Taking on the Magical World 17 Chapter 17

I must say the great hall is truly a strange and splendid place. It is lit by thousands and thousands of candles that are floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students are 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.

Professor McGonagall led us the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at us looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly of the first-year kids avoid all the staring eyes, I looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars.

I heard one of the twins nearly shout, "There is no roof."

"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History." I tell the twins and Lee.

I look over as Professor McGonagall silently places a four-legged stool in front of us. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. It must be the sorting hat, I think to myself.

Everyone in the hall is now staring at the hat, I stared at it, too waiting to see what it will sing for us. For a few seconds, there is complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth and the hat began to sing. I lose interest in the song as all it covers is the traits of the Four Houses.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Davies, Roger"

He must be the future Ravenclaw captain and he went with to the Ball with Fleur. "RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouts. The table second from the left clapped, several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Roger as he joined them.

"Diggory, Cedric!"

He was a good chap, sad that he died in the fourth book, I will try to help him, but I am not going to be an idiot about it and risk my neck if I cannot take on Voldemort.

The hat takes a moment pause "HUFFLEPUFF!" shouts the hat. The table on the right cheered and clapped as Cedric went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. I saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at him.

The Professor McGonagall calls more students to put on the sorting hat, then at last it is my turn, "Lovegood, Caelum"

Some people broke into whispers, it seems like there are quite a few people that know about my accomplishment in potions from my father's newspaper or from other people.

I sit down on the stool and put on the sorting hat.

I hear a voice "Interesting, you fit the bill for all four houses, now you are quite rare. You will do well in all four houses, so I will let you pick, what do you say about that?"

"Gryffindor!" I answer back immediately.

"Now, if I may ask why would you pick that house and not the other houses?" the hat asks

"It is obvious, it is where all the action happens, and where there is strife there will be plenty of opportunity to grow stronger."

"Interesting answer" the hat says to me.

After everyone in the Great hall waited for a few minutes, the sorting hat finally speaks up and shouts "GRYFFINDOR!"

I get a great round of applause and cheering from the Gryffindors, make my way to Gryffindor table, and sit next to Lee Jordon who got sorted before me.

"Well done, Caelum." Percy says to me, I give my thanks then look back at the sorting and it is Fred turn. As soon as the hat touches him he is put into Gryffindor and so is George.

Charlie and Bill come over to congratulate me and the twins, as we are jumping in joy we do not realize that Professor McGonagall rolls up her parchment and took the hat away.

Albus Dumbledore gets up to his feet and he beams at all the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there. "Welcome," he said, the hall hushes down and we hurriedly find our seat.

"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!" He sat back down.

Is he a bit mad?" Fred askes Percy uncertainly.

"Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes."

I ignore them and turn to the dishes in front of me, were they are now piled with food. It is quite the lovely feast I must say as there is: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.

I know Dumbledore character well, his intentions are good, but he is manipulative and has much to be desired and I plan on not falling into his hands. The occlumency technique that my mother taught me is enough to defend myself and is much superior from the barbaric techniques everyone in the wizarding world has.

I finish my meal and desserts and Professor Dumbledore gets up again and tells us about the restricted areas to avoid.

We follow Charlie, who is the prefect, to the Gryffindor common room and he leads us to our rooms.

There I find my magical suitcase and Hedwig in her cage, too tired to talk we head to our bed, I make sure to do my channeling exercises and fell asleep.

Chapter end