Knowing that night isn’t eternal, and dawn is just a few steps away, it may be terrifying, taking that leap of faith, exposing your most vulnerable side, for everyone to judge. Seeking validation, searching for love, friendship or just companionship. Only those that are willing to get hurt, walking blind into the darkness of night will see dawn. They will be showered with infinite light, just like the first rays of sunlight after a long night. But is frightening, who says that dawn is what awaits for us, maybe there’s just an abyss in front and we are just walking straight in. Who says that exposing ourselves just won’t hurt us. That we will get what we want.
Sometimes, we just need faith, we just need to believe, believe in ourselves, and the ones around us, they’re too, walking in the dark, waiting for a brighter tomorrow.
Seriously that Pinhead lied to me, the Hogwarts Express didn’t reach the station, till much later in the evening, it was already dark when the conductor announced that we had entered Hogsmeade Station.
Before arriving at Hogwarts, I just chatted with Neville and Hermione, the little witch got more and more excited as we “approached” the station, she started talking to us about all the magic that she had learned, she almost started reciting the books word for word. Neville’s eyes were spinning around, the poor boy was being tortured by Hermione’s Holy Scriptures. I wasn’t any better than him, I almost started panicking, and remembered what Charlize had told me, that essay would determine my fate for the next seven years of my life. I should’ve read the books before, but it was too late, the only spells I had learned in summer where Lumos and Incendio. But I didn’t know almost anything about, apart from the pronunciation and gestures needed to perform them, even then I just read them once or twice before Charlize helped me correct my spellcasting.
Hermione’s chatter was almost endless, but at the end she also got tired, once she stopped talking I knew why she was chattering so much, she was clearly nervous, who wouldn’t be anxious, going to a new place, with new rules and new common sense, I think she just wanted to vent. She was clearly hyperventilating, so I didn’t mention anything about the essay. The poor witch would have collapsed, if I gave her that information. Neither Neville nor me could have endured another one of Hermionie’s rambling.
Anyway, we reached Hogsmeade station, and slowly left the train, I stored my antennas, and Biggie decided to stay with Camille, a Ravenclaw prefect told us that any pet left in the carriages would be sent to our respective dormitories. So, I left him with Camille, maybe next holiday I can customize a seat for him, he stubbornly doesn’t let go of her.
Once in the station, we stumbled around till we heard a powerful voice at the distance.
“Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here!”
“Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here!”
“Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here!”
So we went in his direction, there he was a giant man, he had a bushy and shoulder length hair, and an equally unruly beard, I couldn’t see his face very clearly, but he had a pair of black twinkling eyes, illuminated by a tiny lamp. If you didn’t look carefully, you may mistook him for a standing bear.
- “Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here! All right there, Harry?”
When he made sure, that no one was missing, and all the first years were in front of him, he took us through a narrow, slippery, steep and dark path, his lamp didn’t gave us enough light, so I decided to use my wand, I didn’t want to end up in the infirmary my first day at Hogwarts. Hermione followed suit, and Neville was sandwiched between the two of us, some other little wizard’s started piling around us, but fortunately we arrived at an old an shabby pier at the edge of the Black Lake, there we saw many boats lined up in the shore.
Then we were asked to get into the boats, but no more than four wizards per boat. We weren’t here for the Olympics tryouts, so we carefully selected a boat, and got into it. In the boat I met an acquaintance, a little blonde witch, with pigtails, I would later know her name, Hannah Abbot, I’ve had seen her a couple times at the Leaky Cauldron, but we have never talked. This time wasn’t an exception, she just nodded at us and continued minding her own business. I won’t blame her, everyone’s too nervous to chinwag around.
The lake was pitch black, no light was reflected in his surface, only our wands had enough light to see anything around, the giant bear of a man, rode a boat on his own, the poor boat creaked, while he continued to instruct all the little wizards.
Once everyone was seated, the boat’s started moving on their own. They must ne enchanted or something, they didn’t look any different from a normal wooden boat. Maybe the only thing setting them apart was the lamps at their front, if they hadn’t lit up when we started moving, I wouldn’t have known they were there. Maybe that’s what makes the boats move.
We slowly navigated across the Black Lake and saw a magnificent castle in the distance, it illuminated the entire Black Lake, like a torch guiding out path, welcoming us to the wizarding world, telling us to trust our safety in his capable and ancient wall’s. It was well maintained, but it conserved traces of his history. That’s magic’s charm.
Once we had crossed the black lake, the giant bear man helped us disembark at the underground harbor. He asked us to follow him to a flight of stone stairs, atop the stairs, we reached a magnificent entrance, even the guide looked tiny when compared to them. He rang the door’s with his giant fists several times, until a tall and imposing Witch opened the door’s.
