The Promise
Aylie and Vicky spent the ride up to Hogwarts in a compartment full of girls they knew from grade school growing up in Godric’s Hollow. They enjoyed lunch and conversation while the miles rolled on.
When the train finally rolled into Hogsmeade Station, it was already dark. The girls bundled up in their cloaks. Vicky, peering out through the window, said, “I don’t think it’s raining.”
“That’s good,” said Aylie. “We have to ride to the castle in a boat. My sister and her friends will all be riding in a carriage.”
Some of the other girls looked alarmed at this process, but Vicky said, “It’s a Hogwarts tradition.”
The girls filed out of the compartment. The hallway was jammed with students of all ages trying to get onto the platform. Vicky tugged on Aylie’s sleeve and pulled her back into the compartment.
“I need to talk to you for a second,” she said.
“We’ve been talking for five hours!” said Aylie, laughing.
Vicky’s face was somber. It reminded Aylie vaguely of Tess’ friend, Morwena Felwich. “I didn’t want to talk about this in front of the other girls.”
“Okay. What’s going on?”
“We have to have a plan about sorting!” said Vicky.
“We don’t need a plan. The hat will put you in the right House.”
“Yes, but the hat takes requests, too,” said Vicky.
“What are we requesting?”
“That you not end up in Slytherin.”
“Why can’t I be in Slytherin with my sister?” asked Aylie.
“Because I am going to be sorted into Gryffindor. It’s for sure. Guaranteed. Everyone in my whole extended family - aunts, uncles, grandparents, godparents, everyone - was in Gryffindor. If you go to Slytherin, we’ll end up as enemies!”
“Not necessarily. Tess and her friends are friends with Alma Krauss of Gryffindor.”
“Oh, they’re polite to Krauss, because she’s a prefect, but how often do they all just hang out? No, Slytherins do stuff that make them look good for the teachers. But they really don’t have friends in Gryffindor.
“If you go to Slytherin and I go to Gryffindor, we’ll always be on different teams, competing, trying to one-up each other. I don’t want to be that way with you,” Vicky pleaded. “The thing is, sorting is in alphabetical order. That means you’ll come up way before I do. We have to figure this out now.”
“I don’t really see myself fitting in with Gryffindor,” said Aylie, nervously. “I don’t want to be enemies with my sister, exactly.”
“You don’t have to be in Gryffindor,” said Vicky. “You just can’t be in Slytherin.”
From outside the carriage, they heard the sound of screaming. Loud voices were shouting, trying to restore order. They heard the booming voice of Mr. Hagrid saying, “Settle down, now. Nothin’ to be afraid of.”
“We better see what’s going on,” said Vicky.
The train corridor had cleared, but there was a mass of First Years waiting to get on the boats. From the platform, Aylie immediately could see what the problem was. At the edge of the water, about fifty yards from the First Years and the boats, stood the giant, Mr. Grawp. He looked more presentable these days, wearing an enormous white button-down shirt, and black trousers that went just past his knees. Aylie knew not to be afraid of him, but many of the First Years were spooked. Panic had spread through the group like fire. A few prefects had waded into the fray, trying to restore order. No one had gotten onto a boat yet.
“Oh, this is ridiculous,” said Vicky. She went down the platform steps and disappeared into the crowd. Aylie stood on the platform to watch as Vicky emerged a moment later at the front of the line. Vicky stuck out her hand and said, “Hello, Mr. Hagrid.”
The groundskeeper shook the little girl’s hand and gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. “At last, a friendly face,” he said.
Vicky turned around to face the group of First Years. She reached out and drew a girl towards her. “Come on,” she said. “We need to get in the boat. It’ll be alright.”
Such the Gryffindor girl, thought Aylie. Brave to the core.
Aylie got down from the platform and joined the queue. A girl stood at the edge of the group, quivering, her arms crossed tight against her chest. She looked wide-eyed at Aylie and whispered, “A giant! They didn’t tell me about the giant!”
“It’s alright,” said Aylie, gently. She put her arm around the girl. “They’re just the groundskeepers. They’re really quite friendly.” Aylie wasn’t sure what Mr. Grawp’s job on campus was, but ‘groundskeeper’ seemed right. Her soft words and gentle touch calmed the other girl. “Come on now,” said Aylie. “We need to get in a boat for the ride into the castle.”
Two more girls joined them. “Are you sure they’re not going to eat us?” asked one of them.
Aylie laughed. “Of course not! My sister goes here. Nobody gets eaten. Not ever. And nobody drowns in the lake, either, no matter how stormy it is. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m Aylie, by the way. I grew up around witches and wizards, so this is all old hat to me.”
The other girls were Amelia, Shannon and Tabitha. Aylie quickly determined that they were all from Muggle towns. Tabitha hailed from Little Whining. “There’s a very famous wizard who grew up there,” said Aylie.
Tabitha shook her head. “There’s nobody famous from Little Whining. It’s the most boring town in the world!”
Aylie didn’t dispute this. Tabitha would learn about Harry Potter soon enough.
