Sorting Ceremony 2019-2020 Archived

The people around me were in awe as if this experience was the most amazing thing they had ever experienced. “Wonderful”, I thought “I have to be in the same year of people who are like goldfish.” I would never allow these people who did not deserve it into my group. I had learned everything about Hogwarts from my years being tutored in Muggle and Wizarding knowledge and I was not as surprised as the others, but, I did realize that it was more enchanting when seeing it for yourself. I saw the headmaster and the professors and indeed I focused on the Slytherin Head of House. Everyone had told me that I would be sorted into the Slytherin House and I expected that the statement would be true. I needed to observe and see what my future head of was like.

Candles glowed above us and the rest of the students were behind us. The tables were filled with heaps and heaps of food. There was no purpose for that quantity of food as we were guaranteed to not finish it and if we did, we would have died from the quantity of it even before the sorting ceremony occurred.

I walked with the rest of the first years but I observed everything around me.
We all stood there when the famous hat began singing. It’s indeed a surprise when you hear it for yourself. It had such personality that you would almost expect it to be a human.

The hat began singing his song and when it ended, the Headmaster cleared his throat and started to call out names. As everyone was sorted the houses clapped and cheered. Then it was my turn. I was not nervous nor apprehensive so I proudly sauntered forward.
The hat was placed upon my head and it quickly began.

Ahhh... Tristan Theramin I see you seek power and influence. You are intelligent with all this knowledge in your mind. I see qualities of all houses in you. Even with your cold exterior, you would protect and die for people who deserve it.

I thought in my head, “Oh just place me! I need to join somewhere.”

Yes, you even dare to hurry me but I will grant your wish. You will be in ... SLYTHERIN

I was indeed not surprised but I was pleased. This was where I can see like minded individuals.

Lucius Sat among the other unsorted first years in his black robes, unadorned with any crest or secondary colors. He didn't care much for his tie, or at the very least not like his nanny tied it, he could feel it squeezing his neck. He absent mindedly loosened his tie as he looked around at the other student's as he engaged in one of his favorite pass times...people watching.

He noticed so many people were nervous, or anxious or even overly excited. Lucius however was none of those, ultimately what house he wound up in didnt matter. Even the people he found himself surrounded by didnt ultimately matter. He was going to study and learn everything he could about charms and curses, he was going to uncover as many secrets as he could, and he was going to become the best wizard he could be regardless of the color of his robes. Besides, he saw merits in all the houses. The loyalty of Hufflepuff, the bravery of Gryffindor, the intellect of Ravenclaw, and the cunning determination of slytherin.

"Lucius Carthach!"

He pushes himself to his feet and walks up towards the seat. He sat down and looked over the rest of the crowded great hall as the hat was placed on his head. While it sat there is made all sorts of thinking noises, occasionally said things like "Oh really" or "Is that right", but he was not sure as to what the Hat was going on about. As he sat there he was becoming aware of just how long it was. one minute, two, three...What was taking the hat so long? Finally though, after seemingly much deliberation on the Hat's part it bellowed out

SLYTHERIN!

The Emerald table erupted in cheers and Lucius wore a slight smile on his face. So the traits associated with Slytherin ultimately were the ones the hat saw fit him most.

The hat was removed from his head and he made his way over to the table that was filled with his new classmates and he sat down among them, eager for the year to come

The sorting hat was... not a good singer was it?

A most peculiar tune it sang. Lyrics had probably been chosen over melody. At least it said what needed to be said. Jessica had given some thought about the houses before this. It was the first test of just what kind of a witch she was to be. Opportunity lay in each of them. Griffindor had produced some of the finest talent in recent years so perhaps she'd lean towards there. It was her mother's house as well if she recalled. But mother had never spoken much of her time here. Aunt Delilah on the other hand had fawned extensively over how their family came from a long line of proud Slytherin students. If she was to earn her family's respect then perhaps her best hopes lay there.

Why was mother so different from the others?

And why did that have to mean she was excluded too?

The second question left that familiar anger in her stomach. It just wasn't fair! But this was where she'd show them what a mistake they'd made! She'd become the best witch at the school! Whatever it takes!

Suddenly feeling reengised, she glanced around at the other students. The competition. Some looked nervous, others confident. She'd best them all and hold her head up high.

