The Golden Quartet: Year 1

Chapter 3

Immediately the door swung open and there stood a tall older woman who had her dark hair, that had strands of gray, pulled back into a tight bun, wore emerald green robes, glasses, and a very stern look on her face.

“The firs’ years, Professor McGonagall,” Hagrid said.

“Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here.” She said pointedly.

She pulled open the door to reveal the entrance hall that was very large. The walls were made of stone and were lit with flaming torches, the ceiling was very high, and there were marble stairs that would lead them to the upper floors.

Astrid looked around with wide gray eyes that sparkled with the light of the torches. She had let go of Harry and Ron’s hands to clasp her own together as she and the other first years followed Professor McGonagall through a hall that led to a grand staircase. She took a step and then stopped to look down at all of them.

“Welcome to Hogwarts,” McGonagall said. “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. While you are here, your house will be like your family. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffinor-“

“That’s us.” Astrid whispered to Ron and Harry with a grin.

“-Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.”

Ron, Harry, and Astrid all looked over their shoulder to look back at Malfoy who smirked but then glared through his forming black eye at them which made them all smirk.

They all looked back up at McGonagall who continued, “While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you points, while and rule-breaking will lose you points.”

“How many points do you think you’d get for giving Malfoy that black eye?” Ron asked with a smile.

“At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, which is a great honor. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few moments. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.” McGonagall’s dark, beady eyes looked at Neville’s untidy shirt and the smudge on Ron’s nose. Astrid laughed lightly at Harry’s hopeless attempts to flatten his messy hair.

“I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly.” Professor McGonagall said.

Everyone seemed to relax when she walked up the stairs and disappeared.

“How exactly do they sort us into houses?” Harry asked

“Some sort of test, I think.” said Ron, “Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking.”

Astrid turned to glare at Hermione who was whispering very quickly about all the spells she learned and wondering which one she’d need. Astrid turned to Harry who again looked to be deep in thought and worried. “Oh, relax, Harry,” Astrid placed a hand on his shoulder and Harry looked at her. “My mum told me when I was younger… something about…” Astrid pondered, trying to remember the story about her mom getting sorted. “Ah, never mind, I forgot.” She shrugged and gave an unsure smile which made Harry forget about relaxing.

Professor McGonagall returned at the top of the stair, “Now form a line and follow me.”

Everyone quickly scrambled to form a line; Astrid quickly claimed the front of the line and Harry and Ron stood behind them. Both boys looked nervous which contrasted with Astrid’s excited grin. They all began to follow McGonagall up the stairs, across a hall, and then through a pair of large wood double doors into the Great Hall.

Astrid smiled brightly when she walked into the Great Hall. It was lit by hundreds of floating candles over four long tables, where the rest of the students were all sitting, looking over at the first years. Sets of gold plates, goblets, and utensils were laid out on each of the tables. At the end of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Astrid recognized two of the professors immediately. Dumbledore who had a long, crooked nose, half moon spectacles that framed his twinkling blue eyes, a long silver beard that went along with his long silver hair, wore marvelous deep purple and blue robes and a dark forest green wizards hat.

The other wizard she recognized from her mother’s description; black shoulder length greasy hair, a pale pasty face, beady dark eyes, and a large nose (that was actually larger than what Astrid imagined); he was Severus Snape.

Astrid then looked up at the ceiling that was enchanted to look like the night sky and smiled lightly, thinking of the enchanted galaxies and stars in her room.

“It’s bewitched to look like the sky outside, I read about it in Hogwarts, A History.” Harry and Astrid heard Hermione whisper.

They all came to a stop and watched as McGonagall placed a stool in front of the professor’s table and then placed a dark and dirty pointed wizard’s hat down on the stool.

Everyone stared at the hat in silence, waiting for something to happen, which it did. The hat twitched and a rip near the brim opened up like a mouth and the hat began to sing:

“Oh, you may not think I’m pretty,
But I don’t judge on what you see,
I’ll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep you bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I’m the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There’s nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can’t see,
So try me on I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong to Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid or toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you’ve a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You’ll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don’t be afraid!
And don’t get in a flap!
You’re in safe hands (though I have none)
For I’m the Thinking Cap!

The whole hall burst into applause which made Astrid jump slightly and she immediately began to clap as well.

