The door opened at once revealing Professor McGonagall. She was in an emerald green robe this time. Her hair was still up in a tight bun. She looked a bit more formal and upright to Ria than on the last few occasions on which they met. Ria didn't try to attract her attention.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
Saying this McGonagall pulled the door wide open and they entered. The hall inside was massive. The floor and the walls were made of a rough looking white stone. It was illuminated by flaming torches. Ria wondered if they burnt eternally due to magic. A magnificent marble staircase was in front of them leading to the upper floors.
The noise of gathering was floating out of a door to their right. It was wooden and intricately designed. Was it made by wizards or muggles?, Ria wondered.
Professor McGonagall led them in though another smaller door into a chamber off the hall. The stones here were darker; the natural shade of grey. It was ablaze with torches ones again.
Once they were all gathered inside, McGonagall spoke.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said. "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. 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 honour. 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."
Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Ria saw Harry nervously try to flatten his hair beside her.
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."
"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Harry asked Ron. Ria could tell he was nervous.
"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."
"They won't test us on magic without teaching us magic first", Ria said managing not to scoff. Harry didn't pay her much attention thought. He seemed to be deep in contemplation of the upcoming 'test'.
Then suddenly several people screamed. Ria whipped around. Gasps were heard all around her. Ria had read about the Hogwarts ghosts but it was a shock nevertheless. About twenty of them came floating through the wall behind. They were pearly white and translucent, like some long lost memory. They seemed to be arguing and didn't notice the students.
A short and stout ghost with a smiling, happy sort of face was speaking in a cheery voice. "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?"
The speaker had suddenly noticed the students. He had curly hair, a rough looking face and wore ruff and tights.
Nobody answered.
"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"
A few people nodded mutely. Ria smiled back.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."
"Move along now," said a sharp voice of McGonagall "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."
One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall. While they were leaving, Ria did a quick survey of each. Two of them caught her eyes. A gaunt, sullen looking man wearing chains and covered in what Ria though was blood, and a young lady with straight waist length hair, and a haughty face. Ria found her beautiful.
"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."
Professor McGonagall led them out of the chamber and in, through the carved double doors, to the Great Hall.
Two tables long tables were on either side of the door, filled with students, leaving a passage in between which led to another table at the top of the hall where the teachers sat. The whole place was lit by candle that floated in mid air. Ria wondered how they managed to not drip wax.
Professor McGonagall led them up to the front. On her way Ria noticed that the tables were filled with shining gold and silver dishes and goblets. Ria looked up and found a clear starry night sky. She remembered reading about the Great Hall being bewitched to resemble the sky outside. Almost immediately she heard Hermione Granger whisper this information and chuckled.
Once they were in a line at the front of the hall, Professor McGonagall placed a four legged stool in front of them. On it she placed a battered and patched old hat. It reminded Ria of her old clothes.
Silence fell in the hall. Then the hat twitched, a rip on it opened like a mouth and it 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 hall burst in applause as the hat finished It's song. Then it bowed and went quite still again.
"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ria heard Ron whisper. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."
Ria didn't feel any relief though. The discoveries she had made about her wand in Ollivander's not many days back were ringing in her head.
English oak for bravery. Unicorn tail hair for loyalty. Walnut for wisdom. Dragon heart string for cunning and power.
Something Ollivander had himself said came back to her.
"And the cores choose characters similar to them?"
"Mostly, yes."
Mcgonagall was now reading names off a long scroll of parchment. Ria only half watched as the sorting proceeded. She was too shocked to pay complete attention.
How on earth could she have been chosen by a wand which preferred the characteristics of all the Hogwarts houses at once? Wasn't she supposed to be one? Wasn't that the point of being sorted? That you are either brave or clever or kind or cunning and will find your place accordingly?
What does the hat do when the qualities aren't clear cut? What would happen to someone like her? Someone who might be a part of any of the houses or all?
She was jerked back to reality when Hermione Granger's name was called. She almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat on her head which fell to her eyes.
"GRIFFINDOR" the hat shouted to the hall and Hermione went up to a table on the far left that was cheering her. Ron groaned.
