Chapter 5 0.4: An Unforgettable Sorting

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and while Nathaniel's first thought was that this was not someone to cross, Cassiopeia had already come up with a list of pranks for the entire term.

"The first-years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here"

She pulled the door wide. The Entrance Hall was breathtaking. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts Bank, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. They could hear the drone of voices from a doorway to the right- the rest of the school must already be here- but the professor showed the first-years into a small empty chamber off the hall. The potter boy that was staring earlier, was standing rather closely together than a normal person usually would. Much to the amusement of Nathaniel Davis and Harry Potter.

'Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "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" she continued,

glancing between a metamorphous and a young boy; already seeing a junior Remus and Sirius. Then she caught the dreamy gaze Nico Potter was sending to the young metamorphous girl; it's another Potter episode at 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"- glaring at the bright-haired girl who was picking her nails.

"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."

Her eyes lingered on the Potter twins, who had both, unfortuNately, inherited James untidy hair, and a young bright-haired girl, who seemed to remind her of a certain black; didn't bother with her appearance.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

She left the chamber.

Then something happened that made everyone jump about a foot in the air -- several people behind her screamed.

"What the -?"

Her mischievous glint in her eye became very predominant. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying:

"Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost -- I say, what are you all doing here?"

A ghost-wearing tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

"What are you lot doing here"

"We're new students!" said Cassiopeia

Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Oh little girl, what is your last name?'

"Black"

The ghost eyes widened with realization, as did many students around them.

"Ah makes sense, your father had quite the knack for trouble "

"Move along now," interrupted a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."

They walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

The Entrance hall was nothing compared to this. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver.

Cassiopeia looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars.

She heard Nathaniel whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."

"Well thanks for crushing my hopes, genius"

Nathaniel just sheepishly grinned, being a bit pressured under the potter's jealous stare.

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open onto the heavens.

Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool, she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty.

For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth -- and the hat 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 black,

Your top hats are 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 have 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!"

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

"That hat should join a choir" Cassiopeia giggled

That was when Nico potter found his favorite sound

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause --

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table, the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

"Black, Cassiopeia"

Cassiopeia strutted her way to the stool, with enough arrogance to rival the marauders.

McGonagall placed the hat on her head and it spoke.

"Ah another black eh, a family full of Slytherins except for your father of course. And a Nott as well, a line full of Slytherins. Though you're not very fond of your mother's side except your brother. Gone through worse trauma than any black I've ever accounted"

"Gee, thanks"

"Oh, Sarcastic, protective, defensive, mischievous and a whole lot of attitude"

"Hurry up, I'm hungry. As you already know I've only had a bar of chocolate for 3 weeks"

"Right, Right. Better be ..."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor exploded with cheers as the first Gryffindor made her way. Shaking in anticipation of her mother's reaction, she turned her hair half gold and half red. Surpassing expectations, the table somehow managed to get even louder.

Cassiopeia could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest her sat Hagrid, and there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts, should have given him the name sparkles. Then she saw the teacher that she had yet to come up with a nickname, Professor Rayer. Apparently, no one bothered to ask for her first name. She helps out with a lot of the classes but mainly teaches Astrology.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!".

"Brocklehurst, Mandy"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Brown, Lavender"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Bulstrode, Millicent"

SLYTHERIN

"Davis Nathaniel"

Nathaniel suddenly became very sweating as he walked up to the stool, he glanced behind him to see Cassiopeia at the Gryffindor table with her thumbs up. A few moments of silence then. ...

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The table of red and gold exploded with cheers and suddenly Cassiopeia yelled out "That's my only best friend, I met a few hours ago", bringing laughs to the great hall

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Finnigan, Seamus,"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Granger, Hermione!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

When Neville Long bottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR,"

"Malfoy, Draco!"

Malfoy her cousin swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with themselves.

There weren't many people left now. "Moon" "Nott" "Parkinson" then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" then "Perks, Sally-Anne"

"Potter, Harry!"

GRYFFINDOR!"

"Potter, Nico"

The boy swaggered up to the stool, but not before throwing a wink towards Cassiopeia, making her hair flash a bright pink. No one noticed except her new best friend, who was holding back from laughing at her face.

A few minutes of silence passed, and then suddenly the hat yelled out.

GRYFFINDOR!

"Thomas, Dean,"

GRYFFINDOR

"Turpin, Lisa,"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Weasley, Ron"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Zabini, Blaise,"

"SLYTHERIN!"

Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.