Newcomers The Sorting ceremony 2017-2018 Closed

 The shorter blonde witch blended in well with the rest of the crowd of first years. She had on one of her three black work robes, and her much appreciated wand was carefully tucked into one of her pockets. Soon enough, the robes that donned her shoulders would have a patch of one of the four houses over her chest - either Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor or Slytherin. For her whole life, Felicity had been intrigued by the house of blue and silver. She had molded herself into a character that she hoped that would be recognized as Ravenclaw by the Sorting Hat that her father told her about. She looked up as the most recent student got sorted, and she chewed on her lip. Her name was coming up soon - she could feel it, in her bones.

 "Felicity Greenwich". She was nervous, but her steps and posture oozed confidence. She could be shaking and close to crying due to the feeling of all eyes in the room being on her, but no one would be able to notice it, unless they looked closely. She finally approached the stool and turned around, tucking her robes underneath her legs before sitting down. The wooden surface wasn't the most comfortable, but she would be able to live through it. It was only for a few seconds, after all. The Sorting Hat was placed on her head, and it almost dwarfed her. She almost had to reach up to keep it from restraining her from seeing.

 "Hmm, I see wisdom.. courage.. but a little bit of pride, so much that it could be harmful, if you're not careful.. perhaps.. Gryffindor?" The Sorting Hat seemed to chat with her, causing Felicity's eyebrows to raise in surprise as her lips slightly parted, eager to respond, but her voice came out as a whisper rather than any other tone.

 "No, not Gryffindor," she whispered, to which the Hat responded to with a sound of surprise. She looked up at the fabric, as though it could see her doing so. And maybe it did.

 "Not Gryffindor? But why not? You have plenty of the traits required for it.. But then again, rejecting such an offer makes me reconsider.." It trailed off, staying silent for a few dead moments. Her nerves took over the best of her, and she began to fiddle with her fingers in her lap. She shouldn't be so nervous about her Sorting, but it worried her.. According to her father, it could define who you are.

 Soon enough, the Sorting Hat had made its' decision. In a booming voice, it called out, "RAVENCLAW!" Felicity's heart jumped, and as soon as the hat was taken off of her head, she jumped up, and made her way over to her table. Oh, was she excited for the years to come. 

Emily waited patiently with the other scared-looking first year students who were also waiting to be sorted into their new houses.  She wasn't scared since she had heard about the Sorting Ceremony from her father who also attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and sorted into Slytherin.  She hoped she would be in the same house as her father was in.  Soon, the names were being called to step forward and try on the ancient, tattered-looking Sorting Hat.  Emily quietly giggled to her, thinking that trying on a hat was a silly way to get sorted.  Soon the group of first years became smaller and soon Emily was the only one left.  When her name was called, she summoned up her courage and confidently stepped up and tried on the Sorting Hat.  She thought she looked a bit silly, but he waited for the Sorting Hat to make its decision.  She knew the Sorting Hat would make the right decision as it could see inside her head.  Soon, when she was slowly becoming worried that she would not get sorted, the Sorting Hat yelled out "SLYTHERIN!"  Smiling, Emily took off the Sorting Hat and quickly walked over to the Slytherin table to join her new housemates.  They all welcomed her with open arms as they congratulated her to Slytherin House.

Annabelle was nervous, this was the first time she had ever felt truly alone. She was in a new, unfamiliar place. It was beautiful and had a certain homey touch but it was big and scary and she wasn't sure she was ready to be without her parents. She wished she had tried harder to make a friend on the train but had no such luck as she read the entire time to distract herself from missing her dads. She was taken out of her own thoughts when she heard her name.

"Annabelle Donaghue!"

She took in a deep breath and made her way to the front to have the hat placed on her head. She had read about the different houses and what they were about.. she knew she was a hard worker and did her best to make friends so maybe she would get Hufflepuff.. but then she also had a knack for going on adventures and getting herself into trouble and all her friends said she was brave so it could be Gryffindor.. but there was a part of her that really wanted to make a name for herself and that pointed towards Slytherin....

"RAVENCLAW!"

She looked up at the hat in confusion but it was taken off her head and people were clapping for her so she made her way to the Ravenclaw table and sat down, smiling at the people in her house. This certainly was a surprise and she had a lot to learn about herself....

The Sorting Ceremony was a make it or break it for the young Carrow. As the heir to the great house of Carrow and pure-blood of a family of prejudice he was expected to become a Slytherin. Yes, the ambitious and the cunning, he supposed he could belong there. Though if not Slytherin, Ravenclaw would possibly be the next best thing if Ignatius wouldn't want another hex or curse from his mother or a beating from his father. He had just started to get on their good sides, becoming anything other than their expectations would throw them off greatly. Gryffindor, would possibly be a third and final option, yes Gryffindor was a house his family would be greatly displeased with, but it was the house of the brave, and it would still leave pride in his parents eventually if he were to be sorted there. 

