Sorting Ceremony 2020-2021

Sorting Ceremony
September 1, 2020

Looking around her, it seemed her mother hadn't lied. Hogwarts was indeed a special place. After all, the scene before her eyes clearly wasn't something just anyone could boast about ever witnessing. Especially, Jasmine couldn't help but be amazed, and intrigued, at the stars-filled roof. How could the candles even stay up? Was it a spell that, once cast, stayed potent without the need of additional magical energy? Or was there someone behind it? Or was it the castle itself that provided the energy needed? She'd have to re-read Hogwarts, A History in case it was information she missed or forgot about.

Though her gaze resolutely stayed upwards, trying to analyze every detail of the astounding roof, Jasmine still paid some attention to the happenings around her. It seemed the Sorting was going to take place with the help of a... hat? Her eyes left the roof to observe the peculiar being. Her mother didn't tell her anything about a talking hat, probably trying to keep the mystery surrounding the Sorting Ceremony intact. Of course, she read about it in Hogwarts, A History so the secret wasn't kept for long, but it was still interesting to look at it with her own eyes. So this hat really was intelligent... and didn't sing very well it seemed. How did it feel to have it look into her mind? She couldn't help but feel excited at the thought of it.

Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff... Well, it was pretty obvious where the name Slytherin came from. When it came to Gryffindor, she had good enough french to know that "d'or" was golden. So basically a golden griffin. It made sense. Though a griffin had the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion, the creature was enough part lion for her to allow it. The others, however, were the ones she just couldn't understand. Huffle and puff? What was this house's deal with breathing? And Ravenclaw's animal was obviously an eagle, so why was it named after the claw of a raven? Were they supposed to believe all birds were equal? She might as well call it Pigeonclaw then. Well, she probably would if her mother wasn't a proud alumnus of Ravenclaw... And after all, she hadn't been sorted yet so she could very well end up in Pige-... Ravenclaw herself.

She wouldn't mind being sorted into it, actually. If she thought about it, she'd probably end up in either Ravenclaw or Slytherin. Gryffindor wouldn't be too shocking either, but she didn't really expect it. When it came to... Hufflepuffle?... Hufflepuddle? Hum... Oh- Hufflepuff! The breathing house, yeah. Well... if there was a possibility, its probability shouldn't be very high. Jasmine didn't think of herself as traitorous, but she definitely could agree that she was a bit selfish. Others weren't necessarily at the forefront of her mind, and nor patience nor modesty were qualities that could be used to describe her. Therefore, she didn't think about it much.

Her gaze focused on the stool where the hat was placed. Some students looked pretty nervous upon being called, while others seemed confident enough. Likewise, the hat didn't take an equal amount of time on everyone. A few had their house called after barely seconds, while some had to stay on the stool quite a bit longer before joining their table. So some were harder to place than others... It made her curious about the category of people she'd fall into.

Sure enough, her name was soon called. Thank God her last name started with a C or she might have been bored to death waiting for her turn. She took light, airy steps towards the stool and flashed a small smile at the Headmaster before sitting. Poor Headmaster would have to go through the whole ceremony. If she had any water at hand, she'd probably offer it to him; it couldn't be good for your throat to repeatedly call so many names... and the list was long, too. She was silently praising his courage when the hat was placed onto her head, and a voice resonated directly in her mind.

What a funny girl... I can sense a bit of mischief... Well well... How cunning and intelligent... Yes... a bright child... very curious... adventurous too... Oh, I can see you are quite an impatient child... Thoughtful yet a bit childish... Jasmine couldn't refute. Indeed, there wasn't a point in living if it wasn't to have a bit of fun. The hat mumbled for quite a long time before saying again. A great student, but I can see it is linked to your pride... Yes, strong pride... You want to prove your worth, keep your head up high... You would do great in several houses... Your mind and thirst for knowledge would be greatly appreciated in Ravenclaw, while your cunningness and ambitions would resonate well in Slytherin... Yes, this house would help you reach your goals... Hearing those two houses made Jasmine open her eyes wide. Were her predictions right? But the hat didn't stop there. A strong determination... And your boldness cannot be overlooked... No challenges could make you back down... Yes, you have the courage to stand up for yourself and what you believe in... Rules don't necessarily bind you... but you're smart about it. Once again, the hat started mumbling, leaving Jasmine to look around her. This process seemed to be quite long in her case. At least, she was seated. Soon, the voice resonated more intelligibly. Yes, I know. You'd be perfect in...

