Always and Forever | Mattheo Riddle

2) The Sorting Pt 1

I opened my eyes to see Rachel staring into my soul.

"YOU'RE ALRIGHT!" She practically screamed with relief.

"I guess I am," I say laughing.

I sit up and I'm about to fall down if Mia didn't support me up.
"I'll just call the Professor. He's EXTREMELY hot. You have been warned," Mia said before getting out of the compartment.

"What happened, when I got knocked out?"

"Nothing really. Me and Mia were panicking but we remembered the spell expecto patronum and Mia used it on the dementor. And then we helped you up on the seat.

"When did the train start moving?"

"About half an hour ago."

I was about to question again when Mia entered. Behind her I saw the Professor they were talking about. He was good looking for sure, with brown hair swept to a side and a stubble making him more attractive to the female population.

I could see that the guy was in his mid-thirties probably. Maybe he's the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor.

The professor sat down in front of me, offered me a chocolate and said, "Take it, you'll feel much better."

"Alright, uh- thank you."
I continued to speak after taking a bite of my chocolate, "Why did it do it? I mean why did it only attack me?"

I could feel the effects of the chocolate making me feel warmer, making the cold get out of my body.

He answered, "Dementors are soulless creatures who feed on human happiness. They bring up the feeling of hurt and despair. It seems you may be having traumatic experiences from your past far greater than the others. Don't worry, you weren't the only one to faint. Harry Potter fainted too."

Yeah no, it is something to worry about.

"Harry Potter? The chosen one? I mean, he must be having much more greater traumatic experiences in his life than mine, right?"

"We have no idea, but it's good that you're alright now."

He handed me a chocolate bar and told me to eat all of it. He then left to get back to his compartment.

Mia and Rachel sat closer to me to show their sympathy for me. And I hated it. I hated that all people could do was look at me with that pity, that look which would make me feel so little. So pathetic.

But I showed them a fake smile. I said nothing of what I thought and just smiled.

——

After half an hour of travelling, we reached Hogwarts. When we reached the Great Hall, I was pulled away by Professor McGonagall accompanied by Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.

I quickly bid the girls goodbye and followed Professor. It felt like I had gotten into trouble by seeing the look on her face.

We got in her office as she motioned for us to sit down. She sat down behind her desk and spoke.

"Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that you both were taken ill on the train, Pearl and Potter."

I could feel myself going red in the face.

Before I could say something, Madam Pomfrey entered in quite a hurry.

"It's fine," Harry said, "I don't need anything."

Madam Pomfrey ignored what Harry said and examined his face.

"Got into trouble again did you now?"

Professor McGonagall said calmly,"It was a dementor."

"Is it now, They shouldn't have sent these dementors here. Only going to cause more trouble," she directed her attention at me, "You both will have to stay at the hospital wing tonight."

Harry was quick to reply. "No thank you, Professor Lupin gave me a chocolate already."

I immediately added, "He gave me one too."

Madam Pomfrey said,"Finally got a Professor of Defence against the dark arts who knows his stuff. And you Miss Pearl, you won't be going to your common room tonight. Just look what you did to your nose."

My hand immediately rises to my nose to check and I feel a bandage. I let out an 'oh right' and then look down at my feet.

Professor McGonagall interrupts the silence and says, "Alright then, you two stand outside while I talk to Miss Granger about her schedule.

Harry stands up and goes outside, with me following close behind him.
We stand there in silence, as we know anything we would say would make us feel more awkward.

Thankfully Hermione came to our rescue a while later and we three walked to the Great Hall.

It seemed as if the Sorting had already finished we came, but no one came to take the Sorting Hat and the stool away.

I sat next to Angelina, the chaser from Gryffindor's quidditch team.

"Where were you," she asked, and then turned her gaze to my nose, "And what happened to you?"

"That is a long story, for some other day, when I feel like I can laugh about it."

Which will probably be never.

Professor Dumbledore got up and announced, "Welcome students, welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I'm sure you all are wondering why the Sorting Hat and the stool haven't been picked up if the Sorting is done. That is because a student is still left. Please come in, Mr Riddle."

Everyone's eyes turned towards the door, but I already knew who he was. The guy I broke my nose to look at. The guy who helped in humiliating me. The guy I am sure I never want to see again.

I heard outrageous gasps let out by Ron Weasley, a fellow Gryffindor, whose friends looked as outraged as him.

What's up with them? I'm sure they didn't get their nose broken because of him.

The doors abruptly opened to show him.

He walked to the Sorting Hat with such 'confidence' that I must have mistook for his 'cockiness'.

I could already imagine the girls reactions after they saw him.  They would probably be saying, "He's soo hot," while fanning themselves.

He stood next to the stool, awaiting his next orders, while Professor Dumbledore just blinked at him for several seconds.

Finally Dumbledore snapped out of it and said, "Mr Riddle will be joining in for his fifth year -"

Gasps of shock erupted in the hall. Everyone was curious as to why he didn't come to school from his first year.

"SILENCE," Dumbledore said loudly, causing everyone to fall silent as he continued, "He is the first person in the whole history of Hogwarts to join his fifth year directly."

Across the table, Hermione Granger told her friends around that it was true and if they had read the History of Hogwarts, they'd know too.

Angelina whispered, "Know-it-all," earning a laugh from me.

"I admit it is our fault that he wasn't here sooner, but he is here now and I hope you all will treat him nicely. Mr. Riddle, please take a seat."

Riddle takes his seat on the stool and Professor McGonagall places the sorting hat on his head.