“So we just have to try on that hat!” Ron whispered. “I’ll kill Fred; he was going on about wrestling a troll.”

Astrid gulped, not really paying attention to what Ron had just said. She was busy thinking about what the hat said; ”There’s nothing hidden in your head the Sorting Hat can’t see.” Astrid licked her lips nervously. There were certain secrets in her head she did not wish anyone to know; even an old Sorting Hat.

“You alright?” Harry asked pulling Astrid out of her thoughts.

“Hm? Oh, yeah,” she put on false grin, “just impatient.”

Harry nodded and smiled lightly, “I’m a bit nervous.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine.” Astrid said and then added in a low mumble, “You don’t have anything to hide.”

“What?” Harry asked.

“Nothing, Harry.” Astrid said with a small smile.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward while holding a long roll of parchment.

“When I call your name, you will come up, sit down and put on the Sorting Hat.” McGonagall said and then looked at the roll of parchment and called out, “Hannah Abbott!”

A pink-faced girl with strawberry blonde hair in pigtails stumbled out of line and walked over to the stool. She picked up the hat, sat down, and then placed it on her head.

After a short moment’s pause the hat shouted out, “HUFFLEPUFF!”

The table on the right cheered and clapped as they welcomed Hannah to the Hufflepuff table.
“Susan Bones!”

“HUFFLEPUFF!” the hat shouted again and Susan quickly went to sit by Hannah.

“Terry Boot!”

“RAVENCLAW!”

The table second to the left clapped and cheered and several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

“Mandy Brocklehurst” went to Ravenclaw, then “Lavender Brown” became the first new Gryffindor and the table on the far left exploded with cheers and Astrid laughed when she saw Fred and George catcalling. Astrid grinned when she saw her sister, Athena, sitting next to them, rolling her eyes and shaking her head in annoyance.

“Millicent Bulstrode” was the first Slytherin to be called and the table on the far right clapped as they welcomed their new guest.

“Justin Finch-Fletchley!”

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

“Seamus Finnigan!” a boy with dark sandy hair sat on the stool for a good minute while the hat thought and then finally declared:

“GRYFFINDOR!” and again the Gryffindors bursted into cheers.

“Hermione Granger!”

Astrid watched as the bushy-haired girl sat down and placed the sorting hat on her head. The hat pondered for a moment and then yelled, “GRYFFINDOR!”

Astrid’s eyes widened and she heard Ron groan.

“Fine, but I still know that there is no way we’ll ever be friends with her.” She whispered as she watched Hermione be welcomed by the Gryffindors.

“Agreed.” said Ron.

“Neville Longbottom!”

Neville gulped and looked extremely nervous as he made his way to the stool and nearly fell over which earned a snicker from Malfoy and his lackeys. The hat took a long time to decide and when it finally shouted, “GRYFFINDOR,” Neville ran off still wearing the hat, earning a loud roar of laughter from all the students. Neville’s faced reddened deeply as he went back to hand it to Morag MacDougal who was then sorted into Ravenclaw.

“Draco Malfoy!”

Draco swaggered over to the stool, and just as the hat barely touched his head the hat screamed, “SLYTHERIN!”

Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle at the Slytherin table, looking very pleased with himself.

“Astrid Moody!” Astrid turned to look away from Malfoy, inhaled a sharp breath and walked over to the stool. She sat down, lifted the hat above her head and just as the rim of the hat touched around her head it shouted out, “GRYFFINDOR!”

Astrid jumped off the stool with a beaming grin and handed the hat over to the next person. Ron and Harry were grinning and clapping and Fred and George were again catcalling, but instead of shaking her head and rolling her eyes, Athena jumped up and began screaming out cheers and whooping.

Astrid practically ran over to the Gryffindor table and received a tight hug from her sister and then sat down between her and (she looked and inwardly groaned) Hermione Granger who was smiling.

“I’m not at all surprised! Mum will be so happy when I write to her!” Athena whispered happily to Astrid.

“Dad too.” Astrid whispered back.

“What?” Athena blinked in mild surprise.

“He’d be happy too. For both of us.” Astrid smiled weakly and Athena nodded in agreement and hugged her sister once more.

“Nott” to Slytherin, “Parkinson” as well, then a pair of twin girls, “Patil”, Pavarti went to Gryffindor while Padma went to Ravenclaw.

