The Sorting
Professor McGonagall opened the door to allow the First Years in. “Welcome to Hogwarts!” she announced, “in a few moments you will go through to the great hall and be sorted into your houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. These houses will be like your families, and hard work and you will gain house points, any rule-breaking, and points will be deducted” she explained.
Professor McGonagall left the first years on their own for a few minutes, there was lots of excited chattering amongst the students. Anne was nervous again, Rolf had told her about the hat, but she had to go in front of the whole school, everyone would be staring at her! And what if the hat decided that there had been a mistake and she had to go home!
Anne was interrupted from her thoughts by the entrance of the school ghosts. They had shocked Anne as she had not been expecting them to pop through the wall, but after the initial shock wore off, she realized that they could have very interesting stories to tell about their lives. There was one ghost who was staying quiet as the other ghosts debated whether the poltergeist should be able to attend the feast. The ghost had long dark hair down her back and had a haunted expression in her eyes. Anne was looking forward to getting to know this ghost in particular.
Professor McGonagall returned and led the first years through to the Great Hall. Anne noticed as they were led towards the front of the hall, that the tables were only half full, and their year group seemed to be even smaller than most. This was she realized the effect of the war against Voldemort.
They reached the front of the hall and Professor McGonagall placed a hat on a stool that proceeded to open its mouth to sing.
“Oh, you may not think I’m 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’ll 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 Gryffindor’s 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 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!”
There was a round of applause from around the hall as the hat finished it’s song. Hufflepuff didn’t sound too bad thought Anne, but Ravenclaw would be amazing!
“Hannah Abbot!” called Professor McGonagall as she started to read the names of a long list on a roll of parchment. Anne watched curiously as the students were sorted into their different houses. She watched as Terry Boot, Mandy Brocklehurst, and Michael Corner tried on the hat to get sorted into Ravenclaw.
“Galentos, Persephone!” called Professor McGonagall. A tall girl with olive-colored skin and a long dark plait came forward to try on the hat. “Ravenclaw!” the hat announced. There was a round of applause from the Ravenclaw table as Persephone went to go sit next to Mandy.
“Anthony Goldstein!” a young boy with blonde hair stepped forward to try on the hat. Anthony seemed very nervous; the hat seemed to take a while to decide for Anthony “Ravenclaw!” the hat called eventually.
Once Padma and Parvati Patil had been sorted, Anne had a sinking feeling in her stomach. She knew what was coming next, and sure enough, “Potter, Anne!” called Professor McGonagall.
There was an outbreak of muttering from throughout the hall “Potter, did she just say, Potter!” Here we go! And so, the muttering begins!
Harry gave Anne a brief nudge and pushed her lightly towards the hat. Anne walked up on to the platform and placed on the hat.
“hmmm, you’ve got a good brain I see” muttered the hat “and what talent! You have a good heart too and you’re very hardworking.” Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff Anne thought desperately. “Yes, that’s what I was thinking, but which one? Ravenclaws are the place for individuals such as yourself but Hufflepuffs may be more open and accepting towards you,” the hat considered. “But then again with a brain like yours better be Ravenclaw!”
The hat had clearly shouted the last part out loud as there was a huge round of applause. The Ravenclaws were in uproar and Anne seemed to be receiving a standing ovation from some of the older students. Anne placed the hat back on the stool so Harry could try it on before walking nervously over to the Ravenclaw table. Everyone at the table was staring at her in awe. The Ravenclaws could not believe that one of the Potter twins had been sorted into their house!
She stared down at her shoes to avoid the student’s eyes whilst fiddling with her plaits. She didn’t even notice Harry getting sorted into Gryffindor. The next thing she knew there was someone sitting down next to her. “You alright?” whispered Irwin as Lisa Turpin tried on the hat. Anne nodded; she felt a bit better now that she knew that she already knew one of her housemates.
Anne looked over to the next table where Rolf was smiling and waving at her and Irwin, giving them the thumbs up, Anne and Irwin waved back at the older student. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad, Anne considered, she already knew Irwin, was friends with quite a few of the Ravenclaws between Harry the Weasleys and Neville, and Rolf seemed like a nice person to go to her when she had a problem.
Anne realized that the sorting must be over as Professor McGonagall removed the hat and stool. Professor Dumbledore welcomed the new students and had a few choice words “blibber, oddment and tweak,” and suddenly the tables filled with food.
Anne looked around the table in awe. There was so much food! There was roast chicken, sausages, bacon, fried fish, fish fingers, chicken nuggets, roast potatoes, chips, boiled potatoes, peas, broccoli, sweetcorn, pasta with tomato sauce, there was even for some reason mint humbugs and sherbet lemons.
Anne helped herself to a chicken breast, some pasta with tomato sauce and a few florets of broccoli. As Anne was starting to slice her chicken into pieces the ghost that Anne had been interested in earlier came to the end of the table where the first year Ravenclaw’s where sat.
“Good evening, welcome to Hogwarts!” greeted the beautiful ghost. “Congratulations on making it into Ravenclaw! My name is Helena Ravenclaw, my mother was Rowena Ravenclaw. I am sometimes known as the Grey Lady. I am sure that you will all try your hardest to help Ravenclaw win the house cup this year!”
