Chapter Three

The Sorting Ceremony

Immediately, Luka’s brain switches from nostalgic mode to survival mode. He needs to

find a compartment to sit in. He wanders down the train and looks into each compartment for

kids who look like they’d let him sit with them. But all the kids have friends filling up the

compartment, and the rest look snootily at Luka as he passes by. Finally, he finds an empty

compartment, and sits down with relief just as the train’s final whistle blows. The train begins to

move slowly. Luka takes his cat out of her carrier and pets her, staring into her sickly green eyes.

Is this the only company he’s going to have the whole ride?

Just as he thinks this, the compartment door slides open. Behind it is a girl. Her head is

turned away from Luka, laughing at a joke he didn’t hear. Her long, golden curls fall down her

shoulders, then whip to the side as she turns to look at him. She smiles sweetly with pearly white

teeth, warmth beaming from her dark eyes.

“Dahlia,” Luka says brightly, a strange heavy feeling building in his stomach.

“Luka! I was hoping I’d find you,” Dahlia says with relief.

“I’m glad you did,” Luka says, and then he sees the boy walk in behind her. He’s slightly

taller than the girl. His slicked-back white hair is as pale as his skin. Luka can see blue veins run

down his neck and disappear underneath all-black robes. He doesn’t make eye contact with Luka

as he steps forward. He only surveys him.

“This is Scorpius,” Dahlia says as he sits down. The boy still doesn’t say anything.

“Don’t mind him, he’s just sort of shy.”

 “I’m not shy,” Scorpius says with an eye roll, sitting next to Dahlia.

Before she can argue this, another boy opens the compartment door, but then closes it

halfway again.

“Albus, I’m ​not ​sitting there,” says a girl behind him.

“It’s the only compartment left, Rose.”

“Well my parents said that the people you sit with on your first ride to Hogwarts will be

your best friends. Have fun befriending that weirdo.”

The girl leaves and the boy opens the compartment door. His black hair is disheveled and

his cheeks glow bright red.

“Um, is it alright if I sit here?”

“Of course,” Dahlia says. Albus takes the spot next to Luka.

“I’m Dahlia Rose, by the way, and this is Scorpius Malfoy, and that’s Luka Jones.

What’s your name?”

“Albus. Albus Potter.”

“Wait, really? You’re Harry Potter’s son?”

Albus nods, his cheeks only glowing brighter.

“Cool! Wha-”

“Was she talking about me?”

Everyone looks at Scorpius, who uttered the question.

“That girl. Was she talking about me?” Scorpius asks Albus again. Albus clears his

throat.

“Um, yeah, Rose was talking about you. I’m sorry. She didn’t really mean it, she’s just--”
 “I get it. I’m a Malfoy. My dad famously hated yours. You have a right to hate me, too.”

“I don’t hate you,” Albus says. “Neither does Rose.”

“Sure didn’t seem that way,” Scorpius grunts.

“Oh, shut up, Scorpius. Let the boy be,” Dahlia says. “Sorry about that, Albus. It’s not

easy to be the son of Draco Malfoy.”

“It’s okay.” Albus looks down at his feet.

Dahlia looks uncomfortable in the awkward silence that follows, so she changes the

subject by saying, “Luka is American! He just moved here ​yesterday. ​Pretty crazy, isn’t it?

Anyways, Scorpius and I will help you transition. Right, Scorpius?”

He just shrugs.

“So what houses do you think you’ll be in?” Dahlia asks the group. Scorpius snorts.

“If I’m not in Slytherin, then I think I’ll be the first in the entire Malfoy family.”

“Which wouldn’t be a bad thing. Personally, I think you’re very much a Ravenclaw,”

Dahlia says. Scorpius smiles.

“And you could be a Hufflepuff.”

Dahlia laughs. “But we also both come from Slytherin families. If we both get that house,

then we could be together!”

“You make a good point.”

“What about you, Luka?” Dahlia asks.

“I don’t know. My dad was a Ravenclaw, so I might be that, but I’m not sure.”

