Capítulo 15: Total Meltdown
Whilst George was failing to apologise, the boats continued to travel across the Black Lake until they reached a fishing dock that looked in about the same condition as the pier. The thirty or so boats automatically parked themselves in a column with Hagrid's at the front. The half-giant helped some of the students who were struggling to dismount their boats. He easily picked them up like they were weightless.
Hagrid addressed all the students, "now that yer all here, welcome to Hogwarts. If you all head to the top of the stairs, you'll see a large archway. It's dark out tonight, so watch your step. It's a long way to fall."
As the students began to ascend the stairs, George noticed at the front of the pack was a white-haired individual who had convinced his two goons to practically carry him. At the opposite end, Hagrid was following the students up the stairs and was occasionally helping anyone who was falling behind, Neville was one such student.
Since his new friend was only going to slow him down, George abandoned Neville and committed to reaching the top as soon as possible. His strong physique easily allowed him to pass all the other exhausted students who looked like they were about to blackout. Once George reached the top, he was greeted with a magnificent view of the Scottish Highlands. It took ten minutes for the rest of the students to reach the summit. Most of them were very red in the face and were breathing heavily.
"Look at the state of the lot of you. I swear the standard is dropping every year, mark my words", a haggard old voice echoed George's thoughts.
George turned around to see an old man who had long thinning hair and a bald spot in the middle of his head. He wore a long trench coat with a formal shirt and tie underneath, a brown fluffy cat with red eyes was held underneath one of his arms. The miserable-looking man was holding a lantern toward the students, and he didn't look impressed.
Hagrid walked past Filch, while ignoring the irritable man, and stood under a large stone archway to address the students.
"Now that you're all at the castle, I'll be off. Remember to listen to Professor McGonagall, you don't want to be getting in trouble with her on your first day."
Then the half-giant turned around and ascended a flight of stairs out of view from the students.
The children's attention was redirected towards Filch, "you all are going to leave your pets here. No exceptions! The Hogwarts house elves will take your luggage and your pets to your dormitories after the Sorting Hat Ceremony. Your possessions must be tagged with your full name, all unclaimed items will be disposed of."
The few students still clinging to the pets for emotional support seemed quite reluctant to say goodbye. Blinkie wasn't quite so loved, his cage hit the ground with a little too much enthusiasm. Before leaving the bird, George pulled out a roll of duct tape and wrapped it around the cage a dozen times. Now there was no way on Earth that feathery pest was going to escape in his absence.
Filch kept nagging the students to, "get on with it" and, "get a move on, we haven't got all day", as they left their pets behind. Only then was the group allowed to enter the castle.
Filch pointed towards the stairs leading inside, "get inside, the lot of you! Any longer, and you'll all be late. We can't be having that now, can we?"
Filch's overwhelmingly pleasant company was enough to encourage the students to quickly comply with his 'request'. Everyone was very excited now that they were finally entering the castle, they were already loudly talking amongst each other as they ascended the stairs. An elderly woman stood like a statue in the centre of the staircase, preventing the students from advancing any further. She was wearing a long dark green robe and had a pointed wizard's hat on her head.
McGonagall's eyes briefly glanced over all the students before she spoke, "welcome to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you can take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses…"
The students stopped their conversations and listened with enraptured attention to McGonagall's speech.
McGonagall continued, "they are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Now while you're here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn new points, any rule-breaking and you will lose points. At the end of the year, The house with the most points is awarded the house Cup."
A frog croaking could suddenly be heard at the top of the stairs. Both George and Neville looked down to see the elusive toad by McGonagall's feet.
Neville shouted, "Trevor!", before picking it up off the ground.
Everybody giggled at Neville's outburst, but McGonagall didn't look very impressed.
Neville apologised and McGonagall finished her speech, "the Sorting Ceremony will begin momentarily."
Then the professor left through the large doors behind her, leaving the students alone. On cue, Draco made his dramatic introduction.
Draco shouted in a particularly famous boy's direction, "so it's true then, what they're saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts."
There was a lot of murmuring amongst the crowd, which drew a lot of attention to Harry. The exception was Hermione who was still deliberately avoiding eye contact even now.
Draco introduced himself to Harry after getting his attention, "this is Crabbe and Goyle, and I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."
Ron and George both chuckled at the same time, only Ron forgot to use George's level of discretion. Draco didn't seem to find Ron's laughter amusing.
"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask yours. Red hair and a hand-me-down robe, you must be a Weasley."
George loved watching this show from his memories play back in reality. He caught himself unintentionally smiling and quickly stopped before anyone noticed.