"Ignatius Carrow!" Ignatius had felt the room get quieter and eyes were on him. He looked as nervous as can be as he stepped up and shakingly held onto the talking hat on his head.

"Another Carrow, hm? I haven't seen the likes of you in quite a while." The Sorting Hat had said to him. It was true, after his father, there hadn't been another Carrow. "Though you seem to be very different from the rest of your family..." This made Ignatius wince and look even more nervous. This was bad. "Oh, you're scared of that? You should be flattered."

"Please, let's just get this over with." Ignatius had thought. He could feel the tears building up. 

"Alright, as you wish..." There was a terribly dramatic and anticipating pause. "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Ignatius had felt like he was going to faint the rest of the night. His family is going to murder him. He is a disgrace to their pure-blood name and he'd expect nothing more than a howler from them soon enough.

When walking into the grand hall that stood before him,  James gazed with amazement and shock at the hall. He glanced at the four tables and saw each of the students in house colors, "Red, blue, green, and yellow..." he muttered under his breath, trying to memorize what each of the houses were by matching them to their colors. His lack of knowledge and awareness about the wizarding world made this an odd experience for him. He took out a notebook and quill he had brought with him to right down each of the houses and what they were. Suddenly, the group of students he was with came to halt as they reached the sorting hat. While the hat was singing its odd song about the houses, James had his notebook out, writing down each of the attributes the houses had. He covered up the journal with his head, thinking know one would see them.

A professor leading the group was at the front, calling each individual to be sorted. James witnessed the other students having their names called, going to their tables and sitting down. He took note at some of the students being upset at their sorting, and wrote in his journal "Not all houses are equal" Having no bias or opinion on any of the houses, he thought this would be a good note, just so he could develop his own opinions. Then, he heard a loud voice call his name. "James Henderson." He or she said as James approached the hat. The professor laid the hat on top of his head, and out of no where, James' palms started to sweat. He started to get worried, despite not knowing why. He toke a deep breath in, trying to calm himself down.

"Ah, yes, smart boy..." the sorting hat said as James tried to calm himself down. "Worried are we?" The sorting asked, but James, not wanting to be embarrassed, didn't answer, and simply nodded instead. "Not much of a Gryffindor, than." the sorting hat said, replying to his own statement. "Well then... Let's see..." The sorting hat said as James' palms grew sweatier, and as he got more and more worried. "Got to be...RAVENCLAW!" The sorting shouted, as the table of Ravenclaw applauded for their new addition. James walked to the table, and continued to take notes as the sorting ceremony continued. James' sense of worry had all been washed away, and he smiled slightly at the table before jotting down notes about the school as the day went on.

Sofia tapped her feet impatiently while waiting for her name to come up.  She had no idea which house she would be in, nor which house she wanted to be in. Maybe Hufflepuff, or Gryffindor, maybe Slytherin, or Ravenclaw.
She tried reciting the Sorting Hat's song, but her mind had already moved elsewhere. Her name had been called. It didn't take long for Sofia to have the hat on.

"Impatient, are we? You are your mother's child, it seems. Though you look nothing alike, and you seem to not have taken Ms. Windwood's surname."

Sofia was surprised, this was the first time someone other than her father had talked about her mother. Sofia wasn't even aware that her mother's Surname was different from her own. She asked herself how this hat knew her mother. Her face grew a pouty expression as she continued thinking up new questions.

"Already asking questions and seeking answers. You want to know it all, like the Ravenclaws. But, you also have imagination and creativity fit for a Hufflepuff. Still, there is only one house you're fit for... RAVENCLAW!"

Ravenclaw. It felt right or at least Sofia thought so. She didn't know, she had already forgotten what Ravenclaw stood for. Thanking the hat, she took it off and handed it back.
Sofia looked around and assumed that the blue table, the one with an emblem of a bird, was where Ravenclaws belonged.
This was the start of a new life for Sofia, and she really didn't know if she was ready.

Ephinea was standing in the crowd of firstyears after just entering the great hall. If it wasn’t for the fact that she could not stand crowds she would probably have been able to pay more attention to the magical vibes surrounding everyone. The floating candles, all the witches and wizards sitting around the four house tables. But no, the only thing she was able to think about was to stay calm and go with the flow.