“Well, maybe you can be in Slytherin with us! Albus, which house do you want?”
 Albus swallows. “Um… I don’t know. My brother James always says I’m gonna be in

Slytherin, but I think he’s just trying to scare me. My whole family is in Gryffindor, so I guess

I’m hoping for that one.”

“Well, I hope you get what you want.”

“Me too.”

A voice rings out through the train, “Anything from the trolley?” Luka’s stomach

grumbles at that, so he takes out a small sack of money. Dahlia does, too, and offers to pay for

him.

“No way, that’s yours,” Luka says. Dahlia rolls her eyes.

“Please, Luka, my parents have more money than they know what to do with. My mom

will just spend it on clothes or jewelry and my dad will use it all up at the Veela Club. This is the

best possible use for this money, trust me.”

Luka nods, and doesn’t comment on Dahlia’s concerning description of her parents.

“Dahlia, no one likes a girl with daddy issues,” Scorpius mutters, smiling for the first

time since Luka’s met him.

“Right back at you, Malfoy.”

“Touche,” Scorpius laughs.

Dahlia buys a packet of Sugar Quills, a few boxes of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans,

and four chocolate frogs. She distributes the candy, and for a while, everyone eats in silence,

which is broken only when Dahlia speaks again.

“Wait, Albus, what year is your brother in?”

“He’s in his second year. He acts like he’s older, though.”

 “Do you have other siblings?”

“Yeah, a little sister, Lily. And, of course, Teddy.”

“Who is Teddy?” she asks.

“My godbrother.”

“Oh wait, that’s Remus and Nymphadora Lupin’s kid, right?”

Albus nods.

“I remember hearing about them.”

“Yeah,” Albus says awkwardly, obviously bothered by the fact that his godbrother’s

parents are famous enough for Dahlia to know them.

“Is it weird, being famous like this?”

Albus goes bright red, and shrugs.

“I’m not famous. But I guess my dad is.”

“Your mom is, too,” Luka says. “She’s one of the best Quidditch players in the league.”

“Yeah, that, too.”

“Do you like Quidditch?” Luka asks.

“Um, I guess. My brother and Lily play all the time. And Rose likes to play, too. I’m not

very good at it, but I play with them sometimes.”

“Oh, you’re bound to be a natural with parents like yours.”

Albus doesn’t say anything.

“Do you have siblings, Luka?” Dahlia asks.

“Yeah, a sister. She’s eight.”

“Is it nice, having a sister?”

 “Not really. She’s fun sometimes, but mostly annoying.”

Albus nods, smiling a little.

“That’s how I feel.”

“I wish I had a sister,” Dahlia sighs. “The closest thing I have to a sibling is Scorpius, and

he won’t even let me put bows in his hair.”

Scorpius just rolls his eyes and half-smiles.

“You must have a lot of friends in America, huh, Luka?” Dahlia asks.

“Yeah,” he says truthfully, thinking mostly of Caligo. “Yeah, I had friends. I… wish I

didn’t have to leave them.”

“Well, we can be your friends!”

Luka smiles gratefully. He and the others eat candy and make light conversation for the

rest of the trip, and Luka feels glad to have found someone to share a compartment with.

***

Luka shivers when he steps off the train. He’s unnaccustomed to this kind of weather,

especially with autumn arriving so early. He’s only experienced these temperatures in the middle

of January back in California. He covers himself with his school robes and follows the big crowd

of students heading towards a gate. But then he hears a booming voice yell, “Firs’ years! Follow

me, firs’ years!” Luka looks up to see the largest man ever, with an enormous, bushy mane of

grey hair.
 “Hagrid!”

Albus grins when he sees the giant, to Luka’s confusion. The black-haired boy walks up

to Hagrid and does his best to wrap his arms around the circumference of his belly.

“How are ya, Albus?” Hagrid chuckles. “It’s good to finally have ye at Hogwarts.”

