Albus Potter and the Founders Room - 3. Chapter 3 (House and Home)

“Firs’ Years!” yelled a voice that was very familiar to the cousins “Firs’ years this way!”

“It’s Hagrid,” said Rose grabbing West’s arm on one side and Al’s on the other. Al looked back over his shoulder gestured for the clearly embarrassed Hi to come with them. When he caught up to the others Al linked his arms with the blonde, and the four of them headed down the platform.

Out of the throng of Hogwarts students a lamp bobbed toward them followed by Hagrid’s massive shaggy silver bearded face.

“All right there, you two?” Hagrid said when he got to the four first years. “See you been making some friends.”

“Yeah, this is West and this is Hi,” Rose said purposefully not mentioning the boys’ full names for HI’s sake.

“Well you four should follow me – anymore firs’ years? Follow me firs’ years! Mind your step, now!

The first years followed Hagrid slipping and sliding down the wet steps down a narrow path through a dark forest. None of the first years spoke once they entered the forest, mostly because it was so dark that they were all concentrating not falling or getting lost in the woods.

“Yeh’ll get yer first look at Hogwarts in a sec,” Hagrid said as they made their way around a bend in the path.

As Hogwarts came into view all the students “Ooh”-ed and “Ah”-ed even Albus who had thought he was prepared for seeing Hogwarts; he had read Hogwarts: a History like fifty times. The narrow path through the woods had widened onto a small stony beach on the edge of a vast dark lake. Attached to the high mountain on the other side was a massive castle with many turrets and towers sparkling and shining with lights spilling from their windows.

“No more than four to a boat,” Hagrid said breaking the students out of the spell the beauty of the sight had cast on them. It was then that the students realized that there were a small fleet of boats sitting beside a small dock. Hi, Al, Rose, and West ran down the dock to get a boat to themselves, and after all the other students were seated Hagrid spoke again.

“Everyone in and sitting? Right then --- FORWARD!”

And as one the boats began sailing across the lake while barely disturbing its smooth surface. Everyone was silent once again as they sailed into the shadow of the great castle, and closer and closer to the cliff on which it sat.

“Watch yer’ heads,” Hagrid said as they reached the cliff and sailed through a curtain of ivy. After this there was a dark tunnel which took them to a harbor directly underneath the castle. The little boats parked themselves at the stone pier in the little harbor and Hagrid told them to disembark.

Hagrid led them up a stone passage under the castle to a large oak door.

“Everyone here?” Hagrid said and after they nodded he raised his large fist and knocked three times on the massive wooden door. At the knocks the door swung open immediately. Standing on the other side of the door was a tall thin black woman with white hair pulled back from her thin severe face.

“These are the firs’ years, Professor Sinistra.

“Thank you, Hagrid,” the dark skinned woman said as a small smile spread across her face lessoning some of the severity of her appearance.

She pulled the massive door open wide and gestured the first years in. Behind her the entrance hall spread out behind her was the biggest room Al had ever seen. There were flaming torches lit attached to the wall giving light to the entrance hall and the massive marble staircase leading to the upper floors. Professor Sinistra led them across the flagstone floor to a small empty chamber where they could hear the clamoring and yelling of the other students through the wall.

“Welcome to Hogwarts, students,” began Professor Sinistra after they had all entered the room. “The start of term feast will begin momentarily, but before you may join in you need to be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony that has taken place every year since its development by the Founders of the school. The ceremony is so important because your house like your family while you are here at Hogwarts and even beyond. Your accomplishments and accolades will earn your house points, while any misbehavior will take away points from your whole house. At the end of the year the House with the most points will win the House Cup, which is a great honor. You will have classes with your House, sleep in your House dorm, and spend your free time in your House common room. The four houses are Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor. Each house has its own history and all have produced great and powerful witches and wizards. I hope that all of you will be a credit to whichever house you’re placed in. The Sorting Ceremony will begin in a few minutes in front of the Dining Hall. Take this time to mentally prepare yourself. I will return when they are ready for you.”

She left the room, and Albus and his friends huddled together.

