Chapter 20 - 20.sorting (1/2)
they 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.
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door.
”Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?”
Hagrid 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 there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross. Ryans was an earnest desire to prank her.
”The firs' years, Professor McGonagall,” said Hagrid.
”Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here.
She pulled the door wide The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Ryan could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -- the rest of the school must already be here -- but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously. ”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 rulebreaking will lose house points. 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 lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose”I shall return when we are ready for you,” said Professor McGonagall. ”Please wait quietly.”
She left the chamber. How exactly do they sort us into houses?” he asked Ryan
Ryan being Ryan knew he was nervous and wanted to mess with the small boy so he answered with his best straight face
”trial by combat”
Harry looked shocked the other kids started to worry too after they overheard Ryan continued.
”it will be a 1 versus 1 fight til either is knocked out or unable to continue the winner chooses the house for himself and where to send the loser”
by now most of the kids look close to crying especially the girls he noticed two in particular and got quite a shock one happened to be swiftly cycling through hair colors and the other was a blonde cold looking princess type with a small smirk on her lips he recognized them as nymphadora tonks and one daphne greengrass he was shocked because tonks is supposed to be a 6th or 7th year at this point it must be some dimensional messed up stuff he looked around for more people he might recognize he didn't see Seamus Finnegan or Theodore Knott he also didn't see Tracey Davis he did see Dean Thomas and Susan Bones nieces of madam Amelia Bones head of the department of magical law enforcement he saw her best friend Hannah abbot a slightly chubby girl and kindhearted from what he remembers he also knows Neville later on developed a crush on her in most boost he's all for that ship he saw Zabini Blaise a tall black haired Italian boy whose mother is something of a black widow and has a habit of killing off her husband's for their fortunes I think it was 7 if I recall right he also saw a bunch of random no names. he decided to end the joke here he didn't want them all breaking before the sorting.
Ryan: I'm just joking from what I know it's a test based on your personality you know like brave hardworking smart or cunning.
the kids let out a collective sigh of relief.
Then something happened that made the kids jump about a foot in the air -- several people behind him screamed.
”What the -- ?
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
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's about to start.”Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall. they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall
”Now, form a line,” Professor McGonagall told the first years, ”and follow me.” 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. 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. 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 looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Ryan looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars he knew all about that he had one in Lunas room for her. Ryan 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. - noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it, too. 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 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 folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!