A/N: Only after typing out Professor McGonagall's name did I notice how strange it actually is. And, um, this chapter might sound a lot like the Philosopher's Stone, because of the Sorting and introduction to Hogwarts and all that noise, so please bear with me. It'll start to get different in the next chapter.
Sorry it took a while to edit this one. Been going through a rut. :P
Disclaimer: I do not own anything recognizable in this, it all belongs to JK Rowling. Any OC that appears here, however, is mine.
Chapter 2: Sorting
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said the giant, after they had crossed the lake and entered Hogwarts.
"Thank you, Hagrid," said Professor McGonagall, a tall woman in emerald green robes and black hair in a tight bun, "I will take them from here."
Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small chamber off the Entrance Hall she had lead them across. The first years piled in, shaking from a mix of excitement and nerves.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall, "The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses," she paused, and Anna got the feeling that she said the same exact thing to every group of first years, "The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room…"
Anna found herself not paying much attention to Professor McGonagall when she started to explain the four houses and the concept house points. Everyone who wasn't Muggleborn or already knew about the Houses. Instead, she found herself peering about the chamber with interest. She wanted to get the sorting over with so she could really start looking around the castle. She'd heard there were plenty of secret passages throughout the school, and she wanted to find every single one of them.
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting," Professor McGonagall concluded before turning and heading towards the door, "I will return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."
There was a nervous shuffle around the chamber as everyone went about trying to make themselves look proper. Girls were fixing their skirts and making sure their blouses were tucked in properly while some boys were trying to comb their hair with their fingers.
Anna realised with a sudden jolt that her mother had never actually told her and Chrys how they were sorted. She turned to her twin to see her trying to get her fringe to stay flat.
"Chrys?" she whispered, gaining all the first year's attention. Se realised only then just how quiet everyone was being.
"What is it?"
"Did Mother ever tell you how we would get sorted?"
Chrys, along with a few others in the chamber, froze, completely forgetting about their attempts to smarten themselves up.
"No…" she finally answered, turning to Anna, who noticed she was actually looking scared, "What do you think they'll make us do?"
Before Anna could answer, somebody in the corner of the chamber squeaked in a scared voice, "I heard somebody on the train say that we'd have to duel each other!"
"Don't be thick," a black boy with dreadlocks standing next to Fred and George said, "They haven't taught us any spells! They're not about to ask us to duel each other!"
"Someone from another year was just yanking your wand," Alicia, the girl from the boat agreed.
Anna noticed that Fred and George weren't saying anything, in fact, they seemed to be amused by everyone. She suddenly remembered her mother once saying that the Weasleys had more children than they could afford; if they had siblings that were already in the school they could know how they would be sorted.
"Do you two know how we'll be sorted? You have siblings here, don't you?" Anna asked them. Chrys looked appalled at the idea of Anna speaking to them again.
They both shrugged before they replied, "Dunno-"
"Bill and Charlie never told us-"
"And Percy's been acting all high and mighty about knowing something we don't-"
"We're as clueless as you are," they both finished together.
Anna sighed, now getting worried. She hoped it wasn't some sort of test, she hadn't really bothered to read any of her new textbooks. She didn't have much more time to dwell on it before Professor McGonagall returned.
"The Sorting Ceremony's about to start; form a line and follow me."
They did as they were told, and scrambled to form a line, Anna and Chrys chose to find a place somewhere closer to the end. Anna noticed that everyone looked as sick and nervous as she felt. The sorting took place in front of the entire school, what if she embarrassed herself?
Professor McGonagall led them out of the chamber, back across the Entrance Hall and through a pair of double doors that lead into the Great Hall.
Anna and most of the other first years gasped. She had never imagined the place to be so magnificent. The ceiling above them was lined with stars, and gave the impression that there was no ceiling at all, just the night sky.
The Hall was lit by thousands of candles that floated over four long tables that seated the students, each table being for a different house, and over a fifth table at which the staff was seated. The first years were led up there, where they stopped, facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. Anna noticed that there were even ghosts in the Hall, staring at them all, making her very aware that every eye was on the group of them.
Trying to keep her mind off the fact that everyone was watching them, Anna watched Professor McGonagall, who was placing a four-legged stool in front of the row of first years. She then placed a patched and frayed wizard's hat on the stool.
There were a few seconds of silence where everyone was staring at the hat, then its brim opened wide and it began to sing.
