Sorting Ceremony Sept 2022

Date: Sept 1/22
Location: Great Hall
Character: Shay

Shay didn't see what the big deal was about being sorted into a certain colour. He'd been told over and over that the snake was the way to go - and, barring that, anything but the badger - but adults who got all invested in children's competitions were creeps. Which was all this colour thing seemed to mean; you got points or some nonsense to win a competition. Everyone he'd met thus far blew his mind with how into these sort of trivial games they were. How could you find it in you to care about competing in a way that had nothing to do with food or survival?

"Rosewood, Siodhachan!" The bloody talking hat called, and Shay eyed it suspiciously as he made his way to the steps. The hat was a creep too. Now every time someone tried to cram one of those things over his head, he'd have to punch 'em out in case it was a magical hat that read minds. He barely restrained himself from sinking his teeth into the wrist lowering it on his head, instead crossing his arms and digging his fingers into his elbows as he hunkered down with his face scrunched up in a scowl.

"Ah," the creep hat chuckled. "Now this one isn't hard at all."

"Eat my shorts, fabric boy," Shay snarled, using aggressiveness to mask the discomfort he felt at having a sentient piece of cloth rifling through his brain. "Hurry up with it, or I'll stomp ye into the dirt. I swear it on my mother's life." And he meant it, too; even if he got expelled, he'd make good on his word.

The creep hat chuckled again, unperturbed, before loudly declaring "Gryffindor!"

Shay was bolting to the table cheering loudest almost before the words were out, relaxing only when he launched himself into a seat and wriggled down in his chair so the hat wouldn't be able to make him out. Would the hat tell everyone his secret? Wormy balls of hellfire, he hated having to keep one. Hopefully he'd be good enough with magic soon to be allowed to live on his own in the woods, away from all these noisy students and weirdo professors.

Waves of applause and cheering rang across the Great Hall as scores of first-years were slowly sorted into their respective houses. Reuben was filled with anticipation and excitement. His mother told him all about the four houses of Hogwarts. She herself was placed into Ravenclaw, much like most of her ancestors. Wit and intelligence seemed to run in the family. Evidently, it found its way down to young Reuben, and it was now his turn to be sorted. Reuben, much like most of his wizarding lineage expected him to follow suit and be sorted into Ravenclaw. It only made sense - his imaginative mind said it all. Although his mother was always insistent on him finding his own identity and as such, Reuben had no particular preference for any of the houses.

"Reilly, Reuben!" the Headmaster called. It was time for Reuben to discover his true house, and the sorting hat had something special in store for him. The large pointy hat sat upon the wooden stool in the centre of the Great Hall. All eyes were on the young wizard as he stepped forward, ready to find out where his fate lay. As the hat moved closer to Reuben's head, he wondered if he would be sorted into Ravenclaw like the rest of his family. He felt the sorting hat slowly placed on his head and scour his mind. "Let's see what we have here..." the hat pondered searching Reuben's mind. "Ah! An inquisitive one. I see great creativity, a courageous heart and oh! Plenty of nerve." Reuben sat on the stool glancing up at the hat, not that he could see its face but that didn't stop him from trying. "Hmm... a difficult one" the Sorting Hat conferred. "How about... GRYFFINDOR!"

Rounds of applause thundered across the hall, as his fellow Gryffindors cheered with excitement. Reuben gleamed with enthusiasm as he sprung up from the rustic wooden stool and hurriedly made his way over to the Gryffindor tables. It was finally time for him to start a new chapter in his life at Hogwarts.

Cassie gets off the boat and follows other first years. She can't help to be excited--she is going to start learning in Hogwarts! She is going to make friends and do a perfect job on all the subjects!
As she is dreaming the scenes that will take place in Hogwarts in the future, the queue arrived at a hall--they will wait for the ceremony there. Students started to talk quietly. Cassie also turns to the girl behind her and said, 'Hi, I am Cassie, nice to meet you! Which house do you want to join? I want to be in Ravenclaw.' Before that girl has time to speak, the door opened and the students enters the great hall.
It is a gorgeous hall indeed, and she gasped again and again. Their names were called one by one. And... 'Jiang, Cassie!' she immediately walked to the stool.
'Umm... I can see bravery, you're willing to stand out and protect your friends... and kindness, you're friendly indeed. You're cunning, yes, you always want to win and be the best... then...' why, it didn't mention my wit! she is sad and afraid...'Ravenclaw please, Ravenclaw, please!' she said again and again in her mind. 'Ravenclaw eh? Are you sure? Gryffindor or Slytherin can help you achieve glory!' 'Ravenclaw please!'she murmured again. 'Are you sure? You do have wit and wisdom... so.....''Ravenclaw!' it shouted.
Cassie nearly screamed! It's a dream come true for her! She runs to the Ravenclaw table, towards the students who are clapping to greet her...

