"Keep your heads down!" Hagrid shouted again as the boats drew closer to the cliff beneath the castle. The small vessel carried them through a curtain of ivy, into a hidden underground dock, and finally moored inside a damp stone tunnel.
They stepped ashore and followed the steady glow of Hagrid's lantern up the tunnel steps until the entire group gathered before a massive oak door.
The door gleamed with exquisite wrought-ironwork and radiated an ancient, imposing aura.
Hagrid raised his enormous fist and knocked three times.
The echoes rolled through the silence. A moment later the door swung open without a sound.
Inside stood a tall witch with a stern expression, square glasses perched on her nose, and her hair pulled back into a tight bun. She wore a long emerald-green robe; it was Professor Minerva McGonagall.
"The first-year students have arrived, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid announced.
"Thank you, Hagrid. Leave this to me," Professor McGonagall replied, her voice clear and firm. She surveyed the somewhat disheveled yet nervous and excited group of new students before her, measuring each one with her gaze as though weighing them on a scale.
When her eyes met Henry's calm stare, she paused for the briefest moment before looking away.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall began. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin, but before you take your seats you must first determine which house you will join. The Sorting Ceremony is a very important ritual, because during your time at Hogwarts your house will be like your family…"
She explained the four houses and the rules of the House Cup in detail. The new students listened intently, many of them feeling fresh tension rise as they recalled their parents' terrifying stories about entrance exams.
Henry stood among the crowd, absorbing the coolness of the stone walls and the slight trembling that rippled through the students around him.
He glanced at Hannah beside him; she clutched Susan's sleeve so tightly her knuckles showed white. Susan fought to maintain her composure, yet her body still shook. Justin sweated lightly but kept his posture upright with visible effort.
Professor McGonagall finished her explanation and scanned the group once more to ensure everyone had understood. "Now, form a single file," she commanded. "Follow me."
The freshmen scrambled into place, struggling to create a reasonably straight line. Henry naturally positioned himself behind Hannah and Susan, with Justin close behind. The line moved slowly, trailing Professor McGonagall through the enormous foyer.
The foyer stretched astonishingly large, torches burning brightly along the stone walls while the ceiling soared so high it nearly vanished from sight.
Directly ahead rose a grand marble staircase leading upward. Yet Professor McGonagall did not lead them upstairs; instead, she guided them toward a small door on the opposite side of the hall.
From behind the tightly closed doors on the right came the murmur of hundreds of voices—the older students had already seated themselves inside the Great Hall.
The freshmen entered a small, empty room adjacent to the hall. It felt far smaller than the foyer, and the huddled students appeared even more cramped. The sounds drifting from the Great Hall next door came through more clearly now, sharpening their tension.
Professor McGonagall then began to check the list.
Just as the list verification neared its end, a small incident unfolded.
About twenty pearly-white, translucent ghosts suddenly burst from the wall, gliding forward while arguing over the ancient topic of "bloodline and privilege." One chubby ghost complained that a medieval ancestor had not left him enough rights to store wine in a cellar.
The new students scattered in fright; even Justin gasped. Hannah gasped and seized Susan's arm.
"New students!" a ghost wearing a wheel-shaped ruffled bodysuit exclaimed happily upon spotting them. "Ready to take the test?"
"I hope you'll all be assigned to Hufflepuff!" a kind-looking nun ghost said with a smile. "I had the most enjoyable time there…"
"Get out of here, Peeves!" Professor McGonagall snapped—not at the friendly ghosts, but at a small ghost in a comical hat who was about to hurl a roll of scrap paper at the newcomers.
Peeves stuck out his tongue, chuckled mischievously, and vanished through the wall.
The other ghosts nodded amiably to the new students, floated across the opposite wall, and slipped into the Great Hall where the banquet awaited.
"Now," Professor McGonagall said once the ghosts had departed, quieting the students once more, "line up. I'll come to fetch you when they're ready over there. Keep quiet and tidy your appearance."
The wait stretched endlessly. The sounds from the Great Hall seemed to quiet, perhaps because of an announcement or speech. The new students exchanged nervous glances, straightened their robes, and smoothed their hair.
A blond boy nearby cleared his throat, attempting to ease the tension by whispering to the person beside him, "I wonder what the test will be… My dad said back then…"
Just then Professor McGonagall returned. "Now, come with me." Her expression appeared even more serious than before.
The freshmen formed their line and followed Professor McGonagall out of the small room, through the hallway, and up to the two massive oak doors.
The doors stood tightly closed at that moment. Professor McGonagall pushed them open just a crack, enough for her to slip through.
The freshmen could not see inside, yet they sensed countless eyes fixed upon the doorway.
"Before you enter the Great Hall and face the entire school," Professor McGonagall turned to the freshmen, her voice clear and solemn, "I want you to remember that regardless of the sorting results, you are all Hogwarts students. Your words and actions represent not only yourselves but will also shape how others perceive your house."
Her gaze swept calmly over the group once more, and this time Henry felt she placed extra weight on the word "everyone."
Then she pushed the doors open fully.
A dazzling golden light and a rush of warm atmosphere swept toward them, drawing gasps from the new students.
Henry beheld a magnificent hall where students sat around four long house tables. Thousands of candles floated in mid-air, illuminating the space as brightly as daylight, while lifelike stars twinkled across the velvet-black ceiling.
At the far end stood another long table for the teachers.
In the very center, Albus Dumbledore—with his half-moon spectacles, silver hair, and beard—smiled as he regarded the new students at the door.
When their eyes met, Dumbledore even waved to Henry.
Professor McGonagall placed a four-cornered stool before the new students, and atop it rested a worn, dirty, patched pointed wizard's hat.