Chapter 2 - The Sorting
Hermione woke bright and early to the smell of bacon crisping. Her parents rarely cooked breakfast. They ran a very successful dental practice and usually were required to be in the office early, but as she listened could hear both voices, and smiled to herself, knowing they had scheduled around her departure so they could both see her off.
The car ride was uneventful and after a somewhat emotional goodbye, this was the first time Hermione was leaving home for an extended period on her home after all, she set out to find the platform. She found the brick wall between platforms 9 and 10, took a deep breath, closed her eyes and leaned against it. Although, instead of meeting the brick wall, she passed right through it, pulling her trunk behind her. She was greeted with an already packed platform, and a scarlet steam engine with “Hogwarts Express” emblazoned across it.
One of the older boys, a rather handsome boy with dark hair, was urged by his mother to help Hermione get her trunk onto the train. He had introduced himself as Adrian Pucey before running back to join his parents on the platform. She smiled after him as she found an empty compartment. Maybe this new school would be a better fit than she’d dared to hope. She took advantage of the empty compartment to quickly change into her school robes and pulled out her copy of Hogwarts a History. She became so engrossed rereading about the houses of the school she hardly noticed when a young blonde girl looked in.
“Hermione!” the girl exclaimed.
Hermione looked up startled, “Hannah! I was hoping to find you.” She got up to help the girl put her trunk away before returning to her seat. “How was the rest of your summer?”
As the girl chatted away, Hermione stored any useful information away, family names and occupations, any political mentions, other names she might meet at Hogwarts, and so on.
“My parents told me Harry Potter would be coming to Hogwarts with us this year!” Hermione started. She had read all about Harry Potter and his odd defeat of the Dark Lord so eloquently known as “You-Know-Who”.
“Really? Well that will be interesting, I wonder what he’s been up to since, you know.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure..” she trailed off looking out the window until her eyes brightened and she perked up. “There’s my friend Neville! Is it okay if he joins us?”
“Of course!” Hermione was glad to meet as many students as she could before arriving, hoping to solidify early friendships.
Hannah waved Neville over, indicating he should join them when he boarded, and minutes later a round-faced boy tripped over the door into the compartment, hand clutching a bulging toad.
“Oh Neville, here let me help,” Hannah sighed as she helped him up and started pulling his trunk in after him. The corridor was filling up with students now that they were due to leave any minute.
“Oh, hullo,” gasped the boy as he righted himself, seeing Hermione sitting there.
“Hello, Neville, I’m Hermione,” she held out her hand which the boy put his toad down to shake. It was an awfully weak handshake she thought, nothing like the firm grip her father had taught when meeting strangers for the first time.
Her mother had attempted to instill the lady’s handshake while they attended society events with her grandmother, but Hermione rarely used it outside said events.
“Hey Hermione,” he smiled at her picking up the toad, “this is Trevor.” She grimaced at the toad, she never was a big fan of amphibians.
They were quickly joined by another girl with dark back hair, who introduced herself as Susan Bones, a pompous boy who too eagerly shook her hand, called Ernie Macmillan, and a rather tall black boy, who was rather quiet but introduced himself as Michael Corner.
The group jovially discussed their summers, Hermione only mentioned that she and her parents had holidayed in France and Italy, discussing the various events they all had attended. Hermione noted that each one of her companions had come from a wizarding family and many of them had met at varying society events. Hannah, Neville, and Ernie had the most stories and Hermione vaguely remembered reading their family names as being a part of the sacred twenty-eight. When talk turned towards the houses they might be in, Hermione perked up from her reading.
“I don’t much care where I end up, Gran was just glad I got in,” piped up Neville honestly. She had to hand it to the boy, he had not one ounce of shame bringing up the fact that he might not have been admitted.
“My mum was a Hufflepuff, but dad was a Ravenclaw, so it doesn’t much matter where I end up,” reasoned Hannah, “I can’t see myself in Slytherin though, it’s too cutthroat not even to mention the other more unsavory things.” At this Micheal and Ernie nodded. Susan pursed her lips, seeming to disagree but not willing to verbalize it. Neville was crawling on the ground.
