CHAPTER IV: Sorting things out.

The doors swung open into the castle. There was a dim, candlelit room behind it, with a single witch in the centre. At first, Whit thought she looked ageless. Her hair was grey, but her face was only slightly wrinkled. She was wearing dark-blue robes that flowed from her shoulders to her ankles and she was holding a cane.

'May I present the firs' years, Professor Trimble?' Hagrid said officially.

'Thank you, Rubeus. I'll take over from you now.'

She walked up to the group for first-year students. Whit noticed she had limp, causing her to sway from one side to the other as she walked. Some of the students, Whit saw, seemed nervous, others seemed eager.

'My name', the witch said, 'is Professor Trimble. Like every other teacher in this school, I will be addressed as Professor. It is my privilege to welcome you to your school. I will escort you all to the great hall, where you will be sorted between the four houses. For those who do not know, I'll explain this. The sorting of students between the four houses is the most important moment for you at this school. All students are divided among the four houses. You will spend all of your classes with the students from your house. You will sit at your house table during breakfast, lunch and dinner. You will sleep in your house's dorm. In short, they will be your family for the duration of your stay, here in Hogwarts. Good results and active participation in classes gain your house points. The house with the highest total of house points at the last day of school wins the house cup.'

Whit saw everyone nod at this. Apparently, everyone understood.

'Now, if you'll follow me,' Professor Trimble continued, 'we'll get started with the ceremony right away. Leave your luggage here please.'

In deep silence, the entire group followed Professor Trimble up a wide staircase. A knot was forming in Whit's stomach, and it grew tighter with every step. Not only had he no idea what the ceremony was (Bernard wouldn't tell him. He said he didn't want to spoil the surprise), he also didn't know if he would be sorted in a nice class. What if I get sorted in a house with all the bullies?

'Right,' Professor Trimble said when they arrived at a set of big, oak doors. 'Wait here please.' She quickly meandered off, her cane making little tapping noises on the flagstones as she did.

'So,' came a voice from behind the group, 'I hope nobody made friends yet.'

Everybody turned. One of the twins was grinning smugly.

'That's right, Jack.' the other said in reply. 'It'd be a shame to make friends with someone and than to get sorted into a different house. With all the rivalry going on between the houses, I doubt that friendship would last very long.'

For just a moment, Whit had a flashback of Robert. It was remarkable how much these two boys resembled him. The knot in Whit's stomach tightened considerably again. I hope they won't bully me. Please don't bully me.

Then, the oak doors opened and revealed a big hall. There were four tables in it and each of them was populated by at least fifty students. All eyes were fixed on them.

'Enter please,' Professor Trimble said, 'And form a line along the wall.'

Each of the first years quickly moved out into the hall. When Whit entered it, he noticed that the hall had no ceiling. A fantastic display of rolling clouds over a star-sprangled sky was visible. Candles were hanging suspended in mid-air, bathing the room in a warm glow. At the end of the hall was another bench. It was the teachers' table, and all of Hogwarts' teachers were seated there, save Professor Trimble. She walked up to a wooden box that was placed in the corner of the room and took out an old hat and a three-legged stool. She placed the stool between them and the benches. Then, she sat the hat on top of it.

Slowly, the hat began to move. At first, only the tip of it moved, swaying slightly as though it got caught in the wind. Then, the brim moved, accompanied by a sound Whit thought came from its direction. Two dents in the fabric rose up, as though they were eyebrows.

Oh you may not think me 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 Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs 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!

'You will be called in alphabetical order.' Professor Trimble said, 'Please take place on the stool when your name is called out.'

Then, she waved her wand and conjured up a parchment.

'The first to come to the stool will be: Avery, Jack.'

One of the twins walked up to the stool and sat down on it. For all the calm that he tried to show, Whit noticed he was indeed nervous. His fingers were drumming his robes anxiously, and his foot was tapping the flagstone nervously. Suddenly, the brim of the hat moved.

'SLYTHERIN!'

A deafening roar of cheers erupted from the side of the hall as the Slytherin table celebrated their newest student. The other three tables groaned. Jake stood up and joined the Slytherin table with a wide grin on his face.

The cheers continued for quite a while, until Professor Trimble raised her hand to usher them into silence. Slowly, the rabble died out.

'Avery, Jake.'

The other of the twins walked up to the stool and sat down, planting the hat firmly on his head. Again, the Sorting Hat seemed to be thinking for a moment and yelled:

'SLYTHERIN!'

The groans from other tables were notably louder this time. The cheers from the outermost table in the hall drowned them though. Professor Trimble was again needed to get them silent. It took her considerably longer though, and she had to reprimand a few students for provoking the other tables.

