Newcomers The Sorting ceremony 2017-2018 Closed

November had done his very best to shrink himself and vanish among the dozens of black-clad students as they all arrived in the great hall, though he couldn't help but allow himself to marvel at the ceiling of endless night, the hundreds of candles dancing like dust motes below it. He at last allowed himself a smile, began to wonder if maybe, just maybe, he could be happy here.

And then, as they all filed into line to wait for their sorting test, A kind-eyed teacher introduced the Sorting Hat, who then explained just what it would take to get into a house.

And November stopped cold.

Read his mind, he thought, his eyes going wide, his skin going paler, his body rooted to the spot, the hat would read his mind. The hat would know what was in his mind. Gradually, numb shock was swallowed up by heavy despair. There would be no secrets anymore, and once there were no secrets, well, who could possibly want him? They'd send him back to St. Romuald's, surely, if not some place even worse than that, some place dark and cold where he'd never know freedom again.

He began to move again just as the other children started to wonder about the holdup, but his steps were halting, shaky, panic seizing his form. Did he just, run, right then and there? Sure, he might have to give up this brand new sparkly dream of magical academy, but if they didn't catch him, he might be able to scrape out a life on his own still, and that couldn't be too terribly worse than St. Romuald's. But then, who was he kidding, really? If magic was real, then all of these others were more than well-versed in it. They would catch him in an instant. There was absolutely no hope for escaping unscathed.

So he marched onward, looking like a condemned man heading for the executioner's gallows, more than a small boy about to find out which house he'd be in in his school. When his name boomed out across the hall, his head bowed, his throat closed, and silent tears began to spill from his eyes. They glistened on his cheeks as he strode to the chair, unable to choke back the sniffles any longer, the soft, heartbroken sobs.

The hat was stunned into silence for a moment when it was placed upon his head, deluged by the onslaught of garbled -pleasedon'tseepleasedon'ttellpleasenopleasedon'tpleasepleaseplease- before at last, it spoke. "Calm down, child! You are in no harm or danger, I assure you. If it's your secrets you fear for, rest assured they're safe with me. Besides, I'm sure I've seen worse than anything you're trying to hide pass through these halls." November, on the other hand, wasn't. But he was reassured by the hat's insistence on his relative innocence, thinking it must not be able to see how bad things really were. And so, he relaxed.

"Hmph," the Hat grumbled as it fished through his mind, "Interesting, very interesting... What did you say your name was again, boy? There's something familiar about you...."

"November Morsus," he whispered, his voice a barely audible squeak of terror.

"Morsus, Morsus... Can't say I recall the name. Curious. In any case.. There certainly is a great deal of darkness in you, to be sure... However, you've also got kindness in droves, and quite a thirst for knowledge! Perhaps a Ravenclaw? Or a Gryffindor?" November squirmed a bit, wondering if he was allowed to voice any opinion at all. His question was soon answered when the hat went on, "What do you think, boy? Go on, speak up..."

"I like the one with the snake," November whispered softly, "I love snakes...."

"Very well! Perhaps that darkness will be tempered in Slytherin, they're certainly used to your lot...." And thus, it spoke the name aloud, the green and silver table cheered, and November, for the first time in his life, was given a home.

A chill ran down Karlyn's spine as the ginormous oak doors to The Great Hall opened with a subtle creek. This was it - the moment of truth. Having a last name that started with an "A" Karlyn was used to being called first for just about everything. Normally she didn't mind it, but this was a bit of a peculiar situation, and she sincerely hoped that she could observe the process before being made to do it herself.

The First Years slowly shuffled in to The Great Hall. Once Karlyn finally made it through, she couldn't help but let out a gasp as her jaw dropped in awe of the spectacular sight before her. There were floating candles scattered across the top of the room, and the ceiling appeared to have no real end. It looked like it was just infinite starry sky.

