A/N: Once again, I own nothing but the plot and my OCs. Enjoy! Review and follow! 3 all my readers.
Chapter Three: A New Sort of Family
As if they were waiting for the signal, the door immediately swung open, and there stood a tall witch with black hair primly pulled back under her hat and a stern look on her face. "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall."
"Thank you Hagrid. I will take them from here."
As the door opened wider, Ryan's mouth dropped in shock. The entrance to the castle was bigger than anything she could've imagined and better than anything her godfather said. A beautiful marble staircase faced them, lit by torches on the walls. Professor McGonagall led them down the hall, past two more doors on the right, filled with the sound of hundreds of voices, into a small room further down. They all squished together, looking around nervously. Professor McGonagall gave the students a small smile. "Welcome to Hogwarts. 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. 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. The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule- breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
Ryan's heart sped up. She'd heard nothing about a sorting ceremony. She didn't even know any spells yet. She glanced around; everyone else looked terrified as well. The professor had left. "How do they sort us?" She whispered to Daphne.
"I've no idea." Daphne whispered back. "What if they send some of us back home?"
"I've got to be sorted! I don't want Uncle James mad at me."
"And my parents- they'll be furious."
Ryan sighed. "They'll have to take us, Daph. We're witches and-" She suddenly let out a scream.
Twenty or so ghosts streamed through the walls, right by where the two girls were standing. They were just transparent enough to see through, but not clearly, and an odd color of white. The ghosts, surprisingly, seemed deep into an argument, and didn't realize where they were. Ryan stared and stepped back, transfixed, as they continued their disagreement about someone named Peeves.
"Move along. The ceremony's about to start." Professor McGonagall was back. She gently tapped Ryan's shoulder, making her get back in line. "Form a line and follow me."
Ryan got shuffled in between Daphne and the bushy haired girl, Hermione Granger. As they collectively moved forward, Ryan started closing and opening her fists, watching her feet walk forward. Her heart racing, she tried to keep her breathing even, but she felt like she did when she woke up from the nightmares.
She heard Hermione gasp behind her and she glanced up. Thousands of candles hovered in the air, illuminating four long tables, all filled with students chattering to their friends. Matching gold plates and goblets lined each side of the tables. A matching table, slightly shorter than the others, sat on a platform at the front of the room. McGonagall motioned the students to line up in front of her, facing the rows of older kids. "No need for nerves." She murmured, walking down the line with something in her hands.
Ryan swallowed the lump balling up in her throat and squared her shoulders. The professor placed a small worn stool in front of them, adding a dirty, frayed pointed wizard's hat on top. Ryan cocked her head, confused. The noise had stopped suddenly; silence fell upon everyone in the room. Then, the hat moved. A rip near the brim opened wide, and began to sing:
"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 folk 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!"
Everyone started clapping loudly; Ryan peered at the rest of her fellow first years. All seemed as equally confused as her. A scroll had appeared in McGonagall's hand during the song. "When I call your name, step forward and sit on the stool. I will place the hat on your head to be sorted." She cleared her throat. "Abbott, Hannah!"
Almost at the end of the line, a girl with blonde pigtails stumbled forward and the hat slid down her face. "HUFFLEPUFF!"
The table on the right in the middle right cheered loudly, welcoming her with hugs as she sat down. "Black, Ryan!"
Whispers spread through some of the older kids, some of them staring at her intensely. Ryan walked forward confidently. "Ah, another Black." The hat's voice sounded in her head. "I see a lot of kindness in your heart, Ryan, and a greater thirst for learning than I've seen in a few years. But what's this?" The hat paused. "I know where to put you. SLYTHERIN!"
The table closest to the right wall exploded with whoops and cheers, and Ryan took a seat, unsure of whether she was put in the right house. Another girl, Millicent Bulstrode, joined the table, sneering at Ryan as she sat down. Ryan rolled her eyes, watching the rest of the sortings. Hermione went to Gryffindor, waving at Ryan across the hall; Daphne joined her at the Slytherin table. Her cousin quickly sat down on her side of the Slytherin table, in between his friends and her.
"Potter, Harry!"
Whispers broke out throughout the entire hall. "He's a git." Malfoy muttered to her.
She sat up straighter, watching the hat fall over his eyes. The hat was silent for a while, even longer than it was for her, and then, "GRYFFINDOR!"
"Figures." One of the older boys leaned forward, scoffing at the hat's choice. "Lucian Bole. Nice to meet you, Ryan." He flashed her a quick smile.
"Hi?" She half smiled back, confused. "Do I know you?"
"You do now. We'll have our eye on you during flying class. The broom skills that run in your family-you're basically a shoe-in for next year."
"Right. Thanks." Ryan smiled again.
"I mean, Flint's Captain, and he's…hard to get along with sometimes, but once he sees you fly…we might actually win. Next year anyways." He sighed. "If you need anything, just ask."
"Will do. Thanks."
