Nyla Silverbrook~My first year~

Which House?

"This way" Professor McGonagall led us and the other first years to the doors of the Great Hall. I swallowed. Now it was almost time. Now the probably most important ceremony of my entire life was about to take place.

Professor McGonagall opened the door. A glaringly bright light blinded me. Ginny next to me also flinched. The Great Hall was full of students and I marveled at the candles on the ceiling. " The further I walked through the hall, the more nervous I became. I also noticed Ginny's searching look as she examined the red decorated table. "That's the Gryffindor table," Leona whispered to me. I nodded tensely. Professor McGonagall now stood next to the chair with the hat. She called out to everyone one by one, but I was too excited to hear anything. "Here we go," Leona whispered and sat down on the chair. The hat said something and then finally called out: "Gryffindor." I waved to Leona, who went to the Gryffindor table, where she was greeted happily. Shortly afterwards, Lyanna was also called and she sat down on the chair. The hat finally called out: "Slytherin." I smiled when I saw her happy expression. Ginny whispered quietly "Gryffindor, Gryffindor" to herself. "Silverbrook, Nyla!" What, already? I took another deep breath and then ran forward to sit on the chair. Professor McGonagall put the hat on my head, which slipped over my eyes and got stuck above my nose, which must have looked pretty stupid. "Ohoh... Nyla Silverbrook. What are we going to do with you?" A squeaky voice had started to speak. "There's talent and loyalty... and courage too. Should we put you in Gryffindor?" I swallowed. The hat could put me anywhere but Slytherin for all I cared. "Curiosity and bravery... Maybe Gryffindor like your mother? But let me think again... There's also intelligence, resourcefulness and determination, in large quantities... I'm for SLYTHERIN!" I ripped the hat off my head. Slytherin or Gryffindor like my MOTHER? She had never been to Hogwarts! My breathing was fast and gasping. It was impossible. If my mother had been a witch, she would have told me and Dad. No, it couldn't be. It was impossible. Absolutely im-possible.
Someone nudged me from behind. It was Ginny.
"Go on, Nyla." I ran to the green-decorated table, where Lyanna was already waiting for me. I sat down next to her and decided to just banish my nonsense thoughts. It didn't take long for Ginny to choose. After a short while the hat called out: "Gryffindor!" Since all the first years had now been divided up, the hat was carried away and Professor Dumbledore, an older man with a white beard, stood up. He briefly explained the school rules. For example, you weren't allowed into the Forbidden Forest. But to be honest, I didn't really feel like going into a forest full of dangerous creatures. I had other things to do first.
I turned back to the table. It was now full of all kinds of food. Ham, and stew, and fried eggs, and meat, and chips, and salads. . . I piled a little of everything onto my plate and started to eat. Suddenly a girl screamed from somewhere. "Oh... oh!"
I looked around in surprise. What was going on now? "Look-there's Lockhart- Gilderoy Lockhart! " The girl pointed to the teacher's table. "Well, if you ask me, you're just a braggart anyway," a boy chimed in. A whispering and murmuring filled the room.
What was strange, however, was that Professor McGonagall went over to Professor Dumbledore. She seemed to say something to him, then they both stood up and left the hall. I could catch a few bits of words, like "expulsion," "car," and "Whimpling Willow." And "Potter" and "Weasley." I looked over at Ginny, who turned to me at the same moment. Our eyes met briefly, and I could see that Ginny had not overheard the conversation, but the fact that Professor McGonagall had left the Great Hall with the headmaster, Ron and Harry were not sitting at the Gryffindor table, and had illegally flown to Hogwarts in a car made it clear that nothing positive was in store for the two of them.

This way" Professor McGonagall led us and the other first years to the doors of the Great Hall. I swallowed. Now it was almost time. Now the probably most important ceremony of my entire life was about to take place.

