Welcome to the Rest of your Life

Sorting Ceremony {year 1}

"Welcome to Hogwarts." She announced. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room."

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. Now, form a line and follow me."

I got in line in front of Neville. We, not wanting to know what it would be like if we disobeyed her, followed her out into the crowded and excited Great Hall. The students at the four tables, each of which were labeled by colorful banners up above them, clapped loudly as we emerged. The Gryffindor table was, by far, the loudest, suddenly making me even more nervous. Above, however, was a sight that made me feel at peace; above hundreds of floating candles, it looked like a starry night sky in place of a ceiling.

"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside." I heard Hermione explain aloud to no one in particular. "I read about it in Hogwarts; A History."

Professor McGonagall put down a stool, and, on top of it, a dirty wizard's hat. I recognized it as the famous Sorting Hat. Near the rim, a rip opened like a mouth, and the Sorting Hat sang its song:

"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."

As the hat sand, I heard snickering come from my right. I glanced over at three boys who were whispering to one another. One had pale blonde hair and gray eyes. He wasn't very bulky compared to the other two. With a small roll of my eyes, I looked away, catching the past part of the Sorting Hat's song.

"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!"

Everyone in the Great Hall burst into thunderous applause. I looked over at Neville, o had a grin as big as mine on his face.

Professor McGonagall stepped back up with a long roll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted. Abbott, Hannah!"

A girl with blonde pigtails put the hat on, letting is fall over her eyes, and sat.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" it yelled after a moment's pause. The Hufflepuff table applauded as Hannah went to sit.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The second table from the left applauded this time.

After another Ravenclaw, the first Gryffindor was a girl named Lavender Brown. Though the Gryffindor table was just as thunderous as I imagined it to be, I could hear two distinct voices among them all; it was, no doubt, Fred and George, who were practically standing on their seats. After Lavender, the first Slytherin was Millicent Bullstrode.