CHAPTER 5✨
The Sorting Ceremony 🏰
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The massive gates of the castle were wide open. They were so big that a fully grown elephant can pass through it easily. I can't decide were to look at first, the grand oak- doors, or the grand entrance- hall whose ceiling felt endless, or the wide- white marble staircase leading upwards.
I noticed Professor McGonagall standing there, tall, black haired wearing an emerald-green robes.
Hagrid called out, "The firs'-years, Professor McGonagall."
"Thank you Hagrid, I will take them from here," Prof McGonagall replied.
"Follow me!"
We instantly started following her, because after meeting her once I knew that she was someone I didn't wanted to be at bad side of. She is a total baddie. She could give us extra homework just for fun.
But, I also knew she is a softie from inside for her students. She is someone who could smell talent and force the person to pursue it.
Anyways, we followed her, down the stone floor, beside me was Jani with Lily and Severus behind us, to another grand doors. From it was coming 100s of muffled voices. I presumed it was the gate of Great hall were the feast will take place.
But instead of there Prof McGonagall lead us to another small gate, inside which was a small empty chamber.
Huh? Why are we here? Weren't we supposed to be sorted?
I was feeling nervous. Excited? Yeah, but nervous too.
"Welcome to Hogwarts!" said Prof McGonagall, "The start-of-term banquet willl begin shortly. But before that you all will be sorted into your Hogwarts houses...."
She then gave a very long speech about houses, points system, House cup and all. Come on just let the sorting get started. I know all these things. Soo boring.
"Now The Sorting Ceremony will take place soon in front of the whole school. I suggest you all to smarten yourselves as much as you can, as that will be needed."
She scanned each and every student, as if judging their abilities to survive. Her eyes lingered longer on some people. I nervously brushed my fingers through my hair.
"I will return when we are ready for you. Till then, please wait quietly."
Then she left the chamber. I glanced at Jani. She had the same expression as me, she was also nervous.
Our brothers never told us about how sorting happens.
"How exactly are we sorted into our houses?" Lily asked.
"IDK. Aries refused to tell he said, 'just wait and watch, some things are fun when its not known'," Jani said in the most Aries voice she could make.
"And Percy? He said its a test where they sort most attractive person and least attractive person and put them in different houses according to that, and that he was the top 1 attractive person of his year. But we know that he was lying." I continued.
"Thats the most percy thing to say." Lily said while giggling.
Snape was just standing there staring somewhere, not even glancing at us while looking here there.
Other students around us were also talking and laughing, while some looked very nervous, like they will pee in their pants if someone even try to talk to them but strange thing was they were all staring at the same place as Severus.
I followed their line of sight and What I saw was something expected, yet chilling.
I gasped so loudly, Jani and Lily beside me looked at me worriedly, then turned towards where I was looking.
There were the Hogwarts ghosts. Nearly 20 of them, standing near the brick wall, they were talking among themselves, not noticing us. They were pearly white it felt like watching sea water flow on the mid-air. Like thin butter paper.
Some students screamed. Thats when they noticed that they had an audience and turned to us leaving their conversation behind.
"New students!" said a fat looking ghost, "about to be sorted, I suppose?"
We nodded, too bewildered to speak.
Meanwhile, a black haired guy yelled, "Yes! We will be sorted soon!"
"Move along now! The Sorting Ceremony is about to start."
Prof Mcgonagall who had returned just now said sharply. One by one all the ghosts glided away through the opposite wall.
"Now form a line and follow me," Prof McGonagall ordered us.
Nervously everyone got into a line behind her. I was standing between Jani and Lily.
Then we entered the Great Hall. I have never seen anything so splendid and strange and beautiful and magnificent. I didn't realized that my vocabulary is so bad, I don't know a single word which can describe this place. (AN:- Us Jay us)
There is four long table in which the students are already sitting, above them were millions of long, floating candlestick. The ceiling above created an illusion of the sky outside. It seemed as if there was no ceiling and the great hall was open directly to the heaven.
Across the hall on a raised platform, was another long table where all the teachers were sitting.
Then Prof McGonagall placed a four- legged stool, with a withered wizard hat sitting on it, on the area between students' and teachers' table. And led us behind the stool so that we were facing the older students.
They were all staring at us, it looked like hundreds of tired students waiting for everything to be finished, just so they can eat and go to sleep (Which was partially true).
But some were looking at us with great anticipation, like eager to know where we will be placed. I especially noticed Percy bouncing with excitement and Aries sitting nervously.
I gave them a small nod beside me Jani also reassured him by the nod.
Then I looked over toward the Sorting hat, maybe we had to get out some kind of object from it and according to what we extracted, we will be placed in our respective houses. Yeah that can be a possibility.
Just then the hat twitched and a rip opened wide like a mouth and started singing:
'Oh! I might not look pretty
But don't judge a book by its cover
they say. I might look unpleasant
But I have intelligence higher than most hats.
