Harry Potter and the Deal with Death

Chapter Five

The door swung open moments later. Mcgonagall stood there, looking as stern as ever.

I wonder how I'll get on the Quidditch team this year, now that Malfoy is some sort of acquaintance.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. 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 them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from the door to the Great Hall, but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "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."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

She left the chamber.

"So, um- how exactly do we get sorted into houses?" asked a voice Harry recognised as Hermoine's.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking." Ron replied.

Hermoine then began to whisper very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. Harry snorted at all the horror-stricken faces and Draco's confident smirk.

"What's so funny?" yelled a female voice.

"Your reactions." Draco's smirk faltered, "Do you honestly think that they'll test us on stuff most of us have never studied? No, it's more of a personality test. Courageous go to Gryffindor, cunning to Slytherin, kind to Hufflepuff, and witty to Ravenclaw. Rather simple, really."

"How do you know this? Hmm?" called out a male voice.

"My guardians told me."

Harry prepared to get a witty remark back, but it never came. Instead, screams met his ears.

Several people around Harry gasped. 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 the first years. They seemed to be arguing. The Fat Friar was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance —"