Hogwarts

With an experienced air, Professor McGonagall coolly leads the children across the flagged stone floors. The children marvel at enchanted moving portraits, gleaming metal suits, and the flaming torches that light the halls. All too soon, noisy sounds can be heard echoing through the halls.

Professor McGonagall leads the first years into a small chamber to the side. The eleven-year-old children nervously swallow and glance at each other. Professor McGonagall calmly addresses them at the front of the room. "Welcome to Hogwarts, young wizards and witches. Shortly, the start-of-term banquet will begin. But before you may take your seats in the Great Hall, you must be sorted into any one of the four houses. The Sorting Hat ceremony is an important tradition in deciding, where you shall grow and be nurtured in the following years."

Professor McGonagall pauses a moment to allow them to absorb the information, before continuing, "The four houses of Hogwarts are as follow, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. With each house having its own noble history and have produced outstanding witches and wizards in every generation."

Professor McGonagall solemnly pauses and eyes them for emphasis. "Please remember, that your triumphs will earn your house points. However, any rule-breaking will do just the opposite and lose your hard-earned house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup, a great honor. I can only hope that each of you will strive to be a credit to your house," Professor McGonagall frostily said causing some of the more troublemaking students to gulp at the pressure-filled statement.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the entire school. I suggest you all make use of this time to smarten yourselves up," Professor McGonagall warningly said as her eyes fixated themselves on a couple of students with messy clothing. Those students hastily try to smooth out their clothing with a few kind-hearted souls helping them become a bit more presentable.

"I shall return shortly," Professor McGonagall seriously instructed, before departing with a swoosh of her cloak.

"There is not a test is there?" The timid witch from the boat asked.

Lily and Severus both glance at each other uncertainly until Rowan sets their fears at ease. "No, all they will be doing is placing a magical talking hat on top of your head in front of the entire. There is nothing to be afraid of." She paused and frowned. "Except by the fact that the enchanted hat will determine the next 7 years of your life at Hogwarts. Other than that, no."

The timid girl sickly paled and stammered, "That sounds even worse."

Rowan shrugs innocently as Lily narrows her eyes at Rowan and pats the timid witch on her back in an attempt to comfort her. Suddenly a series of screams cause everyone to leap up except for Rowan who studies her fingernails and wonders, why did her finger sting? Did she get a splinter from the wooden boat? Come to think of it, where were she and Severus ever vaccinated for tetanus?

"What the-?" A student called out as a group of about twenty pearly-white ghosts glided through the wall in innocent chatter.

A rather stout monk excitedly says, "New students!" The Fat monk exclaimed. "This ghostly one is known as Friar."

"More like the Fat Friar." Everyone drily thought in their minds.

"About to be sorted, I believe?" The Fat Friar excitedly said.

A few people nod their heads in silence. The Fat Friar beams at them and says, "In that case, I hope to see you in Hufflepuff then. T'was my old house, you know."

"Move along now", Professor McGonagall crisply said. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." With a trace of fear, the ghosts hastily float away and pass through the wall one by one.

"Form a neat orderly line," McGonagall firmly instructed with a clap of her hands. The children hurriedly do so as Professor McGonagall says, "Now, stay in an orderly line and follow me." The group of nervous children quietly follow through the giant hall to a pair of giant doors that swing open to reveal the Great Hall.

The rest of the students 2nd years and up are already sitting at a row of four long tables as thousands of candles float overhead and illuminate the entire Great Hall. "Talk about a fire hazard," Rowan grimly thought to herself. "Aren't they worried about being sued for possible liability issues given candle wax burning? But then again, this is a place where death-defining learning is encouraged…..."

The rest of the children are in awe and shock as they study the table filled with gleaming golden saucers and goblets. At the very front of the Great Hall is a table. There seated through the full length of the table are the Hogwarts Professors. Some of the first years pale, others fidget in excitement, while others look like they are going to be sick.

Professor McGonagall promptly leads them directly to the front of the Great Hall. With a slight trace of impatience, she gestures at the first years to properly line up in a uniform line and turn to face the mass of seated students in the Great Hall. Some of the first years begin to look rather queasy but manage to not throw up from their nerves. Although it is a close call for some.

The faces of the seated students flicker ominously under the flickering candlelight casting moving across their faces. The only pure light in the Great Hall is the steady glowing of the pearly-white ghosts seated according to their houses. Alternatively, there is faint light emitted from the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall.

The enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall reflected the sky outside. At present, the stars can be flicking in the sky with a glowing moon, a waxing Gibbous to be precise. "It would have been a nice night for a walk if not for the night chill," Rowan idly thought to herself."

With a flick of Professor McGonagall's wand, a four-legged stool appears before the gaping first years. On top of the stool sits a single raggedy hat. The Sorting Hat looked old with a crooked pointy tip.

The first year's eyes are glued to the hat, while Rowan's face remains impassive. The Sorting Hat begins to twitch and abruptly opens at its fringe to form a hat-like mouth to speak.

"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 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 Gryffindors 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 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!"

The entire hall bursts into applause at the conclusion of the sorting hats song. The Sorting Hat slightly bows to each of the four house tables, before growing still and stiff again. Most of the first year seems to be relieved, while others look sicker than ever, and even a few seem disappointed. Apparently, their older sibling and cousins had muttered something about duels to the death and other such foolish nonsense.

McGonagall steps forth and unfurls a lambskin parchment. "When I call out your name, please put on the sorting hat and take a seat on the stool to be properly sorted," Professor McGonagall clearly instructed, before calling the first name, "Abbott, Andrew!"

A round-faced, blond boy with a fearful face walked up and put on the hat on, before taking a seat. After a minute, the hat shouts, "HUFFLEPUFF!" The table on the right side is filled with Hufflepuffs as the entire table explodes in loud cheering as the Fat Friar waves cheerfully at Andrew.

The list continues as Sirius Black and Lily Evans are properly sorted into Gryffindor as promised. Severus on the other hand dimly watches Lily be sorted into Gryffindor, before frowning at his twin. On one hand, he was proud of Lily and on the other hand, Rowan had told him, that he would be in Slytherin.

What was he supposed to do now that he and Lily were in two different houses? He had never been good about making friends. What if it was like their days at primary all over again?! A sick feeling welled up inside of Severus filling him with dread.