Rosabella Black|Daughter of Sirius Black| (Book 1)

Sorting Hat

Rosabella's Point of View:
The door swung open at once. A tall, black - haired witch in emerald - green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and my first thought was that this was not someone to cross. I smirked. Perfect. Strict teachers are the funniest to mess with.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid said.
  
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." Professor McGonagall said and she pulled the door wide.

The entrance hall was very big you could have fit a normal sized house in it twice. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing us led to the upper floors.

We followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. I could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right - the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. We crowded in, standing rather closer together than we would usually have done, peering about nervously. I was looking around curiously, bursting with excitement.
   
"Welcome to Hogwarts. 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." Professor McGonagall said.
 
"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 honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours." Professor McGonagall said.
  
"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." Professor McGonagall said and her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose.

I saw Harry nervously tried to flatten his messy hair.
  
"I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." Professor McGonagall said and she left the chamber.
  
"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Harry asked Ron and I.
  
"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking." Ron said, nervously.
   
"Of course, he was joking. There not going to make us do a test on the first day. Half the students only just found out they're magical and would be at a complete disadvantage –" I said and Harry then suddenly jumped about a foot in the air.

Several people behind me screamed.
  
"What the - ?" I said and I heard Harry gasp as did the people around me.

About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly - white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at us. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "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 -" Another ghost said.
   
"Hi!" I said loudly and brightly.

The ghosts looked down at us.
  
"Why, hello. I say, what are you all doing here?" The other ghost said.

The ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the us.
   
"We're waiting to be sorted." I said, excitedly.
   
"New students!" The Fat Friar said, smiling around at us.
   
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know." The Friar said.
   
"Move along now. The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." A sharp voice said.