Chapter 3.

The great hall was beautiful. There was no other word for it. The night sky looked down on them as candles floated in the midst of all of it. Harriet stared up at it in awe and then looked at Ron, who wasn't looking at the sky, rather the tables, tables without any food.. Harry grinned, Ron looked so forlorn at the very empty table tops. She had learned that Ron loved food more than anything else as they had been on the train. As they approached the front of the Great Hall, Harriet noticed that in the middle of the floor, there was an old stool with an ordinary looking hat. Harriet wondered at the hat, and why it was there. Was this some sort of ritual? Then the hat opened at the rim and it started 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 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!"

Everyone clapped and then McGonagall started calling out names.

"Abbott, Hannah."Harry watched as the hat was perched on the blondes hair, then called out;

"HUFFLEPUFF!" Harry froze as she realized that the hat was going to call out the house names. Harriet wouldn't be able to hear what her house was! Harry looked around frantically for some sort of cue she could use. She panicked for the next several names.

"Granger, Hermione" practically ran to the hat and jammed it on her head. The hat paused for a moment longer than the one before her, then it called out;

"GRYFFINDOR!" Hermione hurriedly took the hat off and practically ran to join the red table that cheered the most, whereas the rest of the tables clapped politely.

"Malfoy, Draco" Was sorted into "SLYTHERIN!" Harriet's eyes were drawn to the table that burst into applause with raucous cheers. Harriet smiled, she had a plan.

Before Harriet was called out, two twins were called, where one went to Ravenclaw, and the other, Gryffindor. Finally the stern looking woman called out her name.

"Potter, Harriet." Harry walked up to the stool on shaky legs and sat down. The hat was pushed onto her head and the view of the great hall disappeared from her sight.

Hmm, difficult. Very difficult. But what's this?

Harry nearly let out a shriek at the noise. She hadn't actually heard anything, but slight buzzes when people talked for three years, and now, some hat was talking to her?

"How can I hear you?" she whispered. The hat chuckled in her head

Magic, what else Miss Potter?. Now, if you would allow me to continue your sorting. At Harriets slight nod, the hat continued.

Plenty of courage I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh yes. And a thirst to prove yourself. But where to put you? Harriet shrugged. She didn't really know about the houses, Hagrid tried to explain them to her, but she hadn't really understood them.

Well, You could be great you know. Ans Slytherin could help you on your way to greatness, there's no doubt about that. Harry thought about it for a moment. Do I want to be great? Harry decided and whispered her answer to the hat.

"I don't really want to be great though, I just want to be me."

Hmm, Well, if you're sure. Not Slytherin then. Ravenclaw is not for you, you have a thirst to prove yourself, but no true thirst for knowledge. Harriet felt a bit put out at that, she could be smart if she wanted to be. The hat continued.

You could do well in Hufflepuff, make good friends, however, you will not thrive.

Better be "GRYFFINDOR!" Harriet smiled, but before Harriet took the hat off, it told her;

Be sure to go to Madame Pomfrey about that hearing problem, and good luck Miss Potter. Harriet nodded politely to the hat and went to the table roaring in delight. Two redheaded twins were shouting something undistinguishable, but she shrugged it off. She sat next to an older red head with horn rimmed glasses and who looked very distinguishable who shook her hand politely. She watched the sorting for, in which she cheered uproariously for Ron when he got into Gryffindor as well. When the sorting had finished, Dumbledore stood up, he was beaming and opened his arms widely. Harriet focused on the man as he began to speak

"Welcome, Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our Banquet, I would like to say a few words, and here they are. Nitwit! Oddment! Blubber! Tweak!" Harry blinked. Did she interpret that right? She looked around and Ron looked just as confused as she felt. Feeling reassured, she asked Percy, who she had learnt was Ron's older brother (One of six boys! What she wouldn't give to have six wizard brothers!)

"Is he- a bit mad?" She felt very awkward in asking the older boy this, but she supposed it had to be done.

"Mad? He's a genius! Best wizard in the world, but, yes, he is a bit mad. Potatoes Harriet?" Percy answered airily. Harriet took the potatoes gratefully, but then her mouth fell open. The entire hall was filled with all kinds of food, more than Harry had ever seen, and it had all appeared as though out of thin air, and it must have. The Dursley's had hated Harriet and while she wouldn't say that they had starved her constantly, they had never exactly given her enough to eat. She piled her plate with a little bit of everything, except for the peppermints. She absolutely hated peppermints, and consequently it was the only sweet she had ever been given from the Dursley's. She had accidentally ignored a ghost- Sir Nicolas Mimsey de Porpington, who Ron had called nearly headless nick, which was apparently a sore spot for the man-er ghost. Harry didn't blame him, she had been called some rather nasty names by Dudley. Harry was starting to feel very warm and sleepy looked up at the high table again. Her friend Hagrid was drinking from a goblet. The austere professor McGonagall was talking to Dumbledore, and Professor Quirell, the odd shaking man she had met in diagon alley was talking to a hook nosed man with sallow skin and greasy black hair. Suddenly the hook nosed man looked up from his conversation and stared directly at Harriet. A flash of sharp, hot pain shot across Harriet's forehead. She clapped a hand against her head and looked down with soft sound of pain. The pain left as suddenly as it had occurred, but what unsettled her more than anything was the uncannily similar expression the greasy haired professor had to her aunt whenever Harry did anything remotely other than what was asked of her. The look was a deep level of loathing.

"Er, who's the professor talking to Professor Quirrel, Percy?"

"Oh, met Professor Quirrel already have you? That's Professor Snape, he teaches potions, but he doesn't want to-everyone knows he's after Quirrel's job. Knows an awful lot about dark arts, Snape." Harry looked at Snape and looked back down at her lap. Finally the last of the desserts disappeared. Professor Dumbledore got back to his feet and the hall fell silent.

""Ahem - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you."

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors."

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch."

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." Harry looked around at that, had she got that last sentence right? Very few people laughed.

"He's not serious is he?" She asked Percy softly. Percy frowned.

"Must be. It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere- the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words. This made Harry very happy, she could actually sing along

"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!" And the school bellowed:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot." The entire hall finished at different times, the last two she could tell were singing were the Weasley twins, Rons other brother's that were currently in school. Dumbledore wiped his eyes

"Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!" Percy led the first years up to the Gryffindor common room, where he directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. There Harry and Ron said goodnight to each other. Harry then followed Hermione up a spiral staircase- obviously in one of the towers. Their dormitory was beautiful- four four poster beds with deep red velvet curtains. Harriet waited politely at the edge of the room until the other three decided on their beds, Lavender and Pavarti were chattering excitedly, while Hermione was looking around in wonder. Harry smiled at her roomates and asked Hermione if she had had any of that treacle tart, while getting into bed. She then drifted off to sleep.