“How do they sort us into houses?” West asked looking slightly panicked.

“Chill out, you just have to put on an old hat,” said Hi reassuringly.

“Where do you think you will end up?” asked West nervously.

“Probably Slytherin,” Hi said resignedly, and then asked the cousins “You guys?”

“Gotta be Gryffindor,” Said Rose with a grin “I am a Weasley after all.”

“Mmm, What about you Al?” asked Hi.

“Well—,” Al started to say, but he was saved from answering as pearly specters started streaming through the walls.

“What the—?” Al gasped and all four of them jumped in surprise. About thirty translucent ghosts began floating through the back wall of the room. They barely glanced at the first years being deep in conversations with one another. One that looked like a chubby little monk and one that looked like a tall gangly lord wearing a ruff were conversing loudly: “It is getting worse –.”

“Now now, Friar the Headmaster has it all in hand,” said the lord and then he must have realized that the first years were below them.

“Must be first years then,” said the lord “I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, and I hope to see you in my old House Gryffindor.”

“Or Mine Hufflepuff!” said the Friar.

“Move along you lot,” said Professor Sinistra as she came back through the door. The ghosts began gliding through the wall into the Dining Hall as Professor Sinistra put the students into a line based on their last names. Al began to get really nervous as he followed Parkinson, Drusilla through the door; he knew his father said he would be able to choose, but would the hat listen.

Albus had read about the Great Hall in Hogwarts: a History, but reading about it and seeing it were two very different things. The hall was lit with thousands and thousands of candles that were floating about a foot over the House and professors tables. The tables were laid out with empty golden plates, platters and goblets. But the thing that really held his attention was the Enchanted Ceiling; he had read and re-read that section in the book hundreds of times. It was like the ceiling wasn’t there at all, and the Great Hall simply open up on the sky. At the table with the red cloths and decorations sat Al’s family. Al’s brother James was sitting next to their blonde cousin Louis. They had their heads together, probably planning some prank or mischief. Roxy and Freddy was sitting with a rowdy looking group of kids toward the end of the Gryffindor table that Al assumed were the members of the House Quidditch Team. Dominique and Molls were sitting together chatting and showing each other something Al was sure were sketches in for the fashion line they had been planning all summer. Lucy and Victoire were sitting with the prefects at the end of the table closest to the Staff tables. Every single one of his family members looked happy and comfortable at the Gryffindor table, it made Al wonder, why he felt so sick every time he thought about joining them.

Professor Sinistra led the first years up to stand in front of the platform that the staff table was on. Already sitting on the stage in front of them was a three legged stool with an old tattered and ripped black wizard’s hat sitting on it. As Albus stood looking at it one of the large rips along the brim opened up and the hat began to sing.

“Many years ago it’s been the founders did choose me,

To sing a song and share the news of each students place to be.

The founders stitched me and charged me well,

To help students find their way

When in confusion they do stumble

Into Hogwarts their first day.

Four Houses there are,

made by the Founders long ago.

Filled with traits that they believed

would cause magic best to grow.

Great Gryffindor chose bravery

To set his students apart.

While Slytherin, feeling differently,

Thought cunning would improve the art.

Ravenclaw claimed for her house

The clever and the smart.

While Hufflepuff took to her house

The just and true of heart.

I do not know if their choice was right,

I don’t know if it was good,

For all the houses do is fight,

And spit on their brotherhood.

But separation was the Founders wish

And so they did decree.

Though, I fear, it will take different sort

Or this school will cease to be.

So sit on down so that I may sort

For this is my reason to live

But remember my wise words

And the other Houses a chance to give. “

The whole room was silent, even the teachers were perplexed. What had gotten into the hat? It usually sang about its job and about putting them in their houses, but it had never expressed uncertainty about its job. Never had it even hinted that the Sorting might not be a good thing. Professor Sinistra recovered from the shock first and walked up to the stool and pulled out the list of first years.

“When I call your name you will sit on the stool and place the hat on your head.”

