Make Me.

Book 1 - Chapter 6

The door swung open at once, revealing a tall, black-haired witch sporting emerald-green robes and a very stern face, standing in the entrance.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," the large man who lead the group to the castle said.

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

The witch, Ellie had just learned to be Professor McGonagall (she had remembered reading that name on her Hogwarts letter) pulled the large doors wide open to show the large entrance hall, with stone walls lit with flaming torches. Ellie craned her neck to look up at the ceiling, but it was so high she couldn't find it in the darkness. Her gaze then shifted to the large marble staircase that faced the group standing in the entrance hall leading to the upper floors of the castle. 

Following Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor, the buzzing of hundreds of students, Ellie assumed to be the students from the upper years, radiated from a doorway to their right. Rather than entering that though that doorway, Professor McGonagall led the first years into a small, empty chamber just off the hall. The room was barley equipped to hold the small sea of first years that entered it. Ellie stood, pressed shoulder to shoulder, Hermione on her left, and Neville, who looked even more nervous than her, on her right. The crowd stood silently, waiting for what was to come next.

"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."

Ellie felt Hermione straighten her posture to her left and heard a faint gulping noise issued from Neville to her right. Shooting Neville a quick glance, Ellie tired pulling a reassuring face to calm him down, but it only seemed to make him more nervous.

"The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will attend classes with your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room."

Ellie felt Hermione's arm snake around hers, intertwining the two.

"The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding wizards and witches. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule-breaking will lose House points."

At this, Ellie felt a slight tug on her left arm, Hermione shooting her a skeptical glance. Ellie returned an innocent smile.

"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. I shall return when we are ready for you," Professor McGonagall finished and left the chamber.

Another gulp, this time louder and accompanied by a nervous squeak, issued from Ellie's right. She turned, as best she could, still being weighed down by Hermione clinging to her left side, to face Neville, who's cloak looked like it had been fastened by someone with no eyes nor hands. Ellie held her free hand up in front of Neville, who now had his wide eyes locked on her, to show him she wasn't going to hurt him. Slowly, she unfastened the few buttons Neville had managed to do up, though they were all done incorrectly, and pulled his robe straight. His eyes watched as her free hand re-fastened the buttons,and after finishing fixing his robe, she flashed him a soft smile. Ellie was delighted to see the faintest twitch upwards of Neville's lips, indicating her progress in convincing the boy she wasn't anything to be afraid of.