"Hufflepuff!"

The hat had been calling out names for a while now followed by the cheer of each house table as they won another student.

"Hate to be that kid." A boy next to her muttered.

Was he talking to her? "Oh?" Jessica turned her head slightly to the boy but kept her gaze on the hat and the students being sorted by it.

"Hufflepuff are a load of do-nothings, the worst house to be in by far," the boy explained, earning some scathing looks from a couple of other nearby first years.

"Hrm." Jessica commented, deliberately being non-committal and she looked over to Hufflepuff's house table. They didn't look much different to the others. Besides loyalty was an admirable trait. One she could make use of if the loyalty was to her... Vague, amateurish yet grandiose schemes began to form in Jessica's head.



The headmaster's voice seemed to be growing a little sore by this point.

Jessica strolled up quite confidently, placed herself in the chair and awaited her first test.

The hat flopped on, almost covering her eyes. The entire Great Hall was looking at her. This little girl with a hat which didn't fit over her head. Her confidence waned and she felt very small indeed.

"Ah Miss Lester. Or should I say Miss Lapis..." The hat's voice echoed in her ear quite suddenly. Enough to almost make her jump out of the chair. She hadn't expected it to come so loud like that. "I was wondering if I'd see another of your sort here."

"My... sort?" Jessica questioned the hat in a whisper.

"A member of the Lapis family passes through every few years, always begging to be sorted into Slytherin. You're the first one not to be pure blood though." The hat seemed to droll, contemplating with each word. "Curious. But I suppose that's why your mother was a good Griffindor."

"I... see." Jessica wasn't sure what to say.

"But what of you?" The hat continued. "I can feel your.. loyalty. Loyalty to a family you barely know. Hufflepuff may suit you more than you know." Jessica felt herself going red. Was that boy going to mock her? Hufflepuff wouldn't be so bad, would it? She'd hex him if he did! Then the hat chuckled softly. "But I feel a firey ambition in you, girl. Yes I sense where you belong and where you belong is..."



A roar of approval came from the green cloaked students to her far left.

Jessica climbed off the chair and made her way to her new... home? This is where it would start. Slytherin would be her family and through them, she could connect into the family of her blood.

Tallis was very nervous, there were so many people, so many eyes. She tried to stay calm though and kept an emotionless face. One by one the first-years who stood by her were called up and sorted into their houses, one by one people went up and she was left feeling more and more anxious. Finally, she heard her name

" Tallis Oblidge..."

She quickly went up and sat down nervous but excited as the sorting hat was placed on her head.

"Hmm... well now, you are an interesting one, cunning and smart, but brave and kind, you are not an easy one to sort." The sorting hat said mumbling somewhat. Tallis turned red in the face feeling thousands of eyes staring at her, she wanted to run but she stayed where she was. "You have a good heart that is hidden but there...I know now...HUFFLEPUFF!" Tallis was surprised to say the least but headed toward the table full of her now fellow Hufflepuffs who cheered for their new member. Tallis quickly sat down as others welcomed her, she nodded and smiled slightly at them but really just wanted to slink away. She stayed though and watched as the last few students were sorted. She once again was scared but excited to see what adventures she would have with her new found house.

Lilas was waiting for her name, really excited. Most of the first years around were anxious or trembling, but she wasn't afraid at all. She had been waiting for this moment for years, maybe since the first time she had heard about Hogwarts. After a long time trying to control her euphoria, she finally heard a loud and deep voice say :

"Lilas Kettleburn !"

She quickly looked at the few classmates she had met in the train, with sparkles in her eyes. "It's time !", she whispered. She took a few steps towards the stool, wondering where the Sorting Hat could send her. After climbing on the platform, she sat and looked at all the tables ahead. Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff. All of them were full of students starring at her on this wooden stool. She felt at the same time a certain pride of being the center of erveryone's attention, the fear of messing up with her future housemates and this same energy and excitation that had brought her there. The Sorting Hat was put on her head, and it began talking to her, loudly enough for Lilas to hear but not for the others.