This entire experience was wonderous to Eliza. She had met some people on the train but now she had lost them. She was so overwhelmed by the magnificence around her. Not only was magic real, but she could do it, and she was in a castle! But it wasn't just a normal castle, it was a magnificent magical castle full of floating candles and a skylight. No, wait. It wasn't a skylight... But the night's sky was somehow glittering above them. Eliza wondered if it would also rain if it were raining outside but that would probably be a bad idea if they were to eat there.

Eliza didn't have to wait long to be sorted into her House as her last name began with C. She was a little nervous, but she walked up to the stool and sat down and waited for the hat to be placed on her head.

It was quite large for her, as she was only eleven, and covered her vision a little of the hundreds of people staring at her. That was probably for the best anyway.

As she was muggleborn, she had no stake in where she was put. She heard some people talking on the train about the different Houses but she didn't really mind much. She just wanted to learn magic and make some friends!

Before long, she heard a loud voice bellow from on top of her head. "GRYFFINDOR!" The Hat was yanked up from her head and she was scurried along. Eliza wasn't sure which table was for which House at first but the one that was clapping the loudest and had a few people beckoning her over was clear the right one. Eliza found a seat on the bench near the front. She was glad she didn't need to walk too far. She hoped this would be a good House and that she could make some lasting friendships.

Gemma Walsh was watching, clapping only for the Gryffindors. She liked them the best, they were the loudest and roudiest of the whole lot.

"GEMMA WALSH!" she hears.

She walks up to the hat quickly and confidently, striding over to it.

She picks it up and places it on her head before sitting down on the provided stool.

"Mmmm, yes. . . very brave and bold. Oh, that's novel! Intelligence too, and ambition. Hmmm. . . Slytherin could work. But oh, very interesting indeed. . ." the hat says quietly.

Gemma huffs. "If I wanted to hear an old raggedy fart ramble on about my traits I'd've stayed in South Ireland and shoved my face in me grampa's arse! Now hurry yer slow arse up and put me with the damn Gryffindors!"

The hat chortles, and a thunderous "GRYFFINDOR!" resounds through the room, and she grins wildly at the wild table of red-and-gold lions.

She tosses off the hat and trots over, sitting next to a particularly rowdy group and grinning cheekily at all of them.

As much as she would like to admire the great hall of Hogwarts, the ceiling with an enchantment to look like the night sky, something was stopping her and that was the fact that she's standing here with all of the first year students with the sorting hat just placed on top of a stool, prepared to get them all sorted into their houses. The house that one will be put in depends on what the hat sees in their mind, their desires and perhaps a hidden trait that needs to be nourished. The noise of the other students in each house's tables were a bit muffled as Raizel only focused on the hat and the names that's being called and the growing nervous feeling that she thought she had discarded back on the train.

She was beginning to wonder in her mind on which one she'll end up with. Deep inside, she somehow believes she might end up in Hufflepuff. Then again, her parents were students here and both of them were in Gryffindor so perhaps there, but she easily gets nervous so maybe not? She doesn't have the intelligence of a Ravenclaw so that house is probably out of reach, much more with Slytherin since she lacks ambition and ain't that cunning either. Name after name and soon enough, her's was called.

"Voltrouz, Raizel." The call was surprising for her, making her jump a bit even though she was expecting to be called. She slowly made her way to the chair, the hat being placed on her head and it began to speak.