“Andrews, Grant” Professor Sinistra called a black haired boy to the front. The boy put the hat on his head, but it sank down to cover his eyes. The boy and the hat sat there for a moment in silence before announcing “GRYFFINDOR.”

That table on the far right decked in red burst into cheers. Al could see most of his family standing and cheering.

“Brewer, Nancy” called Professor Sinistra, and a very short girl with dark brown hair walked up the steps. When she turned around Albus and the whole room saw that she had Down’s syndrome. A rush of whispers washed through the room, but the little girl just scowled defiantly and sat on the stool, jamming the Sorting Hat roughly onto her head and down over her eyes. It took no more than a second for the hat to scream out “GRYFFINDOR.” This announcement was met with scattered applause from the Gryffindor table, and a collective sigh from the other, but the little brunette just walked to her new House Table with a look of strong determination on her face.

“Bones, Haylee” said Professor Sinistra drawing the attention back up to the stage. A short auburn haired girl walked up to the stool nervously. It took the hat only a short time before the hat yelled “HUFFLEPUFF!” to the cheers of the table with the yellow and black ties.

As Professor Sinistra began working her name down the list Albus began to get more and more worried about what house he would be in. Without the others to distract him, his earlier fears had resurfaced. He just couldn’t be put into Slytherin. His whole family was in Gryffindor, and sorting was heavily influenced by family, wasn’t it. His Weasley family and the Potter relatives that he knew of were all in Gryffindor. That had to count for something. But the closer Sinistra creped to the P’s the less sure Al was. Als attention was pulled back to the real world when after Lynch, Ciaran sat down with the other first year Hufflepuffs Professor Sinistra stepped up to the stage and called:

“Malfoy, Scorpius.”

The blonde boy stomped his way up the steps and sat on the stool. His face looked like he was going to his execution not like he was finding his new place in life. As he put on the hat he gave a resigned sigh that made Albus want to walk up and hug him. Albus was surprised by how long it took for the hat to make its announcement, but it finally did. “SLYTHERIN.”

At the announcement Hi gave a lopsided smile and walked over to the Slytherin table amid dead silence. No one at the Slytherin table clapped and a few even shot him angry looks. As Hi sat down among the other first years most of them moved down a little so they didn’t have to sit right next to him. It was hard for Al to just stand there while Hi fought to keep his head up and make it look like he wasn’t affected. Even though Al hadn’t known Hi for very long he could tell that the other boy was on the verge of crying. Why couldn’t these people understand that Hi wasn’t his family, he was his own person.

“Potter, Albus” Professor Sinistra Said suddenly. It took all a couple of seconds to realize that she had been calling names and students had been sorted while he stared longingly at the Blonde Slytherin.

Albus rushed up the stairs almost tripping over his robe on the top step, but catching his balance just in time. There was a rustle of chuckles across the tables, which made Al’s pale skin burn red. He sat on the stool and pulled the hat down on his head, and it fell down covering his eyes. For a second he sat in the dark of the hat waiting, and then a small voice whispered, but not in his ear. The voice was speaking in his head.

“Ah a Potter. But different from the last one. As always plenty of Courage, I see. There is great talent – a desire to prove your uniqueness. This one is more like the father. But an exceptional mind, and exceptional kindness. Hmm, Difficult. Where should I put you? Do you have any suggestions? Your father was quite averse to Slytherin if I remember correctly.”

“Not Slytherin.” Al said, but without any real conviction, because the moment he thought it he remembered Hi sitting alone trying not to cry.

“Really,” Said the hat with a hint of a smirk in its mental voice “I don’t think you mean that. You do have the ambition and the cunning for it. You would do well among those clever folk. But there is also your intellect. You have a thirst for knowledge that cuts deep. So maybe Ravenclaw; not that a thirst for knowledge is un-Slytherin. But then there is great kindness in you, tolerance, and you aren’t afraid of hard work.”

“No,” thought Al with much more conviction “Not Hufflepuff.”

“Ha, now that time I believed you,” thought the hat with a smug lilt. “So no Hufflepuff, well that does narrow it down a bit, doesn’t it. So a decision between courage, intelligence and ambition.”

