2. The Sorting Ceremony
"Oh, no. Don't worry. We like talking to new people." That was the only sentence Harry had said to her and she felt in a deep thought about his personality.
After a lot of talk and conversations, Vanessa was convinced that Ron, Hermione and Harry were good peoples and they are good at heart.
"So, you too are a muggle born just like me. Right?" said Hermione in a very fast voice.
"Yup and I am a little scared that I might not be able to adjust here." replied Vanessa. She was actually nervous and she became even more nervous when she heard about the sorting ceremony. She thought for awhile; I am a muggle –born and accordingly to Hermione, there are four houses. Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin. She even said that Slytherin is the worst house, full of pure-blood and mean people. Ravenclaw is known for its cleverness, Gryffindor is known for its bravery and chivalry and she also said that most of the Hufflepuffs are stupid. So I might be in Hufflepuff house because I don't think I am much bright.
That was Vanessa's thought but she didn't share it with her compartment partners. Slowly the train started to slow down and it stopped. Vanessa quickly got out of her seat.
"Can I come with you all to the school? I don't want to go alone." asked Vanessa.
"Of course!" was the reply.
After getting off the train and getting on a boat, Vanessa could clearly see the Hogwarts castle. Even while looking at the castle she could feel magic. No wonder, thought Vanessa. After being taken to a vast room by Professor McGonagall and was told to get ready, Vanessa and the others went inside the Great Hall. The Great Hall looked like it opens to heaven and in the front there was a four-legged stool which had a hat on top of it. The hat looked pretty old and dirty but that was before it started singing. After that Professor McGonagall started calling names of the first years. Vanessa watched some first years being sorted. There was a pretty girl name Lana Mystique and a boy named Alan Banjo who got placed in Gryffindor, a boy named Denis Damon and a girl named Diana Damon in Slytherin who were twins. There was also a boy named Peter Saloger who got sorted in Hufflepuff house and was looking pretty sad.
After some time Vanessa's name was announced by Professor McGonagall.
"Declair, Vanessa!" She walked to the front, sat in the stool, put the hat on her head and after some time she heard only one voice and that was the voice of the sorting hat. "Strange mind, where should I place you. I know! Didn't make a decision like this form a long time, SLYTHERIN!" and that was the hat decision.
There was an uproar on the Slytherin table were some of the students knew that she was muggle-born and were telling their friends. Vanessa even saw the shocked face of Harry, Ron and Hermione while she was walking to the Slytherin table. They looked like they had seen a ghost. As she sat down on the bench, she could hear many of the Slytherins saying that it's a disgrace that a muggle-born was in their house. "First day of school and I have already made enemies." murmured Vanessa to herself.
"Did you say something?" asked a girl who Vanessa recognized as Diana and beside her was Denis.
"Oh, nothing! Just thinking how I got placed in Slytherin while I'm muggle-born." replied Vanessa with a smile.
"I'm thinking the same, I'm Diana and this is my twin brother Denis. We are half-bloods." said Diana who was also smiling and her brother was looking very hungry.
"I wish they start the feast right away, I'm starving!" said Denis with a very tired look on his face. Both of them looked a little unhappy.
"Didn't you two want to be in Slytherin?"
"No actually, we wanted to be in Gryffindor. They say Slytherin is a curse house that makes the student evil." answered Denis with a scowl.
After the feast, Vanessa, Diana, Denis and the other Slytherins headed towards their dormitories guided by prefects. The common room was not crowded as everybody was tired by the train journey but there were a few students there.
As Vanessa was walking in the common room, there came a voice from behind.
"You said you smelled something bad. Right, Crabbe? Well, here is the source of the stink. A muggle-born but more likely, a mud-blood!"
As Vanessa and her two new friends turn around, they could see a boy with blond grey hair and beside him were two very big boys.
"Are you talking about me?"asked Vanessa who was very much hurt by the boy.
"Of course, I am. Who else is a mud-blood in this room?" said the boy with grey blond hair and by the look of the two standing by their side, he looked like their leader.
"Ignore him, he just a proud pure-blood." whispered Diana and pulled Vanessa to their room.
When they were in the room with two beds and Denis had gone to his room in the boy dormitories, Diana asked Vanessa "You are going to share a room with me. Ok?"
"Ok but who was that boy and why is he so rude?" asked Vanessa who still was very hurt.
"Oh, that's Draco Malfoy and the two on his side are Crabbe and Goyle."
"Why were they so rude?"
"That's because you are a muggle-born and they can't stand you. Now forget it and go to sleep, we have classes from tomorrow."
By saying this Diana said goodnight and went to sleep while Vanessa was thinking if tomorrow would be better.