Hogwarts Sorting hat

Chapter 9

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out onto a tiny, dark platform. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and I heard a booming voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" Looking up the platform I saw a huge man. He was at least twice the size of a normal man and at least three times as wide. The man had wild, bushy black hair and beard. *Must be Hagrid* I start walking twards him with penny close behind me, and jax on my shoulder. "C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years. Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" Slipping and stumbling, we followed the giant of a man down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that I thought there must be thick trees there.

Nobody spoke much. "Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," the giant called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here." There was a loud "Oooooh!" The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. "No more'n four to a boat!" The giant called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water, by the shore.

I stared up at the castle, until penny pulled me too a boat with Percy and Woods. "Everyone in?" shouted the giant, who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!" And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over us as we sailed closer and closer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff, we all bent our heads, and the little boats carried us through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. We are carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking us right underneath the castle, until we reached a kind of underground harbor, where we all clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

Then we clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. We walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak door. "Everyone 'ere. Did we lose any one?... Good." The giant raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood their, she had a very stern face, *Professor McGonagall!* "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said the giant. *Called it* "Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." McGonagall pulled the door wide. *Right again!*

The entrance hall was so big, the stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringott's, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors. We followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Then we could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right but Professor McGonagall walk right past it and brought us first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. We all crowded in, standing rather closer together, more than we would usually have done, but we had no choice because the room was a tight squeeze. Everyone was peering about nervously. Penny is sticking close to me, Percy and Woods as well.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "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 has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points and gane detentions. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, 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." Her eyes roamed over us finding all the children with their uniforms out of place. "I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." She then turned around and left the chamber.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses." he heard someone ask. "Some sort of test, I think." I looked around and saw that everyone else looked terrified, No one was talking much except Penny who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned. I tried to listen to her as I viciously squashed my own nervousness excitement. I kept his eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would be coming back in to lead them to the sorting.

Then something happened that made me jump about a foot in the air, several people behind me screamed. jax growled "What the..." i say spinning round to glare at those who had screamed almost in my ears. However as i turned around, i saw the last thing i expected to see at that moment.

About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance."

"My dear Friar, 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, I say, what are you all doing here." A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years. Nobody answered.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose." A few people nodded mutely. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to start." Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall. *They must do that every year just to give the kids a fright, because it happened just like it did in the books*

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me." I got into line behind Penny who was behind Woods, with Percy behind him. We walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

I had never even imagined it too be this wonderful! It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. *Just like in the books!!!* These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Their is hundreds of faces staring at us walking in. I looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars… I heard Penny whisper. "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History." It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heaven. Professor McGonagall led the first years cross the front of the hall, so that they came to a halt in a line. I glance at my father and smile and he nods.

I looked upward, at the stars once more before I quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. *Here we go!* I raised an eyebrow silently but otherwise gave no other reaction. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth and the hat began to sing:

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 Gryffindor's apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuff's 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!

As the hat finished the students and teachers all clapped, with the red and gold table being the loudest and more annoying. Once Professor Mcgonagall calmed down her table she began calling names and the hat began sorting them into houses. I tuned out most of it only waiting for me name but the 4th name was "Penelope Clearwater" and I tuned in curious where she might end up. *We could be friends, she's a little talkative but it's probably just her nerves* it was only 15 seconds before the hat yelled out "Ravenclaw" and the Ravenclaws cheer and she smiles at me and waves I give her a small smile and nod.