A tall black haired witch stood in the doorway. "Good day, first years. I am Professor Mcgonagall, Headmistress for the school of Hogwarts, and the teacher of transfiguration. Please follow me."
We all followed her until we came across a large door. You could tell this was the Great Hall because of all the voices you can hear through the door.
"Soon, you will walk through these doors and the start-of-term banquet will begin." She says to us. "But before that can begin, you will be sorted into your houses. Here your houses are like your family,
"There are four houses here at Hogwarts: Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Ravenclaw. While you are here, your triumphs will be rewarded with points, rule breaking will loose you points. At the end of the year, the total house points will be added up and the house with the highest amount of points will win the house cup.
"The sorting ceremony will start in a few moments. I will return when they are ready for you." She entered the large doors and she soon disappeared.
Instantly, the mood changed from bright and cheery, to fear and anxiety. I must have been the only person there who wasn't worried. If they knew how they were going to sort them, they wouldn't be so frightened. Hermione was talking to some girl about all the spells they knew, and Ron was telling Harry what Fred had told him once. They looked at me to see what I though of this whole thing and saw my cool face.
"Why aren't you worried?" Ron asks. "This could determine what we are to the school and you aren't even a tad scared?"
"Why should I be scared? I always ace tests and I have a think I know how they are going to test us." I say.
The boys instantly lean a bit closer, expecting me to tell them. When they see that I'm not, Ron says, "Well? Why aren't you telling us what you think will happen?"
"That would spoil the fun." I say. I turn around to let them know that that is the end of the discussion. I apparently have perfect timing because at that very moment, the ghosts decide to come out, followed by a large scream.
Harry gasped, Ron jumped nearly ten feet into the air, and of course, I just stood there like there was no ghost walking in front of me. Yup, no ghosty here. Then they did something you can't ignore; talking.
"New students? About to be sorted?" said a fat one.
"I guess so," I say to him. "Why else would we be locked out of the Great Hall?"
"You are right my dear. Let's hope you're in Hufflepuff! That was once my house, you know."
"Time to go," Professor Mcgonagall said sharply. Even I jumped. No one had seen her coming. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to begin. Please get into single file and follow me into the Hall."
One by one we entered the Great Hall. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the night sky outside and the entire room looked like it was made of gold.
When I looked back to the Professor, there was a four-legged stool next to her with an old, stitched up had on top, which I presumed to be the sorting hat. Everyone was quiet, and the hat started to sing the famous song:
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 folks 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!
The room was loud with the sound of applause. I hear Ron say to Harry that he will kill his brother as they realize what they have to do.
Professor Mcgonagall stepped up, "Now, when your name is called, step up and sit on the stool. I will place the hat on your head and it shall sort you."
She started calling people up. After about five names, I noticed she was going alphabetical. Great. I think. I will be one of the last people called. Poor Ron, he really will be one of the last people called.
"Granger, Hermione!" the professor calls.
She sat down on the stool and the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" Ron groaned.
Some more names went off. Neville got placed in Gryffindor. I really wasn't surprised. Malfoy went to Slytherin. The hat didn't even have to be placed on his head.
"Potter, Harry!" The entire room went silent.
Harry started walking, I patted his back and said, "You'll do fine. You're brave." He smiles back at me.
He sits there for a minute, I am sure that felt like more than a minute for him, before the hat finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Some more names were called and then, "Smith, Katie!" I stepped up and sat on the stool.
"Hmm… You're even more difficult than that Potter kid."
Tell me about it.
"You feel… You don't fit? If you didn't fit they wouldn't have invited you, unless…"
Unless what? You have to tell me! I don't even have a speck of magic in me.
"You don't need magic. You might have come to protect."
Protect what? Protect whom?
"That is for you to figure out. I am just a sortinghat."
I feel like an add-on to the school. I don't even know what house I am supposed to be in. Hermione should have been put in Ravenclaw, and Ron was destined for Gryffindor. Harry to was destined for Gryffindor. But I don't know.
"Indeed, you are an add-on to the school. But I must get you into your house now people are starting to stare. Any preferences?'
Maybe. What do you see in my mind?
"You are troubled. Oh so troubled. You want to be in the house I think you should be, which is Hufflepuff, for you are loyal to your friends. But, at the same time, you want to stay by them because you don't want them getting hurt. Do you love him? The young Potter, I mean."
What? No. I just feel he needs to be protected.
"Hmm… Sometimes it takes great bravery to go from where you should and be where you have to be."
