Audrey's Secret

The Sorting Hat

"Do you collect wizard cards, Audrey?"

"I've got almost four hundred of them. They're fascinating usually."

Harry handed me his card to see what he had gotten. He had Dumbledore.

The door slid open to reveal a round faced boy.

"Sorry, but have you seen a toad at all?"

I shook my head no. "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!" He cried. "He'll come up." Harry said.

"If you see him..." He turned and left.

We continued talking about the chocolate frogs and Dumbledore and after a while Hermione came in. "Hello Audrey. Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one." 

"We've already told him we haven't seen it." 

We had talked about muggles and the wizard cards and a little about Harry's scar. It was shaped just like a lightening bolt. "Attention students. We are at our destination. Please leave luggage on the train, we will get them to your bunks. Exit through the side airlock door."

Harry and Ron insisted I go first, Tom had been here once and told me about it. "Firs' years, follow me! Mind yer step now! Firs' years!"

He was an abnormally large man with a large beard and beady warm eyes, he shouted. Harry caught up beside me and said, "That's Hagrid. He's brilliant. You'll like him."

Harry smiled at me and we had a small conversation about the rumors of trolls in the woods as we arrived at the lake. "Yer firs' sight of Hogwarts. No more than four to a boat now!"

Harry pointed to a boat and I followed him along with Ron. Hermione sat in the last spot.

When we reached the harbor, Hagrid called out, " Oy! You there! Is this your toad?"

"Trevor!" Neville sang delightfully. Harry got out, followed by Ron who helped me out onto the pebbles. We followed Hagrid though a passage way and up a flight of stones. When at the top, everyone gathered around the huge, oak door. Hagrid knocked three times.

We followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. "Wait here and don't move." She eyed us and then left the room.

Harry turned to me. "What's the test?" Ron joined us. "Fred says it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

I rolled my eyes and laughed. "That's not it at all. Its a sorting hat. It will tell you what house your in."

Harry and Ron looked at each other. "So here's no pain involved?" Ron asked. "Nope." I replied popping the 'p'. "You're just putting on hat." Harry sighed. I noticed a hair peeking up on his head so I flattened it out for him. "All my family has been in Griffindor. Imagine what they would say if I got put on to Ravenclaw. Well, that wouldn't be so bad." Ron said to us and have muttering to himself. Tom must be...bad...to be put into Slytherin. I'm not that bad, I don't think. No. Perhaps I am since I had to transfer...Someone gently poked my shoulder. "Audrey, we're going. Here," Harry put me in front of him, in the line that had suddenly formed with Professor McGonagall in the lead. We came into a great room filled with alot of people and four long tables. Must be the different houses. The woman put a chair in front of the line facing the tables and put the frightened first kid in the chair and put a well worn out, brownish hat on top of his head. "RAVENCLAW!!" The hat shouted. The kid pranced over to the table that cheered. "Are you nervous?" Harry whispered. "Yes. I just hope he wont put me in Slytherin." I shuddered at the thought of being in the same house as Tom had. "Me too." Suddenly I was in the front. Professor McGonagall called my name and she had trouble looking me in the eye. I sit in the chair and she puts the hat on me. "Audrey Riddle...Riddle...What a name. Your brother was in Slytherin and you don't want the same fate?" The hat wondered aloud. "No, sir." The hat laughed darkly. "Hmm...where to put you. Part slytherin and Griffindor. Mother is good? Father t'was a bad egg. Let's put you in...GRIFFINDOR!!!" Smiling and shaking I ran to the sort of quiet table, apparently they aren't fans of me already. I laid my head down on the table feeling nauseated. I hear Hermione, Harry, and Ron get into the house as I am. Harry, being famous from that encounter with Voldemort, when his time came everyone went into hushed whispers. I turned my head to the left so I could see who was being chosen and what house they were going to. Afterward the ceremony, Dumbledore stood, a bright, genuine smile grew on his face. "Welcome!" he began. "welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we eat, I would like to say a few words: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you! Now enjoy the feast!" With that he sat down. Hermione told me to sit up, that food was going to appear on the plates that I was resting on. And to her pleasure, she was correct. So many of the foods' that lay on the plates were my favorites! There was pizza, fried chicken, corn, potatoes, turkey, macaroni, and some I have no idea what it was. "Well, dig in." George or Fred said snapping me from my trance.

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"What about you Audrey?" Ron asked.

"Oh, my mom is a muggle and dad was a witch. But he's not here and my mom doesn't mind that I'm a witch as long as I don't get hurt." Again.

"That is...well. I don't know." Neville said, his face heating up. "Ouch!!" Harry seized his head with his hands. "Are you ok?" I asked in a low whisper not wanting to attract attention. "Y-yeah."

Dumbledore stood once again. He cleared his throat.  "First years, the forest is forbidden, a few of older students should remember this or have consequences." He glanced towards the Weasley twins." I wonder what Tom had done when he was at his first year. He might have had a lot of sneaking around and casting curses on people and...what Tom does. It's been hard to believe he's gone. I would go into his room and play with him. I had beaten him each and every time. Back then we were only nine and six. Tom had never been unhappy while he was around me. Probably just putting problems aside to take care of me. "Audrey." I looked up and Harry was looking concerned. "The ceremony is over now." I smiled weakly and got up from the tables. The plates are now empty. I guess I missed dessert. I followed Harry, who was following someone tall and red headed. We reached the end of the corridor and a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress. "Password?" she said. "Caput Draconis," the older boy said. The portrait swung open and they all scrambled in. He directed the boys to their dormitory. And the girl's to theirs. I gave Harry and Ron a wave and yawned as Hermione stepped beside me, venting her excitement of the day and how she knew everything was going to happen. We went up a flight of stairs, some of the girls behind us resorted to crawling. A blonde opened the door to the tower and didn't bother to hold it open for the rest of us. I mumbled a few curse words as one of the girls lit a lantern on the wall. I found my trunk and changed quickly and put my notebook and pen on my bed after I brushed my curly hair and put it up. I glanced over to the bunk beside me. "Hermione," I started.

"Yes?" She peaked from behind her curtains. I wanted to ask her about Harry. I'm worried about that mark on his head. He had held it very painfully at dinner. The words caught in my throat and instead this came out, "Do you think they'll let a girl, a first year, be on the Quidditch team?"

She sighed. "You know first years aren't allowed to play any sports. But if they did let you on the team, they would never loose." Hermione smiled showing her teeth. "You haven't even seen me play yet." I seeped into my cover taking the reading light I had brought and clipping it on the wire that hold the girl above me up. "I don't have to. Goodnight, Audrey." Hermone blew out the lamp  and pulled her curtains. I turned on my light making sure it didn't peak out from my bunk. I opened my notebook and began to write.