Karlyn was so awestruck she actually forgot she had to keep walking, which caused a few of her classmates shoot her a nasty look. She picked up the pace, but continued to glance back at the candles, determined to find the string that was holding them up, though after a few moments it became apparent that she had searched in vain. All of it really sunk in at that moment - she was a Witch, and she was currently walking through an ancient school of sorcery that had candles that magically floated of their own accord.

Realizing what she had gotten herself into, the girl was filled with doubt. Was she really meant to be here? How could they be sure that she was a Witch? Sure, she'd had a few odd things happen to her in her lifetime, but didn't everyone? What if she got to her first lesson, couldn't perform a bit of magic, and the Headmaster realized the mistake and sent her home in a mess of shame and defeat? The mere thought of it was terrifying.

Just as she was getting really worked up, the first student was called to the stool, and it wasn't Karlyn, which came as a relief. The momentary break in tension gave Karlyn the boost she needed to re-center, and she giggled quietly at herself when she realized how ridiculous she was being. These people were Wizards - clearly they had a well-defined method of determining who should and shouldn't go to their school, and they had been confident enough in Karlyn to actually send her a letter inviting her here.

Karlyn did her best to keep her focus on the positive, being sure to smile at her fellow students as they got their turn on the hot seat. She felt like everyone could use a little of encouragement, and it's certainly what she would want someone to do for her. At least they were all in this together.

"Amherst, Karlyn." The voice rang out in the hall like a beautiful melody. Filled with anxious anticipation, Karlyn walked up to the stool with a smile plastered on her face the whole way. If she continued to smile, maybe her classmates wouldn't know how nervous she was.

The hat was placed on her head, and the rest of the room faded into the background as Karlyn focused on what it was saying.

I sense plenty of doubt, but also a need to prove your worth. You are quite courageous. But oh, what's this.. I see a sense of unfathomable kindness, and a desire to help others.. There's also an abundance of curiosity, and even a sort of hunger for knowledge.

Karlyn shifted uncomfortably, immediately reminded of how curious she had been to find out who her biological parents were at first. She quickly rejected the thought, reminding herself again that it didn't matter, and she already had a pair of loving parents and that was enough.

Oh, what's that? My dear, Rowena treasured curiosity in her students most dearly, so there's no need to make a fuss. You'd do well in Ravenclaw, you know.

That hat paused, and Karlyn frowned. I don't know who Rowena is, but I don't mind where you put me, as long as it's a place where I can fit in, she thought, hoping the hat could hear her.

A place to fit in? Well, if that's what you desire most.. I do feel a longing for friendship and acceptance, and a willingness to work hard to achieve your goals.. If that's what you hold most dear, I know just the place for you...

HUFFLEPUFF!

'Dad, what house were you in at Hogwarts?'

Dexter Anderson thought for a moment. "Gryffindor," he replied, his face slipping into a comfortable smile. He repeated it twice more, spelling the word out with his hands.
'Was it nice?' Kalani signed back to him. As her hands moved, the bracelets around her wrists clicked and clacked together, the largest and most noticeable one being an orange one. Across the large plastic beads, 'I AM DEAF' screamed out in black capital letters.
"Very," he said. "You know, I think you'd fit right in."

Kalani thought about this as she walked into the Great Hall. Her dad had told her what it was going to be like, but she'd thought he was being dramatic. If anything, he'd made it sound less cool! The room was so massive, and lit just by floating candles. The ceiling - her dad had told her that it was, really, a ceiling - was full of stars and misty clouds. The room screamed magic!

She was making herself look like she'd never seen magic before. You wouldn't believe that she'd been raised with magic at all. But it had never been a big part of her life, not until now. They'd lived in such a muggle-filled area, and her parents didn't have magic jobs. Her parents didn't like to use magic for chores, in case anyone saw. Her parents kept their wands locked away like muggles locked away their guns. The last time she remembered magic being used was when she scraped her knee when she was young, and her mother used a charm to clean it and bandage it and make it stop hurting. That had been years ago!

