The Sorting Ceremony

Hogwarts is a castle?! I couldn't believe my eyes, I was going to school in a castle! It was amazing with its towers and surrounding forest and... just wow. I was speechless, I had no clue what to say.

The paintings were old, but... moving? Yes! They were moving, I loved it. Ghosts were also floating around together, welcoming the first years and welcoming back current students. The staircases were moving which I find found fascinating yet strange.

My friends and family had to leave me to go one way and I had to go the other with the first years, I felt so out of place but I was told I had to be sorted into my house before I could sit with my friends.

'Sirius was Gryffindor, so I'm going to be Gryffindor' I kept telling myself over and over.

We were lead up a big stone staircase and had to wait at the top in front of a huge golden door. A witch in a Silver robe and a black hat was waiting at the top too.

"Welcome First Years, and Miss. Black" she said, looking straight at me making me blush.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. Before you take your seats and the feast begins, you must be sorted into your houses. Your houses are your family. During your time here you will earn points for achievements and lose points for rule-breaking and bad behaviour. First years follow me, Miss Black you will be sorted after the first years, so you will wait here until called upon"

The other students followed the witch through the doors and I was left alone. The warmth that I felt walking through the halls was suddenly gone and I felt a cold chill rush through me. I could feel eyes burning the back of my head, but no one was there when I turned around, was I imagining things because I was alone?

It must have been well over 30 minutes before finally, the witch came back to lead me through the doors.

Through the doors, there was a huge hall with candles floating in the ceiling. The walls were lined with lit candles and gargoyles. There were 4 tables filled with students, one table for each house. My eyes finally found my friends but my ears could hear people whispering and talking.

"Look, Draco, it's the mudblood from the train" sniggered the pug-faced girl.

My face must have gone a bright shade of scarlet. I felt so hot and embarrassed with a bit of confusion because I have no idea what a mudblood is.

As I looked in front of me there was a long table at the front of the hall which seated all of the teachers. But sat in front of that was a small stool with a battered old hat on it, how strange this school was.

"Miss Black I would like you to take a seat here," the witch said gesturing to the stool.

I nodded and sat on the stool.

"When I place this hat on your head you will be sorted into your house. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin."

She placed the hat on my head and it was a couple of seconds before it started to move.

"Hmm... Right... Yesss," it started to say.

"Riight... Oh, you have some great potential, lots of ambition I see, some bravery too. Oh, what's that? A thirst for knowledge? Hmm... You're going to be great you know, I can see it in your head. Better make it... SLYTHERIN!"

I felt my heart drop to my stomach. There must have been a mistake, I can't be in Slytherin, I just can't! Sirius was in Gryffindor, all the Weasley's were in Gryffindor, my friends were in Gryffindor. It must be on my birth parents, they must have been in Slytherin, this is all their fault!

"Miss Black? Please take your seat at the Slytherin table" the witch said.

I stood up and walked over to the Slytherin table, I could see my friends and family looking at me, judging me probably. They probably think I'm going to be some evil witch or something. The only open space on the Slytherin table was next to the blonde-haired boy, Draco. I took a seat next to him and kept my face down, I could see the pug-faced girl went to say something, but before she could, the witch started to speak.

"Welcome everyone, to a new year at Hogwarts. I am your Head Mistress and Head of Gryffindor House, Professor McGonagall. I would like to start with some announcements. This year is going to be a lot more difficult with the current problems involving a dark wizard. However, we will prosper and I hope you all have a wonderful year and learn many new things. Without further ado, let the feast begin!"

All of a sudden a glorious amount of food and dessert appeared in front of me. There were so many things to choose from - chicken, beef, vegetables, corn on the cob, éclairs, trifle and one of my favourites, sticky toffee pudding! I wanted nothing more than to eat with my friends and family but maybe tomorrow I will be able to. I was quietly tucking into a chicken wing before the nasty comments started from pug face.

"How does it feel to be a mudblood new girl?" she asked.

I didn't reply.

"Oi, I'm talking to you, you'll respond when I talk to you"

Who did this girl think she was, Royalty?

"I'd respond to her if I was you, new girl. Pansy gets very... annoyed to say the least" said Draco.

Pansy, so that was her name.

I'd finally had the last straw when Pansy reached over the table and grabbed my plate of food so I'd look at her.

"Right, I don't know who the hell you think you are treating me like this. I don't know what a mudblood is okay? I grew up in a non-magic world, in a non-magic school. I learned about all this crap 3 days ago and I'm just confused and scared okay? Leave me the hell alone, the pair of you,"

I didn't know where this courage had come from but my blood was boiling. I got up and walked out, not saying a word. I walked around aimlessly, I had no idea where to go or what to do so I just sat in the corridor and burst into tears. Then, I felt a hand over my shoulder and a kiss on my forehead, so I leaned into this person, not even knowing who it was, I felt safe. When I looked up, teary-eyed, I saw the silhouette of one of the Weasley twins.

