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HP Chapter 7: Hogwarts
🕑 Added 2025-07-31 06:38:18 +0000 UTCThe train began to slow down and eventually came to a complete stop. The students jostled their way to the doors, pouring out onto a small, dark platform. The night air was cold enough to make Anne shiver.
A lantern bobbed over the crowd of first-years, and Harry heard a familiar voice calling out:
“Firs’-years! Firs’-years over here! Harry! There you are, yeh alright?”
In the sea of people, Hagrid stood out clearly, not only because of his towering height but also because of the lantern he was holding, which became an instant beacon for the first-years.
“Come on now, follow me! Any more first-years? Watch your step, this way!” Hagrid called out loudly.
They stumbled after him down a steep, narrow path. Dense darkness loomed on either side. Anne figured the path must be flanked by thick forest. No one spoke along the way, only Neville’s occasional sniffles broke the silence.
“Round this bend and yeh’ll get yer first look at Hogwarts!” Hagrid shouted back.
Then, as if on cue, a loud howl echoed through the night, "Awooo~!"
At the end of the path, a vast black lake suddenly opened up before them. Across the water, high on a cliff, stood the towering silhouette of the Hogwarts castle, its many turrets and towers gleaming under the starlit sky, windows glowing like fireflies.
Anne narrowed her eyes at the view. It really is like something out of a fairytale.
“No more than four to a boat!” Hagrid shouted, pointing at the small boats docked at the lake’s edge.
Anne stepped into the nearest boat. Hermione followed right after her, and then Ron and Harry clambered in as well. Sitting in the boat, the three of them kept sneaking curious glances at Anne.
She ignored the three nosy boys, turning her attention to the inky surface of the lake. Wasn't there something about merpeople living here? And other magical aquatic creatures too? What do merfolk even look like? Like Disney’s mermaids? Or are they hideous? Do they sleep like regular people?
The fleet of boats began moving, guided silently toward the towering cliffs. Anne looked up at the castle that now seemed to loom directly above her.
“Heads down!” Hagrid called out as they approached an ivy-draped archway. They ducked and passed beneath it, entering a hidden cavern that opened up into a wide underground landing.
So there’s a secret entrance underneath the castle too, Anne mused.
The boats came to a stop at a rocky dock. Everyone disembarked and began ascending a stone staircase.
Anne was among the last to get off. Just as she stepped onto the dock, she caught sight of Hagrid retrieving a small dark object from one of the empty boats and handing it to Neville, his missing toad. Neville's grin was so wide his eyes turned into little crescents. The three students behind Anne saw it too.
They followed the group through a tunnel carved into the rock. When they emerged back into the night, they stood on a flat grassy hill before the grand castle.
Anne tilted her head back to gaze at it. So this is Hogwarts, the place I’ll be living for the next seven years. The gateway to the magical world.
Hagrid led them up a flight of stone steps and stopped before an enormous oak door. After making sure no one was missing, he raised a massive fist and knocked three times.
The door swung open instantly.
Standing in the doorway was a tall witch in emerald-green robes. Her expression was stern, her black hair neatly pulled back. Anne recognized her immediately.
That must be Professor McGonagall.
Sure enough, Hagrid said, “First-years, Professor McGonagall.”
Professor McGonagall led them into the entrance hall, across a stone-flagged floor, and into a small chamber at the far end.
Anne trailed behind the group, and behind her were the three boys: Ron, Harry, and an increasingly fidgety Neville.
“Welcome to Hogwarts,” Professor McGonagall said from the front of the room. “The start-of-term feast will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you must first be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony, as your House will be like your family during your time at Hogwarts. The four Houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and has produced outstanding witches and wizards.”
She began pacing slowly as she continued, “Your triumphs at Hogwarts will earn your House points, while any rule-breaking will lose points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will bring glory to your House.”
She paused, surveying the nervous faces.
“Now, I suggest you straighten yourselves up while you wait. I’ll return when the Great Hall is ready.”
With that, she swept from the room.
The moment she left, the atmosphere shifted completely. Nervous silence turned into buzzing chatter.
“How do you think they’ll sort us?” Harry was trying in vain to flatten his messy hair.
Ron was fiddling with his worn robes. “Fred told me it’s some sort of terrifying test. Fred’s my brother, he’s in Gryffindor. But… I think he was joking?” His voice trailed off uncertainly.
At the word “test,” Harry visibly flinched.
Meanwhile, Hermione was muttering under her breath, rapidly reciting every spell she’d memorized.
Anne, calm as ever, pulled out a bronze Knut and flipped it across her fingers.
“You’re not nervous at all?” Hermione asked suddenly. Ron and Harry both turned to look at Anne.
“Well…” Anne tapped her chin thoughtfully. It’s just a hat. What’s there to be afraid of? But then she glanced at Malfoy’s tense face and reconsidered. Wait, could the Sorting Hat be some kind of unspoken Hogwarts tradition you’re not supposed to talk about? Since no one’s saying anything, maybe I shouldn’t either. I didn’t come here to stand out. Let the main characters take the spotlight.
She gestured around at the group. “Look, most of the students here are Muggle-borns or grew up in the Muggle world. If they were given some kind of harsh test on their first day, half the kids wouldn’t even make it through. I think Hogwarts must have some sort of magical method of assigning Houses. Quiet and mysterious, not traumatic.”
The trio nodded slowly, finding her reasoning sound.
Suddenly, someone shrieked.
Twenty or so ghosts glided through one of the walls, shimmering white and translucent, floating around the room and startling half the first-years.
Anne stared, wide-eyed and utterly fascinated. So ghosts are real? What were these people like when they were alive? How does one become a ghost? Do you have to be powerful? Wait, wasn’t Moaning Myrtle just a student?
She counted quickly, there weren’t many. Are these the only ghosts Hogwarts has gathered over the centuries? Or is it that only certain deaths within the castle leave ghosts behind?
A sharp voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Form a line! The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin!”
Professor McGonagall stood at the doorway again.
Anne fell in step with the others. They exited the chamber, crossed the entrance hall, and walked through a pair of massive doors into the Great Hall.
Anne’s breath caught.
Floating candles shimmered in the air. Four long tables gleamed with golden plates and goblets. Above them, the enchanted ceiling reflected the starry sky.
Hermione leaned closer and whispered, “The ceiling’s enchanted. It mimics the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History.”
The Sorting Hat soon began to sing. After its song ended, a collective sigh of relief spread through the new students. Hermione, Ron, and Harry all glanced at Anne.
I didn’t tell you anything, she thought, a bit confused by their grateful expressions. But she quickly forgot about it as Professor McGonagall began calling out names.
Which House will I be sorted into? Anne wondered. Gryffindor? No way, too close to the protagonists. I’m here to explore the magical world, not get swept into their chaos. I want to return to China one day and build something in the real world. Their adventures? I’d rather not die trying.
Hufflepuff? That sounds peaceful. But you probably need to be loyal and hardworking. Loyal, maybe. Hardworking? Definitely not.
Ravenclaw? Hmm… That’s Mum’s old House. Wit and intelligence? As a full-grown adult among eleven-year-olds, I should qualify. Definitely a possibility.
Slytherin? That was Dad’s House. They value cunning and self-preservation. Not bad traits, really. But… being in the same House as Malfoy?
While she was still mentally weighing her options, she heard her name called.
“Anne Reeve!”
Already?
She walked up to the stool and barely placed the hat on her head when it shouted:
“SLYTHERIN!”
Anne blinked.
That was fast. I didn’t even get to tell it my preferences. Didn’t the main character have a whole conversation with this thing?
Still processing, she walked automatically toward the Slytherin table. She didn’t notice the brief glance Dumbledore and Snape exchanged at the staff table. Nor did she see the disappointed looks Ron and Hermione gave her from the Gryffindor table.
Several Slytherins clapped as she approached. Older students quickly made space for her. Anne nodded politely in thanks and took a seat beside another new girl.
“Hi!” the girl beamed. “I’m Fanny Charles. Looks like we’re Housemates now!”
Fanny had all the features of a classic English rose, golden hair, high nose bridge. She reminded Anne a little of Jill… except prettier. And more refined. Probably from a noble family, Anne guessed.
“Nice to meet you,” Anne said, smiling. “I’m Anne Reeve.”
They’d just finished introducing themselves when the Great Hall erupted into whispers.
All eyes had turned to the boy standing in front of Professor McGonagall.
Harry Potter.
The buzz grew louder as the Sorting Hat deliberated. Fanny shot Anne an apologetic look before turning her attention to Harry as well.
When the Hat finally shouted “Gryffindor!” the hall burst into cheers. The ceremony continued after that.
Once the last student was sorted, Dumbledore rose from his seat and spread his arms.
“Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have only a few words to say. Let the feast begin!”
With a flick of his wand, food appeared on the golden plates before them.
Roast beef, chicken, pork chops, steak, sausages, boiled potatoes, roasted potatoes, chips, carrots…
Anne scanned the table and sighed a little. The table’s full, but the variety is so limited. It’s just the same ingredients in different forms, boiled, roasted, fried.
Compared to the plain meals at the orphanage, it was still a big improvement. But she'd secretly been hoping for something extraordinary from the magical world.
Guess I’ll just have to cook for myself eventually, she thought, remembering the book she bought: One Hundred Delicious Magical Herbs and How to Cook Them.
She took a bit of everything and kept eating while discreetly observing her surroundings.
Fanny was slicing her steak with elegant precision, while Malfoy sat between Crabbe and Goyle, glaring toward the Gryffindor table.
After the meal, Dumbledore reminded everyone to stay out of the Forbidden Forest and warned them about a dangerous room on the fourth floor. Then he dismissed them to their dormitories.
The Slytherin prefect led them through a dim corridor and down into the dungeons beneath the lake.
The Slytherin common room was breathtaking, walls of dark Gothic marble, a semi-transparent domed ceiling carved from crystal, flickering green lanterns hanging from chains, and a fireplace carved with elaborate stonework.
Anne gave it a solid 80 points.
Then a giant squid glided past the ceiling above.
Okay, 90.
Now if I see a mermaid, I’ll give it 100.
In the girls’ dormitory, Anne discovered that this year’s Slytherin girl count was low. Just five girls, exactly filling one room.
I guess Slytherin doesn’t get many new students each year, she thought. Hufflepuff seemed the most crowded earlier.
Exhausted, Anne flopped onto the bed next to her trunk. After a gentle reminder from Fanny, she got up to change into pajamas, then exchanged brief introductions with her roommates before slipping into sleep.
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A/N: I decided to add a new character to the story. Her background isn’t simple.