As Albus sat with the hat on his head he could feel the Sorting Hat blowing through his mind like a wind on fallen leaves. Nothing was hidden from the hats gaze. Memories that Al didn’t know he even had flashed through his mind. His father picking him up and healing his knee after he fell off of his very first broom; followed by Al getting right back up on his broom a few moments later. Albus sneaking into his father’s room late at night to steal his wand to try out some spell he had read about that day. After running through a few such memories the hat made a satisfied sound inside Al’s head.

“Yes, I have it. Better be SLYTHERIN” The hat said with the last word being yelled allowed to the stunned silence of the room. After a couple seconds the Slytherin Table burst into applause, but ay the rest of the table there was only surprised whispers containing the words “Potter”, “Slytherin”, and “Hat-stall.”

“Ah Shit!” Albus said to himself, but got up, handing the hat to Professor Sinistra, and walked calmly over to the table decorated with green and silver. The Slytherin students were still cheering and a few of them clapped Albus on the back as he walked down and sat right next to Scorpius, which confused quite a few of his new housemates, but most were distracted by Sinistra once again calling their attention to the front.

“You know you shouldn’t sit next to me,” Hi whispered to Al as Quire, Joshua was sorted into Hufflepuff and Rajput, Ranjit was sorted into Gryffindor.

“If you believe all the talk I shouldn’t been in Slytherin at all, but since I am I will choose my own friends, Thanks.” Al said making a point to ignore Hi’s huffs and angry noises, and focused on the Sorting. Two more boys; Richards, Victor and Rosier, Cyrus were sorted into Slytherin House with a Ravenclaw girl in between them. Then Auntie Luna’s twin sons Lorcan and Lysander Scamander were sorted into Ravenclaw. There were followed by a boy who was sorted into Hufflepuff and a girl who became Gryffindor. Then it was Roses turn. She looked scared but determined as she walked the stairs to the stool where the hat sat.

The hat sank down passed her nose and then nothing. She sat there and the hat sat on her head, both silently. After a minute or two Al looked over to Hi and whispered into the blonde boy’s ear.

“Damn it’s taking a while isn’t it?”

At this Scorpius snorted. “That’s funny coming from you Mr. Hat-stall.”

“What?” Al said in confusion. He knew that a hat-stall was an incredibly rare occurrence when the Sorting hat took more than five minutes to decide which house to put someone in. It was supposed to only happen every fifty years or so. But Al couldn’t have been a hat-stall, could he?

“My Sorting didn’t take that long,” said Al incredulously.

“I don’t know I wasn’t timing it or anything,” Said Hi “But you did take a long time to finish, and if it wasn’t a hat-stall it was close.”

“Hmm,” Al said unconvinced.

“GRYFFINDOR!” Yelled the hat suddenly drawing Al’s attention back up to the front. Rose was beaming happily as she sat the hat back on the stool, and walked over to the cheering Gryffindor table and sat next to their cousins and Al’s brother. Al was clapping just as loudly as anyone at the Gryffindor table, while getting odd and even angry looks from his own Table. Al didn’t care though, he knew how much Rose wanted to be in Gryffindor and, though she wouldn’t admit it, she was afraid that she might get sorted into Ravenclaw and away from their family. After the applause calmed Professor Sinistra stepped to the front again.

“Weston, Eric” She said.

“Oh man I had almost forgotten about West,” Said Hi.

“Crap, yea I wonder where he will be,” Al said with concern.

“I hope his is with us,” Hi said and then hastily added “Or Rose.”

“Yea, I like him,” Al said shaking his head.

West sat on the stool placing the hat on his head. It had barley touch his curly dark-blonde locks when the hat announced loudly:

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

“Awe that sucks,” Al said “He is cool I wish we could have been friends.”

“No, I am going to be friends with him,” Hi said adamantly “I hate that it’s just assumed that we can only be friends with people in our House. I mean your family isn’t going to hate you because you’re Slytherin.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Al said with a lopsided smile.

“Really,” Hi responded with a disbelieving look “You think your family will hate you.”

