Author's Note: I've seen the reviews, and I know you guys want more "British" terms in the narration. But my thought is: what does it matter as long as the speech of the characters is still "British"? As for there being no phones in the wizarding world, I'm taking a bit of artistic liberty and saying the goblins have a personal intercom system that happen to look like phones. Anyway, let's get to the chapter.
Chapter Four: Sorting and Schedules
When the door opened, the children directed their attention to the black-haired witch in emerald green robes. She was rather tall, and looked like a stern schoolteacher. Harry was reminded of a schoolteacher that he accidentally turned into a bluenette, and promised himself that he'd try to not cause trouble for this stern woman.
"I brought the firs' years like you asked, Professor McGonagall," the giant replied happily.
With a grateful nod, she replied. "Much appreciated, Hagrid. I'll take them to the Great Hall from here." She opened the door the rest of the way, and she led the children down the entrance hall. The clatter of footsteps down the stone hall was to only sound during their journey.
It wasn't long before they found themselves in front of large, wooden double doors. Professor McGonagall stopped the children in a chamber nearby that barely held all the children. "Welcome to Hogwarts," she said, scanning the crowd of children. "The feast that kicks off the new term will soon begin, but before you are seated, you will be sorted into your school houses. The Sorting Ceremony is quite important, seeing as your school house will be something akin to a second family while here at Hogwarts. You'll have classes together, sleep in your house dorm, and spend down time in your common rooms.
"For those unaware, the four houses are as follows: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. The four houses are named for our founders, and all have had excellent witches and wizards come from their ranks. During your education, great feats will reward you with house points, while transgressions will lose you house points. When the school year ends, the house with the highest points wins the house cup, a reward of great prestige. I hope you make your houses proud.
"Soon we'll have you sorted in front of the students and faculty. I suggest you try and look presentable." After several shuffling sounds were heard, McGonagall spoke again. "I shall return when the ceremony is about to begin. Please wait patiently until then."
After she left, Harry turned towards Ron. "Uncle Herbert didn't elaborate on what to expect. What do you think happens?"
Ron shrugged. "Fred said it was painful, but I'm pretty sure he was pulling my leg. I think we'll be tested in some way."
Harry looked around and saw that most of the other children were nervous - aside from Hermione, who seemed more excited than anything else. As for himself, Harry was a mix of the two. He was jolted out of his rumination when he heard screams from behind him. He turned to see twenty ghosts flying in. Now, Harry was no stranger to ghosts - Uncle Herbert had introduced him to few - but that didn't mean Harry wasn't scared by the sight of so many. He shook off his fear to pay attention to the argument between the ghosts.
He caught it just as the fat monk ghost spoke. "We should forgive him, and give him another chance —"
The ghost wearing a ruff and tights interrupted. "My Friar friend, we've given Peeves too many chances as it is. Despite the fact that he's a poltergeist and not a ghost, his reputation has marred ours nonetheless —" he then noticed the children. "My word, what are you doing out here?"
There was silence before the Friar cheered merrily. "Must be new students waiting to be sorted, right?" After the children nodded, the Friar smiled. "I'll be seeing some of you in Hufflepuff, I'm sure. I was one myself back in the day."
It was then that McGonagall returned and shooed the ghosts away. "Now, form a line behind me, and follow." Harry got into line behind the brown haired boy he saw in the boat with Hermione. Kathy was behind him, Vince behind her, and Ron behind him. They walked out of the chamber, through the hall, and into the Great Hall. Thousands of candles hung in the air magically over four long tables and a fifth, shorter table at the far end. Students by the hundreds sat at the four large tables, and the tables were set with golden plates, goblets, and cutlery. The table at the far end had several professors sitting at it, among them was Herbert Potter who smiled at the children.
Professor McGonagall led the first years up to this table, so the children formed a line that faced the older students, and the teachers were behind them. To avoid the stares of the crowd, Harry opted to gaze at the ceiling of the room, which was enchanted to look like the sky outside. Uncle Herbert may have mentioned this, but seeing it for himself was entirely different. His attention was drawn back to the crowd when Professor McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of the children. She placed a worn old wizard's hat on the stool. The hat looked at least a few hundred years old, and it was about as dirty. He was mildly surprised when a rip near the brim of the hat opened like a mouth and began to sing:
"Oh, you might think I'm ugly,
But don't outright dismiss me,
I'll eat myself if you've got
A hat with more intelligence than me.
You're welcome to keep your black bowlers,
And your top hats pristine and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I'll top them all.
There's no thought in your mind
That can be hidden from me,
So place me on your head
And I'll tell you where you should be.
