Hermione Granger and the Philosopher's Stone

The Sorting Hat

The door swung open instantly, to reveal a tall, thin witch blocking the door.  She was quite old, with black hair, pulled tightly into a bun on the top of her head, and a stern face.  Hermione thought instantly that she looked like a wonderfully organized woman, and she respected that (although she was glad that she didn't have a habbit of causing trouble as she wouldn't have liked to get on the wrong side of her).

"The firs'-years, Professor McGonagall" said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid.  I will take them from here."  She pulled the door wide and Hermione smiled in excitement.  The Entrance Hall was massive - easily large enough to fit a small house it - with a stone floor and a marble staircase ascending from the wall opposite them.  The chamber was lit flaming torches like in medieval times, although Hermione presumed that these ran on magic.

Profesor McGonagall led them across the cold stone floor to a small door hidden in the corner.  They passed a set of ginormous, oak doors, through which Hemione heard the low buzz of conversation.  They all filed into a small chamber and stood, squashed against each other in the compact space.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Profesor McGonagall briskly.  "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."  Hermione stood up on her tip-toes to see the Professor, eager to hear about the 'sorting'.  "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 -" Hermione shuddered, "- will lose house points.  At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour.  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."  Hermione noticed that her eyes ligered on Neville's cloak, which he had somehow managed to fasten under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose.  Hermione hastily combed through her hair with her fingers and straightened out her robes, not wanting to disappoint the professor.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall, before sweeping out of the chamber.  Hermione's heart fluttered.  What were they going to have to do?

"Some sort of test, I think" she heard Ron's voice whisper from somewhere near her.  A test?  Maybe that wouldn't be so bad.  Good thing she'd learnt all those spells.

Hermione started running through all the spells she'd memorized, whispering them to herself to make sure she'd got them word perfect.  She wondered aloud about which ones she'd need and what questions they were likely to ask, oblivious to the annoyed glares shot her way.  Any second now Professor McGonagall would come back and Hermione had to be ready.

Someone screamed, and Hermione's head shot up.  She gasped as about twenty ghosts passed through the - very solid - wall of the chamber and floated over their heads.  They were pearly-white, and transparent, and wore an odd assortment of outfits as though from several different historical eras which, Hermione reminded herself, they most likely were.

"Forgive and forget" one - a fat little monk - was saying, "I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves?" he was answered by a tall, stately looking ghost in tights and a ruff.  "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?"