Whispers of the cosmos - Draco Malfoy

Sorting Surprises

As soon as the door swung open, Lyra had to stifle a gasp with her hand. She couldn't believe what lay before her; her encounter with the rude blond boy was instantly forgotten. What she saw was beyond her wildest imagination. Ghosts—actual ghosts—were floating around, and the room was so vast that even with students stacked atop each other, they wouldn't have reached the ceiling.

The breathtaking sight made her forget everything, and she gripped Harry's hand tightly. She needed to confirm that this wasn't a dream. Surrounded by flying candles, ghosts, witches, and wizards, she couldn't help but be overwhelmed. It was what she had always yearned for, and now she found herself right in the middle of it.

An old witch who introduced herself as Professor McGonagall welcomed the first-year students. As they entered the great hall, she explained how they would be sorted before dinner into their different houses. She told the students to wait a few minutes there before the ceremony could really start. Lyra felt anxious and didn't dare to let go of Harry's hand. She was squeezed between him and Ron, Hermione just in front of them. It would be fine, the girl tried to reassure herself; she already had three people she'd happily share a house with. Well, she had three people in mind she would rather avoid at all costs, but she tried not to focus too much on this information. When she asked Ron how they sorted students, he talked about a test, so she tried to remain calm and to focus herself. If it was a test, she had to make sure to succeed; she'd make sure to do it right. If she was good at something, it was at being the best in classes; all would be fine, even though she hadn't studied, she just had to hope Harry would go before her so she'd just have to copy what he did. She tried not to talk to stay focused, and it was quite an easy task to do thanks to Hermione, who was reciting all the spells she knew off. She felt the hand of Harry getting sweaty; the boy was obviously as nervous as her, so she smiled at him in a reassuring way. She was not doing well, but it was fine; she'd fake it if it means making Harry feel better. When the professor came back to indicate them to follow her, Lyra tried to get herself taller by standing on her tiptoes, and to her surprise, she noticed a simple chair and a big hat. Well, that was weird; would they have to make something appear inside of it or what? Lyra kept looking, hoping to see any hint, but when the Hat decided to start his mouth, well, did he even have a mouth? Lyra thought the hat started to sing. She had just seen ghosts; she shouldn't feel scared yet she had never been so scared in her life.

As it finished the song, it was rewarded with a round of applause, so the first years, all looking at each other before following the rest of the school, Lyra started to clap with both her hands.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbot, Hannah."

And that's how it started. The students had the hat placed on their heads, and less than a minute later, the hat was screaming a house, and the student was welcomed at the house table with a round of applause. When Hermione had been sorted into Gryffindor, she heard Ron complain, but all Lyra could think of was that she'd love to be in this house too. It kept going; it was soon the turn of Malfoy. It took less than a second for the hat to scream Slytherin; well, that Lyra thought was the only house she didn't want. As Ron had guessed, the hat didn't even have time to touch his head that he screamed Gryffindor. And finally, Harry and Lyra were the last students left. As McGonagall called for Harry, the boy gave a last pressure on Lyra's hand as she smiled at him in the most reassuring way she could do.

The hat seemed like it had a hard time deciding as it stayed on Harry's head longer than on anyone else. But he was soon sorted into Gryffindor, and as Lyra heard all the applause, she felt better. Ron was right; he had guessed his house. It was just like the rest of his family, so just like Harry, she would be a Gryffindor. She felt so happy as she sat on the chair after her name was called. She'd be with Harry and Hermione; she couldn't wish for something better than that.