She followed the crowd to the front of the hall, where the other first years were gathering. She pushed through the bodies of the taller people, until she found herself at the front of the group. From here, she'd be able to read the lips of the teachers, and the sorting hat if she needed to.

A teacher started to talk, a blonde man. Lip reading came naturally to Kalani, but she could still slip up. Some words looked the same, like salad and talent or stupid and show me. So, she paid extra close attention. She couldn't afford to miss anything - what if it was important? She was glad that it was a short speech, until she read the word 'song'.

'Aw, c'mon!' Kalani thought. Songs didn't mean anything to Kalani. She really wanted this to be over already. She tried to read the hat's lips, but it's mouth was so wide and moved differently to a regular persons that she missed most of the song anyway. She watched as the other first years moved to take the seat at the front of the hall, and the hat was sat on their heads. Soon, she was able to figure out how to read the hat's lips. At least when it came to the houses. But more importantly was watching the professor's lips, making sure she didn't miss her name.

"Kalani Anderson!"

Finally!

She rushed up the stairs, an eager skip in her step and face beaming. She sat in the chair with such force that she almost tipped it, and though she couldn't hear it she watched a few faces in the crowd light up in laughter. She giggled nervously, and the next thing she knew the hat had been put on her head.

It was bigger than she'd thought, and heavier too. It flopped over her eyes, and she used one hand to lift it up. The plastic beads of her bracelets click-clacked around.

'You're Dexter's girl!' The hat cried out in her head.
She hadn't realised it was going to talk to her! She breathed in sharply, eyes widening and her mouth hanging open, and she was sure she saw people laughing again. They didn't realise: this was the first time she'd ever heard anything, apart from her own voice in her head. She sat in the stool, totally dumbfounded, arms hanging lank between her legs.
'It's a shame what happened to him. He could have been great, if he hadn't gotten distracted. If you're anything like him, then this'll be easy...'
The hat made several thinking-sounds. 'Well, you are brave and loyal in equal measures. Just like your father, really. What do you think? Want to be like your dad?'
Kalani didn't realise that the hat was actually asking. 'Yeah, please!' She answered tentatively.

'Well then...'

"GRYFFINDOR!"

This scene had played in her head over and over again since she was a small child. She recalled her mother telling her of many stories of her time at Hogwarts. Her mother had been a Ravenclaw student herself so she hoped to join the same house as her mother. Listening to the sorting hat's song had her smiling, she found it to be a rather amusing yet interesting song at the same time. Tsubaki looked around her as she waited for her name to be called. Once she had heard her name she took a deep breath and walked up and took the sorting hat and placed it upon her head as she was instructed to do. Inside of her head she had heard it's voice talking to her.

"Hmm...a bright mind and yet a thirst to prove what you can do...now where shall I place you," the hat had mused in a mumbled voice. She clenched either side of the stool she had been sitting on with her hands looking almost white as one of the ghosts she had seen about the school. She recalled the conversation she had with her mother the day before.

"Now Tsubaki, I know it is scary going to a new school with so much to learn and so many new people to meet. I want you to remember one thing though, there is no such thing as a bad house at Hogwarts. I know Slytherin has a pretty bad reputation but not every person in that house is bad. I will be proud of you regardless of what house you go into, just try your best and follow your dreams," she could still her mother's voice in her head and feel her ruffling her hair with her bright smile. With this memory she renewed her determination to do her best here and follow her dreams.

Several moments passed and she was snapped back to reality when she heard the hat yell out for all to hear," Better be, RAVENCLAW!" hearing those words nearly made her jump in surprise from being in her own head. After she had realized what the hat had said she nearly jumped for joy. Instead though, she took the hat from her head and placed it back on the stool and ran to the table where her fellow Ravenclaws all sat and found a place for her to sit. She was ecstatic, just like her mother she had gotten into Ravenclaw, she couldn't wait to tell her all about it.

Charles entered the great hall with the other new students. He took in the surroundings of the great all and its four long tables filled with students of each house. He took in the smells of the food that were being served as well laughter and giggling. But none of that mattered to him, No he could care less about making meaningful friends or sharing jokes with other students. No his parents sent him to this school so he could learn not make friends. As he moved up in the line and each of the student was sorted into the house finally it was his turn. “ Charles York “ A professor yelled out. He took his time walking to the sorting hat and then promptly sat on the stool and waited for the hat to be placed on his head

“ Ah What do we have here. Another york family member. I remember your family very much all the way to your great grandfather. All Slytherin as well. One of the few families that have ever had that kind of luck“ The sorting hat said into his ear its raspy voice clear..what the hat said was nothing new to him because he was told this by his father. Told that he came from a proud line of slytherins and that he had hope to be sorted into the same house as his whole family or he will be a disgrace. He kept his mind clear although a part of him wanted the hat to know just what house he wanted to be sorted in. “ Do you want to be in Slytherin charles. That would be the most fitting to you.. But I could see you as a ravenclaw. With your vast wisdom beyond your years.. Yes a ravenclaw.. “ He wanted to tell the hat that he was wrong that he would never fit in ravenclaw. But why did he have to speak any words.. The hat could read his mind and know that he very much wanted to follow in his family footsteps.


“ I see you want to be part of your family legacy. Are you sure Charles you would do well in Ravenclaw but of course you are sure about wanting to follow your family tradition? Fine, you will get your wish" " Slytherin! “ Charles for some reason let out a cheer and walked promptly away from the sorting hat and to the slytherin table. Taking a seat away from most students as he smiled. He had done it.. He had joined the house all of his family had joined when they attended school. He was sorted into Slytherin.

Khris' heart thud unsteadily in his chest.

He had heard the stories of course; his father weaving tales of a great hall with stars for a ceiling and banners that fluttered at the touch of barely visible hands. He had read the books and seen the illustrations and studied and studied until he felt maybe the tiniest bit prepared for what was to come.

He should have known...

Nothing could have prepared him for the grandeur that was The Great Hall.

There was laughter and chattering rumbling about him like an ocean wave, mighty in strength and overehelming in its power. Long tables filled with dark robed students spread across the room and rang with the mumbled conversation of one hundred voices. There were ghosts drifting about and the thrum of magic in the air and it was terrifying and chaotic and fascinating all at once.

"Khris Bailey!"

His attention snapped back to the situation at hand. Right then. He swallowed heavily and clenched his fists to hide the trembling of thin fingers as he took a cautious step forward. This was it. This was the single moment he had been both anticipating and dreading ever since he recieved his letter.

"It's alright to be nervous, Khris, I understand. Just, know you needn't be. The hat knows what it's doing." An encouraging smile was offered from the professor and Khris' silver blue eyes met theirs and nodded, short and sharp. Thankful.

The stool wobbled a bit as he scrambled his way atop it and he could feel his ears burn a bright pink as he turned, the tips of his toes barely brushing the floor. Curses to his diminutive stature. Those thoughts were hastily abandoned once the great, slightly ragged, slightly musty sorting hat was placed atop his head however.

His breath caught.

"MmmHmmm! What have we here?"

Khris stayed silent, his fingers twisting in the hem of his robes as the hat squirmed with a quiet chuckle.

"A bit quiet aren't you. That's alright. Silence is often times the smartest and bravest course of action. Quiet does not mean you have nothing to say... Though I wouldn't know as I rather enjoy chattering everything that comes to mind."

A brief wave of giggles pulsed through the room and Khris' felt himself relaxing just the tiniest bit at the gentle way the hat spoke, not condensending but understanding. He nodded.

"Right then, on to business. Let's see... You're a smart lad and knowledge is clearly important to you as well as being armed with wisdom for any situation. In that way Ravenclaw would suit you well and yet..."

The hat seemed to chew on his thoughts, the mouth pressing into a thin line.

