The Silver Tongue

Chapter 7

"Talk"

'Think'

"Parseltongue"

Chapter 7 – Sorting Hat

The door opened to show a grand hall filled with students sitting at four long tables. The teachers were sitting at a raised table at the end of the hall in front of the wall to wall and floor to ceiling windows looking out to the lake. The ceiling was charmed to look like the sky outside, sparkling with stars and a full moon shining so bright that only a dozen candles were lit to help brighten the room up. A stool stood in front of the teacher's table where everyone in the hall could see it. On that stool sat an old, wrinkled pointed hat that powers shifted in and around.

Professor McGonagall led all the first years down the middle of the tables. Harry watched how his friends and the others try to huddle into themselves to escape the attention they received from the rest of the room. The first years stopped at the base of the steps while McGonagall continued up. Harry zoned out knowing what was about to happen. He wanted to observe the people he was going to have to interact with for the next seven years. He heard the students around his gasp in surprise as the hat opened his 'mouth' to recite a poem.

He turned his attention to the teachers, easily spotting Snape at the end with another teacher in a turban. Harry felt a twinge of pain rush from his scar. He quickly concentrated on the spot and sent a rush of warmth to it as he has always done when it acted up. The pain faded. The teacher with the turban looked up. Harry and the teacher locked eyes. Harry would swear that he saw two different eyes staring back at him. It wasn't until Snape said something that the teacher turned away. Harry sent a look to Snape, who hadn't changed before he continued his observations. A short man came next. Harry noted that he must be part goblin but much happier. Next to him was an empty seat.

The headmaster sat next to the empty spot in an elaborate chair. Harry thought back to what his aunt told him when he asked about the Headmaster, "Don't trust the Headmaster. Dumbledore is not the golden-hearted man so many know him as. Stay out of his sight as much as you can. Give him no reason to call on you for anything." He moved on when Dumbledore looked in his direction. A plump rosy-cheeked teacher sat next. She looked nice Harry noted. Another woman sat in the next chair. Her hair was up and covered with white cloth. She also wore a white apron marking her as the school nurse. He made a note to see her tomorrow like his aunt told him to in her last letter. The last two teachers were both huddled together talking. Harry noted that they must be the third year and older teachers.

Applause pulled his attention back to the hat that was giving a bow to all four houses. McGonagall pulled a scroll from her sleeve, "Now when I call your name you will come up and sit on the stool. I will set the sorting hat on your head and he will decide what house you belong to. You will then go join your housemates at the proper table." She opened the scroll and lifted the sorting hat, "Susan Bone."

Harry watched as student after student got called up and sorted. Six Hufflepuffs, three Ravenclaws, five Slytherins, and four Gryffindors before one of Harry's friends were called. "Neville Longbottom." Neville walked shakily up the stairs and almost fell off the stool when he sat. "Hufflepuff!" Neville barely had the hat off before he was running to his house table wanting away from the attention. Many of the students gave a laugh at him but his house clapped happily to welcome him.

Three more students were sorted before Hermione was called. "Hermione Granger", Hermione walked to the stool with her head held high but her shaking hands gave it all away. The hat took a minute but he was soon calling out her house, "Gryffindor!" Hermione flashed a happy smile in Draco and his direction and at Neville before making her way to her house to sit next to the twins who made room for her clapping and whooping loudly.