Cadence Scamander - Chapter 2

Instructions

Chapter 2 Me and Cari follow the first years get led over a huge lake in a handful of small boats that sway side to side with invisible waves. After a couple of minutes, the Hogwarts castle comes into view, and there's collective gasps of awe and surprise. The hundreds of illuminated windows make a breathtaking silhouette against the star-speckled night sky. The boats dock, and everyone scrambles out, eager to get inside. We walk into the castle, up heaps of stairs (which seem to be moving, but I'm used to that sort of thing), and are met by a stern-faced lady with a black pointed hat, fashionably tilted slightly to the side. Her long green and black robes sweep across the floor as she moves from the large wooden doors she was standing next to, to in front of us. "My name, is Professor McGonagall, and I am the head of the Gryffindor house and Transfiguration teacher here at Hogwarts." She says, in a regal (but slightly frail) voice that had a power to command silence without saying anything. "TREVOR!" A dark haired, slightly chubby boy shouts, running toward the front to pick up a murky green toad that had accidentally wandered in. Professor McGonagall raises an eyebrow and me and Cari giggle. "In a moment," She continues, "These doors will open, and one by one, you shall be called up to be sorted into your houses." She turns and opens the door just a fraction to slip through without anyone else seeing what lay beyond the doors. There was a slight kerfuffle to my right, but I ignore it, and instead turn to Cari and start chatting. "What house do you think you'll be in?" I ask with a wide grin. "I'm not... actually sure." She says slowly. "My dad was Hufflepuff, and my Mum didn't go to Hogwarts so..." I say, but get cut off by Cari, looking wide-eyed at me. "Your Mum didn't go here?" She asks. I shrug, saying "Well, I guess she missed out." Cari laughs. "It really is magical here isn't it." She says, gesturing around her with a sigh. "No pun intended though." She adds with a smile. I hear a loud CREEAKKK as the doors open and bite my lip with excitement that's bursting to come out. We form a huddle near the front of the hall, where there is a stool with a hat that looked like it had been used for a few decades perched on it. "Abbott, Hannah!" Professor McGonagall reads from a small list she had plucked from her pocket a few seconds ago. A shy looking, brown haired girl tensed as she got nudged by one of her friends to the front of the group. She walked to the stool, taking short sharp breaths. I hold my breath as McGonagall lowers that hat onto her head. After a while, (And a bit of conversation of where me and Cari think Hannah would be sorted) The hat shouts, "Hufflepuff!" I smile as she skips to the Hufflepuff table. After a few more names, my name gets called. "Scamander, Cadence!" Professor McGonagall announces. I nearly run to the stool, but remember my manners and instead walk, with a grin on my face the whole time. I sit down lightly on the stool, and the hat gets placed on my head. "Ahhh. Another Scamander." The sorting hat says respectfully. "Your dad grew to become a great man, and I can see a great future for you too." I blushed. "Well then, HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat shouts. I wince at the loud noise, but clamber off the stool to the Hufflepuff table. Several other names get called, none of which I recognize. But then, "Malfoy, Carina!" Cari walks slowly to the stool, taking deep breaths. I frown slightly. I thought she would be more excited about getting sorted. The hat gets placed on her head, and after a minute or two, shouts, "SLYTHERIN!" Oh dear.