“Harry Potter!”

Whispers suddenly broke out throughout the Great Hall as Harry sat down and placed the hat on his head. People were craning their necks to take a look at him and Astrid waited patiently and watched as Harry was mumbling something no one could hear.

“Better be,” the hat began and then finally shouted, “GRYFFINDOR!”

Astrid shot up from her seat as did many other Gryffindors as they all cheered loudly as Harry walked over to them and took a seat across from Astrid.

Percy stood up and shook Harry’s hand vigorously while the Weasley twins chanted, “We got Potter! We got Potter!”

Astrid leaned over to the table to tell Harry, “See? I told you not to worry, Harry.” Harry nodded and smiled.

“Dean Thomas,” a tall black boy joined the Gryffindor table and sat beside Harry.

“Lisa Turpin,” became a Ravenclaw.

“Ronald Weasley!”

Ron looked sickly green as he sat on the stool. After a few moments that hat shouted, “GRYFFINDOR!”

Astrid and Harry clapped loudly along with the rest as Ron collapsed into the seat next to Harry.
“Well done, Ron, excellent,” Percy said pompously as “Blaise Zabini” was sorted into Slytherin.
Finally the sorting was done and McGonagall took the hat and stool away.

Everyone turned and watched as Dumbledore stood up, He was beaming at the students with wide open arms and looked absolutely pleased.

“Welcome!” he said. “Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our feast, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!” Then said, “Thank you!”
Dumbledore sat back down and everybody clapped and cheered and Astrid laughed lightly.

“Is he – a bit mad?” Harry asked Percy.

“Mad? He’s a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?”

Astrid looked and blinked in surprise when she saw a wide assortment of foods and drinks covering almost every inch of their table.

Astrid began to reach out, grabbing many items of food and threw them onto her plate, when she heard Ron give out a yell. They all looked to see a ghost rising up from the table as other ghost zoomed into the Great Hall.

“Pardon me,” the ghost said as the first years looked up at him in awe.

“I know who you are!” Ron said suddenly. “You’re Nearly Headless Nick!”

The ghost looked down at him with an annoyed look, “I prefer Sir Nicholas, if you don’t mind.”

“Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?” Hermione asked.

“Like this,” he said irritably. He grabbed his hair and tugged. His whole head swung back but did not fall as if it were hanging on by a hinge made up of flesh.

Hermione looked as if she lost her appetite but Astrid went on to shove a forkful of mashed potatoes in her mouth.

Nick swung his head back on, looking rather pleased at the look of disgust on most of the student’s faces and then said, “So, new Gryffindors! I hope you’re going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron’s becoming almost unbearable – he’s the Slytherin ghost.”

“Well, maybe we could have won the last few years if it weren’t for some people pulling pranks left and right.” Athena said pointedly at the twins who shrugged innocently.

Everyone ate and chatted, some with their mouths full (Ron and Astrid) others swallowed first and then spoke (Athena and Hermione) and once everyone was just about full, the dirty plates and boneless chickens and turkeys disappeared and were replaced with ice cream, pies, tarts, chocolate éclairs, doughnuts, pudding, chocolate covered fruits…

Astrid immediately dove for the éclairs.

“I’m half-and-half,” Seamus said. “Me dad’s a Muggle. Me mum’s a witch. Bit of a nasty shock for him when he found out.”

The others laughed.

“What about you, Neville?” Ron asked.

“Well, my gran brought me up and she’s a witch, But my family thought I was all Muggle up until I was eight when my uncle tried forcing magic out of me by hanging me out a window by my ankles. Nothing was happening until he got distracted and dropped me. But I just bounced all the way through the garden. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying ‘cause she was so happy.” said Neville and a few people laughed at his story.

“So, Astrid,” Fred began leaning forward to talk to Astrid across Athena, “what’s wrong with your sister?”

“Excuse me?” Athena raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” George leaned back to talk behind Athena and then said in an eerie voice, “all work and no play makes Athena a dull girl.”

“Hey! I am not dull. All because I choose not to participate in any of your shenanigans, does not make me dull. And besides, I have helped you come up with a few pranks.” Athena retorted.

“You just plan and do no action. That’s dull.” Fred said.