"Voltrouz, quite a familiar name. Ah, of course, that lad." It said. The hat must be talking about her father. "Gryffindor had certainly proven to be the right house for such a rebellious man. You however... hmmmm." The hat paused and that certainly made the girl more nervous than she is. "Quite nervous are we? Relax, child." It spoke once again, making Raizel take a deep breath to calm her nerves. "A strong sense of loyalty I see, and kindness. Perhaps too kind at that. Hufflepuff would certainly be the first choice for you. There is also the desire to learn, a curiosity that would be good in Ravenclaw but hmmm... a brave heart, with courage to spare. Which house will unlock your full potential? Which one suits you better…" The sorting hat paused as it began to ponder which house would be the best for the first year. "... Ah! I know... GRYFFINDOR!"

The hat's decision was a shock for her. Her, a Gryffindor? That is quite surprising for someone who had just been a bundle of nervousness all throughout the trip to Hogwarts. Nevertheless, if the hat believes that this house is the one that shall unlock her full potential, then she will trust it. Like what her father had told her before, the hat was never wrong in its decisions. With that done, she stood up and made her way to the table of Gryffindor, taking a seat near the front where some of the people there had greeted her, showing them a smile. Now that that's over, she can finally relax and enjoy the feast that's laid in front of them.

First step he entered the Great Hall, Zach looked fascinated. He had never seen a hall that so glamorous as the Great Hall before. When he looked up to the ceiling, he saw many candles floating above him and a night sky that covered the ceiling. There was also many ghosts that flew left and right. From the entrance door, he saw four tables full of foods. From the left to the right, he saw students in their robe - green, blue, yellow, and red. "The green must be Slytherin students, the blue must be Ravenclaw students, the yellow must be Hufflepuff student, and the red must be Gryffindor," he mumbled.

Things happened so fast, until he realized that it was the time for the Sorting Hat to sort new students and place them to the house they will go to. Headmaster Lear called new students one-by-one. "The first letter of my both name starts with Z. Guess I am the last to be called," he thought.

One student had been called, then the Sorting Hat say her house loudly, "HUFFLEPUFF!". Students with yellow robe stand, scream loudly and give her applause. They greet her warmly. They are so happy that they have a new member. It is also happened with other new students. "Will it also happened when my name is called?" his thought is making him nervous.

"Zach Zaphiere", Headmaster Lear called his name. Zach walked nervously to the chair and sit on it. The Sorting Hat was placed on his head by Headmaster Lear.

"Uhum... Yes... You have ambitions, of course... Your thirst of knowledge is very dominant... You're willing to learn no matter what will happen... Your determination and ambition... But one place that suit you well..

RAVENCLAW!!!"

He saw students with blue robe cheering and give him standing ovation. He ran a little to join the Ravenclaw students. There are some students greet him happily. "Welcome," said one student.

"Wish I will do well here," Zach said it to himself.

WC-330

Wandering corridors one after another and amazed by the beauty of the portraits on the old walls, Alexander Harland, that 11-year-old Mancunian boy, remembered his granny's words of wisdom: "Never forget sunny boy, no matter what Hogwarts has always been and still is the right place to be." She was right. She was always right. After all, what could be the 'reasonable' and 'logical' explanation of Alexander's feeling of being at home in a strange castle he has never been to before? Godric with his sword and courage, Rowena with her diadem and intelligence, Salazar with locket and ambition, Helga with her golden cup and fairness, enchanted the walls of this castle and made it the right place for every imaginable situation - Alexander fantasised. This was the centre of his world from now on.

As he entered the mesmerising Great Hall, he gazed upon the sitting professors. They'll teach the most incredible spells to Alexander soon. Not just spells of course. Starting tomorrow, young Alexander will learn to make potions, take care of the most incredible magical creatures, and grow healing plants and herbs of all kinds... He was never fond of flying, though. But even at his Muggle school, it was none but a dream to have a completely desirable curriculum. He had no right to complain.

First-year students lined up in the Great Hall. They knew that they were standing on the threshold of an extraordinary experience that they would experience only once in their entire lives. Somewhere ahead was a shabby-looking hat. His mother had told Alexander about it before. It was a wise hat, as he understood it. A hat that can read people's characters, sense their emotions, and even see their most secret desires. Alexander found the idea a little scary. However, he still believed that the hat would keep what he saw confidential. After all, it was a very mature hat, almost a sage, and not a paparazzi to expose everyone's secrets!

