The moment that Emaline was waiting for had finally arrived. She was ready. Emaline opened one of the large doors slowly but no one noticed that she had already disappeared. Professor Dumbledore then got on his feet and strolled up to his podium. He began to speak, "Now that we are all settled in and sorted, I want to announce that we have one final sorting. This castle will not only be your home this year but also to a very special guest as well." Suddenly, everyone in the Great Hall was whispering to one another. "You may have heard rumors that an American student is attending Hogwarts. Well, the rumors are true. But we must all make her feel welcome." He stopped a brief moment and raised his hand towards the door. "Please welcome, from our sister school: Ilvermorny School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry and a proud member of Thunderbird House, Ms. Emaline Goode!" Everyone clapped.
The doors opened but there was no one there. "What the...where did she go?" said Dumbledore. Everyone was whispering, wondering what was going on, but there some people were laughing. Suddenly, Dumbledore knew exactly who it was. "AH! There you are!" Emaline raised her hand up and waved, without showing herself to everyone. "Are you ready to introduce yourself to the school, Ms. Goode?" said Dumbledore from across the room. Emaline did not say a word. All she did was give a thumbs up and then it disappeared but she was really nervous.
She whipped out a radio and then pulled out her wand, casting a spell and aimed it at the ceiling and suddenly the Great Hall became very dark. She brought her wand back and pressed play on her radio. The song that played was called "Venus, The Bringer Of Peace" by Gustav Holst. The music reverberated across the Great Hall. It was slow but beautifully eerie. There was a sense of fragility and sensitivity about it. The music was beautiful, calming, romantic, and enigmatic. As it played, an enormous image of the Solar System and of the stars flashed across the Great Hall, along with images of the galaxies and images of meteor showers fanning across the ceiling. There were "oohs" and "aahs" from every table. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had their mouths wide open. "Oh, how beautiful!" said McGonagall. Professor Dumbledore appeared to have tears in his eyes. "Are you crying, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked. "No." Dumbledore denied. Then, at the big climax, in through the doors, Emaline came, walking across the Great Hall. But it was quiet. Not a single word arose from anyone but there was whispering. They seemed to be enjoying the show.
As she came to the spot where Harry and his friend Ron were sitting, she bowed her head to him at a glance. "Wicked!" said Ron. Once the song was over, the torches lit back up and everyone gave a round of applause, triggering cheers and whistles. Emaline smiled at that very faintly before turning her back to face Professor Dumbledore as he approached her.
"Welcome, my dear," said Dumbledore. "That was quite the little show you gave us there." As she approached him, he opened his arms and welcomed Emaline with a hug. "Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you, at last, Professor Dumbledore.," she replied. He smiled warmly and to turned to everyone in the Great Hall and spoke to her from his podium, which had a golden owl on it and was surrounded by candles. "Emaline, we welcome you to Hogwarts. In our school's one-thousand-year history, we have never had an American student before. You are the first. We hope that you make yourself at home here at Hogwarts, as you do at Ilvermorny. I know and admire your school's Headmaster, Alister Breckenridge. Alister is a good teacher, a good friend, and a good man."
"Let tonight mark the beginning of a new pact of friendship between our two great schools.", said Emaline, holding a glass of water and raised it into the air. "To peace and friendship between Ilvermorny and Hogwarts!" Everyone applauded. "Hear hear!" someone shouted from far back at the Gryffindor table. Others joined in. "Hear hear!"
"Now...the moment we have been waiting for is here: Ms. Goode will now be sorted into her house here at Hogwarts, where she will stay for her sixth year of school.," he announced. The Great Hall was quiet once again as Professor McGonagall brought the Sorting Hat again and Mr. Filch brought the stool. Emaline thanked him by shaking his hand and took a seat as Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head. Suddenly it came to life. Again.