The girls made their way to the edge of the water. Aylie wasn’t about to walk straight up to Mr. Hagrid and shake his hand, but she gave him a shy smile as she passed him. “Four to a boat,” he told them. “There you go.”
Aylie was ready to blast rainwater from the wooden seats, but they were dry. She got into the boat, and the others followed her. Amelia, who was still quite scared, sat next to Aylie and leaned against her for comfort. Tabitha and Shannon sat on the opposite bench. As soon as everyone was seated, the boat launched itself across the dark water towards the castle.
The girls looked quite nervous being out on the water. Aylie tried her best to keep a positive tone. “I’m glad it’s not raining,” she said. “When my sister Tess did this, it was raining. They were wet and cold, she and her friends, by the time they got to the castle.”
Tabitha looked skeptically out onto the dark water. “You’re sure no one drowns?”
“Of course not! If you fall in, the merpeople will push you back. All the same, I wouldn’t recommend it. You’ll be awfully wet.”
“Merpeople?” asked Shannon. “You’re not teasing us, are you?”
“Of course not!” said Aylie.
“What are classes like?” asked Tabitha.
“It’s just like any other school,” said Aylie. “Some classes are quite fun and some are deathly dull. The teachers are strict but they’re fair. That’s what I’ve heard, anyway.”
Tabitha kept the questions going until the castle loomed and the little boat drew up to the stone wharf. Vicky was waiting for them. She helped Aylie and the others get onto the wharf.
Vicky gave Aylie a hug and said in her ear, “We never finished our conversation.”
“I know,” said Aylie. “Don’t worry. It will work out. I promise.”
Aylie played host, introducing the three new girls to Vicky. Vicky in turn introduced the two girls and a boy who had ridden with her in her boat. Other young students were standing nearby, watching Aylie and Vicky. Vicky for her part had made quite an impression on the others for the way she had stayed calm during the panic, and how even Hagrid and Grawp seemed to know who she was.
The last of the boats pulled up to the wharf. Vicky was quick to offer hands to those who needed help getting out of the boats. A few of the boys followed her example.
Mr. Hagrid came in the last boat. Though she wasn’t afraid, Aylie was pleased that Grawp hadn’t come with his brother. No sense getting everyone spooked again, she thought.
Hagrid stepped onto the wharf and did a quick count. Behind him, at the top of the stairs, the door opened. There stood Professor Gregor, the torchlight making wavy orange patterns on his bald head.
“Is everyone accounted for, Rubeus?” asked Gregor.
“Yes sir. All have arrived safely to the castle.”
Gregor descended the stairs and came among the young children. “I won’t have a mass of you climbing the stairs at once. We’ll have two lines please. Girls in one and boys in the other.” The students quickly did as they were told. Aylie did not need to explain to anyone that this was the Deputy Headmaster. The authority in Gregor’s voice was clear to everyone.
“I’ll have the girls’ line follow me up the stairs, with the boys coming afterwards. Mr. Hagrid will take the rear and close the door after us.”
“That I will, Professor,” said Hagrid.
“Young ladies, follow me, please.”
He led the way up the stairs, and the girls followed him. In a stone alcove, they paused while the others caught up. Gregor counted off sixteen girls. “The rest of you, please come behind the others. We will make four lines now. Two lines of girls and two of boys.” The girls quietly fell into two lines. The boys took longer, and they were louder. Gregor hushed them.
“You must learn to walk through the castle halls quietly, so that you do not disturb classes that are in session. Let us now practice walking quietly.”
He moved around the students, ordering those who stood carelessly to straighten up. “In a moment, we will be entering the Great Hall. You will stand in the front, by the staff table. I will call your names one by one for you to participate in the sorting ceremony. You will enter the Great Hall silently, arms at your side. Do not wave to or greet anyone, even if they call your name.”
There was a particularly rambunctious boy who kept moving around restlessly. Gregor moved him to the front of the first line of boys. “You will follow me,” Gregor told the boy. “Boys first, this time. One line and then the other. The girls will follow. We will have four lines in the hall, with the girls in the front and the boys at the back. Keep your lines straight!”
Gregor walked away with Rambunctious Boy at his side. Aylie was in the last line of girls. When they entered the Great Hall, Tess called out to Aylie and waved. Remembering Gregor’s edict, Aylie smiled in Tess’ direction but did not wave back.
Her line came to a stop. They were in the front row now, facing all the other students. Aylie picked out students she recognized at each of the tables: Shona MacDougal among the Gryffindors; Denise Poysenberry at the Ravenclaw table; tall, handsome Philip Harkenborough with the Hufflepuffs.
A girl went to Slytherin and a boy to Ravenclaw. Aylie was the third name called. She felt her chest tighten as she walked to the stool and put on the hat. As she settled on the stool, she heard the soft voice in her ear. “Father was in Ravenclaw. Mother was in Slytherin ….”