Albus smiles. Then, Hagrid says, “Are we still having tea on Friday?”

“Of course,” Albus says. Hagrid smiles and pats him on the back. Albus coughs.

“Good luck at the Sortin’! No doubt you’ll be in Gryffindor, jus’ like the rest of yer

family!”

“Yeah,” Albus says more quietly. He, Dahlia, Scorpius, and Luka crawl into one of the

boats lined up at the dock. The night sky is clear, unleashing the silver light of the moon and

stars, letting their soft glow reflect across the surface of the rippling lake. Across the water is the

castle, more grand than Luka ever imagined. Orange light beams out of the windows, contrasting

against the pale white lights in the sky. Luka shivers again and wishes for the warmth of a fire.

“The castle is really beautiful” Dahlia mutters, her teeth chattering. “But is quite cold.”

Scorpius laughs.

The castle comes closer and closer until, finally, they reach the dock and file out of their

boats. Hagrid leads them towards the front doors, which are at least twice as tall and three times

as wide as Hagrid himself. Luka sighs with relief once he steps inside the warm castle. The

entrance hall is huge and the air smells musty, but also like stone, and a little like the welcoming

smell of a fire. The first years are led through the hall and up a staircase, where Hagrid leaves

and the children are greeted by a very old woman dressed in green robes. She has long white hair

pulled up into a tight bun. The wrinkles between her eyebrows and around her lips are deep, but
right now she’s not scowling-- her lips are curled into a soft smile, and her eyes are lit with a

welcoming warmth.

“Hello, first years. Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall, the Headmistress.

Before you join the rest of the school at the feast, you will be sorted into your houses. Your

house will be like your family for the next seven years. The four houses are Gryffindor,

Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Over the course of each year, you will receive house

points for good behavior, and points will be taken away for bad behavior. The house with the

most points at the end of the year will win the House Cup. Now, let’s go, the upperclassmen are

waiting for us.”

Professor McGonagall turns around and opens the grand doors. Four tables run the length

of the room, torches burning on the walls. The ceiling seems to not exist. Instead, there’s a black,

star-speckled sky. At the end of the hall is a fifth table, perpendicular to the others, where the

professors sit. Students sit along the other four tables, empty plates and goblets in front of them.

They all look up when the door opens. Luka and the other first years shuffle towards the end of

the room, where Professor McGonagall stands. She picks up an old hat off the stool in front of

her.

“When I call your name, sit on the stool and I’ll place the hat on your head. It will sort

you into your house.”

With that, Professor McGonagall opens up a long scroll and calls out the first name.

“Alliot, Quinn!”

A lanky boy approaches the stool, obviously nervous. The hat is placed on his head and

the boy jumps when the hat opens something like a mouth and says, “Hufflepuff!”
 “Allistair, Emma.”

The next student is a short, shy-looking girl. When the hat calls out, “Gryffindor!” she

grins with relief.

“Armenius, Arabella.”

This girl has long, black curls and is wearing a cocky grin. She prances up to the stool

and doesn’t look very surprised when the hat calls, “Slytherin!”

“Ashbrook, Calvin.”

The boy has curly blonde hair and seems more curious than nervous. The hat calls out,

“Ravenclaw!” and he goes to sit at the table.

Luka waits, tension building with every student. Finally, he hears “Jenson, September,”

get sorted into Gryffindor, and “Johnson, Felix” sent to Ravenclaw. Then, Professor McGonagall

is calling, “Jones, Luka,” and Luka’s legs are carrying him up the steps and onto the stool.

Professor McGonagall places the musty-smelling hat on his head. It falls around his eyebrows.

The hat vibrates his skull as it mutters under its breath for a couple seconds. Then, the vibrations

grow stronger as it yells, “Slytherin!”

Luka feels relief flooding through him. He barely noticed that he was hoping for

Slytherin. He wonders if it was because of Dahlia.