“Okay no, they won’t but they won’t exactly be excited either,” Al said “And besides friends are different with family.”

“It shouldn’t be,” said Hi defiantly “It is not impossible to have friends in another House.”

“I never said it was impossible. It’s just really difficult. I mean we have different Common Rooms to hang out in, and different classes for the most part. It’s just not a recipe for best friends, is it?”

“Well, I’m going to change that,” Hi said with a stubborn set to his sharp featured face, and Al just nodded indulgently.

While they had been talking the Sorting had concluded with the last two students Yats, Kent and Young, Martha both going to Ravenclaw. As the clapping and cheering died down Professor Flitwick floated himself up into the air above the Faculty Heads table.

“Greetings Students, and Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts!” said Professor Flitwick in his high squeaky voice. “We will have announcements later, but first let the Welcoming Feast begin.”

At his words the dishes on the table that had been empty, now were magically filled with food. Al had grown up on the stories of the amazing feasts at Hogwarts and the real thing did not disappoint. They had everything imaginable on the table. Albus put Shepherd’s pie, fried chicken, and Mashed potatoes on his plate with a healthy dose of delicious gravy over the lot. Hi was a little more polite about it, but he too piled his plate high with food.

The boys were making their second plate each when they noticed that the closest student to them, one of the other first years that Al remembered was called Laelia Khan, was glaring at all of the other students angrily. She had nothing on her plate and was sipping the pumpkin juice slowly between glares.

“J’eww wann uz to paz sommen,” Al said through a mouthful of mashed potatoes when he noticed her glaring at Hi and him. She, for her part, looked offended that he would dare to speak to her let alone with a full mouth.

“No,” she said with an angry sneer “I’m Vegan. That means I am morally opposed to the use or consummation of animals or animal products. There is positively nothing here that I can eat.”

Hi for his part was about to tell the girl that he wasn’t stupid and knew quite well what a vegan was, and she could shove her bad attitude, but Al swallowed his mouth full for food and began talking before Hi could get the chance.

“Tell your plate what dietary restrictions you have,” Al said with way more patience then Hi would ever be able to muster. “The kitchen will send you up something that fits with your needs.”

Both Hi and Laelia just stared at Al: Hi looked impressed, and Laelia still looked vaguely angry.

“It’s how students who have allergies do it,” Al said by way of explanation. Laelia huffed angrily and slid farther down the table from the boys, but a few seconds later Al and Hi saw her whispering to her plate after which a plate of greens and tofu appeared on her plate.

“How. . .” Hi started after he saw the girls meal appeared on her plate.

“Hogwarts: A History,” Al said before he could finish his question “I’ll let you borrow it.”

“Thanks, but if I need to know anything I’ll just ask you,” Hi said laughing. The rest of the feast was relatively uneventful, though Al did have to dodge one of the candles as it fell out of the air above the table. Most of the Slytherin were chatting together; the older members were trying to get to know the new members, all except for Hi and by extension Al. The three staff tables were full of teacher happily chatting with one another. Al could see his godfather; Neville, Professor Longbottom was sitting next to his wife, Aunt Hannah, and chatting with a severe looking black haired witch on his other side.

Hagrid sat at the left most staff table talking with who Al at first thought was a strange looking naked man, however when this man moved Al realized he was in fact a centaur. After everyone had eaten their fill Professor Flitwick jumped down from his seat walked under the main staff table and up the steps to the Headmaster’s podium.

“Ahem –-- Just a few start of term announcements before we head off to bed,” Professor Flitwick said in his high squeaky voice.

“First of all I would like to Welcome Professor Loom to the position of Potions teacher and head of Slytherin house,” Flitwick said gesturing at a beautiful pale skinned and black haired witch in purple robes, who stood waving to the students from the Main faculty table. This was followed by raucous applause from the Slytherin table. “We were of course sad to see Professor Slughorn go, but are excited to have a new head of the Potions department. Another change to the faculty this year is that Professor Edgecombe has a new assistant professor in the Charm’s department. Please stand up for us Mr. Snit.”

