Finding Hope (Book 1)

Chapter 4: The Sorting Hat

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Hope knew that she was someone not to cross.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid. "Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit my at least my room 10 times. 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 the teacher across the flagged stone floor. Hope could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -the rest of the school must already be here -- but the teacher 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 the teacher. "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."

Hope nervously bit at her finger nails, something she often did when she was nervous. "I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." She left the chamber. Hope swallowed. "How exactly do they sort us into houses?" she asked Ginny. "Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking. He often does things like that you know." What on earth would she have to do? She hadn't expected something like this. She looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. Hope had never been more nervous, never, not even when she'd had to take a school report home to her father saying that he'd somehow turned his teacher's wig blue. She kept her eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, the teacher would come back and lead her to her doom.

Then something happened that made her jump about a foot in the air -- several people behind him screamed.

"What the --?" She gasped. So did the people around her. 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. Nobody answered.

"New students!" said the Fat Monk, 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. "Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me." Feeling oddly as though her legs had turned to lead, Hope got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ginny behind her, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. Hope had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. 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.