The Sorting ceremony.

Professor Sprout led us into the Great Hall. We all looked around in amazement. There were hundreds of floating candles everywhere! Obviuosly they didn't adhere to Health and Safety guidelines, but that didn't stop them! It was a fantastic sight! We all stopped and stood in our lines waiting for the ceremony to begin. We looked at the rest of the line to see who was where. We immediately saw Luella.

"Oh my God! I can't believe she's posing there. I bet she thinks all the boys are staring at her." Laurie whispered to me under her breath, clearly she was repulsed by Luella's short skirt and tight jumper.

Professor Sprout brought in the Sorting hat with its stool. It looked a lot worse for wear than I had imagined. But then again, it had been set on fire. We all got ready to listen to the Sorting Hat's song.

" Blobbedoo, nikanpop, rinkochak, proom." It sang very tunelessly.

"The Sorting hat's been a bit off when it comes to the songs since it was put on fire in 1998. But don't worry, it will sort you properly." I was relieved when Professor Sprout said this, "I hope..." That didn't really help.

Professor Sprout then started to read out names. Soon enough, she read out my name.

I walked up to the stool, turned around and sat down on the stool. Just before I put the hat on my head, I saw some people laughing at my still very wet appearence.

I then heard a little voice in my ear, the Sorting hat was talking to me.
"Aaah, yes. Annie, yes, you have a good mind, not afraid of work, very loyal, a good friend and there's courage, oh yes, a great deal of courage." I felt myself starting to blush under the hat. "But where should I put you? I know... RAVENCLAW!!!!" The last word, he said out to the whole hall.

The table on the far left erupted with clapping, I removed the hat and went to the table, not wanting to look a bigger idiot than I already felt. Unfortunately, because my shoes were still wet, I slipped, but by happy accident, I landed, in a sitting position on the Ravenclaw bench. I got a big cheer for that.
I took a quick glance at Luella and saw that the nasty smirk had been wiped off her face and that she was glaring angrily at me.

More students names were called off and finally she came to Tash. Tash was also sorted into Ravenclaw. The Sam girl we had met on the lake was sorted into Gryffindor. Then Petunia Pygge was called up and was sorted Slytherin. Eventually it came to Luella; the sorting hat barely touched her head when it said: "Hey! Get me away from that greasy hair!" No, not really, only joking. It barely touched her head when it yelled "Slytherin!!!"

She took the hat off with a smug look on her face and went to join Petunia Pygge. Just after her, it was Laurie. She put the hat on and it took a while for it to decide her. Finally after a minute or so the hat yelled out "RAVENCLAW!!!" I was cheering and clapping, I was so happy. It was great, all three of us were together. Then Zofka had to be sorted, she was also a Slytherin. When she got to the Slytherin table, she pushed off two Slytherin boys who were goggling at luella and sat down.

Then the sorting ceremony ended and Professor McGonagall stood up to do the start-of-term announcements and the hall went quiet.