Ephinea wasn’t able to focus on what was happening. It was first when she heard her name being called up that she came back to reality. She looked up towards the sortimg hat, and she looked around at all the people sitting in the hall, everyone looking eagerly for the girl called Ephinea Sorez Mephine. She froze, she felt someone put pressure on her back and push her a bit forward. She stepped slowly onto the steps leading up to the sorting hat. She could feel all the eyes staring at the back of her head. She sat slowly down and felt the hat being placed on her head.

She could barely hear someone speaking in her ear, but she didn’t manage to catch what it was saying. She could only notice everyone in the room that were staring at her. Her fists tightly holding the seat of the chair. 
Suddenly she heard someone yelling «RAVENCLAW», and she realized that she had been sorted. It had all been a blur to her, but she could feel the relieved feeling in her stomack when she stepped down the stairs and sat down by the Rravenclaw table. Everyone cheered for her and she felt a smile creeping up on her face. Maybe this wouldn’t be as scary as she expected, maybe she would end up really enjoing her stay at Hogwarts. All she knew was that she finally felt welcome.

Adohiro Moira was sitting quietly with the other first years, unsure of what House he would be put in. It worried him, his eldest brother and father had been Slytherins, but he doubted he had the stereotyped personality of a Slytherin. When he heard his name, he began to feel dread and a bunch of crazy thoughts swirled around his mind. He walked over, taking a deep sigh to calm his nerves down, he sat down and soon the Sorting Hat was on him. He tried to remain calm, but his heart was beating so fast he could feel sick in his stomach. 

"Worried, aren't you? You're nothing like your father or your brother it seems like." The Sorting Hat spoke which those words did sting. He often was considered meek and much weaker than his strong-minded brother and fierce father. His hands began to get hot and sweaty, his heart felt like it could burst! 


"However, there are some hidden talents inside of you and you're determined and keen. You're fit for Slytherin!" The Sorting Hat spoke which he widened his eyes. He was surprised he was chosen to belong in Slytherin. He wondered if there was some mistake, but he kept his mouth shut. He heard the Sorting Hat was always right so he decided not to argue. 

Lisabetta watched as other students began being sorted into their houses, waiting patiently for her turn. She was sure not to show any of the anxious and scared emotions that she was feeling, she was very skilled as not expressing her emotions. She was so lost in her thought and trying to keep her emotions in check, that she almost missed her name being called.

"Lisabetta Medici"

She stepped forward, very careful of her steps, she couldn't even bare to imagine what her family would think of her if she fell in front of all of these people. She walked with the grace that she had been trained her entire life to do, sitting on the stool in the same fashion. Back straight as a bored, ankles crossed, hands folded delicately in her lap. The sorting hat was placed on her head, and she did not blink or flinch at the, metaphorical, weight that it held. She was almost certain that she would be chosen for Slytherin, just as every other family member that had attended Hogwarts had. 

"MMMM, interesting. You are definitely a child of your family, a very prestigious and proud family. You appear to be like your family, ambitious, intelligent, all the characteristics of a Slytherin. But you must remember girl, I see past the outside, I see how you are in the inside. You are not like your family, you seek to be different than them, you seek to stand out. You want to be seen and heard for you, not for your name."

Lisabetta tried not to show how shocked she was by what the Sorting Hat was saying to her. No one had every spoken to her that way, and she did not even know how to address it, because what it was saying was true. She stared at a part in the wall, focusing on it, not showing anything.

"Stubborn one I see, very well, the only way that you will truly thrive and become who you are meant to be, is to be in the house that will make you different..........GRYFFINDOR!!!"

Lisabetta was unable to keep the shock from her face for a brief moment, but quickly got her emotions in check enough to stand, and walk to the table of her house. On the outside she was that same poised, emotionless person that she was when she walked in, but on the inside she was a total wreck, what would her family say? 

Ever curious, Kevin spent more time eyeballing the Great Hall - the floating candles, and in particular the ceiling than actually paying attention to the events. Of course, the chatter of people and the clamor of his fellow First Years also kept demanding his hyper-actively spastic attention span. Instead of a frightened pre-teen he was more like a puppy eager to whirl around and see everything.

Naturally, he couldn't indulge in the urge as the ever-so-slow process of Sorting droned on: first the insufferable song from the hat...a hat he REALLY wanted to know just how it worked. After all, it's one thing to claim to have a bit of brains of various people - it's another thing entirely for it actually be true. Then of course came the process of name reading and people being sorted that must have taken at least three eternities before it was his own turn. At which point the gravity of the event sank in, after all his lineage should land him in Slytherin...that shouldn't change from his mother's Muggle-born status or her own House having been a different one. The hat was lowered on his head and after decidedly little debate or even attempt to engage him hollered out his result: Slytherin. Finally free for less mundane affairs, he dropped the hat and bolted to his house table.