The rest of the journey to Hogwarts is peaceful, thankfully, with no more interruptions. Hermione continues to read her book whilst Harry and Ron eat their body weight in Cauldron Cakes. I admire the scenery out the window, now that the pouring rain has evolved into a light drizzle.
"You ought to go with the first years," Ron instructs me. "So you can get sorted into a house."
I furrow my eyebrows. I completely forgot that now I would have to be resorted into a new house. The Slytherin house, Draco's house, has been mentioned quite a lot in the Malfoy Manor. But I'm virtually unaware of the other existing houses.
"What are the houses?" I ask, snapping my head away from the window and gazing at Ron.
"Well, there are four," Ron starts. He clears his throat. "The three of us are in Gryffindor. So are Fred and George. Our emblem is red and gold. The qualities of Gryffindor are brave, daring, and somewhat stubborn," He starts.
Hermione takes over. "Ravenclaw is pretty nice too," She adds. "The students in Ravenclaw are intelligent and creative. It doesn't have to be school smart either, they could be gifted at something they are interested in," She tells me.
Ron nods. "I'm surprised you weren't sorted into Ravenclaw yourself," He tells her. Hermione shrugs.
"There's also Hufflepuff," Harry says. "They're patient and loyal," He informs me. "I could see you being sorted into Hufflepuff, you're a very kind person," He says smiling at me.
I bite my lip and blush. "Thanks, so are you," I reply awkwardly. "What about Slytherin?" I ask tentatively.
The three of them go silent until Hermione clears her throat. "Erm- we'll they're very cunning, sly, ambitious.." She rambles, naming a few adjectives that come to mind.
"You won't be in Slytherin," Ron assures me. "Besides, all their parents are Death eaters anyways, you won't want to be in there," He adds.
My stomach churns and I remember how my mother had told me she wanted me to be sorted into Slytherin. There's no way she was a Death eater- was she?
******
"First years! Come 'ere!" A large man with a long, brown beard calls. When he sees the four of us, a grin spreads across his face and he waves to us.
"Hello Hagrid!" Harry calls.
"That's Hagrid. He takes the first years on a boat to the castle," Hermione tells me. I nod obediently and walk towards the giant me.
"Er— hello. I'm Amelia Grey. This is my first year at Hogwarts, but I'm in my fourth year, should I come with you?" I ask Hagrid nervously.
He chuckles heartily. "Yer always welcome to come! You can sit o'er there," He says, directing me towards the front of the boat. I nod and quickly sit over there.
There's already quite a lot of children on the boat and I feel awkwardly out of place.
"You're a first year?" A boy asks from behind me. I don't even need to look at his face to know he's not a first year. His voice indicates he's much older. I turn around to face the voice.
The boy is incredibly handsome. He looks to be around sixteen or seventeen. He has defined features, with striking brown hair and hazel eyes. He wears his robes with a yellow tie and yellow trim.
"I'm in my fourth, actually. I just transferred to Hogwarts from Ilvermorny," I inform him.
The boy smiles. "You didn't seem like a first year. I'm Cedric Diggory, Hufflepuff Head boy," He introduces himself. I'm so struck by his attractiveness that I hardly notice his hand out in front of me. I quickly shake his hand and smile his way.
"Amelia Grey," I introduce, still shaking his hand.
"Hogwarts shouldn't be that much different from Ilvermorny," Cedric tells me. "It's the same magic after all, just a different country," He adds. By now, the boats have entirely filled up. There are nine different boats, eight of which are headed by a teenager in a colored robe. The ninth and largest boat is headed by Hagrid.
"I hope so," I tell him nervously. "The sorting ceremony is what makes me nervous," I confess.
Cedric smiles sympathetically. "I was quite nervous too, but it isn't awful. And all the houses are nice to be in," He tells me. He faces away from me and begins to drive across the lake.
The ride to the lake is relatively short, about fifteen minutes at the maximum. Cedric and I converse for the entire time. He's extremely sweet and we find ourselves laughing over the simplest things. The two of us didn't even notice that one of the first years on a different boat had fallen into the water.
"Well, we've arrived," Cedric announces to me. "Everybody out!" He calls loud. The first years stand up and quickly exit the boat. Cedric exits the boat first and extends his hand out to me, which I gladly take, and exit the boat after him.
"Good luck, Amelia. If you get sorted into Hufflepuff I'll save you a seat," He adds, winking at me. Cedric leaves with the other head boys and girls before he can see the rising color in my cheeks.
Hagrid clears his throat and begins to lead all of us into the school. We are the last group of students to arrive in the Great Hall, because all the other students are sat with their houses. I instantly recognize Draco and his friends whispering at a table. Hermione, Ron, Harry, Fred, and George are all seated at the Gryffindor table next to them. I even catch Cedric's eye at the Hufflepuffs.
One of the professors steps forward and places a three legged stool in front of us. On top of the stool, was a worn out wizard's hat. At Ilvermorny, first years were sorted through the Gordian Knot, so this is quite a difference. For a moment, there was silence, until the hat broke into a song:
A thousand years or more ago, When I was newly sewn,
There lived four wizards of renown, Whose names are still well known: Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor, Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream, They hatched a daring plan
To educate young sorcerers
Thus Hogwarts School began.
Now each of these four founders Formed their own house, for each Did value different virtues
In the ones they had to teach.
By Gryffindor, the bravest were Prized far beyond the rest;
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest
Would always be the best;
For Hufflepuff, hard workers were Most worthy of admission;
And power-hungry Slytherin
Loved those of great ambition.
While still alive they did divide Their favorites from the throng,
Yet how to pick the worthy ones When they were dead and gone? 'Twas Gryffindor who found the way, He whipped me off his head
The founders put some brains in me So I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug about your ears, I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your mind
And tell where you belong!
After the hat finishes its song, all the students and professors erupt into applause. A few of the first years are too stunned to clap, but most of them participate in the hearty applause.
The woman who laid out the hat stands up again, unrolling a long piece of parchment. "When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool," She instructs. "When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table."
"Ackerly, Stewart!"
A thin, trembling boy walks up to the front and sits on the stool. He picks up the hat, puts it on, and within seconds his house is announced-
"RAVENCLAW!"
The hat continues on with about a hundred or so more students. When it got up to the G last names, my name was nowhere to be called. Eventually, I found myself sitting alone at the table while the other first years had integrated to their new houses.
"Grey, Amelia!" The woman calls. The students had lost interest quite awhile ago, but now that an older student was called to be sorted, their undivided attention directs to me.
I muster up the most confident approach I can and walk to the stool. I gingerly lift it up and place it on my head while sitting down.
"Quite a profound thinker, but also a knack for adventure," The hat muses. The rest of the Great Hall is silent but I don't think they hear the hat speaking to me.
"You are kind as well, but it is not your most prominent trait. Bravery shines within you," It ponders. My heart flutters, thinking about how I can be in Gryffindor with my friends.
"But alas, the power you possess is unworldly. It is best that you be put into-
- SLYTHERIN!"