“Firs’ years professor McGonagall” said the tall man.
“Thank you Hagrid, I’ll take them from here” replied the stern looking witch, now having heard her name, I recognized as the vice-headmaster.
“Follow me, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, this will be your home for the next seven years, so I hope to get along with all of you.” She took us to a side room and started a little lecture, informed us of some minor rules and the general dos and don’ts that every teacher usually does.
“You will have to wait here for a moment, after I comeback, I’ll take you to the sorting ceremony. I will have to ask you to keep your composure and quietly wait for me, the sorting ceremony, will determine your house for the next seven years in this magnificent learning institution, so I remind you once more to take this with the utmost seriousness.” After finishing her speech, she left the room.
She left the room in a freezing cold atmosphere, even if you weren’t anxious before her speech, the congratulations, now you are. But what can she expect from a bunch of eleven year olds. Just a couple of seconds after she left the hall everyone forgot what she said, well they didn’t really forget, just choose to forget. Out of sight, out of mind.
“James, what do you think we are going to do at the sorting ceremony.” Hermione tugged at my robe and asked my, almost whispering in my ear, she took to heart professor McGonagall words.
“Don’t know Hermione, maybe we will just be sorted according to a lottery”
I don’t know who said that we had to fight with a troll, but I have to say. What a mood killer. Everyone started talking about increasingly creative and dangerous ways to get sorted. One little witch near us said what I feared the most. She said that we were going to be tested, at the sorting ceremony, that’s why professor McGonagall had left to prepare the test sheets.
Neville turned pale, and Hermione. Well, Hermione had lost it, her eyes lost focus, she started walking in circles and jabbering, something about being expelled, failing to find a job, and dying in some desolated street corner. I tried waking her up, but she just started speaking gibberish.
I should have told her that it was just an essay, no grading, at least that way, she would have prepared herself and wouldn’t have believed that nonsense about a test. I looked at Neville for help, but he was crouching, blabbering about dragons, trolls and whatnot.
And then, I heard a scream. Everyone stopped in their tracks, God save the Queen, I didn’t know how to stop Hermione. At least she stopped walking in circles. As for Neville, the poor boy managed to turn into a ball, there were ghosts flying around in the hall. They were milky white and somewhat translucent. They did a few laps around chatted with some little wizards, and they went out of the hall. After they left, everyone remained quiet, trying to process what happened.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Almost immediately, we heard some firm steps coming to the hall. And everyone started frantically adjusting their robes, making sure to be presentable once the stern looking professor McGonagall came back.
She reentered the hall, carefully inspected us with her eyes, and asked us to follow her.
“Line up children, I will take you to the Hogwarts auditorium, there we will held the sorting ceremony, once you hear your name you must hurry up and attend to the call, did you hear me?”
“Yes ma’am/professor”
We replied in unison and followed her. We entered a great hall, it appeared to be roofless, and was illuminated by many floating candles, Hermione behind me started babbling about the book Hogwarts: A History, she told me that there really was a roof, it’s just that it was enchanted, and could project the outside sky in real time. But if it has that ability, why don’t they change the projection? Just imagine, enjoy supper while looking at the giant tv in your roof, or use it to project daylight into the auditorium, then they wouldn’t need so many candles. At least they’re magic candles, and I won’t get drowned in dripping wax.
Professor McGonagall walked up to a stool near the teachers table, I was starting to get nervous, this wasn’t anything like Charlize told me. Did she lie to me, or is it that we have to recite our essay? My lord, I didn’t prepare anything, Hermione behind me was starting to lose it. Poor Neville was a lost cause. He had wandered off to neverland ages ago, he just walked mechanically, nothing could bring him back.
She took an old and tattered hat, it had many patches, was super dusty and had many spider webs scattered along his body. Once seated in the stool it twisted itself and formed some facial features with his folds and started humming.
"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!"
After that interesting performance, it returned to his previous state, professor McGonagall picked it up and said “Now when I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the Sorting Hat on your Head, and you will be sorted in your houses. After that I will ask you to go directly to your respective house tables.”
She had explained that the housing system in the previous hall but frankly speaking I didn’t pay attention to what she said. By now I know that Charlize lied to me. I should have known better, she didn’t tell me anything specific, just that at Hogwarts, we will be asked to write essays measured by length.
Now the most important thing should be, to what house I will be assigned, I wouldn’t mind any House, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw sounded like a hassle Charlize told me that the dormitories for both these houses were at the very top of some towers, I have battled against stairs my whole life, I don’t want to defeat Garland, just to know that there are many more powerful foes waiting for me out there. Connor had particularly good games, maybe his love for games made it easy for him to accept the magic world, should I ask him to buy me some consoles, games and a tv, would they work here at Hogwarts, would they need modifications, where should I do said modifications…
I was deep in thought when suddenly I felt like everyone was watching me.
