The staring was much worse here than it had been at the platform.
Maybe it was because the kids weren't just rushing by now and the stillness gave them the chance to actually notice him. Maybe it was because Albus and Rose still hadn't left him for some reason. The two had to have friends, people they'd known for years, here. Both of their families were so popular. Were they simply trying to be polite?
Subtly taking a deep breath, Scorpius remembered his father's words. 'Show no emotion. Don't ever let them think that you care, and they'll leave you alone.' Their family had long learned the importance of stoicism in the public eye. He was used to it. This was a lot more people than usual, but he knew he could do it. He was fine. This was fine.
They were all standing in a side chamber of the main hall. The rumbling of hundreds of voices could be heard through the walls. The older students had taken carriages to the school, arriving before the first years, and were waiting for the sorting to start.
He kept his face relatively blank as Rose chatted on about the sorting, trying to block everyone else out.
"It used to be a secret, you know," Rose continued, not seeming at all nervous about the rapidly upcoming sorting. "About the sorting hat. A fidelius charm of some sort. Kids had to go into the sorting ceremony blind. Even if your whole family were wizards, they couldn't tell you about it. I guess it was so it was harder to prepare beforehand and to encourage more honest answers? I'm not really sure. I don't think knowing changed much for me."
"Why's it not a secret anymore?" Albus asked. Scorpius was wondering that as well. He hadn't even known it used to be such a secretive thing. Father and Mother had talked about it so casually. Imagining how much more stressful having no idea what the test consisted of was enough to nearly make him shiver with dread. At least now, Scorpius knew he just had to wear a hat for a few seconds before being sent to Slytherin.
"The running theory is that the charm broke when Voldemort set the hat on fire during the Battle of Hogwarts," Rose answered. "Although something else could have happened to it during the battle. But the next day everyone realized they could tell their kids about the hat."
"How strange," Scorpius commented. If it had been the fire, it must have been more than normal fire. "I am glad I don't have to worry about taking a magical test or giving a speech or something."
"Yeah," Albus nodded. "I'd-"
The door slammed open, and a man rushed through. "Welcome to Hogwarts everyone!" he greeted cheerfully, a warm smile on his face. "I'm Professor Longbottom. I know a lot of you must be nervous about the sorting, but you have nothing to worry about. You'll be placed exactly where you belong. This will be your first step on your journey here at Hogwarts, and your soon-to-be housemates are eager to meet you all."
Professor Longbottom's gaze swept over the group. Scorpius saw it, that single second where the cheeriness vanished from her eyes when he saw Scorpius. It was quick, hidden almost immediately, but Scorpius was practiced at spotting that look. And he recognized the professor's name, this was someone his father had bullied during his school days.
The first years broke into excited whispers, but quieted when Professor Longbottom raised a hand for silence. "Now the ceremony will begin shortly. Your house will be like your family here at Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, spend your free time in your house common room, and participate in house events. There are four houses. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has a long and noble history, and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards." For a few seconds, Scorpius was utterly bemused as to why such basic information needed to be said. Then he remembered that muggleborns might not know this stuff. "When your name is called, you will sit on the stool and the hat will be placed on your head. Once it has announced your house, make your way to your house's table in a timely fashion so that the next student can be placed. Now-" the professor clapped his hands together. "Let's get you lined up. Alphabetical. A to Z, no pushing or shoving."
"Good luck, Scorp," Albus said before he was moved towards the back of the line. Rose was even further back. Almost at the very end, only in front of Carmen Zabini. Scorpius wasn't sure if being at the start or the end was better or worse.
Now separated from Rose and Albus, he felt even more exposed. Yes, they'd been drawing him extra attention, but they'd also been a kind of barrier as well. At least no one was looking at him anymore, too excited or worried about their own sorting. Scorpius was placed between Dorothy Locks and Marcus Moon, neither of whom he knew in any way.
Professor Longbottom left once the students were organized and the room was filled with a buzzing tension. The professor was probably just going to tell the rest of the school the first years were ready and then he'd be back for them. It felt like they were really dragging this whole affair out. The waiting was worse than anything.
Sure enough, not even two minutes later, Professor Longbottom was back and gesturing for them to follow. They were led out of the chamber, back across the hall and through a pair of double doors to the Great Hall.
Scorpius had read about the Great Hall, of course, but mere words didn't do it justice. Thousands of candles were floating mid-air over the four long tables where the older students were sitting. All the gold plates and goblets spread across the tables were empty, they must be waiting until the end of the sorting to eat. Far above their heads, the ceiling faded into silky black full of stars, mimicking the sky outside. He could even pick out constellations. It fascinated him. How was it done? What spells had been used? He'd very much like to replicate the enchantment on his bedroom ceiling at home if he could. At the far end of the room, the teachers sat at a long table facing out towards the students. The teachers were quietly chatting, glancing speculatively out at the line of first years. The older students were watching the new arrivals with an even more open anticipation.
