Background Hogwarts

Chapter Two - Sorting

They followed the elderly lady from earlier and gathered at the front. They were in a huge hall with floating candles and stars shining down. There were four tables in the main part of the hall, then on a raised platform was another table, a lectern in the shape of a golden bird, and a brown hat, similar to the one the older witch wore, but this one was more wrinkled. She stepped up to the lectern and called for quiet. "Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts, I am Professor McGonagall. As many of you may know, Dumbledore is dead, Voldemort ordered one of his followers to kill him. When this person couldn't do it. The task fell to Severus Snape. Who has been banished from the school, never to return. Should anybody see him, they must report to me immediately, no matter what the time." She paused. "Since he has been banished we will need a new head of Slytherin, who will be our potions teacher Professor Slughorn." He smiled politely from the table behind McGonagall, before she continued. "As you may know, I am to take over from Dumbledore. I was head of Gryffindor, however I can't be headmistress and head of house. So allow me to introduce your new defense against the dark arts teacher, and Head of Gryffindor house, Professor Lupin." He waved from the teacher's table and looked out towards the Griffindor table, searching for someone. McGonagall continued. "Who, as some of you may remember, taught the subject here four years ago. Now, without further adieu, The Sorting Ceremony for our first years." She turned around and picked up a scroll. "Melanie Black!" She called. Melanie stepped forward, McGonagall lifted the hat and motioned for her to sit down. She placed the hat on the girl's head. It began to speak. "Hmm, a very determined little thing, you'll do anything to get what you want. Better be SLYTHERIN!" The Slytherin table cheered, she walked over to take her seat as her cloak and uniform changed into a Slytherin uniform. "Max Walsh!" McGonagall called, he stepped to the chair and sat down as the hat was placed on his head. "You are very smart, want to learn everything about magic. RAVENCLAW!" He grinned and went to take his seat as his robes changed colour. The table cheered as he sat down. "William Reed!" He walked up to the chair and sat down. "Fiercely brave and courageous. GRYFFINDOR!" The table cheered loudly and his robes changed colour and clapped him on the back as he sat down. "Elizabeth Stewart!" She stepped up nervously sat down and just as it had been for the others, the hat was placed on her head. "You are very brave, but even more loyal to your friends and what you think. Extremely kind. Better be HUFFLEPUFF!" She giggled nervously as she went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table as her robes changed colour. "Tom Coleman!" Elizabeth watched as her friend walked up to the chair and silently prayed for the hat to yell Hufflepuff. "Very loyal and kind." It said. "HUFFLEPUFF!" She grinned and cheered as her friend made his way to her and his robes changed colour to match her own. She smiled and greeted him, to her own surprise as much as his, in a hug.

*****

After cheering their new housemates until they were hoarse, it was finally time for the last student to be sorted. "Finally, Hannah Coleman!" The small girl walked up and sat down, the hat had barely touched a hair on her head before yelling "SLYTHERIN!" Tom gasped as the girl's robes turned green. "What is it?" Elizabeth asked her friend. "That's my sister. That's my twin. She's so innocent, she's kind and loyal and sweet. She's not cunning." Elizabeth saw the hurt in her friend's eyes. She hugged him as his eyes began to water. McGonagall began to speak. "I feel you all deserve to know that Voldemort is back and wants to take control of the castle, he will not stop until he kills who he's after. As many of you may already know, I'm talking about Harry Potter. He is not here, he is completing a task for the war effort, because a war is coming. Now, let the feast begin!" Everyone pulled food onto their plates and began eating. 

*****

"Off to bed, curfew is 9pm and lights out is 10:30pm. Prefects, show the first years to the dorms and give them the passwords. Tomorrow we will give new students a tour of the school straight after breakfast, which is at 7am until 7:30am."