The Gryffindor Table: Start of Term(2018-2019) Cl

When Masika had first laid eyes on the Sorting Hat she was somewhat disappointed by the state that the thing was in; clearly the poor thing must just be left sitting around when it wasn't sorting students instead of being stored in a properly spelled location to prevent it from deteriorating further. For something that was regarded so highly in Hogwarts: A History, she had expected it to be treated as such. If Papi and Baba had seen the state of the artefact, they would have been rightfully horrified.

As she had waited in line, a girl that she had met earlier on the Express getting sorted a handful of students ahead of her, her dark brown eyes had taken in the ancient Great Hall. Despite the, no doubt, impressive enchantments on the ceiling, she had spent more time looking at the overall design of the room, trying to place the origin and style of the architecture. Most of it was easily recognizable with the slight... difference that she had come to attribute to magical structures when compared to their muggle equivalents.

Before she had known it, her name had been called, dragging her out of her observations, and she had found herself with the ancient hat covering her eyes. It had been oddly startled with how concerned she was with how it was cared for, but Masika had stubbornly insisted that it speak to someone about its treatment.

"If you don', I will owl my Father. Proper preservation o' historical items is important!"

The hat had agreed, to her satisfaction, but whether out of spite for being pushed around, or because of what it had seen in her head while she argued with it, it had yelled "Gryffindor!"

Now she found herself sitting at the table that, had she given thought to it previously, she would have least expected outside of, perhaps, Hufflepuff. She had tried finding a less crowded spot amongst the rambunctious table, still trying to process what this would mean for her in the future. She had been so certain that she would end up in Ravenclaw, that she hadn't given any consideration to the possibility that it might turn out otherwise, and now she found herself at a loss on what to do. She looked around, her dark eyes appearing black in the candlelight, as she tried to find someone to talk to that wouldn't set her teeth on edge. She had never been around so many children in her life, and it was already starting to give her a headache.

"Now, Alhabiba, I want you to promise me something, okay?" Her Baba had looked so serious, that Masika had nodded without question. He had smiled kindly and ruffled her black curls, "Your Papi and I want you to at least try and make one or two friends with the children at Hogwarts, okay?

Masika had looked startled and then annoyed with her Fathers' request, pouting when she realized that she had already agreed. She sighed grumpily, "Do I have tae? You know I don' get along with anyone younger th'n twenty..."

At this her Papi had laughed and scooped her up into a hug despite her protests, rubbing her cheek against his own stubbly one, "Ah, my niñita, You insist so much on growing up far too soon. We should have tried harder to find you some friends."

Masika had poked her tongue out at him childishly despite herself, "I didn' need friends, Papi, I had you and Baba, and that's enough for me."

The man had nodded sagely, his dark eyes glinting behind his spectacles, "Sí, but your Father and I won't be with you while you are away, mi amor, so please, for the sake of our peace of mind, at least try, yes?"

And so she had agreed, and here she was, scoping out her future House, and hoping that bravery, courage, and determination didn't just translate into loud, annoying, and foolhardy...