“Good evening Helena, it is a pleasure to meet you!” said Anne quietly. The rest of the first years stared at her. This was the first time that Anne had talked since getting sorted.
“Good evening young lady! And what is your name?” inquired the ghost kindly.
“Anne,” she faltered realizing that her housemates were staring at her “Anne Potter.”
“Well Anne, it is an honor to have you in Ravenclaw, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to find me!” said the Grey Lady as the ghost sunk into a deep curtsy before going to talk to some of the other students.
Anne finished her dinner in silence, she had only said a few words since she sat down, but half the table was still staring at her. The Ravenclaws were still shocked that they had been given one of the famous Potter twins. After a while, the puddings arrived, and Anne helped herself to a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a slice of cake with strawberry frosting.
Eventually, the food all disappeared from the plates and Professor Dumbledore made his opening speech. He reminded the students that the Forbidden Forest was Forbidden for a reason and of the list of objects that had been forbidden by the caretaker. Then he told them about the Quidditch trials.
“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.” Professor Dumbledore finished. Anne stared at him in shock, she was going to stay as far away from that corridor as possible!
The school and students sang the school song and the students were sent off to bed. “Hello, my name is Penelope Clearwater” greeted a fifth-year student with a friendly face addressing the first years. “I’m one of the Ravenclaw prefects, this is Julian Lloyd another prefect” Penelope added indicating a boy with an upturned nose who nodded vaguely.
“Please follow us to the common room,” said Julian.
There were nine Ravenclaws in her year, four boys and five girls. The nine new students followed Penelope and Julian out of the hall. They climbed up at least seven staircases and went through several passageways before they reached a door with a bronze eagle knocker. Anne realized that she might need some help learning her way around the school as there were so many passageways and the staircases liked to move!
Julian reached for the door knocker and rapped smartly. The eagle began to speak “what came first the phoenix or the egg?” asked the eagle.
Julian considered this for a moment. “I think it was the phoenix, the phoenix was created first because otherwise there would have been no egg!”
“That is a very good point!” exclaimed the eagle, before opening the door.
Julian and Penelope led the first years through the door to the common room. The Ravenclaw common room was at the top of one of the four towers. It was a very bright and airy room with lots of tall windows that looked over the grounds. The walls were lined with bookcases on every subject imaginable and the room was scattered with small tables and chairs where the students could work. There were also lots of light blue squashy armchairs and sofas where the students could relax when they had finished work for the day. In the middle of the common room, there was a bust of their house founder Rowena Ravenclaw who had a very close resemblance to her daughter Helena.
“Most common rooms have a password,” pointed out Julian.
“Our door asks you a riddle rather than for a password,” Penelope explained. “Don’t worry if you don’t get the answer right, someone will come along eventually who does” Penelope told them warmly.
“That way you learn,” continued Julian. “The dormitories are up the stairs, the girls first floor up the right staircase and the boys the first floor up the left staircase.”
“I’m sure you lot are all very tired and you all want to get settled in,” said Penelope and she left them to it.
“See you tomorrow Anne, we’ll meet up before breakfast yeah?” Irwin called as the first years spread out to their dormitories. Anne nodded in reply as she headed up the right staircase with the other girls.
They reached a door with a sign on the door saying, “First Years”. The girls entered and found a large room with five four-poster beds with sky blue bedsheets, there was a navy-blue carpet and the furniture was a deep mahogany. There was a chest of drawers and a bedside table next to each bed. There was also plenty of space for books, there were several tall narrow bookcases, there were also extra bookshelves on the walls.
Anne’s had been placed at the end of a bed between Padma Patil’s and Lisa Turpin’s. Anne began to unpack her trunk; she placed all her clothes in her chest of drawers and then went to change into a pair of pink striped pajamas in the bathroom where she also brushed her teeth.
She then began to unpack her books. Lisa who was sitting on her bed talking to Mandy looked at Anne in shock as Anne unpacked her books.
“How did you fit so many books into such a small trunk?” Lisa and the other girls started to look curiously at Anne’s trunk.
“It’s enchanted,” said Anne absentmindedly as she organized her books.
“Impressive!” said Persephone. The other girls nodded their agreement.
The other four girls had already unpacked their trunks and were talking on Lisa’s bed. Anne noticed that Persephone hadn’t used her half of the bookcase. She had only used the bookshelf over her chest of drawers.
“Um sorry, Persephone is it?” Anne asked nervously. “Do you mind if I borrow your bookshelf.”
“Feel free!” said Persephone as she looked in amazement at the thirty or so books that Anne had just unpacked. Anne placed her schoolbooks on the small shelf over her chest of drawers. She then placed her muggle books on the top shelves of the bookcase between Anne and Persephone’s bed. Then she put away her extra herbology and divination books in the middle of the bookcase before finally placing her History books on the bottom two shelves.
Lisa, Mandy, Persephone, and Padma were still gossiping away getting to know each other. but Anne was very tired, and she didn’t feel like talking much so she crawled into bed. She had already placed her Ravenclaw quilt that her Granny had made over the top of her bed. She fell asleep listening to the quiet chatter of her new housemates feeling that maybe Hogwarts wasn’t going to be as bad as she thought!