Then I Met You [D.M.]

Year One: The Welcome Feast

Draco stuck out his hand, staring at Harry expectantly. For a moment, Violet was worried that Harry would shake his hand, but her worries quickly vanished. Harry looked down at Draco's hand, then his face as he said, "I think I can tell the wrong sort myself, thanks."

Draco didn't get the chance to respond before the professor from earlier came back, sending Draco back to his friends.

"We're ready for you now. Follow me."

They followed her down a short hallway and through another set of double doors that, of course, opened themselves. Inside was the Great Hall. Four long tables stretched the length of the room, where hundreds of students sat. The walls were lined with sconces of fire, and taper candles were floating in the air. And the ceiling! It was like a window, showing off the night sky just as it was outside. Violet couldn't take in everything fast enough as she walked down the centre aisle.

"It's not real, you see." Hermione explained, as if reading Violet's mind, "It's just bewitched to look like the night sky. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."

Violet was both impressed and peeved that the other girl had already been reading their assigned books. While not opposed to reading, she just couldn't believe someone would have already started school readings.

The first-year students spread out along the front stage, where a long table sat with, presumably, professors. There was also a stool, with a very old, very dirty and rugged hat sat upon it.

As Violet listened to Professor Dumbledore's speech, then Professor McGonagall's, she looked around at her fellow classmates. Some looked nauseous, while others looked excited. She decided she was somewhere in the middle; excited to be there, but nervous at what was to come.

Hermione was called up first. She looked to be talking to herself as she stepped up and sat on the stool.

"Mental, that one. I'm tellin' you." Ron muttered.

"Be nice, Ron! She's probably nervous." Violet muttered back.

Then the oddest thing happened-- the hat talked. Violet was getting used to the strangeness of magic, but a talking hat? Not something she was expecting. It shouted out "Gryffindor!" and the students at the one table all started clapping and shouting. Hermione rushed over, sitting on the empty bench.

One by one the students were sorted. Draco to Slytherin, Susan Bones to Hufflepuff, Ron to Gryffindor, Harry to Gryffindor, Padma Patil to Ravenclaw, and so on. When it was finally Violet's turn, she trudged over to the stool.

'Gryffindor,' She thought, over and over as she sat down, 'I want to be with my friends.'

"Ah!" The hat shouted, "Yes, yes, I see..." It muttered, "You've got Gryffindor in you, mighty Gryffindor blood, yes, yes... You've got potential there... Better be... HUFFLEPUFF!"

It took all of her energy to fight the burst of sadness that threatened to take over. She wanted so badly to be with her new friends, all three of which were sitting at the table watching her in worry. She braved the crowd and plastered on a smile, walking over to the Hufflepuff table. A few of the first-years introduced themselves to her, including Susan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Hannah Abbott.

Once the sorting ceremony was finished, food appeared on the tables. Massive serving dishes full of lamb chops, fresh fruits, whole roast chickens, varying vegetables, rolls, and so much more.

After dinner, the houses left the hall one at a time. When it was Hufflepuff's turn, all the older students left, with only one remaining.

"Congratulations! I'm Prefect Gabriel Truman, and I'm delighted to welcome you to Hufflepuff House!" He lead the small group of first-years through the hallway and down a flight of stairs as he made his speech, "Our emblem is the badger, an animal that is often underestimated, because it lives quietly until attacked, but which, when provoked, can fight off animals much larger than itself, including wolves. Our house colours are yellow and black, and our common room lies one floor below the ground, on the same corridor as the kitchens..."