Hogwarts at last

Chapter 5

The train finally comes to a full stop and with a loud whistle. I look out the window and see hogwarts. I breathe in relief and amazement. 

“It’s huge,” I murmur.

Lee laughs,” Wait until you get lost, it feels ten times bigger.” A voice comes over a speaker on the train. ‘Please leave your baggage on the train. It’ll be taken to your room.’ They leave the compartment and I tap my case, it turns into a bag and I hide it under my robes. I follow the twins' lead  and push my way out of the train, I step on to the platform and shiver. The air is nippy, how cold is it? 40 degrees? A light shines from above everyone's heads, I turn and see Hagrid holding a lantern. 

“First years! First years over here!” I walk over. “Alright there Harry?” I see Harry nod and Hagrid beams. God he deserves everything and more! I’m gonna show him my baby’s! “Come on, follow me, and mind your step now!” He says over us. “ Come on, first years, follow me.” We follow him when I hear a small chirp, thinking it’s one of my creatures. I pause but see my bag shut. I look around in the tall grass. It’s so dark…

 I flick my wand out,” Lumos.”  I take a second peek through the grass and see a tiny, hairless, baby squirrel peering back at me. I blink and look at the group going further. I take a few steps and the creature tries to follow me. Without much thought I scoop it up and carry it with me. I catch up with the group tucking the squirrel in a hidden pocket I put in my robe. “Nox.” I almost trip as I extinguish the charm. I bump into another first year and quickly apologize. 

The other first year looks at me suspiciously,” Yeah. Watch where you're going.” He turns back around. I quickly adjust my pocket making sure the baby squirrel is okay.

“You’ll get your first close peek at Hogwarts in just a sec, just round the bend here.” I hear Hagrid say. I feel the baby squirrel cuddling into my warmth in my pocket. I hear a loud, Ooo, and peer forward into the bigger part of the path. I see Hogwarts across the black lake. “No more en five to a boat.” Hagrid calls and gestures to the John boats. I quickly follow Hermione as she climbs into her boat. 

I gently tap her shoulder,” Could I sit here?” I ask politely. Hermione turns to me in surprise.

“ Of course.” She scoots over slightly. the boat dips slightly under my weight. I sit and take a shaking breath. The boat won’t sink, go away anxiousness! I look in front of us and see Neville. I have to act like I know nothing.

I turn to her,” Is that the boy who lost his toad?” 

She nods,” Have you seen it?” She asks politely. I shake my head apologetically.

“No I haven’t sorry, I just heard people joking on the train as I got off about toad boy.” I say rubbing my arm nervously. I know we’ll find the toad so I don’t feel super bad but… why do I feel awful?

Hagrid's voice goes over the idle chatter,” Everyone In?” No one speaks up so he sits in his boat. “Right then, Forward!” All the boats start to move at once. The air gets colder and slightly clammier as we glide the glassy water. Everyone is silent the entire 5 minute long ride over. Hagrid’s voice is the first to break the silence,” Heads down!” He speaks as the first boats reach the cliff. I duck my head and hold my pocket and bag. Vines go over my back and I shiver at the feeling of the cold ivy gliding over me. We continue on in a pitch black channel, I feel around and accidentally touch Hermione. 

“Sorry,” I quickly apologize. 

She lets out a breath before speaking,” It's fine.” We reach the underground dock and I get out and help Hermione and the others out of the boat. 

“Thank you,” Harry says. I nod and smile at him. If I befriend him these whole seven years will be easier. 

Turning, I see Hagrid checking boats and helping kids out of them,” Ey you! Is this your toad?” Neville’s head quickly whips in Hagrid’s direction.

“Trevor!” He calls, running to get him. I walk behind Hermione up the steep rocks, catching her once as she slips. She thanks me before continuing. We end on the damp grass of the courtyard. We walk up the stone steps before crowding the giant double oak doors.

Hagrid turns,” E’eryone here? You there, got your toad?” Hagrid raises his huge fist and knocks three times. His mitts are freakin huge! Larger than my face, easy! The  doors swing open and I jump, scaring Neville. My eyes adjust to the light and I see McGonagall standing in emerald green robes, her hair slick back in a tight bun. “The firs’ years Professor McGonagall.” Hagrid says.

