The Next Generation

Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw

               The Hogwarts Express groaned to a halt, and all of the students on it rushed into the corridor of the train, and out the door all at once. Albus was making his way through the crowd and out into the cool night air, when he heard a distant voice bellowing, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here, please!" He followed the voice until he broke through the main crowd, and looked around. He saw a humongous man, or maybe a giant, towering over about two dozen first years. He realized it must be Hagrid, the half-man, half-giant friend that father had told him so much about. More and more first years were emerging from the crowd and heading toward the voice, and Albus followed. When he got a little closer, he noticed a row of boats waiting on the surface of a vast lake. He recognized the scene immediately; these boats would take the first years across the lake and to the castle, where they would soon after be sorted into the four houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. He walked the rest of the way to the lake, hopped into one of the empty boats, and gazed in the direction of the castle. It was a foggy night, but despite this, he could still make out the dark mass that was Hogwarts castle on the other side of the lake.

"Hi, Albus!" he jumped, and turned to see who had addressed him. It was Rose, who had just hopped into his boat, which was now leaving the shore

"Oh, hi!" he replied.

"Sorry I startled you."

"It's fine," he said, glad that someone was happy to talk to him. "So what house do you think you'll be sorted into?"

"I'm really not sure. To be honest, I'm sort of hoping I'll get into Ravenclaw, but I'm not sure what my dad would say." She looked up at him, and said "you won't tell him I said that, will you?"

"Of course not!" Albus replied.

He glanced up at the castle, hoping to get a better look now that they were closer. He got his wish; looming ahead of them was Hogwarts, just as his parents had always described it, but not at all how James had described it. Its many towers were shining in the moonlight, and all together it was the most brilliant sight!

"Rose, look!" Albus cried.

"Wha- oh! She seemed mesmerized by the castle. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Albus merely nodded, distracted by the magnificent sight.

He felt a soft bump and knew they had hit the shore. All of the first years began to climb out of the boats and stagger toward the castle, Hagrid in the lead. At last, they reached the great oak front doors, which creaked open upon their arrival. They entered what Albus recognized as the great hall, and clambered up some steps toward an old witch and an even older, weathered hat on a stool. The witch, who introduced herself as professor McGonagall, gave a quick speech about the sorting procedure, and the sorting began. She called them up in alphabetical order, and Albus, being a Potter, knew he would be near the end. Many worried looking first years like himself were called up, sorted, and then joined their house tables. Finally, a name he recognized was called.

Professor McGonagall's voice wrung out "Scorpius Malfoy," and the timid boy stepped up to be sorted. He pulled the battered old hat over his head nervously. The hat seemed to take a longer time to sort Scorpius than it did most, but finally, it roared "SLYTHERIN!" causing him to let out a sigh of relief as he went to join his house. A few more students were sorted, and finally, "Albus Potter!" was called.

Albus walked over to the hat, sat down on the stool, and pulled the curious hat over his head. His heart was beating faster by the moment. A voice sounded inside his head, making him jump.

"Hmmm, tricky..." voiced the hat. "You'd do well in any of the houses, but which one to choose? Let's see... I think we can rule out Ravenclaw. Don't get me wrong, you're a clever boy, but you wouldn't be most successful in that house."

"Gryffindor," he thought. "Please, Gryffindor."

"You think Gryffindor? Hmm, maybe, but not so fast. I think we'll eliminate Slytherin next, ambitious as you can be, I don't think it's the best fit. Now, it's down to Hufflepuff and Gryffindor! I must tell you, you're a difficult one, very difficult..."

Albus's heart was beating hard against his chest now. He was sure he was taking a lot longer than the others, and that everyone in the hall was staring at him, waiting for a choice.

"You'd do remarkably well in either, but seeing as you have a preference, it had better be GRYFFINDOR!" the hat roared for the whole hall to hear.

With the hat's words still ringing in his ears, he made his way over to the Gryffindor table, where he was being applauded loudly by his house. He took a seat next to a girl he recognized from Rose's compartment on the train, and watched the rest of the sorting. Finally, as the sorting drew to a close, Rose's name was called. Unlike his own sorting, the hat barely touched her head when it called RAVENCLAW! The expression on her face was unreadable as she went to join the other Ravenclaws. Then, just as the last first year was sorted, dish after dish of mouthwatering food appeared in thin air, and the feast began. Once everyone had finished their meals, a large variety of desserts replaced the empty dishes. Now that all of the students were full and content, they slowly began to rise from the long tables and head up to their house dormitories. Albus felt a surge of excitement, for he would be entering the Gryffindor common room for the first time! Just as he was starting to wonder which way he should head, a voice sounded a few seats away from where he sat.

"Everyone follow me! I'm a prefect!" shouted an older student. Albus got up, and followed him with the rest of Gryffindor house up a series of winding staircases, until coming to a stop at a portrait of a fat lady hanging on the wall of what appeared to be a dead-end. Albus's parents had never told him how he would get into his dormitory at Hogwarts; they had always said it would be a surprise. However, he couldn't help feeling a little underwhelmed.

The prefect who had taken them here spoke again: "The new password will be numquam timeat," he announced. And the portrait seemed to somehow register his words, because it swung open as he spoke the password, to reveal a small opening large enough to crawl through. Albus gasped as he clambered through the portrait hole soon after, and found himself in a large, comfy room with a fireplace and cushy armchairs. When he saw that almost everybody was filing through two separate doors labeled "Girls Dormitory" and "Boys Dormitory," he proceeded into the latter. He noticed that his trunk was already waiting for him at the foot of one of the beds. As tired as he was, he didn't even bother to undress himself before sinking gratefully into one of the four poster beds to rest for the night.