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| The twins and Katerina exchanged confused looks as the peered at the sea of hats on the heads of the other children in the room. So before your young minds can seed Try me on and I shall tell you Which house shall satisfy your every need? It may be in Gryffindor that your fate may lie The hat abruptly stopped singing for a group of Slytherins had begun to giggle and murmur on the far side of their table. “What is this insolence?” Professor McGonagall’s shrill tones echoed off every wall freezing the chattering Slytherins. The sorting hat didn’t continue to sing but instead Professor McGonagall lifted it and spoke to the first years. “When I call your name will you please come and sit on the stool. Anwell, Timothy” A rather nervous looking boy emerged from the centre of the first years and cautiously crept up to the stool. When he finally sat upon it Professor McGonagall placed the sorting hat upon his head. “RAVENCLAW!” The hat yelled out to the room. Tim stood up from the stool, removed the hat and walked towards the second table on the left of the hall, which was full of applauding Ravenclaws. Katerina having seen what to do grabbed Fred and George’s arms and pulled them toward her. “You know what those Slytherins were laughing at don’t you?” Both boys nodded solemnly and then grinned. “I’m glad we brought those extra supplies.” The three broke their huddle as Lee Jordan was called up to the stool and became the first new Gryffindor. The hat seemed to call out houses for an eternity. Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw. Then finally “Silvermoore, Katerina.” Fred and George elbowed her ribs at the same moment and Percy sat up a little straighter in his seat. Katerina edged through the remaining first years to reach the stool. She shook her hair slightly before the hat was hovered over her head. It didn’t even touch her crown before the sorting hat yelled out. “GRYFFINDOR!” Percy beamed with pride and Lee leapt off the bench to greet her as she strode over to the cheering table of Gryffindor. She took her seat and stared intently at the twins until they were the last two left. “Weasley, Fred” George started to move forward until he heard a stifled giggle from Katerina. Fred moved swiftly to the stool and with a flourish pulled on the sorting hat as though it was a prop in Hamlet. “GRYFFINDOR!” A look of sheer horror filled Professor McGonagall’s face as Fred raced over to hug Katerina and be welcomed to the Gryffindor house. “Weasley, George” McGonagall’s voice seemed to have lost its edge as George whipped on the hat and wore it slanted on. “GRYFFINDOR!” The last of the colour drained from McGonagall’s face whilst George was hugged by Katerina, thumped by Fred and cheered by Lee. “Now look what you’ve done.” Katerina scolded them. “What?” both twins twisted in their seats to look wildly round the room. “ You’ve gone and made McGonagall ill.” All the Gryffindors within earshot broke out in a raucous laughter. The sorting hat and stool had been removed from the hall. “Now when do we eat?” “You never think of anything but your stomach, do you Kat?” “Well apart from a certain other thing.” Both twins grinned at her as she stuck her tongue out. “I don’t know what you mean.” Lee let out a disbelieving snort of laughter as Katerina innocently stared at her friends. A man at the centre of the staff table now rose. He was dressed in rich burgundy robes and had a long silvery white beard that was tucked into his belt. He smiled warmly at the students before him. “Welcome, Welcome one and all to the start of a fresh new year at Hogwarts.” “Drat, I missed Christmas again.” George exclaimed causing wide spread laughter from all but the Slytherins. Even McGonagall cracked a smile. “Bravo, Mr Weasley! I am Albus Dumbledore, your headmaster. So without further adieu, Diner is served.” He clapped his hands and in the platters strewn up and down each table suddenly filled with food. Almost instantly there was a great scrambling for food. The start of term banquet had begun. After thirds of the main course and seconds on desert even Katerina had eaten her fill and met Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet and Sarah Bell, all who seemed to share the triplet’s passion for Quidditch. “So Kat, What position do you play?” “Keeper,” Oliver Wood lifted his head to stare at the girls for a second “Or chaser or even beater, I’m flexible.” “What about Seeker?” Sarah mocked her. “It’s too much effort, I get too bored and besides no one can aim straight so you never have bludgers come flying anywhere near you.” The four of them burst out laughing and Oliver Wood returned to his past conversation with some seventh years. “That’s the Quidditch team for Gryffindor.” Alicia indicated with her fork to Oliver and the cluster of seventh years. “They’re all in their last year here apart from him, aparently he's in his third year.” She pointed at Oliver’s back. “So next year it’ll be Fred, George and the three of you joining the team I reckons.” “What about you?” Angelina questioned her “Only position left would be seeker and I’m no good at it.” Angelina looked confused “He’s the keeper” Katerina explained. “How do you know that?” Alicia questioned her. “He looked up when we mentioned the word KEEPER.” Oliver glanced up again, saw the four girls looking at him and hurriedly turned away causing the girls to laugh. The meal continued until no one could eat another bite and the plates emptied of the food. Lee yawned as Dumbledore rose once more and began to address the students. “I do hope you all enjoyed your meal, but before I can usher you off to your beds, I have a few start of term notices. Our caretaker, Mr Filch has asked me to remind you that no magic should be used in the corridors between lessons and that a list of forbidden items are clearly displayed outside his office. May I also say that the forbidden forest is off limits to all pupils. Quidditch trails shall be held the second week of this term. If you are interested in playing for your house please contact Madam Hooch. And finally the North tower has been slightly damaged, so Divination will be held on the third floor corridor. So before I bid you all a good night, I think we should all sing the school song.” Dumbledore raised his wand and flicked it slightly. Golden wisps flew from the end of his wand to form the words. “Everyone together, in your favourite tune!” The students began to bellow, 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. Everyone stopped singing at different times, until Katerina, Lee and the twins were left singing in a booming operatic unison. When they had finished the whole hall burst into applause and strangely, roses began to float from the ceiling causing wide spread laughter. “Excellent Miss Silvermoore, but there is to be no magic in the corridors.” “But sir, technically this isn’t a corridor.” “True, true. How very right you are. So now I must extend that rule to include the Great hall. Prefects. Please show the first years to your respective common rooms and to the rest of you I bid good night. I would also request that the Gryffindor first years and Quidditch team remain behind here for a few moments.” Confusion stretched over the Quidditch teams faces and fear to the majority of the first year’s faces. Once the hall had emptied, Professor McGonagall approached the waiting students with Professor Dumbledore. “Thank you for waiting. Professor McGonagall informs me that there maybe a problem with accommodation for you.” He smiled at the first years. “It appears that there is an un-equal number of girls and boys. Unfortunately it seems that there are one too many girls and one too few boys for the dormitories that Gryffindor has. I am afraid that…” “Kat will!” Fred and George announced taking back everyone in the room. |
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