He sits at the Slytherin table, now able to enjoy the rest of the Sorting. There are a couple

more Slytherins directed at the table before Luka hears Scorpius being called. The hat sits on his

blonde head for barely a second before it’s calling out “Slytherin!” Scorpius smirks and sits

across from Luka at the table.

“Told you,” he whispers.

 A few more students are called, and then the whole hall holds their breath as Professor

McGonagall calls the famous name.

“Potter, Albus.”

Albus looks nervous- more nervous than any of the students have been. Luka can almost

see him shaking as he approaches the stool. When McGonagall places the hat on his head, he

almost winces. The hat mumbles unintelligibly. Albus seems to be talking back. Then, without

warning, the hat calls the name that no one expected.

“Slytherin!”

Albus’ eyes go wide. All the color drains from his face as he steps unwillingly towards

the table adorned in green, gazing wistfully at his friends and family in Gryffindor. He slides

onto the bench next to Scorpius without a word. Scorpius and Luka look at each other, unsure of

what to do. Luka turns back to the Sorting, half-listening to Scorpius whispering kind words of

comfort to Albus.

Professor McGonagall continues normally with the Sorting, but the rest of the hall is

buzzing with excitement. Whispers stir up and down every table, necks craning in Albus’

direction as more first-year students are sent to their respective houses. Albus tilts his face

downward, trying to avoid the stares.

After her name is called, Dahlia joins the three boys, bouncing with delight but then

smiling sadly at Albus when she sees him.

“Hey, it’s okay. I know it wasn’t what you wanted, but you’ll do great in Slytherin.

You’ll see.”
 Albus quietly says, “Thanks,” and goes back to staring at his plate. But his head snaps

back up when he hears the name, “Weasley, Rose,” being called. Her bright red head bobs up the

steps and is covered by the old brown hat. It calls out, “Gryffindor!” to nobody’s surprise. As

Rose skips towards the red and gold table, she glances back at Albus, who looks as though he’d

like to die right then and there.

Finally, after the last student is sorted, Professor McGonagall rolls up her scroll and

announces the beginning of the feast. As she says it, food suddenly appears across the entire

length of each table and in a pile on every plate. Luka feels nothing but excitement and

satisfaction at the prospect of digging into a seemingly endless feast, but then he looks up at

Albus to see the boy sulking quietly in front of his plate. Luka wants to say something to him,

but doesn’t know what. He’s never been good at cheering people up. Luckily, someone else steps

in. It takes a moment for Luka to register that it’s Scorpius.

“Hey, look. I know you wanted Gryffindor. I know your friends think Slytherin is bad.

But just because they’re prejudiced assholes-”

“Scorpius,” Dahlia warns. He ignores her.

“Just because they’re prejudiced assholes doesn’t mean they’re right. You don’t have to

believe everything they say. Slytherin doesn’t have to be bad. It’s what you make it.”

Albus’ eyes narrow, and the sad shock in his eyes turns into a burning rage.

​ y family, ​prejudiced? ​Look who’s talking, ​Malfoy.​ ”

“​Prejudiced? M

“Hey, I didn’t mean-” Scorpius tries, his voice angry, but he’s interrupted by another

voice behind him.

“So it looks like I was right, huh?”

 The voice comes from a slightly older boy, tall enough to be in his third year at least. His

black hair stands up the same way that Albus’ does and his build, while stockier and taller, is

obviously similar. They are unmistakably brothers. The boy speaks softly, smiling jokily but

with regretful eyes.

“I didn’t realize I had such a knack for Sorting. Maybe I’ll go talk to that old hat, he’s

well past the age to retire.”

Albus doesn’t laugh, and nor does anyone around him. His brother frowns.

“Look, I’m sorry,” he says. “I didn’t realize you were ​actually ​going to be in Slytherin.

And I never meant to say that it would be bad if you were, I was just teasing you. You know that,

right?”

“Yeah, I know,” Albus says. His lips are pursed tightly and he speaks so quietly that it’s

barely audible.

“Well, um, congrats, anyways. I guess I… won’t see you in the common room. Um, I’ll

just see you around.”