“Black, James Acrux, could Mr. Black come forth, your classmates are waiting for you Mr. Black.” Professor McGonagall was looking at me, her stern eyes shined with a reproaching luster. I didn’t expect to be called so fast, much less to be called by the wrong surname once again. I thought I had been very clear in my reply. What’s up with these wizards and their stubborn nature, at least the Goblins at Gringotts never called me by the wrong name. Or is it that I got the wrong letter of acceptance, and there is another James Acrux among my classmates.
Who am I kidding, this wizards won’t call me by a wrong surname, it’s just that I didn’t want nothing to do with my nonexistent father, he wasn’t there for mom when she suffered, why should I have anything to do with him, now she’s gone, and the world seems to want me to forget her, I can’t even carry her surname. Am I being stubborn? Yes, but I’m just a kid, we should be free to have whatever name we desire, dress whatever way we like, and be the way we feel like being.
“Mr. Black, please, don’t make us wait any longer” Professor McGonagall called me once again, I could clearly feel the frustration in her tone. Who wouldn’t be, having a kid throwing a tantrum amidst an important ceremony wasn’t something to be desired.
I went up, resigned to bear this surname for the rest of my life, by the teachers table, professor snape looked at me with a sardonic smile, an elderly wizard looked at me with thoughtful eyes, his crooked nose holding his Half-Moon Glasses, the Headmaster I suppose. I approached professor McGonagall and sat on the stool.
“I would appreciate if you stopped calling me by that surname professor McGonagall, I made that clear in my reply. My name is James Acrux Solé, not Black, I would be grateful if you could respect my wishes”
I know professor McGonagall was just doing her work, and just read what the school gave her, but at least I wanted to feel heard, it was like my opinion of the matter was irrelevant, just because I was a minor, didn’t mean that my feelings wouldn’t be hurt by their attitudes. I was at the brink of tears, I wanted to stand out, but not in this way, now I could hear some murmuring in the distance, it wasn’t fair, they weren’t being fair.
Professor McGonagall put the sorting hat on my head, it seems she didn’t hear me once more.
- “What an interesting little wizard we have here, hmmm… pure blood but without ambition, there’s bravery in your heart, but you do prefer to be cautious, not much interest in adventuring beyond your comfort zone, an indifferent attitude towards learning, learn what you need, nothing else, a yearn for companionship, but too afraid to really offer loyalty to those around you, what a picky little wizard…”
I heard a voice in my head, it made a rough assessment of my current views, but I would like to say that he is wrong.
- “You won’t find a more correct assessment anywhere in the world kid, I was blessed by the great four, you can’t question my thousands of years’ worth of experience.”
Well, maybe not completely wrong, but that doesn’t mean that he had the whole picture, no one could truly see the heart of man.
- “You have a good point there kid, let me see… without ambition and pride in your particularly pure blood, you won’t truly fit with the little snakes at Slytherin, your cautious nature won’t let fit with the little lions of Gryffindor either, let’s not talk about Ravenclaw, I’m not saying that there’s no wisdom in that noggin of yours but you don’t really have a particular yearn for it either, that leaves us with Hufflepuff, cunningness can be learned, bravery can be nurtured anywhere, and knowledge won’t abandon you either, only the loyalty of those little badgers can let you gain true warmth. For you who won’t chase Glory, won’t pursue knowledge and doesn’t have a particular fondness for adventure, need loyalty the most, everything else can be achieved with hard work.”
HUFFLEPUFF!!!
Professor McGonagall took the hat from my head and whispered to me “I’ll see you in my office tomorrow afternoon Mr. Solé”
I walked to Hufflepuff’s table, and found a seat, the sorting ceremony continued, but I couldn't care less about that, the wand in my sleeve felt extremely Hot. At least from tomorrow onwards, I won’t be called by the wrong surname. I could have managed the situation a million different way, maybe I could have gotten drastically different results, maybe if I talked to professor McGonagall before the sorting ceremony, maybe I should have approached the professor individually later, or just follow the process.
But there isn’t medicine for regret, I have to own my mistakes, accept that I am not as mature as I thought I was. I shouldn’t run from that man’s ghost. I had enough love, affection, attention and protection from mom, even from Bill, I should let him go. Just go with the flow, strive to live a fulfilling life, and don’t leave to many regrets, make my very own story, be my own protagonist. So, when death comes to my door, I can calmly le him escort me to her and be with her again. Tell her about my friends, my achievements, how I followed her advice, that I was everything I strived to be.