Professor McGonagall opened the door. A glaringly bright light blinded me. Ginny next to me also flinched. The Great Hall was full of students and I marveled at the candles on the ceiling. " The further I walked through the hall, the more nervous I became. I also noticed Ginny's searching look as she examined the red decorated table. "That's the Gryffindor table," Leona whispered to me. I nodded tensely. Professor McGonagall now stood next to the chair with the hat. She called out to everyone one by one, but I was too excited to hear anything. "Here we go," Leona whispered and sat down on the chair. The hat said something and then finally called out: "Gryffindor." I waved to Leona, who went to the Gryffindor table, where she was greeted happily. Shortly afterwards, Lyanna was also called and she sat down on the chair. The hat finally called out: "Slytherin." I smiled when I saw her happy expression. Ginny whispered quietly "Gryffindor, Gryffindor" to herself. "Silverbrook, Nyla!" What, already? I took another deep breath and then ran forward to sit on the chair. Professor McGonagall put the hat on my head, which slipped over my eyes and got stuck above my nose, which must have looked pretty stupid. "Ohoh... Nyla Silverbrook. What are we going to do with you?" A squeaky voice had started to speak. "There's talent and loyalty... and courage too. Should we put you in Gryffindor?" I swallowed. The hat could put me anywhere but Slytherin for all I cared. "Curiosity and bravery... Maybe Gryffindor like your mother? But let me think again... There's also intelligence, resourcefulness and determination, in large quantities... I'm for SLYTHERIN!" I ripped the hat off my head. Slytherin or Gryffindor like my MOTHER? She had never been to Hogwarts! My breathing was fast and gasping. This was impossible. If my mother had been a witch, she would have told me and Dad. No, this was impossible. This was impossible. Absolutely im-possible.
Someone nudged me from behind. It was Ginny.
"Go on, Nyla." I ran to the green-decorated table, where Lyanna was already waiting for me. I sat down next to her and decided to just banish my nonsense thoughts. It didn't take long for Ginny to choose. After a short while the hat called out: "Gryffindor!" Since all the first years had now been divided up, the hat was carried away and Professor Dumbledore, an older man with a white beard, stood up. He briefly explained the school rules. For example, you weren't allowed into the Forbidden Forest. But to be honest, I didn't really feel like going into a forest full of dangerous creatures. I had other things to do first.
I turned back to the table. It was now full of all kinds of food. Ham, and stew, and fried eggs, and schnitzel, and chips, and salads. . . I piled a little of everything onto my plate and started to eat. Suddenly a girl screamed from somewhere. "Oh... oh!"
I looked around in surprise. What was going on now? "Look-there's Lockhart- Gilderoy Lockhart! " The girl pointed to the teacher's table. "Well, if you ask me, you're just a braggart anyway," a boy chimed in. A whispering and murmuring filled the room.
What was strange, however, was that Professor McGonagall went over to Professor Dumbledore. She seemed to say something to him, then they both stood up and left the hall. I could catch a few bits of words, like "expulsion," "car," and "Whimpling Willow." And "Potter" and "Weasley." I looked over at Ginny, who turned to me at the same moment. Our eyes met briefly, and I could see that Ginny had not overheard the conversation, but the fact that Professor McGonagall had left the Great Hall with the headmaster, Ron and Harry were not sitting at the Gryffindor table, and had illegally flown to Hogwarts in a car made it clear that nothing positive was in store for the two of them.
Suddenly the two boys, who looked exactly the same and who I had seen at the train station, ran to the Gryffindor table and seemed to be announcing something very exciting, because suddenly everyone put their heads together and showed astonished faces. I would have loved to know what they were talking about, but the Gryffindor table was too far away. I wondered what was going on there. . . I glanced sideways at Lyanna. She looked just as confused as I did. "Dear students of Hogwarts!" I turned to the teacher's table. Dumbledore was standing there. So he was back. Professor McGonagall too. And another teacher had joined them. He had black hair and dark eyes.  "Let's all sing the Hogwarts anthem, each to his favorite tune! Let's go!" I was quite taken aback when all the students around me suddenly started singing. Since I couldn't think of anything better, I joined in with the melody of "Feliz Navidad". "Hogwarts, Hogwarts, warthog Hogwarts, teach us something beautiful . . . " In the end, only the two red-haired twins were left singing after an opera aria in which they sang hopelessly over the top and much too high. Dumbledore directed the two with his wand until the end. Then he stood up again. "I wish you all a great new school year at Hogwarts!" he called. "You may go to your common rooms, the first years will be led there by the prefects of their house. Good night!" He sat down again. All the students now began to leave the Great Hall and there was a great commotion. So I preferred to stay seated and wait until most of the students had left the hall. Then I went to the Slytherin prefect. Lyanna went with him too. The prefect led us to a hidden entrance to the Hogwarts dungeons. The prefect explained to us that we were under the Great Lake. When we entered, the first thing I noticed was that the room was very dark and only a green shimmering light came in, which was probably due to the Great Lake. Lyanna and I went to the dormitories. Our luggage was already there. Lyanna and I reserved two old four-poster beds with green silk hangings and silver-embroidered blankets and settled in a bit. Since Lyanna and I were very tired, we lay down together with the others a little later. When I lay down, I had to think again about the Sorting Hat and what it had said. Was my mother a wizard? Was I not a Muggle at all, but a half-blood? I noticed that I was getting more and more tired. Only now did I notice the tapestries that showed the stories of famous Slytherins. I heard water splashing quietly against the windows and fell asleep.