The children stood silent, waiting in the great stairs. No one could say anything; they were just stunned by the greatness of the big school. Harry, who was not the only one, but probably one of very few who knew nothing about witchcraft and magic, noticed any little thing. Had his parents really been wizards? He knew now why Aunt Petunia hated them. That was surely not in her and her husband’s sphere of normal. A thin, blond-haired boy came up to him.
- So, it is true then. The famous Harry Potter, have come to Hogwarts.
Harry looked up at him.
- Draco. Draco Malfoy.
- Well. I heard you know my name. No idea of introducing me.
The blonde boy smirked and got back to his place between two of the biggest thugs in the crowd. They were almost as big as Harry super-fat cousin Dudley.
A door opened, and an old woman came out. She stood in front of them, her big hat almost as big as herself. Ron, the red-haired boy whom Harry had shared the coupé on the train with gulped. He looked so frightened.
- Dear Student. I am professor McGonagall. I welcome you all to the new semester at Hogwarts. In a moment, you will be allowed to join the party inside, but first. A sorting ceremony will begin. Everyone line up in order of last name.
Ron gave Harry a puff, and disappeared to the end of the line.
- Follow me!
The children followed McGonagall in through the enormous double doors. In the next room, there were hundreds of children aged 12-17, placed at four different corners, with their house-colours hanging above their heads. In the middle of the room there were a small stage rigged with a chair, and a big hat next to it. It looked almost like McGonagall’s.
- I will now read the names of each one of you, and you will put the hat on, and it will sort you into your houses. We start with Ms. Abbott!
Harry was amazed. He had never seen anything like this ever before. Except for that one time at the zoo when one of the glass-pieces at the snakes just vanished into the empty air and a snake spoke to him...
- Hermione Granger.
A small girl with lots of buzzy hair went up. She looked more nervous than Harry was. She, too, probably had no idea what this was. Maybe she too had lost her parents long ago, and knew nothing about wizardry.
- Fucking mudblood, Harry heard someone behind him say. But he couldn’t figure out who.
He could hear the har shouting out: Gryffindor, and the girl ran off to sit with her new friends, among them, three boys looking spookily alike Ron. Must be his three brothers.
- Draco Malfoy.
Harry saw the blonde-haired boy walk over to the stage, and sit down. The hat barely touched his head before it shouted out: Slytherin!!!
- Harry Potter!
Harry took a big gulp, and went up. He saw how all the others were watching him. Most of these children had grown up, knowing that he. Harry Potter was the only one who had survived an attack of the dark wizard, at the age of just one year old. He was the reason the Dark Lord had disappeared, and not been seen since.
He sat down on the chair, and the hat was put on his head.
- Hmm, he could hear in his head. The famous one has arrived at last. I have been waiting. Now let’s see. You’re courageous. You are smart, but not that literate, you rather show of your skills by hand. Hmm... I wonder. You would be able to do wonders. But where to put you?
Harry looked around, and he saw the whole room looking at him. The head master almost standing up to see what was going on.
The silence was ear deafening. Then the hat had taken his decision.
- Slytherin!
A gasp went through the crowd. Slytherin was where you-know-who had been when he was at school. It was the birthplace of every evil and nasty witch and wizard that had ever roamed the earth. Professor McGonagall took the hat from his head and smiled. But Harry could never have guessed what was going on in her head, what she was thinking.
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