The Sorting Hat

           Thedoorswungopenatonce. Atall,black-hairedwitchinemerald-greenrobesstoodthere. ShehadaverysternfaceandHarry’sfirstthoughtwasthatthiswasnotsomeonetocross. 

           "Thefirs’years,ProfessorMcGonagall,"saidHagrid. 

           "Thankyou,Hagrid. Iwilltakethemfromhere." 

           Shepulledthedoorwide. TheentrancehallwassobigyoucouldhavefitthewholeoftheDursleys’houseinit. ThestonewallswerelitwithflamingtorchesliketheonesatGringotts,theceilingwastoohightomakeout,andamagnificentmarblestaircasefacingthemledtotheupperfloors. 

           TheyfollowedProfessorMcGonagallacrosstheflaggedstonefloor. Harrycouldhearthedroneofhundredsofvoicesfromadoorwaytotheright—therestoftheschoolmustalreadybehere —butProfessorMcGonagallshowedthefirstyearsintoasmall,emptychamberoffthehall. Theycrowdedin,standingratherclosertogetherthantheywouldusuallyhavedone,peeringaboutnervously. 

           "WelcometoHogwarts,"saidProfessorMcGonagall. "Thestart-of-termbanquetwillbeginshortly,butbeforeyoutakeyourseatsintheGreatHall,youwillbesortedintoyourhouses. TheSortingisaveryimportantceremonybecause,whileyouarehere,yourhousewillbesomethinglikeyourfamilywithinHogwarts. Youwillhaveclasseswiththerestofyourhouse,sleepinyourhousedormitory, andspendfreetimeinyourhousecommonroom. 

           "ThefourhousesarecalledGryffindor,Hufflepuff,Ravenclaw,andSlytherin. Eachhousehasitsownnoblehistoryandeachhasproducedoutstandingwitchesandwizards.