"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all think about what house you want to go into while you are waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you," Professor Marazion said, "And try to be quiet as well."
He left the chamber. Ven saw that Albus was nervous.
"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Scorpius asked Albus.
"Some sort of test," The three of them turned around to see another group of first years talking, everyone was listening in "It hurts a lot, but then you get used to it."
Ven's heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But he didn't know any magic yet. What on earth would he have to do? He hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived. He looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. Ven had never been more nervous, never, not even when he'd had to take a school report home to the Orphanage saying that he'd somehow turned one of the student's skin green. He kept his eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor Marazion would come back and lead him to his doom.
Then several girls screamed, something that hadn't made Ven jump about. 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 the first years. 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. I say, what are you all doing here?"
A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.
"New students," Ven answered.
"About to be Sorted, I suppose?" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them.
Ven nodded mutely.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."
"Defiantly would want to be in Ravenclaw," said a voice from behind. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start. Friar."
Professor Marazion had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.
"Now, form a line," Professor Marazion told the first years, "and follow me."
Feeling oddly as though his legs had turned to lead, Ven got into line almost in the very back behind Albus, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.
Ven had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. 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 Marazion led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Ven looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Albus whisper to Ven, "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside."
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.
Harry quickly looked down again as Professor Marazion silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool he put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. The caretaker wouldn't have let it in the house.
Noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it, too. 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?" Ven whispered to Albus.
"I guess so." Albus said who smiled weakly.
Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell. The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot, but Ven feel that he could be quick-witted in the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for Albus. Who didn't look well at all. Professor Marazion now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you'll put the hat on and sit on the stool to be sorted," the Professor said as he cleared his throat.
"Vincent Goyle!" A pale-faced boy with black hair stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which seemed that his head was too big for, and sat down. Moments pause -- "SLYTHERIN!" shouted the hat. Goyle went over to sit at the table farthest to the right.
"Zachary Zabini!"
"SLYTHERIN!" shouted the hat again, and Zarchary scuttled off to sit next to Vincent.
"Summer Winters!"
"RAVENCLAW!" The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Summer as she joined them.
"Hasley Allin," went to Ravenclaw too, but "Rose Weasley," became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers.
"Scorpius Malfoy," Before the hat even touched his head, just like his father, the hat said, "SLYTHERIN!" Scorpius joined the Slytherin table.
"Albus Potter." Everyone went silent as Albus walked up to sit in the stool. Ven could hear some say. Isn't that Harry Potter's son? I bet you he'll be in Gryffindor... Ven was shocked to know that Albus was right. People DO expect him to be in Gryffindor.
Ven's words echoed in Albus head:
Just do what you feel is right. What if that house was never right for you?
Albus felt queasy and decide it was better to do what's right. Albus sat on the stole and the Professor placed the hat on his head.
"Hmm. Interesting," Everyone was silent and on the edge of their seats as the Sorting Hat spoke, "You are conflicted...You can make a decision...You say your friend was right... then I'll put you in SLYTHERIN!"
Everyone gasped, but Albus didn't seem too bothered by it, he just went to sit with Scorpius.
"Victoire Weasley," became a Ravenclaw, "Oliver Evergreen," became a Slytherin and "Dasiey Lewis," became a Hufflepuff.
"Marigold Evergreen!" Ven saw a girl with beautiful redish-orange hair and bright green eyes. He felt so weird. His eyes widened slightly, stomach dropped and all he could do was watch her. She sat on the stool with great posture, but not in a cooky sort of way.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Ven watched the girl go down the steps to sit with the Hufflepuffs as his name was called. "Ven Degrad,"
The last thing Ven saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second, he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.
"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of ambition, I see. There's potential for a brilliant mind. There's talent, my goodness, yes -- and a nice thirst to find yourself, now that's interesting.... So where shall I put you?"
"Not afraid of the magical world, eh?" said the small voice. "You know you'd be great in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, you know, it's all here in your head, and it will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that almost anything for that, no doubt about that."
Ven just sat on the edge of the stool and thought, Not Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. Neither would suit me.
"No? Well, if you're sure -- better be SLYTHERIN!"
Ven heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked happily toward the Slytherin table. He was so relieved to be put in Slytherin with Albus and Scorpius.
Ven shook hands and high-fived the other Slytherins. Then he took a quick glance at the girl, but she was preoccupied. Ven looked back at his friends to see Albus, who was sitting right next to him, starting right at him with a smirk.
"What?" Ven asked.
"You like her don't you?"
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're referring to," Ven said, there were two kids left but Ven wasn't paying attention to know what house they went to.
"You don't? Could have sworn-"
"Students," A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Ven's first thought was that this was not someone to cross, "Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Headmistress McGonagall. Now, I don't want to take a lot of your time. So let the banquet begin!" McGonagall said as she clapped her hands twice.
Ven's mouth fell open. The dishes empty dishes that were in front of him, 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.
The Orphanage had never exactly had terrible food, but Ven had never been allowed to eat as much as he liked. So Ven did the responsible thing and piled his plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints. Then he began to eat. It was all delicious.
Ven was then startled by the most horrible moan. Ven looked up to 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 Scorpius who, Ven saw, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements.
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 Ven helped himself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.
"I'm a pureblood," said a boy whose Ven had not met yet. "Me Dad and Mom are both Aurors."
The others laughed.
"Well, of course your a pureblood basically everyone here is." Zachary Zabini said, "We'll I guess not everyone."
