"Come on!" snarled Lavender, siezing Shannon's hand. She pulled her sister out of the compartment. They followed the crowd of students onto a dark platform, where Lavender quickly instructed Shannon to follow Hagrid - the Care of Magical Creatures teacher - who she told her was holding the lantern now gleaming over the students' heads.
The sisters quickly hugged goodbye before Lavender, Parvati, and Margarrita met up with Laura Aek - a tall blonde girl with an annoying voice - their friend and dormmate.
"Firs' years! Firs' years - this way!" called out a hoarse, gruff voice. A looming figure came into view, clutching the lantern. Shannon gasped: the hand clutching the lantern was enormous - the size of trashcan lids! Hagrid was at least eight feet tall, with a scruffy beard that covered almost his entire face, except his kind, crinkly black eyes.
When the first years entered the Great Hall an hour later, they were agahst. Not only were hundreds - at least a thousand! - older students sitting at four long wooden tables, but the Hall seemed to stretch on forever, into the sky.
Across from them was a long table set horozontially, where Hagrid now sat.
Shannon was standing behind a boy with mousy hair and wearing Hagrid's huge moleskin overcoat (his name was Dennis Creevy; he was in the boat infront of Shannon on their way to the school, and he fell in).
The rest of Hogwarts watched as forty eleven year olds trooped up to the front of the hall, where a stern-faced witch, Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor and the Transfiguration teacher, was placing a stool and old patched hat.
One by one, the students lined up facing the rest of the school. Then, the Hat - the Sorting Hat - burst into song.
When the song finished, it bowed to each four long House tables, then stood still as the applause it had recieved subsided.
"When I call your name," said Professor McGonagall in a trilling voice. "You will come forth, place the Hat upon your head, and you will be sorted." She cleared her throught.
"Ackers, Rodney!"
A scrawny boy with black hair stumbled up to the hat. He placed it on his head, and it shouted out a moment later, "Hufflepuff!"
Rodney scrambled and sat next to a boy who looked like he could be Rodney's brother at the Hufflepuff table on the inner left side of the Hall.
[ooc: This is when Susan P.'s character would be sorted, so I'll leave that to her.]
"Brown, Shannon-Alice!"
Fear engulfed Shannon as she trembled to the Hat. She gulped, turned back facing the school, sat down, and felt the heavy hat dropped on her head by Professor McGongall.
"Another Brown? Hmm...Your sister is well-placed...your father and mother, too. And your brother Andrew, also...yes, yes yes...but you? Hmm...Not Slytherin, that is for sure. You have not the willingness nor determination to prove yourself...Yes, yes...so, it will be..." the Hat told her this, and she was sure only she could hear it. But it shouted the last word to the Hall.
"RAVENCLAW!"
Disappointment stabbed angrily at Shannon as she lifted the hat off her head, the Hall coming into view. She glanced at the Gryffindor table to the far right and saw Lavender's face looking slightly upset. The first Brown in five generations not to be in Gryffindor...why Shannon?
She walked slowly to the Ravenclaw table, who were cheering and clapping for her. She smiled weakly as she sat on the end next to Padma Patil.
"Congratulation," said Padma, patting her on the back.
"Thanks," said Shannon.
"I know you wanted to be in Gryffindor," said Padma consolingly. "My whole family is Gryffindor, but I was the only not to be."
Shannon nodded. "I'm the first in five generations! My brother, Andrew, he was Gryffindor, too. My parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great grandparents were all Gryffindor...but I'm Ravenclaw."
"There's nothing wrong with Ravenclaw," shrugged Padma. "I mean, this means you have a will to learn, and are bright."
"I guess," said Shannon.
When the Sorting ended, Professor Dumbledore - the Headmaster - stood up. He had a long silver beard that he tucked into his velvet gold belt that went round his purple robes. His crooked nose had half-moon spetecles perched on them.
"Welcome! To our new and old! Let the feast begin - I am hungry and I know you all are, too! Dig in!"
The food appeared and Shannon grabbed some of the mashed patatoes. She talked to Padma for a bit, and, when dessert came out, noticed the girl sitting cross from her.
She was pretty, with silky black hair and oval black eyes. She was Asian, that was for sure.
"Hi," she said, catching Shannon's eye.
"Hi," replied Shannon. "I'm Shannon-Alice. Just call me Shannon, though, if you want."
"Nice to meet you, Shannon. I'm Cho Chang. Ravenclaw Seeker." she said.
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