Falling Head Over Heels
The Story of Hermione Granger and
Her relationship with Draco Malfoy
By: Befuzzled Chapter Two ~ The Sorting and Prefects"Gonna change the world
Gonna make it right
Gonna get me down on my knees
Gonna change it all
Gonna find a way
Gonna start to change the world today"
~S Club 7
The group rode quietly in the magically drawn carriage. They were silently excited about the sorting ceremony; this was their fifth for Hermione and Ron but only the fourth for Harry that they were able to sit through, due to some other circumstances in their younger years. They hoped nothing would deter them from the chance to hear the song of Godric Gryffindor's old hat.
They sat back a little farther back from the head table than normal to allow room for the incoming first years, but as soon as the sorting was over had decided they were going to move back to their usually seats. It was just too weird sitting where they were now.
The hall quieted as Professor McGonagall led in the small first years, all looking green and wet from their trip across the lake. That wasn't even mentioning the look of sheer torture inscribed on all their faces. Many were unsure of what they would be required to do to find out which house they would be placed in and many just were worried about which house the were going to be placed in.
The tight-haired professor brought out an old looking stool and a very worn hat that she placed front and center in the hall. The brim tore open shocking the first years and getting the attention of the upper classman.
Long, long ago
When the school was still new
They had no way to know
That I would be sorting you
I was pulled from Godric's head
Loaded with intelligence and charm
So sorting could continue when they were dead.
There's no need to feel alarmed.
I am a cap that sorts
That's just what I Do
The cap of ole Hogwarts
I'll look inside of you
I may look to be blind,
But I can read your mind;
I promise to be kind
As I examine what I can find.
Under Dumbledore,
The houses your home shall be
You'll be separated into four
Which one? We will see.
Gryffindors, true at heart,
Acting true and brave,
You'll get your start,
And your peers you will save.
Ravenclaws ready to learn
Eagar to fill their minds
Knowledge is what they earn,
There are friends you'll find.
Hufflepuffs: just and loyal
They are patient and true,
Their word is royal,
Might make a good match for you
Perhaps in Slytherin you'll make your match
These cunning folks use any means
Their focus is their catch
You may belong to join these feigns
Now put me on and we will see
Just the house where you belong
I will place you where you have to be
For now I have finished my song.
Everyone in the great hall clapped and whooped as the cap finished its poem. The scared first years stood there waiting as Professor McGonagall called out each of their names alphabetically.
"ALVRY, AARON"
The cap was placed on his head as he sat tentatively on the four-legged stool. It seems to be pondering over where to put him and after a minute's time shouted out "RAVENCLAW". The Ravenclaw table erupted with cheers and the rest of the Great Hall let out a polite applause.
Hermione, Harry, and Ron were bored bye the time the sorting hat placed "BAKER, JOSHUA" into "GRYFFINDOR". They were happy for the first years, but their stomachs and brains did not want to wait for the excessively long sorting to terminate. They were very gracious that they were spared a few of these, considering how long they take.
Hermione made an attempt to questioned the two about Sirius but they didn't want to talk now either. They were grumpy because they were hungry and wanted the sorting Ceremony to be finished. Hermione scanned the front table recognizing all her old professors, Snape, Flitwick, Hooch, etc. Then she noticed the missing chair. It must be for the new Defense against the Dark art teacher. They had had a different one every year so far and she wondered if this one would join the rest.
She tuned back into the sorting as "BANKS, ASHLEIGH" was placed in "HUFFLEPUFF"
Still bored, she thought about the up coming classes and scanned the other students to see what they were doing. She looked over at Hufflepuff where another student had just been placed they were erupted in cheers. The whole Ravenclaw table was waiting excitedly for their next new member, which came almost immediately. And while scanning the Slytherin table, she noticed Draco Malfoy starring intently at her. She starred back for a moment not wanting him to think she was afraid of him or anything, but soon blinked her eyes and jerked her head away as his face conformed to his insufferable smirk and his eyes narrowed into small slits.
Hermione became content resting her head on her hand only moving every once in a while to cheer for a new Gryffindor or provide a tactful applause to two of the other houses. She managed to refrain herself from jeering the new Slytherins, they hadn't done anything to be judged upon yet and she should be setting a good example to the rest of her house. Finally it was over, she had started to feel hungry too. The food didn't come yet, Albus Dumbledore had to make his announcements.
"There are a few transfer students left to be sorted so we will commence with that." Five more students, a few fifth years and a couple of fourth years were dispersed through out the houses.