You might be a Gryffindor,
Who are brave at heart,
Their courage, spine, and chivalry,
Are what sets them apart;
You might go to Hufflepuff,
Where they are loyal and true,
They're patient and hardworking,
As sure as the sky is blue;
Or perhaps with the wise Ravenclaws,
If you've a will to learn,
Where those of intellect and wisdom,
Will find glory to earn;
Or mayhaps in Slytherin,
You'll make true friends,
Those cunning folk do anything,
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 full of applause at the end of the hat's song. It bowed to each of the four tables before going still. Ron let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness it's just trying on a hat. I'll yell at Fred later. Wrestling a troll really was a terrible joke." The other children also expressed relief, though Hermione seemed a little disappointed.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward, a scroll in her hands. "When you hear your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." She then opened the scroll. "Abbott, Hannah!"
A girl with blonde pigtails got out of line, put on the hat, and sat down. After a small silence —
"Hufflepuff!" the hat announced. The table on the right cheered and applauded as Hannah approached them and sat down at the Hufflepuff table. The Fat Friar waved jovially at her.
"Bones, Susan!"
Once again the call of "Hufflepuff!" came from the hat, and Susan soon sat next to Hannah.
"Boot, Terry!"
"Ravenclaw!"
The table second to the left celebrated, several standing up to welcome him to the Ravenclaw table. "Brocklehurst, Mandy" was another Ravenclaw, but "Brown, Lavender" was the first Gryffindor of the evening, and the far left table roared with excitement; Harry could see the Weasley twins whistling. "Bulstrode, Millicent" was the first sorted into Slytherin, and the table on the far right cheered loudly as she approached.
"Castile, Jasper!" The brown-haired boy that had been in front of Harry went forward, and was promptly sorted into Hufflepuff. Not long after there was "Cook, Lysidia", the blonde girl who had been in the same boat. She too, went to Hufflepuff. The next one was "Davis, Tracey" who was a Slytherin. There were a few that Harry didn't pay attention to among the D's and E's, but he started paying attention when they got to F.
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"
"Hufflepuff!"
"Finnigan, Seamus" was a sandy haired boy that took almost a minute to sort into Gryffindor. After him, Harry noticed Hermione waiting anxiously for her turn.
"Granger, Hermione!"
Harry noticed her practically run towards the stool and eagerly put on the hat. "Gryffindor!" the hat proclaimed. Ron sighed irritably. After her, "Greengrass, Daphne" was sorted into Slytherin. The next one Harry paid attention to was "Longbottom, Neville", the boy that Kathy had helped on the train. The hat was debating for a while before deciding to put him in Gryffindor. He was still wearing the hat when he'd reached the table, so he had go back up to hand it off to "MacDougal, Morag", much to the amusement of everyone.
Malfoy strode up towards the stool when his name was called, and the hat barely touched his head when it shouted: "Slytherin!" He had a pleased look on his face as he joined his friends at the Slytherin table. Not many were left now.
"Moon" ..., "Nott" ..., "Parkinson" ..., then twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" ..., then "Perks, Sally-Anne" ..., and Harry braced himself for what came next.
"Potter, Harry!"
He ignored the whispers as he pulled up to the stool. He pulled the hat onto his head and didn't wait long. "I see you know exactly where you want to be, and I won't argue. You're clearly brave enough." A moment later, the hat called out: "Gryffindor!" He took the hat off his head, and the loudest cheer of the night greeted him as he arrived at the table, Percy shook his hand enthusiastically while the Weasley twins shouted in excitement.
He could now seem the High Table perfectly. At the end nearest the Gryffindors was the man known as Hagrid, who seemed proud. In the center was an old wizard with a silver beard, the one Uncle Herbert had mentioned: Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. He had as odd of a fashion sense as he was told, but otherwise he didn't have an opinion on the man. On the other end of the table sat a nervous looking man in a purple turban.
Harry looked back to see the ceremony. Kathy was sorted into Hufflepuff, and Vince was put in Ravenclaw. Harry had hoped that his cousins would be in the same house as him, but it wasn't meant to be. Now there were only four children left to be called. "Thomas, Dean" became a Gryffindor, and "Turpin, Lisa" was sorted into Ravenclaw.
Ron's turn was next, and his face looked rather green as he put on the hat. "Gryffindor!" The relief on his face was evident as he sat next to Harry. The last child, "Zabini, Blaise" wound up in Slytherin. McGonagall rolled up the scroll and put away the Sorting Hat.
Headmaster Dumbledore rose up, and he smiled at all the students. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we feast, I'd like to say a few words. And they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"
Applause ruptured as he sat down, and Harry had to repress a laugh. "Uncle Herbert certainly wasn't kidding - Headmaster Dumbledore is quite eccentric." The conversation fell away as he focused on his food, but he did meet Nearly Headless Nick. After dessert arrived, they talked about their families, and as Harry finished his treacle tart he looked up at the High Table to see the teacher in the turban talking to a teacher with greasy black hair. As soon as said teacher looked past the other teacher's turban, Harry felt a sharp pain in his scar.
