Hermione's sister

chapter eight

"hurry! hurry up now!" mrs weasly drags us through the train station. "go! now! you first Ron!" Ron runs towards the pillar between platform 9 and 10 and... disappears? he's followed quickly by Hermione, harry, Fred, George. "go on dear" says mrs weasly with a smile. "just run strait at the wall, you'll be fine" I nod and, eyes clamped shut run towards the barrier.

I open my eyes a split second before I would hit the barrier. but instead of smashing into the brick wall as I'd expected I find myself staring at a gleaming Scarlett train billowing smoke over the crowds of students.
"there you are!" hermione grabs my hand and we board the scarlet steam engine. but not before mrs weasly gives us each a massive hug. "oh you've got a very exiting year ahead of you!" she smiles at us.
"can't you just tell us what it is?"
the train doors begin to close
"have fun!"
we get in the train and stick our heads out the window.
"please tell us!"
the train begins to move
"study hard!" mrs weasly yells her farewell and the train picks up speed.

we find a compartment and sit down staring out the windows at the trees and houses and farms whizzing by.
"should we get changed?"Hermione asks. "ok" I reply happy to finally be on the train to hogwarts. hermione shoves the boys out of the compartment and we put on our school robes.

"anything from the trolly?" asks an old lady pushing a sweet cart. we buy some things and then continue our discussion about the hogwarts ghosts.
it's dark out now and the lanterns have lit up all along the train. I'm staring out of the window when I first catch sight of hogwarts. it's massive! far more extravagant then I ever would've thought. huge torrents and towers jab out at the sky. it's the most wonderful place I've ever seen.

the train begins to slow and comes to a screeching stop. Hermione gives me an encouraging smile as we gather our stuff and prepare to leave the train. "don't worry about your stuff, other people will take it up"
"okay..."

now the nerves are starting to kick in.
I know a lot about Hogwarts, after reading Hogwarts: a history. but I'm super scared... what if the sorting hat puts me in Slytherin?! Hermione would be so disappointed! if Hufflepuff?! even though Hermione has nothing but nice thins to say about Hufflepuff and the other houses (Slytherin as the exception) harry and Ron tell me Hufflepuff is for dimwits.

i get lost in the sea of students almost instantly and the only thing I have to follow is the loud voice calling "fir's years! fir's years over here please!" suddenly there is a crack of thunder over head and rain begins to hammer down. the man standing in front of me is huge! he must be a giant! he's humongous. i stare in amazement at him while I get pushed and shoved all over the place.

finally i am able to detach myself from the crowds and follow the giant and a group of others my age to the edge of a lake. it's big, dark and ominous, impossible to see the bottom. a fleet of boats awaits us, half full of rain water, the giant gets in a larger boat and even then the boat sinks slightly. we all cram ourselves Into the other, rain filled boats.

I'm truly and utterly terrified as the boats begin to move of their own accord. I think I might faint or vomit. maybe I'll just fall out of the boat, into the water, it wouldn't make much of a difference though, I'm already drenched. the boats move smoothly through the dark water causing hardly any ripples. I look up at the huge castle, at its huge torrents, eyes wide.

suddenly a small boy shouts as he falls out of the boat and into the water, flailing around and yelling for help. that's when a huge tentacle emerges from the water, causing several of us, myself included to scream in terror. But all the tentacle does is place the boy back in the boat and sink back down to the depths of the lake.

the boats float towards a wall of ivy and pass through them as if they were smoke. we are now in a hidden away dock where two large double doors stand. we climb out of the boats onto the rocky land. the giant- whatever his name is knocks three times on the large double doors which seem to open without anyone opening them.

we walk up several flights of stairs, tracking water all over the place. we then go into a small room, a strict looking woman comes and tells us the procedures and we are lead into a hall.
now I really do think that I'm going to faint. there must be a thousand students- probably more sitting at four tables all staring at us. terrifying.

the strict looking woman, I thing she told us her name was professor McGonagal places a three legged stool in front of us and puts a hat on it. it's a disgusting looking hat with rips all over it. I'm staring in disgust at it when a rip near the hem opens up and the hat bursts into song.

"A thousand years or more ago,
When I was newly sewn,
There lived four wizards of renown,
Whose name are still well-known:
Bold Gryffindor from wild moor,
Fair Ravlenclaw from glen,
Sweet Hufflepuff from valley broad,
Shrewd Slytherin from fen.
They share a wish, a hope, a dream,
They hatched a daring plan,
To educate young sorcerers,
Thus Hogwarts school began.
Now each of these four founders
Formed their own house, for each
Did value different virtues,
In the ones they had to teach.
By Gryffindor, the bravest were
Prized far beyond the rest;
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest
Would always be the best;
For Hufflepuff, hardworkers were
Most worthy of admission;
And power-hungry Slytherin
Loved those of great ambition.
While still alive they did divide
Their favourates from the throng,
Yet how to pick the worthy ones
When they were dead and gone?
'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,
He whipped me off his head
The founders put some brains in me
So I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug around your ears,
I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have alook inside your mind
And tell where you belong!"

the students around me burst into applause as the hat finishes its song. I laugh a little at the the unsightly hats strange song. professor McGonagal unrolls a scroll of parchment and begins to call out names "Ackerley, Stewart!" is first to be called. he sits on the stool, visibly shaking, from cold or nerves and looking quite terrified "RAVENCLAW" calls the hat and one of the tables erupts into cheers as he. goes to sit with them. she calls some other names and then, "granger Gemma"

I try not to trip over my feet as I sit down on the three legged stool. the hat is placed on my head and falls well past my eyes, several sizes too big. a little voice In my ear speaks:
"so... a granger ay? smart, oh yes. but bravery too..." in my head I beg to be put in , my sisters house. "you would do well in ravenclaw, griffindore too..." the voice echoes around the hall "GRYFFINDOR"

sorry for another short chapter😁 I'm working on making the chapters longer but I've got such writers block agh it's sucks;( anyways love you all!