Each time Professor Trimble went further down the list of students, the knot in Whit's stomach tightened. Professor Trimble had arrived at "Gingell, Susan", which was sorted (after a considerable amount time) into Gryffindor.

'Glacius, Whit'

Hesitantly, Whit walked up to the three-legged stool. It looked like it was ages old. He sat down and the Sorting Hat was placed on his head. It sagged down deep over his head.

'Let's see what we've got here.' A voice said in his head. It was the Sorting Hat's voice. 'I can see a bright mind there, that's for sure. And there's a lot of patience there. You're a hard worker too. Where will we send you?'

There's quite some potential in you,' the voice in his head continued, 'You could shine in any of the four houses.'

I don't care about what house I get into. I just want to be a great wizard.

'Ahh,' the Sorting Hat said in his mind, 'Now I see what motivates you. Now I see what house should be yours. You're the most suitable material I've come across in years for-'

'SLYTHERIN!'

Another chorus of cheers rose up from the Slytherin table. He walked over to their table. He was greeted by a large group of Slytherins, most of them students from higher years. Whit sat down next to Jake, hoping that being sorted into his house would warm them up a little.

'Didn't expect you'd be sorted here, White-head.'

There was a slight edge to his voice that made it clear that he wasn't interested into being anything more than housemates. Still, it wasn't as hostile as Whit had thought it would be, and the fact that he didn't keep him from sitting down made Whit feel that he might even warm up to him.

The list of names slowly grew smaller. After a while, Professor Trimble called out for: 'Miller, Dakota'. She slowly walked up to the stool and placed the hat over her head. The Sorting Hat took a considerable amount of time thinking about Dakota, until finally, he made his choice.

'Hufflepuf', it said, somewhat strictly, and less enthusiastically than before.

Dakota threw the Sorting Hat off and with tears in her eyes, joined the Hufflepuff table. She was welcomed immediately, with three girls trying to comfort her. Whit remembered how much she had wanted to be in Ravenclaw. She'd just become the first non-Ravenclaw witch in her family in twenty generations.

Adam was sorted next, and after a brief moment, the Sorting Hat decided he would be sorted into Ravenclaw.

All three of us in different houses. Perhaps Jake was right. Perhaps making friends before the sorting ceremony isn't a good idea. But I'm sure that I can still be their friend.

As the list of names grew shorter, each of the houses received a fair share of students. More than forty first-years had to be sorted, and each house received at least seven students. They were near the end of the list, with only three students left to be sorted. One of them was a pallid looking boy with dark hair and pale skin. He was rather tall and skinny, and his face was sunken, as though he hadn't been eating for months. His eyes were a dark blue that made the paleness of his skin stand out even further. He took a seat and the Sorting Hat hadn't even touched his ears, before he was sorted into Slytherin. The Slytherin table cheered again. Professor Trimble ushered them into silence and read out the next name.

'Wright, Elladora'

The blond girl stepped up, sitting down on the three-legged stool with as much grace and elegance as a swan sitting down on her eggs. She pulled her hair back dramatically, plucking a stray hair out of her eyes before putting on the Sorting Hat. It pondered over her for a while, making up his mind about where I would place her.

'GRYFFINDOR!'

The Gryffindor table exploded into cheers, everyone clapping their hands in celebration. Whit noticed that especially the Gryffindor boys were celebrating merrily to her arrival. Adam seemed crestfallen.

The Sorting Hat was replaced into its box after the final student was sorted into her house (Hufflepuff!). Professor Trimble closed the lid of the wooden box and then walked across the hall to the teachers' table. With all that had been happening around him, Whit hadn't given the teachers a lot of his interest.

On the far left was Hagrid, his enormous size accentuated by the fact that a tiny man was sitting next to him. The man was wearing a large pointed hat, whose tip was hanging down. Compared to Hagrid, he was tiny.

The third seat was taken by an old man, with wiry white hair that stood out to the sides of his head. He was bald on the top. The old man sat with his eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to the murmurs and talking around him. He had his hands folded before him on the table. His face was hard, with a hooked nose that stood off to the side a little.

The Whitecloak was sitting near the middle of the room. Another teacher was talking to him, but he did not seem to respond. He was gazing intently over the students, his eyes darting this way and that. The wizard that was trying to talk to him gave up and turned around, instead striking conversation with the witch at his other side. He was wearing a huge hat, with an enormous brim that hung loosely down at the sides. His face was young; he was perhaps in his mid-twenties.

One of the teachers in the middle of the teachers' table stood up. All sound in the hall died out before she even needed to raise her hand or call for silence. Her face was stern and Whit knew that she wasn't someone to cross.

'For those of you who sit at these tables for the first time and for those whom have returned to us after the summer, I, headmistress McGonagall, welcome you to Hogwarts.'

