The Sorting
1st September 1971
“First years, over here,” a tall man with a scruffy beard was waving a lantern slightly, directing the first year students towards a dock. The dock was lined with a dozen little rowing boats. “Now, there should be four boats, no more and no less.” The man continued speaking.
Marlene stood next to James, her mouth hanging slightly open. “Come on Marls, stop catching flies and get in the boat with us,” James dragged her along by her arm. James went over to a boat with Peter, Remus, and Sirius waiting already. James got in and Marlene went to follow,
“Uhhhh, stop right there Miss, it is only four to a boat.” The tall man from before was now behind Marlene, “There is a boat of three over there that you can join.” He started to lead her over. Marlene looked at James for help, James shrugged apologetically, not wanting to get in the way of the giant man.
Marlene got into the boat with the three strangers. She sat next to a girl with bright orange hair, she had green eyes and freckles splashed across her nose and cheeks. Opposite Marlene sat the greasiest boy Marlene had the displeasure of looking at. He had a long hooked nose, and long greasy hair. She thought he needed a good wash. In the seat next to him sat the girl from the train. She sneered slightly at Marlene.
“Hi, I’m Marlene.” Marlene said, smiling at the ginger girl. The ginger girl smiled back, “I’m Lily, and this is Severus, that’s Dorcas.” Just as Lily had finished speaking the boats lurched forward and started moving at a steady pace towards the castle.
Lily excitedly leaned forward trying to get a better look.
“Oh for goodness sake Lily sit down or you're going to tip the boat” Severus snapped. Lily rolled her eyes, “Trust me Sev, I won’t,” Severus looked irritated by this but let her continue anyway.
Marlene could tell she wasn’t going to like this boy already. She looked over and could see James and Sirius shoving each other, nearly tipping the boat. Peter looked like he was going to be sick and Remus looked displeased. She sighed, half wishing that she was with them.
Marlene focused her attention back to the people in her boat. Lily was chatting excitedly about the giant man from before, his name was Hagrid, Marlene realised. Dorcas, the girl from before on the train, sat unspeaking. She looked pissed off with something. Her mouth, a deep frown. She seemed to be observing everyone.
“Whats got you so sour,” Marlene remarked to the girl from the train. She looked her up and down arching a brow. “Excuse me?” “You heard me. What's your problem, you haven’t said a single thing to any of us and yet you have the audacity to sit there, face screwed up judging us. I don’t think that's very fair” Marlene snapped. The girl smirked, “I’m simply observing.” Marlene snorted, rolling her eyes.
The rest of the ride was filled with the ginger girls buzzing chatter. As soon as the boat reached the bank on the other side Marlene got out, she made her way over to where James was standing next to a soaking wet Sirius, they were laughing together. Sirius looked like a drowned rat.
“What on earth have you guys been doing,” Marlene laughed watching as Sirius vigorously shook himself off like a dog, spraying water over everyone. “Argh, Sirius, stop that. It’s disgusting,” She said, putting her arms up to protect herself. Sirius chuckled, a smirk across his face.
In the castle foyer Marlene stood next to James looking around at the other first year students. Sirius was standing next to James, he was no longer dripping from his ‘swim’. There was an excited hum inside the Hogwarts foyer.
A stern looking woman stood at the front of the foyer. “I am Professor McGonagall, I am head of Gryffindor.” Conversations instantly stopped, as everyone looked up at the teacher speaking. Marlene thought that this was rather magnificent, the way the teacher had captivated the students the way she had.
“The sorting ceremony will begin shortly. There are four houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Throughout your years at Hogwarts these houses will be very important. You will earn points for your good deeds, and lose house points for your misdeeds. There is the house cup at the end of the year, the house with the most points wins. Now form a line and follow me.”
Everyone awkwardly shuffled into a line, Marlene shot James an excited look and got in line behind the ginger girl from the boat. She tried to look out for the girl from the train but couldn't seem to spot her in the line of students.
They were led into a grand hall. In the hall sat four long banquet tables, each table had a banner above it. The one on the far left was green with a serpent on it. Marlene assumed this was the slytherin table. The banner to the right of the Slytherin’s was yellow, she already knew this was hufflepuff. Next to Hufflepuff was the Gryffindor table. This, by far, was the loudest table amongst the four. Next to Gryffindor was the Ravenclaw’s.
