The War Hammer of Hogwarts - Harry Potter

Sorting Ceremony

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

Hagrid: The firs' years, Professor McGonagall.

McGonagall: Thank you, Hagrid.  I will take them from here.

She pulled the door wide.  The entrance hall was massive.  The stone walls were lit with flaming torches, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing us led to the upper floors.  We followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor.  I could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right.  The rest of the school must already be here. But Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall.  They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

McGonagall: Welcome to Hogwarts.  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.  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 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 honor.  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.  Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair.

McGonagall: I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly.

She left the chamber.  Harry swallowed.

Harry: How exactly do they sort us into houses?

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

A test?  In front of the whole school?  Harry looked around anxiously, and clearly everyone else was terrified, too.  No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need.  I tried hard not to listen to her.  I kept my eyes fixed on the door.  Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead us to the ceremony.  Then something happened that made me jump.  Several people behind me screamed.  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.  They seemed to be arguing.  A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

Fat Friar: New students!  About to be Sorted, I suppose?

A few people nodded mutely.

Fat Friar: Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!  My old house, you know.

McGonagall: Move along now.  The Sorting Ceremony's about to start.

Professor McGonagall had returned.  One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

McGonagall: Now, form a line, and follow me.

I got into line behind Harry, with Ron behind me, and we walked out of the chamber, back across the entry hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.  I had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place.  It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting.  These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets.  At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.  Professor McGonagall led the first years up, so that we came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind us.  The hundreds of faces staring at us looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight.  Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver.  Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, I looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars.  I heard Hermione whisper.