Chapter 4 - The Sorting!
The five students enjoyed their ride to Hogwarts together. Soon it was almost over and they were nearing Hogsmeade Village where the train stopped. Hogsmeade Village is the only remaining all wizard community, and when Hogwarts students reach their third year, they are able to visit the village.
"We had better get our school robes on. We're nearly there," said Tom excitedly.
"I'm already wearing mine," said Rose. "I'll wait here, while you guys change."
"All right," said James. "Thanks Rose. But...are you sure you don't want me to wait here with you until one of the others come back?" James whispered the request in Rose's ear so they others couldn't hear.
"Ummm... if you want to," said Rose tentatively. "You don't have to though." The look in Rose's eyes told James that he was just trying to be brave, and that she would feel a lot better if he did stay.
"You guys go on," said James. "I am just going to stay here a little longer. I really like watching the village approach."
After everyone else left to change into their robes Rose spoke up.
"Why did you cover for me? You didn't have to do that!" demanded Rose getting tense.
"Well, you were trying to be brave and I didn't think you wanted the others to know that you were afra - no, more nervous, to be on your own. I understand completely!" answered James calmly. Rose seemed to relax a bit after James' explanation.
"Oh... well... Thanks, then."
Just then Albus came back into the compartment looking rather smart in his new robes.
"That was quick!" exclaimed Rose.
"Uh, yeah. That Scorpius kid was changing too so I made it quick and came back here before he could recognize me. That and I didn't really want to be walking around alone. It is a little nerve wracking when you are by yourself around all these other people you don't know." Albus looked a little sheepish as he gave his explanation.
"Trust me, Al, when I say that I know what you mean," replied Rose.
Alice was the next to return and then James when to put on his robes.
When James got to the dressing area he came across a slimy looking boy with blond hair, and a mouse type face. He was mumbling to himself.
"Find some other's who are big and stupid in your house. Once you have 'followers' you'll be untouchable."
James had to muffle a snicker as he strode by. He assumed that he had just seem the Malfoy boy. Harry didn't usually talk about his experiences in school, but when he did he always mentioned a spineless annoyance of a class mate named Draco Malfoy. He assumed that Scorpius had learned that little piece of advice from his dad. James would have to tell his dad about it. He knew that Harry would get a kick out of it. Probably his Uncle Ron too.
James changed quickly and hurried back to his compartment to meet up with everyone to tell them what he had heard. When he got there he was met by that same mouse faced boy.
"You must be the other Potter!" the boy spat as he said Potter. "I've heard all about your muggle loving family. Dirty lot, all of you!"
"And you are... ?" asked James
"Malfoy, Scorpius Malfoy." replied the boy.
"Well, Malfoy, push off. There isn't enough room for you and your 'followers' here!" replied James with a smirk.
Malfoy turned a bright shade of pink, knowing that James had over heard him talking to himself. "You just watch your back, Potter. You think you are so good and wonderful because of your family, but I'll show you. Just you wait Potty-Potter. I'll show you!" Malfoy then turned sharply and stalked off.
Al looked at James with a look of awe. "How did you do that James? He got so flustered."
James told Al, and everyone else what he had heard Scorpius say. One he finished his story everyone was doubled over with laughter. James started laughing too, not only at the story, but at how silly everyone else looked too.
"You mean he actually said that?" asked Alice through a fit of giggles.
James was just about to answer when the train came to a stop.
"I guess we're here," said James. "You two have fun on the boats with Hagrid and we'll see you after you're sorted." James gave Rose a quick hug to let her know that he understood her fear. Then James gave Al another playful kick in the leg.
"If you're in Slytherin I'll still talk to you... Sometimes!" laughed James. Albus just looked more nervous. "Oh, you'll be fine! Stop worrying!" said James in an exasperated tone. With that James, Alice and Thomas walked off the train.
"Firs' years *cough*. Firs' years this way. *cough cough*" called the familiar voice of the Potter family's part giant friend, Rubeus Hagrid. It sounded as though Hagrid had a cold.
"All righ' there James?" asked Hagrid as he tried to stifle a coughing fit.
"Hi Hagrid! I'm doing well, better than you sound. You are going to be getting my little brother, Albus, or Al, with you on the boats today!" hollered James over the crowd.
"Another boy o' 'Arry Potter!" said Hagrid quite calmly, almost regally.
"We'll be seeing you Hagrid. Bye!" shouted James over his shoulder as he ran to the carriages that looked like they were pulling themselves. Really there were sometimes invisible horse-type creatures, called Thestrals, pulling the carriage. Once you had seen death you could also see a Thestral, so there were usually negative connotation about seeing one.
