Give It a Year

“Welcome to Hogwarts.” The raven like Lady spoke, her name was professor McGonagall as we just learnt. Our boat ride was definitely something to experience.

“The start of term banquet will begin after the Sorting Ceremony , it is a very important ceremony as the house you are sorted into will be somewhat a family through your time at Hogwarts. You will spend a grand lot of time with your house too, the four houses are. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin, each are all names of our founders here, while you are at Hogwarts you will earn house points any bad behaviour or rule breaking will deduct points. The house with the most points wins the house cup at the end of the year. Just wait a few moments before the Sorting Ceremony begins.”

Silent chatter begun amongst the others, I just listened to the conversations not really wanting to talk. The thought of the ceremony scared me, although Cedric said it was just a Hat so that nonsense Ron’s brother told him about battling a troll is stupid. The chatter began to die down with nerves, the only one who was talking was some Girl with messy hair. But the ghosts suddenly shut her up when they came about.

Around twenty of them floated around the First years, some yelling about their houses and new first years, but they were shooed away when the Ceremony had begun.
The great hall was just as she imagined and how she read in those history books, even the lovely scenic view of the night sky, despite it being charmed it looked breath taking, even with the hundreds of floating candles and golden plates and goblets.

“They bewitched it to look like the sky, I read that from Hogwarts, a history.” A girl spoke as matter-of-factly behind me. Someone was just as eager to start their first year just like me. She was just more, well.. open about it. Up front there stood a four legged stool with an old hat, tattered and worn, I knew exactly what it was which excited me. All eyes looked as it began to sing:

Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your 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 and 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 Gryffindor’s apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuff’s are true
And unafraid of 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 folks 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 a Thinking Cap!

The hall echoed with claps, once silenced, Professor McGonagall stood up front with a scroll of names. “When I call out your name would you please place the hat on and sit on the stool until you’ve been sorted… Hannah Abbott!”
If it was alphabetical it meant that I wouldn’t be too far down the list, it made me anxious but I waited, and waited, and waited.

“Valora Diggory!”

My name rolled off her tongue as half the school cheered and clapped, perhaps having a brother like him wouldn’t be so bad. I gulped and took a seat placing the hat on my head, I looked over at Cedric who gave me a smile and thumbs up. The voice, preferably the hats voice left an imprint in my head and echoed forever as it spoke.

“A Diggory, yes yes, I’d best put you in Hufflepuff but wait, kind heart yes, but I better put you in…. GRYFFINDOR!!”

The Gryffindor Table cheered, I grinned but looked over at Cedric who seemed all the more confused, as did I. The hat said I was kind, but put me in Gryffindor, that was strange, maybe it magical heard my rant on Houses don’t define the person. Anyway I sat on the Gryffindor table next to those twins again.

“Ah A Diggory, I am pleased to meet you, your brother is an excellent student, always on time to bed before curfew. I’m a Prefect you see, he is a delightful Boy.” A stern faced read head nodded across from me on the table.
“Oh yes Percy the prefect, the perfect prefect and mummy’s favourite.” One of the twins beside me mocked sent mocking kissy faces his way.

“I’m Fred and that’s George, first Gryffindor, you must be a saint if you’re a Diggory and in our House, it’d be a miracle if we won the house cup, Slytherin’s won every year.” Fred gave a look of disdain over at the Slytherin Table.

The Gryffindor table cheered as another first year joined the table. He was small and as soon as he spoke he was definitely Irish. Soon after another joined the table, the girl with bushy hair. I smiled and introduced myself, “Im Valora Diggory, I hear you’re just as excited to be here as me.”
“Hermione Grange, and yes I came from well.. a normal household-.”
“Oh a muggle born? That’s cool you know a lot then, got excited and studied? I did the same don’t worry.”

“Oh are you a.. m-muggle born?”

I laughed and shook my head, I smiled at her, “We’re witches now Hermione, no need for the term muggle around you, if you do magic your well as on your way to being a witch that’s how I see it.”
Percy who sat next to her nodded, “You are very bright and your philosophy seems to be in the same spot. Our family shares the same opinion, however we aren’t loved as much as your Family so we’re blood traitors.”

I frowned, I hated that term and mudblood. “Oh how terrible, well… being Pureblood or not it doesn’t define who you actually are.”

He simply nodded and proceeded to Listen. It went on forever, after you were sorted it dragged on even longer, there was a lot of first years. But none impacted more than Harry Potter, he had the whole hall gasp and whisper. The Gryffindor table jumped up and down and carried on once he was sorted into Gryffindor.

The twins cheered about Gryffindor definitely winning the house cup, but as I looked over a Cedric he looked sad, one of us had to break the news to dad, I knew at some point the Diggory always being hufflepuff heritage would frail but I didn’t think it’d frail with me. But Dinner now appeared and I was starving.

Before long, the feast was over, I was full, the song their anthem and we had pre-bedtime announcements. The first years followed Percy, our house Prefect to our common room, I was very greatful, the school had moving stairs that flipped and moved wherever of a total of 8 floors or more. I was glad out Prefects were there, we encountered the most annoying ghost, he was a poltergeist by the name of Peeves. We finally made it through the changing stairwells and finally ended up in our common room.