7 Chapter 5: The Sorting Ceremony

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A.N: Do you know what they say about authors who don't receive power stones? They turn into sad little creatures and wither away. Don't let that happen to me.

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An hour into the ride, and he was alone in the compartment. Then Trolley lady came knocking on the door and asked, "Anything off the cart, dear?"

"I'm good, thanks for asking" Sebastian said looking at the lady.

The lady then nodded and closed the door.

After a couple of hours, Sebastian guessed the train was close to Hogwarts. So, he locked the compartments door and changed into his Hogwarts uniform.

After he finished changing a voice echoed through the train, "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train; it will be taken to the school separately."

Sebastian took a step out of his compartment and saw crowd thronging the corridor. So, he decided to join them.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People started pushing their way toward the door.

As the door opened a huge shadowy figure holding a lantern appeared, and then spoke.

"First years! Firs' years over here!

Sebastian immediately recognized the shadowy figure as the Half-giant Hagrid.

"C'mon, follow me — any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Everyone followed the giant through a narrow path, nobody made a sound except for the footsteps, the path opened suddenly at the edge of a great black lake, it was the biggest Sebastian had seen in his life.

On the other side of the lake was a vast castle in all its majestic glory with its many towers and windows sparkling in the moonlight.

"No more than four to a boat!" Hagrid called as Sebastian attention was now on the fleet of little boats standing near the shore, Sebastian found an empty boat and was joined by three more people that he did not recognize.

The fleet of boats glided across as the smooth waters of the lake, everyone was amazed by the view as they stared at the great castle overhead, Sebastian was looking at the waters, trying to find a glimpse of the Giant Squid that he'd read about in the harry potter books.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as they reached the cliff that contained a passage hidden by a curtain of ivy, there was enough space under the ivy for everyone to pass through except for the Half-giant, they travelled through the dark passage and reached right underneath the castle at some kind of platform, everyone then made out of their little boats and hurried up a long flight of stone steps and reached a huge oak door.

The giant knocked on the door three times with his gigantic hand and the door swung open at once.

A tall dark-haired witch in emerald robes stood there, Sebastian recognized her straight away.

Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy headmistress of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, head of the transfiguration department, head of Gryffindor House, a quidditch fanatic and a cat Animagus.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

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

Everyone followed her through the entrance hall towards a bright shiny door.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "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 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 your free time in your house common room."

Then she started talking about Houses and the house points system.

"What are you all doing here?" Said a ghost dressed in a doublet, a dashing plumed hat, and a tunic with a ruff asked the crowd gathered in the hall.

"New students!" said the another ghost, smiling at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

Sebastian had only seen the ghosts in the movies, it was weird chatting with supposedly dead people while watching them float around.

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." The ghosts floated straight towards the wall and went straight through it.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall commanded the first years, and then continued "And follow me."

The door fully opened, and everyone got a view of the Great Hall for the first time. It was truly a magical place it was even better than it was shown in the movie, with thousands and thousands of candles floating in the air and hundreds of students sitting at four long tables laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. Sebastian looked up towards to ceiling and it was filled with a velvety night sky dotted with twinkling stars.

"It's not real, the sky. It's bewitched to look like that. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History," He heard someone say in a matter of a fact tone.

Who else would it be? Other than Hermoine. Sebastian thought looking at the bushy haired girl.

At the center, of a long table that the teachers sit in. A golden chair was sitting an old man with a long beard wearing a purple rope and a pointed hat giving out harmless grandfatherly vibes.

Sebastian instantly recognized him as Dumbledore, a man with a very twinkly eyes.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," Professor McGonagall said. "Abbott, Hannah!" "HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!!"

"Brocklehurst, Mandy!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

Each house welcomed its new students with a loud cheer.

"Black, Sebastian!" Finally, it was Sebastian's turn, As the hall went in an uproar of whispers. Sebastian calmly walked towards the stool and sat on it while the sorting hat was placed on his head.

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