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| “We will be reaching Hogwarts in three minutes. Please leave all your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately.” Then Katerina, Fred and George pulled on their robes. Katerina’s robes were taken in around the waist so they fitted her figure and her boots tips emerged from under the material. Where as Fred and George’s robes were slightly too short, both boys’ ankles and trainers were visible. The train gradually pulled into the Hogwarts station. There was a great scrambling from the compartments. The car doors creaked open and fountains of children spilled onto the platform. “Firs’ years this way!” From the end of the platform a bellowing voice streamed through the light rain and fading light. Fred, who was the first from the train, turned to see a gigantic man in a moleskin coat and buried beneath mountains of hair you could see beetle eyes shining. He was holding a lantern with first years flocking to him. Lee jumped out of the train bumping into Fred in the process. “Come on George and you Kat.” “We’ll be there in a sec.” George called out of an open window. “So spill it. What’s up with you?” George had pulled her into an empty compartment by a car door. Katerina glared irritated at George. “Nothing is wrong.” She snapped and then threw him a careless smile before disembarking. George shook his head and followed. The two joined Lee and Fred in the milling crowd around the large man with the lantern. “You all ‘ere? Good right then, all of yeh follow me.” Fred nudged Lee “Who’s that?” “Hagrid, apparently he’s the groundskeeper and got expelled when he was in his third year here.” Lee whispered. “Oh yeah, our brother Charlie told us about him.” They followed Hagrid down a narrow, steep path with a forest of dark trees either side. George slipped twice almost knocking over Katerina and Lee. “Yeh’ll get yer firs’ sight o’ Hogwarts in a sec.” Hagrid called back over to the scrambling first years. As they rounded a bend in the path a loud gasp of admiration filled the air. The track suddenly opened and a huge black lake appeared before them. Balanced a top a lofty mountain on the other side of the ebony loch, its windows glittering in the starry heavens, was a celestial chateau with many turrets and towers. A small fleet of little boats stood at the shore of the lagoon. “No more’n four to a boat.” Hagrid yelled. Lee clambered into a boat first and helped a reluctant Katerina in behind him, followed by the twins. “Everyone in?” Hagrid called from the boat in the centre of the fleet, which he had all to himself. “Good. Right then – FORWARD!” The fleet of tiny ships all moved off together, sliding across the lakes surface. The water was choppy and spattered with ripples from the ongoing drizzle. The children’s robes were sodden from the rain and the occasional wave that breached the sides of their boats. The castle loomed overhead and the boats drew nearer to the cliff that the citadel stood upon. “Mind yeh heads” Hagrid’s voice boomed through the growing darkness as they reached the cliff. An ivy curtain lay before them and as they all bowed their heads they passed under it into an opening in the cliff face. After moments in complete darkness they arrived at a small underground marina. They scrambled from their boats onto a shore of stones and pebbles. Hagrid led the bubbling children up a passageway, which opened out on to an area of smooth damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They strode up a case of stone steps and swarmed around the large, oak front door. “Everyone ‘ere?” “No, I dropped Fred in the lake.” Katerina burst out laughing as a sodden Fred joined the rest of the children. George grinned at his brother who grinned back. The rest of the children had begun to giggle uncontrollably. “Right everyone ‘ere now? You didn’t throw anyone else in the lake did yeh?” “Not to the best of my knowledge.” “Good.” Hagrid raised his gigantic fist and hammered three times on the castle door. Almost instantly the door flew open. In the doorframe stood a tall black-haired witch in emerald robes. She looked sternly over her square framed spectacles. Fred shook his wet hair, which dried instantly. George grinned at Katerina. Her left arm was behind her back with her wand in hand. She quickly stuffed it back in her robes as Hagrid spoke to the woman before the first years. “Here yeh are Professor McGonagall, The firs’ years.” Hagrid waved one of his huge arms in the children’s direction. “Thank you Hagrid, I’ll look after them now.” Hagrid nodded as Professor McGonagall threw the door open to reveal a vast entrance hall lit by torches hung on the stonewalls. The walls seemed to reach the sky. The ceiling wasn’t visible from where the group stood and the dramatic marble staircase that dominated the hallway led to the upper floors of the school. Professor McGonagall led them across the flagstone floor. Voices drifted from the door to their right, indicating that the rest of the school was already seated inside, but Professor McGonagall led