The Raven's Call

The Sorting Ceremony

There were about 5 kids to a boat, and I was paired with the girl I had met in the train earlier, a boy with a very thick Irish accent, a girl with red hair and a boy who proudly announced he knew he was going to be placed in Hufflepuff. I pay little attention to them, though, as we reach closer and closer towards the Hogwarts castle, my excitement growing evermore.

***

We head into the castle and up the stairs towards The Great Hall, a woman in green robes and a pointed hat awaiting us at the top. "Welcome to Hogwarts!" She spoke. "In a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates; but before you can take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Now, while you're here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points, any rule breaking and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the hou-"

"TREVOR!" A boy calls out, interrupting the witch to collect his toad. That must be Neville. "Sorry.." He mutters, taking his place back in the sea of kids. "The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily." The witch announces before leaving us.

"It's true then.." A blonde boy speaks up from beside me. "What they were saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts." There was a quiet chatter among the first years. My eyes widen. I'd heard stories of young Harry Potter 'The boy who lived' But I thought it was just a story. "This is Crabbe and Goyle. My sister Asteria... And I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

The redhead next to Harry snickers. "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask yours. Red hair and a hand-me-down robe? You must be a Weasley." Draco retorts. "You'll soon find that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. Don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." Draco smirks, extending his hand to Harry.

"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks." Harry replies as the witch in the green robes returns, tapping on Draco's shoulder with a rolled up scroll. Draco returns to the crowd, next to me. "We're ready for you now. Follow me."

As we walk, I notice the girl Draco had introduced to Harry had a small black Kitten with a white nose and blue eyes on her shoulder, I smile at her. "Cute kitten." I mention. "Thanks, her name is Nova." Asteria replies. I show her my own pet, who had been sleeping in my pocket. "This is Bandit." "He's cute too!" She tells me with a smile. She doesn't seem nearly as snobby as her brother does.

The witch in green leads us into the Great Hall, past the older students at their house tables. I spot Cedric and wave to him excitedly. "It's not real, the ceiling." The fluffy haired girl mentioned to me as we walked. I looked up to see what she was referring to. "It's just bewitched to look like the night sky. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History." The ceiling was alight with floating candles, it looks beautiful.

I then look in front of me, a hat sits alone on a stool, with professors sitting along the back, watching us pile up in the hall. "Will you wait along here, please? Now, before we begin, Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words." The green witch announces as a tall man with a long white beard rises from the main table.

"I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce. The first years please note that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch-" He nods towards a ragged old man holding a cat with red eyes close to him."-has asked me to remind you that the 3rd floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you." He then sits back down. I gulp. A painful death? What kind of school is this??

The witch in green stands before us once more. "When I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses." She began listing names, seemingly in alphabetical order of last names. "Hermione Granger." She calls out after some names, the frizzy haired girl takes a breath and says something under her breath before walking up to take a seat. I make a note of her name.

"Gryffindor!"

Hermione happily skips over to the Gryffindor table as my name was called. "Atticus Grey." I suddenly get nervous as I walk up to the stool, taking a seat as the professor places the hat on my head. "Ah, now this is interesting.." The hat says to me, just loud enough for me to hear. "You come from a family of Muggles, yet you've been adopted by the Diggory's... You could be a Hufflepuff like them.. perhaps even a Slytherin.. but.. I can see what you truly are.."

"Ravenclaw!"

I blink in surprise as the professor removes the hat from my head. She then ushers me towards the Ravenclaw table. I can see a sad look on Cedric's face as I take my seat with my fellow Ravenclaws. I was happy to be at Hogwarts, but sad that I didn't know anyone in my house.

Neville is next, he trips on his way to the stool, I can hear a few chuckles as he takes a seat. "Gryffindor!" The hat yells and the boy runs to the Gryffindor table with the hat still on his head. The crowd of students erupt in laughter as Neville jogs back to the professor to give her the hat back.

Next are the Malfoy siblings. The hat never even reached either of their heads before yelling out "Slytherin!" for both of them. And then "Alexander McGonagall." The woman smiled to him as he took a seat, seemed like they knew each other. The hat sat upon his head for what felt like 5 whole minutes before finally calling out. "Gryffindor!" I hear the Irish boy call Alexander a hat stall as he takes his seat.

"Harry Potter."

The room grows quiet as a boy with glasses took his seat on the stool, the hat lowers onto his head. The hat speaks to Harry, and Harry whispers back, a minute later the hat shouted. "Gryffindor!" and the crowd goes wild. The Gryffindors seem excited to have the famous Harry Potter in their house.

We wait until the last kid is sorted before the professor, now confirmed to be Professor McGonagall, takes a seat at the teacher's table and taps on a glass with her fork. "Your attention, please."

Dumbledore rises from his chair. "Let the feast... begin!" He announces, gesturing out to all of us as the tables become magically aligned with as many foods imaginable. The hall erupts with awe and chatter as we begin our feast.

I take a plate of potato salad and some ham, it feels like a Christmas dinner! I begin chatting with some fellow Ravenclaws, Cho Chang, a second year and Padma Patil, a first year like me. Soon, a bunch of school ghosts make themselves known, Ravenclaw's house ghost, The Grey Lady sits between myself and Cho and pretends to eat the feast with us, making us giggle, showing us there's nothing to be afraid of.