Marlene did not think she would be sorted into Ravenclaw, they all looked a tiny bit too serious for her liking. She hoped she would be in Gryffindor, just like her brother. She smiled at the thought of her older brother.
There was a fourth table that sat horizontal to the four, at the front of the room. This, she assumed, was the teachers table.
The witch from before, Professor McGonagall, now stood at the front of the room, next to her stood a tall stool with a tattered hat above it. The hat looked as if it had eyes and a mouth.
“When I call your name, you are to come up to the stool and put the hat on your head. The Sorting hat will then sort you into your house, and you will join your house's table in waiting for the Great Feast, understood?” The hall started cheering.
“Up first we have Ashford, Winston.”
A boy with dark skin and brown hair stumbled through the crowd of first years and shakily sat down on the stool. Professor Mcgonagall placed the hat onto Winston Ashford’s head. The boy looked like he was going to be sick.
The hat paused for a few seconds before shouting, “RAVENCLAW.” The boy lifted the hat from his head and handed it to Professor McGonagall.
The serious table from before looked a little less serious as they cheered and welcomed their new member to the table.
A few other students went by. The next was sorted in Hufflepuff, after a new member joined Slytherin. Then it was Sirius Black’s turn.
“Black, Sirius” The hall went silent. Sirius audibly gulped next to her. Marlene could feel the steely gazes of the Slytherin’s. She shuddered, even though she knew they weren’t watching her she felt nauseous.
Sirius stumbled forwards towards the stool, quivering as McGonagall placed the sorting hat onto his head. The hat did not say anything for about 30 seconds until at last it shouted
“GRYFFINDOR.”
The gryffindor table erupted into cheers welcoming their first member of the year. Sirius was frozen in place until professor McGonagall gently tapped him on the back before it was noticeable.
Sirius stumbled down to the gryffindor table, staring down at the empty plate in front of him, somehow paler than before.
Marlene watched as James looked over at Sirius worriedly. Of course he was going to be sorted into Gryffindor so they were going to be together but…
Marlene shuddered to think of how his parents might react.
The sorting carried on as normal. The ginger girl from the boat was sorted into Gryffindor. She was chatting away with the prefect that they had met earlier.
Pandora Lovegood was sorted into Slytherin
Remus Lupin, the boy from the train, was sorted into Gryffindor. Marlene watched as the boy went and sat next to Sirius. Who was still staring down at his plate, hands clenched into fists.
James and Peter were both sorted into Gryffindor. James sat next to Remus, and Peter next to him.
The next girl, Mary MacDonald, was also sorted into Gryffindor.
“Meadowes, Dorcas.”
Someone shoved past Marlene, she looked up and realised it was the sour girl from the train. She gritted her teeth not wanting to say anything now she watched as the girl flounced herself down onto the stool, a smirk on her lips.
The hat paused but announced
“SLYTHERIN”
The table burst into cheers, Dorcas took her place at the table next to Pandora Lovegood who had been sorted before her.
“McKinnon, Marlene”
Her stomach did a flip flop but she lifted her chin up and walked over to the stool. The Sorting hat was placed over her head and a voice filled her head.
“Hmmm yes, another McKinnon. I remember sorting your brother.” She smiled at the mention of her brother. “Hmm yes, loyal, brave. Hmm and witty too, I can see. The answer is clear…”
“GRYFFINDOR.”
Marlene smiled broadly looking over at James who was clapping and cheering obnoxiously as she walked down to the gryffindor table.
She sat down next to the girl that had been sorted before her, Mary MacDonald, with Lily sitting on her other side.“Hi, I’m Marlene, but I think you both already knew that,” She said brightly.
“I’m Mary, Mary MacDonald.” Mary said cheerfully,
“I am Lily, but we met before on the boat,” Lily smiled. She thought that Lily seemed lovely.
Lily, Mary, and Marlene spent the rest of the Sorting, chatting about whatever they could possibly think of.
When the last girl was sorted, Emmeline Vance, a Ravenclaw, a man with a long beard stood up to a steeple in front of the great hall.