Cause there's nothing hidden in your head,
That the sorting hat can't see.
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you belong.
You might belong in GRYFFINDOR
Where dwell brave at the heart.
Their daring, nerve and chivalry,
Set Gryffindor apart
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,
And unafraid of toil:
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you're a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind:
Or perhaps in Slytherin,
Where you'll meet your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means,
To achieve their ends.
So put me on!
Don't be afraid! And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands, though I have none,
For I'm a Thinking Cap.'
WOW!! this cap is crazy it can talk and read our minds, and more importantly it wrote a song. Does it sing the same song every year or a new one? Interesting question whose answer will be a mystery until next year.
The hall burst into applaud some students were also hooting for the hat's song. The sorting hat bowed to each house table and then became still again.
Then Prof McGonagall stepped forward with a long parchment and announced:
"When I'll call your name, you will come forward, sit on the stool and put the hat on your head."
Third Person POV:-
'Abejar, Rory!'
'Ravenclaw!'
'Andrada, Superman!'
'Hufflepuff!'
'Black, Sirius!'
'Gryffindor!'
'Braselton, David!'
'Ravenclaw!'
'Castillo, Denzel!'
'Hufflepuff!'
'Collins, Felix!'
'Hufflepuff!'
'De Luna, Eren!'
'Hufflepuff!'
'Diego, Rakki!'
'Ravenclaw!'
'Evans, Lily!'
'Gryffindor!'
'Hanamitchi, Yuri!'
'Slytherin!'
'Harrington, Kit!'
'Ravenclaw!'
'Hidalgo, Freya!'
'Slytherin!'
'Hyun, Ella!'
'Slytherin!'
'Lupin, Remus!'
'Gryffindor!'
'Macdonald, Mary!'
'Gryffindor!'
'Madrigal, Blaster!'
'Hufflepuff!'
'Mariano, Janice!'
'Gryffindor!'
'Mariano, Jean!'
'Gryffindor!'
'Mckinnon, Marlene!'
'Gryffindor!'
'Meadowes, Dorcas!'
'Slytherin!'
'Mercado, Andrew!'
'Slytherin!'
'Penaflor Knight, Edrix!'
'Ravenclaw!'
'Pettrigrew, Peter!'
'Gryffindor!'
'Potter, James!'
'Gryffindor!'
'Ramos, Mayo!'
'Hufflepuff!'
'Rivera, Calix!'
'Hufflepuff!'
'Snape, Severus!'
'Slytherin!'
'Venites, Josh!'
'Ravenclaw!'
'Watson, Keifer!'
'Gryffindor!'
'Yumol, Micaela!'
'Hufflepuff!'
Jay-Jay's POV:
Finally the sorting ceremony completed, I heard the senior students talking, they said that this year many new students were accepted in Hogwarts. That is why the ceremony took so long.
Then, a old looking wizard who had long white beard and hairs stood up from the centre of the teacher's table. He is the headmaster I suppose, Professor Dumbledore that is his name, Aries told us that he is genius yet a little crackhead.
I guess that is the effect of running a school of pre-teenagers and teenagers for so long. People our age can cause that kind of effect on old people.
He then opened his arms wide beaming at us, as if he was most pleased to see all the students again.
"Welcome!" His voice echoed through the Great hall, "Welcome my dear students to a new year at Hogwarts. Now I know you all are hungry so I won't take long just two words: Sherbet Lemons!
"Thank You!"
Then he sat down, and happily started digging into the plate in front of him. That was when I noticed that the dishes in front of us were filled with piles of food. I have never seen such a lavish feast in my life before.
I ignored everyone talking around me, my attention was only on the delicious babies on the table. I started eating each and everything placed there, like I was eating for the first time in my life.
Beside me Jani said, "Slow down, Jay-jay!"
But it was just a background noise to me. I couldn't hear anyone around me.
After my little tummy was completely full, I took a goblet and filled it with a some juice and started looking around, hearing their conversations.
I noticed Lily was avoiding two boys near her. I leaned over and asked her,
"Hey Lils, are you avoiding those boys?"
"Yeah, they are the boys from the train," she replied in a hushed voice.
First I was confused, who is she talking about? Then I remembered those jerks who tried bullying Severus.
"Oohhh!!" I returned to my position.
"Hmm," she hummed back.
Honestly they looked like someone who would annoy people for fun. I again started looking around.
I noticed a familiar looking boy. I leaned over again, but this time toward Jani.
"Hoy! look at my right across the table. That boy looks familiar, I have seen him in our old school."
"Yeah I remember him, for so long I'm trying to recall his name. I once stopped some students from bullying him because of his scars, so it will be rude if I ask his name here. What was his name? what was his name?"
She tapped her chin sometimes and then gasped.
