Chapter 9
One of Minerva McGonagall’s duties as deputy headmistress, was to guide the new students from the doors, and all the way to the great hall foyer, where they would wait until it was time for the sorting ceremony. This year she was more thoughtful than she normally was. On one hand she was excited and happy to get to see Harry more, but on the other she had a strange feeling of something being wrong in the castle. It all started with Albus’ little package, which led to all the teachers putting up protections for it, but he wouldn’t say what it was. Something in her mind nagged at her that it was no coincidence that Harry was starting this year, during all this. She hoped he would sort into Gryffindor, so that she could keep an extra eye on him, but with the hat there were no guarantees.
Opening the door she greeted the students sternly, and led them all through the hallways, up until the great hall doors. Turning around, she started her little speech that she always held welcoming the new students.
“Good evening all and welcome to Hogwart’s school for magic. Hopefully you will all be here with us for the full seven year curriculum. In a few moments you will be asked to attend the sorting ceremony that will put you in one out of four houses, the houses being Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. There you will meet the students you will live and go to classes with. Hopefully a family. Every time you will do something good, or prove yourself in classwork you may earn your house points, but every breaking of rules or misbehaviour, will cost you points instead, and may lead to detentions.”, with that she finished her speech.
“Now I ask of you to clean up and straighten out your clothing, I will be back shortly after preparing the sorting.”, Minerva said, and left the students there.
Harry had been happy to see Minnie again, but he realized there was going to be a different relation now, as student and professor. He wondered if he would be put in Gryffindor, but he had no idea.
“So Harry, how are you feeling?”, Justin said.
“A bit nervous, it’s weird not knowing how we will be sorted, or where you may end up.”
“Yes I agree. But there’s nothing to do about it now, I hope even if we would sort differently, that we still could be friends Harry.”, Justin said.
“Of course we will, you won’t get rid of me that easily now.”, Harry said winking at Justin.
“I see Draco over there Justin, would you mind if I went to talk to him?”
“No he’s your friend too Harry, don’t worry about me, I’m not that jealous.”, Justin said with a small laugh.
“Haha that’s good to know!”, Harry said, and started going toward Draco.
“Hey Draco how are you feeling?”, he said when he got to him.
“Oh hello there Potter, I’m doing well.”, Draco replied.
“Call me Harry, Draco I told you that you could. If this is about what Susan said, I’ve already told her that I don’t care about who your family are. You are Draco Malfoy, his own person, rumours don’t mean a thing to me.”, Harry really wanted Draco to know he was serious about it.
“Thank you Harry, that actually means a lot coming from you. May I introduce my friends to you?”
“Of course, I’d love to meet them.”, Harry said.
“Well then, these are my friends, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle.”
“Hello guys, nice to meet you, I’m Harry Potter.”
They looked at him, not really knowing what to say, but Gregory came forward and reached out his hand.
“Nice to meet you Potter.” He said.
“Likewise Goyle.”, Harry smiled back.
“Hey what do you think you’re doing with those people Harry?! Don’t you know they’re evil little snakes!”, the voice came from an irritated red-head.
“Excuse me do I even know you? You are interrupting rather rudely Mr.?”, Harry said angrily.
“Oh please Harry, no Mr., I’m Ron, Ron Weasley. I’m here to make sure you meet the right kind of people, not these slimy snakes.”
“Well Mr. Weasley was it? I am more than capable of doing that myself, thank you. Before you came over here I was meeting Draco’s friends, so can you just go away please?”
“YOU’RE CALLING HIM DRACO?! No Harry he’s a Malfoy, you definitely should stay away from him out of everyone. They’re the most evil family that are not in azkaban right now. Us Weasley’s can show you the right way.”
Now Harry lost it, his temper was for the most part contained, but when people tried to control him, or hurt others in front of him, he exploded.
“Who are you to decide that you loudmouth! You came over here bad mouthing people I hope to have as friends, not even having the decency to talk with me privately. There is nothing wrong with Draco or his friends, and I will never speak to you again if you don’t take back those words of yours.”, Harry knew it was wrong to shout, but he was upset now, feeling this could ruin his night, and his friendships.
Ron looked shocked at Harry’s defensive rant, protecting those slimy snakes he hated so much. Why was he even on a first name basis with that bloody Malfoy?
“Whatever Potter, you will see when they turn on you and show their true colours, just you wait!”, Ron shouted, walking back to his place in line.
“Thanks Harry.”, came from Draco, who had been silent through all of it.
“Don’t worry Draco, I hope you and your friends know that I don’t share his views.”
