Dan and Rupert got caught by us fairly quickly but that Slytherin bad boy had disappeared somewhere.
'He went that way.' Devon pointed to the other direction, laughing.
'You've got to be kidding.' I sighed and hurried to where he pointed. 'Toommm!!' I yelled. I turned the corner and saw him leaning against the wall at the end of the corridor, smirking.
'Wanting this?' He held up my bag.
'Yes!'
He started to come towards me with the smirk still on his face.
He was about three feet away from me when he said, 'Come and get it then.' And ran off around the corner.
'Tom!!'
And I sprinted after him.
I caught him eventually right in front of the others, who were surprisingly still there.
'I'll have this, thank you.'
He continued to smirk.
'What?'
'Nothing.'
He turned around and walked off to the door.
I was about to turn around when Emma decided to jump on me, making me squeal and nearly fall face first to the floor.
'Sorry.' She laughed. 'Come on!'
And she dragged me towards the studio, others following behind us.
When we went in, Tom was talking to two big boys who I assumed it was Crabbe and Goyle. They both were wearing slightly different robes from us: the tie was black and there was the Hogwarts logo on their chest. This was when I realised Matt, Devon and Alfred were wearing the same robes too. I saw Chris handing the robes to Tom and came over to us.
'Put on these. No need to go to your dressing rooms, unless you desperately need to. We'll start in five minutes.'
Emma and I changed our ties and robes in less than a minute but we noticed Dan and Rupert were struggling with their ties.
'Can you do these?' They handed theirs to us.
Emma and I quickly tied them and handed it over.
Our make-up artists hurried over and fixed what they needed to fix. We waved goodbye to Bonnie who needed to leave and, joined by Tom, Crabbe and Goyle (I don't know their names yet, okay? Okay.) we were led towards a big set with stairs. There were about forty other people around our age wearing the Hogwarts uniform. Emma and I looked around in awe and excitement.
Then a man who I remembered as one of the producers came down the stairs and the chatter became quiet.
'Thank you,' he said. 'As some of you might know, I am David Heyman, head producer of this movie. In a minute you all will be filming the Sorting Scene from just before where Professor McGonagall will come and collect you. Chris will explain what to you in more detail when he comes back... Oh - that's him right there.'
All of us looked where David was looking to see Chris and Jo.
'Thank you for waiting.' Chris said. 'David, please continue of what you were just saying.'
'Oh no, I'm finished with what I want to say. All to you.'
'All right. Thank you.'
'No worries.' And he disappeared back up the stairs.
'So as David had said, we'll be doing the Sorting Scene. When I give the cue, you all will start walking up the stairs with Dan, Sakura, Emma and Rupert at the front. Chatter excitedly to the top and then Maggie Smith, who will be playing Professor McGonagall will come and meet you. Once she returns into the Great Hall, Tom will say his line and his conversation with Dan and Sakura will go on until Maggie comes back again to lead you into the Hall. Then the Sorting will begin.'
'And a little warning to all those Potterheads in here,' Jo said, deliberately looking at Emma and me. 'Try not to scream.'
Many of us laughed, including Jo and Chris.
'Alllll right.' Chris clapped his hands together. 'Let's start this.'
Us children filed out of the door in to a small, dark room. Chris motioned to go a bit more further. We inched back until he held out his hand for us to stop.
He nodded, nodded to Jo, I supposed because I couldn't see, looked up and called, 'Are you all ready?'
'Yeeeepp!!' Was the answer.
'Awesome!' He grabbed those clinker thingys and said, 'Lights! Cameras! Action!'
Snap.
At once conversation started to buzz around us as we walked up the stone stairs. Emma and I were actually excited and pointed to the portraits and flame torches. When we rounded the platform in the middle, we saw a woman just over middle age with emerald green robes standing on the top of their stairs: Maggie Smith.
'Welcome to Hogwarts.' She said. 'Now, before you being your first year here, there will be a Sorting Ceremony. You will all be sorted in one house either from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin. You will spend all of your schooling years here at Hogwarts and at the end of the year, the House Cup will be awarded to the house with most house points, which you can earn from lessons and such. There is a common room for each house and you will be sleeping in dorms. The Ceremony will being in few minutes so until then, please wait here patiently until I come back for you.'
And she turned around and disappeared through the big oak door. I caught a glimpse of the inside. It there were two LONG tables (I couldn't see he end) and it was filled with "students". I assumed there were two more tables on the other side which I wasn't able to see.
A second after the door closed shut behind Maggie, Tom said loudly, 'So it was true then, huh?' All the heads turned towards him. He had that sneer on his face. 'The Potters coming to Hogwarts?'
He came up the stairs and stood a step above me and Dan; the top platform.
'My name is Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.'
Rupert snorted, just like at the audition, and Tom looked at him sharply.
'You think my name's funny do you? No need to ask who you are. Red hair, handed down robes... You must be a Weasley.'
They glared at each other for a split second before Tom turned back to Dan. 'You'll soon find out some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to be making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there.'
He held out his hand.
'I think I can figure that out myself, thanks.'