The conversations quieted as Professor Longbottom placed a pointed wizard's hat on a stool at the end of the room. It was… not what Scorpius had been picturing. A plain brown hat with patches and frayed ends that looked rather dirty. He'd been imagining something grander in his head. Something colorful and fancy, maybe with the house mascots on it.
There was a beat of silence, then a rip near the brim of the hat opened like a mouth and began to sing about how it would sort them and what values each house embodied. It was a surprisingly talented singer for its ragged appearance and being a hat. It was also able to bellow quite loudly for something so small. Once it finished, it bowed to each of the house tables then went still.
Professor Longbottom stepped forward with a long roll of parchment. "When I call your name," he announced, "step forward to be sorted. Abbott, Irwin!"
The sandy blonde boy at the front of the line shot forward, practically leaping onto the stool. The hat was placed on his head, falling to sit just above his eyes. The hat did seem to be more of an adult size. If someone was small enough, the hat might cover their eyes entirely.
After about twenty seconds, the hat cried out, "GRYFFINDOR!" The table on the far left burst into cheers.
"Abernethy, Spencer!"
The hat took slightly longer this time then declared, "SLYTHERIN!" The table at the far right applauded loudly. So, this boy would be in Slytherin with him. Scorpius was glad he wasn't the first Slytherin sorted. The odds for that had been low, but still.
"Bright, Elliana!"
Another shorter sorting. "RAVENCLAW!" The table to Scorpius's left erupted into cheers.
"Buttons, Camelia!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The table on the right cheered, even the plump ghost hovering above the table was clapping. One girl who looked to be one of Camelia's relatives gave the girl a hug before she took her seat.
The letters ticked down at a pace that had Scorpius's stomach in knots. No J's, a couple K's, then it was the L's. Most sortings, Scorpius observed, were quite quick. Less than a minute, the majority being less than thirty seconds. It was a relief to know he wouldn't be up there in front of everyone for long. No one seemed disappointed by their placement so far either. This wasn't so bad.
Between one blink and the next, Dorothy Locks was sent to Hufflepuff and "Malfoy, Scorpius!" boomed through the room. The cheers from Hufflepuff cut off ominously.
It felt like he was walking to a punishment of some kind. A sentence for some horrid action. He steadily approached the stool, focusing on moving his feet and not the whispers now sweeping the hall. He sat down, choosing to look more towards the hall doors than anyone in the room. Even then, he couldn't avoid Professor Longbottom's disapproving stare. It wasn't a full glare, but the man clearly had his expectations.
Slytherin would still clap even if many of them disliked him, right?
Then the hat was on his head and a voice was murmuring in his ears. "Ah, a Malfoy. Hm... Interesting. Very interesting. You possess an unusual ability, don't you?" Icy unease washed over Scorpius. What did it mean? How much could it see in his head? It wouldn't just…blurt it out, would it? "Now, where to put you?"
What did it mean 'where to put you'? Slytherin, obviously. Just like everyone else in the family. Scorpius's heart sunk. Oh no, had Professor Longbottom done something to make the hat take longer? To force Scorpius to have to stay up here and be gawked at even more? Could he do that?
"Slytherin, eh?" the voice whispered. "Yes, you'd do well there. And your family has a long history in Slytherin's house. I sorted every one. But I sense something else in you… Difficult. Very difficult. The talented ones can be quite tricky."
It took all Scorpius had not to fidget. He'd already been up here longer than most of the others now. The students' gazes were boring into him. Why was this happening? Was he doing something wrong? He thought he didn't have to do anything!
"A bit of a rule breaker, I see," the hat continued, aggravatingly unhurried. "Fearless. A ravenous hunger to learn. Steadfast, with burning ambition. And yet… Hm, what house do you think you belong to, boy?"
Scorpius almost laughed in disbelief. 'That's your job, not mine,' he thought, a bit hysterically. The hat didn't seem to need him to speak aloud. 'If you're never wrong, why ask me?'
"So, you trust my decision?" the hat hummed. "Glad to see someone truly appreciate my expertise. Very well. In that case… it's going to be… GRYFFINDOR!"
WHAT?! Scorpius's heart made its best attempt to jump out of his chest.
He couldn't keep his eyes from widening. So the hat could get it wrong apparently. Gryffindor? He didn't belong there! He wasn't even brave really. What, had the hat malfunctioned and rolled a die to choose? Could that fire Rose mentioned have done more damage to the hat than people thought?
For the first time, the hall was truly and fully quiet. There were no roaring cheers from the tables. Scorpius slipped off the stool to complete silence, his legs automatically carrying him to the Gryffindor table. He sat at the very end, and the other first years slid far enough away to leave two spaces between them and Scorpius. The Gryffindors were either looking at him with shock or were looking at him like a cockroach had just climbed onto their table. No one was pleased or even neutral. Of course they wouldn't be, he wasn't supposed to be here.