Gryffindor!

The lion table boomed with cries and applause. Jasmine got up, looking in their direction. How interesting... She certainly was a bit surprised, but this house seemed full of energetic and funny people, she definitely wouldn't get bored. Her lips formed into a smile while she took her signature airy steps towards her new family. Yes, this would be a fun year.

Cade Darkbound was pretty exhausted, to say the least. The ride on the Hogwarts express had been longer than he imagined. He'd been sitting for so long he thought his knees would be glued and stuck at a 90-degree angle. He was relieved when the train finally pulled into Hogsmede station. But just as suddenly tense when that girl fell into the black lake. They made it to the castle but most of the other 1st years were soaked and shivering. This wasn't the exact way he pictured arriving at school. But he supposed it would make quite a memory in the years to come.

Cade was happy now that they were inside the toasty great hall. He could almost start to feel his legs again. Looking around the grand chamber, he first noted the vast amount of students staring at the newcomers. He hoped none of them noticed how disheveled he looked at the moment. His hair was soaked and his bangs dripped lake water down his nose. His new school robes were not only creased from the long day's journey but wet and speckled with mud. Looking at his peers he decided he couldn't help it and he wasn't the worst one of the bunch. Directly above the various tables of students were floating candles, hundreds of them bobbing about the air. Cade wondered how on earth the staff got around to lighting them all and if they ever were extinguished.

But before Cade could observe more, the Headmaster of the school gave instructions on the sorting ceremony, but Cade already knew what was about to happen. His father had always recounted the memory of his sorting. His father was a proud Slytherin. One side of Cade hoped to follow his father in that house, but another side of him wondered where else he would fit. Certainly not Gryffindor. He didn't think himself to be in any way daring or courageous. Perhaps Hufflepuff, he could be loyal and trustworthy. Alas, no... he wasn't like that all the time. Ravenclaw was the only other fit. He loved to learn and he thought himself to be creative. Always reading and drawing. Cade would just have to wait and see.

He didn't have to wait long. While he was busy thinking the headmaster had been calling out names.

"Darkbound, Cade?"

A strong chill ran down Cade's spine. He slowly moved forward and immediately all eyes were trained on him. Never before had he attracted this much attention in his life. Don't mess up, he told himself. He squeezed past the other first years quickly and sat on the stool. The sorting hat was placed on his head. He immediately shut his eyes.

Instantaneously, a loud voice seemed to resonate through his very skull. A very sound mind, we have here. Very clever, I see some sparks of ambition from you. Wandering and wondering about every plausible notion you are. Despite his mind reeling over this odd experience, Cade tried to think blank thoughts as if to try and help guide the hat to a quicker answer. Observant and creative too... perhaps I know just where to put you. Yes, yes! That's where you'll be... And just as quickly the hat came to a conclusion.


The word echoed throughout the hall. There was a sudden roar of applause from the table of the Eagle. Cade opened his eyes all the nerves ebbing off of his bones. He didn't remember bouncing off the stool and finding his seat at the Ravenclaw table, he was just relieved he didn't make a fool of himself. A goofy grin spread across his face, his cheeks pink with happiness.

Eva stepped into the school, it looked a lot bigger up close than it had as they rode the boats in. There was a man standing by the entrance of a grand room full of lots of people and noise. That must be the great hall. She thought.

As Eva walked into the Great Hall with the rest of the first years, she nodded to the man at the entrance in greeting. Then entered the Great Hall. It was magnificent. Four long tables full of older students stressed the length of the room. When she and the rest of the first years arrived at the end of the room, Eva noticed the man from earlier standing in front of them. He introduced himself as the headmaster of Hogwarts and began to talk about the houses. Then the sorting has was placed down and the sorting begin.

Eva thought all of the houses sounded cool, but she knew what houses she wanted to be in more than others. Her father was in Ravenclaw and her mother was in Hufflepuff, so being sorted into either of those houses would please her. Eva began to worry though. What if she wasn't put into one of these two houses. Would her parents be upset that she wasn't in the same house as one of them? No. She thought. She knew what her parents thought. They didn't care what house she was in. Eva remembered her mother had told her; "What ever house your sorted into, we will be proud of you." This lifted Eva's spirits a bit, but she was still hoping for Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw when her name was called.

"EVERGOOD, EVA"

She walked up to the hat and stuck it onto her head. She sat there for a moment in silence, then the hat began to talk to her in a soft voice. "I see lots of independence in you, and a thirst to prove yourself. Diligence, yes... and loyalty... The hat stopped talking and Eva sat in silence for a minute. Then the hat began to talk again. I think you will do best in... SLYTHERIN!"