"And yet you have a quiet ambition and silent sense of motivation that I see would benefit greatly from cultivation. Perhaps being in a house that promotes this sort of growth would be most beneficial to you. Hmm... Yes, yes, I think that is right. Slytherin!!!!"

Khris nearly choked on his breath, his eyes blowing wide and face turning an unusual shade of red as the hat's words rang about the room.

Slytherin!? I don't- That doesn't make sense! I'm... me. Not much.

The hat chuckled at his thoughts before murmuring one last thing before being removed and readied for the next student.

"I'm always right, Khris."

With his mind in a haze and his hands hidden deep in his pockets Khris wandered off the stool and down towards his new house table.

Slytherin. Well I never...

Cynthia tried to not openly gape. Of all the things that could have sorted them, it was actually a talking hat? And it had spontaneously burst into song, too. She should have come to terms with the fact that the Wizarding World was full of surprising and wondrous things by now, but she still couldn't shake off the lingering sense of disbelief that clouded her mind. In a way, she was also relieved; at least those rumours of them having to fight to fight a troll were fake! She should have learned not to take such gossip at face value by now.

Still, a feeling of foreboding suddenly seemed to come over her. Did that mean that the hat would be reading their minds when sorting them? Cynthia was an extremely private person, and just the thought of something- even an inanimate object- reading her thoughts and seeing all of her precious memories sent a shiver down her spine. In a way, she would have prefered to fight a troll.

She was jerked back to reality by the sound of the professor beginning to read the long list of First Year students, beginning the Sorting Ceremony. The first student ran up to the hat, eagerly jamming it on their head.

Cynthia stood practically rooted to the spot, trying to think of a way she could still get sorted without the hat having to read her mind. She remembered reading about a technique called Occlumency back in Flourish and Blotts, which supposedly protected your mind from intrusion. It supposedly took months to master though, so that was practically useless to her. 

As more and more students got sorted into their houses and the number of un-sorted students decreased, Cynthia internally sighed, accepting the fact that she was stuck with the hat having to read her mind. 

Eventually, her time to be sorted came.

"Seawright, Cynthia!" announced the professor.

Cynthia was painfully aware of all the eyes watching her every move as she made her way over to the stool at the front of the hall. She composed herself, ignoring her inner turmoil, and sat down on the stool. The faces of all her fellow students were the last thing she saw before the professor dropped the hat onto her head, the over-sized garment obscuring her vision.

"Let's see what we have here..." a voice seemed to suddenly whisper in her ear. Cynthia had to stop herself from violently jolting in shock- was the hat communicating with her in her mind? She felt herself begin to get uneasier by the second. The hat chuckled, it's laughter echoing in Cynthia's head. "You don't like me looking into your head, do you now?" Cynthia gave what was likely the mental equivalent of a vigorous nod, unsure if the had would be able to somehow see it.

It seemed to laugh yet again. "You're rather intelligent, I see, with a natural affinity for learning. You're chock full of ambition as well." The hat paused for a second, likely scanning more of her memories. Cynthia gulped. "You're a coward by no means, either, unafraid to go to desperate measures to attain what you seek. You're willing to work hard if the benefits are to your advantage, and are fiercely loyal to those who prove they won't betray you..."

"Now... the question is where to put you?" The hat fell silent again, and Cynthia was forced to have to acknowledge the tension which lingered in the air all around her.

The hat seemed to finally stumble across some sort of memory, and gave a noise which Cynthia took to indicate satisfaction. "I see now... Miss Seawright, I know exactly where to put you!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

A cold wind blew, making Gemini's eyes water as she stepped off of the Hogwarts Express. She was used to doing things on her own, but being a muggle born, this was an entirely new experience. Her uncle had dropped her off at the station, but left promptly after she had unpacked her bags from the backseat of the car.

"Have fun at boarding school, Gem." he had said in a rush before driving off.

