Amelia Merlin

Part Three: First Day

A/n please comment lots letting me know what you think! I appreciate everything! Thanks for reading!

"Firs' years! This way! All firs' years over here!" Amelia lept off the train and turned to see who was calling all her peers. It didn't take long to find him. He was giant, probably eight or nine feet tall, with a great wild beard to match his untamed hair. She recognized him as Hagrid, the gamekeeper at Hogwarts. The twins spoke quite amiably about Hagrid so Amelia walked towards him with no fear. This could not be said about the other first years. They stood huddled away from him casting furtive glances.

"Oh he's perfectly nice, and he wouldn't be in charge of us if he wasn't." Amelia said to the group of friends she had made on the train. Surprisingly they took her statement as a fact and they followed Hagrid as he led them to the edge of the lake.

"I'm so nervous!" Lavender Brown bounced on her toes and Amelia gave her a comforting smile in an effort to be kind.

"Alrigh'. Four of yeh to a boat and no splashin' about. Yeh don want ter be soakin on yer firs night here." Hagrid ushered them all into the boats, and with a great shove he pushed them from shore. From there the boats steered themselves to the other side of the vast lake.

When Amelia set eyes on the castle, her mouth fell open just a little, to form a perfect o. It was something from a muggle fairytale, she grabbed Parvati Patil's hand, who was sitting next to her. They looked at each other and smiled. Amelia could tell how excited they both were. Terrified, and nervous, but excited nonetheless.

As they made their way to the castle, everyone was either none stop chattering, or at a complete loss for words. Amelia was definitely one of the chatty ones, she was discussing with Hermione all about Hogwarts. Although Hermione was a total know-it-all, Amelia liked her. She was obviously wickedly talented, and there was something endearing about her.

They had reached the doors, where they were met by an older women. Amelia could already tell that you would not want to get on the wrong side of her. She had silver hair that was pulled back into a tight knot on her skull. Her glasses that were perched on the end of her nose, were at the perfect angle to look down upon all wrongdoers. She did not look unkind, so much as strict.

Amelia didn't listen as the women, who introduced herself as Professor McGonagall. Instead she proceeded to observe the castle, the stone carved archways seemed more beautiful to her than anyone else. She was just looking at the stair railing, when everyone started to move towards the door to the Great Hall.

The Great Hall was rightly named. It's vast ceiling was enchanted to look as though it opened unto the heavens. There were candles floating above to tables, which where set with gold plates and goblets. As Amelia and her classmates proceeded down the middle of the hall, she caught Fred's eye, who waved enthusiastically. They reached the end of the hall, just in front of the staff table, and McGonagall turned to face them. There was a hat sitting on a four legged stool beside her. The Sorting Hat. Amelia knew all about it of course, but she didn't know it was so old. For some reason it didn't occur to her that it would look this awful, she always pictured a pristine point hat. This was the opposite, it looked as though it had been to the jungle and back.

The Sorting Hat opened a rip at the brim like a mouth, and began to sing
"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 be Gryffindor
Where dwell the brave at heart
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Gryfindors 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!"