Chapter 19
The three boys got up and joined the crowd of students leaving their compartments. The train slowed dow before finally stopping. Many children attempted to push their way towards the trains exit and eventually everyone got out, shivering in the cold weather. Many of them kept glancing at Vortex curiously, wondering why there was a grown man among students. Soon enough, a lamp came into view as a voice called out.
“Firs’ years! Firs’ years over here!”
A giant with a wild beard, a long shaggy mane of hair, and beetle black eyes quickly came into view. The man was as tall as Vortex, although not as fit, and wearing a long coat that seemed to be made of nothing but pockets.
“C’mon, follow me. Anymore firs’ years? Mind yer step now! Firs’ years follow me!” The man called out as he began to lead the younger students and Vortex down a steep and narrow path.
The path was surrounded by tall, dark trees and made it hard to see anything other than what the lamp illuminated for them.
“Yeh’ll get yer firs’ look o’ Hogwarts in a sec. Jus’ round this bend here.” The giant called over his shoulder and leading them to the edge of a large black lake. The students gazed with awe at the sight of a vast castle with many turrets and towers perched atop a high mountain on the other side of the lake. It’s windows seemed to sparkle with the stars in the night sky. Seren raised an eyebrow in surprise, he was impressed with the sight of the school and hoped his dorm room would be up to his family’s high standards. It wasn’t as impressive as his parent’s castle, but it would do.
“No more’n four to a boat!” The large man called out before showing them the little boats sitting in the water by the lake shore.
The three boys joined Hermione in one of the boats while Vortex got into another boat next to them, although he made sure no one else got into the boat he was in. Hagrid had offered for Vortex to join him in his own boat, but Vortex made sure to tell him that, while he appreciated it, he needed to be close to his charge in case he needed him. They all waited to find out how they would get to the castle without any oars before remembering that they probably moved with magic.
“Everyone in? Right then, forward!” Hagrid shouted from his own personal boat.
At his words, the small fleet of boats began gliding across the water and everyone stared silently up at the castle as they got closer.
“Heads down!” He yelled as the boats reached the cliff.
They all bent their heads as the boats carried them through an ivy curtain that hid a wide opening within the cliff-face and into a dark tunnel. Soon enough, they reached an underground harbor and they quickly scrambled out of the boats before following the giant up a rocky passageway. At last, they came out onto the grass in front of the large castle and began walking up a flight of stone stairs towards the castle’s large front door that appeared to be made from oak wood.
“Everyone here?” The man asked before turning to the door and knocked on the door three times.
The door immediately swung open to reveal Professor McGonagall who watched the children with a stern gaze. Her gaze lingered on Vortex and Seren before she turned her attention towards Hagrid.
“The firs’ years, Professor McGonagall.” The man said.
She nodded, “Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here.”
She lead them into a large entrance hall, the stone walls lit with flaming torches and further in was a marble staircase leading to the upper floors. Everyone could hear hundreds of voices from a doorway to their right where the rest of the students must be. However, McGonagall showed them into a small empty chamber nearby and they all crowded inside. Many of the students glanced around nervously before everyone turned to face McGonagall as she began to speak to them.
“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 within 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 produced outstanding witches and wizards.” She told them.
Ron grimaced at her words, he’d need to get past his preconceived thoughts of Slytherins. This was the second time he’d heard that not all Slytherins were evil, by Gryffindor’s head of house no less. He vowed to do his best at not instantly hating the other students sorted into Slytherin unless they actually proved they were bullies or something.
“While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points while any rule-breaking will lose you house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup. It’s 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.” She said, her eyes lingering on Ron’s smudged nose and Neville’s cloak which was fastened under his left ear, “I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly.”
She left the chamber, leaving the students even more nervous and terrified than before. Neville looked absolutely petrified now that they’d arrived. He’d be more open to not being sorted into Gryffindor, but the knowledge that they would be sorted in front of hundreds of other students was nerve-wracking.
“How exactly do they sort us into houses?” Seren asked Ron curiously.
“Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking.” Ron replied, making Neville start to hyperventilate.
“Neville, it’s okay. Take in deep breathes and hold them for a few seconds before letting them out. Ron already said that his brother was joking. Think about it, would the professors actually let us get hurt and face the wrath of our families?” Seren told Neville softly.
Neville began to calm down as he took his friend’s advice and regulated his breathing, Seren is right. Gran would raise hell if she even thought he was being hurt while at Hogwarts and the other purebloods would never allow their heirs to be injured if they could help it.
