Hogwarts Herald

Chapter 7 opens right where Chapter 6 closed. All of the first years are gathered together in a small room just inside the chamber of Hogwarts waiting to be sorted into their houses. Into the chamber strides Professor McGonagall. In turn, she takes them into a huuuuge entrance chamber to a small room off of the Great Hall. There they are to await whatever challenge may come to decide where they will be when they are at Hogwarts. The House that you get sorted into on your very first night at Hogwarts, she advises them, is very important because your house is like your family. You eat, sleep, learn, and relax with others in your house. Also, your triumphs, and your tragedies are your that of your housemates as well. You can earn, and lose your house points with your behavior, and whichever house has the most at the end of the year wins the house cup. A great honor. She then enters the Great Hall to prepare, and the kids are left to their own devices for a few minutes. It seems the sorting ceremony is a bit of a secret when it comes to the first year students. Why, even Ron doesn’t know how it’s done. I’m sure it’s partly to hold the traditions a secret, and to improve anticipation, but in poor Ron’s case, it was also a way for his brothers to torture him in the loving way big brothers do. By telling him that he had to fight a troll, or something else very painful. And there is much nervous tension about how exactly they will figure out where they are supposed to go. And hopes beyond hope that they won’t have to take a test, since nobody actually knows anything yet.

“There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks”

While waiting, they are encountered by ghosts. Lots of them. Gliding nonchalantly through walls discussing someone called Peeves. They are greeted by the ghosts, and then their attention is once again caught by Professor McGonagall telling them to form a single file line and go into the great hall to be sorted. Harry is struck by the beauty of the hall, and it’s glittering place settings and thousands of candles floating in midair. The kids are led up to the front of the hall where they stand before the entire school. Then, amidst the nerves and excitement of the crowd of 11 year olds, Professor McGonagall places a stool with an old beat up hat. As they all stair at the hat in suspense, a tear in it near the brim opens up and the hat begins to sing. The song sang by the Sorting Hat is an amusing tune which explains the characteristics of each house. The Houses are:

Gryffindor, said to be home of the courageous and chivalrous.

Hufflepuff, where they are loyal and hard working.

Ravenclaw, where the students are quick witted and studious.

Slytherin, a den of the ambitious and cunning.

After the song is ended, each first year is called up to the stool one by one and asked to put the hat on. The hat sits on their head for a few moments, and then it calls out one of the house names. That is the house that the student is going to be in. Harry waits in anticipation hoping that the hat puts him anywhere but Slytherin, and hoping that it puts him anywhere at all. This is all still so much like a dream to his young bruised heart that he really just doesn’t want it all to be a big mistake. When it is his turn though, he is again taken aback at the recognition of his name. The whispers and stares that break out when his name is called out is so new to him. He sits quickly on the stool and is surprised to hear the hat in his head. Talking about how much talent and ambition he has, and how he could be great in Slytherin, but if he really doesn’t want to go there then it should be Gryffindor!

Hermione, Ron, and Neville are all also sorted into Gryffindor. The unpleasant Draco Malfoy is sorted into Slytherin. It seems a fitting place for him too. Even their ghost is grim. The Bloody Baron is the house ghost for Slytherin and his name is all too descriptive. They met the ghost for the Hufflepuffs in the entryway, and he is called the Fat Friar. Gryffindor has, by far, the most interesting ghost. Theirs ghost is called Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington, but he is called by most students, Nearly Headless Nick. Called such as his head is very nearly decapitated, but not quite. As everyone gets settled, Professor Dumbledore gets up to “say a few words” before the banquet. And those words are “Nitwit, Bulbber, Oddment, Tweak!” And that is why I love Dumbledore. All of the students and staff enjoy a fantastic banquet on glittering golden plates which magically clean themselves at the end of the meal. While eating Harry looks up to the head table and spies Professor Quirrel talking to a hook nosed teacher with greasy black hair. While he watches them talking he gets a sharp pain right in his scar, and then it disappears as quickly as it came. He chalks it up to nothing and finishes his meal. And then Professor Dumbledore gets up to make a couple of actual announcements. The forest on the grounds is forbidden, there is to be no magic used in the hallways, quidditch trials are held in the second week of the year, and “the third floor corridor on the right hand side is is out of bound to anyone who doesn’t wish to die a very painful death.”

Next the students sing the school song, what tune is it sung to? Well any tune you wish it seems, and all of the students finish at different times. Then they are finally off to their dorms for some much needed sleep after a very exciting day. On the way to the dorms they are accosted by a poltergeist, he is the Peeves that the ghosts were talking about earlier, and he seems to be a royal pain in the butt.

They finally find themselves in front of a portrait of a Fat Lady in a pink dress, who asks them for their password. When it is given they go through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room, and then up the stairs to their beds. The tired children don’t even have the energy to talk before they all pass out into a sleep to replenish their young bodies for the adventures that lie ahead…