Two Gryffindors and a Slytherin

Sorted Into My House

I've changed into my robes now and were just minutes away from Hogsmeade. Ginny, Neville and I have spoken the whole journey about their last few years at Hogwarts, so I've pretty much been filled in on every possible detail at this point, but there's still so much to discover for myself. Neville told me about the first time he rode a broom, and how it sort of happened by accident in Madam Hooch's class first year, and that he ended up strung from a beacon by his cloak. Ginny told me all about Tom Riddle's diary and the Chamber of Secrets, now that is one scary place I hope I never have the misfortune of seeing with my own eyes.

We arrived at Hogsmeade in the early evening, we scurried off the train and onto black carriages that would lead us to the boats, with the duty of carrying us across the lake to the castle. I remember my father telling me about how he fooled around on the boat in second year and nearly capsized, so I made a point of keeping extra still, I didn't want my first walk into Hogwarts to be accompanied by a whiff of murky lake water.

"And there it is," exclaimed Neville, "our home away from home".

It truly was a sight for sore eyes. I always thought that BeauxBatons was a tremendous size, but it's nothing compared to the scale of Hogwarts. As we stepped off the boats and into the harbour Ginny turned to look at me with a smile and asked "Are you nervous?" to which I replied "No, if anything seeing the castle up close has calmed my nerves".

Of course, I spun the truth a little, I was shaking, this is where my parents started their journey into the wizarding world, I feel a certain expectation to live up to. Still, I won't let the tremble in my step get the better of me. As we approach the main double doors that guard the Great Hall, I'm approached by a woman in a long, velvet green cloak and pointed hat, baring a scroll.

"Ah, you must be Miss Whiteheart, you transferred from BeauxBatons. I know your mother, she does fabulous work, I own a few of her pieces myself" she said, with a pleasant smile on her aged face.

"Yes, I am, and indeed she does."

"You look just like her, you have the same golden, sunkissed hair I always admired of hers. And those big ocean blue eyes, yes it's as if you're her duplicate." The woman continued, "now my name is Professor McGonagall, and I'm here to take you through being sorted into your house, I'm sure your mother told you about them. She was Ravenclaw if I remember correctly.."

"That's right, and my father attended Hogwarts too; he was in Gryffindor!" I add, with a cheerful smile as I think about my parents waving goodbye from the platform.

"Well then it ought to be a tough decision for the sorting hat, which you should be ready for any minute. You'll be sorted along with the new first years, if that's alright? I thought it better than to have you do it alone on your first day, in front of the whole school." she replied, as she walked me towards a group of terrified yet bewildered faces in cloaks that dragged along the floor.

Addressing us combined, she said in a wisdomous voice, "I'll now lead you into the Great Hall to be sorted into your houses, everyone follow me and keep up."

As we walked through the Great Hall, I hung at the back in the hopes I wouldn't be made to go first, which to my dismay is exactly what happened. I stepped through the crowd of first years and tried my best to ignore the thousands of eyes burning into the back of my head as I sat down on the stool. Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on my head, and it began: "Now, now let me see, it's been a while since I've sorted anyone above the age of 12, so you'll have to bare with me whilst I dig deep into your head and see which House is worthy of your welcome. You come from a split parenthood I see, mother from Ravenclaw and father from Gryffindor, but do you possess the same attributes to follow in either one of their footsteps. You have a thirst to prove yourself, no matter where I put you, that's obvious, a pure heart with an uncommonly kind and caring personality, however your attention to loyalty and family lingers you over to Slytherin, yes, I think you would do well in Slytherin.."

Slytherin?... Slytherin! Brilliant, just the house I worked up in my head to be the least likely. However, remember what mother and father said 'we'll be proud no matter where they put you'. OK, so Slytherin it is then.. Yes?

"NO! On second thoughts.." the Sorting Hat continued, "Slytherin house will remain a part of your story at Hogwarts, but not in the way you'd expect, so it had better be... GRYFFINDOR!"

GRYFFINDOR! I can definitely consider myself lucky to be in Gryffindor! And this would mean I'll be with Neville and Ginny, so I wouldn't have to completely start from scratch when it came to making friends with people in my house. I sat down at the table, next to Ginny, I watched as the Sorting Hat made its way through each of the first years and then ate what felt like a mountain of food.

Once the feast was over, we headed back to the dorms where Neville introduced me to the rest of his friends, who would be in my classes; Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley along with his brothers Fred and George and Harry Potter. I'd already heard about him, I don't know a wizard alive today who hasn't. Still, we all sat down in front of the huge billowing fireplace and I told them all about being at BeauxBatons for the last 4 years and why I had to move, mentioning that my father was an auror seemed to really intrigue Harry as that was now his dream profession in the wizarding world. We spoke for what seemed like hours when it was time to go to bed. As we all said our goodnights, I perched myself back onto the sofa and I noticed Harry walking back over towards me with a concerned look on his tired eyes, "Are you not coming to bed?"

"Oh,.. yes I just wanted to take a second to really breathe it all in. My father told me so much about this place growing up and I always dreamed that one day I could even visit, but now I'm here as a student it just all feels so surreal.." I reply, gazing into the fireplace.

"I know exactly how you feel." Harry replied, sitting back down beside me, "I mean, I only found out about the whole wizarding world a month before I came, so when I finally got here everything just kind of got on top of me at once and I needed to just take a step back and real it all in."

"So you were raised by muggles then?"

"Yeah, and not very nice ones I'll admit. They knew about all of this but chose to keep it from me, which left a lot of unanswered questions every time I'd make something disappear or set something on fire without touching it." Harry said, cracking a subtle smile.

"Ah, quite the mischief maker were you?" I reply, meeting his smile.

"Well, I mean me being blissfully unaware of my magical abilities for nearly half my life might have had something to do with it" as he said this, we both broke into a soft giggle and met each other's eye. Harry's were a bright sky blue with hints of emerald green, twinkling with the reflection of the fire behind his glasses. His skin was soft and light and his hair lay neatly on his head with a short fringe just hiding his scar. For a moment, everything went silent and it felt as though the world had suddenly stopped spinning when we lingered in each other's stare.

"Eeerrrrmmm... so are you glad you were put in Gryffindor?" Harry asked, sounded startled and inching back on the sofa, "from what you told us, it sounded like for a moment you may have been placed in Slytherin.."

"Oh.. errrmm.. Yeah almost.." I stammer, returning my attention to the now nearly non-existent fire. "And yeah, I'm really happy I was sorted here, everyone's been so nice to me."

"Yeah we're a friendly lot, Gryffindor is lucky to have you!"

"Well thank you." I say, looking back up at Harry and baring a soft smile that he then mirrors back at me, as he replies, "Your very welcome. Look I'm gonna head to bed now, I can barely keep my eyes open. I always look forward to my first sleep back in my dorm after a summer at the Dursley's, mainly because it's relatively peaceful I guess."

"Sure, I won't be long after anyway. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Skye."

"Goodnight.."