Between Crown and Heart - Book 1

21 - The Sorting Hat

The boats docked at the breathtaking habour. And then we were lead to some stairs which lead up by an old and very stern looking woman. She was very agitated because we were nearly an hour late and she started to grumble about Hagrid and his incompetency and that he never does something right and why Dumbledore picks him and not someone else.  

I felt very sorry for Hagrid but I was disable to defend him because I was too shy and that made me furious. I mouthed a 'Sorry' to Hagrid but he just shook his head sadly and stroked for the last time the now awoken Royalty.

Then I rushed with the scary Sophie and Ben in my arms after the stairs rising crowd, Royalty behind us. We nearly finished climbing the very long and dark stairs when someone fell down and I had to help them to quickly stand up. Why? Well, I was the oldest and that's why I felt responsible to help them.  

We entered a bright front hall. The woman stopped and went up at a half landing. She turned around and waited until the very last pupils, though we, entered the front hall. Then there was silence. Noone spoke and a strange nervousness was in the air. Then the woman broke the silence.

"I am Minerva McGonagall, your transforming teacher and deputy headmaster of Hogwarts, school of whitchcraft and wizardy. And you may call me Professor McGonagall!  

There are some rules in this school which ..." and she continued with the house rules.

I listened half to her speach, I was busy with admiring the hall. It was old, very old and the ceiling was very high. And I love old things, infact, my favorite subject in school was history. I am always stunned how old things and actions in the past influences our present.

Then I turned to see in front of me: There was this mass of students, all in dark robes, listening intensly to and scared by a mid-seventy old woman. Somehow strange but also funny. Because, why are they scared of an old lady? She is to old for hurting you, honestly. I had to smile.

"Fine. I will call out your names and you will follow me quickly into the Great Hall."

She rolled out an antic scroll and a bit excitingly called out: "Carmen Valeria Galaxy Charmé." ... my name!

The pupils looked at eachother to see who the first one was. I looked at Ben and Sophie and smiled at them, telling them that it was me. I pushed me from the very back of the round about 80 students to the front. Tough task. Everybody looked at me curiously and wondered why I was that old.

"Maybe she's from the giants." whispered a little terrified girl. I tried my very best to suppress a laugh! Really? A GIANT?? Me? With my 1,60 meters?! That's one of the best jokes I have ever heard. But very soon this amusing thought vanished because I arrived where Professor McGonagal was standing.

"You will be brought to the Great Hall first and alone. The other pupils will be brought in groups of 15-20. Hogwarts caretaker Mr. Filch will explain the house rules to you all in detail and the consequences of breaking them while I will be escorting Miss Charmé to the Great Hall." Then she turned abruptly and walked upwards the stairs. Me and Royalty followed her, taking one last glimpse of the students and the caretaker. He was very strange and ugly looking, by the way.

"Excuse me Professor McGonagal. But why are you escorting me alone to the hall and not with the other pupils? And I think that it would be very important and useful to listen to the caretaker what he has to say but unfortunately I am missing his advices." I tried to ask her and maybe to structure my thoughts through her answer. She stopped and looked at me with surprise.