The Making of a Peacock

Chapter 4

Hogwarts

There were three girls directly ahead of Gilderoy boarding the train. "Cissy," the tallest one said, "did you remember your hairbrush this year?" She laughed and flipped her own dark hair over her shoulder. The youngest girl paused and turned back to glance toward their luggage. When Gilderoy saw her face he was transfixed. What a lovely creature; hair of spun gold, eyes the color of the sea, a laugh like silver bells. He had never seen a more beautiful girl.

Abruptly he found himself pushed aside as another student shouldered by him. It was the boy he bumped into in Diagon Alley. Lucius was his name.

"Narcissa, it is good to see you again," said Lucius as he took her by the elbow. Narcissa smiled and blushed, and Gilderoy found himself growing angry. Lucius glanced at the other two girls and acknowledged them with a slight nod each. "Bellatrix. Andromeda," he said curtly.

The girls looked almost identical except one girl had raven-black hair, and the other girl had lighter brown hair. The black-haired girl turned up her nose and left to claim a car, but the brown-haired girl smiled warmly before turning and boarding the train herself. Then Narcissa and Lucius disappeared into the train.

Narcissa. Such an elegant name. He wondered how many strokes she gave her hair every night for it to shine like the sun.

"Come on now, let's not hold up the line." Gilderoy was broken out of his reverie by an older girl sidling past him. "Poor little First-Year. I'll take pity on you. Follow me. I'm Rita by the way." She was square-faced with short blonde hair. She continued to jabber on as Gilderoy followed her into a train car. He was surprised to see it was already occupied by a small boy with dark hair. "...the Black sisters," Gilderoy heard Rita say. "They aren't really very nice if you ask me. Well, I guess the middle one is okay. But they're all in Slytherin. Slytherins don't really talk to students of other houses..."

The small boy looked up at them with fearful eyes. Gilderoy smiled at him as he sat down, and Rita kept babbling. "...Ravenclaw is the house you want. Xenophilius Lovegood and I have started a student paper this year. We're calling it Pumpkin Juice," she continued.

Once the train was in motion for awhile, Rita announced that she had secured an exclusive interview with George and Holly, the Head Boy and Girl, and would be back later.

The train-car was uncomfortably quiet after Rita left. The small boy was watching the landscape through the window.

"Well, she certainly enjoys conversation," said Gilderoy, breaking the silence.

The other boy looked up and contemplated him for a moment. "Y-yes, one-s-sided, it would seem," he squeaked. And they both laughed.

"I'm Gilderoy Lockhart. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Q-Quirinus Q-Quirrell. Likewise."

The Sorting Ceremony

Gilderoy walked up to the front and took the sorting hat from Lestrange, Rabastan, who had just been sorted into Slytherin. What an ugly, dusty old thing. He really did not want it touching his silken curls. Goodness knows how many heads it had sat on in its pitiful existence. What if it was infested with lice?

"No dilly-dallying, Mr. Lockhart," came Professor McGonagall's curt voice. She promptly plucked the sorting hat out of his hands and unceremoniously plopped it on his head. The hat was too large and slid down over his ears and eyes. The noises from the banquet hall muffled, and Gilderoy's nostrils filled with the scent of dust, mothballs, and greasy hair.

Ewww, let's make this quick, thought Gilderoy.

All right then, responded the hat, Slytherin.

Mm... no, I think green has been a bit overdone this season, don't you? Besides, it doesn't go very well with my coloring. Do you have something in blue? thought Gilderoy.

The sorting hat paused for a long time. Finally it said, I sense a cleverness in you. Perhaps you are not aware of it yourself, but in time you will find it to serve you well. "Better be RAVENCLAW for you!"

Gilderoy pulled the hat off with relief, both at getting the disgusting, old thing off his head and at knowing he was privy to the best colour palette at the school. He eagerly passed the hat off to Longbottom, Frank, as he headed to the Ravenclaw table. Rita motioned for him to sit in the empty space next to her.

He watched the rest of the sorting while listening to a play-by-play from Rita about each of the new students. When Podmore, Sturgis got sorted into Hufflepuff, Rita said, "Oh, that's rotten luck. Everyone knows Hufflepuffs aren't good at anything. Poor bloke will probably never be part of anything more adventurous than reading an outdated copy of the Daily Prophet."

"Quirrell, Quirinus." said Professor McGonagall in a clear voice. Quirinus practically fell off his bench and then tripped over his own feet on his way to the front.

"S-s-sorry," Quirinus stammered. Gilderoy felt embarrassed for his new friend. Some people just weren't made to be in front of a crowd though. To his delight, the sorting hat shouted, "RAVENCLAW!" and Quirinus stumbled over toward Gilderoy and Rita.