This is so weird... A couple of days ago was home alone eating cereal in bed and now I'm at Hogwarts. My parents didn't even believe in magic until my great aunt came to stay with us for the weekend. I couldn't believe that I was anything special, but then I got my letter. Aunt Theodora told me all about Hogwarts and she was so excited that there was finally another witch in the family. And now I'm here in this incredible castle and I have no idea what to do.

Gemini was lost in thought as she followed the crowd of first year students. She kept her head down and occupied her mind with lullabies her father would sing at bedtime to avoid the crippling anxiety she felt.

Come on. Focus. What did Auntie say? There were four houses... Okay, and I will be sorted into one. I wonder how they choose?

Gemini stumbled on a crack and quickly felt her cheeks warm up, her tan skin camouflaging the red blush climbing her neck to her cheeks.

Oh, thank goodness I didn't fall. I don't think anyone saw... hopefully.

After finally composing herself, Gemini began to listen to the booming voice that welcomed her. She couldn't help but smile as she finally realized why she was here. She was a witch. She had magic. And everyone around her had magic too.

She was pulled from thoughts as her name was bellowed out, "Gemini Violet."

"Umm, here." she said as raised her hand and stepped forward from behind the remaining group of first years. Gemini gave a timid smile as she sat down and a strange talking hat was placed on her head.

Oh, who do we have here. A Violet? It has been quite a while. I see something very strange. Someone is hiding behind that quiet exterior. You are quite curious, aren't you? Let's see where you belong... You are quite brave. I see you broke your leg in a horse riding incident when you were trying to save your classmate. How do you know that? Can you see my thoughts? Hmmm, you have done well in muggle school, but are you a good witch? Ah, I see a good heart, but you have taken part in some devious situations. Please, sir. I have worked hard my whole life. I promise I'll do my very best. Rest child, you are here for a reason. And I know where you shall you go...

RAVENCLAW!

The Sorting Hat yelled out, as Gemini suddenly felt relived. She let out a sigh as her house cheered and whistled, a smile creeping on her face as she sat down at the table. She was a part of something incredible and she felt such honour and serenity being next to people who were just like her, and suddenly she wasn't so alone.

Emma strolled into the Great Hall her head dropped low looking at her feet, she was quite familiar with the whole talking sorting hat gimmick. It was bad enough the hat talked, but with the incalculable number of eyes on her and the rest of the wizards and witches seemed to make the matter only worse. For the first time, she looked up at the enchanted candles, she felt eyes follow her. Candles weren't a big deal to her, so she wasn't worried about this, she'd seen it before. Somehow this school took Emma by surprise as if she had been expecting something less. She had heard her father talk about his glory days in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but in person, it was at least ten times better.

Emma pulled her head back down to listen to the petrifying sound of the professor beginning. The sound of the professor made her heart almost stop. She watched as the student just three places before her walk up slowly, Emma could tell that she too was as nervous as she was.

Emma breathed in and out, she was sure that others could hear her. Why could the sorting be over with already, were there really that many eleven-year-old wizards and witches? She took another step forward, her heart rate racing faster than the speed of light. As the students before Emma got sorted into their houses and the line in which she was standing is eventually decreased, she took one more deep breath before slowly opening her eyes.

"Hill, Emma!" Declared the professor in the same dominant voice.

Emma once again stared at the ground as she approached the brown old Hat, that she was sure had been there for half a century. She was reminded that eyes watched her in all directions. She sat down on the stood, her brown hair swishing a bit as she did so. The ancient headpiece fit her like a glove, she stared into the crowd, who was indeed staring right back at her.

"Ah... haha! Miss Hill," the Hat boomed in her ear, causing it to ring slightly. Emma had to control her accelerating heart, but it seemed impossible. She dearly hoped that she was only imagining the voice inside her head. She began to get uncomfortable. "I remember sorting your father, quite the confusion, I may say, a troubling decision but put in Gryffindor." Emma shifted nervously in her seat. Anything but Gryffindor, she would have rather gotten Slytherin. "Not Gryffindor?" The hat questioned Emma, it made her feel slightly guilty, the Hat noticed this.