“Neville, are you alright?” Hermione called down to him.
“I can’t find Trevor, do any of you see him?” he looked up hopefully.
The group glanced around, there was no toad to be found. And with a sinking feeling she remembered that when the trolly had come the door had been left open for several minutes, plenty of time for a well planned escape by Trevor.
“Here Neville, why don’t we all split up and search the train for him?” reasoned Susan, shooting the rest of the compartment a meaningful glance. Hermione stepped over the boy and made her way to the front of the train. Knocking and poking her head in to ask after the toad.
“Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville’s lost one.” She repeated again to a pair of boys engrossed in conversation. Recognition filled the face of the dark haired boy, and she realized she recognized him from the robe shop.
“Oh hello again, I don’t think we were properly introduced last time, I’m Hermione,” she stated simply sticking out her hand.
“Harry Potter, it’s nice to meet you” she started, eyes flicking up to his forehead. There was a loud cough next to them and she turned to the other boy.
“I’m Ron Weasly”, he was a rather tall boy with flaming red hair, striking blue eyes, and a smudge of dirt on his nose.
“Pleasure,” she smirked at him, “well if you haven’t seen the toad, you two should get changed soon, I expect we’re nearly there.”
“See you around Hermione!” Harry called as she left the compartment.
She smiled to herself, if Harry Potter would be her friend she might just be okay. She was sure everyone would look to him to set a precedent this year, although the fact he was sitting alone save for one other rumpled boy struck her as odd. Shouldn’t he be surrounded by friends he’d made over the last several years? She was so deep in thought she nearly bumped into another student.
“Oh I remember you,” came a drawl, and she looked up to see the other boy from the robe shop.
“Oh Malfoy was it? Yes hello, say you haven’t seen a toad, I’m helping a boy named Neville look for his.” At this the boy snickered.
“Imagine bringing a toad to Hogwarts,” she rolled her eyes. “Well yes it wouldn’t be my first choice of familiar, but he was in my compartment.”
“If I do see one, you’ll be the first to know,” he smirked and she just caught the veiled insult. She rolled her eyes. “Good one, although I’ll be sure to mention to someone that one of the Hogwarts ghosts escaped and is haunting the train,” she waited a second to watch the jibe process in the boy's mind before turning and walking back to her compartment, missing the look of intrigue on the boys face.
As the train pulled into the station, the announcement overhead advised them to leave their belongings and that they’d be delivered separately to the castle.
A gruff voice called out “Firs’ years over here” and Hermione identified the large man who’d been with Harry Potter in Diagonally.
He identified himself as Hagrid, the gamekeeper of Hogwarts and directed them to little boats docked near the station. Hermione climbed into a boat and was followed by Susan, Hannah, and a boy she didn’t recognize who introduced himself as Terry Boot. Soon they were gliding across the water propelled by nothing, and as they rounded a bend in the rock she gasped. Looming ahead of her was the largest most magnificent castle she’d ever seen. She quickly schooled her features into one of casual indifference and looked around to see how her classmates reacted to the sight. She needn’t have worried as every single one of them had looks of awe and wonder plastered on their faces, even Malfoy who reeked of old money.
The boats docked themselves and the students clambered up the pier following Hagrid as he led them into the Entrance Hall of the castle. They halted at the sight of a severe woman holding several items. Hermione recognized Professor McGonagall and offered her a weak smile, which the professor warmly returned.
“Now students, we will enter into the Great Hall and you will be sorted into your houses. There are four houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you are here your house will be like your family. Now come along,” and as she turned the doors to the Great Hall opened and the sight elicited another gasp from Hermione.
Inside there were four long tables of students underneath an enchanted ceiling so perfectly resemblant of the sky outside she could count the stars. There were floating candles to light the hall and intermixed with the students were varying ghosts. All eyes were on the group of first years as they entered the hall, making their way between the two center tables, one with students sporting yellow and black ties, and the other blue and bronze. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw she mused, looking past them towards the other house tables and identifying them as well.
