[Hogwarts Between] First Year's Entrance

[Patrick McCartney]

> The students did not wait long.  The door opened and a
> tall, black
> haired witch walked out.  She wore a flowing emerald
> green robe.  Her
> face was stern with no sign of levity.  She stood
> there lookout out
> over the flock of students.
>
> "Here's the First Years, Professor
> McGonagall," said Hagrid.
>
> "Very good, Hagrid," said the tall witch.  She
> swept her gaze
> over the group of eleven-year-olds and then said,
> "Follow me,
> please."
>
> Paloma turned to Seluna and Mori and wispered in confusion, "Who is
> this
> lady?"
>
> "I don't know." Seluna whispered back, watching as everyone else
> followed
> the lady.
> 
> She led them all through the large doorway into an enormous entrance
> hall.  Torches all around them flickered making dancing shadows
> everywhere.  The ceiling was out of reach of the light, and a grand
> marble staircase reaching up to suits of armor was before them.  To
> their right the sounds of hundreds of students in excited discussions
> came through an arched entrance.  About half of the students started
> to
> go in that direction, but the witch redirected them into a doorway on
> the left side.
> 
> The room they entered was very small, almost too small for everyone
> to
> fit.  The dark haired witch waited on the side for everyone to cram
> in.
> 
> "Welcome to Hogwarts," she finally said after everyone was silent,
> "You
> will be attending the start-of-term banquet in the Great Hall
> shortly. 
> Before you are seated you will be sorted into your houses.  A house
> will act as your family while you are attending Hogwarts.  You will
> have classes with(sic) all of the houses, but you will study with
your
> house, sleep in your house's dormitory, and spend your free time in
> your house's common room."

"The names of these houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and
Slytherin," she continued.  "Each is these houses have produced
glorious and outstanding witches and wizards.  Each has its own long
and noble history.

"Each house competes for house points.  Your triumphs will add points
to your house, while rule breaking will loose points.  When the school
term ends, the house with the most points wins the House Cup."  She put
her head up high.  "This is a great honor.  I know that you will live
up to the reputation of the house you join."