"Georgey?" I asked still crying

"Freddy," he replied.

"Oh, Fred, what am I going to do? Mrs Weasley is going to hate me because I'm a Slytherin. I'm going to be made to sleep with the pigs or in the car."

"You know mum would never do that, she thinks of you as her own. She loves you Moo" Fred reassured me.

"Now come on, stand up, let's dry your eyes and go back to the feast. I spoke to McGonagall before coming to find you, she said you can sit at our table and she's going to give Pansy and Draco detention"

I liked the sound of all of this. I stood up and let Fred dry my eyes off and gave him a big hug. He kissed my forehead again and I felt even safer knowing that my friends still loved me. We walked back to the hall and I sat on the Gryffindor table in between Fred and George. Everyone was telling me that they're here for me whenever I want to talk and I was still welcome to be around them, I just couldn't go into their common room.

The feast was over and I was stuffed, I don't think I've ever felt so full in my life. But, it was time to go to my common room.

Walking through the castle felt so magical and I felt so at home but that feeling didn't drown out the whispers from Pansy and Draco. I could hear them talking about my relationship with the 'blood traitors, the Weasleys' and other things. I could feel my blood boiling and the urge to push on of them down a flight of stairs was strong, but I didn't want to lose points for Slytherin or end up in detention on the first day so instead, I just bit my tongue and kept my head down.

We made our way down to the dungeons where there were 2 doors. One was to the potions class, at least if I had potions first I could sleep in right? The other door was to the Slytherin Common Room.

"Pure Blood," Draco said to the door.

The door then opened up and behind it was a passage leading to the common room. We all followed Draco into the common room and he spoke again.

"Everyone but first years and Miss Black, please go to your dorms,"

Everyone from the second year and above started clambering up the stairs and as they did this I was looking around. The room was mainly green of course, there was a fireplace made of stone, a lot of the walls were stone too. The furniture was black and there was a game of wooden chess on one of the tables.

"Welcome to the Slytherin Common Room. My name is Draco Malfoy and I hope you like it here, I'm sorry about the coldness but the fire will be lit shortly. We aren't only in the dungeons but we are also situated under the Black Lake which is why the light is slightly green. Anyway, dorm rooms are up the stairs, girls on the right, boys on the left. Your belongings and pets are already in your designated spot," announced Draco

"What about owls, Mr Malfoy s-sir?" squeaked a first year

"Owls are in the owlery where they will live unless you need them or they need to fly. First years if you would like to make your way up to your dorms. Remember, girls on the right, boys on the left. Miss Black I would like to speak to you please"

The first years scurried off up the stairs, screaming and chattering excitedly, while I was stood like an idiot with Draco Malfoy staring at me.

"Please, sit," he said.

I sat down on the large black sofa that was placed next to the fireplace, he sat next to me a little bit too close.

"I like the way you stood up to Pansy. No one has ever done that, except me. We need someone like you to put her in her place once in a while," he laughed.

I stayed completely silent but inside I was laughing.

"You don't say much do you? It's Maisie right? Well its nice to meet you Maisie. If its not too much to ask, is your father Sirius?"

It was too much to ask but I thought maybe if I spoke, he might leave me alone.

"Adopted father yes. I don't know my real parents, I was left at the doorstep of the Weasley family's home and was raised by them until Sirius decided to adopt me," I explained.

"Oh, right. Well, I don't want to bother you more. So, again, welcome to Slytherin, I hope you can feel at home soon, let me show you to your dorm,"

With this, Draco Malfoy stood up and offered his hand out to me, I took it, not because I wanted to but because I was stuck on the sofa. He led me up the stairs and stopped in front of the girl's dorm. He smiled at me and opened the door to let me in and gestured with his hand as if to say 'in you go' and closed the door behind me.

I walked in and spotted my black cat on what I presumed was my bed.

The bed were 4 poster beds with emerald green curtains and bedsheets. The mattress was soft and springy like being on a cloud, at least I know I'd be sleeping okay. At the foot of my bed, as promised was a full set of uniform, my robes and my trunk with all my other things in it. There was also a set of pyjamas for night time.

I got changed into the pyjamas and slipped into bed. It was very comfortable and surprisingly warm and the green tinge from the lake was very relaxing and made it easy to fall asleep As I was drifting off, my cat came to sleep by my stomach and cuddled up to me, I put my arm around her and fell asleep almost instantly.