New School, New Life

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

I stepped into the Headmasters Office and looked around the room. Bookshelves line the walls along with enchanted portraits of the past Headmasters. I walk up a small set of stone steps toward a mahogany wooden desk. I notice a phoenix sitting on a golden stand next to the desk and smile. I have always been fascinated by phoenixes.

I walk over to phoenix and have to suppress the urge to reach out and touch it. At that same moment I hear the sound of someone clearing their voice and turn around to see an older gentleman with long white hair and beard, twinkling bluish-green eyes behind half-moon spectacles, dressed in a fancy, light blue wizard robe.

“I’m sorry. I was admiring the phoenix”, I say, still thrown by the fact that I hadn’t heard him enter the room, “You must be Professor Dumbledore.”

“Yes, and you are Miss Julia Wright, correct?” Professor Dumbledore asked with a look showing he knew he caught me off guard.

“Yes,” I reply. He walks past me and sits behind the desk and gestures to the chair next to me. I take a seat and look at the Headmaster expectantly.

He looks at me and begins the meeting. “Miss Wright, seeing as you are here I take it you got the letter, yes? And you read the attached letter about the schools rules, correct?”

“Yes, Professor.”

“And the four houses? You understand about those?

“Absolutely, Professor,” I replied, remembering reading all about it and how I wondered for hours which house I would be in.

“Good. Well then, Miss Wright, you have two choices. You can put the sorting hat on now,” he pointed to the top of a bookshelf near his desk on my left where a black pointed hat sat, “or, at the start of term on September 1st. Which would you like to choose?” In all honesty I wasn’t sure. I always hated being in front of a crowd, but I would feel like I missed out on something if I did it in the confines of this office instead of the Great Hall.

In that moment I made my decision. I was going to swallow my fear and hatred of being in front of an audience and be sorted on the 1st with the first years. Only, instead, I would be joining the third years.

“Professor, I think I would like to wait until September.”

Dumbledore looked at me with a small smile and a sparkle in his eyes. “I think that that is a wonderful decision.”

I hope you guys like it. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I have been debating the second chapter for a while now and I cant seem to make a decision on where to go. So, since I cant make a decision, perhaps you can help me. I'm stuck between having the next chapter start at Kings Cross, at the sorting ceremony, or build on the past of my character by having her go home after the meeting with Dumbledore. Let me know what you think, I could really use your input. If you have any other ideas let me know, I would be more than happy to hear them.

Thank you -

IaMme531