"Welcome back to yet another wonderful school year, I hope it will be as much for you. I just have a few announcements for this year. I just would like to let all first years know that the Forbidden Forest is exactly that, forbidden and I would suggest avoiding it unless you would like to encounter the most unfriendly of creatures. And for the announcements of the Prefects for this year: Hermione Granger from Gryffindor, Draco Malfoy from Slytherin, Hannah Abbott from Hufflepuff, and Terry Boot from Ravenclaw. The head boy is Terrance Biggs and the head girl is Cho Chang." He waited for the cheering and jeering to die down before the feast finally started with, "Now with these final words tuck in: tickletongue, lepsforth, fonabreath, teetotaler, and rumplestilskin."
With his last words the goblets filled with pumpkin juice, the plates were covered with every imaginable food you could think of, and the hall with the quiet chatter of expecting students. They stuffed their faces with chicken, dumplings, soups, twelve different type of bread, scrumptious gravies and sauces, turkeys, steaks, apples, pears, broccoli, cauliflower, and hundred of others. The whole Gryffindor table noted how quiet, even with all the banter, it was then they realized the reason, Fred and George Weasley were no longer there.
Hermione received many congratulations through out the evening for being noted a Prefect. She thanked them nodding her head, shaking their hands, blushing profusely, or with a sweet genuine smile.
The night went on with plates refilling the moment they were emptied. Then it all was followed by dessert. Everybody was full well before the fourth helping of the cakes, pies, and puddings. Dumbledore finally ended the feast asking Prefects and Head Boy and Girl to lead their houses up to the common room.
Harry noticed that Hermione sounded a lot like Percy Weasley had the first time he had lead them to the common room. "Come along now, step quickly, follow me" and as the reach the top of the main staircase paused to say "this is the most direct way to the common room but be careful cause the stair cases like to change." All of the Gryffindors were then able to look up and gaze at about a hundred different flights of staircases; half were about to change.
"Come along now. " She led them to the picture of the Fat Lady in the pick dress.
"Password?" The fat lady questioned drawing out the word.
Turning back to everyone "Now everyone remember this and don't write it down (remembering Nevil Longbottom's forgetful mind) Squash Berry Pie"
"All right dears you may go in." With that the portrait swung open revealing the red and gold furbished Gryffindor common room.
"Girls dormitories are upstairs on your left and the Boys dormitories upstairs on your right." With that said Hermione plopped down on a gold couch by the fire.
A short tanned first year walked up to her, she remembered him from the sorting but couldn't quite think of his name, "Yes?"
"Um, yeah I was just kind of wondering where all our stuff is. I mean is it still on the train?"
"Joshua, right?" amazed she thought of his name.
"Yeah," looking just as amazed as Hermione, "Josh."
"All your belongings have been previously taken up to your dorms."
"Really?"
"Really, really."
"But how?"
"House elves." This seemed to satisfy the boy and he ran off to tell the other first years their things had been moved for them. They still seemed confused to the idea of what 'house elves' were but didn't want to sound to illiterate and uneducated to soon in their first year. All they really wanted to know any way was that their stuff was okay, and in its proper place. Hermione shut her eyes but just for a brief moment because Harry and Ron, currently sitting on either side of her soon interrupted her again.
"Well, the feast went good, didn't it Herm?" Ron questioned.
"The feast went 'well', Ron, it went 'well'. And don't call me Herm you know how much it irks me when you do that." Harry started chuckling and Ron flung a decorative pillow at him. It missed, hitting Lavender, who threw it back hitting Harry. All the pillows were being strewn through out the room, the upper years start transfiguring more flinging them in every which direction. The noise they were causing filtered up into the dorms drawing those who were un-packing or in a rare case all ready sleeping down to see what all the ruckus was caused by. Within ten minutes all of the Gryffindor population was accumulated in the common room and involved in the masses and zoo of flying pillows. There was no place to hide as a bunch of students used the staircases as temporary forts and prevented anyone from escaping to their rooms. No one really wanted to anyway they were all having too much fun.
Hermione managed to pull Harry from the mayhem for a brief moment to get filled in about Sirius Black, the alleged convict and his Godfather. "So Harry I want some details about Snuffles, but I suppose we don't have to call him that any more do we? No I guess not. But how? I thought the ministry didn't believe Dumbledore?"
"They didn't. Sirius managed to track down Pettigrew, unfortunantly he wasn't able to capture Volemort at the same time, but we don't always get want we want. But he managed to catch that sniveling old coward and had Dumbledore turn him over to the authorities. It took a few more convincing arguments and the administration of Verserium before they finally believed this was the back-from-dead Peter Pettigrew. I'm just glad Sirius is free now, but the arsehole is getting what he deserves, especially after all he did to my parent and Padfoot."
His voice was getting soft and Hermione was satisfied with the information she got. "Thanks for telling me Harry." She paused for an effect of some kind. "But right now all I want to do," she leaned in like she was going to give him a hug and picked up a pillow that was behind him, "is join this pillow fight again." She surmised quickly and pulled the pillow against the back of his head. She got up and ran to Hide behind Ron and Harry gave chase. Soon they were back in the turmoil of the rest of the common room.