The Norse God at Hogwarts

Ch 5: Welcome to Hogwarts

Hagrid led them to the big doors of the castle. Eivor smiled to herself, feeling extremely giddy. After her clan was attacked in Norway, she had roamed the lands here for a year or so and only seen the castle from a distance. She never thought of it was a wizard school.

Now, she was about to go inside.

I wonder how it looks like, Eivor thought. What's in the towers? Or in the basement? Does Hogwarts even have a basement? 

When the doors opened, out came Professor McGonagall, wearing her glasses, her emerald-green robes and her hands clasped behind her back. Eivor was glad to see someone she knew.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall", Hagrid said.

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

The students followed Professor McGonagall through a gigantic entrance hall, they couldn't even see the ceiling. She led them into a small chamber, where everyone gathered together and spoke.

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

The moment she left, everybody started whispering. Eivor saw Harry swallow nervously and Ron looked very pale.

She heard Ron and Harry wondering if there was some sort of test with a troll and heard another bushy-haired girl whispering something about spells, but blocked them out and focused on Synin under her robes. Carefully putting her hand by her side, she felt Synin nuzzling her fingers and smiled relieved.

She was startled back into reality when Professor McGonagall shooed the ghosts away that must have appeared while Eivor was not paying attention.

"Form a line", Professor McGonagall ordered, "and follow me."

Professor McGonagall led them out of the chamber, along the hallway and through two large, opening double doors. Eivor gasped when she saw the Great Hall.

There were candles floating everywhere and there were four long tables at which students sat. At the end of the Great Hall were the teachers at their own table.

Eivor gulped.

There were so many students. And they were all staring at them. They came to a stop in front of the teachers' table. Eivor felt the eyes of the seated students on her and the other first years.

Professor McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of them, and on top of it an old and dirty wizard's hat. Before she could wonder what that was all about, an opening in the hat appeared and it began to sing.

"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.