“I am Professor Dumbledore,” he announced. “Before the great feast starts, I would like to note a few things for the first years. The Forbidden Forest is strictly forbidden. And as for everyone else, there is a new tree on the grounds, for your own safety I recommend you stay well away from it.”
Malrene noticed two older boys further down the Gryffindor table glance at each other with mischievous grins. They both had fiery red hair and freckles on their face, twins perhaps.
When Professor Dumbledore had finished speaking he clapped a hand and food appeared across the tables. Lily squeaked in shock, Marlene grinned excitedly.
“Let the feast begin!” Dumbledore said.
Everyone dug in, Marlene took roast beef, mashed potatoes, peas, she drizzled gravy over her peas and potatoes. She took a few Yorkshire puddings too. She had her first mouthful of mashed potatoes. It was the best thing that she had ever eaten.
When she had finished eating she grabbed a second helping of the mash potatoes with extra gravy on top.
“Got enough there Marls?” James joked, she scowled and flicked a bot of mash potato back at him.
James stared at her, slightly baffled. Marlene choked back laughter.
The plates and food in front of them all disappeared. “Aww dang it, I was still eating,” she whined, although she was grateful it was gone, she felt like she was going to explode.
“There, there Marlene,” Mary said, patting her arm, “I’m sure there will be breakfast tomorrow.” Lily snickered from her place next to Mary.
Dumbledore stood at the front of the room again, “It’s time for bed, now. I will see you all bright and early tomorrow morning, for breakfast and then your first day of lessons.” He beamed out to the crowd of students.
Mary yawned and started to get up from the table, Lily followed after and dragged Marlene up with her.
“Follow me Gryffindor first years, I will take you all to the common room.” The prefect from before, Alice, said. She seemed nice, Marlene thought.
Mary, Lily, and Marlene followed everyone else.
The walk up to the Gryffindor tower was gruelling.
“I don’t think I’ve ever walked that many steps at once,” Mary puffed, Lily's face had gone red, Marlene's thighs were burning as she reached the last step. She sighed deeply.
“Don’t worry, by the end of the month the stairs should be easier,” Alice said, looking at them sympathetically. Sirius and James were shoving each other by the end of the stairs. James nearly teetered off backwards.
“The password for the common room is Turkey Delights, say it to the fat lady in the painting and she shall let you through.” Alice said, to the first years and the other students who had now caught up with them.
“Turkey Delights,” she directed this to the painting, and sure enough she swung open to reveal a whole in the wall which led to, what Marlene assumed to be the common room.
Alice led them through the doorway and the inside of the common room. It was a massive room that still managed to be cosy. It was crimson red with dark wood floors and furniture. There was a fire place with red, worn looking couches placed around it. Large red and gold tapestries hung on the walls, depicting lions and other gryffindor-ish things. There was a giant sheepskin rug on the floor, it stretched from nearly one wall to the next.
Marlene drank it all in as if she was worried she would never see it again.
Towards the back of the room there were fourteen archways which she assumed lead to different dorms. Alice led them to the one farthest on the left, “This one's for the girls and this one,” she pointed to the door to the farthest on the right “is for the boys. Lights out is in 20 minutes.” Alice smiled down at the first year students,
“Now, all your things should be in there, if you're missing anything, I should be in the fifth door on the left if you need anything.” Alice smiled one final time and left everyone to bid their good nights.
James and Remus had gotten back from being outside. Remus looked slightly indifferent by this but seemed to have not said anything to James. Marlene waved at him and shouted, “Goodnight,” from across the common room. He shouted goodnight back.
Marlene, Lily, and Mary trudged up the stairs to their dorm room. Inside the dorms there were three poster beds, on one bed sat her cat. Marlene slid over to him.
Salem chittered at her, stretching out his paws towards her. She scratched his head and picked him up, showing him to Mary and Lily. “This is my cat Salem, I’ve had him for about a year. Isn’t he just the cutest,”
Mary and Lily rushed forward, gushing over Salem, and petting his head as he purred. “He is the cutest little thing,” Mary hummed, Lily nodded in agreement “He’s so sweet,”
Mary dug a quill out of her trunk and they played with him until Alice called up that it was time for lights out. They all quickly changed into their pyjamas. Lily even managed to put most of her clothes away before the lights went out.
The three of them all curled into their beds, content and happy with their first day at Hogwarts.