the hogwarts castle was a large, seven-story high building supported by magic, with a hundred and forty two staircases throughout its many towers and turrets and very deep dungeons. it was absolutely breathtaking. we reached the corridor, where professor mcgonagall was standing. she first thanked hagrid. "welcome to hogwarts," said professor mcgonagall. "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 because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room" "The four houses are called gryffindor, hufflepuff, ravenclaw, and slytherin.", she paused and looked at malfoy when she said "slytherin".
" each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. while you are at hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking 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. the sorting ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting".
i nervously tried to flatten my hair, and tucked some stray of hair behind my ear again. my hair turns very frizzy at times and i don't like it. harry was looking perplexed because ron muttered something to him, while hermione behind me was muttering the spells she know. then that jerk, draco malfoy, approached harry. "it's true then. harry potter has come to hogwarts", he smirked. he then introduced his friends, crabbe and goyle. "and i'm malfoy. draco malfoy", he introduced himself. me and ron sniggered at the same time. draco looked at us at the same time. 'think my name's funny, do you? no need to ask who you are. my father told me all the weasleys have red hair, freckles and more children than they can afford.', he continued. he then turned to me. "oh and you are that girl who collided into me because you can't see. get yourself some glasses like potters'", he smirked. "shut the heck up, malfoy", i gritted. He turned back to Harry.
'you'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, potter. you don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. i can help you there.' malfoy extended his hand, but harry didn't take it. 'i think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks,' he said coolly. i sniggered again, and malfoy's mouth snapped shut. malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.
after a while, professor mcgonagall gestured us to follow her (but not before whacking malfoy with a paper) i looked up and the ceiling was velvety black dotted with stars. hermione whispered to me, "it's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in hogwarts, a history". It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. We saw a hat too, sitting there peacefully! then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth -- and the hat began to sing:
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty, But don't judge on what you see, I'll eat myself if you can find A smarter hat than me. You can keep your bowlers black, Your top hats sleek and tall, For I'm the hogwarts sorting hat And I can cap them all. There's nothing hidden in your head The Sorting Hat can't see, So try me on and I will tell you Where you ought to be. You might belong in gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve, and chivalry set gryffindors apart; You might belong in hufflepuff, Where they are just and loyal, Those patient hufflepuffis are true and unafraid of toil; Or yet in wise old ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind, Where those of wit and learning, Will always find their kind; Or perhaps in slytherin You'll make your real friends, Those cunning folk use any means To achieve their ends. So put me on! don't be afraid! And don't get in a flap! You're in safe hands (though I have none) For I'm a thinking cap!"
the whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. it bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again."so we've just got to try on the hat!" ron whispered to harry and me. "i'll kill fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll!" i laughed and ron glared at me, so i quickly stopped.professor mcgonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "abbott, hannah!" a pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause --
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat. the hufflepuff table clapped loudly. professor mcgonagall called harry, ron and hermione too very soon. all of them were in gryffindor, and i hoped that i would be with them. finally, professor mcgonagall looked down at the long parchment paper. "smith, ella!", she yelled and looked at me. i blushed, and quietly stepped out of everyone's way. i slowly made way to the sorting hat. i felt anxious, but then remembered my mom's words. i gulped and my stomach had a sinking feeling, as i wore the hat.
"hm...difficult. very difficult...plenty of courage, i can see..and the thirst to be humble and kind..but where should i put you.....? hm....", the hat whispered to me. "gryffindor..gryffindor please..gryffindor..", i mumbled. "GRYFFINDOR YOU SAY? OKAY THEN, GRYFFINDOR!", the hat suddenly yelled. i flinched. the gryffindor table was clapping, especially hermione, who gave me a warm, sweet smile as i sat behind her. "congratulations!", she whispered. i thanked her. i saw malfoy giving me a death stare. i rolled my eyes. the sorting ceremony went for a long time. but then came malfoy.
draco malfoy. the hat didn't even fully touch his head, but immediately yelled "slytherin!". he looked exceptionally smug. he looked at me for a second, and smirked. i don't know why but his smirk really annoys me! like, does your face have any other facial expressions? i pressed my lips together and mentally cursed him.
professor mcgonagall rolled up her scroll and took the sorting hat away when the ceremony ended . then, professor dumbledore had gotten to his feet. he was beaming at us, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see all of us there.
"welcome," he said. "welcome to a new year at hogwarts! before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: nitwit! blubber! oddment! tweak!'
i looked over at hermione, who gave me a lopsided grin. 'yes he's a little mad", i could hear her think.
