The Children Who Lived and The Philosopher's Stone

Chapter Seven - The Sorting Hat.

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Nellie's first thought was that this was not a woman to cross.

"The first-years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said.

"Thank you, I'll take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was magnanimous. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches, the ceiling was too high to make out and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the stone floor. Nellie could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right—the rest of the school must already be here—but McGonagall showed them to a small empty chamber to the left. They crowded in together and peered about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall began. "Now, in a few moments, you'll pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you can take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses."

Nellie panicked for a moment. What if she was separated from Harry? She didn't want to be alone. Harry sensing her fear, gripped her hand tightly.

"They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff..." McGonagall said, "Ravenclaw... and Slytherin." A very fair blonde boy nudged his friends while smiling as McGonagall said the last one.

"Now while you're here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points. Any rule breaking and you will lose poi—"

"TREVOR!"

A round-faced boy who could only be Neville, had jumped forward to grab his toad who was sitting at McGonagall's feet.

"Sorry," he muttered as McGonagall gave him a stern look.

"At the end of the year, the house with the most points will win the house cup. The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily." She then walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Harry asked Ron.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said that it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

Nellie didn't have time to panic because another voice interrupted their conversation.

"So it's true then, what they were saying on the train?" the pale blonde boy from earlier drawled as he walked closer to Nellie and Harry. "Harry and Eleanor Potter have come to Hogwarts."

People began whispering before the boy continued. "This is Crabbe and Goyle," he said, gesturing to his two friends before making his way to stand in front of the Potters. "And I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Ron snorted beside them.

"Think my name is funny, do you?" Draco said, wheeling around to glare at Ron. "I've no need to ask yours. Red hair and a hand-me-down robe? You must be a Weasley."

Nellie didn't like this boy one bit.

"You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others. You don't want to make friends with the wrong sort." Draco raised his hand to shake theirs. "I can help you there."

Nellie just looked at his hand before grabbing Ron's.

"I think we can tell the wrong sort for ourselves, thanks," Harry replied as he threw his arm over Ron's shoulders.

"Move along now," a sharp voice said. "We're ready for you." It was Professor McGonagall. "Now form a line and follow me!"

Nellie felt as though her legs had turned to lead as she made her way to the line in front of Hermione and behind Harry, with Ron leading the way. They walked out of the chamber, back across the hall and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.