Finding Courage

3 - The Sorting

As the large double doors to the great hall swung open and McGonagall led them down the enormous isle Gwyneth couldn't help staring up at the ceiling. For the fact that there was none.

Past the hundreds of flickering, floating candles was a gorgeous night sky bejeweled by glittering clear stars. "Looks just like the sky back home." James whispered.

Gwyneth's gaze floated down to the teachers table. In the center was Dumbledore with a kind smile and a twinkle in his eyes. Gwyneth relaxed slightly, after all at a school run by Dumbledore how could anything go wrong?

As they came to a stop at the stairs Gwyneth looked around. To her left her eyes searched the Ravenclaw table. Quickly she found Eslanda toward the front of the table smiling at her.

Now smiling as McGonagall called the first name she searched the Slytherine table. In the center, surrounded by his friends and giggling girls was Maron who smiled and waved.

Gwyneth waved back then jumped as the hat yelled "SLYTHERINE!"

The Slytherine table burst into cheers and she turned back to McGonagall.

The professor read the next name from her scroll "Rodger Davies"

An average looking boy with brown hair and eyes stepped up, sitting on the crooked stoll.

Silence fell, then a tear across the hat opened "RAVENCLAW"

The Ravenclaws applauded and cheered as Rodger joined them beaming.

"Cedric Diggory."

Smiling Cedric gave Gwyneth and James one last look before walking up the steps and taking his seat.

McGonagall had placed the hat onto his head for only a second before announcing "Hufflepuff."
The table directly to their right broke into the warmest, most welcoming applause yet. Grinning broadly now Cedric joined the students accented in yellow, receiving warm welcomes and pats on the back.

Gwyneth found herself wishing a little more now to be placed in Hufflepuff over Gryffindor.

The next first year was sorted, "Ravenclaw."

Then, "James Hendrie"

Gwyneth could see the sudden nervousness in his eyes as James sat on the chair, hat lowering onto his head. The seconds ticked by as everyone waited quietly. Then, the hat opened his mouth once again. "HUFFLEPUFF."

More lively cheers as James bounced down the steps to sit beside Cedric.

As the next student was sorted into SLYTHERINE Gwyneth now knew there was no house she'd rather be than Hufflepuff. Her new friends were there,  warm welcomes and kind faces had a pull on her none of the other tables had.

"Angelina Johnson." A pretty girl took her seat on the chair, head held high.

"GRYFFINDOR!" The table furthest to the right, dressed in red and gold burst into the loudest, roudiest applause yet as they got their first newbie. Some of them even jumped from their seats in excitement. Gwyneth noticed a slight twitch at the corner of Professor McGonagall's mouth.

Once the noise died down, with Angelina in her seat McGonagall continued. "Lee Jordan."

"GRYFFINDOR." Rowdy applause once more, this time slightly less deafening.

Two more girls for Ravenclaw and a boy for Slytherine as well as Hufflepuff. Alicia Spinnet along with Kenneth Towler were sorted into Gryffindor.

Their group was getting much smaller as the names went on and Gwyneth found herself standing next to the red headed twins who had pushed Lee Jordan from their boat. One of the twins kept looking at her then glancing away.

She thought he looked like he wanted to say hello, but kept deciding against it. Looking up at the stern faced McGonagall she thought maybe he was scared to interrupt her.

Wanting to make as many friends as possible Gwyneth took a small, side step closer to the twins offering a small smile. "I'm hoping for Hufflepuff." She whispered to them. "What about you?"

They both looked to her, but it was the twin who hadn't been looking to her that answered. "Gryffindor, it's the best house."

"We'll see about that." Mischief sparkled in her brown eyes as another girl was sorted into Hufflepuff. The twins smirked.

McGonagall called out. "Gwyneth Ollerton." All the confidence she'd felt a mere second ago slipped away. Hoping her school robes hid her shaking legs Gwyneth slowly climbed the stairs. As she sat onto the stool she gripped the edges. McGonagall slipped the hat onto her head and it slid down, covering her eyes.

In the darkness Gwyneth suddenly heard a small voice in her head causing her toes to curl.

"Well well. I know just what house to put you in." Then, out loud she heard it, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Beaming as the hat slid of her head Gwyneth jumped from the stool. A new bounce in her step as she walked to her cheering house table. She'd almost sat in a seat between Cedric and James when she heard it, an outrageously loud cheer from the far left of the room. "Yeah that's my sister! Always new your a little Puff Gwynnie!"

Smiling, cheeks heating, Gwyneth looked over her shoulder to her boasting brother. He'd stood up and was clapping louder than anyone else in the room. Joining in with the laughter Gwyneth gave a little wave then quickly sat down.

James patted her shoulder in congratulations. Looking at him her gaze caught past his shoulder to the teachers table. Dumbledore and many of the other teachers were smiling and laughing at Maron's excitement as well. That's when she new this was going to be the best year of her life.

Sara Smith wad the last one to be sorted. Excited applause meeting her as she joined Ravenclaw.

[Sorting finished. Dumbledore greeted with his fun, simple words. Great began. Meet Hufflepuff ghost. Stayed talking about their families after another first year said how exciting this was being a muffle born]

Everyone had give through their families excitedly between mouthfuls. Gwyneth noticed that for this part of the conversation James had become very interested in his mashed potatoes.

"What about you James?" She said innocently, trying to include him. "What do your parents do?"

"My mother and me live with my grandparents on their [magical creature] ranch."

"Seriously!?" Gwyneth and Cedric said together.

"That sounds like never ending fun." Cedric beamed as the plates and all food cleared. With a pop mountains of desserts replaced the savory dishes.

Exclamations of excitement bulldozed the conversation as they pilled their plates with cookies, cake, and pastries.

"Hey Gwyneth." One of the older students, Jones she thinks his name was calls down to her.

She blinks a few times. Caught unprepared with the sudden attention. "Yes?"

"Ollerton, any relation to the Cleansweeps Ollertons?"

"Oh," she breathed a sigh of relief. This was a question her siblings prepared her for. "Yes. It's my families company."

Jones grinned now, and some other excited faces turned toward her. "Awesome. Do you think we could get a little help for the Quidditch team? I mean, want Hufflepuff to take home the house cup right?"

Kindly smiling Gwyneth shock her head, blonde strands falling into her eyes. "That'd be great. But my brother's in Slytherine, and I have a sister in Ravenclaw. If my grandfather helped out one of our houses he'd want to help all of them. Then there'd by three houses equally matched, brooms wise anyway."

His grin fell slightly. "Yeah. I get it. Do you know much about broom crafting?"

Gwyneth nodded and Jones's grin returned. "Oh I've got so many questions about how that works. Mind talking one day in the common room?"

Smile glowing she nodded her head enthusiastically. Making friends was turning out very easy at Hogwarts.