first-years. As soon as he showed, people started gasping and pointing, for he was wearing Rubeus Hagrid's moleskin coat. His whole form was swamped by this coat, with only his head poking out. He sat on the stool with the hat on his head. Although it took a while to decide, The Sorting Hat finally shouted:
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Jamie made his way to the Gryffindor table and sat down.
"Crabbe, Vincent"
Crabbe swaggered up to the stool and sat down, almost breaking it in the process. The hat dropped onto his head and it shouted the loudest it has ever been known to shout:
"SLYTHERIN!"
Crabbe stomped down to the Slytherin table.
"Greengrass, Nancy"
A confident girl stepped forward, ready to have her time in the spotlight. She seemed the kind of girl who could crush you with one look. She perched on the stool as the hat was placed on her head. It shouted:
"SLYTHERIN!"
She briskly goes up and walked towards her family for the next seven years.
"Grigg, Sam"
Sam walked forward, always at ease with his surroundings. He sat firmly on the stool and waited for the Sorting Hat to say:
"GRYFFINOR!"
He smiled broadly and he walked down to sit next to Jamie.
"Hudson, Matthew"
A chubby boy walked out of the now thinning crowd. He had striking blue eyes protruding from his podgy skin. He sat down and the hat was placed on his head. After waiting for ten minutes in absolute silence, the hat finally said:
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Matthew stood up and skipped towards his hard-earnt space on the Gryffindor table.
"King, Louise"
A shy girl walked forward. She was unremarkable in every way. But that just mad e her special, for she was normal. She sat on the stool as the Sorting Hat shouted:
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
She looked to the ceiling, which was enchanted to look like the sky outside, and smiled. She was where she wanted to be. Louise walked over to the Hufflepuff table and sat down next to Suzie Auburn.
"Malfoy, Scorpious"
A boy with pale skin and red, pinched eyes walked forward with pride in his step. He sat down and with the hat barely placed on his head, it shouted:
"SLYTHERIN!"
Scorpious stood up proudly and stalked down to the Slytherin table where Crabbe was waiting for him.
"Morten, William"
A dark and studious boy with his skin stretched taunt over his bones walked forward proudly, and sat on the stool. The Sorting Hat shouted:
"RAVENCLAW!"
He smiled, hopefully to find friends in the Ravenclaws.
"Potter, Albus"
Albus walked forward, wondering what house he would be put in. He hoped it would be Gryffindor, after all, everyone in his family were put in Gryffindor. But then again, his father had nearly been put in Slytherin. Albus sat down on the stool. The Sorting hat was placed on his head.
"Now, which house should I put you in? Slytherin?" the Sorting Hat said.
"No! Anything but that!" Albus thought.
"You don't want to be in Slytherin?"
"No, wizards go bad in Slytherin."
"Ah, but wizards go bad because of their choices, not what house they are put in. You could do great things, you know. Such great things. But, if you don't want to be in Slytherin it will have to be GRYFFINDOR!"
This last word he shouted to the crowd, waiting to see what house Harry Potter's son would be put in. The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers as Albus came to join them.
"Prescott, Amy"
A small girl with long blonde hair stepped forward. The shy but strangely compelling girl then sat on the stool as the Sorting Hat was placed on her head. The hat shouted:
"RAVENCLAW!"
Amy's house cheered as she came among them.
"Read, Lilly"
A thin girl walked forward strongly. She sat down on the stool and gripped it 'til her knuckles went white. She was obviously very nervous. Either that or she just wanted to hit someone. The hat had barely touched her head when it shouted loudly:
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Lilly slowly released her grip on the stool and stood up. She made her way towards the Gryffindor table, before falling over into James Arthur's arms.
"Thank you," she whispered so only James could hear.
James smiled and helped her into the seat next to him.
"Scamander, Lorcan"
A blond haired boy stepped forward to find out what house he would be put in. He sat down and the Sorting Hat was put on his head. After a few minutes it shouted:
"RAVENCLAW!"
Lorcan smiled at his brother and sat down at the Ravenclaw table.
"Scamander, Lysander"
Lorcan's double stepped towards the stool from where he was standing to see his brother being sorted. He walked forward proudly, hoping to be in Ravenclaw like his brother. He sat down as the Sorting Hat was placed on his head. It immediately shouted:
"RAVENCLAW!"
