Chapter 8: The Sorting
I sat with Lily and her friend Severus the entire trip to Hogwarts. Or it's more like I slept. I was woken up 10 minutes until we got there, to put on my robes.
We arrived at Hogsmeade station, a little town near Hogwarts. Me and Lily excited the train together, leaving our bags behind because apparently someone was supposed to get them for us. There was a rather large man shouting for first years, I wonder if I should go over there. I dismissed the idea, I was a third year technically.
Me and Lily walked over to some carriages that were being pulled by a weird looking horse thing. It was skeletal with leathery black skin stretched over its bones. It had bat like wings and reptilian features. I thought it was beautiful.
"Hey Lily what's that pulling the carriages?" I asked her in my quiet voice.
She looked at me wide eyed for a second before saying. "You've seen someone die?"
"Ex-Excuse me?" Her question was surprising. How did she know?
"The animals that pull the carriages are thestrals, you can only see them if you've seen someone die."
Oh, I read about that in Hogwarts, a History, I should've known that. Stupid me.
"Oh," was all I said in response. She didn't prod, but I could tell she was curious still.
We boarded the carriages with some of Lily's friends, she introduced me. "Stella this is Alice Prewett, Marlene McKinnon, and Cheyenne Frenette."
Alice had long brown hair and brown eyes, Marlene had long curly blond hair and blue eyes, Cheyenne had short wavy light brown hair and green eyes. I have a small smile and then faced the window again. They asked me lots of questions, that I gave short and vague answers to. I hated all the attention.
I sighed in relief as the carriage finally stopped, but my sigh turned into a gasp as I laid my eyes on Hogwarts. It was an ancient looking castle with so many turrets and towers. It was well....
Magical.
I made my way through the huge double oak doors with all the other students. They were being really loud, much to my annoyance. A lady approached me and pulled me aside.
She had her black hair pulled up into a neat bun and had a stern look about her. Looking into her eyes though I could see actually wasn't mean, she was actually a nice women. I loved beings able to read people because nobody's actually what they appear to be.
"I'm Professor McGonagall, I was told you are to be sorted with the first years, follow me." she said briskly. I followed her into a side room that had a lot of smaller people in it. I smiled slightly at their nervous faces, I was nervous too. About the sorting and Remus.
Professor McGonagall was talking to the group of 11 year olds and I noticed a little boy at the back of the crowd. He was shorter for his age, and had brown hair and blue eyes. He looked sad. I felt the sudden need to walk over and comfort him.
I walked over to him and he looked up at me. I gave him a small smile, which he attempted to return, but failed miserably.
"My name's Stella."
"I'm Liam." he looked at me with sad eyes.
"Are you okay?" I asked concerned.
He looked into my eyes and told me truthfully. "Not really."
"What's wrong?" I questioned quietly.
He hesitated a moment unsure but then spoke. "My mum's sick, she has a muggle disease called cancer." I saw tears brimming in his eyes.
My heart broke for him. My mum died of a disease, of a sickness that invaded her and killed her while I had to stand by useless and watch. She was taken away from me. I knew it was no use to say "I'm sorry." or "It'll be alright."
Because I know "I'm sorry," doesn't help anything and I don't know if everything will be okay. It's no use lying to him.
So instead I just said, "I know how you feel."
And I did know.
"Do you?" he looked at me untrustingly.
"Yes I do, my mum died from Dragon Pox, when I was about your age." I knew the only way to get him to trust me would be to tell the truth, no matter how painful it may be.
I saw a flash of fright in his eyes, I put I comforting hand on his shoulder. "Do you think my mum will die?"
I didn't know how to answer that, but I gave it a shot anyways. "She might or might not die, but if she does just remember that she never really wanted to leave you. But of course she might survive if she's as strong as you, and I'm sure she is." I gave him a smile, a real one.
He smiled back, and he didn't look as sad anymore, as though I might have taken some of the world's weight off his shoulders. McGonagall was now leading us into what she called the Great Hall. I felt Liam take my hand as we walked in.
I saw why they called it great, it was marvelous. The ceiling, I knew, was enchanted to look like the night sky, right now it was filled with stars, and a full moon. There were candles floating suspended in time, above the students' heads. It was very magical. And yes I do know how cheesy that just sounded.
There was four tables for the students, each had its own colors and animal to represent it. At the head of the room facing the students was the staff table, all the teachers were seated at it. In the middle of the staff table I saw a man with a long white beard and half moon glasses. He had twinkling light blue eyes that had a spark to them, like he knew everything.