The last word was yelled out so the whole room could hear. There was loud clapping and cheering from the Slytherin table. Slytherin? Eva thought. Why Slytherin? It has lingered in the back of her head that she might be sorted into Slytherin, but she didn't think it would actually happen. Did she even have any family that was in Slytherin? She would have to Owl her parents to find out. Eva stood up of the stool she had sat on for the sorting and walked over to the Slytherin table to find a place to sit. Her thoughts swirling about what had just happened.

Karkat felt clammy in the packed hall. the room itself was surely bigger than anything he'd ever seen. if he could actually see the bulk of it on account of there's enough scrambling youth in here to kill a camp counsellor. it still felt completely unreal, he thought his mother was crazy but here he was surrounded by other students who looked as if they'd been preparing for this their whole life. he'd never worn robes before and despite being the same as everyone else in the room he felt sorely out of place, they were just baggy enough to hang from his nimble frame and make him feel strange.

his calamity of thoughts was interrupted by someone singing, nobodies mouth seemed to be moving... it took him a moment to realize that, it was the hat! it couldn't be, that's an inanimate object. right before his very eyes, that hat was singing a jolly tune about the houses. the shock soon faded to neutrality as he waited throughout the long list of names. being a Vantas, his name was at the utmost bottom of the list. so he waited and waited, name after name called into a sorted amount of houses. the hat sat atop the head and scrunched his.."face" for a moment before booming out a name. this went on for practically an hour until it was heard. "Karkat Vantas". the boy nervously stumbled onto the seat and felt the hat slightly weigh down on his head. how did it choose? how did any of this work? how did-
i see a lot in you boy, similar to your kin who once walked these halls, a voice stated, it wasn't quite heard but it was there. although you try to hide it, and put up a front, you have a good heart.youre patient, the type to help a friend in need what was this old thrift store reject talking about? Karkat didn't put up a front! that facade won't help you in the long run, underneath it I see a kind soul whose determined it was silent for a moment before booming out, Hufflepuff! Karkat let his eyes peek open to see a table streaked in yellow with welcoming faces. As he sat down the fellow hufflepuffs gave him pats on the back and warm smiles. His mother said the hat was never wrong, that it'll know things about you that you don't even know about yourself.. intriguing.

"Lily Love." The headmaster called. When Lily heard her name, her heart started beating as fast as a cheetah could run. She took and deep breath and thought, 'Lily, you have been waiting all Summer to attend this wonderful school. Don't be afraid.' She gathered up her courage and walked to the front of the Great Hall. She felt the hat drop onto her head. She read all about the houses and was hoping for Gryffindor or Ravenclaw because she was a brave caring girl and she was very smart. She was also unsure how she got here as she did not have any Magical heritage in her family at all. So, she was what wizards called Muggle Born.
She thought she heard a tiny voice speak into her ear. She knew that the hat was now looking into her thoughts to decide where she belonged. She was far too interested in thinking 'Please don't be Slytherin, Please don't be Slytherin!' After a few moments she gave up on thinking about not Slytherin and instead she decided to start talking to the hat. She thought she heard the hat say 'I know where you're going to be.' and the next moment for all to hear, 'GRYFFINDOR!' Lily smiled while all the Gryffindors cheered and motioned for her to join them. She walked with her head held high over to her new housemates. She sat down and watched everyone else get sorted. She also was thinking, 'I knew I belonged here!', as she waited for the food to appear. She smiled as big as she could because she was confident she would do well in her new house.

The last twenty-four hours had been an absolute whirlwind. In what felt like an instant, Maison left behind the perfectly mundane world he had always known in exchange for one with secret train platforms and walls you could walk through. Adrenaline coursed through the boy’s every last vein as he and the other first year students were shuffled into the Great Hall.

Great didn’t even begin to describe what he was experiencing.

The ceiling above was illuminated by the glow of several candles that appeared to be hovering below it. Except, there wasn’t actually a ceiling at all. Instead, stars twinkled above them in the animated evening sky. Maison reckoned this was another magic thing and not the actual night sky, but it was a breathtaking sight regardless. Perhaps even more stunning were the paintings that lined the walls. The figures inside of them were moving. Some of them even appeared to be conversing with students.

