Amilya Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

3)Sorting Ceremony

     Amilya and her three friends stepped out onto another platform, feeling cold blowing through her hair. A bright lamp appeared to be floating above the student's heads and a familiar voice spoke: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry? And Amy?"

     "Wait, you know Hagrid?" Amy asked.

     Harry nodded. "He took me to Diagon Alley. How do you know him?"

     Amy took a careful step on the narrow path. "He didn't really help raise me, but he's like an uncle to me. He's like that one favourite uncle that you don't see very often."

     "I don't have a favourite uncle." Harry mumbled.

      "Oh right, our real uncle's mean." Amy said. Neville sniffled behind her, but she didn't care about turning around to help him. Besides, he didn't want her help.

     "Yeh'll get her firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid said, "jus' round this bend here."

     "Ooooh!" Many students said loudly at the sight of Hogwarts. Amy, though she was raised by Hogwarts professors, had never seen Hogwarts before and dropped her jaw in awe.

     "No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called as students started climbing into boats. Amy and Thomas followed into a boat after Harry and Ron. "Everyone in?" Hagrid said, taking up a whole boat. "Right then- FORWARD!"

     The boats all moved forward, gliding gracefully across the dark water and under a cliff. "Heads down!"

     They all bent down as the boats took them through a curtain of ivy. They glided forward through a dark tunnel, stopping at the very end. Everyone climbed out and climbed on the rocks, following Hagrid up to a set of stairs.

     "Oi, you there! Is this your toad?" Hagrid said, pointing to a brown toad.

     "Trevor!" Neville cried, picking up the toad and happily followed the rest of the first years up stone steps. They all stopped in front of a large door.

     "Everyone here?" Everyone looked around making sure no one was missing. "You there, still got yer toad?"

     Hagrid knocked on the door three times and it opened to reveal Aunt Minnie.

     "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said.

     "Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." Aunt Minnie said. Amy tried to make eye contact with her aunt, but she seemed to be busy guiding the first years to an empty chamber just outside the loud hall. The whole crowd seemed to be very close together, looking around nervously.

     "Welcome to Hogwarts," Aunt Minnie 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 rule breaking 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." Aunt Minnie gave Amy a look that Amy groaned about. Amy didn't have a brush on her person, so she combed her red, tangly hair with her fingers. Ron rubbed the dirt off of his nose and Harry tried to smooth his hair. Amy guessed that Harry had the same hair curse that she did.