“Thank you Hagrid,” Professor McGonagall says. She sounds more Scottish than in the movies. “I will take them from here.” She opens the door the rest of the way and all of us first years walk in, blazing torches light the corridor, the ceiling… I can’t make it out! Woah, huge! We walk up the staircase and I hear the muffled chattering of students through the giant doors. She leads us into a separate room and I look around and move my small bag in front of me and cover my pocket protectively. “Welcome to Hogwarts. The start of term banquet will begin shortly.” She speaks and I peer down at the baby squirrel. It is asleep for the moment.

I murmur quietly,” Please stay asleep.” One of the locks on my bag pops open, I quickly shut it. 

 “ However, before you take your seats in the great hall, you must be sorted into your houses. The sorting is a very important ceremony, because while you are here your house will be something like a family within Hogwarts. You will have class with the people of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your dormitory's common room. The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.” She says Slytherin with the slightest bit of disdain. “ Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will be your house's triumphs. While any trouble making will lose your house points.” She pauses and looks over the sea of us students. “At the end of the year, the house with the most points will win the house cup. A great honor, I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house you get assigned too. The sorting ceremony will happen in a couple  minutes in front of the whole school. I would suggest you take this time to smarten yourself.” Her eyes scan the crowd and a small sigh is barely audible. “I will come to collect you soon, please wait quietly.”

Harry’s voice is the next I hear,” How exactly to they sort us into houses?” 

“Some sort of test I think,” Ron replies. Wow five brothers and he still doesn’t know? Wait… the others probably lied to him. “Fred said it hurt a lot,” Ron continues. Yep I was right. He continues,“ Though, I think he was joking.” I feel the tension suddenly rise as the other first years get scared. Wait… I have another in!

I gently tap Ron’s shoulder and he turns to me,” Are you perhaps Fred and Georges little brother?” 

“Yeah, what’s it to you?” He questions me. 

I try to find my words, I didn’t think this through,” I rode with them on the train with Lee Jordan. They mentioned the name Ron, I’m pleased to meet you! I’m sorry if I came off wrong.” I quickly apologize after my rambling and smile awkwardly. Really only i have such luck to piss someone off the first time I speak to them. Just as I finish speaking I hear screams. I whip my head around subtly grabbing my wand. The hogwart’s ghosts glide through, over, and about us into the great hall. They begin to speak but I tune them out and check on the baby squirrel, it’s little body wiggles.

“Move along now.”  Professor McGonagall’s sharp voice cuts through the air. “The sorting ceremony is about to start.” The by one the ghosts leave and  Professor McGonagall looks at us. “ Now form a line, and follow me.” I get in front of Harry. We walk in and I see all the students sitting at their tables.Fred and George grin at me and I wave nervously. Please don’t be a mistake….I glance up and see the teachers, Flitwick, Snape, and the other teachers. She motions us to face the students, I see tons of pasty faces, only about 25% having color and being tanned or colored. Among the tables a couple of the ghosts float looking at us. 

I hear Hermione whisper,” It’s bewitched, I read all about it in Hogwarts a History.” i feel my hands get extremely clammy. I freeze, i’m going to get in front of hundreds of students and sit on a stool alone as i get sorted.  Professor McGonagall sets the stool down in front of all of us and puts the hat on top. Wow, it looks so much mustier in person. The silence is deafening, then a rip opens in the hat and it begins to sing.

“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 bowler's black and top hats sleek and tall,” It punctuates. “ Because, I am the Hogwarts sorting hat, and I can cap them all. There is nothing hidden in your head the sorting hat can’t see, so try me and I will tell you where you ought to be. You might belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart. The 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. Not yet in Wise Old Ravenclaw if you’ve already a mind with those of wit and learning will always find their kind. Nor perhaps as Slytherin you’ll make your real friends. Those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends.” It pauses for just a moment,” So put me on, don’t be afraid and get in a flap. You're in safe hands though I have none for I'm a thinking cap.” Applause erupt from all around the hall, making me jump at the suddenness. The hat bows to all four tables then returns to being still.

I overhear Ron whisper,” So we only have to try on the hat.” I feel the squirrel shift around in my pocket. I glance around an summon a syringe of warm goats milk. I pull the small squirrel from my pocket. “I’m gonna kill fred. He was going on about having to wrestle a troll.” I quietly feed the squirrel, It drinks the milk greedily. When it stops I tuck it into my breast pocket as it falls back asleep.