I envied that spark. My father used to tell me I had one, but when I look in the mirror I don't see anything. At least not anymore.
The first years and me walked up to the front of the room, the students were whispering about me.
"Why is she here?"
"Is she a transfer?"
"Where'd she come from?"
I looked down at my feet, I hated this. The McGonagall lady pulled out a rickety three legged stool, an placed a raggedy old hat on it it. I was confused, to say the least. When I was trying to read about how students are sorted in Hogwarts, A History, it got very vague. So naturally I didn't know anything.
The frayed hat, to my surprise, began to sing from a rip near the base. I didn't pay attention though, I was too occupied scanning the room for Remus. I didn't see him, but I did see his friends at the Gryffindor table.
Once the hat finished its song everybody clapped, and McGonagall spoke. "I will called your names up in alphabetical order, and you will sit on the stool, let the Sorting Hat sort you, and then sit at your house table."
Oh, so we were going to get sorted by a talking hat, because that makes perfect sense, I thought.
"Adams, Henry." McGonagall called, and a boy with blond hair ran up to the stool. A few seconds later the hay shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!" Henry scampered off to the black and yellow table beside Gyrffindor.
"Bongalon, Ayriana" was called next. A few seconds later. "RAVENCLAW!"
The brown headed girl ran to the bronze and blue table beside Hufflepuff.
A couple of names later and, "Delgatto, Liam." was called up to be sorted. I felt him let go of my hand that I forgot he was holding, and walk up tensely to the stool. The hat was placed over his head, and after a few minutes, "GRYFFINDOR!"
The table on the far right clapped, as he made his way over to them. We made eye contact as he sat down, I smiled at him. After the last first years were sorted, ending with Thymes, Xavier who got Slytherin, I was the only one left.
McGonagall started talking, "Hogwarts has acquired a transfer this year, she will be in her third year, please make her feel at home. Frost, Stella!"
I felt everyone's eyes on me as I walked up to the stool, I was pretty positive my cheeks were redder than a tomato. My heart was beating a million miles an hour, as a list of doubts went through my head. What if I don't get sorted? Will they send me home? What if the hat says I'm not fit for any house?
I sat down in the old stool, hopefully it won't break. I felt the hat lowered onto my head, obscuring my vision of the Hall.
"Oh, I see we have another Frost", a voice said in my ear.
Frost was my mum's last name, so he must be talking about her.
"You knew my mother?", I thought back to the hat.
"Yes indeed I did, she was a lively woman, your mother. In fact I see a lot of her in you."
"You do?" I thought back incredulously. I can't imagine being being as wonderful as my mum, in my mind nobody could be that great.
"Yes, yes indeed I do. Now let's get you sorted. I see you're very smart, yes a knowledge seeker you are, but.....
I see bravery and courage too."
"What!?" I thought. "I'm not brave!" I was the opposite actually. Always crying when I was beaten by my father, crying was a weakness. I cried when I missed my Mum. I was weak.
"But you are, even if it is not clear to you. Your past has contributed to your bravery, you never gave up. You aren't necessarily hard-working for Hufflepuff, or ambitious enough for Slytherin. I think you should go to your mum's house, and that would make you a...
GRYFFINDOR!"
I felt my eyes widen as the hat spoke, I slid off the stool and made my way to the loudest cheering table. The red and gold one, my mum's house.
I sat down beside Liam, at the end of the table, we were the only two there. I gave a tight smile to Liam which he returned.
"I'm glad you're in the same house as me." Liam said.
"Me too." I replied quietly. And I was telling the truth.
Then the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, started his beginning of the year speech. "Welcome back to those of you who have returned for yet another year. And welcome to all the newcomers, it is a pleasure to acquire such bright students such as yourselves...."
I stopped paying attention after that, he just talked about rules and more rules. I blocked it all out and instead waited for the food to arrive, and it did as soon as Dumbledore finished his speech with, "And now let's eat!"
The food appeared suddenly on the table, which I knew came from the kitchens that was filled with house elves, that was below us. Gotta love Hogwarts, A History.
I ate a variety of food until I was completely full, and then we were dismissed to our common rooms. On the way there I was I a sort of daze, so I didn't really pay attention to my surroundings. I figured I'd take it all in tomorrow. Our common room was on the seventh floor, our prefects showed us to our dorms, where our luggage should already be.
I staggered into my dorm, not really bothering with my dorm mates, and collapsed onto my bed into a deep sleep.