Rosabella's Point of View:
The door swung open at once. A tall, black - haired witch in emerald - green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and my first thought was that this was not someone to cross. I smirked. Perfect. Strict teachers are the funniest to mess with.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid said.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." Professor McGonagall said and she pulled the door wide.
The entrance hall was very big you could have fit a normal sized house in it twice. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing us led to the upper floors.
We followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. I could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right - the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. We crowded in, standing rather closer together than we would usually have done, peering about nervously. I was looking around curiously, bursting with excitement.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. 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." Professor McGonagall said.
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and 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." Professor McGonagall said.
"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." Professor McGonagall said and her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose.
I saw Harry nervously tried to flatten his messy hair.
"I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." Professor McGonagall said and she left the chamber.
"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Harry asked Ron and I.
"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking." Ron said, nervously.
"Of course, he was joking. There not going to make us do a test on the first day. Half the students only just found out they're magical and would be at a complete disadvantage –" I said and Harry then suddenly jumped about a foot in the air.
Several people behind me screamed.
"What the - ?" I said and I heard Harry gasp as did the people around me.
About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly - white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at us. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost -" Another ghost said.
"Hi!" I said loudly and brightly.
The ghosts looked down at us.
"Why, hello. I say, what are you all doing here?" The other ghost said.
The ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the us.
"We're waiting to be sorted." I said, excitedly.
"New students!" The Fat Friar said, smiling around at us.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know." The Friar said.
"Move along now. The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." A sharp voice said.
Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.
"Now, form a line, and follow me." Professor McGonagall told us.
I stood behind a boy with sandy hair and Harry got behind me, Ron was behind Harry. We walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.
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. Professor McGonagall led the us up here, so that we came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind us. The hundreds of faces staring at us looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver.
I scanned the faces for familiar ones. I found Michael first who grinned at me and gave me a thumbs up. I found Jason and Jacob next who were sitting by the Weasleys twins they grinned excitedly and showed me they had crossed their fingers. I then found Lucas who smiled and gave me a reassuring wink.
"Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History." Hermione whispered to me and she clutched my hand again.
It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.
Professor McGonagall silently placed a four - legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty.
I stared at the hat, slightly confused. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. 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 Hufflepuffs 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! I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll." Ron whispered to Harry and I.
I giggled slightly and Harry smiled weakly. 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." Professor McGonagall said.
"Abbott, Hannah!" McGonagall called.
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 table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. I saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.
"Black, Rosabella!" Professor McGonagall called.
I stode forward, more eager then nervous. I sat on the stoll and I gave McGonagall a small smile as she placed the hat on my head. The hat fell down over my eyes. I gripped the edge of the stoll and I was suddenly nervous.
"Hm, interesting. I've seen a mind like this before. Not exactly the same, no two minds are ever the same. A good fit for all houses, but which are you most like? Cunning, I see you are. Very cunning. Cunning you may be, very cunning. But a small part, oh a very small part of you, compared to your other qualities.
Dedicated, fair, kind but kind enough for Hufflepuff I don't believe you are . . ." The hat said in my head.
"Rude but true." I said out loud slightly offended.
I heard laughter all around me.
"Not a bad mind but not good enough for Ravenclaw . . ."
"RUDE!" I yelled.
More laughter.
'I'm getting insulted by a hat,' I thought furiously to myself.
"Bravery and loyalty seem to be your defining qualities but is Gryffindor the right house for you?" The hat said thoughtfully inside my head.
"Oh will you hurry up? I'm hungry!" I complained.
I heard a lot of laughter.
"Gryffindor!" The hat yelled out loud.
I passed the hat back to Professor McGonagall as the Gryffindor table burst into applause. Grinning, I sat down at the Gryffindor table. Many Gryffindors stood up to shake my hand and I got a few claps on the back.
"Bones, Susan!" Professor McGonagall called.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.
"Boot, Terry!" Professor McGonagall called.
"RAVENCLAW!" The hat shouted.
The table second from the left clapped this time. Several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.
"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the next Gryffindor. Ron's twin brothers catcalling. I shook Lavenders hand as she sat down opposite me.
"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin.
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!" Professor McGonagall called.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat shouted.
Sometimes, I noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy - haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor. I realised he was Fiona's little brother. She cheered loudly as he sat at the Gryffindor table.
"Granger, Hermione!" Professor McGonagall called.
I crossed my fingers, hoping we'll be in the same house. Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head. The hat did not shout at once but deliberated.
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat.
I saw Ron groaned.
I clapped louder then anyone and Hermione quickly came to sit next to me.
When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted,
"GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to Professor McGonagall.
"MacDougal, Morag." Professor McGonagall called.
Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once. The hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"
Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.
There weren't many people left now.
"Moon". . ., "Nott". . ., "Parkinson". . ., then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil". . ., then "Perks, Sally-Anne". . ., and then, at last -
"Potter, Harry!" Professor McGonagall called.
As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.
"Potter, did she say?"
"The Harry Potter?"
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat yelled after a minute or more of deliberation.
Harry took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. Harry, by far, got the loudest applause. Percy the Prefect got up and shook his hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins, Jason and Jaob yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Harry sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff he'd seen earlier and next to Hermione. The ghost patted Harry's arm.
And now there were only three people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harry at the Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Harry and I crossed our fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Harry and I clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to Harry.
"Well done, Ron, excellent." Percy Weasley said pompously across Harry as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin.
Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.
Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. I saw Jason, Jacob, Fred and George all grin at each other. Dumbledore was beaming at all of us, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see us all there.
"Welcome. 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! Thank you!" Dumbledore said and he sat back down.
Everybody clapped and cheered.
I laughed in a confused way. Harry looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or not.
"Is he - a bit mad?" Harry asked Percy uncertainly.