Draco looked back towards Harry, "you'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there?"
Draco held an arm out towards Harry.
Harry looked at the offered hand before retorting, "I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks."
Draco looked like he was about to respond, but McGonagall had reappeared and interrupted their conversation.
She addressed the students, "we're ready for you now, follow me."
The students followed McGonagall to a pair of enormous and finely-decorated double doors. Silently and without McGonagall's prompting, the arched doors opened by themselves. The sight of the Great Hall in all its splendour was utterly breathtaking. All the first-years huddled together upon seeing their large audience, they hesitatingly followed McGonagall down the middle of the hall. The children kept walking until they reached the slightly raised platform separating the house's tables from the professors.
McGonagall turned around and said, "can you wait along here, please", while gesturing at the open space in front of the tables.
All the new students funnelled into the gap and eagerly waited for her next command, George made sure to keep himself at the back. Just beside McGonagall was a stool with an old wizard hat placed upon it. The Sorting Hat was located where the headmaster's podium would normally be. Behind the hat was a horseshoe-shaped table with all of Hogwarts' members of staff currently seated around it.
Of course, George's main focus was on the headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. The man of the hour was seated on his golden throne right in the middle of the professor's table. His formidable presence was so suffocating that George felt the need to adjust his collar.
McGonagall addressed the new students, "now, before we begin. Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words."
The scary man stood up from his chair after his introduction. Dumbledore was wearing a beautiful purple robe with a matching pointed hat. His expression remained warm but unreadable as he addressed the students.
"I have a few start-of-term notices I wish to announce. The first-years please note that the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden to all students."
Dumbledore continued after a brief pause, "also our caretaker, Mr Filch, has asked me to remind you that the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you."
Then Dumbledore sat back down and McGonagall picked up the old hat, "when I call your name, you will come forth. I shall place the Sorting Hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses."
McGonagall began reading from a scroll in her opposite hand, "Hermione Granger."
George saw that Hermione was talking to herself as she walked toward McGonagall.
He also overheard Ron whispering to Harry, "that's the girl from the train. She's not right in the head, I'm tellin' ya."
The Sorting Hat was placed on top of Hermione's head, and it immediately sprung to life, the folds in the leather hat formed eyes and a mouth. The hat seemed to be having some difficulty deciding which house to put Hermione in.
After a bit of murmuring, the Sorting Hat declared, "right... okay... GRYFFINDOR!"
The entire Gryffindor table burst into cheers at the Sorting Hat's choice. Draco was the next student to be evaluated, and the Sorting Hat didn't even touch his head before it announced Slytherin. Then Susan Bones was next up on the chopping block, but George was only paying attention to Harry. The boy who lived was holding his head like he had a headache whilst looking in Snape's direction.
The Sorting Hat kept on going through person after person including Ron, Harry and Neville, who all went into Gryffindor until there was only one person left. George was hoping that his nervous expression seemed natural as he walked up to the Sorting Hat. McGonagall lowered the Sorting Hat onto his head, but to their surprise, nothing happened. The Sorting Hat wasn't doing anything, it didn't start murmuring about where to put him or declaring a house for him to enter.
Cold sweat began dripping down George's back, he could feel the eyes of the professors burning a hole in the back of his head. McGonagall looked a bit alarmed as she lifted the Sorting Hat off George's head and placed it back on again. Regardless, the Sorting Hat remained silent, George could feel his composure falling apart with every passing second.
In one last-ditch effort to force the Sorting Hat's decision, George screamed a message inside of his head with the most powerful Legilimency attack he could muster.
"MAKE UP YOUR BLOODY MIND ALREADY, OR I'LL BURN YOU TO OBLIVION!"
George could feel the Sorting Hat jolt from on top of his head.
The Sorting Hat stuttered as it declared, "Sss Sly SLYTHERIN!"
The Slytherin table barely clapped after hearing the Sorting Hat's declaration, they all just looked really confused. McGonagall took the Sorting Hat off George's head and suggestively looked at him.
George just shrugged his shoulders innocently and said, "maybe the hat was just tired. I'm the last one after all."
That didn't seem to be the answer McGonagall was looking for because her expression didn't change. Unable to take the stalemate any longer, George took the initiative to get up off the stool and run away to the Slytherin table. The reception from his housemates wasn't exactly welcoming, the Slytherin students were looking at him like he was some sort of alien. He sat at the end of the table and decided to just stare at his mortified reflection on the metal plate.
George mistakenly decided to peek towards the professor's table only to find everyone still looking at him in the same way McGonagall was. Even Quirrell was looking at him with burning curiosity. While George was watching the professors, he felt someone poking his shoulder. He looked to his right and recognised Theodore.