As the houses of the nine students before him were announced, Alexander was filled with intense curiosity. What would the Sorting Hat say to him? His mother was a Ravenclaw. His grandmother, on the other hand, spent years in the Hufflepuff common room. Surely one of these was his destiny too. Or was it? What if he gets sent to Gryffindor? To be honest, he had neither the enthusiasm nor the interest to be a hero. Besides, wasn't the famous Harry Potter graduated from this house too? The last thing Alexander wanted was to have as many adventures as Potter. There was another option too but he was pretty sure the hat wouldn't shout the name Slytherin when it was Alexander's turn. For that to happen, the hat had to be too drunk to know what it was doing.

Finally, Alexander's name was called. He walked shyly to the side of the hat. The professor holding him gently placed the hat on Alexander's head. "Hmm," muttered the Sorting Hat, "quite obvious." He repeated himself after a few seconds: "Indeed, it's pretty obvious." Alexander closed his eyes with excitement. Then he heard the Hat's stentorian voice: "HUFFLEPUFF!"

A huge smile involuntarily settled on his face. "Grandma's house!", he silently declared. How happy he was! And honestly, he was indescribably relieved too. He got up from his chair and walked with jovial steps to the Hufflepuff table, where he would spend the next seven years. The next wonderful seven years of his life...

Kairi had finally made it inside the castle. The terrible storm that made the boat trip over the Lake much more adventurous than it should've been would no longer affect her, and she was finally going to find out in what house she belonged. She knew some very basic things about what the values of each house were, and had a few preferences. Namely she would have much preferred to be put into Slytherin, as from her father stories, they always seemed like the coolest ones and would want to avoid Ravenclaw because she considers herself different from her father and she also didn't enjoy most of the stories that revolved about specifically him and his Ravenclaw friends nearly as much. They were nice, but.. Boring and somewhat lame, and Kairi was too much of an adventurous spirit for that. Not that Ravenclaws can't be adventurous, mind you, Kairi simply didn't know how defining someone's house is and, while it was a very important step of becoming an Hogwarts student, she was heavily overestimating the weight of this choice.

She couldn't tell if the students were being called in alphabetical order by name or surname, but with the former starting with K and the latter starting with G it was fairly obvious that she was in the middle of the pack, so she had plenty of time to witness a dozen or more sortings and get prepared for her turn.

"Next, Kairi Glamateux. Don't be shy!"

Quickly she hopped and skipped over, offering whoever was holding the hat a polite bow and an awkward, yet gentle smile and then sitting on the stool like everyone before her. The hat was placed on her head and it began:

"Hmmm.. You're a difficult one. Aren't you" He mused, finding many defining qualities in the little girl. "I sense bravery, and plenty of pride besides, but you're no Gryffindor. No.. There's also plenty of ambition.."

This was not optimal for Kairi. She was flattered in a way that the hat was somewhat indecisive, but at the same time it was nervewrecking, and he had already listed some characteristic of two houses she would be pleased with, but... Just because her father mentioned how the hat did often respect someone's wishes, she squinted her eyes and brought her hands together in prayer, and started whispering:

"Please not Ravenclaw, Please not Ravenclaw, Please not Ravenclaw..."

"Not Ravenclaw, you say! Yes, I see. Your Father was a Ravenclaw but you're eager to write your own story... Hmm, even so I know you are loyal to those who matter the most to you, and I sense you do not shy away from hard work. I can also sense a strong desire to spread kindness and help others. I have decided... "HUFFLEPUFF!!!"

And with that, the hat was lifted from her head, and the hall exploded in a cheer once more, as it had many times before that night. Kairi, just happy to not have been placed in Ravenclaw was quite pleased with the Hat's choice, even though it did conflict with her preference. She smiled widely, and looked with excitement at the table where all the other Hufflepuffs resided and skipped her way over. She was very happy to be welcomed by young and older students alike, and even more happy to finally be face to face with all that delicious food that was waiting for her.

Ignoring most of her other classmates, her eyes sparkles, and she can feel her mouth becoming wet, though she has enough self-control to not start drooling in front of everyone.

She knows that it would be quite discourteous to start eating before the ceremony was over, and so she wouldn't. She had enough self control for this, too. She would, however stare at the food in mesmerized manner, and stop paying attention to many of the other students. Occasionally, every time a new Hufflepuff was sorted into their table she would snap out of it to welcome them, but otherwise her biggest desire for the night was to have the grandest dinner of her life. And that wish would soon be granted to her..