All eyes in the room were now directed at the Headmistress. She paused for a moment, taking in the entire school.

'I hope that Hogwarts will be your home,' She continued, 'and that each and every one of you will be able to spend this year maximizing your potentials. Hogwarts is an institution that you will help you do so by providing you with excellent conditions to fulfil your goals.'

Whit looked around himself for a quick moment as the Headmistress added another pause to her speech. Nearly every student's face was turned to the Headmistress. Most of the teachers were looking at her too.

Suddenly, Whit noticed a pairs of eyes on him. The old man with wiry hair was looking at him intently. He didn't avert his gaze though, but instead deepened it. Whit could feel that the man was measuring him up. His pale blue eyes pulled in Whit's gaze and Whit couldn't find a way to tear his eyes away from him. The Headmistress began speaking again, but Whit couldn't bring up the power to look at her.

'As some of you have noticed,' she said, while the old man's eyes continued its hypnotic stare, 'there are a few additions to our staff. The first addition is mister Beaufort.' The man with the enormous hat stood up awkwardly, waved his hand a little and sat down again. 'Mister Beaufort will be taking up a special position as Administrative Investigator and Re-evaluator of Hogwarts' Enchantments and Active Defences. He will be here to help us protect our school from any sort of danger.'

The old man's eyes were boring even deeper now. Whit could feel that he was being sized up. The old man was trying to judge him.

'Another addition to our staff is Marshal Hart. He will be here to guard Hogwarts too, but instead of focussing on the magical wards that keep intruders out, he will be making sure our internal defences are up to scratch.'

The Whitecloak made a simple nod to show who he was and then resumed his study of each student in the hall.

'The last addition in our staff is master Cane.'

At last, the old man broke his eye contact and turned his head slowly to the Headmistress. The corners of his mouth slowly curled up into a faint smile.

'Master Cane is here to train one of our students in a very specific branch of magic.'

This comment caused a murmur among the students. Everyone around Whit started whispering, discussing what sort of magic it would be. Whit did not partake. He knew what branch of magic the Headmistress was talking about, he even knew what student he would be teaching.

'Silence please!' the Headmistress said in a way that could make an iron bar come over soft. 'Hogwarts is pleased to accept, for the first time in over thirty years, a runemage.'

The great hall exploded in wild debate between students. Whit noticed several frowned faces.

'Aren't runemages supposed to be untrustworthy?' one of the Gryffindors asked loudly.

'Yeah! I thought runemages were supposed to be back-stabbers!'

The Headmistress waved her hand. Silence descended over the great hall. 'Against popular belief,' she continued in a slightly more stern tone, 'Runemages are neither untrustworthy nor betrayers. Those are personality-traits that can be found in every person, and have nothing to do with magic. Hogwarts is proud to have accepted this student, as much as it is proud to have accepted each and every one of you. Needless to say, it would reflect very badly on your house if you did not treat this student like you would any other…'

This seemed to be enough of an explanation to most of the students.

Headmistress McGonagall continued her speech. 'The Forbidden Forest is off limits to all students. I want to inform you that any student found outside his or her dorm after hours will be taken to his head of house immediately.'

She paused for another moment and then clapped her hands. Dishes and plates of food appeared immediately on each table.

'Dig in!'

The Slytherin table was completely laden with food. In front of Whit were silver plates filled with sausages, brass goblets that held apple-juice or tea and that refilled themselves, copper plates with marinated chicken wings. There was china with the Hogwarts crest on it, completely stowed with tarts, vegetables or potatoes. There were pots containing soups, some of which changed flavour every time you took a sip. Others changed colour on your spoon. Whit saw fresh apples; greener and bigger than any he had ever seen before. Everyone was filling their plates now, and Whit was about to grab a saucer of mushrooms when something silvery white passed through it. It had the face of a man.

'Hello there, baron.' A girl to the right of Whit said. She was older than him, with green eyes and dark eyebrows. 'How has life in the castle been during the vacation?'

'Ghaa, Evvelyn,' the silver man said in a hoarse whisper, 'Life's great when you're dead. I scared some mice to death only this week. Perhaps I'll move on to first-years soon.'

Whit suddenly realized that a ghost was in front of him, looking down with leering eyes. He had shackles around his arms and legs, and his clothes looked like they were bloodstained save for the fact that they were completely silver. He moved forward quickly, catching Whit by surprise as he launched straight through him. Whit felt shivers running down his spine when he did. It was like a cold shower had been turned on in front of him. When the baron had finally passed out of him at the other side, the strange feeling faded away immediately.

'Ghaa! I love doing that to first years.' the baron said. 'Welcome to Slytherin.'

