Chapter 7
~Ella pov~
Dumbledore led me to a room that contained only a single fireplace with a huge wooden barrel next to it.
My "parents" followed suit after us whilst Officer Lane exited the building (seeing as her job was done)
He decided to demonstrate how to use the Floo Powder by going first.
He removed the lid of the barrel, revealing that it was full of silvery-greyish ash.
He took a handful and stepped into the fireplace.
He shouted "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" and dropped the Floo powder , where green flames erupted from the ground,and as he was engulfed by a fiery wall of green flames , he disappeared.
I gulped.
I assumed he wasn't fried to a crisp because there was no burnt-old-man smell in the air.
I turned around to my ''parents" and they smiled at me with encouraging looks.
"Go on sweetie" my father said gesturing towards the barrel of silvery-grey ash.
I grabbed a handful of ash and stepped into the fire-pace (hoping I don't become a fried Elena-Shish Kabab .)
I yelled out with "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" and threw it on the floor, hoping I hadn't gone insane and that this wasn't all a big dream.
It would honestly make more sense if this WAS a dream...or maybe a nightmare...I'm not quite sure which.
All I saw was green flames.
Then I felt dizzy as I felt myself being pulled in what I imagined being caught in a whirl wind felt like.
It was almost as if I was caught in one big drain , spinning round and round,the roar in my ears was deafening and the spinning of the green flames around me made me feel sick to my stomach.
All in all, it was NOT a pleasant experience.
I wasn't looking forward to doing this every day for the rest of the year.
Then suddenly I fell forward as the green flames dissipated.
I steadied myself so I wouldn't crash into the elderly woman standing in front of me.
"Hello I am Professor McGonagall ,please follow me to the rest of the first years...why aren't you in uniform?"
My face reddened "Oh uh sorry uh..."
"Get changed quickly I will be waiting outside to escort you to the rest of the first years...you don't need to worry about anyone coming in as this is a room known as the Room of Requirement and it will protect the user inside the room if they do not want to be disturbed, I will show you how to use it and access it from this side after you're done."
She then left and I quickly changed into my uniform which consisted of a black robe with a grey tie, grey pants, and sweater.
I opened the door and was met with Professor McGonagall's kind face "Julia...I have heard all about you...", she then launched into an explanation of how to access the room of requirement to use the Floo network to go back home.
Apparently I needed to walk by the wall three times while thinking of what I needed...which was a fireplace to go home via the Floo network.
"Which wall?" I asked confused as I turned around expecting to get met with a door but instead was faced with a slab of concrete...making my question redundant.
Oh, that wall.
She then explained how the sorting hat would sort us into our four houses and our uniforms would magically change to the colour of that house,and once the hat had decided where you are to be placed , you must go to that table .
She then proceeded to tell me which table was wear.
Gryffindor was on the far left, next to it was Hufflepuff .
On the far right was Slytherin, and next to it was Ravenclaw.
She then walked me over to the first years.
"I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy..." I saw a boy with light blond hair talking to another boy with messy dark brown hair.
I noticed that the boy with dark brown hair had dazzling green eyes.
Not a sea-green like Percy's...these were darker...like emeralds...I was mesmerized.
The boy that had Identified himself as Malfoy shot another boy (who had ginger hair" a disgusted look then turned back to the boy with the enchanting green eyes.
"You'll soon find out some family's are better than other Potter" He shot the ginger boy another look of disgust ,now mixed with disdain.
The self-identified 'Draco Malfoy' then turned back to the person he called 'Potter' with a smug air of abundant arrogance and pride as he uttered his next words...hand extended for a handshake.
"You don't want to be making friends with the wrong sort."
Wow...he seemed pleasant ( note the sarcasm)
I glanced at the ginger boy who's ears gleamed a bright red...signifying his clear embarrassment.
Potter looked down at his Malfoy's hand...and Potter was now the one who's face bore disdain and disgust.
"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself thanks" ,not engaging in the proposed handshake .
Malfoy's face was now the one that turned red from embarrassment.
"Gather around everyone!" Professor McGonagall screamed silencing the interaction.
She then explained everything that she had already explained to me to the other students with some extra information.
"Your triumphs will win you house-points, any rule-breaking will result in points taken away , at the end of the year,the house with the most points will win the house cup" she explaine.
Shen then told us to follow her and we entered what was later explained to me was called "The Great Hall" I saw the house tables with different colours.
From left to right it was red, yellow, blue ,green signifying the four houses.
I looked up at where the rest of the staff was sitting.
There was a guy with shoulder-length greasy black hair and a large,hooked nose.
Next to him was a elderly lady and Dumbledore as well as some others...but the one that looked the most intriguing was the one who wore a turban. I couldn't see the color of his hair but his face somehow reminded me of mine...
I wondered if that was my father.
So many questions so little time.
In front of the staff table was a stool chair were a withered old hat sat.
Professor McGonagall walked up to the hat and one by one started calling out peoples names.
The hat would take a moment and then scream the house name.
Malfoy was sorted into Slytherin almost as soon as the hat touched his hair.
The ginger boy's name was Ronald Weasley.
He was sorted into Gryffindor.
A couple more names were read out ...but I kinda zoned out.
My ears perked up when I heard "Harry Potter."
Oh so the boy that stood up against that snobbish blond-haired brat was named Harry...
There were hushed whispers as Harry nervously walked up to the chair and sat down while the hat was placed on his head.
He appeared to be muttering to himself something ...it looked like he was repeating "not Slytherin"
The hat thundered "NOT Slytherin hey? Slytherin would help you on the way to greatness?"
Harry continued muttering the same thing over and over again.
"FINE...then it will have to be...GRYFFINDOR!" the hat bellowed.
Harry looked like a huge weight was taken off of his shoulders.
He went and joined the Gryffindor table.
Then Professor McGonagall yelled "Julia Quirrel!"
It took me a moment to realise Oh that's me.... and I made my way up to the stool, I noticed the guy in the turban was suddenly sitting upright and was laser focused on me as I walked to the stool.
It was unsettling.
'That must be my father'I thought.
When I sat down the hat started speaking "Oooooh lets see over here...bravery....ooh yes a lot of bravery...and a lot of secrets"
My heart skipped a beat.
Oh no...he can see into my head...what if he blabs my secret to the whole school?
Like surprise guys,I'm hiding from a murderer.
The hat chuckled and said "I like your sense of humour...but I also sense a darkness...almost like a..." the hat stopped itself.
"But your courage and wit is so strong it is gonna have to be Gryffindor!"
My nervousness subsided as I made my way toward the Gryffindor table...and towards a very ....admittedly cute Potter.
However,I had more pressing things on my mind...like what did the hat mean by darkness?
It left me with an knot in my stomach.