Newcomers The Sorting ceremony 2017-2018 Closed

Flustered, a young boy dashed up there. Clueless among the robes and intimidating tables, he narrowly tripped, falling onto the barren wood. Some students laughed from a location Anatole could not discover, but nevertheless he grunted, getting up with a mere scratch and continuing toward the stage.



His face partially red with embarrassment, he grabbed the hat and stuffed it on his head. Some impatient eyes looked at his face, growing pale once more.



Anatole's eyes were drawn to the wide-brimmed hat, muttering under his breath, "Certainly. I was trying my best."

It was relatively challenging for Anatole to refrain from laughing, since this all came as majorly a shock to all around him.



Anatole just waited, wanting to find out, but not with the extreme adrenaline of someone else who knew the ropes from their parents.



Anatole looked up at the brim as it merely spoke a single word.

Reed was called to the hat, and he went silent. He looked from side to side seeing all the people looking for the person that was just called. He HATED attention like this. He waited a bit too long to respond, before he heard again "Reed Wesley, come up here." from the person holding the hat. Reed then took a deep breath and stood up. People started to laugh and say things like "He's shaking. Must be a muggle-born." and the like. Reed walked up to the stage and sat on the chair before the hat was put on him.

"I see....well I would normally have said what you fit into right away, but this is an interesting case...You crave knowledge, but you're a very cunning one. You seem to hide a lot of courage behind that cowardly shell of yours....what to do...." The hat then grumbled, and shook around a bit. It then raised slightly, and yelled "RAVENCLAW!" as the table of people wearing mostly blue colors cheered. Everyone clapped, and Reed's attention went behind him to a woman who he assumed was the head of Ravenclaw. He wasn't exactly sure why, but something about it just felt like it was the case. Perhaps she was clapping just a bit faster than everyone else? Reed was always a bit into reading body language, so maybe he just assumed this. Regardless, he'd find out eventually. He walked to an open spot with the other ravenclaws to be met with smiles, and handshakes. Too bad he didn't remember anyone he sat with when he started walking off towards the dorm...

Aviana wanders through the door of the great hall with her belongings for the sorting ceremony. She was really excited and couldn't wait to see what house she would be placed in. She was feeling a bit nervous as she had not met any friends yet or spoke to anyone. Aviana looks around the room and sees the room filled with lots of magical candles and wizards. She stands in the middle of the room in a line crowded round with the first years listening to a teacher who was taking care of the sorting ceremony. She watches peoples names get called out and placed into houses. None of Aviana's family had been to Hogwarts so she was the first one to go. Hopefully she would be placed in a great house and her half sister Raven would follow in her footsteps.

Eventually her name gets called and she hurriedly goes up feeling excited but a little nervous. She sits down on the chair and the hat is put on her head. Aviana realises all eyes were on her which she enjoyed been the centre of attention for a change. "Ooh a Potter? I see your very loyal and you love to learn new stuff. I think I got your perfect match already Aviana Potter!" the hat says to her. The hall was very silent and it took the hat few seconds to shout "HUFFLEPUFF" Aviana grins as the hat is removed from her head. She stands up and wanders over to the Hufflepuff table.

Isabella followed the First Year in front of her, trying not to get too excited. She started tugging the sleeve of her robe. All she wanted was to be in Gryffindor. She glanced around the room, spotting her brothers on the Gryffindor table, quietly chatting to some of their friends. 'Soon, in a couple of minutes, I'll be there with them' she thought. As the numerous students started getting sorted, Isabella's stomach began to squirm. What if she wasn't in Gryffindor? What would her brothers say? What would her mum say? And then, it was her turn.

Isabella Anderson... sister of Aidan and Felix Anderson, I presume?

Isabella let out a little smile as the Sorting Hat said her name. How long she had waited for this, she had no idea.

Well, you're certainly as witty as a Ravenclaw, and have the sincerity of a Hufflepuff. You're as brave as a Gryffindor, yet as ambitious as a Slytherin. Where to put you, I wonder? Well, since I put your brothers there, I think I will too.
Gryffindor!

