The Sorting Ceremony

As Chris got out on to the tiny Hogsmeade station, her first thought was how small, dark and cold the station was.

'Wow, so much expectation from the magical school platform,' Chris thought.

At that very moment, a loud and booming voice called and Chris spotted a familiar giant man.

"Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here!"

"Hagrid?" Chris mumbled surprised. In Diagon Alley that day, she thought Hagrid, the gigantic man was someone related to that boy "Harry". She didn't think that man worked at the school, considering kids will be scared of his appearance.

"You know Hagrid?" Hermione appeared beside Chris.

"Not really," Chris said shrugging. "Just met him once. So who is he?"

"He is Hagrid. He is the gamekeeper at Hogwarts, he is also our friend and the headmaster Dumbledore's one of the most trusted people," Hermione replied. "Anyway, you should follow him if you don't want to be late."

And without waiting for Chris's reply Hermione hurried away.

"C'mon, follow me - any more firs'-years? Mind yer step, now! Firs'-years follow me!" Hagrid said and after a moment all the scary and anxious-looking first years started to follow him.

Chris, Ginny and Luna also began walking after him.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

And true, as they crossed the bend Chris saw a narrow path opening to the edge of the black lake and on the other side, there was a big castle with many turrets and towers.

'Hogwarts,' a smile tugged on Chris's face.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid instructed loudly.

Ginny, Luna and Chris got into a boat.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself, "Right then - FORWARD!"

As the boat started to move across the river, everyone was gaping at the castle and was looking amazed. However, Chris found herself looking down at the pitch-black water of the lake and she couldn't take her eyes off it. The dark water made waves as the boat kept on moving. She thought she saw something under the water surface, which dived down deep after a moment. She was so absorbed in finding that creature again that she didn't hear Hagrid's booming voice telling them to keep their head down as they were approaching the tunnels under Hogwarts Castle. But suddenly Chris felt a hand on her head, and the hand pushed her head down. She looked up and saw they were in a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle. Chris looked at the hand and found Luna smiling.

"Thank you," Chris said surprised.

"The lake is really beautiful," Luna smiled as if she or Chris hadn't done anything out of ordinary.

They reached a kind of underground harbour. All of them got out of the boats and followed Hagrid, soon they were in front of a huge oak door.

"Everyone here?" Hagrid called then knocked on the door three times with his big fist. The door swung opened at once and Professor McGonagall came into view.

"The firs'-years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She pulled the door wide. The Entrance Hall was very big. The stone walls and the ceiling were too high to make out. Professor McGonagall showed the first-years into a small empty chamber off the hall. Everyone was nervously looking at her.

"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. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. 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. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly," Professor McGonagall finished and left them alone in the chamber.

Chris looked around and saw everyone was looking very terrified all of a sudden. She realised it was because the house sorting thing Professor McGonagall said. Everyone was nervous and anxious to know how they were going to sorted into different houses. Chris was curious too, the first idea in her head was maybe the teachers asked questions and based on their answers and their qualities, the houses were decided. To confirm her theory she turned to Luna and Ginny as they both were from wizarding families but before she could open her mouth --

"What do you think Chris? How will they sort us into the houses?" Ginny asked suddenly, looking very pale.

"Ginny, you said you have older brothers who are in Hogwarts, so I was about to ask you what is going to happen. How do you not know already?" Chris was very surprised.

"Umm. . ." Ginny started to fidgeting her fingers nervously. "They never told me. Every time I asked, they made jokes or changed the topic. Now I feel I should have asked them about it more seriously. I just thought they will make fun of me if I looked scared about the sorting ceremony."

"I never asked my father," Luna said casually. She looked more relaxed than Chris as she looked around the chamber.

Chris looked around at the faces of other students but all looked same clueless and worried like Ginny.

"So no one knows. . .?" she trailed off more surprised than before. Then something occurred to her. "Is it also one of the wizarding world secrets?"

Ginny was about to reply when Professor McGonagall returned.

"Now form a line and follow me," Professor McGonagall said briskly and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. Chris's jaw dropped to the floor. The Great Hall was lit by thousands and thousands of candles which were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. The Hall room was grand and beautiful. At the top of the Hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first-years up here so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them. Chris looked upwards and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars.

"Is it the real sky? It's beautiful," Luna said smiling.

"No, it's bewitched to look like the sky outside. Percy told me this," Ginny answered and seemed a little relieved to know the answer this time.

"How many brothers do you have, Ginny?" Chris asked while looking at the ceiling.

"Six elder brothers. I am the youngest," Ginny replied.

"Wow. In my house its just me and dad. It gets a little boring."

Chris wasn't lying. Though her father tried to keep her company all the time, it wasn't possible. She felt lonely often. Honestly, after having Leon, she was very thrilled to have someone by her side.

Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first-years as Chris looked back at the teachers. On top of the stool, she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. 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. For second Chris looked taken aback as she found this situation very comical. The song went on and on and Chris found herself completely ignoring it. She was more curious about the teachers and their surroundings. She looked at the teacher's table and saw several teachers sitting, she recognized Hagrid and her least favourite writer, Gilderoy Lockhart. It was very hard not to notice him, considering his every book cover had his face printed on it.

'What? He is a teacher here?'

Chris rolled her eyes then looked in the middle of the teachers there was a very old teacher who wore half-moon glasses, had a long crooked nose and flowing silver hair, beard and moustache. Chris was staring at him when the teacher looked up and met her eyes over his half-moon glasses. Chris tried to look away but couldn't . . . after a moment the old teacher smiled at her and turned his gaze back to the singing hat. Chris realized the song had ended and everyone was clapping and cheering. Feeling a little disoriented Chris slowly clapped a few times then returned her attention to Professor McGonagall as she stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," Professor McGonagall said then called the first name, "Creevey, Colin."

A small boy stumbled and sat on the stool.

"GRYFFINDOR," shouted the hat after just a moment.

"Really? That's it?" Chris said loudly but her voice was drowned by the cheer erupted from the Gryffindor table. The Gryffindors welcomed Colin Creevey and Professor McGonagall moved on to the next student. After a few students were sorted into Slytherin and Hufflepuff, it was Luna's turn.

"Lovegood, Luna."

"RAVENCLAW."

Luna gave a bright smile as she walked towards the Ravenclaw table. And then after two more students --

"Norton, Christina."

"Best of luck," Ginny whispered and Chris gave a small smile before confidently walking towards the stool.

She sat on the stool and put the hat on her head.

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