Strange Links | HP X TMR //On hold//

Chapter Two

 "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

 A voice suddenly echoed through the train. Lucinda unexpectedly got nervous because of everything- the concept of school, the sorting ceremony, and so on. She put her robe on and got off the train after it stopped.

 "Firs'-years! Firs-years over here!"

 Lucinda found a giant person calling the First Years.

 'That must be Hagrid, the Keeper of the Keys,' Lucinda thought while going in that direction with a stunned Newt (probably because the platform was so crowded).

 "C'mon, follow me- any more firs'-years? Mind yer step now! Firs'-years follow me!"

 The path Hagrid led the children was slippery, steep, and narrow. With her shoes, it was not easy for Lucinda not to stumble often. Nobody spoke much- everyone must be nervous.

 "Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec. Jus' round this bend here."

 Hogwarts was... magnificent? Splendor? It was great. The narrow path suddenly opened onto the edge of a great black lake. Then there stood the castle, really grand. Everybody oohed on the scenery for a moment.

 "No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to several boats sitting in the water by the shore.

 "Let's ride the boat with Tommy and Teresa- they're my friends. If that's okay with you," Newt suggested. Lucinda liked the idea.

 "Good idea!" She immediately agreed.

 The trip to Hogwarts was great. The view- it had an indescribable magnificence. Newt introduced Lucinda to his two friends Thomas and Teresa; they seemed nice and said they were from muggle families (though Lucinda had no idea how three muggle-borns who live in the same neighborhood had magical abilities- was it a coincidence or...).

 The boats finally arrived to the castle, and the First Years followed a lady called Professor McGonagall to a small empty chamber next to the great hall. Professor McGonagall's gave some explanations and left the rooms. Her eyes observantly swept the room before leaving; everyone tried to look neat at that moment.

 "How do they exactly sort us?" Teresa questioned.

 "The sorting hat does," Lucinda replied.

 "A hat? How can a bloody hat sort us to houses?" Newt's eyes widened.

 "It's magic! There are many magical things in the world."

 Then some people suddenly screamed. Lucinda looked at the direction- about twenty ghosts just entered the room through the wall. She gasped. Lucinda knew that there were ghosts, but she has not seen one.

 "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance-" All first years stood where they were standing, still as stone.

 "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?"

 Nobody answered.

 "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 returned, and the ghosts disappeared through the wall, one by one.

 "Now, form a line, and follow me."

 Somehow Lucinda paired up with a girl with curly brown hair, and the first years all followed Professor McGonagall to the Great Hall. All eyes were on the first years; it made Lucinda both embarrassed and nervous. There were four long tables, plus another long table for the teachers. The ceiling looked as if it was actually the night sky.

 "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside, I read about it in <Hogwarts: A History>," The girl beside Lucinda whispered.

 'Another know-it-all! God, help me.'

 Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years, then put a pointed wizard's hat on it. After a few seconds, the sorting hat started singing.

 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.

 ...

 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 Cup!

 The Hall burst into applause, and the hat bowed to each of the four tables.

 "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," Professor McGonagall said, holding a long roll of parchment.

 Abbott- Agnes (it was Teresa's last name, and she was sorted as a Gryffindor)- Bones- Boot- Brocklehurst- Brown- Bulstrode- ... - Finch-Fletchley- Finnigan- Granger (it was the girl who paired up with Lucinda)- Longbottom- MacDougal- then Malfoy.

 Draco was called first, as his name was alphabetically the former to Lucinda's. The hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

 'I knew it.'

 Now it was Lucinda's turn to be sorted. The hat dropped over Lucinda's eyes (surely, it was a big hat), and it started talking.

 "You're not like your family, hmm?" The hat said in a small voice. Lucinda had an ominous feeling.

 "There is intelligence, yes, but also right-minded and courage. You had better be GRYFFINDOR!" The sorting hat shouted the last word for the whole Hall to hear. Two thoughts immediately appeared in Lucinda's head: 'Yes!' and 'No!'