| Jarvey
Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Oceanic Flight 815
Posts: 558
Ministry RPG Name:
Tabitha Mason
International Cooperation | 
Okay, so this one is really long, but it's the Sorting! I hope you enjoy!!!! Chapter 7 Finally, the train came to a halt. It had been hours since the mysterious girl had given us the candy, and I was quite curious to find out who she was.
To avoid the crowd, I grabbed Charlie’s hand and quickly maneuvered our way to the door. I must say, it was quite a reach for his hand, but he followed easily. “You’re pretty fast for a little guy,” he told me with great ease.
It was true. All hobbits were able to easily walk around, and quietly too, which is surprising since we have such big feet.
When we got off the train, the first thing I saw was a big black soft thing that I immediately bumped into. While I was still disoriented from the fall, I heard a rough voice come up from the large thing, “Sorry ‘bout that little guy.” It then lifted me up as if I weighed less than nothing and brought me to my feet.
When I finally was able to stand for myself, I looked up to see a giant. Or, at least, he looked like a giant. He must have been four times bigger than I was and seven times as wide. His feet in black boots looked like they could crush me and not even notice they stepped on something. His black hair and beard were tangled like a bird’s nest, and his black eyes were staring at me with a great look of concern. “You okay little feller?”
I tried to smile at him, but failed. Nervously, I replied, “Yeah, I’m fine.”
I turned to Charlie to tell him that we should probably go, but he staring up at the giant as if he had never seen a man before. “My brother Bill told me about you. You’re Hagrid aren’t you! You’re the gamekeeper.”
Hagrid smiled. “Yep, that’s me. Nice to know I’m talked about.”
Really wanting to leave, I stammered, “We should probably head towards the school, thank you though.”
I then was about to walk around him when he said, “But all firs’ years have gotta come with me! Don’t worry little guy, we’ll leave as soon as we got them all rounded up.”
I stood there nervously, with Charlie, and avoiding Hagrid’s feet as much as possible. We’d been standing there for about five minutes, when Charlie looked down at his sweater. “Oh my gosh! My dragon pin! I saved up two years for that!” Frantic, he felt anywhere on him, on the verge of tears.
As if like she had heard him, a girl’s voice came behind me. “Excuse me, is this yours?”
We all turned around. And, I must admit, this girl was pretty. She had long blond hair, clear blue eyes, and the occasional freckle on her pale face.
But Charlie didn’t pay attention to her face. He was looking at the hand she had outstretched. “My dragon pin!” he exclaimed, taking it. “I’ve been looking all over for this! Thanks…”
But his thought was lost as he looked onto her facial features.
She smiled, “My name is Jen.”
He gulped, and said rather nervously, “Charlie.”
While they shook hands, I looked up at Hagrid, and he was doing the same thing I was; smirking.
After they let go, she smiled and said, “See you at Hogwarts.” She then turned away into the crowd.
“Yeah, see you at Hogwarts,” Charlie replied, waving at her.
He stood there for a minute, still as stone, until Hagrid finally said, “Well, best get to the boats! Come firs’ years; to the boats!”
We followed him, and to my dismay, Charlie chose the boat closest to Hagrid’s. I had to follow. The boat was then filled with two other students, who I later learned were Heather Finnigan and Tong-u Chang.
As we made our way across the lake, Charlie and Hagrid were having an animated conversation about dragons. Well, they seemed like they’d get along, I thought.
I looked around me at the other boats, and while I was looking, I saw her! The girl from the train! She was staring silently ahead with her bright blue hair waving behind her in the wind. I tried to wave hello to her, but she didn’t seem to notice me. It might’ve been just because I was so small, or she was too busy staring in front of us. So tired of her not seeing me, I decided to turn and see what she was looking at.
At the moment I turned around my jaw dropped. Let me just say this now; Hogwarts is BIG!! And I know everything looks big around me, but I mean really big. Like; so big it makes Hagrid look like an ant. It was a huge castle standing on top of a cliff over-looking a lake. The towers jutted out of the sides of the many buildings connected by hallways like orc teeth. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen!
