The Weirdest Weasley of Them All

Year 1: Chapter 3

( Amelia's POV )

The door swung open and a tall, black-haired witch with emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and right away I knew not to cross her.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She pulled the door wide open. The entrance hall was humongous. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing us lead to 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 us into a small, chamber off the hall. We crowded in rather closely together. I was jammed in between Draco and Harry, which sucks considering they were both boys. Draco sneered down at me and I heard him mumble to himself, "Bloodtraitor." I decided to ignore him since I didn't want to pick up any fights the first evening here. "Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "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 you House, sleep in your Houses 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 rewarded 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 tried flattening his hair, but ended up smacking me in the eye with his elbow. "Sorry." He mumbled apologetically. I nodded in forgiveness. "I shall return when we are ready for you." Professor McGonagall said. "Please wait quietly." She left the chamber and I gulped nervously. "How exactly do they sort us into Houses?" he asked me. "Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking." Ron answered quite rudely. I noticed how uneasy Harry's facial expression was. "Are you alright?" I asked, but before he could answer everyone began screaming as twenty ghosts streamed from the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at us. They seemed to be arguing. "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance--" What looked like a fat little monk said. "My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost-- I say, what are you all doing here?" A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had finally noticed us. Everyone just stared at him. "New students!" The ghost whom I recall as Friar said, smiling at us. "About to be sorted, I suppose?" I and a few other people nodded slightly. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" He said. "My old house, you know." I knew I wouldn't be in Hufflepuff since I wasn't all that friendly and patient like them. That's when Professor McGonagall returned. The ghosts floated away through the opposite wall, one by one. "Now, form a line," she told us, "and follow me." I felt my legs turn to jelly as I got in line behind Hermione who had her head held up confidentiality. I honestly envied how prepared she was to be sorted. She acted like it was hobby while here I was on the verge to fainting. We soon began walking through the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors, leading to the Great Hall. I opened my mouth in awe at the sight. Thousands of candles floated in midair above four long tables, where the older students sat. The tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. I felt that same pang of jealousy I had earlier hit me again. We didn't have the luxuriousness this castle did at home. I decided to brush it off since envy wouldn't make me look good. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led us up there, 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. I swallowed nervously as sweat ran down my forehead. Dotted here and there among the students, were ghosts that shone a misty silver. It felt like everyone was staring at me, judging my every movement. More than ever did I want to get this over with. I turned my head back to Hermione when she whispered, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History." to Harry. Obviously she wouldn't talk to me, I was probably too awkward to have a conversation with. I turned my head at Professor McGonagall as she placed a four-legged stool in front of us. On top of the stool was a pointed wizard's hat. I remember Fred and George telling me about a sorting hat that sorted you into your house. They would bug me about how I would be put in Slytherin which really got on my nerves since I wasn't a total bitch to be put in there. The hat was patched, frayed, and extremely dirty. I wouldn't be surprised if we had something like that lying around at home. I broke out of my thoughts and I soon noticed that everyone was staring at the hat. The hall was silent for a few seconds. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth and the hat began to sing: