Chapter Two:
The great hall was aglow with flickering candles smattered in every corner and suspended in midair by magic. As the rest of the first years and I paraded in, we witnessed the four long tables marking Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, all filled to the ends with kids dressed in similar robes. Uncle Donovan left me as he joined the other teachers up at the front table looking over the entire hall. He sat next to a thin woman with blonde hair and a very large hairy man who had to scoot over a little to make room for him. The first years took a seat at the front of the hall as a hush fell over the great hall.
"Welcome, to another year of Hogwarts," said the Headmistress as she rose.
Headmistress Hecate gave a great speech about coming together and foraging ahead- the usual beginning of school spiel you'd get from any school.
I waited patiently to be called as the sorting hat went on the heads of several students. This was the time that we'd be sorted into our respective houses, our homes for the next seven years. To be honest, I didn't really know what house I was hoping for. My dad always made fun of the Hufflepuffs so I decided I definitely didn't want to be one of them. The other three houses; Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw all seemed fine to me so when I was called, I wasn't as nervous as some of the other kids looked.
The deputy headmistress smiled at me as she dropped the large, worn through hat over my head. My first thought was of lice but I pushed that aside as a voice came on in my head. The hat was probably magically clean anyway.
"Slytherin!" shouted the hat.
I smiled and looked to the emerald green table that had suddenly erupted in cheers. My parents were both in that house when they was at Hogwarts so I knew they'd be proud. Uncle Donovan was the only one in our family who wasn't a Slytherin. He'd been put in Ravenclaw so a small part of me wished I'd ended up there.
I watched the rest of the first years get sorted. Eloise and Edmund were thankfully both put in Gryffindor, the farthest table from the Slytherins. As the sorting ceremony ended, I turned to my new table and we sang the school song together, laughing and all finishing at different times. Then to my surprise, a great feast bloomed into existence complete with roast beef, puddings, veggies and bread. I watched as grins lit up on the faces of everyone in the great hall.
Across the table were two more first years who I remembered seeing from earlier. One was an Arabic girl with a dark, black braid fishtailed down her shoulder and the other, a tall girl with a dirty blonde bun sitting on her head and circular glasses framing her eyes. They were chattering excitedly about being put in Slytherin.
"Hey, you're a first year too, aren't you?" said the Arabic girl.
It took me a second to realize they were talking to me. I bobbed my head and smiled, trying to come off as 'bubbly'.
"I'm Heidi," I said, and shook the girls' hands from across the table.
"Cassie," said the Arabic girl. "And this is Jasmine. We met on the train."
"What a day," Jasmine commented heaving a sigh.
After I was stuffed with dinner and plenty of puddings, cakes and pastries, Cassie, Jasmine and I were lead down into the dungeons along with the rest of Slytherin house. As we drew closer below ground, the air became stale and chilly. I shrugged my cloak closer to my chest until at last we reached a blank stone wall. We all waited in uncomfortable silence until Gemma Farley, the head girl stepped forward.
"Toad whiskers," she said and the stone wall began to move.
As it shifted aside, an emerald green glow began to shine from within revealing a large common room adorned with the Slitheen flag; a silver serpent rearing on a green background. A large fire crackled in a massive hearth at one end and glowed green, sending pulsing warm light throughout the room. Around me, there were velvety green chairs and couches, desks for studying and even an air hockey table that seemed to be playing itself. Some of the first years gasped.
"Welcome to Slytherin house," said Gemma Farley as we all looked around. "First years, we want you all to know you've been selected to be in the best of the Hogwarts houses."
There was some cheers from the other kids but the head girl blocked them out.
"Slytherin house is about cunning, and perseverance," Gemma said. "We don't loose and we don't take no for an answer. This is the house that will make you the very best that you can be."
More cheers and I felt a smile spread across my face. There was no doubt in my mind now that I'd been placed in the correct house.
Gemma divided us into boys and girls and sent the girls upstairs. Jasmine, Cassie and I raced up the emerald bannister, much to the annoyance of some of the upperclassmen and into a long dorm room. On either side were large four poster beds draped with emerald green and complete with matching comforters. I was surprised to see all of my stuff had been placed on a nightstand next to one of the beds and my trunk was at the foot. It seemed all the first years had been grouped together because Cassie's bed was next to mine and Jasmine's was across. I looked around and spotted two more first year Slytherin girls. One was a creepy, thin girl with greasy black hair and lily white skin. The other was a slightly plump girl with rosy cheeks and wavy blonde hair. Their names were Carina and Claire.
The coolest part of the Slytherin dorms by far was when you looked up while lying in bed, you saw the lake. Above us, the ceiling was made of glass and since we were far below the castle, it put us below sea level so great aquatic creatures were swimming all around the Slytherin dorms.
After all the girls had changed into their nightgowns, Gemma Farley called for lights out and I slipped into my bed. My eyes became heavy as I watched a black blob circle around in the lake and soon I was able to drift into a peaceful sleep.