Professor McGonagall placed an old hat on a stool and stepped back waiting, until the brim opened and began to sing, detailing it’s origin and the differences between the houses. Hermione clapped along with the rest while Professor McGonagall explained the sorting process.
“Abbot, Hannah,” called the witch, and Hannah walked trembling to the stool while the hat was placed on her head.
“Hufflepuff!” called out the hat as Hannah smiling, handed the hat back to McGonagall, and made her way to the table sporting yellow and black. Terry was sorted into Ravenclaw, and students went rather quickly until, “Granger, Hermione!” was called.
“Ah interesting,” said a voice. Hermione started. The hat was talking in her head. “Oh yes,” the hat chuckled. “A bright mind I see, but not just for the sake of learning, you have something to prove don’t you. Hmmm. I wonder, they might give you a hard time.”
Why would they do that? Who was the hat talking about. “However, that is where you belong isn’t it? Can’t just move you around to make your life easier can I. Well, I wish you well my dear.”
“Slytherin!” and Hermione felt a moment of panic. Slytherin, while known for ambition, was the house she was most worried would have a problem with her heritage. Even so, she made her way towards the table proudly, with a smile firmly in place and took her seat at the table.
“Granger, as in the potioneer Granger?” asked the girl a few seats down. Hermione braced herself, “Not that I know of, I grew up in the muggle world.” There she had said it, but not directly, let the other students draw conclusions for themselves.
“Ah..” the girl trailed off awkwardly, looking toward the girl across from her with the gleaming prefect badge on her chest.
“The hat put you here, you’re one of us now,” the prefect trailed off, glancing around the table, before gathering her conviction, “Slytherin’s take care of their own.”
Malfoy had come to join the table in the meantime and listened with interest, from a seat over.
“So you’re a muggleborn,” he gave her an appraising look. “Well I suppose I should write to Father, but as they say, ‘House before Blood’.”
Hermione didn’t know why but hearing his confirmation calmed her. She knew he was high society and the way some of the other students seemed to defer to him only proved that with his acceptance her life would be easier.
“Potter, Harry” McGonagall called. Hermione watched the boy walk slowly to the stool and sit down. They waited a full 3 minutes until, “Slytherin!” The boy looked up in wonder and slowly made his way toward the table. The shocked faces across the hall made clear that no one had expected this. A muggle-born in Slytherin was strange enough but the boy who lived? They had all expected Gryffindor; it was obvious looking at the Headmaster’s face. Even Professor McGonagall looked flabbergasted, although she recovered quickly to read the next name.
Harry Potter took his seat cautiously next to her at the table, giving her a smile. Malfoy held his hand out across the table towards him. “Good to finally meet you Potter, I’m Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.” Harry took his hand shaking it once. She could tell he was hesitant to befriend the boy.
“Theodore Nott,” as the boy to Malfoy’s right held his hand out as well. “Nice to meet both of you,” he looked to Hermione and nodded. She smiled back. Before he turned back to his conversation with a very pretty blonde girl on his otherside. Malfoy was called into a discussion about broomsticks with the boy on his left leaving Harry and Hermione to talk to each other. Neither said anything until the sorting was complete, adding a few more to their number. Although as food appeared on their plates, Harry sighed. “I asked to not be in Slytherin.”
“Why not?” asked Hermione quietly. She had a feeling this wasn’t a common feeling and didn’t want it publicized.
“Hagrid told me some stories when we were in London, I guess every dark wizard has been in Slytherin. Including Voldemort.” Hermione blinked.
“Well,” she started slowly, “ambition is a core value in Slytherin, and powerful magic can sometimes be construed as dark, so I don’t think it’s a correlation of house so much as the wizards and witches who are ambitious are more likely to use and learn powerful magic.” She reasoned, while trying to make him understand.
“Perhaps you’re right,” he conceded, spooning treacle tart onto his plate. He was quiet after that, leaving Hermione to observe the others around her.