When we finally came to ground, I couldn’t help but kiss it. The only hobbits that like boating are the Brandybucks, and they sailed to America centuries ago. After I finished hugging the ground, and having many eleven year olds laughing at me, I walked up the stairs behind Charlie.
Hagrid then smiled at us and said roughly, “I’ll leave you guys with Professor McGonagall. Good luck everyone!” He then waved at us and disappeared.
We all stood there silently, not really knowing what to do. Everyone towered over me, and most didn’t realize I was there, and those who did stared curiously at me. Really, now that I look back on it, who could blame them? Not many people see less then four foot tall first years.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, a woman with tight bun at the top of her head and square spectacles walked in with such a thin mouth I could’ve coward. I could tell she was stern, but she had a look in her eyes that she was fair. She stared down at all of us. “Welcome to Hogwarts!’ she exclaimed. “I’m Professor McGonagall, deputy headmistress at Hogwarts, Transfiguration teacher, and head of Gryffindor house. Today, you will step into that great hall and be sorted into your house. There are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. All are worthy of all of you, the question is, which one are you worthy of? Now, when I give the signal, you will walk out to the front of the hall, and wait patiently and quietly in a line.”
I looked towards Charlie. He was sweating and his cheeks were getting as rosy as my dad’s. I, myself was nervous, even though I never heard of any of these houses before, except for Ravenclaw which Flitwick didn’t define to me. I knew this “sorting” would change the course of my life forever.
Finally, McGonagall waved her hand, and one-by-one, we walked through the doors and into the hall. This hall was huge. It had four tables vertically filled with human children in black robes. In front of us was one table filled with many human adults of all ages staring down at us all; some with curiosity, some with smiles, and some even with great discontent. I did notice Professor Flitwick. He smiled and waved at me, I returned it. I remembered his last words to me, “I hope you’re in Ravenclaw!” And because of his words, I was hoping the same.
Many of the kids around us were smirking, them too trying to make sense of us. Many especially were staring at me.
Finally, we all got up to the front of the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall had just set a rather old large hat on the table. It reminded me a lot of Gandalf’s hat from all the old drawings. Suddenly the room quieted, as the rip in the old hat opened wide and began a song!
My mind wasn’t hearing the song; since, you know, the hat as singing; but I actually comprehended about what it was talking about. Gryffindor house was for the brave, Ravenclaw was for the smart, Hufflepuff was for the loyal, and Slytherin was for the self-determined. Then the thought came to me. What house was I going to be put in?
Once the rip in the hat closed, McGonagall picked up a long piece of parchment, and began reading off names in alphabetical order.
“Amicucci, Nancy.” At that moment a small girl with many freckles nervously walked up to the hat. McGonagall put it on her, and for a moment there was silence.
Then, from the rip in the hat, it screamed, “HUFFLEPUFF!”
One of the tables cheered in jubilation. I gulped. I hoped they would do the same for me.
So far there had been two Slytherins, four Hufflepuffs, two Gryffindors, and four Ravenclaws. Then came up “Finnigan, Heather.”
While she was sorted into Ravenclaw, I began to think. Oh my gosh! They’re so close to the G’s! What if I’m not put in a house? What if it tells me no half-Hobbit could ever step in this castle! I’d be dead, really dead! Rosie would be so disappointed!
Finally, I heard my name, “Gardner, Bandobras”.
I, nervously, walked up to Professor McGonagall, waved at Professor Flitwick behind me, who waved back, and before I knew it, the hat was over my eyes, and I could see no more.
“Hello my dear boy. Let’s look at your mind. You’ve got knowledge my boy. Plenty of knowledge. And you have bravery as well. But the thing that shines out the most Bandy, is your loyalty. That’s why I’ll put you in… HUFFLEPUFF!!!”