James, Alice and Tom and two rather scruffy students from a different house (James assumed Hufflepuff because of the flashed of yellow he saw under their cloaks) sat in the carriage. They two mystery students just gave James a look of complete awe, mixed with shock and fear, so the other three just left them alone.
The five students sat together in silence for the entire ride up to the glorious castle. As soon as it came into view James could see the towers and turrets that distinguished the Hogwarts Castle from so many others. The carriage was pulled up the long and winding walk, past the boat house, up towards the Whomping Willow, and the great stone viaduct.
Once, the Carriage pulled up in front of the entrance courtyard they students were let off the carriage and sent into the castle. The entrance courtyard was all stone and then they had to make their way up the giant steps to the castle and into the large front doors. The students milled through the grand entrance in front of the grand staircase as they slowly made their way across into the great hall.
In the great hall there were four long tables that stretched the length of the hall. There was one table for each house. The farthest to the left was the Ravenclaw house table. Next to it was the Gryffendor house table, and then the Hufflepuff house table. Finally, farthest to the right was the Slytherin table. Each student made their way to the house that they belonged to. Up at the front of the room was another long table that was going perpendicular to the house tables. It was the teacher's table. In the middle was a very stern looking witch with her grey hair pulled back tightly in a bun. She was wearing emerald green robes that made her look like she was very important, and in fact she was. The woman in the emerald green robes was Minerva McGonnagal, the current Headmaster for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Once everyone was seated the doors to the great hall opened once again and in came a witch who looked remarkably like the headmaster. She was also wearing her hair back in a tight bun and was wearing deep purple robes. Behind her were a line of all the first years. They all looked so frightened. Behind the first years was the big, hairy Hagrid. He looked so haggard after his ride across the lake with the first years.
Headmaster McGonnagal brought a ragged looking wizard hat and put it on the stool at the front of the room.
Suddenly it came alive and started to speak.
"This year I am not going to sing an original song. No. No, this year we are going to sing the Hogwarts school song... together!" The sorting hat seemed to have been able to see Headmaster McGonnagal roll her eyes and sigh. "Ok, so everyone pick your own tune, and off we go! All together now.
'Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot.'
"Very good everyone!" said Headmaster McGonnagal. "We will now let the sorting begin. Professor McGonnagal, if you will." The Headmaster gestured to the witch in the purple robes in front of all the first years. She was Professor Ashleigh McGonnagal. She was Headmaster McGonnagal's niece, which is why they looked so similar.
"Thank you headmaster," replied Professor McGonnagal.
"Abbot, Jessica," called Professor McGonnagal, and a very nervous girl with bright blond hair made her way up to the stool. Professor McGonnagal put the sorting hat on her head, and after a moment it shouted, "Hufflepuff!" and the entire Hufflepuff table erupted in cheers and applause.
"Beaucup, Stanley," called the professor. A boy with very unkempt dirty blond hair and lots of freckles on his face, walked up to the stool. He was trying to be careful, but he tripped going up the last step to the stool and the whole hall tried to cover their laughter, except the Slytherin table. They laughed very hard. Finally, he got up, sat on the stool, and the Sorting Hat called out, "Ravenclaw!" There was applause from the Ravenclaw table as Stanley found his place.
There were lots of other names called but James wasn't really paying attention. There were five boys and girls so far that had been called into Gryffendor, but James didn't know their names. All he knew was that the hat called out, "Gryffendor," and then he was clapping with the rest of the Gryffendor house.
"Malfoy, Scorpius," called Professor McGonnagal. That got James' attention. He was really curious as to where this Malfoy boy would end up. Most likely in Slytherin.
Professor McGonnagal put the Sorting Hat on his head. The hat seemed to be thinking when it suddenly hollered out, "Slytherin!" The whole of Slytherin cheered but James thought that was inevitable. He then wondered if the Malfoy boy had the same fears about being in a different house that Albus did.
Finally, the name that James was waiting for.
"Potter, Albus," called the professor.
Albus walked very slowly up to the stool that the hat was sitting on. He carefully climbed up onto the stool as Professor McGonnagal lowered the Sorting Hat onto his head. The hat was barely on Al's head when the hat called out, "Gryffendor!"
James was very happy about this. He knew that he gave Albus a hard time quite often, but he really did want his little brother in his house. Then he could watch out for him, but you would never hear James admit that.
There were a few more names that were called out before Professor McGonnagal got to his little cousin.