Aylie’s anxieties tumbled out of her. Yes, but I don’t know if I’m as smart as Daddy and Devon, my older brother – he was also in Ravenclaw and he’s really smart. And my sister is in Slytherin, just like Mum. But I don’t think I should go to Slytherin ‘cause my best friend Vicky, she’s not sorted yet but she’s going to be in Gryffindor, you can totally tell. She’s so brave. And we don’t want to be enemies, so if she’s in Gryffindor I really shouldn’t go to Slytherin, though I don’t know that I’m brave like her, exactly. I don’t do Gryffindor girl things like climb trees or play sports. Is Gryffindor the right place for me? I never thought so. I don’t want to be enemies with my sister either. What do you think?
“Sounds to me like you are loyal,” said the hat softly. Then, in a louder voice, it called out, “Hufflepuff!”
It wasn’t the answer Aylie was expecting, and for a moment she didn’t move. Then, the Hufflepuffs were clapping and Philip stood up and said, “Aylie! Welcome to Hufflepuff!” Aylie felt a rush of relief and a deep sense that yes, Hufflepuff was the place for her. She set the hat on the stool and ran up to Philip. Before she could even think about how she should greet him, she had given him a hug. It suddenly seemed inappropriate, so she broke the embrace and gazed sheepishly up at him. “Is that okay, that I gave you a hug?”
“Of course,” he said tenderly. “Come, let me introduce you to your prefect.”
The Fifth Year Hufflepuff was a girl with black curly hair and big brown eyes named Destiny. She gave Aylie a hug and said, “So, you know Philip already. I’m the junior prefect this year. And this is Lara, the senior prefect.”
Aylie’s eyes went wide as she gazed at Lara Guishar. This girl can see the future! At that moment, Lara seemed like a regular girl with a warm and friendly smile. “Hello,” said Lara. “You’re Tess’ sister, aren’t you?”
“Yes!”
Next to Lara was Stacy Hind. “Hi!” said Aylie. “You’re Tess’ friend. You’ve been to our house!”
This made Stacy blush. “Yes, I have. I’m so glad you’re in Hufflepuff with us.”
There were other introductions, though they had to keep quiet as sorting was still going on. Rambunctious Boy was sorted into Gryffindor and given a rousing welcome. During the clapping, a boy in a red and white striped scarf came up to Aylie and said, “Hullo. Richie Parkah at your service. Me friends call me Goonah.”
Aylie shook his hand. “Why do they call you Goonah?”
“’Cause I’m a Goonah’ o’ course!” He flicked the end of his scarf up into the air.
Aylie laughed and said, “Of course you are!” though she really didn’t understand what he meant.
Amelia was the next First Year sorted to Hufflepuff. She came and sat next to Aylie. “There’s so many people here,” said Amelia. She was looking overwhelmed. Aylie gave her a hug.
“Don’t worry,” said Aylie. “Everyone here is really nice. This is our Prefect, Destiny!”
Aylie knew about half of the First Years. She paid careful attention to which of her friends were sorted into which house. She tried to guess who would end up where, and she was right about half the time.
The Hufflepuffs gained some new boys that Aylie didn’t recognize. She heard one say, “I wasn’t too keen to get on the boat, not with that giant sitting out there in lake. But when I saw Aylie there get in a boat, I figured I’d better get a move on.”
Tabitha and Shannon joined the Hufflepuffs, plus two more girls that Aylie knew from Godric’s Hollow. She was saying hello and making introductions when she heard Professor Gregor call out, “Pixieburg, Rainey.”
“Oh!” said Aylie. “Rainey Pixieburg. She’s my cousin.”
The hat sorted Rainey to Hufflepuff as well. She came gave Aylie a hug. “Fancy meeting you here,” said Rainey.
“I know, right? Did you think, getting on the train this morning, that we’d be in Hufflepuff?”
“This was the last place I thought I’d end up,” said Rainey. “Mum will say it’s ‘cause I didn’t study hard enough in grade school.”
“It feels like home, though, doesn’t it?” said Aylie, brightly.
“Yes, it does.”
The line of students at the front of the room dwindled away. There were now fifteen new First Years at the Hufflepuff table, seven girls and eight boys. Aylie could see that the boy prefect, Travis, would have his hands full. Not that those are bad boys, any of them, thought Aylie. There’s just a whole bunch of them.
Finally, there was just one person left to be sorted: Aylie’s dear friend, red-haired Vicky. The chatter in the Great Hall had increased, as the students were restless and ready for dinner, but a hush swept the room as Gregor called out the last name: “Weasley, Victoire.”
Vicky walked calmly to the stool and set the hat on her head. Almost immediately, the hat called out, “Gryffindor!”
The Gryffindor table burst into applause. Paul Hewson leapt to his feet and called out, “We got Weasley! We got Weasley!” Vicky ran to the Gryffindor table, into the arms of Gurpreet.
As it turned out, for the rest of their days at Hogwarts, Vicky and Aylie ran in different circles. They were always friendly towards one another, but they saw each other infrequently, and tended to stick with the girls from their own Houses. They were never rivals or enemies, however, for Aylie had kept her promise not to go to Slytherin.