Not The Only Werewolf

The Sorting

We entered a huge hall. Candles floated in the air and the ceiling looked like the night sky. It was dazzling. There were four tables spread across the room. I scanned the hall for Aiden, and found him sitting on the table with blue banners over it... Ravenclaw. He caught my eye and smiled encouragingly. I raised my eyebrows in response. Professor McGonagall, who'd led us through here, stood at the front of the room holding up an old hat. A murmur darted around the room. The hat began to shake and three slits appeared. Two which looked like eyes and one which looked like a mouth. I'd read about this in Hogwarts: A History. The hat cleared its throat.

"First years again,

Don't turn and be afraid,

I'll sort you into houses,

One of four on display!

Hufflepuff, the loyal ones,

Where friends stick fast and firm,

If you're scared, don't turn and run,

Kindness is returned.

Slytherin, with all their cunning,

Aren't afraid of trouble,

If dangers comes, don't go running,

Under pressure, they don't buckle.

Ravenclaw, with a crest of bird,

Know all that grabs their attention,

Their clever ideas deserve to be heard,

And acted on, not to mention!

Finally to Gryffindor,

Where brave and reckless dwell,

They act but don't often think ahead,

So have wild stories to tell!

And now from me,

That's a wrap,

But don't you even worry,

I'll sort you right,

I'll read your mind,

Here we go now, hurry!'

With that, the hat straightened back out and McGonagall pulled out a long piece of parchment. She began reading names.

"Abott, Joe." A nervous looking boy with blonde hair stepped forward. He approached the stool with caution and sat down. McGonagall placed the hat on his head and it frowned. After about three seconds, the hat yelled "RAVENCLAW!" The boy stood quickly and ran towards the Ravenclaw table, amidst cheers from his new house. McGonagall carried on calling names, and with each new name called, I found myself going more and more anxious.

Sirius was the first of the faces I knew to be called up. He swaggered over to the chair, acting all confident, but I could smell the fear on him. That was the werewolf part of me. I could smell strong emotions. Sirius was up there longer than all the others before him. The hat was on him for about three minutes. I could hear Sirius murmuring under his breath, but I couldn't properly make out the words. I heard him say "Not Slytherin." and "I'm not my parents." After all this debating, the hat finally called out "GRYFFINDOR!" The hall was silent. Sirius stood nervously and started walking over to the other Gryffindor's. A couple of Slytherins booed and hissed at him as he walked. I wasn't having this. I cheered loudly and began to clap. James joined in with me, then Remus, then Peter, and soon enough the entire Gryffindor was whooping and cheering. Sirius locked my gaze and nodded at me, a silent thank you. I smiled back at him as he sat down.

Three more people were called before I suddenly heard my name. "Cana, Amaris." Professor McGonagall said and I swallowed hard. My legs shaking I walked up to the stool and sat. McGonagall placed the hat on my head.

I jumped as the voice suddenly spoke in my mind. "Well, well, well, what have we here?" The hat asked. "A werewolf? We haven't had one of those in a very long time." My breathing quickened as I worried about what would happen. Surely the sorting hat wouldn't announce my secret in front of everyone. "Don't fret, child." The hat said. "You are safe. The courage you must have to deal with all those monthly transformations makes you a perfect candidate for Gryffindor. ON the other hand, the cunning you show when it comes to keeping your secret makes you viable for Slytherin. There is wit there and intelligence too. Ravenclaw could help you explore that potential. But your act of solidarity, cheering for a boy you hardly know when everyone else seemed most displeased with his sorting, that shows loyalty and courage. Yes, there's a thirst for justice there. I think the perfect place for you would be-" The voice left my head, and I heard the hat yell "HUFFLEPUFF!" McGonagall removed the hat from my head, and I ran over to the Hufflepuff table. Above the noise of others clapping and cheering, I could hear Aiden whooping extra loud from the Ravenclaw table. My cheeks felt warm and I started to smile. Sometimes my brother wasn't as annoying as I made him out to be.

I listened intently for the rest of the compartment gang I'd been sat with, but it was Lily who came first. McGonagall had called her up, "Evans, Lily.", and the girl had scurried up to the stall, eager as anything. The hat sat on her head for about thirty seconds, before shouting "HUFFLEPUFF!" The hall erupted in cheers, and I clapped politely. Lily came and awkwardly sat next to me.

"Hey." She said shyly. I decided to give her a chance. I was a werewolf for Christ's sake, I needed all the friends I could get.

"Hi!" I replied, brightly. Lily visibly relaxed.

"You were a hat stall!" She said, enthusiastically.

"I was?" I said, confused.

"Yeah," Lily said, "You had the hat on for a solid seven minutes!" I blushed deeply.

"That's so embarrassing!"

"No it's not! The last hat stall was Professor McGonagall herself!" I went to reply when I heard the name "Lupin, Remus" called out. I turned to look at the front, as Remus nervously walked up. He sat, and the hat was placed on his head. I held my breath and waited. And waited. And waited and waited and waited.

"Two hat stalls in the same year?" Lily asked, looking fit to burst. I laughed quietly. Finally the hat proclaimed that Remus was a "GRYFFINDOR!" I whooped loudly as he sheepishly went to sit with Sirius. Before I knew it, Peter and James were sorted into Gryffindor too, and the feast began.

After the feast, our prefects led us to our dorms. "Ok," Elsa, the Hufflepuff prefect began, "Rooms for first years." She read out a list of names, until she got to mine. "Amaris Cana, Lily Evans, Marlene McKinnon, Elizabeth Holliber and Georgina Smythe." I looked at Lily, and she took my hand.
"Come on!" She said, in an excited whisper. We ran up the stairs and found our dorm room.

"Bags this bed!" Said Lily, throwing herself on the bed nearest the door.

"I'll have this one." A brunette girl, Marlene I thought, said.

"I'll take this one." I said, sitting myself down on the bed farthest from the door.

"Is it alright if I have this one?" Asked a girl with blonde hair, Georgina.

"Sure." Replied a girl with frizzy light brown hair, Elizabeth.

"Phew, well I'm knackered." Marlene exclaimed. "Night guys!" We all murmured night in return. I tucked myself under the covers and stared at the ceiling, my mind racing. It was a full moon in four days, and I was already starting to feel it. I sighed and turned onto my side. I should at least try to sleep.