Danny Jackson (Percy Jackson/Harry Potter)

The Sorting Ceremony

  Harry, Ron, and I were finally able to get off the train and onto the dark platform. It was a little cold in the night air but not bad. I could see a lamp bobbing over students heads and I heard a familiar voice saying "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! Danny, Harry, all right there?" Hagrid stood taller than everyone around us. No one talked as we made are way down a steep and narrow path.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' look at Hogwarts in a sec. Jus' round the bend." Hagrid voice called out to us.
then everyone said. "Ooooooh!" 

In front of us was a great black lake and across the lake, perched on a high mountain was a huge castle. 

"No more'n five to a boat!" Hagrid called. So Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and I climbed in a boat. 

"Everyone in? Alright-FORWARD!" All the boats began to move at once towards the big castle. Still no one said a word. We were all to amazed by the lake and the castle.

"Heads down!" We all ducked as the little boat carried us through curtain of ivy that hid an opening in the cliff. We continued through the cave until we reach what seemed to be an underground harbor.

As we climbed out Hagrid came over to Neville. "Oy, is this yer toad?" 

"Trevor!" Cried Neville. He seemed happy to have his toad back.  

We continued up a flight of stone steps and gathered around a huge oak door. 

"Got everyone?" Hagrid asked. He then raised his big hands and knocked three times on the door. It then swung open and a tall, black haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She seemed like the stick type.

"Firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid said.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She opened the door the rest of the way and the entrance hall was huge. The walls were lit with flaming torches and the ceiling was to high to make out. A marble staircase facing us lead to an upper floor. I could hear hundreds of voices from a doorway to my right. The rest of the school must already be here. 

Professor McGonagall lead us into a smaller room. "Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin soon but first you all must be sorted into your houses. While your here your house will be your family. You will have classes with your house, sleep in house dormitories, and spend free time in house common rooms. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each has its own history and great witches and wizards. Now just remember. Your triumphs will gain you points and rule-breaking will lose you points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will win the house cup. I hope you are a great credit to your house. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes. Wait here until I return. Please remain quiet." She left the room. 

"How are we sorted?" Harry asked Ron.

"Some sort of test. Fred said it hurt, but he was only joking, I think." Ron explained.

A test? Were they really going to give us a test? We just got here. Half of us didn't even know magic existed. Well non-Greek magic anyways. 

"Which spell would I need?" Hermione asked me.

"I don't think they are really going to test us, Hermione. We just got here and most of us don't know crap about magic." I answered. 

"Well, Danny. Think whatever you want. I'm going to be prepared." She said but not before rolling her eyes. 

Out of habit I looked down at Dakoda but realized he wasn't there. He must have stayed behind with the other pets. 

"AHH!" someone screamed. I grabbed my necklace but quickly let go seeing what they screamed at. It was a ghost. And not just one ghost. Many ghosts. But only two stopped and the seemed to be having a argument.