❝You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?❞
❝You should know the answer to that by now, Harry.❞
⁂
Life has always been a bit disorganized for Novana Lupin. With her father's monthly transformations, the girl often found herself in the comp...
❝I can see it. You look a lot like her.❞ ❝Gee, thanks. Not like I don't get that one all the time.❞
︼
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
NOVA WAS PRACTICALLY BOUNCING with excitement when the door to the castle opened. A black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood tall in the doorway, her face stern.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said, and the woman looked at him.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She then pulled the door wide.
The entrance hall was so big you could fit a small house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like ones you'd find in Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.
Nova took everything in as she and her fellow first years followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. The drone of hundreds of voices could be heard from a doorway to the right, but Professor McGonagall showed them into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than usual, some peering about nervously.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall, earning a smile from Nova, who stood in between Harry and Ron.
"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 will 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.
"The four Houses are called Gryffindor, 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 honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours.
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten up as much as you can while you are waiting," Professor McGonagall finished her speech, her eyes lingering for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose.
Nova snickered quietly as she looked at Ron and then Harry, who was nervously trying to flatten his hair. She noticed it wasn't working.
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."
Once she left the chamber, Harry swallowed nervously. "How exactly do they sort us into Houses?" He asked Ron and Nova.
"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking." Ron told him, and Nova shook her head at his answer.