Maison was startled from his mesmerized trance by a booming voice over the crowd. It was the Headmaster, who identified himself as Solomon Leer. Maison’s listening skills were generally subpar, but he couldn’t help but hang onto the armor-clad man’s every word. Maison had heard all about the sorting ceremony and the four houses from some other students on the train, but he had found the idea that a simple hat could talk and sing and read his every thought a bit comical. But sure enough, this hat was both sentient and intelligent.

It wasn’t long before the Headmaster began calling students forward. Maison watched attentively as the sorting hat deliberated over each student’s placement. Most students seemed to have strong opinions about which house they wished to be sorted into. Fortunately, Maison didn’t have any preconceptions or stereotypes about the houses, nor was there any familial pressure for him to be sorted into a particular house, so he’d decided that he would be happy wherever he ended up. Except perhaps Hufflepuff, but only because he despised the color yellow.

“Maison Pritchard!”

Bubbling with anticipation, Maison raced forward when his name was called. His toe caught the edge of the robes, causing him to stumble to his knees in the process. Stupid bloody robes, he thought as the sounds of muffled laughter echoed behind him. He really couldn’t ascertain what the purpose was for wearing robes. They felt awkward and impractical. Picking himself up from the ground, Maison climbed onto the stool, beaming as the sorting hat was placed on his head.

“Ah, yes…” Maison jerked as the sorting hat’s raspy tone filled his eardrums. “I see plenty of kindness, yes… and unwavering loyalty. You’d do well in Hufflepuff.” His eyes widened with anticipation. At this point, it didn’t really matter if he would be stuck wearing hideous, yellow-lined robes. The fact that a magical hat was reading his mind was pretty bloody cool. “But there’s more…” the hat continued, “Yes, there is a recklessness about you. A bit of a disregard for the rules, eh?” Maison’s smile fell. Perhaps this wasn’t something the hat should be announcing out loud? You know, in front of all his professors? “I know exactly where to put you, no doubt...”

“GRYFFINDOR!”

The hat was plucked from his head and a delighted Maison pranced towards the Gryffindor table. He was quite content with his placement, though he had almost nothing to base it off of, nor did he know whether he could trust the judgment of a hat. In the end, though, it didn’t really matter. He was just happy to be here.

Daphne waited in the large stone corridor with her classmates and felt as though she hadn't blinked since she emerged onto the platform earlier that day. She was surrounded by so much newness that she wondered if this is what babies felt like all the time. How was she meant to learn and understand it all? And then, a new terror: this was a school. If wizard schools were even somewhat close to her old school there would be tests...quizzes...homework. Her worst nightmare. She could barely comprehend the sights she had seen in just one day. A chocolate she purchased on the train hopped out of her hand before she could bite it. The boat she rode in across a still glass lake had no motor, and no rowers, yet it moved seamlessly across the water. The castle itself was a grandiosity she had only seen in movies about princesses, and she could have sworn up and down she saw the sliver of a ghost when they first entered the corridor.

Poor Daphne began to feel defeated already. An ominous pit settled in her stomach, and she became acutely aware of how itchy her new robes were. Thankfully, she noticed several other students in her group appeared to have similar reactions to their current position...wide eyes were all around her, each gazing up at the massive wooden doors in front of them.

As the doors opened, Daphne's fears were replaced by sheer wonder if only for a moment. She had never seen anything more grand. The glow bathing the whole room was coming from thousands of candles, drifting lazily above the longest tables she'd ever seen. Still more light came from what appeared to be the stars and moon, somehow captured in the vaulted ceiling of the room. Older students already lined the benches, and Daphne felt their eyes turn towards her group as they were led by a teacher to the front of this hall. She had been so busy staring up, trying to decide if the ceiling was a giant TV screen, that she had to stifle a startled gasp when she heard a loud voice booming over the sea of children. The voice belonged to a man standing behind an ornate podium on the raised platform at the head of the room. He was tall, and large, and seemed somehow older than he was trying to appear. He wore a shining suit of armor, which was at first alarming. She began to worry that this was a school designed to prepare students for battle. However, no one else appeared to be concerned, so she wrote it off as another instance of odd clothing choices which she had come to expect from wizarding folk. Daphne was not a smart girl, but as this man spoke she watched his eyes carefully, as she had learned to do with all adults, and noticed that his contained a small sadness, somewhere behind their sparkle.