The next name still hadn't been called. The whole school seemed as shocked and confused as Scorpius. Was this even real? It was getting hard to breathe evenly. Maybe this was a bad dream and Scorpius would be woken up by his father any second to get ready to go to the train. The teachers up at their table all looked dumbfounded, even Headmistress McGonagall looked stunned. Professor Longbottom had a small, disbelieving grin on his face, his grip on his parchment loosened.
Then a single clap shattered the silence, echoing through the room. Confused, Scorpius traced the sound to its source. It was coming from the line of unsorted first years. Albus Potter's claps sped up, being joined a moment later by Rose Weasley. Scorpius was too numb with shock to know how he felt about the gesture.
Those few claps were enough to jolt the rest of the school out of their trance. Gryffindor table gave a halfhearted, meager round of applause, the least enthusiastic of the night, some still not clapping at all. James Potter was one of them, the third year was whispering furiously to the boy sitting beside him. But at least it got the sorting moving again.
Professor Longbottom seemed to be trying to hide a smile as he called out, "Moon, Marcus!"
Scorpius stopped paying attention to his surroundings as he scrambled to make sense of what the bloody hell had just happened. Had the hat gone mad?! Had he gone mad? Gryffindor didn't even want him. Sure, a lot of the Slytherins wouldn't have liked him either, but it would've been better than here. The Gryffindors would eat him alive! James Potter already looked like he was plotting his murder. Could Scorpius say he had to go to the loo? He was feeling sick so it wouldn't even be a lie. No, that would look worse. And then he'd draw attention to himself again as he left and when he came back. What would Grandfather say? Dread made Scorpius's face go white. Grandfather would be furious. He'd even already gifted Scorpius those stupid green designer ties. Which Scorpius couldn't wear now. What would his parents think? Would they be disappointed? Surely they would be. They'd never pushed the importance of getting into Slytherin like Grandfather did but- they probably hadn't even thought of it. The other houses hadn't seemed like a possibility. Malfoys were Slytherins. Everyone knew that. This ruined everything. Why hadn't he just told the hat to put him in Slytherin when it asked?
A sudden explosion of applause and shouts, the loudest of the night, made Scorpius snap his head to see what had caused it. The Slytherins were jumping out of their chairs absolutely beaming, some puffing out their chests like they had just accomplished something. It was soon obvious why. Gavin Ollivander had just been sorted into Slytherin. With Gavin's elder sister pursuing healing, Gavin was heir to the family business. It was a massive win for Slytherin. The Ravenclaws looked thoroughly disappointed.
Was Gavin upset about his placement? He didn't seem to be, he was smiling. But his grandfather, father, and sister were all Ravenclaws. Wasn't he worried what his family would think? How was he so calm? Had he wanted this?
Scorpius began to zone out again as his thoughts spiraled, only to startle minutes later when the table around him went wild, their cheers rivaling that for Ollivander. Who-?
Albus Potter had just gotten Gryffindor.
"Way to go, Al!" James shouted, thrilled for his brother. The older boy moved to make room for his brother to sit by him. Only to have his face twist in confusion when Albus shook his head and sat next to Scorpius.
"Gryffindor, huh?" Albus commented, grinning at him. "Guess we're housemates then."
"I can't be Gryffindor," Scorpius whispered, stomach churning. "I'm- Malfoys aren't Gryffindors. I'm not brave. It's a mistake." Could he ask the hat to try again?
"Well, the hat seems to think otherwise," Albus shrugged. He tilted his head to study Scorpius. "Did you really want Slytherin?" It wasn't an accusatory question, he seemed genuinely curious.
"Yes, or no, I don't know," Scorpius fumbled. "I never thought it was a choice. I've never even considered it. I don't dislike Slytherin." Was he not ambitious enough? Not cunning enough? How could he not be? Scorpius knew he was.
"Do you dislike Gryffindor?" Albus asked mildly.
"No," Scorpius assured immediately. There were no bad houses. "No, Gryffindor's- fine, but- I'm just not supposed to be here."
Albus was quiet for a minute, then said, "The hat's been doing this for a long, long time and they say it's never wrong. I'm glad you're here at least. Maybe we would have kept being friends if you'd gotten Slytherin, but I imagine it would have been harder. I'm sure the others will go a bit bonkers at first, but they'll get used to it. I think you can prove them wrong."
"Prove them wrong about what?" Scorpius asked weakly. That he should have been a Slytherin? But he agreed with them.
Albus opened his mouth to reply, but then his eyes flicked to the stool and a second later thunderous applause shook Gryffindor table. Rose Weasley approached them grinning. "Scoot down, Scorpius," she prodded.
Without thinking, Scorpius did, and Rose plopped onto the end of the bench. "Well, that was an eventful sorting. I do hope the speech isn't too long. I'm starving."
"We ate earlier," Albus reminded her.
"We had candy," Rose corrected, "and that was hours ago."
Carmen Zabini was sorted into Slytherin and it was over. The Headmistress came to the pulpit to give her speech. Scorpius didn't remember a word of it.
How was he going to tell his family?