Chapter Three

The students were led into the Great Hall and were looking around astonished at strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candled floating in what appears to be a velvety dark sky. It appears as though the room is open to the elements, the twinkling stars dotting about on the ceiling catch Penny's attention. She hears a young girl Whisper to someone else in a rather self import tone, "its bewitched to look like the night sky outside, I read about it in Hogwarts: A History". The students were led to the front of the Great Hall before the other students. There were four tables which were filled with golden plates dishes and goblets that reflect the candle light from above making the appear to glitter even more so than they would have done normally. At the top of the hall was a table where the teachers were sitting the teachers. Penny's wand was once again making the song of warning in her head no doubt because of Quirrell and Voldemort's close proximity. Professor McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. She then placed on top a rather old and ragged looking wizards hat. The hat was patched and frayed in several places and looked incredibly dirty. Everyone watched the hat in wonder. The first years all looking confused until it began to twitch. Suddenly a rip near the brim began to move and looked uncannily like a mouth, just when the first years thought it couldn't have gotten stranger suddenly the hat began 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....."

The students were in awe of the singing hat. The first years were looking on in wonder and the children from the higher years seemed to be really getting into the spirit. Once the hat finally finished singing the whole Hall burst into riotous applause, the hat the bowed to each of the four tables that represent the four houses and became rather still again. Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a roll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will put the hat on and be sorted". The students suddenly began hardening their resolve, no doubt many of them already had an idea of what kind of house they wanted to be sorted into the only question is if it would go as they had hoped. "Abbot, Hannah!" McGonagall called and a pink faced girl with blonde pigtails came out of line stumbling towards the stool. She put the hat on and sat on the stool, the hat fell right below her eyes. After a single moment which seemed to stretch on for eternity the hat shouted "HUFFLEPUFF!" the table on the right began to cheer as the young girl headed over towards them beckoned over by the merrily cheering ghost. "Bones, Susan" called McGonagall. in a repeat of the previous the girl sat with the hat on as it began to call yet again "HUFFLEPUFF!" Susan hurried over to sit next to Hannah. The next person called was "Boot, Terry"

"RAVENCLAW!" yelled the hat. the second table from the left began to cheer this time. Terry headed over and began shaking the hands of several Ravenclaw students. This went on for several students some going to also Gryffindor some also going to Slyverin. Agnes and Drew were both sorted into Ravenclaw. As the final none main or side character to be sorted McGonagall called "Partridge, Penelope", Penny walked to the stool with none of the apprehension of some of the other children did. She sat with the hat covering her eyes like the others. In just a little while she could hear a voice talking coming from the hat. "Difficult quite brave you are, and a drive to work you have". The hat began to hum to itself before it continued "quite a strong desire for power and knowledge also". The hat and the Hall went quiet. In the original story Penny's sorting wasn't all that memorable as she is not a main character, but given that now she is a book dweller it has changed the makeup of Penny's mind. Finally the hat seems to have made a decision "Aught to be RAVENCLAW!" Penny sighed in relief and headed towards her table. Penny sat and watched the continuation of the Sorting Ceremony which continued as she remembered it. Malfoy was proudly declared a Slytherin along with his friends. Harry Heroine and Ron were all called to Gryffindor's table. Once the sorting was done The man in the center of the teachers table got to his feel. Everyone knew he is the headmaster Albus Dumbledore. He began to spread his arms wide as though to embrace everyone there before 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! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!, Thank you!" some of the new students didn't know what to make of the headmaster but before they could dwell on it for more than a moment the empty dishes and plates and goblets began to fill with food and drink all by themselves. Everyone began to fill their stomachs after a busy day of travel and the new students were made to feel welcome by the rest of the students. Penny, Agnes and Drew were sitting happily filling their plates with all their favourite food. There was roast beef roast chicken, pork chops, steak, sausages bacon and just about any vegetable you could imagine. Penny a lover of Yorkshire puddings helped her self to multiple large ones filled them with vegetables and meat before smothering them with gravy. Everyone was happily eating and chatting causing the atmosphere in the Great Hall to feel almost festive. Penny who had now sated her hunger began watching the teachers table. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore, Hagrid was happily drinking from his goblet. Professor Quirrell seemed to be trying to talk to the teacher with greasy black shoulder length hair and a crooked nose and sallow skin. "That's Professor Snape" said one of the older Ravenclaws. "Best potions master in ages but got a temper like you wouldn't believe" Penny Agnes and Drew all nod taking the implicit warning that was hidden within those words. They all knew as long as they stayed on his good side they could get by relatively easily in his classes. The fact he was described as the best potions master in ages also wasn't light praise coming from a Ravenclaw and their thirst for knowledge. Snape obviously has a lot to offer a student who genuinely wants to learn which the Ravenclaws do. A little while after everyone had finished heir puddings the tables began to empty. Just as this happened Professor Dumbledore once again stood to address the students. "Ahem- just a few more words now we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you". Dumbledores bright blue eyes looked across the Great Hall. All the students other than the Slyverin table hanging on his every word. "First-years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well". Dumbledore and the Weasley twins locked eyes at this very moment. "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". Most the first years at this point looked at the disheveled caretaker Mr Filch and his cat with its bright yellow eyes Mrs Norris. Professor Dumbledore continues on, "Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of 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". The students chatted for a moment of what this could possibly mean before the Professor interrupted their wild delusions and cried "and now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore flicked his wand and flicked out a large golden ribbon that floated and twisted like a snake. "Everyone pick your favourite tune, and off we go" the schooled began bellowing out the school song in a cacophony of notes and tunes the majority of them out of tune and horrendous to the ears.

After the song was finished by everyone only the Weasley twins were still singing slowly in a Funeral march type tune. Once they finally finished Dumbledore wiped the tears from his eyes and said "ah music, a magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!" The Ravenclaw first years followed their prefect a girl by the name of Penelope Clearwater. Penny found it amusing that there is another Penelope in Ravenclaw. The students followed Penelope Clearwater to the west side of Hogwarts to the top of the spiral staircase. The door hold a bronze door knocker in the shape of an eagle. Penny remembers her dad and his recently brought door knocker and guessed he wanted something similar to this only it being a lion instead of an eagle. As the group drew closer to the door knocker it asked " What eight letter word can have a letter taken away and still makes a word. Take another letter away and it still makes a word. Keep on doing that until you have one letter left. What is the word?" The first year Ravenclaws stand and ponder for a moment. Penelope Clearwater answers immediately "The word is starting! If you take a letter away you have staring, then string, sting, sing, sin, in, and finally I" She looks as though it was only a simple matter and the door knocker responds "Correct!" before opening its doors for the student to enter the Ravenclaw common room. The common room is located at the top of the tallest tower in Hogwarts giving the Ravenclaws a splendidly open view of the grounds. The wide circular room with its arched windows allow in plenty of natural light and if furnished with comfortable looking chairs and tables. The rooms domes ceiling was painted to look like the night sky making the room seem even more airy. There are bookcases filled with many types of books which makes Penny incredible excited and there is a marble statue of the houses founder by the name of Rowena Ravenclaw and next to her is a pair of doors that leads to the boys and girls dormitories. Penelope Clearwater gives a quick tour before sending the first years off to their dormitory. Agnes and Penny separate from Drew who heads towards the boys dorm. Luckily however Agnes and Penny's beds seem to be located next to each other. After such a hectic day tiredness sets in for the majority of first years who proceed to go to sleep before their first day of classes start tomorrow. Penny however relaxes in her bed reading a book until she finally starts to become sleepy.