The man introduced himself as Solomon Lear, the Headmaster of Hogwarts. He introduced several other professors as well, whose odd names flew into and immediately out of Daphne's already swirling brain. The headmaster then introduced...a hat?
"No, that couldn't be right," thought Daphne. "A hat couldn't..."
She was cut off by the hat itself, who broke out into a long and arduous song full of some of the weirdest words Daphne had ever heard. From the headmaster's speech and the hat's very strange song, Daphne made out that this hat would determine her "house". She decided a "house" must be similar to the home rooms she had at her old school, and noticed many of her peers getting nervous as the hat ended its song. Headmaster Lear then began calling names off a long piece of parchment. Daphne was, for the first time ever, happy that she understood so little. She feared that if she truly knew what exactly what was going on that she too would be nervous. As it stood, however, Daphne felt no fear when her name was called by the armored man.

She walked calmly up to the raised stone platform, and approached the hat which was perched lopsidedly on a wooden stool. It looked ancient and filthy, and Daphne's first thought was about the possibility of getting lice again. She shook this worry quickly, figuring that wizards probably didn't have such things as lice, and reached out for the hat. It moved, puppet-like but with no master as she brought it slowly towards her head.

"Whyyyyy, hello there."
Daphne heard the voice of the hat close to hear ears, like she was wearing headphones. She hadn't seen any other students speak to the hat so she clenched her teeth tight to keep from automatically responding.
"Shy, are we?" continued the hat.
"I am not! Well, not most of the time." thought Daphne.
"Aaaahhhh, there she is!" the hat almost chuckled. "Now...where to, Miss Parker? I see you've never been much for school and books...but this is a new type of learning, perhaps you'll excel?"
Daphne had no idea how the hat seemed to know this about her, but she turned red with embarrassment anyways.
"Hmmmm...yes, but look here! A parent to your parents...always putting on a brave face...taking on a whole new life without hesitation...yes of course, there's nowhere else for you!"
Daphne nearly fell over when the hat's low murmur turned into a roar as it suddenly yelled:
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Headmaster beckoned, and Daphne removed the hat. The group of students at the long table swathed in red and gold rose and cheered. Not truly knowing what just happened, but happy to belong to what Headmaster Lear described as a "family", Daphne broke into a grin for the first time since she boarded the train. She half jogged to the table and was jostled about by other Gryffindors. By the time she sat down she was winded from all the hugging and laughing and back-patting. A sensation totally new to Daphne filled her from head to toe, like a warm bath, or stepping out into the sun on a chilly day. Is this what a home was supposed to feel like?

A long line of first-years were forming outside of the Great Hall as the boats were docking outside and students were funneled into the entrance hall. Cassius was among the first half of students to arrive. As he entered the hall, he was mesmerized by the sheer magnitude of the construction. High cathedral ceilings and magic decorations and statues. Things that should have been still seemed to move anyway. Picture frames housed what appeared to be living objects. He was used to seeing this at home, but not on this scale. Here, everything seemed magical.

Some students were chatting back-and-forth in excited tones, but most were either staring in awe at the grandeur of the hall, finally realizing the stories their parents had told them of their first year at Hogwarts, or were standing silently in line, staring awkwardly at other students. Cassius Doyle was among the latter, both taking in the splendor of his surroundings and feeling completely overwhelmed at being whisked away so suddenly from home only to be separated from his parents in a largely foreign place.

Cassius was excited, but also a little afraid, as most 11-year olds would be at the realization that they weren’t in the comfort of their familiar surroundings. So many stories of Hogwarts and magic had him giddy with excitement to finally learn to do the things he had seen his parents do in the exact same classes his parents had taken. But, what if he couldn’t learn magic as easily as them, what if he wasn’t able to make friends? Or, perhaps worst of all, what if he was sorted into Slytherin? The thought of it sent a shiver down his spine. Both of his parents had been in Ravenclaw and had told so many stories of some terrible people that had come out of Slytherin and the events that took place with Lord Voldemort. His parents had heard his fears and assured him that even if he did get sorted into Slytherin, he would have nothing to worry about. “Bad people come out of all of the houses.” his father had told him. “Just be sure to make friends with the right people, and keep your head about you and you’ll be fine.” If it was all bad, they would have gotten rid of the house, right?

***
After about 10 minutes of gut-wrenching anticipation, the students were shushed and given a brief overview of what was about to take place.

“Soon, you will enter the Great Hall through these doors where you will remain in a single file line all the way to the front of the hall. Then you will each have your turns being sorted into your houses. This is a very important moment as this is the house you will remain in for the remainder of your time at Hogwarts. Remember, the Sorting Hat doesn’t make mistakes, so wherever you are sorted is exactly where you belong. This is an exciting time, and will likely be one of the most memorable events you have here at Hogwarts.”

