Harry Potter and the Black Rose

Chapter 6 | The Sorting Hat

The Hogwarts Express came to a halt on the tracks. The sun had lowered beyond the horizon a few moments ago, coating the sky in a blanket of darkness. The light on the train shone brightly through the night, lighting a way.

The half-giant approached the train with a lantern in his hand. He looked over the majority of the new students in the group. He raised his arm and motioned for the first year students to come forth.

"Alright then, first years. This way please. Come on now, first years. Don't be shy. Come on. Hurry up," Hagrid announced loudly.

The little girl placed her naughty ferret back into his cage, closing the latch behind him. She walked towards the luggage, placing the cage on top of some of her trunks. She stuck her finger through the bars, petting his pink nose gently. She waved her hand, saying a quick goodbye.

The students filed out of the train. They all wore the proper uniform as they stepped onto the platform. The little children walked towards the large man, they were the first year students. Harry and Ron quickly made their way through the crowd of students to stand in front of Hagrid. The boy with the lightning scar smiled up at him.  

"Hello Harry," Hagrid said with a smile on his face.

"Hey Hagrid."

"Right then, this way to the boats. Come on now. Follow me," he instructed. The children followed the large man to the boats, piling themselves into each one. For each boat, it allowed to carry five children. As they set sail, they looked off into the distance to spot a large castle upon the rocks. One could only assume this was the school.

The children looked over the dark castle with awestruck eyes, gaping at its monstrosity. The silver moon shimmered in the sky, casting reflections onto the black water. A fog hovered over the freezing water, giving the entire scenery a spooky feel.

Once they got out of the boats, the young children were directed towards the front gates. They maneuvered their way through the castle, walking up many flights of stairs. One of the professors tapped her fingers against the stone banister, looking down at her new students with observing eyes.

The new students walked up one more flight of stairs before stopping in front of the professor. She looked down at them with a pointy witch hat on top of her head. Her hair was tucked back underneath her hat so that not a single strand was shown. Her lips curved into a happy smile as she gazed at the new arrivals.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments, you'll pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you can take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Now, while you're here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points. Any rule-breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup," Professor McGonagall explained.

Suddenly, there was a toad croaking near the professor's feet. The little boy who owned the toad looked down near her feet. His eyes widened in realization. He jumped forward, stepping out of the crowd to grab his little pet.

"Trevor!"

The boy looked up, staring into the professor's disapproving eyes. He muttered a quiet apology before stepping back into the crowd of young children. The professor narrowed her eyes at him, hesitantly continuing with her speech.

"The Sorting Ceremony will begin momentarily," Professor McGonagall said. She turned and entered the large door behind her, leaving the children on the steps for a few short moments.

The children mumbled amongst themselves, talking in a low whisper. A little blond boy turned his head and looked at the boy wearing round glasses. He narrowed his eyes at him, placing his arm on the stone banister. He leaned against it in attempts to look cool and subtle.