What? I don't understand.
"Okay, your house is… GRYFFINDOR!"
The room starts clapping. The Gryffindor table claps the loudest by far, and Harry pats a seat next to him. I gladly take it.
While others are being sorted, Harry decides to talk to me, "You were right, I am brave. They placed me here. You must be brave too."
"Don't say that," I reply, "I am not brave. It wanted to put me in Hufflepuff but I asked it to place me here."
"Why?" Harry asks. "Why did you ask it to place you here?'
"I'll just tell you this; sometimes it takes true bravery to be where you have to be." I say, not looking at him.
"Weasley, Ron." We watched as Ron nervously made his way to the stool. His face was bright red and you could see sweat dripping down his face.
After a couple of seconds the hat shouted out, "GRYFFINDOR!" You could see Ron letting out a sigh of relief before he nearly crawled over to our table.
There were some people left to sort and they got through in some time. When the Ceremony was over, Dumbledore got up and said a few words. When he was done, plates magically appeared loaded with food. Harry looked close to starved and filled his plate with practically everything. When he went to grab another piece of chicken a ghost's head appeared out the dish.
"Whaaaaaaa!" Harry yelled, which was followed by Ron falling out of his seat.
"Why hello," Said the ghost. "That sure does look good. I haven't eaten in centuries!"
"No food for centuries? I don't know how I could live!" Said Ron, very surprised.
"I'm Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington." Said Sir Nicholas
"I've heard of you!" said Ron. "You're Nearly Headless Nick!"
"I'd prefer Sir Nicholas if you please."
"How can you be Nearly Headless?" Asked Harry.
"Like this…" and the ghost… well, I won't say for all you queasy people out there.
"Gyaaaaaa!" Screamed Ron, once he had gotten into his seat. I started to laugh at him.
"Well, bye-bye now! I really must be going." Said the ghost.
The dinner went on, Harry and Ron were constantly talking to each other and stuffing their faces with food. Hermione was talking to Percy about transfiguration all excited like, but Percy didn't look to thrilled. I decide to talk to the people next to me that weren't already talking. That turned out to be one person; Neville.
"Hello, I'm Katie." I said to him.
"Neville."
"Nice to meet you, Neville."
"Pleasure." I figured the conversation was done by now.
Then I heard Harry cry out. "Ow!" He was quiet but some people heard him.
"What is it, Harry?" Asked Percy.
"Nothing." Harry said. "Percy, who is that talking to Professor Quirrell?"
"Know Quirrell already do you?" Percy said surprised. "That's Snape talking to him. He teaches potions but he really wants Quirrell's job. Everybody knows it."
I could see Harry watching Snape for a while, then his head turned away and Dumbledore stepped up to say something about the third floor and the forbidden forest. I do believe I know all this already. Then he made us sing. The last ones to finish were the troublemakers, Fred and George. Do I even have to say duh?
After the song, the prefects were to lead us to our dorms. Percy did a very good job, I have to say. He got rid of Peeves and had us on our way in a flash. We eventually got to a portrait of a, how do I put this delicately, a very, large how you would say, woman.
"Password," said the portrait.
"Caput Droconis," said Percy, the portrait suddenly opened. Gasp! How did that happen? This must be magic, no wait, we're at Hogwarts, duh. Everything here is magic. If you haven't noticed, I am in a bad mood and I have no clue why.
Percy told us where we have to sleep and that we were currently in the common rooms. We all climbed the stairs to our rooms to find our stuff already there. Aglaia was sitting in her cage like a good little owl with her head tucked under her wing.
I decided to change and climb myself into bed. I needed a good night's sleep if I was not to anger any of my teachers with my grumpiness or my failure of magic. In my mind I was wishing that I don't fail to badly.
Eventually I crawl into bed, but I decide to read the chapters from the book. I started reading from that horrid Hogwarts song. I gasped. At the end of the chapter it said Harry suffered from a dream of Voldemort. A pang of pity hit my heart. I will ask him about it in the morning. I pack my book snugly in my bag and fall into deep sleep.
Readers! Finally I finished this chapter. I really enjoyed typing what house she was going into. I had already decided what house previously because I couldn't figure out how to explain it if she was in Hufflepuff, and how could she be loyal to her friends if she wasn't even with them? Anyway, please review! I really enjoy reading them and I am open to suggestions. What's the fun of talking if no one is going to talk back? Thanks for reading yet again… - wolfhound22