As she grabbed the large handles to the door of the Great Hall, she paused and turned to say,

“and don’t forget to enjoy this moment.”

And the doors were flung open to a raucous applause.

Cassius marched down the aisle in a mixture of nervousness and wonder, wanting to both hold his head up in pride and crawl under a table simultaneously. The long tables of houses stretched for what seemed like miles and almost all of the students were cheering for the new class of students. Applause, whoops and hollers were coming from every direction, and the sound was almost deafening as Cassius got closer to the Sorting Hat. A myriad of instruments were playing an orchestral piece from the front stage, but were of course being played by no one in particular, but as is the fashion of wizards was being played by magic.

After what seemed like an eternity, the students were finally at the Sorting Hat. The headmaster stood and waited for a noisy, boisterous room to slowly quiet down.

“We will now begin the sorting. Will the first student please step forward?”

Student after student was sorted into their houses to what seemed like neverending cheers, and Cassius’ stomach lifted further into his throat until eventually he heard his name called,

“Cassius Doyle!”

As his wobbly legs carried him up the stairs, he glanced at the headmaster who smiled warmly, calming Cassius as he approached the chair. But as he turned to face the students, the shaking resumed. He took a seat in the chair and the hat was immediately placed on his head.

“Ah yes, I remember your parents, Edward and Alice. They were sorted into Ravenclaw if I remember correctly. Yes, yes. You would do fine in Ravenclaw, but I don’t think that’s where you’ll truly succeed.”

As the sorting hat spoke these words, Cassius’ eyes shot wide open, knowing that the chances of being sorted into Slytherin were now dramatically increased.

“Hufflepuff is not for you. Too quiet and subdued. You like to keep to yourself.”

“Please let it be Gryffindor!” Cassius thought.

“As much as I know you don’t want to be in Slytherin, you’re going to have to trust me on this one. SLYTHERIN!!”

Cassius didn’t remember standing up from the chair and walking to the Slytherin table, but he suddenly found himself seated across from some other first year Slytherin students.

“What am I going to do now?”

Verner looked around the premises, a path led to the old castle which had been a school for many countless wizards before him. Everything around seemed to be magical, ancient and so different to the world he has known so far. This morning he finally ventured into the magical world, only a newcomer not knowing his way around, and at the end of the day, he and the rest of the first years were gathered at an entrance in some hall, and the sorting ceremony would soon start.

He observed other children who seemed to have come from wizard families and have already been somehow prepared for this next step. Verner followed their example.

When the group crossed a door into the great hall, Verner tried to act casually, and inconspicuously. He had already changed into wizard's robes and among the other children passed between the central row of tables, to face headmaster and a strange sorting hat whose decision would make him a part of a house within Hogwarts.

After the hat finally stopped singing, names were called. One by one, children put the hat on, and sooner or later the hat would exclaim the house. The process was quite long. Verner's mind begun to drift away.

Verner did not have any special wish for a house, unlike others who have bragged and spoken aloud about their ancestry among Gryffindor or Slytherin or whatever. Some seemed to be less confident but still had a wish to belong to a certain house. Verner figured any house would do just fine, especially if he could have a decent school life and make some friends. He would like to have it comfortable. Somewhere where he could focus on his studies, where he would be treated fairly and avoid drawing too much of attention. It was along those lines Verner's thoughts flowed. And he would, of course, do his best,
especially when facing interesting topics. Magic was already interesting and he was willing to explore.

And suddenly, Verner's name was called out.



Immediately after, Verner's mind got back to focused state paying full attention to *here and now*. It did not look like he had missed a first instance of calling, but he was not entirely sure.

Trying to look confident and to produce the best impression, he stepped forward, making his way to the sorting hat, especially paying attention for any trick that might come his way. Like somebody kicking his feet under or stepping on his robes. If somebody had such plans, Verner has successfully avoided those.

Verner sat on the chair and waited for the hat to be put on his head. At first there was complete silence, at least so it seemed to Verner who vas nervously grabbing the chair.
*"You do not have to be so nervous boy!"*, a voice from somewhere told him. It took a moment for Verner to realize it was the hat talking. *"So you like to avoid attention, ...you like it comfortable, ... hmm ... and what else do I see, ... Diligence, Patience, ..."* hat continued on, and Verner silently nodded at couple of places. *"I know where to put you"* said the hat directly to Verner's mind and then exclaimed out loud: