When two letters arrive in the post for the Potters inviting them to a school for wizards Pippa is beyond excited. She was ready to start fresh somewhere new where she could actually be someone, where she could be special.
However, Hogwarts was not...
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"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. Professor McGonagall was a tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face, this was not someone to cross. "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. The Sorting 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."
Houses? No one had said anything about houses. I wonder which house I was gonna be in. Celia said that siblings were normally put into the same house so it didn't really matter as long as I was with Harry.
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its 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 rulebreaking 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 front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. I twirled my hair nervously.
"Do I look okay?" I turned to the girls beside me.
"You look very nice." Ayesha smiled brightly at me.
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."
She left the chamber. I could make out Harry near the front of the crowd. He was too far away for me to get to him. I'd just see him later.
"How do they sort us into houses?" I asked.
"No one knows." Adonis shrugged, fiddling with the hem of his robe.
"My brother Benji knows but he wouldn't tell me. Not even when I threatened to push him off the roof." Celia pouted.
"I think it's a test."
"A test? I haven't revised." I said worriedly. Oh no, I'm going to fail. I was terrible at taking tests. Especially in front of the whole school?
All around everyone looked terrified. No one was talking much except Celia, who was whispering various threats against her brother as we all got more nervous. I had never been more nervous, never, not even for my SATs.
A bunch of kids around me screamed.
"Holy fu-?"
I gasped. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years.