Isabella smiled as she put down the hat, and walked towards the Gryffindor table. She slid next to her two brothers as they clapped and cheered for her.
'Well done Bella' Aidan said, as Felix clapped her on the back.

Roma nervously steps up to the stool, having to clamber up onto it, being very small for her age. The hat was far too large for her head, and slipped down over her ears, but she was too busy wiping her hands on her robes to worry about a hat covering her eyes. She shut her eyes, listening to the hat's mumbling. As she'd stood in line, she'd watched the house's reactions as people were sorted into their houses. Gryffindor seemed rather kind, if a little bold and egotistical. The Slytherins, truth be told, had scared her with their jeering and such. The Ravenclaws were calm, perhaps a little cold, but nice nonetheless. The Hufflepuffs had seemed, to her, like the best house, for they were warm-hearted and very kind to the first years who had been sorted there. She shut her eyes, breathing in and out slowly, scared that she would burst into tears in front of the whole crowd. To distract herself, she tried paying attention to the Hat's words.
"You seem to be an ambitious one... Slytherin? No... perhaps Ravenclaw? You are quite the intelligent one, but that can't be right... Not Gryffindor... then that leaves... HUFFLEPUFF!"
Breathing out a sigh of relief from finally being able to get off the stage from everybody's sight, she runs over to the yellow clad Hufflepuffs, doing her best to smile, and settling in a seat away from the rest. Despite her wanting to make new friends, she was quite shy, and thought that she'd let somebody else start a conversation.

Although some of her peers looked at their impending fate with anxiousness and trepidation, Rita stood in the line, fidgeting with impatience. Ever since her mother had told her about Hogwarts, all she ever wanted was to get to get here, begin studying, and prove herself. And now that moment was finally at hand. The only thing standing in her way were the handful of other first years that happened to be ahead of her. A name would get called, it wouldn't be hers, and she would increasingly antsy. She would fiddle with her wand in her hands, readjust her glasses despite them being exactly where they needed to be, and tap her feet on the ground, in a failed attempt to wait patiently for her turn.

After what felt like an eternity, the booming voice finally called out "Rita Frost!" She let out a long sigh, not sure how much longer she could've contained herself. With a quick brush of her hair, removing it from her face, she stepped up to the stage with a bright, unchecked grin.

The Sorting Hat was placed on her head, followed by an immediate, lingering silence. Slowly, Rita's confident smile would start to wane. She opened her mouth to speak, but wast interrupted

"No, I am not broken, child" shouted the hat, causing Rita to release an involuntary gasp "i'm simply... thinking. I can tell, there's a very specific house you're hoping for, isn't there?"

Rita nodded, her confident smile quickly returning to her face "That's right. Ravenclaw, same as my mom"

"Oh mommy was a Ravenclaw, was she?" another short pause "Yes... that would be a good fit. And yet, I can tell there's a layer of cunning and pride. You would definitely make a nice an excellent Slytherin"

Rita tensed up, at the thought of being placed in any other house. Another long silence proceeded, and Rita could almost swear that the cogs turning in the hats mind (assuming it had a mind), flip flopping about what house Rita would find herself in for the remainder of her Hogwarts career. She clenched both fists tight enough to break concrete, desperately waiting for the hat to say anything.

The amount of time that passed was unknown to Rita, but when the hat spoke once more, it was one, simple, loudly spoken word:

"Ravenclaw!"

Xeno was shivering in anticipation when his name was called. He forced himself to walk, not run, to take a seat on the stool at the front of the hall. The hat, once placed on his head, fell over his eyes, blocking his view of the world. He panicked, momentarily, as he didn't enjoy the feeling of vulnerability that came with blindness. However, he simply clenched his fists and felt with it. He couldn't afford to make a fool of himself here.

"Ah, what do we have here..." Xeno jumped slightly as a voice spoke inside his head. "Ambition, intelligence, and a hint of something else... Yes, a lust for power. But where to put you?"

"I would like to go in Slytherin, if you don't mind." Xeno thought, and it was like a whisper in his mind. The hat chuckled.

"Yes, yes, I know what you want. The question is, do you fit there? I see some Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tendencies within you, too."