The pain hadn't lasted long, but the feeling he got from that teacher was unpleasant. "Who's that teacher in the turban, and who's he talking to?" he asked Percy.
"The one in the turban is the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrell. He's talking to Professor Snape. He might be teaching Potions, but he really wants Quirrell's position."
Snape didn't look back at Harry, and he was grateful for that. The desserts soon vanished, and Headmaster Dumbledore stood up again to speak. He told the first years that the forest on the grounds was forbidden to all students. He also stated that no magic was allowed to be used between classes in the corridors. He mentioned Quidditch trials, and then shifted to a more serious tone. "Lastly, I must announce that this year, the third floor corridor on the right-hand side is closed off to everyone who doesn't want to die a most excruciating death."
After the uncertain laughter died and the school song sung, everyone was dismissed. The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the castle and shooed off Peeves before arriving at a portrait of a fat woman in a pink silk dress. Percy spoke the password "Caput Draconis", and Percy led them through the opening and into the Gryffindor common room.
After telling them that the boy's dorm was on the right, and the girl's dorm was on the left, the children went to their respective dorms. After changing into his pajamas, Harry went to sleep.
September 6th, 1991
Harry found his way to class with little trouble, ignoring much of the whispers surrounding him. It had been a few days since the feast, so he knew his schedule pretty well.
Astrology on Wednesday nights was interesting, and he thought he did rather well in his first class. He had Herbology three times a week, and it was straightforward, but he wasn't as good as Neville with the subject. History of Magic was twice a week, and was taught by his uncle, but he didn't give any preferential treatment. Supposedly a ghost had been teaching it last year, but it seemed to have moved on. There was Charms three times a week, and Trasfiguration twice a week. Harry was doing well in Charms and Transfiguration, and had a bit of a rivalry with Hermione. Then Defense Against the Dark Arts twice a week, but the class was a bit of a joke. Lastly Potions on Friday — which he had for the first time today.
At breakfast Harry sent Hedwig with letters from himself and his cousins off to Aunt Ceres. He also planned to visit Uncle Herbert after classes today to talk about his week. But first, he had to deal with the professor that he was sure hated him — Snape.
During roll call Snape had paused at Harry's name, and made a snide comment about fame. Harry sighed. It's not like I enjoy my fame, you know. He thought to himself. When he saw Snape raise an eyebrow, he had the strangest feeling that Snape had heard his thoughts. After roll call finished and Snape had made a speech about the subtle magic of potion making, Snape started with the questions. "Mr. Potter, do you know what I'd get if I added powdered asphodel root to an infusion of wormwood?"
Harry noticed Hermione raise her hand, but Harry knew the answer. "That would be the powerful sleeping potion, commonly known as the Draught of Living Death."
Shock was upon Snape's face, but it shifted to a sneer. "Correct. Let's try another one, then if you're so smart. Potter, where would you find a bezoar if I told you to get one for me?"
Hermione had her hand up in the air again, but Harry didn't back down from the question. "In the stomach of a goat, Professor. It's useful for curing many maladies."
Snape looked torn between anger and surprise, but he decided to try one more time. "Correct again. What is the difference between wolfsbane and monkshood?"
Rolling his eyes, Harry answered. "They're the same plant, and are also known as aconite."
Snape begrudgingly acknowledged the correct answer. "Correct again, Mr. Potter. Fifteen points for Gryffindor."
After making sure everyone wrote the answers down, the students were put with partners and told to mix a simple potion to cure boils. Snape criticized almost everyone, aside from Malfoy - who he showed favoritism toward. Harry had to step in to ensure Neville didn't mess up the potion, but the rest of the class went smoothly. As the rest of the students left, Harry stayed behind. Snape seemed irritated. "What do you want, Potter? Shouldn't you be getting to your common room?"
Harry sighed, bracing himself for what he had to say. "Look, I know my dad was unpleasant to you back in school, but that's no excuse for trying to make me look like a fool. Uncle Herbert warned me that you had a grudge, but I hoped that you had let go. No matter, I had best be off." Harry then left the classroom, not giving Snape a chance to talk back.
Harry did visit his uncle, and they talked about his week at school. Uncle Herbert seemed pleased at Harry's work ethic, and told him to keep up the good work. He did seem a little concerned about Harry's confrontation of Snape after class, but he didn't rebuke him for it. On his way back to his common room, he noticed that there was an announcement for a flying lesson next Thursday. Harry smiled. He couldn't wait.