"Oh, the Kettleburn offspring… I see… You are somone careless and not serious, I don't feel like you would be a great Ravenclaw and I'm sure you already know it… Maybe Gryffindor then ? No, not a good idea… Your mother was a true Hufflepuff, though I don't see the same destiny for you… I see something more ambitious, it will need lots of sacrifices… No doubts then, SLYTHERIN !"

She joined the green table under the applause, a genuine smile on her face. She was extremely excited. She couldn't wait to discover everything her mother had been bragging about Hogwarts. And her new house looked really cool. Deep down inside, she already knew she wouldn't have belonged to any other house. She wanted to do great achievements, whatever it shall cost her.

Eyes followed the unsorted first-years as they made their way past the tables. Ainsley glanced around nervously. She'd never been in such a large room and all the eyes following them felt like they were suffocating her. Some of the other first-years whispered quietly, but Ainsley simply nodded or shook her head if they spoke to her. She was too nervous to say anything. What exactly would they have to do for the Sorting?
When the first boy was called up, she sighed happily. All they would have to do is place a hat on their head? That's not that hard. Slowly, all of the first-years nearby were called and then finally...
"Thatchere, Ainsley,"
Ainsley glanced around, slowly moving forward. She eased down onto the stool and for only a moment, stared out into the sea students, and then the hat fell over her head, and there was only darkness.
"Well, hello, there," Ainsley jumped, surprised by the sudden voice in her ear. "Quite fearful, aren't we? Hmm, another Thatchere. It's been a long time since I've sorted one of you. He was scared too," for some reason, this reassured Ainsley, even though she knew it wasn't possible. No one in her family had been a witch or wizard. "Good mind on this one, quite loyal too. And quite courageous. More so than I've even seen before in a Thatchere. I think I know just where to put you. Better make it...GRYFFINDOR!"
Ainsley sighed as the hat was pulled off her head and the clapping students in gold and red robes came into view. She happily moved toward the table, smiling and greeting the other first-years before sitting down and turning to continue watching the Sorting. She wasn't sure exactly what the Houses stood for, or exactly what the wizarding world was like, but she was thrilled to be a part of it.

After the long train ride in which she slept and the imposing castle and crowds, she was a bit drained. But there were visible ghosts! GHOSTS! She couldn't wait to ask them everything and anything but Reina was too tired right now. She wasn't used to being surrounded by so many people, especially since most of the people in the hall were staring at them. Looking up was lovely though, the stars and candles, it'd be nice to read in. As soon as the hat started talking was when she looked down. Huh... neat. She wondered how it worked. Did it have some sort of ghostly tentacles to burrow into your brain or did it read the students' auras or maybe it would ask her questions like a quiz-



-Gah! She shuffled forward keeping her eyes straight on the stool she was meant to go to. She never paid much attention to others when she had somewhere to be. Unaware if anyone thought her odd or not, Reina plopped down on the stool ready to be sorted.

"Hmmm, I can tell you right now you won't be in Slytherin."
Yeah that made sense in her mind. Slytherins valued ambition and Reina didn't have an ounce of the stuff. Usually ambitious people paid attention to things like social hierarchies and just other people in general, but Reina found she didn't have it in her to do so.
Anyway she thought "Do you have eyes or do you just sense people's presences?".
The hat chuckled "Definitely a raven."
"Already! But you haven't ruled out the other ones yet, I know people can have multiple values and all, but I'm just curious about why I should go into Ravenclaw over the other two. I guess I do like the idea of Ravenclaw the best and blue is a nice color but I want to be thorough."
"Yes too many questions not enough time, I unfortunately have several more children to sort. But you already know why you wouldn't quite fit in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor, don't you." The sorting hat stated before opening it's mouth and shouting.



Reina hopped up and found a seat at the clapping table filled with returning and newly minted Ravenclaws. She supposed that she did already know why she belonged in Ravenclaw, Reina knew herself pretty well after all, at least as far as she knew anyway.