When Neville was called, he fell over in his panick. The hat took longer than the others to decide with Neville and Ria could feel him getting more and more panicky.
"GRIFFINDOR", the hat shouted finally. Neville ran off still wearing the hat and had to run back to return it.
"Malfoy, Draco", Mcgonagall called. Blondy swaggered forward.
As soon as the hat touched his head it shouted "SLITHERIN" and Malfoy went off to the first table in the left looking pleased with himself. Crabbe and Goyel were already sitting there. Ria didn't like the look of any occupant.
After a few random names, Mcgonagall called Harry. He went ahead looking nervous. Thirty seconds later it declared him a Griffindor. he got the loudest cheer of all and Ria heard Fred and George singing "We got Potter! We got Potter!"
Not many people were left. Ria had a nagging suspicion that she had been saved for last.
By the time Ron was called, he looked quite green. When he too went off to the Griffindor table, Ria looked at the window and imagined herself outside on the soft grass.
"Greystone, Aubrianna"
Ria's suspicion had been right. She was the last to walk up to the stool, sit on it and put the hat on her head. She stared at it's inside as it fell to cover her eyes. Then a tiny wise voice spoke in her ears.
"Oh, my, my.....what to do with you?! I see loads of courage....yes, and a brilliant mind....there'd a lot of love and patience to give in here....and yes! An inclination towards power...quite a goldmine aren't you?"
"What are you going to do?", Ria asked in her head.
"Good question...well....maybe you should answer it! Where would you want to be put? Which trait do you value the most?"
An image flashed across Ria's head.
Ben standing in the orphanage kitchen, confronting boys four times his age.
"We'll be brave. We'll be brave like Ria"
"Very well then! GRIFFINDOR!", the hat shouted her house to the hall.
She took off the hat and handed it to Professor Mcgonagall who have her a tiny little smile. She then walked off to the table to join Harry and Ron who were both grinning at her. She grinned right back.
Sitting at the table, Ria turned her attention to the staff table. Dumbledore was easy to recognise in his flowing white hair and beard. The blue eyes behind his half moon spectacles seem to be twinkling. Hagrid was there too and Professor Quirrell. There was another little Professor with a lot of white hair who looked very friendly and a hooked nosed Professor with greasy black hair who reminded Ria of the ghost in chains, who on inspection was found sitting at the Slytherin table beside Malfoy. Blondy didn't look happy about the seating arrangements.
Ria looked back at the staff table and saw that Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there. Ria somehow found this man enrapturing.
"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!
"Thank you!"
The whole room clapped while Ria felt bewildered.
"Is he -- a bit mad?" she heard Harry ask Percy, Ron's prefect brother, uncertainly.
"Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes Harry?"
Ria looked back at the table and did a double take. The goblets and plates on the table were filled with an assortment of the most delicious looking foods. 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 peppermint humbugs.
Growing up with a continued limitation on food, Ria didn't remember having a full stomach. The food tasted heavenly.
"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak.
"Can't you --?" started Harry
"I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years," said the ghost. "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."
"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you -- you're Nearly Headless Nick!"
"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy --" the ghost began stiffly, but a sandy-haired boy beside Harry, who Ron said was called Seamus Finnigan, interrupted.
"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"
Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.
"Like this," he 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 their faces, Sir Nicholas 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."
Ria realised the blood-covered ghost was Bloody Baron.
"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.
"I've never asked," said Sir Nicholas delicately.
Ria mostly listened to the others discussing about home, family and lessons and building friendship while she ate her food.
"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "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."
The others laughed.
"What about you, Neville?" said Ron.
"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, "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."
Hermione and Percy were talking about classes.
"I do hope they start right away, there's 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-"
"You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing -- "
"Hey!" Ria looked up. A tall dark boy was sitting opposite her. "Aubrianna, right?"
Ria grimaced. The boy frowned.
"It's not you", Ria said quickly "I just don't.... I'm not really comfortable with Aubrianna"
"Hey, it's a nice name!", the boy said smiling.
Ria gave him a smile. "What's your name? I'm sorry. I wasn't paying much attention during the sorting"
"You were busy staring out of the window", the boy said laughing. "Dean Thomas"
"Now that's what I call a nice name. Short and easy to remember. It's not even common and you don't have to keep telling people to call you Ria instead."
