Гарри Поттер и тайная комната
The Whomping Willow
Innumerablecandleswerehoveringinmidairoverfourlong,crowdedtables,makingthegoldenplatesandgobletssparkle. Overhead,thebewitchedceiling,whichalwaysmirroredtheskyoutside,sparkledwithstars.
ThroughtheforestofpointedblackHogwartshats,Harrysawalonglineofscared-lookingfirstyearsfilingintotheHall. Ginnywasamongthem,easilyvisiblebecauseofhervividWeasleyhair. Meanwhile,ProfessorMcGonagall,abespectacledwitchwithherhairinatightbun,wasplacingthefamousHogwartsSortingHatonastoolbeforethenewcomers.
Everyyear,thisagedoldhat,patched,frayed,anddirty,sortednewstudentsintothefourHogwartshouses(Gryffindor,Hufflepuff,Ravenclaw,andSlytherin). Harrywellrememberedputtingiton,exactlyoneyearago,andwaiting,petrified,foritsdecisionasitmutteredaloudinhisear. ForafewhorriblesecondshehadfearedthatthehatwasgoingtoputhiminSlytherin,thehousethathadturnedoutmoreDarkwitchesandwizardsthananyother buthehadendedupinGryffindor,alongwithRon,Hermione,andtherestoftheWeasleys. Lastterm,HarryandRonhadhelpedGryffindorwintheHouseChampionship,beatingSlytherinforthefirsttimeinsevenyears.
Averysmall,mousy-hairedboyhadbeencalledforwardtoplacethehatonhishead. Harry’seyeswanderedpasthimtowhereProfessorDumbledore,theheadmaster,satwatchingtheSortingfromthestafftable, hislongsilverbeardandhalf-moonglassesshiningbrightlyinthecandlelight. Severalseatsalong,HarrysawGilderoyLockhart,dressedinrobesofaquamarine. AndthereattheendwasHagrid,hugeandhairy,drinkingdeeplyfromhisgoblet.
"Hangon..."HarrymutteredtoRon. "There’sanemptychairatthestafftable... Where’sSnape?"