"Yeah I remember it now. Remus! Remus Lupin! thats his name," She whispered-yelled to me.
Then turned toward him.
"Remus, right?" She asked in a sweet voice.
"Yeah, that's right," he replied in a small voice.
"Do you remember me? Holy Saints school? Wales?"
"You are hard to forget. You and your sister. Always together, same by looks yet poles apart," he replied, now sounding a little bit more confident.
"That's right. Now tell us how are you wizard? Mum? Dad? None? Both?"
I joined in their conversation.
"Both of my parents know magic. Dad works at ministry and mum is a healer."
"Umm.. whats a healer? Our parents are both muggles, so we don't know much about wizarding communities."
"Healers are wizard doctors."
"Oh right! Thanks."
"No problem."
We talked with him for some time. He seemed fun.
Then the desserts appeared. Blocks of Ice-cream in every flavour you could imagine, puddings of various fruits like custard apple, Treacle tarts, chocolates in various shapes, doughnuts with multi topping, pastries of different flavours, jelly and many more....
I took atleast one bite of each and every dessert present infront of me, but this time slowly and while talking with everyone around me. People asking questions about families I answered them, they answered to me.
There was a guy sitting at the end of the table, he had a worried expression on his face all the time. He was talking to people around him, but something was definitely bothering him.
I asked him,
"Hey! What's your name?"
"Mark Keifer Watson," he replied shortly, "you can call me Keifer."
"And I'm, thanks for asking, Jasper Jean Mariano, you can call me Jay-jay," I replied in same yet sarcastic tone. "By the way you look worried. Something bothering you?"
"Its none of your business," He replied sharply.
Wow rude. I was just asking politely its not like I want to butt in.
"Watch your tone mister, I was just asking to ease your tension."
"Well, I don't need you to ease my tension."
"Whatever."
I turned away from him, now focusing only on the dessert in front of me. So much attitude for someone so young. HUH! I don't care about him.
At last the desserts disappeared too, and Professor Dumbledore stood up again.
"Now that all of us are full, I would like to to inform first years that the forest in the grounds is forbidden for all the students. And a few older students should also remember that."
His eyes were twinkling at the direction of a pair of twin boys sitting near the middle on our table.
"Mr filch, our caretaker, has informed me to remind students that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.
Anyone, above first year can participate in Quidditch trials, which will be held on the second week of the term. Interested students can contact Madam Hooch.
"Now, before we go to bed, lets sing our school song!"
Some teachers smile looked rather fake after hearing this.
Dumbledore gave his wand a flick, long golden ribbons flew from its end, which twisted like snakes and formed large words above the table.
"Everyone!" Dumbledore said, "Pick your favorite tune. Now! lets begin."
All the students bellowed:
'Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot.'
It sounded like some off-tune orchestra, like an unpractised drama which technically it was. Some finished it very fast singing it like a rap, some in hip hop, and some in very slow funeral like tune.
When the last student stopped singing, Dumbledore was the loudest one to clap.
"Ah! music. The best form of magic anyone could posses." He said, "Now off to bed you all."
We followed Gryffindor Prefect, tbh I don't remember his name. And right now I was way too sleepy to even think. We followed him through different hallways and staircase. There were thousands of paintings hanging on the wall but I didn't pay attention to them.
I was busy searching for Percy. That guy didn't even came over to congratulate us for getting selected in his house. He was too busy talking to his friends.
Huh annoying! I'm definitely complaining about his behaviour to Mama and Papa.
Ughh! Why the walk to dorm is so long. After walking across few more hallways and climbing few more stairs we finally stopped in front of a large painting.
It was a painting, of a fat woman wearing a silk pink dress.
"Here we are," the prefect told us.
"Password?" The lady in the painting asked in a singing tone.
"Meo voto," the prefect replied to her and turned to us, "Remember the password otherwise you won't be able to enter inside."
The portrait swung open, to reveal a large-round hole behind it. We all scrambled through it, into the large Gryffindor common room. It looked cosy, with the fireplace and large squashy arm chairs place at every corner and cushioned rug spread on every corner of the floor.
The prefect told us the direction of our dorms through one door girls dormitory and through another boys'. And went off to join his friends.
Just then someone jumped on my back, yelling.
I turned, so fast that I nearly gave my neck a cramp, to see who it was.
It was....
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Comment your thoughts.
Yeah I know I posted after a long time, so as a compensation a long chapter for you guys.
Well y'all might have already guessed who it is, but I don't want to increase the length of this chapter so I will add him in the next chp.
So guys what do you think about our Jayfer's first interaction.
And if you have any objection on characters house sorting do tell me. I'll try to change their house. But this is my assumption about which house they will belong to.
And I didn't include every first years' sorting. There are more characters who will be their batchmates from other houses. I will mention them as the story continues.
Anyways thanks for reading.
Yours until the very end,
just_a_girl_ ❣️🪄🎀