Feeling oddly as though his legs had turned to 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 into the Great Hall.
Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard
Hermione whisper, "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."
It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.
Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.
Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, Harry thought wildly, that seemed the sort of thing -- noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth -- and the hat began to sing:
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffis are true And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.
"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."
Harry. smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but he did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching. The hat seemed to be asking rather alot; Harry didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for him.
哈利感到自己的雙腿像是灌了鉛一樣,十分奇怪。他排在一個(gè)沙土色頭發(fā)男孩子的后面,羅恩緊跟著他。他們這一隊(duì)人重新穿越大廳,走進(jìn)一扇對(duì)開(kāi)的大門,進(jìn)入到了大會(huì)堂。
哈利從未見(jiàn)過(guò)有哪個(gè)地方如此奇怪且輝煌。其他高年級(jí)的學(xué)生都坐在四張長(zhǎng)桌子前,他們頭頂上方竟有數(shù)以千計(jì)的蠟燭在半空中飄浮,將整個(gè)大會(huì)堂照得燈火通明。桌上擺滿了閃閃發(fā)光的金制的碟子和高腳杯。大會(huì)正前面的臺(tái)上還有另一張長(zhǎng)桌子,老師們都坐在那里。麥
分散在學(xué)生中的鬼魂將原本模糊的銀器變得閃亮。為了避開(kāi)臺(tái)下的目光,哈利抬頭仰望,恰巧看見(jiàn)點(diǎn)綴著星星的天鵝絨般美麗的黑色天花板。他聽(tīng)見(jiàn)荷米恩在他耳邊低語(yǔ):"有人曾對(duì)它施了魔法,使它看上去更像外面的星空。這是我在《霍格瓦徹故事》中得知的。"真難以想象其實(shí)大會(huì)堂并不是露天的,堂頂上還有一層天花板。
當(dāng)麥
教授在那四腳凳上放上一頂尖尖的魔法師的帽子。這頂帽子又破又舊又臟。帕尤妮亞姨媽是絕對(duì)不會(huì)讓這頂帽子進(jìn)入她的家門的。
"也許是要從里面變只兔子或者什么吧,"哈利正在胡亂猜測(cè),發(fā)現(xiàn)大會(huì)堂里的每個(gè)人都盯著那帽子看,他也很想看個(gè)究竟。一片死寂。突然,帽子一陣抽動(dòng),在它邊緣的地方裂開(kāi)了一道像人的嘴巴一樣的縫。接著,帽子竟開(kāi)始唱起來(lái):"喚,也許你認(rèn)為我并不美麗,但不要只信任你的眼睛,如果你能找到一頂帽子比我更聰明,你把我怎樣都行。
你的圓頂禮帽黑且亮,你的高頂禮帽滑且高,因?yàn)槲沂腔舾裢邚胤峙涿?,所以它們都沒(méi)我好。
你腦子里想什么我最清楚,所以把我戴上,你該到哪兒就很清楚。
你也許該去格林芬頓,那里的勇士特別多,勇氣、精神和扭力,無(wú)懼挑戰(zhàn)與風(fēng)波;要是你住在海夫巴夫,那里忠誠(chéng)、正直又杰出,人們耐心又誠(chéng)懇,無(wú)懼工作的勞苦;如果你住衛(wèi)文卡羅,那可實(shí)在真是好,學(xué)者、智者一大堆,其他地方不易找;或者住在交林德林,你會(huì)找到朋友與真情,那里的居民有本領(lǐng),那里的美景很吸引。
來(lái)戴上我,千萬(wàn)別膽顫又心驚!
有我保護(hù)安全得很,因?yàn)槲宜枷胫辈⒉淮馈?span lang="EN-US">"當(dāng)帽子表演完他精彩的歌唱,整個(gè)會(huì)堂報(bào)以熱烈的掌聲。它對(duì)著四張坐滿學(xué)生的桌子各鞠了一個(gè)躬,然后又變得紋絲不動(dòng)了。
"看來(lái)我們只需戴一戴那頂帽子就行了。"羅恩低聲對(duì)哈利說(shuō),"該死的弗來(lái)德,他才要去和巨人摔跤呢。"哈利暗自竊笑。確實(shí),戴帽子可比變魔法容易多了,不過(guò)他還是覺(jué)得臺(tái)下沒(méi)有觀眾就更好了。帽子似乎要問(wèn)不少問(wèn)題,而哈利也從不覺(jué)得自己很勇敢或是很聰明。
但愿帽子能對(duì)身體不適的人網(wǎng)開(kāi)一面,直接告知結(jié)果了事,如果真是這樣的話,那他一定能成為幸運(yùn)兒。