Tom raised his eyes, narrowing his eyes slightly. Then he turned to me. He opened his mouth to speak when Maggie came out. She froze when she realised which part we were still up to.
'Cut!' Chris called from below.
'Sorry, my bad.' She laughed halfheartedly. 'Must've heard it wrong.'
'It's fine, it's fine.' We heard Chris say. 'From the beginning!'
'Sorry children.' Maggie apologised as we turned to head back down.
'It's fine!'
'That's ok.'
'No worries.'
We were back in the small dark room and when Chris cued, we walked up the stairs. We went fairly good and Tom and I were able to have our conversation without Maggie coming out from the door.
'Well, I hope you're more decent with decisions than your cousin here.'
I looked at his hand, glanced at Dan and my flickered up to Tom's nervously and shook his hand. 'As a fellow peer for now, I suppose.'
I saw a faint smile/smirk on his face and we released our hands, Maggie came out the door. Tom looked around him and went back to "Crabbe" and "Goyle".
'Follow me.'
The door to the Great Hall opened and Emma and I gasped. There were just sooooo many people and WE WERE IN THE GREAT HALL. Like seriously, it was my life dream to walk in here and have dinner with the food and drink magically appearing and oh what else? The ceiling! The magical ceiling! I looked up to see...
Green screens.
Lovely.
'This's amazing...' I whispered to Emma.
'I know...' She was fascinated too.
But that didn't last long because Chris yelled out, 'Stop stop!'
We all stopped and turned around to the door.
'Emma!' He said, smiling as though he was trying to remind her.
Emma looked puzzled but she soon yelped, 'Oh! I'm so sorry!'
'It's fine. I can see that you were too distracted by the set.' He laughed.
'Yeah...' She blushed slightly.
'Oh well, we were going to crop a bit of the entering anyway. We can start from there.'
'Okay, cool. I'm sorry.'
'Don't worry Emma. I don't expect any scene of any movie will be perfect on the first go. Well, this's the second take.'
Emma smiled weakly.
'From the door opening!' Chris yelled to the crowd and led us First Years and Maggie back out.
'Cameras?' He called up above as the door closed again. The people above must've given him a thumbs up because Chris nodded and backed away, out of the camera sight.
'Ready all?' He said to us.
'Yyeeessss.'
'Third time, first time! And... Action!'
Snap.
We started walking a bit off camera sight as the doors opened.
'Those aren't real, you know.' Emma said looking up at the green sheets. 'They're only magic, making it look like the real sky. I read it in, Hogwarts: A History.'
'Me too!' I smiled.
'Really? It's a great book, don't you reckon?'
'Absolutely.'
In front of us I saw Rupert whispering something to Dan.
We arrived in front of the Staff Table and the Sorting Hat (ASDFGHJKL) and Maggie strode up to it.
'Please come up to the front when your name is called.' She said, taking a roll of parchment. At that moment I was trying so hard not to be smiling and look around the set. 'Hermione Granger.'
I caught eyes with Emma's and I nodded stiffly. She turned back around and I heard her muttering, 'Okay, calm down. It'll be all right.'
'Mental, that one.' Rupert said to Dan.
Emma sat "nervously" on the stool and a second later,
'AAHHH.' It boomed around the whole entire set that nearly everyone jumped up a feet, shortly followed by laughter.
'That was a tad loud, Martin.' The voice said between chuckles.
The laughter turned into chatter as we all waited for Chris's cue.
Every once a while, the voice actor who was the Sorting Hat would test the sound but it was always too loud or too quiet. About the eight attempt later, I thought I heard Chris yell, 'Perfect!'
'Okay, everyone settle down, settle down.' The "Sorting Hat" said and the noise died down. 'I feel like the director now. This isn't bad.' He laughed, causing several laughter.
'Sorry Leslie, but the director's me for now.'
'Damn. But the Sorting Hat's good. I get to judge people and put them into houses.' He joked.
'I volunteer for stunt double!' Someone in the crowd shouted. More laughter.
'We'll see that later.' Chris laughed. 'For now, let's start the Sorting Again. From Hermione is fine. Aaand go!'
'Hermione Granger!'
Emma looked at me, sighed, glanced around quickly and muttered to herself, 'Okay. Calm down. You'll be fine.'
'Mental, that one.'
Emma sat down and Maggie placed the Hat into her head.
'Ahhh...' Leslie's voice said in perfect volume. 'I see... Yes... Mmm... Right... Better be... GRYFFINDOR!'
Cheers erupted from the table second from the right. Emma hopped off the chair happily and joined the Gryffindors.
'Draco Malfoy!'
I saw "Crabbe" (I think) whisper to Tom something as he walked up to the stool.
As soon as the Hat touched his head, Leslie said, 'SLYTHERIN!'
The Slytherins cheered and Tom stood up with a smug look on his face.
'Susan Bones!'
'HUFFLEPUFF!'
'Ronald Weasley!'
'Ho!' Rupert flinched. 'Another Weasley! Well, I know where to place you; GRYFFINDOR!'
Rupert sighed in relief and joined the Gryffindors with Emma.
'Harry Potter!'
'Good luck.' I whispered to Dan.
He just nodded stiffly and walked slowly up to the front and sat down.
'Ahhh, yes, yes... I've been waiting for so long... Yes, you are brave, yet ambitious...'
'Please not Slytherin... Anything but Slytherin...'
'Not Slytherin?'
'No... Just not Slytherin...'
'All right, then it better be... GRYFFINDOR!'
The Gryffindors cheered loudly as ever. Many of the stood up too. Dan looked so happy and when he caught my eyes, he mouthed, 'Good luck.'
I smiled at him nervously.
'Sally Potter!'
The floor boards creaked as I walked up to the stool. Maggie placed the Hat into my head (!!!! I HAVE THE SORTING HAT ON MY HEAD LIKE WHAT EVEN).
'Another of the Potters... Oh yes you are a tricky one... Caring, intelligent, brave and cunning... Yes... There is no other option...'
'What do you -'
'GRYFFINDOR!'
The second table to the right exploded. It cheered, yelled and clapped as I slid off the Hat and was about to walk off -
'AND SLYTHERIN!'
I turned around, making the completely confused expression.
The Gryffindor table went quiet instantly. Now the Hall was filled with murmurs.
'And Slytherin?'
'Wait, she's in both?'
'What does that mean?'
I stood there, frozen until a man, who obviously was Dumbledore stood up and strode over to the Sorting Hat.
'What is this about? Sorting a student into two houses?'
'That's how tricky she is. She's got both.'
'She cannot be in two common rooms at once.'
'Oh I know that, Dumbledore.'
"Dumbledore" sighed. He hen turned to me. 'We will sort this out later. Join the Gryffindors for now, and stay in your seat after the feast, understood Miss Potter?'
'Yes...'
'Off you go then.'
I turned around and went to join the others. They were quiet for a second but one of the Weasley twins (I assumed) whooped and started to clap, joined by the others straight away. I gave them a nervous smile and sat down.
'Aand cut! That was really good!'
I forgot that we were filming.
'If we fix a twitch of some things, it would be perfect!'
'Yeah!'
And the set was filled with claps.
'Do you want to do that again, for a bit longer, or have a ten minute break first?'
'Ten minute break!' Everyone chanted.
All the crew laughed.
'Okay. We'll meet you here again in ten minutes.'
Half of the crowd stood up and hurried out of the set and the rest stayed, chatting loudly.
'We just had lunch break!' Emma whined.
'You sound like Hermione.' Rupert commented.
'Says you.'
'I don't say stuff what Ron would say!'
'But you eat like him.' Dan said.
'Well that's different.'
'How?' Emma pressed on.
'Uhh...'
'See!'
'Sakura, help me.' Rupert nudged me.
This was when I realised that I was staring over at the Slytherin table absentmindedly.
'Wait what?' I blinked.
'They're teasing me.'
'You started it.' Emma said, but she was looking at me from the corner of her eyes, smiling/smirking, which made me feel uneasy.
Ten minutes felt like a minute as Chris said, 'Okay! From the beginning!'
The first years all stood up from their seats and headed back tin wards the door with Maggie following us.
We stopped outside the door.
'Keep going!' Chris said, flicking his arms.
'Wait, down the stairs?'
'I did say from the beginning.' He laughed.
'Uuuggghhhh.' They groaned.
'He doesn't need to say anything.' Tom, who had suddenly appeared behind me, said in a low voice.
'Stop complaining.'
'I'm not!'
'Really?'
'Yes really!'
'Okie dokie.'
We went through the whole thing again and again and again aaand guess what? Again. We did go Each time several crew members will comment on little things and we stopped the Sorting scene on the seventh take. That basically took us to three o'clock and Chris said that we'll do several more another time. Then many went home because they weren't doing anymore big scenes anymore and the others, including me, Dan, Emma, Rupert and Tom stayed for other scenes. I was introduced to Richard Harris, or Dumbledore and Alan Rickman who would be Snape. He, Richard, Maggie and I did a scene where Sally has a little meeting with Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape to organise what to do with her housing. While I was filming that, Dan, Emma and Rupert filmed where Percy took them to the Gryffindor common room. And Tom... He just stayed and watched because apparently he had nothing to do even if he went home, which was like an hour drive from here. This was when I realised where I would go after this. I mean, I can't live in a hotel forever.
We continued to film bits and pieces with few little breaks until quarter to seven. I was tired, but in a good way.
'Well done, all of you.' Chris smiled to the rest of us where we met in the morning. 'Have a good rest today and I'll see most of you here again tomorrow between nine and ten. I don't think many of you want to be early again during your summer holidays.' He looked around us. 'Again, well done and thank you. Have a great night.'
'Thank you!'
'Good night!'
'See you tomorrow!'
Straight away I hurried to the bathroom because I was desperate and when I returned, Emma can running to me and crashed into a hug.
'Guess what guess what guess what????' She shrieked.
'What?'
She took a deep breath to calm herself down but I didn't work.
'You're staying at my place!!'
A/N
I'm SOOOOOO sorry about the late update... I had/have a test and I gotta study for it aaand homework is just ridiculous. I'll try and upload the next chapter asap tho!