Into the Lion's Den

Chapter 6

Deimos stands up as the train stops and looks at his case "It's alright Deimos, it'll be taken up to the castle with the others. You heard the conductor." Ron tells him. Nodding Deimos hesitantly follows Ron and Harry off the train and into the cold night air whee they hear a gruff voice "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?" it asks. Looking up Deimos sees the tallest man he has ever seen holding a lamp and smiling at Harry "C'mon, follow me; any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" the man says. "You know him?" Deimos asks Harry. "Yeah, that's Hagrid. He's the groundskeeper and keeper of keys. He can to get me from the Dursley's and take me shopping." Harry explains as everyone follows Hagrid down a dark narrow path. "Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec, jus' round this bend here." Hagrid tells the group of first years. As they turn the bend Deimos smiles as they see the castle on top of a mountain across a lake they are stood by "Oooh!" some people exclaim.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid says as he leads them over to a fleet of boats. Deimos sits in one with Ron and Harry, Neville joining them "Everyone in? Right then, FORWARD!" Hagrid exclaims making the small boats move forward across the lake and towards the castle.

As they near it Hagrid turns to everyone "Heads down!" he tells them. Everyone does so as they are taken through a curtain of ivy and into a tunnel which takes them to an underground harbour where everyone climbs out the boats. Deimos looks round and spots Trevor the toad, catching him he carries him over to Neville "Trevor escaped again." he tells him. Neville smiles thankfully "Thank you." he tells Deimos taking the toad and holding onto him. Everyone follows Hagrid up the stairs and towards a huge, oak door where Hagrid knocks three times. The doors swing open at once and a tall witch in emerald robes steps out "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid smiles. "Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." McGonagall nods leading the first years into the entrance hall. "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. 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. 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. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." McGonagall tells them before leaving the hall.

Harry taps Ron and Deimos "How exactly do they sort us into houses?" he asks. "Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking." Ron responds. "Course he was joking, we get sorted based on our personalities and traits." Deimos retorts. Just then about twenty ghosts stream through the back wall, pearly and translucent "What the?" Harry starts. A man in a Friar's outfit stops by them "New students! About to be Sorted, I suppose?" he asks making a ew people nod mutely "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know." he smiles. "Move along now, the Sorting Ceremony's about to start." Professor McGonagall says returning. One by one the ghost float away though the opposite wall "Now, form a line and follow me." McGonagall tells them. All the the first years get into line before following McGonagall into the Great Hall where the rest of the school is gathered. Deimos looks up at the enchanted ceiling and the floating candles, wondering why the candle wax isn't dropping on everyone. They all walk to the end of the hall where a stool stands before the staff table with a pointed wizard's hat which is patched, frayed and extremely dirty.

After a minute the seam at the bottom of the hat opens like a mouth "Oh, you may not think I'm pretty, But don't judge on what you see, I'll eat myself if you can find A smarter hat than me. You can keep your bowlers black, Your top hats sleek and tall, For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat And I can cap them all. There's nothing hidden in your head The Sorting Hat can't see, So try me on and I will tell you Where you ought to be. You might belong in Gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart; You might belong in Hufflepuff, Where they are just and loyal, Those patient Hufflepuffs are true And unafraid of toil; Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind, Where those of wit and learning, Will always find their kind; Or perhaps in Slytherin You'll make your real friends, Those cunning folk use any means To achieve their ends. So put me on! Don't be afraid! And don't get in a flap! You're in safe hands (though I have none) For I'm a Thinking Cap!" the hat sings making the whole hall burst into applause. The hat bows to each table before going still and quiet again "So we've just got to try on the hat! I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll." Ron whispers. "I would say I told you so but..." Deimos shrugs.

Professor McGonagall steps forward holding a scroll of parchment "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted. Abbott, Hannah!" she calls out. A blonde girl with pigtails stumbles forward and sits on the stool, hat on head; after a minute the seam opens again "HUFFLEPUFF!" it shouts. The table at the far right cheers and claps as Hannah goes over and sits down as a girl with brown hair called Susan Bones walks forward next, ending up in with Hannah. Terry Boot goes next ending up in Ravenclaw with a girl called Mandy Brocklehurst, Lavender Brown being the first Gryffindor sorted. Millicent Bulstrode becomes Slytherin making Deimos to start feel more anxious as he watches the sea of green and silver at the far left as Justin Finch-Fletchley joins Hufflepuff and Seamus Finnigan joins Gryffindor. "Granger, Hermione!" McGonagall calls making the bushy haired girl almost run up to the stool. "GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouts making Ron groan and Deimos stamp on his brothers foot "Don't be mean." he glares.

Soon Neville goes up and sits on the stool for nearly a minute before the hat calls "GRYFFINDOR!" making the boy hurry off the the table. Draco soon swaggers up to the stool and sits down on the stool; the hat barely touches his head before exclaiming "SLYTHERIN!" making the blonde smirk as he joins Crabbe and Goyle at the Slytherin table. "Malfoy Weasley, Deimos!" McGonagall calls. Deimos freezes but is nudged forward by Ron making him walk over to the stool as people start whispering to each other about his last name. Sitting down the hat is placed on his head "Hmmm, a Malfoy who is also a Weasley... interesting." the hat tells him in his head. "Please not Slytherin, please!" Deimos begs the hat. "You sure, you'd be able to build your bridges back up with your blood family." the hat tells him. "Please don't!" Deimos begs. "We'll then if your sure?" the hat questions. "I am." he tells it. "Okay then, better be..."