Half-Blood Means Two Things || Marauders Era | Percy Jackson ||

|| 10 - A Hat Tells Me Where To Sleep ||

I beamed up at McGonagall, but when her eyes locked onto me, there was a slight displeased glint in them. A glint that I saw in Chiron's eyes almost daily. It said, how the Hades did you already blow something up, Charlie?? Which meant that I should at least try to seem regretful, but I couldn't. I just shrugged and flashed her my signature grin. It was apparent from the scowl on her face that she didn't like that response.

Well, I thought, amused, she doesn't know why I blew up the lights.

It looked like she really wanted to scold me, but she decided that her job was more important. I wasn't arguing with her.

She pulled the doors open wide. We were greeted by a large entrance hall that had to be at least twice the size of the Big House and the Big House wasn't particularly small. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches just like the underground tunnel. I shivered remembering how horrifying it had been.

I glanced up at the sky one more time, savoring the feeling of the nighttime breeze, before following the professor across the flagged stone floor. I vaguely remembered the entrance hall from my dreams, but, just like everything else at Hogwarts, it was even more breathtaking in person.

After being forced through the tunnel on the boat, I wanted nothing more than to stay outside where I could study the constellations and forget about the creepy tunnel, but instead, I was forced into the castle where more rock surrounded me. Fortunately, the ceiling was so far up, I could barely see it. It was much more spacious in the entrance hall, so I found it easier to breathe.

Every brick and design in the castle halls seemed to radiate magic, secrets, and memories -- so much so that I could literally feel it in my skin. Tingles ran up and down my arms as I looked around the ancient castle. It was weird to think that it was going to be my home. Well, if I wasn't expelled from Hogwarts for blowing up part of the train...

I could hear muffled noises of a few hundred people talking behind a doorway to the right. I figured that was where the rest of the students were, but instead of taking us through that door, McGonagall led us through a different, smaller door into a tiny, empty chamber with no furniture.

We all crowded in, and I pressed up against one of the boys I'd recognized from the train as I'd been dragged by the ear through the train. He had dark chocolate skin that matched his eyes. He gave me an intrigued, borderline snotty smile before turning back toward McGonagall while she shushed the crowd of nervous first-years.

"Welcome," she said again. "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," she shot me a look while she said this, "because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room.

"The four Houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin." I couldn't help but snort at the name again. The guy next to me shot me a look, and I wasn't sure if he was annoyed or amused. "Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards." I couldn't help but wonder if this speech was memorized. Fortunately, she said it with such animation (cough, cough -- sarcasm -- cough, cough) that I couldn't decide. "While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule-breaking," she was definitely staring at me now, "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."

I was honestly surprised I'd paid attention to her as well as I did -- I was practically itching with the need to move -- but I guess she just kind of had an air of authority that even some of the most hyperactive kids would focus. At least, I hoped that was the reason, otherwise, classes with her were going to be... interesting.