"Hmm...Interesting. Most interesting. In all of my years, I have never sorted a Thunderbird before..." the hat mumbled, "Most interesting...You could suit any house here. You are compassionate, brave, mature, temperamental, pure, creative, an idealist, clever, polite, analytical, witty, unconventional, wise, tolerant, profound, patient, shrewd, curious, just and fair, outspoken, daring, loving, kind, gentle, philosophical, rational, collected, full of imagination, resourceful, intuitive, insightful, and adventurous, but your ambition and intelligence are...intriguing," the hat thought aloud."I see that you desire to be in either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. So let's see then. You are very wise indeed, and your friends always look to you for guidance and advice in their hour of need. You're quick on your feet and sharp as a tack, never afraid to make career moves. Yes, you're brave, but it is not glory that you seek, it's knowledge. Ah, I see you have a love for Astronomy, a love for the stars and planets. You have the ability to accurately assess the situation or people and turn this to your advantage. And you are super witty. Everything you say always packs a punch."
"Huh?" said Emaline.
"That's a good thing," said the hat. There was a small chuckle from across the Great Hall, "Ooh...You have a deep and ancient soul and a mind full of questions, You have the ability to see the big picture and you're constantly on the search for something deep inside your core. You seek many new ideas, but you are on the search for one single great ideal. Finally," the hat added, "You wish to seek enlightenment and hope to reach a complete state of happiness, knowledge, and wisdom. Ultimately, your greatest priority is to find enlightenment and whatever else you may have chosen as your penultimate ideal," the hat finished.
"Wait...you just assumed ALL of that just by looking into my mind?" said Emaline.
"Well, of course," it said, "After all, I am the Sorting Hat."
"Well, in that case, I'm impressed." The hat smiled and gave a soft chuckle.
"Oh, yes...yes. Yes, yes!" the hat said quietly, "It's all coming clear to me now. I know just the house for you, young lady! RAVENCLAW!!" the hat bellowed.
A loud roar arose from the Ravenclaw table and she shook Dumbledore's hand, elated and relieved. The teachers all clapped. Harry got up and clapped. Dumbledore offered to allow Emaline to say a few words and she said yes. Emaline stepped up to the podium and took a deep bow to everyone in front of her and then bowed to Professor Dumbledore. She then took a deep breath. Everyone had her attention.
"On behalf of the United States Of America, and the students and staff of Ilvermorny School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry," Emaline began, "I think myself more fortunate than all of my fellow citizens in...in having the distinguishing honor of being the first of my people to ever attend the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world and to stand in the presence of Albus Dumbledore, a name that is just as famous in my homeland...as it is around the world. Many of my fellow classmates at Ilvermorny often dream of going to school at Hogwarts. Now, for the first time in this school, that is rich with history, that dream has come true." Emaline paused for a brief moment, "It's truly an honor to be here tonight, especially to be sorted into the house of those who prize wisdom, intelligence, wit, and learning. I hope to be instrumental in restoring confidence and affection between our two great schools who, though separated by an ocean, are both so similar in almost every way. But make no mistake, I plan to continue my education here at Hogwarts, even if it's just for one year, just as all of you do, maybe play Quidditch on the side too, but I want to make one thing perfectly clear: that, first and foremost, I am a Thunderbird. I always will be. I'm sure you have lots of questions about Ilvermorny and I would be happy to answer all of them. Within reason, of course," she offered,
"Knowledge is sought only by those who excel and take leaps upon bounds in search of the ever-fruitful gain that awaits them at the end of their ever-winding path only to discover more questions than answers and a new path that leads them to conclude that knowledge is ever boundless and nevermore-ending and as they take that first step into a whole new world that will leave more than a few in a clueless fit, only the best, only the brightest that radiate more curiosity in their eye that seems to twinkle with an ever-burning passion to pursue more, can find themselves spell-bound by just the thought and opportunity to pursue a calling higher than themselves, an adventure that always leaves them asking more than they questioned and continuously thrist for more in a never ending quest to search for a world where with each question they proceed to climb forwards in the eternal pursuit of Knowledge. Some say knowledge is power. I say knowledge is like a ladder we are climbing. Learning and learning, climbing and climbing....higher and higher. But knowledge can be a danger, like it is to limb that ladder. Knowledge can be used wrong and it may end bad....just like it is to fall from said ladder. So some things shall better remain unknown and unclimbed. Thank you," she bowed one last time. Everyone rose to their feet and gave her a standing ovation.
"Finally, I would like a sing a song for all of you to mark this night as a night of friendship between Ilvermorny and Hogwarts: It's my school's song." She brought out her messenger bag and pulled out her ukulele and started tuning it. This was a very uncommon sight in the British Wizarding World. The people at the Slytherin table were whispering to each other. "What is that?" said Malfloy. "I think that's one of those Muggle instruments. It's a ukulele," said his friend, Pansy Parkinson.