The boy walks away awkwardly, frustrated at his obvious failure to comfort Albus. Luka

looks at the younger brother and sees that his eyes have become red and shiny. He hides his face,

and Luka thinks he’s going to get up from the table, when yet another Gryffindor boy approaches

the table. This boy is smaller, and has lighter brown hair. He crosses his arms cooly and stares

right at Albus when he says, very loudly, “Wow.”

Dahlia turns around to look at him.

“May we help you?” she asks. The boy doesn’t even look at her.
 “Oh, I just came to see it for myself. Son of Harry Potter sorted into Slytherin. How

embarrassing. I mean, you’re whole family are Gryffindors, aren’t they? And you’re in the house

of the man who spent his whole life trying to kill your father. What a shame. I wonder what your

dad will think of that.”

Scorpius’ face twists into an expression of disgust. Luka can’t help but notice how much

uglier he looks when he makes the face.

“Go away,” he says.

“Hey, there’s no need to be rude. Although I suppose I’ve forgotten my own manners.

I’m Ardeo Ephraim. First year. Just got sorted into ​Gryffindor. ​I would trade places with you,

Potter, but unfortunately I don’t really want to sleep in the dungeons​.​ Anyways, I’d better be off.

Just wanted to see the disappointment myself.”

Ardeo laughs at Albus, then his eyes linger over Luka, making direct eye contact that

somehow feels like fire, and he strides back across the hall, leaving Luka, Albus, Dahlia,

Scorpius, and anyone else who heard the conversation in complete shock.

“What a dickhead,” Scorpius says. His large eyes are narrowed, staring at Ardeo from

across the hall with a scary intensity. Dahlia nods in agreement.

“I can’t believe someone would say something like that,” she says. “You know he’s just a

stupid kid, Albus. Don’t take it personally.”

“Yeah. Of course not,” Albus says. He looks around at the people staring at him, and over

to the Gryffindor table where Ardeo, Rose, and his brother sit.

“I need to go to the bathroom.”

“Um, okay. Do you know where it is?” Dahlia asks.

 “No.”

Albus is already standing up and walking towards the entrance of the hall. Half the heads

in the hall turn to look at him, but he doesn’t look back. More whispering ensues. Dahlia frowns.

“What should we do?”

Scorpius shrugs, obviously still angry at Albus for being so rude to him. For the rest of

the meal, Scorpius, Dahlia, and Luka eat silently, except for the small-talk they make with the

new fifth-year prefect sitting near them. Right after Luka decides he’s too full to continue on,

every plate in the hall is magically cleared, and Professor McGonagall stands up.

“Now that we’ve had dinner, I have a few last announcements. I’d like to tell all the first

years that the Forbidden Forest is indeed forbidden and not to be entered by any students. Also,

Quidditch tryouts will be held the Saturday after next. Sign-ups will be in your common room.

And, lastly, I and the rest of the staff wish you all a very happy year here at Hogwarts. That is

all. Prefects, please lead your houses to your common rooms.”

Luka stands up along with the other students and follows the crowd out of the hall,

Scorpius and Dahlia not far behind him. The sea of students separates into their clothing colors,

red and blue going in one direction, and green and yellow going in the other. Then, the

Hufflepuff students depart, leaving Luka’s crowd exclusively green and silver. He tries to keep

track of their path, but it’s hard. The staircases they descend move, so that once he’s climbed

down them, they lead to a completely different place. The portraits refuse to stand still, so he

can’t use them as landmarks. He eventually gives up, focusing on the general direction in which

they move rather than every step.

 Finally, they reach a small stone room with nothing inside. One of the prefects faces the

farthest wall and says, “Venimus quaestio.” Suddenly, the wall disintegrates into a stone

passageway barely lit by small torches on the walls. The prefect leads the students through the

passageway until they enter a large, green-tinted room. The room has a strange, eerie, untouched

feeling about it. There are royal-looking statues by the entrance and intricate, serpentine carvings

in the walls. The dusty portraits are incredibly old; they look as if their canvases have already

started decomposing. The ceiling is smooth and stony, and the walls are intricately carved with

snake-like shapes. The architecture makes Luka feel as though he’s in a castle-- then he

remembers that he is. There are greenish lamps hanging from the ceiling, glowing gloomily. The

windows on the far side of the room aren’t really windows at all-- they only allow more greenish

light to meander into the room. The only non-green light comes from the fireplace, where there is

collection of expensive black leather sofas and a central table. Luka likes the furniture and the

cozy feel of the room. He decides this won’t be a bad place to hang out, but he wishes there were

more light, and that the ancient portraits on the wall wouldn’t look down at him so snootily.

“Your things have already been brought to your dormitories,” a prefect announces to the

students. “Girls, your dormitory is the on the right, and boys are on the left. Don’t forget to check

the notice board for your schedules in the morning.”

Luka wanders towards the left side of the room where there’s a short hallway with a door

at the end. He’s about to head inside when he hears Dahlia’s voice. He turns around to see that

Scorpius is right behind him.

“So,” Dahlia says, her brown eyes shining at them. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
 Scorpius nods, and Luka smiles at her. She gives a friendly smile back and says,

“Goodnight.”

Luka, Scorpius, and a handful of others walk down the short hallway and through the

door. They step into a square room with the same greenish tint as the common room. There are

four-poster beds lined up on each wall, all with velvet green curtains that hang to the floor. At

the end of each bed is a suitcase, and there are a few owls and other pets sitting next to them. It

isn’t hard for Luka to find his cat carrier; there are persistent mowls coming from the bed closest

to the door. Luka opens the carrier and the white smear bounds out, leaps across the room and

then returns back to him, rubbing her head on his arm and purring. Scorpius and a few other

first-years that Luka recognizes but whose names he can’t remember walk into the room.

Scorpius takes the bed next to Luka.

“Hey,” says a dark-haired boy across from them. He sits with his legs hanging over the

foot of his bed. “I’m Nathan.”

“I’m Luka.”

“Scorpius.”

Another boy in the corner of the room, with extremely large, crystal-like eyes, says, “I’m

Xerio.”

“Jordan,” says another boy in the other corner.

“Liam,” says the last one. Everyone looks at each other, feeling slightly awkward. Just

then, Albus walks slowly into the dormitory, and everyone looks up at him.

“Hey, are you okay?” Luka asks reflexively when he sees the redness around Albus’

puffy eyes.
 “Yeah, I’m fine. I just want to go to bed.”

Albus lays in the bed next to Scorpius, who is still obviously mad, and everyone is mostly

silent. Scorpius takes out a rather thick book, props it on his chest, and reads. Albus doesn’t

move, but Luka hears him sniffling every once in a while. The other boys chat quietly,

unpacking their pajamas and writing letters for their families. For lack of anything better to do,

Luka takes out the map with the seven X’s, careful not to let anyone else in the dormitory see it.

He takes off his shoes, crawls under the covers of his bed, which are incredibly soft, and pets his

cat as he studies the map again, ignoring the quiet conversations between the rest of the boys.

Once he finally admits that there are no more discoveries to be made using the map right now,

Luka puts it away and attempts to go to sleep. He closes his eyes and, like a dream, he sees the

Leaky Cauldron in the early morning, the cobblestone steps of Diagon Alley. He feels the magic

of his wand flowing through his hand, and the softness of his mother’s hug when he told her

goodbye. He feels the fear in his chest of having to find a place to sit on the train, and the relief

that Dahlia and Scorpius gave him when they sat in his compartment. He sees Dahlia’s face, her

dark brown eyes staring at him, white teeth flashing in her kind smile. He sees her glow like the

moon, feels his own heart shiver. And then, suddenly, he sees Caligo’s sunken face, his greasy

black hair hanging in front of his eyes. He feels his back hit the cold earth, the warmth of Caligo

on top of him, and the pain of his knife ripping into his arm.