Theodore lent over and asked, "why did the Sorting Hat take so long for you? It didn't take that long for anyone else."
"No way, really? I hadn't noticed", George wanted to retort.
Hearing Theodore remind George of the attention he had garnered only worsened his ability to mask his feelings. He could feel a vein bulging on his forehead, and judging by his reflection, his face was now bright red. With no way of controlling his expression, George slammed his head into the table causing the metal cutlery to bounce into the air. The awkward silence was ended by McGonagall who had returned to the teacher's table.
She tapped her goblet with a spoon, "your attention please."
Then Dumbledore stood up and raised his arms, "let the Feast begin."
With that announcement, food began to suddenly appear on the tables in vast quantities. Massive amounts of chicken legs, pies, bread rolls, potatoes and corn on the cobs appeared in large metal bowls for anyone to reach over and take. Even though the smell was divine, George was in such a foul mood that for once he didn't feel hungry.
The stress from the Sorting Hat was making him panic, which made him look suspicious, which in turn made him more stressed. He chose, what he considered, his last option which was to remain hunched over the table with his head buried in his hands until the Feast ended. George was so preoccupied that he hadn't noticed the ghosts enter the room.
Theodore was incredibly irritating as he would keep poking and prodding George to get answers out of him throughout the feast. It got immeasurably harder for George to hold himself from lashing out, his self-control was on the verge of snapping. Towards the latter part of the meal, Theodore gave George a large push that sent him over the edge.
George's head suddenly lifted from the table and stared daggers at Theodore, "if you don't stop poking me right now, I'm going to break your..."
George stopped talking mid-threat because Theodore wasn't looking at him. The feeble little boy was instead staring timidly at someone behind George.
He turned around to see who it was, and the words just slipped out of his mouth, "oh shit."
Snape, in all his judgmental glory, was standing right over George and looking straight down at him.
Snape spoke slowly, "excuse me, Mr Linwood. Do you mind repeating what you just said to me?"
Snape poured a metaphorical bucket of ice water over George which snapped him out of his stupor.
George responded like a gibbering mess, "oh Snape! That's what I said. Oh Professor Snape, I mean. It's an honour to have joined your House, I can not wait for your potions class. What can I help you with?"
Snape's expression remained as cold as ever, he paused before saying, "the other staff have noticed that you're not eating, they have asked me to express their concern for your welfare. The headmaster is worried that you may not be happy with the Sorting Hats decision. He is kindly offering you the option to change house if you so wish."
George leaned over and looked past Snape to see Dumbledore looking in his direction. The terrifying old man was currently holding the Sorting Hat whilst smiling ominously.
George gulped before looking back at Snape, "I am honoured to have the headmaster worry on my behalf but his concern is unwarranted. I am very happy in Slytherin and I am already making many friends. As for the rest of the Hogwarts staff... I am just feeling a little sick. I ate too many sweets on the train journey and I'm paying for it."
George wrapped his arm around Theodore's scrawny body and forcibly pulled him close. Then he desperately tried to muster a genuine-looking smile.
Snape looked between George and Theodore, "very well. I will relay your thoughts back to the headmaster. If you are still feeling sick later tonight then come to my office. I will provide a tonic to... help you sleep. Welcome to Slytherin, George Linwood."
Snape turned around without waiting for a response, he left to return to the professor's table. George kept his eyes locked on Snape whispering something to Dumbledore. Their conversation topic was unknown, but they repeatedly looked between the Sorting Hat and George. George squinted his eyes and tried to put his lip-reading skills to good use. Although unlikely, there was a chance he could tell what they were saying about him.
In the middle of George desperately trying to read Snape's lips, Theodore chose that time to poke him in the ribs with a chicken leg.
Theodore innocently asked, "what was all that about you leaving Slytherin?"
Something snapped in George's mind as he whipped his head back around revealing his bloodshot eyes to Theodore. He abruptly picked up a knife and slammed it down, embedding it three inches into the table right between two of Theodore's fingers. The bent blade narrowly missed the boy's digits by a few millimetres.
George pointed at Theodore with a trembling hand as he shouted, "if you dare poke me one more GODDAMN TIME, I will shove that bloody chicken leg right up your arse!"
A quarter of the Slytherin table went instantly silent, Theodore was in shock as he let go of the chicken leg. Then George began to feel his body lighten as he swayed left and right, everything became numb and fuzzy. His vision narrowed until it became completely black. The last thing he remembered was his head hitting the table.
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