Chapter 3 - Unfinished. Do not read.

The small boats glided gently over the dark lake and the reflected stars from the dark sky above. After a while, they bumped against the shore and Hagrid got up from his own.
"Okay, off we go." He said gruffly as he took the latern off it's pole, "Up the hill, th' lot o' ya."
The children quickly obligued and began to get out of their boats. Molli and Taylor got out of their own and started to walk up the hill. Kitty made to follow, but froze as a quiet ribbit sounded from the boat behind her. Slowly, the purple-haired girl turned around to see a large toad sitting in the bottom of the boat she had recently vacated. She swiftly snatched it up and turned around.
"Oi!" She shouted, "Neville, is it? This your toad?"
"Trevor!" The snaggled toothed boy from the tain cried joyously. He ran up to Kitty and took the toad from here, "Thank you!"
"Don't mention it." Kitty said with a smile. She left him chastising his toad and jogged up the slope to catch up with Molli and Taylor.
After a few minutes of walking, they made it to the large, wooden doors. Hagrid shifted the laturn and then knocked on the door with his dust-pin sized hands. There was a short pause and then they could hear the click of heels coming and then the grating sound as the doors were opened. A strict looking women with spectacles was at the door.
"Hello Professor McGonagall. I brough' th' firs' years." said Hagrid.
"So you have." Professor McGonagall said briskly and stood aside to let the first years through.
"Bye Hagrid!" Kitty called as she was swept away with the tide.
"Goo' Bye Kitty! An' goo' luck!" Hagrid called back. And then the doors were closed and he was gone.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. 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. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House wil be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your House common room." Said Professor McGonagall,
"The four Houses are called Gryffinedor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours."
"I will go inform the Headmaster of your arrival. Do not touch anything. And I suggest some of you smarten yourselves up!" Once again, they listned to the sound of her steps as she walked off towards the Dining Hall.
"How do you think we'll get sorted?" asked one of the girls in the crowd.
"Dunno. Fred was going on about fighting a troll." said a tall red-headed boy. This set the crowd into a large amount of muttering.
"Oh please." Kitty sighed, "My grandfather wouldn't make us fight a troll."
Just then, several people screamed. About twenty ghosts had appeared through the back wall. They all appeared to be in the midst of a conversation.
"I say we just forgive him. You know, give him a second chance." said one.
"My dear Friar, we have given Peeves all the chances he deserves! He gives us all a bad name and he isn't, afterall, really a ghost- I say, what are you all doing here?" A ghost wearing a ruff and tights suddenly noticed them.
"New students!" cried the friar when no one answered, "About to be sorted?" A few of the students below nodded, "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! That's my House, you know."
"Move along now!" Professor McGonagall had returned, causing several people to jump. The ghosts smiled and glided away once again, "Follow me and leave your things here."
She lead them into the large dining hall. It was the most amazing thing Taylor had ever seen. There were thousands upon thousands of candles floating through the air, all hovering above four different tables. At the back of the room was a very long and elevated table with the Hogwarts seal behind it. But prehaps the most amazing thing about it was the ceiling: It was enchanted and reflected the clear, star-strew sky outside.
Professor McGongall directed the first years to stay where they were and then left once more, leaving them standing admist the stares of the older students. Finally, she came back carrying a four-legged stoold and very old hat.
There was complete silence in the hall and everyone stared at the hat. It twitched and fell still. Then it twitched again and a rip along its brim opened like a mouth and the hat began to sing:
"Oh, you may no 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 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 Ravenvlaw,
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 a Thinking Cap!
The entire hall bust into applause once it was done. Professor McGonagall glared around the hall until it finally became silent. When it finally did, she unrolled a scroll and cleared her throat before reading, "Abbott, Hannah!"
A blonde girl stumbled out of the crow and put on the hat. She sat down and after a moment's pause, the hat shouted:
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The table on the right (which was decked out in black and yellow with a large badger on their banner) cheered and clapped as she went to sit down. Right after, "Bones, Susan" was sorted into Hufflepuff as well.
Several more people were sorted and then:
"Dumbledore, Kitty!"
The Great Hall erupted at the sound of her name. "Did she say Dumbledore? Surely she can't mean-" and "I didn't know he had a granddaughter!" filled the hall. Professor McGonagall once again had to glare around the room until it fell silent.
Kitty took the hat, sat down, and jammed it over her head. A breif pause and then-
"GRYFFINDOR!" Kitty whipped the hat off and grinned as she raced to the boistrous red and gold table. She smiled up at her grandfather who nodded approvingly. Shortly after her "Granger, Hermione!" became a Gryffindor as well.
At this point, Molli was shaking. She practically jumped as "Hawk, Molli!" was called.
Still shaking, Molli sat down and handed the stern woman her own large hat in exchange for the magical one. It seemed to sit on her head for quite a long while before it shouted:
"RAVENCLAW!" Molli smiled sadly at Kitty as she took her own hat and rushed over to the bronze and blue table.
After a few more names were called "Longbottom, Neville", the boy with the toad, was sorted into Gryffindor. He was in such a rush to get there, he forgot the hat and had to jog back and give it to Professor McGonagall admid much laughing.
"Malfoy, Draco" hardly had to grab the hat for it to sort him into Slytherin. And then:
"Potter, Harry!" Once again, the hall began to whisper amongst themselves. It took ever longer than usual to quiet it down. Harry Potter, a thing boy with messy black hair and a lightening bolt scar on his forehead sat down on the stool. It seemed to take just as long as it had with Molli before the hat decided:
"GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindor table exploded. They stamped and cheered and whistled and a voice could be heard cheering, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"
When finally the cheers died down, Professor McGonagall continued:
"Robberts, Cassandra!" A girl broke away from the crowd and made her way up to the stool. She had long black hair that contrasted with her skin, which was so pale her veins could almost be seen through it. Her eyes were also a vibrant red and she seemed uncaring a she placed the hat on her head.
"RAVENCLAW!" The hat shouted. As per the usual, the Ravenclaws cheered.
"Robberts, Pandora!" A girl who could only be the previous girl's twin sister walked up.
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat.
Taylor was so excited she couldn't sit still.

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