"You said yourself, I'm ambitious. That's a Slytherin tendency. And I'm cunning, and my mum agrees, that's the only house I would fit in." Xeno felt seeds of panic blossom in his mind. He wasn't a Hufflepuff, or a Gryffindor, or even a Ravenclaw. He was a Slytherin!

"Calm down, little snake. Of course, I know that. I just wanted to make sure you were sure. You seem pretty adamant about it, though, so who am i to refuse you?"

Then, out loud this time, the hat shouted its decision; "Slytherin!"

Xeno sighed in relief. "Thank you."

Erik had very little idea what to expect as soon as he stepped foot into the Great Hall, but much like Diagon Alley he was in awe of what he found there. All of the floating candles floating above the ables, against the bewitched ceiling he could have sworn that he was seeing starlight dance before his eyes. Everyone around the four long tables talked amongst themselves, laughing, punching each other jovially, and for a moment that sense of wonderment threatened to flicker out as he felt out of place among them once again. After swallowing that depressing feeling down he trooped along with his fellow first-years towards the front of the long, crowded room. At the head of the hall was a stool, perched in front of the teacher's table, and sat upon it was a funny looking, well-worn hat.

For a moment he just furrowed his brow at the peculiar sight, until a seam ripped open near the brim and it actually started to sing. Erik felt himself jump back at the sight and sound of it, his cheeks reddening slightly as a few laughs cut through the constant murmur in the room. So this was the world that his mother had belonged to? There were so many strange things, so many things to learn, and that was a thought that both excited and terrified him.

Once the song had completed Erik looked around expectantly, until the first of many names were called. After that the order of things became very clear to him, it was alphabetical, which meant he would be coming up sooner rather than later. There was very little that his Muggle father could tell him about the wizarding world, but he did know about the four houses of Hogwarts. His mother, while she attended the school, had been in Ravenclaw. According to his father she had considered it the cleverest of the four houses, perfect for someone who often preferred the company of a crisp book above all others. Of course, his father was quick to point out that he was an exception to this rule.

"Flagg, Erik!" called a voice from somewhere in the room, which quickly pulled him out of his own clogged mind. With shaky legs and resolve he stepped forward towards the stool, casting an uneasy glance at the woman holding the hat aloft, an expectant look on her face.

As soon as he hat sat on the stool he felt himself growing queasy, and that feeling double as soon as the hat touched the top of his head. Suddenly, a voice made itself known.

Hmmm..

Erik looked up, trying to get a glimpse, but all he could see was the lofty brim of the hat.

I sorted your mother some years ago, yes, I remember her well. A fierce intelligence, to that there can be no doubt, though a bit aloof if my memory serves. You share that cleverness, good, very good, but there is also trepidation in your past. Yes. Injustice. And a thirst to start new, fresh, your ambition is great in this regard. Slytherin could serve your ambition. Gryffindor would explain your bravery in the past. Hufflepuff, well, that could explain your strength of spirit..

He swallowed, he had never been spoken to this way before, especially in front of so many strangers.

But no, like mother like son, both virtue and flaw. You are a Ravenclaw!

For a reason he still didn't fully understand he felt a wave of relief wash over him. Perhaps it was because his mother had been a Ravenclaw, but he found it just as likely that he was just relieved to see it over with. A long table of his fellow students waited for him, cheering, clapping, and with a small smile tugging the corner of his lips he made the walk toward them.

"I wonder if having magic stunts your growth?" This random thought popped into Samuel's head as he as random thoughts so often did. "I will have to check my books and see if there is anything written about this" it would be faster to simply ask one of his new professors for this information but being solitary and independent by nature Samuel preferred to find the answers on his own.

This thought unlike some of the others he had had actually had some merit. Samuel was on the small side for his age (at least compared to the boys back home) but looking around here almost everyone might consider themselves to be smaller than average "does this make me an average size wizard? Or is everyone in this class just smaller than usual?"

Dragging his wandering thoughts back to hand he caught the end of the sorting hats song. "Slytherin eh? that sounds like the place for me" Nervously clutching the small bag of tiny battered and care worn tin soldiers his grandfather had given him though the pocket of his new robes.