Lilith was the last one in. She did it on purpose; she had done her best to hide herself, and she did quite a good job of it.
Gradually, the line shortened with each call of the name, each yell of the talking hat in a professor’s hands—what had they called it?—yes, the Sorting Hat. The other kids went to one of the four long tables in the room. She looked up. The ceiling was simply so high, it reminded her of the sky she used to see when she was perched on the rooftop of the little house she lived in.
Then, after what seemed like forever, there was only her left in the line.
“Arachne, Lilith!”
She blinked, feeling the many eyes on her, and suddenly she panicked. Something told her to move, though; she listened to that voice in her head and inched forward, sitting on the stool. She felt the weight of the Hat placed on her head.
Well, well, look what we have here.
She flinched and nearly fell out of her chair. So not only can the Hat talk, it can also talk in her head.
Girl, open your mind! Make this quick. Otherwise you’ll never get sorted.
For some unknown reason, she obeyed. The Hat seemed to be surveying her Memory Lane. Of course, she didn’t know what that is either. She only heard the expression once, when her grandmother—her only relative except her father, who never returns from work ever since she was 5—is telling her a story, about a year ago. After a pause, the Hat spoke again, in her mind:
I see. Creative. Wise, in some aspects...Yes, you did quite an amount of reading....fI see you like to think. Well, then. Let me announce your house.
She didn’t reply. She didn’t see how she could reply to a voice in her head.
Then, in a booming voice, the Hat announced to all the other people:

The hall erupted in applause; however she did not see the point. She joined the long table with her...fellow Ravenclaws? She could see that they would make her company in the next almost-a-year. Well....that would take some getting used to....

Adeline bounced nervously from one foot to the other. She didn’t mind crowds so much, it was just that she typically stuck to the outskirts, but now she found herself in the center of a large group of first years who all looked as confused as she was. Addie strained her neck, trying to see past everyone around her and catch a glimpse of her surroundings. She could just barely make out four long tables full of older students, to the back was a large set of doors, and at the head of the room, on a raised platform was one more table lined with a bunch of adults...Addie could guess that those were all of the professors.

A booming voice rang throughout the Great Hall, welcoming the first years, and pretty soon after, the sorting hat chimed in before bursting into song. Adeline chuckled as some of the students packed in around her gasped in surprise at the talking hat. It wasn’t difficult to distinguish the muggleborns from the rest. She rolled her eyes as the song about Hogwarts’ founders stretched on and on. It was ridiculous to stand through this whole ceremony, especially since she already knew what was coming her way. As far back as she knew, her ancestors had been Ravenclaws, and despite the negative comments her brothers had made about her ending up a Slytherin or a Hufflepuff, Addie knew she would turn out the same as the rest of them.

Soon after the hat finished its tune, the headmaster started rattling off names, and little by little, the crowd grew smaller as students were sorted and went to join their new classmates. Addie could now see more of the Great Hall: the portraits along the walls, all whispering and chattering about the activity going on, and the massive quantities of food in the center of every table. Her stomach grumbled as she realized how long it had been since she last ate.

“Adeline Hughes.”

The voice interrupted her train of thought, and for a moment, she stood frozen, a resounding silence enveloping the hall. Ironically, though Addie loved causing a scene, she wasn’t terribly fond of being the center of everyone’s focus. Adeline pushed her way through the remaining first years, and slowly but confidently, she sauntered up to the stool at the front of the room. As she turned around and took a seat, she searched for the Ravenclaw table, the one she would soon be joining, but before she could determine which it was, she felt the sorting hat slip down her face, and everything went dark.

Alright, let’s get this over with… Addie thought to herself, drumming her fingers against the side of the stool in anticipation.

Now you’re a funny one… came another voice--though Adeline was unsure whether she had heard it or thought it.

Oh? And why is that?

Not an ounce of fear or anxiety in you. That is highly unusual, particularly for a Hughes.

Why would I be anxious when I already know the outcome?

Ah, so you already know that I’m going to put you in...GRYFFINDOR!

Light flooded Adeline’s eyes along with the overwhelming sound of cheering. Stunned, she rose from the stool and unsteadily made her way over to the table with the applauding students. She faked a smile as she joined the rest of the Gryffindors, attempting to laugh off her doubts about where she was placed, but as the sorting continued, Addie couldn’t help but wonder what the sorting hat had sensed in her that even she hadn’t discovered yet. For so long, her family had made a point of telling her how monstrous and evil she was...but weren't Gryffindors known for their courage and bravery?

No, there was no way she belonged at this table with all these goody-goodies. The sorting hat was wrong, and she was going to prove it.