The Shifter

The Boats

I turn back to see my compartment-mates pulling on their long black robes. James' and Sirius' are brand new like mine (which I pull on over my black leggings and pastel yellow t-shirt), but Remus' is tattered and old. It's also a tad too big for him and he nearly trips over the hem as we exit the train, leaving our belongings.

Once we are on the platform, James looks around at the three of us cluelessly. "Where do we go?"

"I dunno," Sirius replied.

I do, but I can't say so. Instead, I listen for a familiar voice and find it emanating from behind us.

"Firs' years, over here. This way, firs' years!" Hagrid's voice rings out over the crowd and I use it to locate all eleven feet of him a little ways behind our small group. "There!" I cry, pointing to him. Most of the students at the station are moving toward us, however, so getting to Hagrid is like swimming upriver. Remus leads the way, followed by James, Sirius, and I. Hagrid is ticking off names on a giant clipboard as students congregate around his enormous feet. I catch James staring at Lily and Snape, who are standing not too far away and holding hands, with a peculiar look on his face. He quickly turns away.

Finally, Hagrid seems to finish with the names and says, "Alrigh', this way, firs' years. My name's Rubeus Hagrid and I'm the Keeper of Keys and Grounds here at Hogwarts. It's my job ter' get you lot safely to school." He waves his huge hand at a small fleet of wooden boats. "Hop in."

The four of us get situated in a boat with a couple other first year students, and on Hagrid's command, the boats begin gliding toward the castle in front of us. It is enormous and so much greater than I imagined. Endless amount of turrets and towers shoot up from the solid stone walls. There are too many windows to count, most of them flickering yellow. The entire creation is perched on a lush island, surrounded by grand hills on all sides, except the one we are approaching from, which is taken up by a lake. I look down and see my reflection in the black water, slightly distorted due to the ripples. I am still not used to looking eleven. The rest of the people in my boat all stare at the school in awe.

The little boats are very unsteady on the slick black lake. They wobble side to side as Hagrid magicks them across the water toward the castle. Sirius holds a hand over his stomach as we float along, rocking, and murmuring, "I wish I hadn't eaten all those pumpkin pasties!" He looks very nauseous.

"Well if you go puking make sure you do it over the edge of the boat," James instructs, a nervous look on his face.

"The water's actually really calm tonight, you're lucky. Usually this size boat gets really choppy," I tell them. Both James and Sirius give me surprised looks.

"Yeah, my dad and I used to go fishing with my uncle on my mum's side and his son," Remus explains. "It's a muggle pastime, fishing. They just go fishing for the fun of it. It's some sort of bonding ritual, I guess."

"Blimey," James says, eyes wide, "They do this for the fun of it?"

"And they have to manually row to make it move on top of that," Remus says, nodding.

"Nutters," Sirius groans. He is leaning over the side of the boat to be sick when he spotts Snape and Lily in the next boat over, staring in rapture up at the castle ahead as they draw nearer and nearer. Severus is glaring at us, his head inclined as though to listen in on our conversation.

"Some do it for food," Remus is saying, still talking about the fishing trips, "But for most it's just fun."

Sirius smirks evilly. I can practically hear the wheels turning in his head. "Hear that part of the talk, Snivelly?" he asks, "You could go fishing next time you're feeling hungry back home. Keep it in mind, ey?"

Snape's face, which is already quite pale on its own, is actually even paler in the moonlight, but his trademarked scowl is no less pronounced, perhaps even more so instead. It is Lily, though, that turns around, her eyes squinting in anger at our boat. "Just ignore them, Sev, they're just a bunch of bullying prats!"

Lily replies, "You didn't tell him not to say anything either!"

"Sorry, was I supposed to be able to control everyone else at Hogwarts, then?" James demands.

"Dude, seriously not the time," I warn James.

Lily shrugs, "Maybe pick your friends wiser."

"Why don't you pick your friends wiser?" asks Sirius hotly, "I'm sure you could've done better than Severus Snape."

"Hey!" I address both Sirius and James this time, "Just leave them alone for now! It's our first day of school, can't we just enjoy it?"

Sirius mumbles, "Fine..." and both boys back down.

Lily scowls and turns her back to them.

"What was that all about?" Remus asks. The other two first years in the boat, who have spent most of the journey across whispering to each other quietly, look equally disquieted by the exchange.

James replies, "That girl is batty." I have to dig my nails into my palm so as not to laugh. Man, this is ironic.

Sirius nods, agreeing with James, "Anyone wanting to be 'round Severus Snape would have to be."

The little boats continue on, Hagrid oblivious to the growing animosity between two of them, and soon we are right at the very foot of the castle. The rocking has slowed now we are closer to the shore, which Sirius is obviously thankful for, as he informs us that he has decided already that he much prefers a broom to a boat. We glide into what looks like a low cliff, which brings us beneath the castle itself and into a sort of dungeon-like boat dock. One by one, the boats skirt the edge of a large stone landing and Hagrid, who is already ashore, helps all of the first years out and onto the ground.

"A'right then," Hagrid says, counting up the little boats, probably to be sure nobody has been lost out on the water, "Yeh ready fer the sortin', you lot?" he looks around at us, "Mus' be excited. I remember me own sortin'... seems like ages ago..." Careful not to trod on any of us, he makes his way to the door opposite the boats and herds the crowd of eleven year olds through it, into a long corridor, past stationary suits of armor and paintings and what seems like a million old, wooden doors. We make our way up a long staircase and find ourselves in a narrow little room where we all crowd around behind Hagrid. He looks us over once more, waits for the last of us to arrive into the group, and says, "Now yer'ta wait here," he instructs, "Professor McGonagall will be comin' 'round fer yeh in a mo'. Nice lady, she is. She'll bring yeh in ter the Hall ter be sorted. Good luck, the lot of yeh!" He grins under all that hair and turns and walks away.

Now comes the part I've been dreading a bit. My stomach twists and turns with nerves as I copy the first years around me and glance around at my newfound acquaintances with wide eyes, trying to see if they feel the same.

Sirius whispers, "I'm so bloody nervous."

I let out a breath of relief. I am not the only one who is terrified.

"Me too," James admits.

"And I," agrees Remus.

I did not expect to be so scared of the sorting. Honestly, I already know what happens!

Still, what if I'm rejected by the hat because I shifted in? What if- oh my God- what if I'm sorted into a different house than these guys? My palms seem to pool with sweat and my face and neck must be about the color of a ripe strawberry. If I stop fidgeting with my fingers now, the nervous energy in my body might make me explode. This tension is killing me.