"Weasley, Rose," called Professor McGonnagal. Rose very carefully walked up to the front to be sorted. She was the last of the first years to go, so she seemed a little more nervous, knowing that everyone was watching and waiting for the sorting to be done so they could start their feast. As she sat down she started to shake, but James knew that it wouldn't be long before she was down at her seat. He was hoping that she would be put in Gryffendor, but she was so smart he wondered if she wouldn't end up in Ravenclaw. Ravenclaws were all very wise. James' father had once told him about the time that he had to find the Ravenclaw common room and to get in, it wasn't a password like it is for Gryffendor, but a riddle. The question that Harry was asked when he went was, 'what came first, the pheonix or the flame?' Harry said he was very thankful that his good friend Luna Lovegood, now Longbottom, was there because her answer was, 'the circle has no beginning.' James thought that Rose could come up with answers like that to puzzling question.
"Gryffendor!" called out the sorting hat, and there was a look of relief on Rose's face. She hopped down off the stool, and made her way to a seat between James and Albus.
"Just a few things before we start our feast," said Headmaster McGonnagal. "Mr. Goyle has asked me to remind you that the dungon to the left of potions will be closed off to students for more repair. Also, a reminder to ALL students that the Forbidden Forest is off limits. There are dangerous things in there that can, and will hurt you, so steer clear of that area of the castle grounds. And, lastly, our kitchen staff would ask that you do not bring any dishes into your dormatory rooms. They do not want to frighten you when they come to retrieve them. And, now... let us eat!" Headmaster McGonnagal waved her hand and all five tables in the great hall were covered in delicious food. There was roast beef, and roast pork, roast chicken, lamb chops, sausages and steak. There was also quite the array of vegatables and three different kind of potatoes, and yorkshire puddings.
Once everyone had eaten till they were about to burst, Headmaster McGonnagal waved her hand, and all the dinner dishes vanished and in their place were plates and plates of sweets, cakes and puddings.
James looked over at Albus and he looked like he was in heaven. Their mother was a good cook, and they never went hungry at home, but there was also not this many choices of anything at home. What their mother made is what they ate. This was Al's first time really being able to choose what he wanted to eat and what he wanted to leave, while still getting all the different kinds of food.
"If this is what supper is like, what is breakfast like?" asked Albus. Breakfast was easily his favorite meal of the day.
"It all depends on what is prepared for breakfast, but I was never disappointed last year," replied James.
Finally, Headmaster McGonnagal waved her hand one more time and the tables were clear. "And, now that everyone's tummy's are full, it is time for bed. So, find your prefects, and off to bed, all of you!"
James knew how to get up to the common room from last year, so he grabbed Albus and Rose and led them out of the great hall followed by Alice and Tom. The Gryffendor common room was on the seventh floor, so there were lots of stairs to climb.
"The thing about the great staircase is that there are some staircases that move and there were also a few trick steps, that would change on the different staircases. So, you had to be careful finding your way around the castle," explained to Al and Rose as he led them up the stairs to the portrait of the fat lady. She was the one who guarded the Gryffendor common room. Just as the five of them were walking down the corridor to the portrait, they found the prefects who had the new passwords.
"Flibbitygibbit," said the prefect. The portrait swung open to reveal a cozy looking room with cushy chairs around the fire, and tables in the back corners. In the middle of the back wall of the room was a great twisting staircase that led up to the dormatories. Boys were off to the right, and girls were off to the left.
"Well, what about our things?" asked Albus. Rose, hearing his question, also turned to James, nodding her head.
"Don't worry. Our owls are already up at the owlry, and our trunks are up in our rooms. It is very nice that we don't have to lug our trunks up here, don't you think?" asked James.
"Yes, but how do they get up here? Someone must have to lug them up here?" said Rose.
"You forget that we are at a school for wizards and witches. Plus, there are house elves that work here and they just levitate the luggage to where it needs to go," explained James.
"HOUSE ELVES?" screeched Rose. "My mother told me all about how they mistreat those poor creatures!" Rose looked angry.
"Well, I'll tell you what. Why don't we try to find one tomorrow morning and we can ask them. I would think that they are treated fairly here," James argued back.
Rose looked a little happier with James' idea, but she still seemed rather unhappy with the whole situation. James hoped she wouldn't talk to other students about her feelings about house elves.
"Well, good night. I am beat. See you in the morning, Alice, Al, Rose." said James as he made his way up the stairs to his dormatory room. He really was tired, and hoped that he would have a good nights rest.
No comments:
Post a Comment