The Wrong Slytherin • Draco Malfoy

04 || The sorting

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. Professor McGonagall. I grinned at her, happy to see a familiar face.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said the giant man.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here. "

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was huge and 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 us led to the upper floors.

We followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. I could hear the chatter of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -- the rest of the school must already be here -- but Professor McGonagall showed us into a small, empty chamber off the hall. We crowded in, standing rather closer together than we would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "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 rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. 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. "

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly. "

Ophelia quickly straightened Neville's cloak for him while Hermione and I assessed each others robes, finding them perfect.

We talked quietly amongst ourselves about the sorting.

"What do you know about the houses?" I asked Hermione and Ophelia.

"Each of the houses have particular values. Gryffindor values courage, bravery, nerve, and chivalry, Ravenclaw values intelligence, learning, wisdom and wit, Hufflepuff values loyalty, patience, and a propensity for hard work, and finally Slytherin values ambition, resourcefulness, determination, and cleverness." Hermione listed each of the house traits thoroughly.

"My dad and sister were both Hufflepuff, while my mum was a Slytherin." Ophelia added, proudly.

Just then several people gasped loudly. I looked around wildly too see what had spooked everyone. 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 us. 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 group first years looking strangely at them.

Nobody answered.