I had made it! The hat had sorted me! The table that had cheered for Nancy and Tong-u were clapping and cheering. Some were screaming, “We got the short one! We got the short one!”
I sat down, grinning ear to ear, and listened to the rest of the sorting, hoping that Charlie would join me in Hufflepuff.
After many kids, “Kulwiak, Jen” came up, I looked at Charlie, and he was smiling. I smiled too. Oh Charlie.
After a long time, the hat on Jen’s head finally screamed, “SLYTHERIN!”
I turned to Charlie to see his reaction. He looked as if he had been betrayed. I couldn’t understand why. Slytherin didn’t sound that bad. Self-determination was a good quality.
After what seemed like ages, I heard McGonagall say, “Tonks, Nymphadora”. There she was! The mysterious girl from the train! As the hat went over her blue hair, there was silence. “HUFFLEPUFF!”
I cheered along with all the other kids. And Nymphadora sat down next to me.
I didn’t say anything to her yet, because I wanted to hear everybody else’s houses. Five more Hufflepuffs joined our table, until Charlie came up. He was the last in the line. I stood there, praying that he’d be with me in Hufflepuff, but then I heard the hat scream “GRYFFINDOR!”
I sat there in dismay, while the table to our right cheered him on. I could see Charlie’s brother Bill, who pat his brother on his back in congratulations. That’s when I thought, maybe it’s better this way.
Then, the old man that looked a lot like Gandalf from the pictures (notice everything reminds me of Gandalf) who sat in the middle of the staff table got up, and began to speak. “Now, I don’t want to keep you from the feast, so let me just give you my name and a few words before you start.” From behind his long silver beard and mustache, he smiled. “My name is Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts. And here are my choice words; twinkle, splash, bogie, and jumper. Thank you.”
I turned to an older kid next to me. “Does he do this every year?” I whispered.
“Yep, every year.” He then rolled his eyes and looked back up at the headmaster, who was still talking.
“Now, please, enjoy the feast!” He then clapped his hands and sat down. I looked down at the once empty platters, which were now covered with foods that I had only seen in photos. Some of them Dad and I had cooked, like chicken, peas, carrots, potatoes. But some I had never tasted before, like salmon, steak, mints, and all these different kind of meat pies. I immediately piled one of everything on my plate.
I turned to Nymphadora, finally happy to meet her, and said, “Hi Nymphadora, I’m Bandy.”
I held out my hand, but she turned to me with anger on her face. “Don’t call me Nymphadora!” And then, something very peculiar happened. Her hair went from icy blue to a deep, blood red. I yelped back in alarm. She, realizing what was wrong, said, “Oh, sorry about that. Sometimes I just can’t control it.” She then changed her hair back to blue.
I was still staring at her, transfixed. Finally I answered, “How-how’d you do th-that?”
She answered, “I’m a Metamorphmagus. I can transfer my looks at will. And sorry for snapping at you like that. I’ve just always hated being called Nymphadora. Just call me Tonks.” She was smiling wide.
I couldn’t help but smile back. “Thanks by the way for the candy on the train.”
“It was no problem. I didn’t want you guys starving. Anyway, this feast sure looks good.”
“Yeah, it sure does. A lot of these foods I haven’t even had before.” I answered.
She stared at me bewildered. “So you never had like steak before?”
“Never.” I answered.
She sighed sympathetically. “No wonder you’re so small. You never got your proteins. Do you need help getting anything?”
She looked down at me. It was true. I could hardly reach anything on the table. My chin just made it above the table if I stretched. “Thanks. Could you pass me the biscuits?”
She passed them to me. “Thank you.”
“You know, they should probably get you your own low table, or a higher seat. I’m sure that small teacher could help.”
She pointed at Professor Flitwick. “Yeah, I’ll ask Professor Flitwick later.”
She smiled. “Alright, sounds good.”
With that, we got back to our food, and I knew immediately that I had just made a very good friend. |