Just Like Magic [ON HIATUS]

The door opened, and a woman in emerald robes stood in the doorway. She looked stern, and was tall, but still short in comparison to the man who had brought them there.

“The firs’ years, Professor McGonagall.”

“Thank you, Hagrid, I will take them from here.” She led them into the entrance hall, which was quite large and magnificent like the castle it sat inside.

“Welcome to Hogwarts. 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. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room.”

“I heard the Slytherin common room is underneath the lake,” Draco whispered to her, “Father told me all about the castle. He told me that a giant squid lives in the lake, maybe we can see it through a window or something!” Evelynne could tell he had intended to impress her, but the words just made her feel nauseous. What if she wasn’t sorted into Slytherin? What if she got stuck with the Hufflepuffs, and was lonely up until she graduated? No, she wouldn’t let that happen. She would make sure that she got put into the correct house, no matter what.

“I shall return when we are ready for you.” Professor McGonagall finished, and she left the room.

“How do they sort you into your House?” Evelynne asked Draco.

“You put on an old hat, and it tells you your house. I just know we’ll be in Slytherin, though.” She waited for a few minutes, and right before McGonagall came back, a bunch of ghosts flew through the crowd of first years, chatting amongst themselves.

“I say, what are you all doing here?” One of the ghosts had noticed all the children standing in the hall. Nobody said anything.

“New students! About to be Sorted, I suppose? Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know.” another ghost smiled at all the first years. McGonagall had now re-appeared at the door, and told them all to form a line. They all walked into the Great Hall, and Evelynne could hardly believe her eyes.

Thousands of floating candles lit the room, and the ceiling looked as if it weren’t there. It looked exactly like the night sky outside. Then, McGonagall placed a dirty old hat down onto a stool. This must have been the hat Draco mentioned, thought Evelynne, for it started to sing from a rip in the brim.

“Oh you may not think me 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 bowlers black,
Your top hats 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’ve 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 folks 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!”

Evelynne thought the song was quite funny, as she had never heard a hat sing before, and she clapped along with everybody else when it was over.

“When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted.” McGonagall said. A girl called Hannah Abbott became a Hufflepuff, as did the girl behind her, and Evelynne waited patiently for her turn. A girl named Millicent Bullstrode became the first new Slytherin, and Evelynne wondered if she would see her around often, if she was also in Slytherin. Before she knew it, it was her turn.

“See you at the table.” Draco whispered to her as she walked up to the stool. She then sat down and placed it onto her head. She could hear it talking into her ear.

“Yes, yes, I see, lots of bravery, I see… Lots of intelligence and fierce loyalty. And lots of ambition too, oh yes, lots of ambition. Where should I put you? You’d do well in Ravenclaw, but maybe not… Oh yes, I know right where to put you. SLYTHERIN!” She heard the hat call the last word out to all of the Great Hall. She whipped the hat off her head and hurried down to the Slytherin table. She looked up towards the hat, anxiously awaiting her friend.

She was so glad she was in the same House as her friend, but she was still nervous, because he hadn’t been Sorted yet and might not be with her. She didn’t have any reason to worry, however, because as soon as the hat was placed on his head it called out,

“SLYTHERIN!” She cheered loudly at this, and he came over to sit with her. Soon after he had been sorted, it was Potter’s turn.

“Oh, I hope he isn’t in Slytherin.” Evelynne whispered to Draco, and he nodded in agreement. The hat was placed on his head, and after a few minutes shouted,

“GRYFFINDOR!” Evelynne did not clap when his house was called, but she was very relieved she didn’t have to share a common room with ‘The Boy Who Lived’. She later recognized Ron Weasley as the boy with red hair, and did not clap for him either.

“See, told you he was a Weasley. You’d never see one of them end up in Slytherin, that's for sure. They might be pure-blood, but I’ll bet you they are the biggest family of blood traitors in the whole of the Wizarding world.” Draco whispered to Evelynne.

“I’m a half-blood, and I still got in over a Weasley.” Evelynne joked, hoping to get a laugh out of her friend. She could practically hear her aunt screaming in her ear, don’t go parading stuff like that around, or you won’t have any shot at a decent future! Not like you do anyways, but still.

She told the voice in her head to focus, and she clapped along with everybody else as a kid named Blaise Zabini got placed with them in Slytherin. Then, a man with a long white beard stood up, and started to speak.

“Welcome! Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you.” He then sat back down, and people started to clap.

“That's Dumbledore, the headmaster. Father says he’s a bit mental. Said that he’s getting senile in his old age.” Evelynne remembered what Lucius had said back at the platform about Dumbledore being insistent on letting muggle-borns in. Suddenly, she noticed that the plate all around her had been filled with food. There was almost anything you could think of. She quickly grabbed a little bit of everything she thought would taste good, and started eating. She had just finished her last bit of chicken, when the food got replaced with desserts.

“This apple pie is really good,” said Evelynne.

“Yeah, it is. Father told me that they have a full staff of house elves who cook the meals and clean the common rooms. I’ll have to ask around, see if anybody knows how to break into the kitchens.” She had just finished her second slice of pie when she heard Dumbledore start speaking again.

“Ahem- just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First year students should note that the forest on the ground is forbidden to all pupils, and a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well. I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their House teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death.” Evelynne noticed a few people laugh, including Potter over at the Gryffindor table.

“Why is he laughing? Surely he doesn’t think that just because he’s famous, whatever is in that corridor won’t hurt him? How stupid can one get?” Draco whispered to her.

“I don’t know, maybe he thinks getting another scar on his forehead will enhance his famousness.” She joked back.

“Is famousness even a word?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Suddenly, Dumbledore spoke again.

“And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!” He conjured some words in mid-air and invited them all to sing along,

“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”

Once everybody had stopped singing, they were free to go to their common rooms. Evelynne followed the crowd of first years towards the dungeons, and they finally stopped at a blank stone wall. A girl who was a few years older than Evelynne addressed the crowd of Slytherin students standing there.

“The password is ambitious, but it changes once a fortnight. The new passwords will be posted on the notice board inside.” At the word ambitious, a door opened up out of the wall. One by one they made their way into the common room. There was a fire under a beautifully carved mantelpiece, and there were lanterns hanging from the ceiling.

“Ladies, your dormitories are that way, boys, yours are that way.” Evelynne waved goodbye to Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle and followed the other girls. She recognised most of them from the Sorting, like Millicent Bullstrode.

Evelynne found her trunk, and sat on the bed next to it. She glanced at the girl who was in the bed next to her, and she waved to Evelynne. She had short black hair with bangs.

“Oh, hello! I’m Evelynne.” Evelynne waved back to her.

“My name’s Pansy.” she replied, “Pansy Parkinson.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“You too.” Evelynne noticed that Edgar was laying on top of her pillow, so she moved him and laid down. She barely closed her eyes before she fell asleep.