Hermione wasn’t even paying attention to any of them, completely focused on whispering about all the spells she’d learned and wondering which she’d need. Seren was prepared to tell her that they definitely didn’t need to preform a spell test when they were coming to the school for the sole reason of learning about magic, but was interrupted by several people behind him screaming. The other students all turned around to see about twenty ghosts come through the back wall. Seren’s eyes widened at the sight of the pearly white and semi-transparent floating people, he’d never actually seen a human soul remaining in the living world instead of going to either Hell or Heaven before.
Seren watched as the ghosts argued amongst themselves curiously. Collin, on the other hand, stared at the ghost sadly. It was a sad sight to see these souls unable to move onto the afterlife, trapped eternally in the living world until they finally found peace. Vortex just sighed, of course there were ghost at the school his charge was attending. At least he hadn't seen any poltergeists, that would have been annoying.
One of the ghosts resembling a small, heavy-set monk argued, “Forgive and forget, I say. We ought to give him a second chance—.”
“My dear Friar,” Another ghost wearing ruffles and tights interrupted, “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—”
The ghost stopped as he finally spotted the first years before frowning at the sight of Vortex, an unknown adult amongst the children, “I say, what are you all doing here? And why is there a—”
The Friar interrupted him with a smile, “New students! About to be sorted, I suppose?”
Some of the students nodded silently. Unsure of whether they should be panicking or not that ghosts existed.
The Friar, undeterred by their silence, continued, “Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know.”
“Move along now. The Sorting Ceremony’s about to start.” Professor McGonagall told the ghosts sternly.
She watched as the ghosts complain softly to one another before they drifted out of the room through the opposite wall, one by one.
She turned back to the children and Vortex, “Now, form a line and follow me.”
Everyone followed as she led them out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through the pair of double doors leading into the Great Hall. Thousands of candles floated above four long tables where the remainder of the students were seated, many of them watching the younger students and Vortex in curiosity. They seemed especially interested in Vortex, wondering why a grown man was standing amongst the younger generation. The golden tableware in front of the students glittered in the light and ghosts, some seated amongst the older students, shone a misty silver. McGonagall motioned for them to stop and they watched as she left their side to place a four-legged stool before them with a dirty, frayed pointed wizard’s hat atop it. Seren’s lip curled in disgust at the hat, his mother would be horrified at the mere sight of it near him. Seren glanced up and his eyes sparkled in delight at the sight, above him was a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. Seren smiled softly, it was beautiful and helped ease his nerves.
“It’s bewitched to look like the sky outside.” Hermione whispered to him, “I read about it in Hogwarts, A History.”
The hat suddenly twitched and a rip near the brim opened wide, much like a mouth, before it began to sing, “Oh, you might not think I’m pretty but don’t judge on what you see. I’ll eat myself if you find a smarter hat than me. You can keep your bowlers black, your top hats sleek and tall, for I’m Hogwarts Sortiing 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 out to be. You might belong in Gryffindor where dwell the brave at heart; Their daring, nerve, and chivalry set Gryffindor apart. You might belong in Hufflepuff where they are just and loyal; Those patient Hufflepuff 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 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!"
Everyone burst into applause once the hat had finished it’s song and it bowed to each table before becoming inanimate once more. Seren stared at the hat in disbelief, what in Lucifer did he just see? And did it just say that nothing in his head would remain hidden?
“So we’ve just got to try on the hat? I’ll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll.” Ron said with a scowl.
Seren couldn’t help grinning, “Why do you keep taking your brother seriously?”
Ron blushed, “I just… I know it’s stupid to keep believing him even though he’s always messing with me, but… he’s my brother and he sounded like he was serious for once.”
Seren nudged his shoulder, “Nothing to be ashamed about. Family loyalty isn’t something to be sorry about, it’s Fred that should be ashamed for taking advantage of your trust again and again.”
Ron smiled before they turned their attention back to McGonagall as she stepped forward with a long roll of parchment, “When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted.”
McGonagall began calling out names and each were sorted into their house. Seren noticed that, while some would be sorted almost immediately, others took a while for the hat to decide on their placement.
“Goetia, Seren.” McGonagall finally called out.
Seren stepped forward, Vortex trailing behind him protectively. Whispers spread through the crowd like wildfire and Seren hid his nerves with practiced ease.
“Goetia?! I thought the royal line went extinct!”
“A member of the Ars Goetia! I can’t believe it!”
"Who are the Ars Goetia?"
"What?! You don't know about the royal family?!"
“Who is that man following him?”
Seren ignored the whispers and sat down on the stool, not able to hide his lips curling in disgust as the hat was dropped over his eyes.
“Hmm. Difficult. Very difficult. Such familial loyalty, I see. And quite a brilliant mind, always eager to learn. There’s talent, oh my goodness, yes. A thirst to prove yourself as a worthy member of the Ars Goetia and not just the spare of your father's precautionary heir. So where shall I put you? Hmm? What’s this? A demon… now that’s interesting…”