Zachary looked straight at Albus who looked down at his dessert.
"You're sure you're better than me? I haven't heard your dad being the chosen one," Albus now looked up from his dessert and stared at Zachary coldly, "Oh wait, your dad's not the boy who lived, he died."
After Albus spoke, everyone gave out a loud Ohhh! Ven and Scorpius tried to keep there laugh in.
"I'm glad we can call you a true Slytherin Albus," Zarchary said as he and Albus shook hands.
"Good save," One of Zarchary's friends whispered to him.
"What about you Ven?"Goyle said to Ven, "What about your family?"
"I don't know. I've lived in an orphanage my entire life," Ven said, "I didn't even know the wizarding word existed until a couple of weeks ago."
Nobody said a word, but Albus and Scorpius looked at each other like they knew something Ven didn't. Ven was just going at his dessert, until he realized it was too quiet and looked up. He looked at them confused, "What?"
"It's just your story sounds like someone who we know," Scorpius said softly.
"Who?" Ven asked quietly.
"Not here."
"Alright," Ven said, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table.
The giant named Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Headmistress McGonagall was talking to Professor Marazion. Professor Longbottom was talking to a teacher who is very old, bald and enormously fat that the buttons on his waistcoat threaten to burst off.
Ven turned to Albus and spoke, "All those people at the front, they're professor?"
"Yeah, but some of them have different jobs. See that guy over there?" Albus pointed to the fat man, "That's Professor Slughorn. He's the head of Slytherin House and that goblin over there, Head of Ravenclaw House. Professor Longbottom, who I think you already know, is Head of Gryffindor House. Lastly, Madma Hooch, House of Hufflepuff."
"I had no idea. That's cool," Ven said, "What about him who is he."
Ven pointed to a man who wore spectacles and had very bright blue eyes. He was also tall and thin, with a great deal of long, stringy grey hair and beard. Ven thought he was a rather grumpy-looking and had a goat-like appearance.
"Him? Honestly I don't know. I've never met him before," Albus confessed.
At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Headmistress McGonagall got to her feet again. The hall fell silent.
"Ahem -- just a few more words now that we've dinned. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.
"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."
McGonagall looked sternly in the direction of Albus's brother and his friends. When she did they stopped smiling real quick.
"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 try-outs 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, second-floor girls' lavatory is out of bounds to everyone. I think some of you know why."
"A girls bathroom? What's so scary about that?" Ven muttered to Albus.
"Cause that's how you get to the chamber of secrets," Albus said with a frightful look on his face.
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried McGonagall. Ven noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.
McGonagall gave her wand a little flick, as if she 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," said McGonagall, "and off we go!" And the school bellowed:
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
After that line Ven stopped singing and had a disapproving look on his face.
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 and McGonagall conducted her last few lines with her wand and when they had finished, Hagrid was one of those who clapped loudest.
"Music. A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
The Slytherin first years followed Astoria Greengrass, their perfect, she was very beautiful and pale. They followed through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and down a grand staircase. Ven saw that Albus and Scorpius were tired. Ven was also tired and was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Astoria led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They walked down to what seemed to be the dungeons while yawning and dragging their feet, and Ven was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.
Astoria took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at her.
"Peeves," Astoria whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." She raised her voice, "Peeves -- show yourself!"
A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.
"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"
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!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"
He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.
"Go away, Peeves! Wouldn't you rather prank the Gryffindor first years?" barked Astoria.
"Ooooooo, good idea!" Peeves said as he stuck out his tongue and vanished. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.
"Normally, Peeves doesn't bug Slytherins, but I would still watch out for Peeves," said Astoria, 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."
At the very end of the dungeons was a door with a huge, long snakes body. It framed the door in an arch shape.
"The password changes and is posted on the notice board," said Astoria, "Pureblood." As Astoria spoke firmly, the door swung forward. They all scrambled through it and found themselves in the Slytherin common room.
When they walked in, Ven heard some of the girls scream. Ven looked up to see the Bloody Baron. He didn't seem to mind him being there.
The common room was a dungeon-like room with greenish lamps and chairs. This dungeon extended partway under the lake, giving the light in the room a green tinge. The common room had lots of low backed black and dark green button-tufted, leather sofas; skulls; and dark wood cupboards. One of the wooden tables had a Wizard's Chess set on it. It's also decorated with tapestries. It had a grand atmosphere, but also quite a cold one.
Astoria directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. Astoria warned us never to bring students from other houses into the common room, or to reveal the password.
Finally they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep green, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas and fell into bed.
"Great food, isn't it?" Scorpius muttered to Albus and Ven through the hangings. The only thing the two could answer with is Mmm.
Ven was going to ask Scorpius if he'd had any of the treacle tart, but he fell asleep almost at once.
Perhaps Ven had eaten a bit too much, because he had a very strange dream. He was wearing a golden crown. Ven was standing on top of a golden throne giving a speech to his vast army. Then out of nowhere a man made of ash came out from the shadows — Ven tried to run, but he couldn't — The man took Ven's sword and killed him — and took Ven's crown — slowly it turned to ash — The man crowned himself king — Ven wasn't dying — his wound was being healing by the girl Marigold who was crying — then Marigold turned into the mysterious man at dinner — there was a burst of green light and Ven woke, sweating and shaking.
He rolled over and fell asleep again, and when he woke next day, he didn't remember the dream at all.