“That’s how I plan on not getting expelled.” Athena stated.

“Oh, there you go again with the word ‘plan’.” George said and Athena rolled her eyes.

“I think the hat made a mistake by putting her in Gryffindor, George.” Fred said to George.

“I agree. Gryffindors are for action-takers. The Planning Committee is in Ravenclaw, Athena.” George said earning a glare from Athena and the three of them began arguing (well, Athena was arguing, Fred and George we just purposefully angering her because they found it highly amusing) and Astrid turned to Harry who clasped his forehead and winced in pain.

“Harry? Are you alright?” Athena asked leaning forward.

Harry rubbed his scar, “Yeah, I’m fine. It was nothing.” Harry was looking over at the table at Snape.

“That’s Professor Snape,” Astrid said. “He teaches potions. My mum went to Hogwarts with him and wasn’t pleased at all when she found out he was teaching here. She says, well, the exact wording was, ‘Snape? He’s an arse.’” Astrid smiled. “But my mum was a bit glad that he wasn’t teaching the Dark Arts, she said that he knows too much about it already.”

“What did your mum mean when she said too much?” Harry asked looking at Astrid.

She shrugged, “I’m not sure. I asked though, but she said I was too young to understand and it would just be best if I didn’t know.”

At last the desserts disappeared and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet and the hall fell silent.
“Ahem – just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well.” Dumbledore’s twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins who had mischievous smiles.

“I have also been asked to remind you all by our caretaker, Mr. Filch, that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death.”

Harry laughed but it quickly faded once he realized he was the only one and Astrid raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

“He’s not serious, is he?” Harry asked Percy who began answering him.

Astrid turned to Athena, “Why’s it out of bounds?”

Athena looked slightly annoyed, “How am I supposed to know that? And,” she quickly added, “don’t you go snooping around to go find out either. Honestly, with you and the twins we’ll never win the house cup while I’m here.” She rested her face in her palms.

“And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!” Dumbledore smiled and gave his wand a flick and a long golden ribbon flew out the tip and rose to the air and twisted to form words. “And off we go!”

The students began to sing:

“Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our head could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they’re bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we’ve forgot,
Just do your best, we’ll do the rest
And learn until our brains all rot.”

Everyone finished at different times and the only ones who were left singing were Fred and George to a very slow funeral march and when they finished Dumbledore clapped the loudest.

“Charming song.” Astrid stated with a smile.

“Ah, music,” Dumbledore said as he wiped his eyes. “A magic beyond all we do here! And now: bedtime. Off you trot!”

All the Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up a marble staircase. “That was great, the food was better than I ever imagined.” Astrid said with sleepy eyes and she slung an arm around Harry’s neck for support. “I’m beat.” She yawned and hung her head.

“Er – how will you see where you’re going?” Harry asked looking at Astrid whose eyes were closed.

“I’m trusting you not to let me crash into anyone or anything, I guess.” She mumbled as she tiredly dragged her feet.

Harry looked to Ron for some sort of help, but Ron just raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

They all walked through halls and climbed staircases and just as Astrid was about to give up hope and jump on Harry’s back for a piggy-back-ride, Percy said, “Here we are.”

Astrid opened her eyes and saw a portrait of a fat woman in a pink dress.

“Password?” she asked.

“Caput Draconis,” Percy said and the portrait door swung open to reveal a large hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it and found themselves in-

“The Gryffindor common room,” Astrid said looking around the warm and cozy room that was round, full of squishy armchairs and a large sofa.

“Girls, your dorm is up there,” Percy pointed to one door that led to a tower on the left side, “and boys, yours is up there.” He pointed to another door on the right. “Now off to bed.”

The girls and boys began to separate and head to their dorms and Astrid turned to Ron and Harry who looked equally as tired as she did, “Well, boys, g’night. See ya tomorrow…” she yawned, reached and patted Harry and then Ron on the head before leaving with the other girls.

“She’s a bit odd, isn’t she?” Ron said.

“Yeah, but I like her.” Harry said.

Ron nodded, “Me too.”

They both looked at each other and quickly added in unison, “As a friend of course!”

They both grinned sheepishly and Ron went on to say, “I think she got that vision partially right. We’re all in Gryffindor, you, me, and her are friends… but it was dead wrong about that Hermione girl.”