Chapter 2: Home

2. Home

'First Years please stand to the side whilst the other years enter the hall, first years to the SIDE please!' A very elderly, withered old woman shouted, with a high pitched, faintly scottish accent. As the older years bustled in to the infamous Hogwarts Great Hall, Rose, Scorpius and Albus were pushed against the old stone walls, still faintly scorched from the battle, 19 years previously. Rose recognised the woman as Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house, and the whole school, at one point, from the descriptions her parents gave; "She seems like an old bat at first, all shrill & Scottish, but she's okay after a while" "Ronald. She was perfectly fine with me always, she didn't like you or George because you caused trouble!" "Of course she liked you, you were a goody two-shoes, but it was the cheeky ones she had a soft spot for, she always liked Fred.." Her father stopped then, walking away, not wanting to show his hurt. They rarely discuss uncle Fred, unlike her Grandmother, who always tells them of the twins' brave feats.    After what seemed like an hour, the last of the older students made their way into the great hall, and Rose, who was pressed against Scorpius' torso, could breathe again. Scorpius, who had been standing rigidly against the wall, clearly uncomfortable about having Rose touching him, seemed to relax slightly.
     They were paraded through the crowd of students, an extremely pretentious act, thought Scorpius, to the front of the hall, just in front of the teachers' table, where a rickety old stool sat, with a weathered, well-worn hat on top. The old woman, who Rose told him was called Professor McGonagall, the old witch, as she was known in his house, began to call out names; "Tilly Abbot" , a small mousy girl, who, as soon as she lifted the hat, was sorted into Hufflepuff, "Zach Bruno", a huge Slytherin boy, "Riva Charleston", a Ravenclaw girl, the list goes on and on. As he began to stare at the house banners, his worries from the night before began creeping up again. I don't want to be a loser Hufflepuff, what are they anyway, or a Gryffindor, I'd be disowned, and I guess Ravenclaw would be ok, but father wouldn't like it. Then again, do I really want to be in Slytherin? He thought, watching the gruff, oafish boys, in mucus green jumpers, cheering and grunting like neanderthals, whenever someone was sorted into their house.     'Scorpius Malfoy.' .... 'Scorpius Malfoy?' .... Scorpius felt a sharp pain in his side, and snapped back into it again. 'Wah?' 'You're up!' Rose had jabbed him with her elbow, grinning cheerfully. He walked up to the stool, feeling himself getting green. He had made his decision. His father wasn't going to like it, but he wasn't going to be in Slytherin. There'd be no way Rose would ever speak to him again, and he wasn't going to ruin what could possibly be his only chance at friendship.   

"Not Slytherin eh? Well your father was in Slytherin, he was a great man, you know. Still no? right then, lets stir things up, I've not seen much happen since your father's year left, GRYFFINDOR." The hat's words were ringing in his ears. He had done it, he wasn't in Slytherin! He walked to the table proudly, but not met by loud cheers, as the others had. The hall were all shocked. A Malfoy. In Gryffindor?! Not to mention, looking happy about it?!! They soon forgot though, and he was congratulated by his new classmates, and offered a space on the creaking bench, next to a short, dark haired, Irish wizard, who was babbling quite loudly about Quidditch. “FINNEGAN BE QUIET OR MISS THE FEAST!” McGonagall boomed across the hall. A scrawny, yet quite handsome professor, in moss-green robes chuckled and whispered to the professor on his left, a slim, blonde woman, with blue robes with rather peculiar symbols on them, who smiled broadly and nodded.
     The sorting carried on, until Rose and 3 other students were left. “Weasley, Rose.” Rose trotted up to the stool happily, she already had a lot to discuss with her family, a Malfoy, getting into Gryffindor! Albus had groaned at this, he wanted to be in Gryffindor, but he didn’t want to bunk with Scorpius Malloy, or whatever his name was, he wasn’t good at retaining much information. “Gryffindor!” Her stomach flipped, she got in to Gryffindor! She ran to her cousins to a large applause, although not as large as the raucous caused by Gryffindor when Albus got sorted into it. She didn’t mind though, she was in a house with Albus AND Scorpius! Wait, what? She didn’t care about Scorpius. How could she,  he’s a pure-blood wannabe Slytherin!