She then began to sing:
"Caw-caw, Caw-caw!
Purr-purr!
Hiss-hiss!
Puk-puk!"
She began playing her instrument and everyone began clapping along.
"We stand as one united,
Against the Puritan.
We draw our inspiration
From good witch Morrigan.
For she was persecuted
By common wandless men.
So she fled from distant Ireland,
And so our school began.
Oh! Ilvermorny - Massachusetts!
We choo-choose it!
We choo-choose it!
The wizard school supreme.
Your castle walls, they kept us safe.
The days with you, a dream
You taught us all our magic
And now one thing's quite clear
Where'er we roam
Where'er we roam
Our one true home
Our one and own
Is Ilvermorny dear!"
After she stopped, everyone broke into applause again. "Thank you, Emaline," said Dumbledore, who got back up. "Hogwarts, let's entertain our guest with our own school song before we begin the feast. Please rise." Everyone rose up from their seats. Emaline noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed. Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words. "Everyone picks their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!" And the school bellowed:
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now, they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot."
"HOORAY!!" the entire school cheered. "Never gets old!" someone shouted. Everybody finished the song at different times. "Thank you very much, Emaline," Dumbledore whispered, "You may go and join your classmates." She left the podium and walked over to the Ravenclaw table, where everyone was clapping and already shaking hands with her as she joined them, sitting next to Cho and Marietta. "Congratulations, Emaline!" said Tulip.
"ONE OF US! ONE OF US! ONE OF US! ONE OF US! ONE OF US! ONE OF US!" Ravenclaw was chanting and cheering and pounding on the table until it finally died down. "Silence!" said Professor McGonagall.
"Emaline, hello," a boy with black hair said as he walked up to her. He wore a blue and silver badge. "How are you? I'm Robert Hilliard and I will be your Prefect. Welcome to Ravenclaw. I will also be one of your classmates." He shook Emaline's hand.
"Happy to be here," said Emaline, who took a seat next to Cho, Marietta, and Tulip.
Before we begin our feast," said Dumbledore. "I would like to say a few words. And here they are Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you." He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered.
Emaline didn't know whether to laugh or not. "Is he -- a bit crazy?" she asked Robert. "Crazy?" said Robert airily, "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Emaline?"
Emaline's mouth opened wide open. The dishes in front of her were now piled with food. At Ilvermorny, they had what you would call a "continental potluck" with food that all Americans love but this one had turkey, roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs. Emaline piled her plate high with a bit of everything. All of it was delicious.
"Good evening!" a female ghost said who appeared in front of where Emaline sitting with Marietta and Cho. This ghost looked young and had waist-length hair and wore a rather large dress. "Mercy Lewis!" she exclaimed. "Welcome to Ravenclaw!" the ghost said. "Are you new Ravenclaws going to help us win the House Cup this year? Ravenclaw has gone for so long without winning. For the past six years in a row, Slytherin has won the cup. We hope to change that demographic this year." The older Ravenclaws clapped and cheered. "The Bloody Baron is becoming bloody unbearable!"
"Who was that?" she asked Cho. "That was the Grey Lady," he said. "She's our house ghost and she was once Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter, Helena."
"She's not a very talkative person. Doesn't really like people too much," said Marietta. "Do you have house ghosts at Ilvermorny, Emaline?"
"As a matter of fact, we do," said Emaline as she was cutting her steak. "There's Petrus Lale of Horned Serpent, Cala Maloon is the Wampus ghost, then there's Jonathan Caldwell, who is the Pukwudgie ghost and finally for Thunderbird, there's Verity Wetherell."
"Wait. Verity Wetherell?" said Roger Davies, a third-year Ravenclaw boy who had black hair. "The famous American Quidditch player and broom flyer?"
"Mm-hmm," said Emaline, who couldn't speak because her mouth was full of food.
"Helena! How are you, my dear?!" another ghost said. This one was male.
"Wonderful, Sir Nicholas," she said, "How was your summer?"
"Dismal," he said glumly, "My request to join the Headless Hunt has been denied. Again!"
