Fortune of Fate (A female Harry Potter fanfiction)

[13]

  The door opened to reveal a tall black-haired witch with emerald-green robes standing there. She had a very stern face which softened after making eye contact with Rose, still, Rose's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.

  Hagrid was the first to initiate a conversation, ''The firs' years, Professor McGonagall.'' He said. ''Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here.'' She pulled the door open wide.

  The entrance hall was so big you could fit the whole of the Dursley's 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. Rose could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right - the rest of the school must already be here - 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-tern 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.'' 

  She took a pause before continuing, ''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 rule breaking 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 your waiting.'' Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's dirty nose. Rose nervously tried to flatten her hair.

  ''I shall return when we are ready for you, please wait quietly and patiently.'' Professor McGonagall said. She left the chamber. Rose swallowed. ''How exactly do they sort us into Houses?'' she asked Ron.

  Ron glanced at her. ''Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I reckon he was just joking.'' Rose's heart gave a terrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But she didn't know any magic yet - what on earth would she have to do? She hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived. She looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. 

  No one was talking much except for Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. 

  Rose tried hard to listen to her so she could block out all of her anxiousness. She'd never been more nervous, never, not even when she'd had to take a school report home to the Dursley's saying that she'd somehow turned her teacher's wig blue.

  She kept her eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead her to her doom.

  Then something happened that made her jump about a foot in the air - several people behind her screamed. 

  ''What the- ?'' She gasped. So did the people around her. 

  About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the black 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.

   What looked like a fat little monk was saying: ''Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance-'' He was cut off by another. ''My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?'' A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

  Nobody answered though. ''New students!'' said the fat Friar, smiling joyfully. ''About to be sorted I suppose.'' A few people nodded mutely, still shocked. The ghost looked at Rose, "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old House, you know.'' Said the Friar. ''Move along now,'' Said a sharp voice. ''The Ceremony's about to begin.''

  Professor McGonagall had just returned and boy did she not like this distraction. 

  One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall. ''Now, form a line and follow me.'' Professor McGonagall told the first years.

   Feeling odd as though her legs had turned to lead, Rose got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron behind her, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

  As Rose walked in she gawked at the spacious great Hall filled to the brim with students and professors. Feeling even more nervous than before, Rose sank her fingernails in her hands, strong enough to leave marks. As she calmed a bit down she took in the interior of the Grand Hall.

  Rose had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables. where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. 

  At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting and also, unknown to Rose, observing her. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students. with the teachers behind them.

  Rose, who was not expecting such an abrupt stop, abruptly crashed into the person in front of her. 

  Her nose was squashed onto the person's robe and Rose had to grip the hem of their robes to keep from falling. The person whose robes were being grabbed immediately turned around in anger, only to face the now bowed-down Rose who was frantically apologizing, and for the first time in their life, the person was speechless.

   "I'm so sorry I wasn't expecting to suddenly stop here and I didn't have enough time to react which caused me to crash into you and I apologize deeply for the inconvenience I have caused you-'' The person suddenly chuckled, which Rose was not expecting. 

  ''It's no trouble, after all, it was just an accident, right? No harm no foul. No need to make a big deal out of it.'' The person chuckled amusingly. Rose blushed in embarrassment and immediately stood up straight again.

  Rose looked up at the person and said person couldn't help blushing immensely after seeing Rose's flushed and embarrassed face. ''Again I'm sorry-'' They interrupted the start of her ranting, holding out their hand they said, ''I'm Blaise, as in Blaise Zabini.'' Blaise was a relatively good-looking boy, he had sparkling brown skin, brown eyes, and nicely cut black hair.

  Rose looked at the hand as if startled for a moment but then shook it with her own. "Rose Potter, nice to meet you.''

   Blaise couldn't believe that the girl right in front of him was the one and only famous Rose Potter who defeated the dark lord. There was some poorly concealed shock on his face which lasted a while and left Rose feeling very awkward.