Chapter 6: Hogwarts and The sorting ceremony

Woken up by the trains loud whistles I slowly opened my eyes to find the compartment empty again.

The luggage floated to my hands and the clothes switched to my school robes with a little flick of my finger, and I was ready to go.

"It's time to take the wizarding world by storm"

...

I got of the train with some other students who seemed to also have taken a little nap in the train. There were surprisingly a lot, considering that it was the first day of the school year and for some the first day of school ever.

In the distance I noticed a giant of a man waving at us. With his height at a staggering 11'6" Hagrid was easily noticeable.

I always quite liked him when reading the books. He was kind and always lends a helping hand for those in need. Although he isn't the best in keeping secrets he is a good friend to have. He is a bit too trustful of Dumbledore, and it's understandable since he helped him out of Azkaban and got his wand back.

I got on one of the boats with fewer people. A few people were dragged out by a professor who weren't even woken up by the loud whistles. Everybody ready we started heading towards the school.

Sadly no one fell in the lake, so I couldn't see the rumored kraken and merpeople that resided in the lake. I wasn't gonna give it a try myself since I didn't want to make a mess of myself and also didn't want to arouse the suspicion of the teachers. Maybe I would get a ban from going near the lake or something similar.

I thought of pushing somebody off the boat maybe the red haired boy sitting next to me, but I quickly dismissed the idea. Although I wouldn't get any stupid punishment like cleaning the trophies in the trophies room since I wasn't yet a member of Hogwarts, but I decided that it would be more fun doing it on my own.

In the end I decided to postpone my plans of discovering the secrets of the lake to a later date.

Midway through the boat ride a slightly older boy, similar to my height, with red hair tried to start a conversation with me.

"A new student I see. Are you ready for the sorting? I was quite nervous when it was my first time. Did you know you have to sing the school song and the hat will tell you which school to you belong to. Don't worry if you haven't learned it, yet I will teach you right now."

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

"Make sure to sing it loud and right, otherwise you'll be sorted into Slytherin," he said with a wide grin on his face.

I ignored him but the other first year boy sitting next to him was trying hard to remember the lyrics. He even asked him to repeat it again since he hadn't remembered it.

The whole boat ride passed with him singing the song. Every time with even more passion,"Dumbledore would be proud."

The smoke finally cleared revealing Hogwarts in its full glory.

Even Weasley shut his mouth for a moment of peace and awe.

...

Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads, and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

Then we clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. We walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge oak front door.

"Anybody there?" Said Hagrid as he raised his gigantic fist and knocked three times on the humongous castle doors.

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired lady in dark maroon robes stood there. She had a very stern face and was quite old, everything you would expect from a deputy headmaster.

"The first years are here, Professor McGonagall," told Hagrid to the old lady that I remembered from the books as a transfiguration teacher in Hogwarts.

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

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said McGonagall as she spoke to us, the new first years. "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 crucial 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 your free time in your House common room."

Finally, it was time for my magical journey to begin.

...

Many were nervous since this moment would decide a huge part of the next seven years of their life. It would be quite a sad sight if a member of a full Slytherin family would go to Gryffindor and vice versa.

Professor McGonagall opened the doors to the great hall, and we headed inside. We followed professor McGonagall through the great hall. Looking around even I couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

Removing his eyes from the mesmerizing ceiling, and looked ahead. I saw McGonagall silently placing a four-legged stool in front of us the first years. On top of the stool, she put a raggedy pointed wizard's hat.

We waited for a littlewhile, and then it happened, a mouth-like crack opened up in the hat, and it began singing.

Oh,you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your tops hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

Y ou might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell brave of heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achive their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And you won't get in a flap!

You're safe in my hands(though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!!

The first boy was called, coincidentally the boy being the same boy who had been tricked by weasley. Hearing his name being called he immediately started to sing the school song loudly doing quite a bad job since he hadn't remembered even half of the words. Immediately loud laughter started in the hall. Even Snape had a smile on his face for a moment.

"It seems a new comedian has arrived in Hogwarts this year."

Professor McGonagall called him onto the stage and put the sorting hat on his head. It took a few minutes but the sorting hat gad decided Hufflepuff over Gryffindor.

"Hufflepuff"

A few other students had been called till I heard my name being called.

"Septimus Prince, Potter"

Immediately silence descended in the hall for a few seconds. Either it was the Potter family or the uknown Prince family, everybody was suprised. Screams of surprise could be heard all over the hall, even professor McGonagall was looking at me and uncle Snape speechlessly. Only headmaster Dumbledore was calm, a light smile blossoming on his face.

I walked to the sorting hat and cast a quick wandless cleaning spell. This time even the old Dumbledore looked shocked. Now only uncle Snape was the only one with a wide smile on his face.

I sat on the seat quietly and calmly. I put the sorting hat on my head and started discussing with the old hat.

{Interesting, a pure Potter that's a descant of the Prince family. Your magic attainments are surely high, but the most surprising is that I can't see your memories. That young dark haired boy must have taught you occlumency. In a few years I won't even be able to sense your emotions. }

{I see a huge greed for power and knowledge. I see bravery but not righteousness fitting for a Gryffindor. You're quite similar to him. Alright I will place you in the same house as he was.}

A loud voice of the sorting hat echoed in the great hall, disturbing the silence that had descended on the great hall that had just a few seconds ago quieted down.

Immediately an even bigger commotion took place in the great hall. To think that a son of Potter would be in the house of snakes.

Slytherin