Part Five.
Book 1.
Chapter Five.
Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the you ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.
"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."
Hadrian got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, feeling confident. Draco stood behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.
Hadrian looked around at the familiar 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.
Professor McGonagall lead the first years up here, so that they same to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Hadrian looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars.
He heard Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."
It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.
Hadrian quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. He scrunched his nose, knowing he'd have to put that on his head.
Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth – and the hat 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.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
YOU ARE READING
Forthcoming
AdventureAU Hadrian Riddle. The son of one of the most feared wizard Tom Riddle, or most may know him as Lord Voldemort. A life already laid out for him, he had it all. Power, wealth, promise for a good future. Obstacles and problems seem to to be in his wa...
