When We Were Young: Year One

Chapter 2

The door opened to reveal a man. He had white hair and a short beard.

"Here's the first-years, Professor Dippet," the woman said.

Professor Dippet smiled. "Thank you." He pushed the door open all the way. "Follow me."

The group of children followed Professor Dippet through the huge Entrance Hall lit with flaming torches. Tina could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right. Professor Dippet showed first-years stood close together.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor Dippet. "Now, before you can take your seats in the Great Hall for the start-of-term banquet, you will be sorted into your houses. While at Hogwarts, your house will be your family. You will sleep in your house dormitory, you will have classes with your house, and spend your free time in your house common room."

Tina shifted nervously as Professor Dippet explained the different houses and about house points and the House Cup.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes. Please wait here quietly. I will return when we are ready for you."

As Professor Dippet left the room, a nervous chatter broke out. Tina looked around. Newt was standing a little ways away, shifting his feet.

A few minutes later, Professor Dippet returned.

"The Sorting Ceremony is about to start. Please line up and follow me."

There was a moment of confusion as everyone moved to form a line. Tina felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Newt grinning sheepishly.

"I'm still nervous," he whispered.

Tina smiled.

They followed Professor Dippet out of the room and into the Great Hall. Four long tables sat in the middle of the room and a fifth, slightly raised table sat at the end. The teachers all sat at this table while the rest of the students sat at the four lower tables.

Tina kept her head down as they walked between the tables. She knew that the other students would all be looking at them.

The first-years formed a line at the front of the Great Hall. Professor Dippet placed a little stool in front of them and set a dirty, tattered old hat on it.

The room had gone very silent. Everyone was staring at the hat. 

Suddenly, a rip in the rim opened and it started to sing.

When the song was over, the hat became very still again.

"As I call your name, you will come up and place this hat on your head to be sorted into your house." He unrolled a scroll of parchment.

"Anthony, Marcus."

A tall boy with jet-black hair made his way to the stool. He sat down and the hat was placed on his head.

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted across the hall.

The table on the left started cheering and the boy went to join them.

"Bradly, Angela."

A girl with blond hair approached the stool. The hat was placed on her head. A few minutes later, it shouted across the hall.

"SLYTHERIN!"

The table at the far right started cheering.

Several more names were called. "Caldwell, Allen" became the first Hufflepuff and "Clark, Eleanor" became the first Gryffindor.

"Goldstein, Porpentina."

Tina breathed in sharply. She walked slowly towards the stool. She sat down, very aware that everyone in the room was staring at her. Then the hat was placed on her head and all she could see was the lining of the hat. A small voice started speaking in her ear.