Anna gasped and she felt Chrys jump in shock beside her. She was too preoccupied with the fact that the hat was singing to even register what it was singing about. She had just started to really pay attention after the hat described the differences between the houses when it fell silent again and the hall burst in to applause.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward, holding a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat, and sit on the stool to be sorted. 'Avery, Todd!'"
A small, podgy blonde boy tripped on his way out of the line, and sat down. When he put on the hat, it fell down past his eyes. There was a moment's silence, then-
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted, causing the table on the right to burst into applause as Todd walked over to it.
The students around Anna were getting more and more nervous every time someone was sorted, 'Beattie, Casey' had become the first Slytherin, and 'Bennet, Don' had quickly joined her.
It took quite a while before Gryffindor had gained its first new student, but it finally happened when 'Johnson, Angelina' was called. Anna had already taken a liking to her and Alicia from getting to know the two of them on the boat they shared to the castle, but now she doubted she could ever be friends with her, just like the Weasley Twins. The disapproving snort from Chrys when Angelina joined the table on the far left finalised that thought.
'Jordan, Lee', the boy with dreadlocks, quickly joined Angelina at the Gryffindor table, and before Anna knew it, they were already into the 'M's'. Her name would be called any second now.
'MacKay, Aaron' became the next Ravenclaw, and 'Murray, Carol' joined the Hufflepuffs before finally-
"Nymphea, Anthea!"
Anna froze, suddenly wishing she had a bucket on hand to vomit in. Time seemed to stand still, and she felt Chrys reach over and pat her on the back. Anna gave her a quick smile before she made her way towards the stool, feeling as if her legs had been replaced with lead.
She sat down and placed the hat on her head, almost jumping right back onto her feet when she heard the hat speak to her. She didn't hear it speaking to anyone else, she must be the only one able to hear it.
'Hmm… Now this is interesting. A Nymphea, eh? But you seem different from your family… Fair bit of courage, I see. Just need to be free from your controlling family to prove that… Forgive me, but I doubt Slytherin would be the best place for you, you're too… Let's say, kind, shall we, for lack of a better word? But what house would be right for you?'
Anna froze again, she wouldn't be in Slytherin? Her mother would hate that! She found herself actually liking the idea.
'You don't seem to have a bad mind, perhaps Ravenclaw? No, I don't think so…'
Anna found herself thinking, 'How about Gryffindor? I think it could actually be funny, Mother couldn't do anything about it.'
'Oh? You aren't afraid of what your mother thinks?'
Anna smiled, shocking herself. She used to be terrified of her mother, why was she suddenly alright with the idea making her mad? Then she thought, "Mother doesn't treat me well anyway, why not have a bit of fun with it? There's nothing she can do to me until the end of the year anyway." She had to be going mental. Perhaps this hat made you think differently, or brought out your true personality so it could sort you better? There was no way Anna would be thinking any of this if she was still back in the line with the others.
'Hmm…' said the hat, 'Perhaps Gryffindor would be the best place for you. Plenty more courage than I first thought. Yes, I see it now. Better be-'
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The last word was shouted for the entire hall to hear. The Gryffindor table was clapping and shouting loudly as Anna took off the hat and turned to look at Chrys. She looked appalled at the very idea of being related to a Gryffindor, and suddenly Anna was feeling just as nervous as she was before she was sorted.
Anna made her way to the Gryffindor table and took a seat next to Angelina and Lee, feeling both happy and scared before Professor McGonagall called her sister's name.
"Nymphea, Chrysilla!"
The hat didn't take nearly as long with Chrys as it had with Anna, it took only a few seconds before she was named a Slytherin. She took off the hat and looked at Anna with an almost apologetic expression on her face, before heading towards the Slytherin table.
The Sorting Ceremony seemed to go by a lot faster after Anna was sorted, she was so nervous about getting an owl from her infuriated mother that she barely noticed when Alicia took the spare seat next to her. She stopped worrying however, when Fred and George took the seats across from her, both smiling widely at her.
"So you're Anna, then?" they asked.
She nodded at them.
"We figured your sister would be going into Slytherin, she seemed a bit rude-"
"But we thought you were alright. There was no way you'd be a Slytherin-"
"Especially when I noticed you apologising before you followed Chrys into your compartment. A Slytherin would never apologise for anything-"
"Apology accepted, by the way."
