Book one of The Gwendolyn Series:
Sometimes, it's hard to remember that there were other students -- children, teenagers -- fighting through the second wizarding war.
Some witches and wizards simply hid within the swarm of the others, and Half-blood...
Hours had passed before the students finally arrived to Hogwarts. Time in which Gwendolyn had spent eating candy and talking with the her new-found-friend, Charlotte Luxbree.
However, now she stood amongst several other first-year students, all waiting to be sorted into their houses. They were all watching Minerva McGonagall, an older professor with grey hair and a pointed nose.
(this is obviously taken a bit from the original story, I wanted to keep it nostalgic)
"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly," Minerva McGonagall began, looking over the newcoming students. "The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts."
Gwendolyn smiled brightly, growing excited as she looked at the people around her. It was easy to spot Ronald Weasley and the Malfoy boy, and she assumed that the boy to her left was none other then Harry Potter himself, because she had noticed his scar when he scratched at his forehead a moment ago.
She listened carefully as McGonagall continued her explanation. "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 Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding wizards and witches. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points." She said, looking down at the potter boy with a inquisitive look. Gwen knew then that her guess was right.
"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."
Gwendolyn thought about how she has to be sorted into Gryffindor. She wouldn't survive a day in Ravenclaw, and she'd throw herself off the astronomy tower before sleeping with the Slytherin house.
"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." McGonagall finished, her eyes taking in the disarray of some of the students, noticing Harry trying to tame his hair at the edge of her vision. "I shall return for you when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."
McGonagall closed the door behind her, and that was the end of that.
"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Harry Potter himself said, leaning over towards the Weasley boy and talking in a whisper.
"Some sort of test, I think." Ronald replied, continuing on to say, "Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."
Gwendolyn could barely hold back a laugh as Potter's face paled visibly, and it seemed as if a curly haired girl behind her was in the same state. They shared a knowing glance, but both smiled in a very 'lets just let them worry' way.
When McGonagall finally returned and opened the doors to the hall, Gwendolyn was awe stricken. The Great Hall was decorated with floating candles and four long tables. Gwendolyn thought for a moment, about how odd it was that the candles didn't drip wax onto the students below, and how the ceiling looked like billions of dancing stars twinkling within a nighttime sky.
Then came the sorting hat. Gwendolyn had heard all about the old patched hat from her mother, and she wasn't at all frightened by what it could do. If anything, she feared the results.
It was in that moment, that professor McGonagall stepped forward, holding a long roll of parchment. "When I call your name," she began. "You will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"
Gwendolyn watched as a pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line and put on the hat. She barely caught the hat shouting its answer, before she zoned out into her own imagination.
"Curheart, Gwendolyn!"
Gwen's eyes grew wide as she realized that it was her turn, and she approached the stool and hat as calmly as she could manage. She was trying to ignore the fact that everyone was probably staring at her -wondering which house this blonde, blue eyed girl would be placed in- but she quietly sat down nonetheless, and waited for what felt like ages before the hat was placed atop her head and roughly began to talk.
"Well, well, this is quite a difficult one." The hat began. "You have a lot of potential, and ambition. Slytherin may very well suit you." It paused for a moment, forcing Gwendolyn's thoughts to darken into all the dread she'd endure if the hat placed her in Slytherin, but thankfully, it spoke again. "Ah, but alas, not everything is as it seems. A kind heart this one holds, better be," then the hat fell silent for a moment, making a few people in the crowd lean from their chairs as they did for every student.
"Hufflepuff!"
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The hall had erupted into cheers, most coming from a table of people dressed in black and yellow robes, and Gwendolyn smiled to herself as she hopped off the bench. She was happy, despite not being placed into Gryffindor. Hufflepuff was after all the house that suited her, and she could live with that.
She walked over to the table happily, and sat down besides a girl with shoulder-length, brown hair, and a welcoming smile. Gwen smiled at her in return, before turning her head back to the front of the hall. For a brief moment, she caught the eye of the headmaster, whom nodded at her before looking away. Gwendolyn found that a little odd, but ignored it nonetheless.
"Hi there!" The girl besides Gwen suddenly chirped loudly. Her skin was dark, almost like mocha, and a large pair of glasses at firmly on her nose. Large, brown eyes, sparkled in joy as she began to speak again. "I'm Amanda Bell." She introduced, holding out her hand for Gwendolyn to shake. Curls rolled into her face, like a messy array of brushed out yarn.
Gwen took her palm swiftly, and began opening her mouth to introduce herself, but Amanda quickly cut her off. "I'm-"
"Gwendolyn Curheart." She said happily, and out of instinct Gwendolyn went to correct her on the name, but the girl only interrupted again. "But, you prefer Gwen over Gwendolyn." Geez this girl was- "Strange? Outgoing? Yes well, I believe the sooner you get over the pleasantries the faster you can become friends. It's easier that way." She inquired, and Gwendolyn raised a brow in confusion.
"Ignore her, she always uses Legilimency on the newbies to freak them out." A boy across from them said, his dark brown hair falling slightly into his eyes. He was handsome, Gwendolyn definitely couldn't deny that, but he was also older, and Gwendolyn laughed at the irritated growl that came from the girl besides her.
"Oh shut it, Diggory! You're still jealous that I passed the transfiguration test last year and you didn't." Amanda said in a boastful — yet teasing — tone.
The boy merely rolled his eyes. "I studied for that test! I would have passed it too if my books hadn't gone missing."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Cedric." She huffed, quickly turning to the food that had just appeared on the table, and shouting out loudly, "Now somebody find and pass me the pumpkin pasties please!"
