Charlotte spends most of her time at Hogwarts with our favorite side characters. Wonder what they were doing during those anything but normal 7 years? Lottie is Cedric Diggory's best friend, a Gryffindor ally and an all around adventure driven, snea...
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After getting off the train, Cedric and I hear more whispers. It seems almost proven that Harry Potter is here at Hogwarts. If I have any thoughts on this at all it is that I feel bad for him. Everybody will want to be friends with him, because he's famous but I hope he gains real friends somewhere along the way.
I could say the same for myself.
They tell us that first years always go by boat. So all the first years separate from the main group. I wave goodbye to Cedric but he's already caught up with his dorm mates.
I roll my eyes and get in a boat by myself. But a girl comes up and asks if she can join me. I nod my head. "I'm Hannah." The girl with blonde hair says. I smile at her. "I'm Lottie." Hannah smiles. "To be honest, I'm a bit nervous." I smile. "Me too." Another girl skips up to us. "Hi I'm Anna. Can I ride with you?" She has a cute round face with big earnest eyes. Hannah and I nod fiercely.
"Dean, there's room in this one!" I hear a boy with a thick Irish accent say. Two boys come closer. The other boy, Dean I presume, looks nervous. "Oh I am not sure."
"No, no. We can totally all fit." Hannah insists. So the five of us row quickly and chat about the train ride. I know everyone is nervous. Since Hannah's barely talking, Anna is talking a lot and I have a pit in my stomach.
"We're falling behind." Dean says. Sure enough, it looks like we are going to be the last boat. "I'll go faster." the Irish one says. He does push fast but just as we are about to dock, he gives us too hard a push and we slam right into it. Splashing water everywhere.
My shoes are wet. I bite my lip. "Oops." Some other kids offer us hands to climb out. "I am sorry." the kid says. "It could have happened to anyone." I say lightly. "Yeah, no big deal." Anna says. The boys skip ahead to the other kids, but us girls try to shake out our robes.
"I really didn't want to squeak on my way up to the hat." Anna says trying not to sound upset.
"You know they sort you in front of everyone? That's so intimidating. Like going to school in a huge castle is cool and all but I don't know if it'll be worth all this embarrassment." Anna runs on.
Once we deem ourselves dry enough, we file into the castle with all the other kids. We are met at the top of the stairs by an older looking Professor. She's older, but she's still beautiful.
She explains how sorting works for a moment, then steps away. As soon as she steps a way a snobby little white blond hair kid calls out "So it's true, what they're saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts."
"What a jerk." Anna whispers to me. I nod my head. I've instantly taking a liking to Anna. She's bold, but not too bold. Sweet, but not naive enough to let people walk over her.
As the snotty kid seems to insist Harry make more important "pure blood" friends, Harry surprises me by saying "I think I can sort the wrong kind out for myself, thanks."
Professor McGonagall reappears and ushers us into the Great Hall. The room is made to look like it has no ceiling. It's amazing. We all stand before the sorting hat. I jump a little when it starts to sing a song, I assume it wrote in it's own, because I've never heard it.
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry,
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin,
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means,
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
All the students sitting down began cheering really loudly. The only one I really knew to be accurate was Hufflepuff: for the loyal and true, because that's where my parents and Cedric's parents were placed.
Anna bounces on the balls of her feet while Hannah clings to my arm. The hat sorts students alphabetically. It first calls Hannah Abbott. I quickly realize it's my Hannah as she lets go and steps up. The hat quickly determines her a Hufflepuff. I clap for her. Then goes a red-head Susan Bones- Hufflepuff. Terry Boot - Ravenclaw. Mandy Brocklehurst - Ravenclaw. Lavender Brown - Gryffindor. Millicent Bulstrode- became the first Slytherin. They cheered so loudly I almost jumped.
"I heard they only take pure bloods." Anna whispered to me. I raised an eyebrow at her. That would be a horrible policy for a whole house.
"Anna Fields." Professor McGonagall calls. Before she goes up, I reach to give her hand a squeeze. She looks back at me and smiles. The hat barely touches her head when it calls out "Hufflepuff." The Hufflepuff table cheers. "Figures." I smile. I would immediately like someone with similar traits as my family. "Justin Finch-Fletchy." was just announced a Hufflepuff. I turned back to look at Cedric. He gives me a little thumbs up.
Seamus Finnigan, the Irish kid from the boat became a Gryffindor, so did Hermione Granger. It felt like forever until we were going to get my name. I zoned out most of the rest until I finally heard my name.
"Charlotte Sigler." I climb up and let the hat rest. "Hmm." It mumbles. "You have loyalty beyond compare, but there is a good deal of courage in here. hmmm." Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. It's deciding slowly. "Hufflepuff." It says finally, and my table cheers. I sigh in relief. Cedric is screaming the loudest.
It isn't until I'm sitting next to Cedric and Anna at the Hufflepuff table, with people introducing themselves to me that I finally exhale.