Anna smiled at them, she could tell they spoke like this a lot, and she found it entertaining. She wondered how long it would take her to be able to tell them apart, it was something she definitely wanted to be able to do.
The group of new Gryffindors started to introduce themselves; they thought it would be best to get along since they'd be spending the next seven years together. Supposedly Lee was already friends with the twins - they had met on the train as well. He had been hiding from the twins' older brother, Charlie, who happens to be a prefect. Anna could tell she was going to enjoy her years at Hogwarts as she laughed at a joke the twins made, and there was nothing her mother could ever do to take away her happiness at that moment.
"Welcome!" came a sudden shout that overpowered every voice in the Great Hall. Everyone quieted down as the headmaster got to his feet, beaming at the students, "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! I will save the few announcements I have for after the banquet, as I am sure you are all famished! Tuck in!"
Everyone clapped and cheered, and suddenly the empty plates lining the tables were piled with foods of all sorts. Anna found herself getting lost in conversation with the others, and they all laughed at the many jokes the twins made.
"So your name's actually Anthea?" Angelina asked.
Anna thought this question might be asked at one point.
"Yes, my mother wanted to name my sister and I after Greek words she liked. I don't think she really thought about the meanings though."
"Why?" Alicia asked, "What does Anthea mean?"
"Flower-like," Anna replied with a shrug and a grimace, "I don't really like it just because of the meaning."
"Then we'll just call you Anna," Fred said.
"You obviously prefer it," agreed George.
"I don't blame you. Don't know what I'd do if my name meant 'flower-like'."
Anna laughed.
"And what about Chrysilla?" Lee asked, "What does that mean?"
"Oh, well I actually think Chrys got it worse than I did. Her name means 'golden-haired'."
Fred, George, and Lee laughed at that.
"Why does your mother like Greek names?" Angelina asked.
Anna was starting to feel like she was being interviewed.
"Her name was Greek too. She likes her name because it's unique, she thought we'd like having different names too. Her name's Aspasia, by the way." Anna added, knowing they were going to ask, "It means welcome." She failed to hold in a snigger at that last comment. "It's so ironic. She has a horrible personality, she doesn't make anyone feel welcome."
The others laughed, although it sounded a bit awkward.
"But let's change the subject. Alicia, what's your family like?"
Before long, everyone had eaten as much as they could, and the food on he plates vanished, leaving the plates and goblets looking as if they hadn't had any food on them to begin with.
Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.
"I have just a few start of term notices now that we are all fed and watered. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils."
Anna noticed Fred and George grin at each other.
"I must also ask that you refrain from using magic in the corridors between classes. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term, anyone interested in playing for their house team should contact Madam Hooch. I must inform the first years that they are not permitted to play for their house teams until their second year. And finally, I would like to introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Gloria Wells!"
The students applauded a short, thin woman with short spiked brown hair as she stood up and waved merrily at them all.
"And now, bed time! Off you trot!"
The Gryffindor first years followed Charlie Weasley out of the Great Hall, keeping close together so they wouldn't be separated by all the students surrounding them. Anna noticed her twin waving at her across the Entrance Hall.
"I'll speak to you sometime tomorrow!" she called, before waving goodbye and following the Slytherin prefect into the dungeons.
Anna thought that was rather odd. She expected Chrys to start acting like she never had a sister, rather than suddenly acting friendlier to her.
Charlie led the first years up a marble staircase. They went up seven flights of stairs, before finally entering a corridor on the seventh floor. At the end of the corridor was a great portrait of a very fat woman in a pink dress.
"Password?" the Fat Lady asked.
"Tommyrot," Charlie answered.
The portrait swung forward to reveal a large round hole in the wall, and they all scrambled through it.
Charlie pointed the girls in the direction of their dormitory before leading the boys to theirs. The six Gryffindors waved goodnight sleepily to each other before they all went their separate ways. Anna, Angelina, and Alicia made their way up a spiral staircase before coming to a stop in their new bedroom. Three four-posters hung with deep red velvet as well as their belongings were already waiting for them. Too tired to speak, and in Anna's case, too tired to be scared of her mother. The three girls made their way to their respective beds and collapsed onto them.
Anna was asleep before her head hit the pillow.
A/N: Thank you for reading! Yeah, I didn't really feel like making up anymore Gryffindors. XD I just decided to work with what JK came up with. :P
I'd really appreciate it if you reviewed and tell me what you think so far!