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”the

start-of-term ba will begin shortly, but before you take your

seats i hall, you will be sorted into your houses. the

s is a very important y because, while you are here,

your house will be something like your family within hogwarts. you

will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house

dormitory, aime in your house .

”the four houses are called gryffindor, hufflepuff, ravenclaw,

and slytherin. each house has its owory and each has

produced outstanding witd wizards. while ywarts,

your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking

will lose house points. at the ehe house with the

most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. i hope each

of you will be a credit to whies yours.

”the s y la a few minutes in front

of the rest of the school. i suggest you all smarten yourselves up

as much as you while y.”

her eyes lingered for a moment on nevilles cloak, which was

fastened under his left ear, and on rons smudged nose. harry

ried to flatten his hair.

”i shall return when we are ready for you,” said professor

magall. ”please wait quietly.”

she left the chamber. harry swallowed.

”how exactly do they sort us into houses?” he asked ron.

”some sort of test, i thi hurts a lot, but i

think he was joking.”

harrys heart gave a horrible jolt. a test? in front of the whole

school? but he didnt know any magic yet -- what oh would he

have to do? he haded somethihe moment they

arrived. he looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else

looked terrified, too. alki hermione

granger, hisperi about all the spells shed

learned and w whie shed need. harry tried hard not to

listen to her. hed never been more nervous, even when

hed had to take a se to the dursleys saying that

hed somehow tureachers wig blue. he kept his eyes fixed

on the door. any seow, prall would e back

ao his doom.

thehi made him jump about a foot in the

air -- several people behind him screamed.

”what the --?”

he gasped. so did the people around him. about twenty ghosts

had just streamed through the back early-white and slightly

trahey glided across the room talkiher and

hardly glang at the first years. they seemed t. what

looked like a fat little monk was saying: ”five a,

i say, we ought to give him a sece --”

”my dear friar, havent we givehe ces he

deserves? he gives us all a bad name and you know, hes not really

even a ghost -- i say, what are you all doing here?”

a gh a ruff and tights had suddehe

first years.

nobody answered.

”s!” said the fat friar, smiling around at

them. ”about to be sorted, i suppose?”

a few people ely.

”hope to see you in hufflepuff!” said the friar. ”my old house,

you know.”

”move along no voice. ”the s ys

about to start.”

prall had returned. ohe ghosts

floated away through the opposite wall.

”norall told the first years,

”and follow me.”

feeling oddly as though his legs had turo lead, harry got

into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with ron behind him, and

they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through

a pair of double doors i hall.

harry had never even imagined suge and splendid

place. it was lit by thousands and thousands of dles that

were floating in midair tables, where the rest of

the studeiables were laid with glittering

golden plates ahe top of the hall was an

table where the teachers were sitting. prall led

the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line

fag the other stu