"Mad? He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?" Percy said airily.
I laughed as Harry's mouth fell open.
The dishes in front of us were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.
I looked at Lucas and he grinned at me. Jason, Jacob, Fred and George looked around confused. I grinned widely and Hermione looked at me suspiciously. Lucas had agreed to stop the twins prank and set up mine. When everyone started piling food onto their plates birds started to appear and fly out of the plates. Everyone screamed and leaned back. Then people started to scream as the frantically fanned their tongues having just taken big gulps of pumpkin juice that I had instructed Lucas to pour a ten pound bag of pepper into each goblet. I laughed hysterically as Hermione fanned her tongue with one hand and swatted away birds with the other. Many people were doing the same thing. Dumbledore waved his wand and the birds disappeared and the pumpkin juice was replaced.
"Well, Mr and Mr Black and you Mr and Mr Weasley, seemed to have put done yourself. I do hope you enjoy –" Dumbledore said but was cut off.
"It wasn't us this time!" Jason called to Dumbledore.
"It was the demon child!" Jacob said, pointing to me, who was still consumed with giggles.
Lucas had told me to take all the credit because he believed that it would be highly amusing to watch Jason and Jacob try to figure out how I did it when I didn't even know where the kitchens were.
I waved cheerfully at Dumbledore.
"Well, Miss Black. A very amusing prank and quite impressive for your first night at Hogwarts. I do hope you enjoy your first detention with your Head of House, Professor McGonagall." Dumbledore said, smiling at me.
Most people in the hall applauded me and I bowed and sat back down.
Everyone then piled up their plates and tucked into the feast.
"That does look good." The ghost in the ruff said sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak.
"Can't you - ?" Harry started to ask as I looked over to Jason and Jacob.
They looked proud yet suspicious.
"I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years. I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy - Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower." The ghost said.
"I know who you are! My brothers told me about you -- you're Nearly Headless Nick!" Ron said suddenly.
"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy - " the ghost began stiffly, but sandy - haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.
"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?" Seamus asked.
Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if his little chat with Harry wasn't going at all the way he wanted.
"Like this." Nick said irritably.
He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on our faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said,
"So - new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable - he's the Slytherin ghost." Nearly Headless Nick said.
Harry and I looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who, I was pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements. Harry looked pleased too.
"How did he get covered in blood?" I asked with great interest.
"I've never asked." Nearly Headless Nick said delicately.
When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding . . .
As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart and I got an apple pie, the talk turned to their families.
"I'm half-and-half. Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him." Seamus said and we all laughed.
"I bet it was. I'm a half Blood to. My mom was half blood, her dad was a wizard and her mom was a muggle. My dad was pure-blood. What about you, Neville?" I said, not wanting to give anyone the chance to ask about my Dad.
"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch, but the family thought I was all - Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me - he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned - but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced - all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here - they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad." Neville said.
Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons.
"I do hope they start right away, there is so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration,you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult - " Hermione said.
"I can't wait to start Transfiguration. Then I can turn Jay and Jake into a cup or something when they annoy me." I said eagerly and Harry shook with laughter.
"She's entirely serious, you know." Ron said, who was also shaking with laughter.
Harry looked at me with wide eyes. I winked at him with a smirk.
"You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing - " Percy said.
"Ouch!" Harry suddenly said and clapped a hand to his head.
"What is it?" Percy and I asked.
"N - nothing." Harry said.
"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" Harry asked me as I was still looking at him, concerned.
I looked at the High Table.
"Which one's Quirrell? My brothers told me there's been a new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor every year so far." I said to Harry.
"He's the one with the Turban." Harry said and I scanned the High Table.
Quirrell was talking to a teacher with swallow face, a hooked nose and greasy black hair. From the descriptions my brothers have given me on the teachers, I recognised the Professor to be Professor Snape. The Potions teacher and a right nasty teacher at that.
"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to - everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape." Percy said, who had heard Harry's question.
Harry and I watched Snape for a while. I didn't get a good feeling from this teacher.
At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.
"Ahem - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start - of - term notices to give you." Dumbledore said.
"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Dumbledore said and his twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins and my own twin brothers.
"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.
Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.
And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third - floor corridor on the right - hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." Dumbledore said.
Harry and I laughed, but we were one of the few who did.
"He's not serious?" Harry muttered to Percy.
"Must be. It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere - the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least." Percy said, frowning at Dumbledore.
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore cried.
I noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed. I chuckled.
Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.
"Everyone pick their favorite tune, and off we go!" Dumbledore said.
And the school bellowed:
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot, just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot."
Everybody finished the song at different times. I rushed through it, not wanting to sing for long as I get nervous singing in public. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Jason and Jacob were shaking with laughter as Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.
"Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!" Dumbledore said, wiping his eyes.
The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. We all stumbled sleepily. Twice Percy led us through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. We climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging our feet, and I was just wondering how much farther we had to go when we came to a sudden halt.
A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.
"Peeves. A poltergeist." Percy whispered to the first years.
"Peeves - show yourself." Percy said, raising his voice.
A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.
"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?" Percy threatened.
There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross - legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.
"Oooooooh! Ickle Firsties! What fun!" Peeves said with an evil cackle.
Peeves swooped suddenly at us. We all ducked.
"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" Percy barked.
Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. We heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.
"You want to watch out for Peeves." Percy said, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are." Percy said and at the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.
"Password?" she said.
"Caput Draconis." Percy said, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall.
We all scrambled through it - Neville needed a leg up from me - and found ourselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.
Percy directed the girls through one door to our dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase - we were obviously in one of the towers - we found our beds at last. Five four - posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Our trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, we all pulled on our pajamas and fell into bed. Hermione and I got beds next to each other. We smiled tiredly at each other and sleep quickly consumed us.