As Professor Flitwick said this, an extremely thin young man with sallow skin and unkempt brown hair stood at the left side faculty table. He gave an awkward bow to Main faculty table and then to the students before sitting back down. None of the students clapped very hard for him but a few laughed loudly when he bowed.

“First years, and some of the rest of you, should note that the Dark Forrest is, as always, of limits to students. Also our caretaker Mr. Stroud would like for me to remind you that magic is not to be used in the corridors, and the list of banned items for this year is on his office door. He has asked me to tell you that if he catches anyone with these items he will and I quote ‘magic them down your throat,’” Flitwick said with a small smile.

“Quidditch trials will be held in two weeks, anyone who would like to try out should sign up with Mr. Wood. Students should be reminded that your schedules will be handed out by your Head of Houses tomorrow morning at breakfast.”

“Now, Prefects please rise,” Flitwick said and six older students at each table stood “First years should note that if they have any questions these are the students to ask. They will also be the ones to show you to your dorms. Right now in fact, because you are all dismissed.”

After that professor Flitwick stepped down from the podium, and the prefects of each house started gathering their first years. The Slytherin Prefects lead the young Slytherin students across the great hall and down the dungeon stairs and through to the lake side dungeons. They walked down until they came to a stretch of bare wall between two snake shaped torch holders. The Prefects led the students to that stretch of wall.

“The password is ‘Belladonna’ remember it,” one of the male Prefect said; at the password the wall began to move. The bricks began to slide and shift until a stone archway formed out of what was once an empty wall. Al along with the other Slytherin first years walked into the Common Room and gaped at the amazing sight before them.

“This is so cool,” whispered Hi into Al’s ear, who for his part could only nod mutely.

In front of them was a gorgeous room with arched stone ceilings, decorated in green, silver and black. The furniture looked like antiques, with black leather chairs and couches, green pillows and ottomans. There were dark wood bookshelves, tables and cabinets placed around the room. The high backed black leather chairs sat in front of a beautifully carved mantel piece, and green lanterns hanging from chains on the ceiling. However the most amazing and beautiful feature of the room was the huge floor to ceiling windows along one wall that looked directly out into the lake. Not over it, underneath it, and from what Al could see they were quite deep into the lake. The decorations and the window gave the impression that the Common Room was some mysterious underwater palace, or sunken ship. It was a sight that Al was totally unprepared for, as the descriptions and locations of the separate Hogwarts Houses were not included in Hogwarts: a History.

“Welcome, officially to Slytherin House. Any announcements or changes in schedules will be posted on our bulletin board here. You may also use it to post things such as clubs, or even to trade chocolate frog cards. The boys dormitories are down the hall to the left, and the girls to the right,” One of the female prefects pointed down the halls to the left and right of the big window.

“Your name will be on one of the door chalk boards down one of the halls,” she said “If you have any questions you can ask now.”

She waited for a moment, but all of Al’s fellow first years seemed too overwhelmed to ask any coherent questions.

“Well if you think of anything ask one of us, don’t forget to pick up your class schedules from Professor Loom, and have a good night.”

Al and Hi walked down the boy’s hall with the other boy’s avoiding and ignoring them. It didn’t take them long to find the room with their names on it.

1^st Year Room B

Phineas Hitchens

Scorpius Malfoy

Simon Nott

Albus Potter

The room was beautiful. It had a small cast iron stove in the middle of the room for warmth with four large four-poster beds, two on either side of a window looking out onto the lake. All of the beds had green silk hangings, and black and green comforters. The boy’s trunks and bags were all setting in front of each of the bed. Since the other two boys hadn’t arrived yet Al and Hi moved their trunks to two adjacent beds and proceeded to get ready to sleep.

The other two boys came in separately. Phineas, or Phin as he told them to call him, was a pretty nice guy, but kind of quiet; the other boy Simon didn’t speak to them and went to bed as soon as he came in. Al was so excited about the next day’s classes that as he pulled on his pajamas thought he would never get to sleep, but as soon as he pulled the curtain and lay down he was off to dreams of beautiful a blond boy.