The tiny soldiers were his talisman against fear, and just now he was feeling afraid. He imagined the tin soldiers life size and moving, ringing him in their protective presence. Like he so often did when he was being bullied by the boys back home. "I'm a wizard now!" The thought was almost caustic in his mind"I can do magic. I can do anything! One day I will make my soldiers move if I study hard enough than no one will bully me again!

Some part of him knew he was focusing on these thoughts to avoid all the strange and wondrous things taking place around him. the floating candles, the ceiling that showed the night sky outside, the massive tables and all those people. Yes, better to stay in the safety of his thoughts then have to deal with all of this excitement. At least until he had time to adjust at any rate.

"Crocker, Samuel" his eyes snapped back into focus at the sound of his shouted name. Looking to the professor holding the hat aloft waiting for min to approach he almost froze "Relax Samuel, you are a wizard. You have power, and you're not as small as you thought you were" that last thought nearly made him smile. Nearly. It was enough to get him moving toward his future.

After settling himself on the stool the hat was lowered over his eyes. almost immediately there was a loud and strong voice in his head. "Samuel Crocker, muggle born and it seems determined to join Slytherin house" he wasn't sure but the hat almost seemed amused about something. "You have a decent mind and a desire to solve problems with research, but I don't see your future with Ravenclaw. hmm, no I think you were right with those ambitions you are best suited for, Slytherin!"

With that last shouted word the hat was whisked away from his head. He knew from listening to his fellows on the train that the green table was Slytherin's. Had he not learned that it would have been obvious where he was to go by the cheering he heard coming from that table. With a smile on his lips and a hand still clutching his talisman Samuel Crocker went to join his new house.

Avery was relatively calm, all through going to King's Cross, passing through Platform 9¾, heading onto the train, crossing the lake... It wasn't till she was in the Great Hall itself that a little niggling of nervousness started to eat away at her. The upperclassmen were all seated at their respective tables, gawking openly at the little ickle firsties, and while Avery was not usually one to feel self-conscious, their staring was starting to make her feel the teeniest bit on edge.

But she shouldn't have anything to worry about, she told herself. She already knew which house she wanted to be sorted into. And she already had a game plan -- head up there, let the professor set the hat on her head, and politely ask the hat if she could please be sorted into her house of choice. It would be simple, and besides, Avery didn't see why she wouldn't be allowed access into her house of choice. Avery could be ridiculously astute for her age, and self-evaluation was an integral part of her life. She was quite aware that she seemed to fit the criteria for Slytherin house.

"Landon, Avery!"

When her name was called, Avery Landon took a deep breath and started making her way up to the front of the Great Hall, ignoring the stares and attention from the other firsties and upperclassmen. She gave a small bow to the professor standing by the stool, turning and fluidly smoothing her robes out from under her, before taking a seat. The hat was placed on her head, and promptly dropped over her eyes, blocking out the sight of the thousands of staring eyes.

"Hmm... A Landon, eh? Haven't met anyone with your last name in a long while, now... Hm... Let's see... What's in here...? I see a lot of bravery, but also a lot of wit... Intelligence, too, and emotional strength...

"May I please be sorted into Slytherin, Mister Hat?" Avery thought to herself, cutting to the chase altogether. She was sure that the Sorting Hat would appreciate the bluntness -- he had a long night ahead of him, after all, having to sort hundreds of students...

"Ah, yes, short and to the point, as always, Miss Landon... Yes, yes... Slytherin could be a good house for you. A place for you to make like-minded lifelong friends... You'll go far in Slytherin, if you put in the hard work... Well... Looks like we have nothing left to discuss, since your mind is already made up... In that case... Better be... SLYTHERIN!

Avery heard the last word yelled out to the crowds, raucous cheers and applause making their way to her ears in the next moment. The hat was lifted from her head, and Avery grinned, stepping down from the stool.

She turned around briefly to regard the hat, who had gone still and unmoving once more. "Thanks, Mister Hat!" she called out, even offering the accessory a wink, before she turned back and was off, on her way to the green table!

This year would be great.