“No you’ve made it clear to us Potter.”, Blaise Zabini said, “And don’t worry about Weasley. That
family is said to be the most fanatic followers of Dumbledore’s there is.”
“That’s a relief then, I look forward to seeing you guys more.”, Harry said, as Minerva came walking back.
“Alright students! The ceremony is about to begin. I want a line formed in an orderly manner, no more than two persons wide.”
Harry made his way back to Justin, and together they took their first steps into the great hall of Hogwarts.
The sight that met them was surreal. Candles floating in the air above four long tables that reached from one end of the room, to the other. Up on another level the teachers were sitting at a table of their own, with a gaudy looking throne in the middle, where of course the bumbledom himself sat.
What Harry loved the most though, was the amazing way the ceiling looked. The girl with the bushy hair they’d met briefly on the train, said that it was enchanted to be that way. Which to be honest Harry could have guessed, but it was still nice to hear.
Now Harry watched as Minerva brought out a short stool, and an old, ragged looking hat. He couldn’t understand what was happening, until the hat started singing of all things! It was a long-winded song, but what it boiled down to, was the traits of the houses.
“Now students, as I call your name, I want you to come forward and put the hat upon your head, and wait to be sorted.”, Minerva told them all.
A hat of all things would be what sorted them. Harry listened as Minerva started her list.
“Hannah Abbott”
Hannah went up to the hat and put it on. In a few moments it called out “Hufflepuff”. The table with the yellow clad students started cheering, and Hannah went to go sit down.
The sorting went on. Susan also went to Hufflepuff, a boy named Terry Boot became the first Ravenclaw, Lavender Brown was the first to go into Gryffindor, and Millicent Bulstrode became the first Slytherin. Name after name was called, and then it was Justin’s turn. Harry nudged his friend, wishing him luck, as Justin went to put the hat on. After a short period, the hat shouted out “Hufflepuff”, once again. Harry clapped for Justin with all of the others. Now it was Draco’s turn.
The hat had barely touched his head before it yelled “Slytherin”, and he joined the ones clad in green.
Starting to feel nervous Harry waited on a pair of twins to be sorted, then came his name. He walked up to Minerva, smiling faintly at her, which she returned. Putting the hat on his head, a voice sounded in his mind.
“Now what do we have here then Mr. Potter. Oh my there are a lot of things in here that could put you in every house, but which would be the best hmm…”
“Well I trust you Mr. err Ms. Hat?”
“Ohoho maybe a Ravenclaw, since there haven’t been anyone asking for my preferred pronoun ever. But to answer you it is Mr. Hat, thank you. Hmm no not Ravenclaw, you do have an excellent mind, but I feel you might get lonely, and you don’t feel the strong passion toward learning for learning’s sake. I can see you have made some acquaintances in Slytherin already, but no I don’t sense the type of ambition most suited there. Maybe a proud lion of Gryffindor? Although what’s this part of you? A hard worker wanting friends? Loyalty in spades? Ah yes now there is only one house for you, better be… HUFFLEPUFF!”
Harry took off the hat smiling and was met by… total silence, everywhere he looked he saw stunned expressions, even on the teachers, a black haired man looked perplexed, and a tiny little man fell off his seat. Then he saw how Justin, Hannah and Susan stood up and started applauding him. From Slytherin the boys with Malfoy included, started clapping as well, and soon the whole room did, while he went to sit down next to Justin. After that the only thing noticeable during the sorting, was when Ronald Weasley had the hat on his head. The hat started laughing so loud, it was even jumping up and down on his head before it yelled out Gryffindor.
SOME DIFFERENT POV’S
Ronald
Ronald was relieved when the hat didn’t put Harry in Slytherin with the evil snakes. That meant he still could show him the right way, as Dumbledore had put it. As he had sorted with the duffers, he was weak and could surely be swayed. Sure Ronald would have loved to be a lion like all his brothers, but for this he could sort with those worthless puffs, he may even become the leader there. Putting on the hat, he asked silently for Hufflepuff, but then the hat did the weirdest thing…
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, you boy a Hufflepuff? You don’t have a hard working bone in your body. The only thing with a bone is your bone-idleness, son. OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO, I haven’t laughed like this, well ever I think. No boy maybe you could fit into Slytherin though with your ambition to use that poor boy?”
NOT SLYTHERIN, Ron thought in a panic.
“Well then they would have eaten you up anyway, no better be… GRYFFINDOR!”
Ron took off the hat huffing, but still happy he at least got Gryffindor.
Minerva
Minerva sighed a bit sadly, because she had truly wanted Harry as one of hers, but she knew he would do excellent in Pomona’s house. He showed all the traits’, and she saw the people cheering him on had all been puffs, except for a few snakes. She could only hope she’d be able to protect him still, while not being head of house.
