Handshake-Harry Potter

Handshakes and Emerald Lady | Harry

HARRY'S POV

The great doors swung open, and a tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood on the other side. She had a very stern face, and my first thought was I must not cross this woman.

"The firs'-years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid," this Professor McGonagall said. "I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide and led us into the Entrance Hall. It was huge; you could fit the whole Dursley's house in there! The ceiling was so high it seemed to disappear into nowhere. There was a large marble staircase. I had never seen anything so grand and fancy in my whole life.

There was a doorway to the right, and we could hear the loud mumble of voices. That must be the rest of the school. Professor McGonagall led us into a small empty chamber off the hall. We all huddled together nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," the lady said. "The star-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting Ceremony is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has it's own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. 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 frontof the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves upas much as you can while you are waiting."

I nervously tried to flatten my messy hair. For once I wished it was more tame. 

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly,"

She left the chamber and I gulped. Turning to Ron, I asked him, "How exactly do they sort us into houses?"

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking," he replied. What? Suddenly I was even more nervous than five minutes ago. I didn't know any magic, and this was in front  of the whole school! That Hermione Granger was muttering all the spells she knew, and people's eyes were shifting around nervously. I looked down at my shoes.

I then felt a presence in front of me. I looked up. Was it Professor McGonagall here to tell me that I wasn't supposed to be here?

But it was not the stern looking witch. It was, in fact, the boy from the robe shop. What did he want?

"So it's true then? What they're saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts," the boy said, a smirk I did not like on his face. This sent a wave of whispers through the crowd of first years. Ugh. What was he going to do?

"This is Crabbe and Goyle," he said, tilting his head backwards to the large boys behind him. "That over there is Zabini," he continued, nodding his head to a dark skinned boy in the crowd. The boy smiled at me.

"And I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," he said, walking so that he was now standing in front of me. At that, Ron snorted.

Draco turned and looked at Ron, his eyes narrowing. "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." He turned back to me. "You'll soon find that out that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." He stuck out a hand.

Wrong sort? What was the wrong sort? Was Ron a wrong sort? Or was Malfoy? Ron seemed like a nice guy. But so did Malfoy before Ron laughed at his name. Was Malfoy a wrong sort? He did snap at Ron. But Ron had just laughed at his name. Do their families know each other?

And would it be wrong to be friends with Draco Malfoy? 

It's not like shaking his hand is going to affect my life forever, right? It either works out or it doesn't. It wasn't like a tattoo; if I made the wrong choice by shaking his hand, It wouldn't be permanent, right?

Right?

I looked up at Draco Malfoy, dead in the eye. 

"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks," I said. Malfoy frowned, but he had not yet lowered his hand, so I grabbed it. "Nice to meet you, Draco," I said shaking it.

Draco beamed and shook back. I couldn't help but smile back.

"They're ready for you now," Professor McGonagall said, appearing behind Draco. Draco walked back to where he was before. "Follow me," Professor McGonagall said. She turned around and walked to the doors of the Great Hall, and they magically opened for her. We followed, and were soon in a room with millions of eyes staring at us. But some of my tension had ceased. I even felt more happiness than worry.

There was an old pointed hat sitting on a stool. What would that be for? Maybe we had to pull a rabbit out of it. How would we do that? Though I suppose we are wizards.

The hat started singing. Yes, this old dirty hat started singing. I watched it, bewildered. The song wasn't horrible. And it's voice wasn't bad either. Certainly better than Uncle Vernon's singing in the shower.

When the song finished, the hat bowed to each table as everyone burst into applause. 

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered from beside me. I'm gunna kill Fred. He was going on about wrestling a troll.

I had to smirk at that. I suppose trying on a hat is better that having to do a spell, but did it have to be in front of the whole school?

That must've been how that Burmese Python felt. Not a pleasant feeling.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

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

The whole room was quiet.

"Abbot, Hannah!"

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A/N:

:D

Yaaaay they're friends now!!

But will their friendship last??? (insert dramatic music)

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