The Ravenclaw table erupted into cheers, with Lorcan Scamander clapping the loudest of all. Lysander sat down, feeling like a hero.
"Weasley, Rose"
Rose walked forward to take her turn with the Sorting Hat. She sat down without a doubt and Professor Longbottom put the Sorting Hat on her head. It shouted out loud:
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Rose smiled as the Gryffindor table cheered for their last new family member that year.
"Wood, Billy"
One of the last two boys stepped forward with a kindly expression on his face. The good-natured boy then sat down on the stool. The Sorting Hat shouted just after it touched his head:
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
As Billy smiled, his eyes twinkled like stars. He joined his new family of Hufflepuffians who would look after him for seven years.
"Wood, Mike"
Billy Wood's evil twin walked forward with a sneer on his face. The two boys were opposites, one loving and the other hating. Mike sat down on the stool and Professor Longbottom placed the hat on his head. It immediately shouted:
"SLYTHERIN!"
Mike joined Malfoy and Crabbe on the Slytherin table.
"Wright, Dana"
The final girl walked slowly up the steps towards the sorting hat, Professor Longbottom holding it up in the air. She sat on the stool, not wanting to concentrate as the hat was pulled down over her dull brown plaited hair. After several seconds it shouted out:
"GRYFFINDOR!" for the last time for another year.
As the sorting hat was taken off, Dana stood up to find that the Gryffindor table was clapping her and she gratefully sank into a seat at their table.
"That will be all now," Professor Longbottom said, while picking up the stool and the Sorting Hat. He walked over to the edge of the hall and put them down and returned to his place at the right of Professor Weasley.
Professor Weasley stood up and said, "Now, first things first. I hope you all had a good summer." The students cheered! "I will take that as a yes. Just to let the first-years and some of the elder ones know, the Forbidden Forest is, of course, forbidden to all students. Also, the second floor corridor is forbidden unless you want to die an untimely and painful death. Thank you."
As soon as Professor Weasley sat down, Albus's gaze immediately went from him to the piles of food appearing on the Gryffindor table. Albus took a bit off every plate; pork chops, roast potatoes, pasta carbonara, prawns, barbeque chicken, crab sticks, roast chicken, scrambled eggs, salad, chips. It could have lasted him a lifetime.
But eventually the food diminished to nearly nothing and everyone was leaning back and yawning in exhaustion. Finally Arthur Weasley leant back and the plates disappeared.
They were replaced by more plates bearing dessert. There was apple pie, banana fritters, creamed rice, treacle, Lindor chocolate and mint humbugs. Amazingly, the whole course went in five minutes! Arthur Weasley stood up.
"So now's the time for the school song. Ready? One, two, three, four..." Arthur Weasley said.
Arthur Weasley gave his wand a little flick and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which raised high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into the words of the song.
"Together now!"
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot!"
"Well, you all must be tired so go on up to your beds. Your bags have already been delivered to your rooms," Arthur Weasley said, "Prefects, lead the way."
Two sixth-years stood up in the centre of the table. It was Lucinda Thomas and Eric Wright, the prefects for this coming year. You could see their new and shiny badges if you looked closely.
"First-years, this way," Lucinda said.
She started walking with Eric at her side. Albus and the first-years walked up slowly behind the prefects. They led them left and right, this way and that way, up and down until finally they stopped in front of a portrait of a lady in a pink dress.
Eric said, "Snugglemuffin."
The portrait swung forward on its hinges, revealing the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. Albus stepped inside and immediately saw the comfy armchairs before a blazing fire. Everything looked perfect. It was just what he wanted.
"Okay, boys to the right and girls to the left. Your dorms are right at the top." Lucinda said, with everyone listening aptly to her every word.
Albus, Sam, Jamie, James and Matthew raced up the spiral staircase to the very top. The girls headed in the other direction not so quickly.
Albus wrenched open the door to their dorm and walked in. The room had a sloping roof that led straight up to the rafters. The five beds were positioned in a semi-circle, with luxurious, deep red curtains and opulent and exquisite wooden chests. Albus chose the centre bed and saw that there were window seats in the deep-set walls. He laid down and fell asleep immediately.