them into a small room off the hall. Lee Jordan looked sick. Fred and George walked either side of Katerina and constantly nudging her with their elbows, grinning from ear to ear. “Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.” Professor McGonagall exclaimed when all the first years were packed inside the chamber. “The start of term banquet will begin momentarily, but before we can begin, you must all be sorted into one of the four Hogwarts houses. These houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Each house has its own dignified history and have produced outstanding witches and wizards. Whilst you are in Hogwarts your house shall be a family to you. You shall eat at your house table, sleep in your house dormitory and have lessons in your houses. Any free time you have shall be spent in your house common room. During your tenure here your triumphs will earn you house points and any rule breaking will lose house points.” “What about bending the rules?” Fred piped up from somewhere near the back of the room. Katerina bit her lip in an effort to stop herself from laughing. George’s shoulders shook although he kept his lips firmly fixed together. Lee’s face was smothered by a stupid grin whilst Fred’s face stayed innocent. Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes at the four of them and silently hoped they would not be put in Gryffindor. “At the end of the year the house cup shall be awarded to the house with the most house points. Now the sorting ceremony will begin shortly in front of the whole school. Please use this time now to make your selves presentable before we enter the great hall.” There was a great movement as cloaks were twisted and straightened and wet hair was flattened. “I shall come and collect you when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly” Professor McGonagall left the room. “So how do they sort us into houses?” Someone questioned from the centre of the crowd. “It’s a test of some kind and you do it at the front of the hall where everyone can see.” Katerina spoke up whilst studying her nails. “How do you know?” Fred and George looked surprised at the information. “Godrinch told me. It was part of his whole, ‘You should be ready to face the responsibilities of upholding the school name’ bit.” She was perfectly calm but the rest of the children had begun to panic. “Calm down they’re not gonna make us do anything that only a handful of us can do. Are they?” Katerina’s voice cracked slightly and she started to fiddle with her long scarlet hair. Panic was now reaching a peak as Professor McGonagall reappeared. “Follow me please, form a line, come on quickly now.” She led the first years out of the side chamber and into the great hall. Small gasps emanated from the line of first years as from the walls of the hall silvery white mists drifted through. Fred nudged George, who nudged Katerina, who nudged Lee. “The school ghosts.” He hissed. The four of them watched the ghosts for a moment. As they drew nearer to the front of the great hall they became very aware of the rest of the school. Hundreds of eyes watched every move they made as they walked between the tables. Fred grinned suddenly and elbowed George in the ribs. “Hey.” Fred nodded in the direction of a boy on their left. George smirked he moved his elbow as if he was going to elbow Katerina’s ribs but found she had put her hand up to stop him. “I’ve seen. So who’s going to do it?” “I will.” Fred whispered and jostled the people in front trying to hurry them up. As the first years shuffled towards the teachers’ table at the front of the hall, Fred passed a boy two years his senior. With a sweeping stretch of his arm, he walloped him around the head sending his hat flying into the lap of another third year. Percy Weasley reeling from the blow retrieved his hat from a chuckling Oliver Wood. “Oh Sorry Perc, Didn’t see you there.” Fred chimed as he scooted past, Katerina and George sniggering behind. “Godrinch’ll hear of this.” Percy called after them. Katerina turned and tried to lunge for Percy but George and Fred had hold of her robes and dragged her away from him. “Calm down everyone’s watching.” Lee lectured the indignant fem. “Let them look.” She snatched her robes back and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Humph.” “Don’t worry Kat, we’ll get revenge.” “Yeah, we’ve got all those extra emergency provisions for just this occasion.” The three grinned at one another leaving Lee completely confused. The children at the front of the line had now reached the front of the hall and began to crowd around a three-legged stool with a very tatty looking hat upon it. All the eyes of the already seated students were fixedly staring at the hat so the first years did the same. I am the sorting hat And as all can plainly see That there are many hats fairer than me The tall top hats worn by a man to be wed The black round bowlers worn by those who are well bred And yet none can compare, For I am the only hat that you will every need to wear. |
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