The Sorting Hat chucked, the ominous voice trailing back in Emma's ears. "I see you are rather protective, aren't you?" The hat boomed again, "just like you're father." The hat paused for a second, most likely to be rummaging her past. "You're a quiet one aren't you, always avoiding crowds. But just as smart as your grandmother." Emma was sure that couldn't breathe correctly, her mind was racing. So possibly Ravenclaw? That seemed promising.

"Yes, Ravenclaw," the hat fell silent again, pondering, it felt like time had flown. At least an hour, if not two. "You're passionate, no doubt, ah, your grandmother would be proud, Emma!" A pleasant sensation boiled up inside of her, would she be put in the same house as her grandmother? Emma swore that she'd been grinning a bit.

"Yes, I believe, Miss Hill, I know exactly where to put you!" Emma bubbled up inside. Perhaps she was going to make his father proud after all.

"RAVENCLAW!" Emma smiled as the walked over to the Ravenclaw table, where the loud voices had been emitted.

Dinah knew about the Sorting Ceremony that took place at Hogwarts. As soon as she'd picked up her school books from Flourish and Blotts she had been nose deep in Hogwarts, a History. It was simply fascinating the things she was reading. Who knew all this magic and wonder existed? And now she was a part of it. 
Herself and the other first years were being led through the Great Hall by one of the teachers, all the way up to the front. All around them sat the other students at their house tables. Murmurs were flying around the room as each gave their opinions on the new students entering the school. 
They reached the front of the hall where a small wooden stool was waiting for them, placed just in front of the teachers table.

"When I call your name you will come up and take a seat. The Sorting Hat will be placed on your head and you will find out which house you will be a part of for the rest of your time at Hogwarts." The teacher that had been leading them said before disappearing out a door to the left. 
They reappeared moments later holding a very tattered and old looking hat. 

All around Dinah the other first years shuffled nervously, a few muttering to themselves. She wasn't nervous. After having read all about the four Hogwarts houses, she was almost certain which one she'd be put in. She had all the right qualities of a decent Slytherin. She was cunning, intelligent, a tad proud and didn't let silly things like emotions get in her way. It was almost a sure thing that she'd be put into the emerald and silver house. In fact she felt so confident that when her name was called out, she took her time walking over to the stool. 

Casually she took a seat, crossing one leg over the other and waited patiently for the inevitable. The teacher behind her placed the hat on her head and she continued waiting, noting in her head how much heavier the hat felt on her head than it looked. 

Now then, who do we have here? Ah Miss Dragensail...or should that be Miss Watts?

Dinah felt her face contort into a look of pure distaste at the words the hat was muttering in her ear. She peered round, now a little on edge, just to be sure none of those stood nearby could hear what the hat was saying. 

Let's see, intelligent yes...rather isolated though aren't you? Hmm...I see you could have a good spirit and despite your outward attitude there is a good heart in there...

Dinah sighed, rocking back on the chair a little and thought to herself, "Hurry up, I already know where I'm going."

Oh is that so? Very well, Miss Dragensail it'll have to be..."GRYFFINDOR!"

The Sorting Hat shouted the final word to the whole hall and applause broke out from the table nearest Dinah but she barely noticed. She was sat dumbfounded in her seat, a look of shock on her usually reserved features. 

A hand on her back indicated that she was required to vacate the stool so the rest of the first years could be sorted and she stood up woodenly. Gryffindor? Really? She had been undeniably certain that she would be in Slytherin. She'd even prepared for it, finding out as much as she could from the other students about the current members of the house. 

As she walked over to the Gryffindor table, still looking shocked, she noticed the large crowd of bustling students that were grinning and waving over at her. While she was sure they were all as friendly as they were appearing, she couldn't help but wonder how on earth she was going to fit in with them...