Welcoming Talent Ceremony for y2+ students

With Summer's end a new studying year would begin, yet students would be returning to the school quite differently this year. Surprisingly enough, older students were asked to arrive by 4pm in the small village located within the Pyrenees. From there they were taken by the familiar abraxan carriages and brought to the school.

However, instead of the familiar castle and dorms, students found something new. It was obvious that the school had gone through some significant renovations. Now the dorms had transformed, instead looking like towers, with an entrance through the common room on the fourth floor. There were 4 towers, each one divided with sections for guys, girls and those who identified as gender-neutral. The first tower was decorated with shelves upon shelves of literature of all kinds, for students that had talent in the written arts. The second was adorned in paintings and artistic expression, for those who were talented in visual art. The third tower was decorated with different ballet poses and portraits of famous dancers, for those talented in physical arts. Then finally, the last tower was for those who were talented in music, where all manner of instruments could be found. Each tower represented the skill of its association and each would provide its students with ways in which to hone their talents.

As students arrived, they would notice that there were no first years among them—another surprising detail that would surely cause excitement and eager chatter. Soon the students were met by the Caretaker and brought to the art studios, located on the third floor. There they would be called one by one to the middle of the studio. Inside there were different objects placed on a table with Célestine standing on the right side of the table welcoming them in. Near this table there was a circle on the floor: a place where the students would stand for their sorting. "Welcome back to Beauxbâtons! This year I'd like to introduce something unique. I always enjoyed that we are not separated by houses like Hogwarts; however, I'd love to see more development with the talents that each of us have. Magic is just one aspect of what can be developed. Your talent can help you with a lot of things: focus, relaxation, and simply enjoyment. Perhaps you'll be interested in pursuing it as your work or hobby.

On this table you can see four different objects in front of you: a pair of dancing shoes, a canvas with plentiful art supplies, a leather-bound journal, and a gramophone. Please, step on the circle and wait for a moment so that we may see which talent calls strongest to you!" As the students waited, the objects began to choose their owners and, unlike the Sorting Hat, there was no inner dialogue between students and objects. It was a simple process to discover what kind of talent they possessed. Once the decision was made, the object would levitate upwards with light shining from it. If musical in talent, a melody would fill the studio, welcoming the student. When physical art was their favoured, the sound of dancing feet will fill the air. Those with gifts for written arts, would hear a captivating line of prose or poetry and the journal would engrave their initials to its spine. Lastly, if a student was talented in visual arts, a beautiful portrait will appear on canvas to welcome them.

Once the sorting was finished, the Caretaker gave each student a small token, representing the group into which they had been sorted. Following this, students were invited to the gardens. In the centre of the breathtaking grounds there were some tables placed together. A vast collection of different food and drinks welcomed the students back so that they could settle in before the first years arrived... until 7pm, when they would be called to the ballroom, located on the first floor, to the left of the entrance hall.

There they would sit down and see the now-familiar objects and circle on the floor moved to be in the middle of the ballroom. Headmistress de la Croix-Valmer was sitting on the other side of the ballroom with other professors and staff. Soon the Caretaker appeared again, walking in with the first years who had just arrived. Older students would now witness as the new students went through their sorting, welcoming them when they got their signs. There was food on the surrounding tables and students could take some while waiting for the sorting ceremony to finish.

Once all the students got sorted Célestine stood up to welcome everyone. She never liked long speeches, so she decided to make it short. "Welcome, everyone, to the French Academy of Magic, Beauxbâtons! I am glad to see our older students return—I hope you all enjoyed your summer and are ready for the new studying year. I am also glad to see so many new students—you will not only learn magic, but also develop your talents here. Over the summer this school went through some renovations, as you will soon notice. Why would I do it? I always dreamed about having more specialty related to the arts. It makes us unique and helps us develop ourselves more. It was something that I wish I had when I was studying here, so I could develop my skills during school. Let's begin our feast, and later our staff will bring you to your new dorms."

She sat down and immersed herself in light chat with the staff; however, if anyone had any questions, they could come closer to ask her.