Albus
What in the world was the stupid hat thinking? A Hufflepuff couldn’t be a hero, it was preposterous!
Those cowardly badgers were happy with just being in the background, not ever amounting to anything. Hadn’t the Weasley boy gotten to him in time? They needed to be in Gryffindor together, showing all how the saviour should be. Well I’ll still have my chances, the board layout just changed a little.
BACK TO THE PRESENT
“Ugh I’m hungry! When are we going to eat?”, Hannah complained.
Harry had to agree with her though, after a long train ride and a full sorting ceremony, his stomach was growling for food. Luckily the headmaster soon stood, said a few silly words, and then all the food appeared on the tables. There was so much food! Harry had never seen this much anywhere, and all those different choices as well. He picked up a little bit of everything and happily started to eat, while still chatting with Justin and the girls.
After all the food and desserts were eaten, the headmaster stood once again.
“Now I know you all must be longing for your beds, but I have a few words to say before that. Mr. Filch’s list of forbidden items, has been extended again. To keep yourselves up to date it is posted on his office door. No magic is allowed in the corridors between classes. No student is allowed outside the dorms after lights out. The forbidden forest is forbidden for a reason, so trespassing is therefore forbidden, and yes that means you too Mr. Weasleys.”, he said while looking at a pair of identical red-heads. “And the final announcement is that this year the third floor corridor will be off-limits to everyone that does not wish to meet an untimely death.”
Harry and everyone else looked at the headmaster. How could he even allow such a thing? Dumbledore didn’t care about the murmurs his statement had brought.
“Now let’s all sing the school song before we go off to bed”
After an awful rendition, that even made Vernon’s singing sound good, they finally stood to follow their prefects toward the common room. Walking down some steps, and into a side corridor, they all soon ended up near a large pile of barrels. The entire end of the corridor was full of barrels in all different sizes.
“So new students, welcome to Hufflepuff! We are proud to see so many new faces this year. I’m Oisín McKenna, the male fifth year prefect, and that is my partner Josephine Claremont. You can come to us with problems you may have, or if you just want to talk for a while. We have sixth and seventh year prefects as well you can turn to. Now here is the way to enter our common room, watch carefully cause if you get it wrong, we have an intruder alarm, that can be unpleasant, well at least if you don’t like vinegar.”
“As Oisín said guys I’m Josephine, and here is how you open our door. See those barrels over there? You need to choose the correct one and knock a certain rhythm on it. This is the correct barrel, and every year the first month, the knocking rhythm is ‘Hel-Ga-Huff-Le-Puff’. Watch closely.”
Josephine knocked the correct pattern, and the large barrel next to them opened up. The prefects told them to get inside and wait there. Walking through a small tunnel they arrived in the Hufflepuff common-room.
Harry fell in love with the room at first sight. It was painted in honey-coloured tones, and there were dark brown, wooden details everywhere. Plush couches and sofas were standing here and there, and lots of large tables to do homework at. What Harry loved the most was all the plant-life around them. Every way you looked there was a flowerpot or a little vase filled with flowers. Some even hung from the ceiling. Large windows were up high near the ceiling, so it didn’t feel like you lived underground. Fireplaces warmed the space and made it the most beautiful space ever according to Harry.
“Ok guys, time to get to the dorms. If you boys could follow me, Josephine will take the girls.”, Oisín said.
Following him they walked up some stairs and into a corridor on the left.
“Now boys it is shared rooms here so I ask you to pick a buddy you think you can share with, two to a room.”
Harry looked at Justin, who nodded back so they asked Oisín to share, and headed through the round portal, into their own dorm. Inside was a welcoming room, it was round with the same coloured walls, and dark flooring that was in the common-room. A round window also sat on the wall, which actually gave them a view toward the lake. Two large four poster beds stood on either side of the room, along with their own wardrobes, mirrors and desks. A door led into a bathroom with two of everything. Two toilet booths, two sinks and two shower stalls.
“Hey Justin, I’m happy you’re my room-mate”, Harry said.
“Thanks Harry I feel the same, I’m so glad we sorted together. Could you imagine sharing with that rude Weasley boy?”
“Ugh don’t remind me of him, how could he think his behaviour was ok in any way?”
“I don’t know Harry, but I somehow think he isn’t done with you”, Justin said with a yawn.
“Something tells me you’re right Justin, but for now let’s just head to bed. These beds look amazing.”
“Agreed Harry.”
With that Harry and Justin got ready for the night and went to bed, looking forward to what tomorrow would bring them.