"That's Sir Nicholas," said Tulip, "He's the Gryffindor house ghost. We also call him Nearly Headless Nick."
"Why?"
"Like this:" Sir Nicholas said irritably, who caught what she was saying. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased with the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck and floated away.
When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later, the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, cookies and milk, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, brownies, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding, cake and so much more. Emaline helped herself to a large bowl of chocolate ice cream and some chocolate chip cookies. It was even better than dinner.
Later, Dumbledore got back from his seat and returned to the podium and began to speak. The dessert all disappeared from the table. "Well, everyone, this was a night...that we will never forget. This was a night of friendship and frivolity and now the time has come for it to end. Ms. Goode," he said pointing to Emaline, "We hope that you enjoy your stay here at Hogwarts. Now off to bed! Pip-pip!"
While the first-year Ravenclaws followed Robert, Emaline, and the rest of the upperclassmen, though full of food and very tired, hiked all the way up to Ravenclaw Tower, located on the western part of the castle where they had to walk up a spiraling staircase until they reached an enormous door with a knocker made of bronze with an eagle on top of it. "Now what happens?" said Emaline.
"See that eagle knocker at the entrance?" Cho said as she pointed at it. "To enter, the eagle will ask you a random riddle. If you answer it correctly, then it will let you in." Suddenly, the eagle knocker came to life and it said: "Only those of quick wit and mind may enter the Ravenclaw Common Room. If you wish to join your peers, you must prove yourself by answering this riddle: What always comes but never arrives?"
After much thought, one student came up in an attempt to solve the riddle. "Tomorrow," said Penelope Clearwater, a fifth-year girl with long curly hair. The large door suddenly opened, revealing a large hole in the wall. Everyone scrambled into the opening. Emaline went first and her mouth dropped wide open.
The Ravenclaw common room was a wide, circular room, airier than any Emaline had ever seen at Ilvermorny. There were graceful arched windows punctuating the walls, which were hung with blue-and-silver silks: The ceiling was domed and painted with stars, which were echoed in the midnight-blue carpet. There were tables, chairs, and bookcases, a piano, a vintage record player playing classical music, and in a niche opposite the door stood a tall statue of white marble and an enormous library, filled with thousands of books on nearly every subject. Both magical and non-magical. Portraits of famous Ravenclaws hung on the walls. There was a shelf full of board games, a chess set that appeared to be hundreds of years old, decks of playing cards, and jigsaw puzzles for students to work on.
"Emaline Goode! Welcome to the Ravenclaw common room!" said an older student who spoke with a heavy Irish accent and wore a blue and silver badge. "If you follow me, I'll escort you to your dormitory." Emaline walked with her up a spiral staircase. "I'm Maureen Malarkey. I will be Head Girl for you and welcome to Ravenclaw. Follow me, please. So you're American and you go to Ilvermorny?"
"Yeah," said Emaline. "I'm from Portland, Oregon. You have a beautiful common room, by the way."
"Oh, thank you!" said Maureen. "During the day, you can get spectacular views of the school grounds, the lake, the Quidditch stadium, the Forbidden Forest, and the Herbology gardens."
"I didn't know you guys like classical music.'' Emaline said as they walked up the staircase.
"We do," said Maureen. ''It's some of the only Muggle music that we like in the Ravenclaw Common Room. Sometimes it helps us concentrate while studying. Who are your favorites?"
"Mozart is my biggest favorite. But I also love Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner, Chopin, Ravel, Debussy, Boccherini, Corelli, and Aaron Copland."
"Well. You have very good taste, Ms. Goode. Copland is new to me."
At the top of a spiral staircase -- they were obviously in one of the towers -- she found her bed at last: five four-posters hung with deep ocean blue, velvet curtains. Her luggage and her new owl, Newton, had already been brought up. On a chair was her uniform, which included her robe with the Ravenclaw crest, a blue and silver scarf and tie, a blue cardigan, a pair of gloves, and a white collared shirt, all folded up. "This one yours," said Maureen. "Your roommates should be up fairly soon. Just let me know if you need anything. Good night." Maureen waved to her and then walked back down the spiral staircase. She tried on her new clothes. Everything fit perfectly. Too tired to talk, Emaline slipped into her pajamas and slumped into her bed. A gentle breeze blew through the window and she quickly fell asleep.