The Unbreakable Vow

Chapter 4- The Sorting

After a long wait and much idol chatter, the large doors opened and we were allowed inside. We were directed into the Dining Chamber, which was candle and fire lit. Three benches had been placed along the sides, the longest benches were at the front.

"C'est Magnifique" I uttered under my breath.

The first years were ushered to the front. This made me more nervous by the second as I was split from Emmeline's comforting hand. The rest of the students stood beside their seats at the allocated benches. Each bench was marked with a shield with two golden wands crossing. One bench was also etched with a leaf; another with a butterfly and another with a moon.

"Welcome everyone" Headmistress Auger announced "you may be seated"

All at once, the students sat, leaving the attention on us. The benches scraped and the students' murmurs settled down, Madame Auger began to speak again.

"It's so incroyable, to see everyone's smiling faces for another year. We welcome our first years."

The students clapped politely.

"And as always we will begin with the sorting. The houses are as follows: Bellefeuille for the brave; Ombrelune for the smart and Papillonlisse for the kind. Once I hand you a bow, you will shoot it across the room and it shall give you a colour according. If it fires blue make your way to the bench with the moon, for ombrelune; if it fires green, the bench with the leaf, Bellefeuille and if it fires purple then the bench with the butterfly, Papillonlisse. Let the sorting commence."

A flick of her wand and a silver bow and arrow appeared out of thin air.

"Everyone line up please"

In a matter of seconds, we did, pushing and shoving not to be first.

She handed the bow to the first student and he took it with trembling hands. He fitted the arrow in the bow, pulled it back, and fired it across the hall. It took a split second for the arrow to burst into colored flames of blue. The moon bench, where Margot was seated, cheered delightfully. Most of the students stood to greet the boy.

Even though a lot of students were in front of me, I still felt the time went by awfully fast. A knot of fear entered my stomach and my heart pounded upon my chest. It began to flutter like a butterfly and tease my lungs.

"What if it doesn't shoot a colour? Or if it shoots a completely random colour and I'm not in any house?" I began to fret again and started to hyperventilate.

"You worried too?" A blonde-haired girl chuckled in front of me.

She reminded me momentarily of Emmeline.

"Sorry?" I replied.

I stared up into the forget-me-nots that were a girl's eyes. They resembled the light of a Patronus and lit up the room. They made me feel safe and protected.

"I said are you nervous?" The girl repeated sheepishly.

"Oh- well- yes" I giggled.

"My name is Giselle Gardinier, what's your name?"

"Maria Legrand"

"Nice to meet you" She beamed brightly, which only lightened her eyes. "What house do you hope to be in?"

"I'll be happy with any, all my sisters are in each one. What about you?"

"I hope for green, Bellefeuille. I think I'm brave enough."