Whit tried to strike up conversation with several of his fellow first-years, but it was to no avail. Left of him were Jack and Jake, both of them still refusing to even acknowledge his existence as they ignored him totally. On the other side of Whit was the pale boy with dark hair that was sorted last. He too ignored Whit, but then, he seemed to be ignoring everyone. His attention was completely focussed on the remains of his food.

So, the evening went along, Whit silently wondering about the Great Hall's ceiling, the ghosts that flew about the place and the different paintings on the walls. Their inhabitants were walking around in their frames, just like the people on the chocolate frog cards were able to do. They were also able to move into each other's pictures, which led to some interesting scenes. A memorable one involved a hunter trailing a rhino all around the great hall. After he'd tried to shoot it from behind a cluster of bald monks wearing aprons, the rhino fled, leaving behind a wake of destruction.

Whit also noticed that the old man who had been looking at him so much now had his eyes closed again. He had done so right after the Headmistress had finished her speech and dinner had begun. Whit had snuck a peek several times, and each time he had been in the same position; his eyes closed, his hands placed palm-up and his fingers intertwined.

After dinner, there was dessert. Big, shiny, silver cups engraved with the Hogwarts crest appeared in front of everyone, each holding an assortment of different flavours of ice. Whit's were nougat, mint and honey. He had eaten the nougat and honey flavoured ones first, leaving the mint untouched. Who in their right mind eats mint ice?!

'Ladies and gentlemen,' Headmistress McGonagall said after the ice had vanished from the tables. ' I want to thank you all for enjoying yourselves. Since today is a Friday, you'll have a whole weekend to enjoy before your first classes start. All students must now go to their houses, where you will find your luggage ready on your beds. Prefects, lead the way.

All the students in the hall stood up simultaneously, the sounds of benches scraping the flagstones causing a cacophony of screeches. Prefects, Whit heard Jake mumble to Jack, were students that had been chosen from the top of their year to keep order in their houses.

'Right you buggers, follow me now!' a squat, muscular boy said to all first year. He and a thin girl with sleek blond hair and freckles on her nose led them and the other Slytherins down a staircase to the basements. There, he made a sharp turn and walked down a number of long aisles lined with suits of armour. Half-way through one of them, he stopped. He made a ninety-degree turn and then said aloud: Tomentua. A hidden door immediately became visible from the bare wall and the prefect entered through it. Other Slytherins followed, among whom Whit. He opened his eyes wide a few seconds later, seeing the Slytherin common room for the first time in his life.

The common room was a low-ceilinged room with rough walls. From the ceiling hung round, green lamps, whose lights draped the common room with a dingy glow. There were tapestries hanging from each of the walls, most of them depicting great battles or powerful wizards. Several tables were scattered about the room, each of them surrounded by a sofa and some comfortable looking chairs. There was a big fireplace on one side of the room, where an enormous fire was roaring. Like most objects in the common room, the fireplace was decorated with skulls. They weren't real ones, but made of some dark stone. Each of them shone like it was neatly polished. Most of the Slytherins that had passed through the barrier had already taken a seat near the fireplace.

Suddenly, Whit felt something collide with him. It smacked into him, knocking him down to all fours.

'What is it with you and barriers?' Jake said as he scrambled up again. 'First at King's Cross and now this. Don't you have eyes, Whitehead?'

Several of the Slytherins that stood by chuckled at this. Whit got up quickly to apologise, but before he could, Jack had cut him off.

'You'd better be more careful, Snowman. You never know what sort of accidents could happen in a school like this.'

This seemed to get the attention of all the Slytherins standing around. Silence spread out throughout the common room as every student eagerly awaited a response. Whit tried to think of something to say when the sleek-haired blond girl that was a prefect suddenly stepped into the middle.

'You'd better worry I don't accidentally give you detention, first-year.'

There was a collective sigh of disappointment as all the students diverted their attention again. Whit caught a whisper between two students.

'She always steps in when something fun happens.'

Jack and Jake received a good talking-to before she let them go again. Afterwards, she turned to Whit. She put one of her hands in her pockets and dug out a few coloured beans. Whit accepted them eagerly.

'Try sitting somewhere off from the rest,' she advised, 'these sorts of quarrels are common in Slytherin house. I heard it was a lot worse a few years ago. Back then; a wizard's blood status could make him a social outcast here. Those days are over though.'

The common room was filled with Slytherins by then. There were several groups of students. Some groups were quite large, others consisting of only three or two students. There were also a lot of individual students seated between the different groups. Some were reading spell books, others were practicing with their wand. Whit sat down on one of the seats a little off from the rest of the Slytherins. He took out his copy of "The Standard Book of Spells" and began reading.