"I will call you Aubrianna. It has the nicest ring to it!"
"Whatever suits you, Thomas", Ria said with a smirk.
"Ouch!". Ria turned to look at Harry who was sitting beside her. He had a hand clapped to his forehead.
"What is it?" Percy asked him.
"N-nothing." Harry stammered."Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" he asked Percy after a while. Ria looked up and saw the back of Quirrell's turban. He was talking to the greasy-haired, hook-nosed teacher. Ria felt the chill of foreboding again.
"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."
Ria wanted to ponder on this chill but she was up to the brim with food and sleep. Finally, the deserts disappeared just like the first time and the plates and goblets were left sparkling clean.
Professor Dumbledore had risen to his feet again.
"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.
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's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.
"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."
Harry laughed beside Ria. It didn't feel like a joke though.
"He's not serious?" Harry muttered to Percy.
"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "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."
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore.
Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick 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 Dumbledore, "and off we go!"
And then they were singing:
"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."
The song made Ria feel like she was home again, singing her heart out with Andy. Everyone finished at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, they all clapped
"Ah, music," Dumbledore said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here!". He caught Ria's eyes and gave a ghost of a wink. "And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
The Griffindor first years followed Percy out of the Great Hall and up the marble staircase. Ria was tired but she tried to pay attention to her surroundings. There were several portraits on the wall. They pointed and whispered and waved and smiled as the students passed. Ria smiled sleepily at a lady who was cuddling a little baby in her arms. Percy led them up flights after flights of stairs. Ria tried to remember pointers so that she could find her way back. Percy led them through a sliding panel beside a portrait of a flower vase and then through the tapestry of a Maticore (a half human half lion creature with a scorpion's tail).
Up another flight of stairs and then they came to a 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," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his 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, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.
Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armour as he passed.
"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, 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 end of the corridor hung a portrait of a stout friendly looking lady in a pink silk dress.
"Password?" she said.
"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it -- Neville needed a leg up -- and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room. The floor was covered with a plush red carpet. A fire crackled merrily in the stone fireplace. There were torches on the walls as well and a few windows though which the grounds and The Black Lake could be seen.
"Stairs to the right leads to the girl's dormitory and the left to the boys." said Percy. "The last door you reach in both cases is where you'll be staying for the next seven years. Have a good night."
Saying goodbye to Ron and Harry Ria went up to the girl's dormitory. This had four four-posters hung with rich red silk curtains. They were at the top of one of the towers. Craning her neck out of the window, she saw another tower right beside theirs. That must be where the boys slept. The window of both the towers looked over the ground to the Forbidden Forests. Ria wondered what sorts of creatures lived there. The beds looked warm and soft. The room was lit with candles in Hanukkahs which were fixed to the stone wall.
Ria found her trunk open on a table beside the bed right beside a window. This made her smile. The trunk held two new possessions. A gold and red scarf and a gold and red tie; pieces of uniform to set aside their identity as Griffindors.
There was three other girls with Ria including Hermione Granger. There was an Indian girl Parvati Patil, who had straight black hair, dark skin and almond shaped eyes. Lavender Brown had curly blond hair and pink cheek.
A few minutes of conversation with Lavender cleared up that she was quite fussy.
Parvati was sweet. Ria asked her about the meaning of her name.
"It's the name of an Indian goddess.", she said, thinking hard, evidently trying to find a description that Ria could understand. " She's pretty much an all rounder. Like....something you'll get if you merge a warrior and a princess into one...."
Ria laughed at this, remembering Em calling her a warrior princess.
It was evident that Parvati and Lavender had hit off a friendship during the feast. The two were soon have an animated conversation of their own. Not wanting to intrude, Ria tried conversing with Hermione but gave up pretty quickly. Her ever-so-superior tone was irritating. So making an excuse of being tired (which wasn't a lie because she was), Ria changed into her nightgown and went to bed. The matress was soft and warm. If felt strange. She was too used to sleeping on the floor on a thin matress. A light breeze blew in through the window. It made her smile and close her eyes. She didn't open them until morning.