Closed The Sorting ceremony 2018-2019

The Great Hall was a sight to behold. Rhian nearly ran into the student in front of her because she could not take her gaze from the bewitched ceiling, which showcased the outdoors night sky.  When she finally swung her head back down, the young girl could see the four famous house tables, the teachers table on the dais and a lot of people. a constant buzzing noise filled the room, and she wondered how anybody could understand a thing their neighbors were saying.

But then it was time for the sorting ceremony. the line of first-years was long, and each and everyone sat on the stool, had the hat on their head and got sorted. 'I wonder where it will put me' Rhian thought. Ravenclaw was probably her favorite, but Hufflepuff wouldn't be bad either. She did not associate herself with either Gryffindor or Slytherin, but the possibility was always there. Then, finally...

"Griffiths, Rhian"

The young girl walked over to the stool, the hat dropped, and darkness surrounded her.  "hmmm, yes. ohh, I see, very patient, good good." the voice murmured into her ear, while from the outside only the long brown hair and dark robes were visible of Rhian.
"but where shall I put you? Like your mother, yes? Or more like the father? Both of them were here, you know..." the hat rambled on a little, and mumbled about this and that, but finally, after what seemed to Rhian like an eternity, there was an answer.

"HUFFLEPUFF" cried the hat.

Quite relieved, Rhian left the hat on the stool and went over to the applauding table to meet her new fellow students, her family, and hopefully her friends.

Louis was practically vibrating from where he stood in line, and he happily clapped and bounced every time someone had been put into their house. There was a hat! A hat that sung! And could read minds! HOW COOL WAS THAT?! He shared glances with Sariel behind him, the giddy grin on his face refusing to leave at all times as Rhian in front of him was sorted. He gave her a happy wave (they hadn't talked yet but he was sure they would!) as she moved towards her new house, then was scuttling his way up the steps before the professor had even called his name. Perching himself on the seat his legs waggled in the air in excitement, and he scrunched up his eyes as the cool hat was placed on his head.

'Oh my, quite the happily little one aren't you?' A wizened old voice sounded in his head, making the little boy jump in surprise, although it didn't really look out of place considering his constant moving and wiggling. He was just so excited! 'Yes yes, I can see that. Now, let me see here... No real desire for knowledge, and i'm not sure you know the meaning of the word cunning... However, i sense a spark in you. One i've seen many times before. Which one are you? You willing to face death itself and stand up in the face of adversity for what you believe in, but these could be attributed for both...' The voice sounded again, and he was pretty sure it was the hat. He wasn't entirely sure what it was talking about, but he didn't think that it meant Louis any harm. 'Hmm... Not Ravenclaw, nor Slytherin...' It hummed in his mind, and he found himself liking the undertone of strength in its voice. It was quite comforting, at least to him. Like a guardian was there to keep him safe. 'Why thank you, my dear boy. And with that, I believe I know which house you would like the most! Yes, indeed. A loyal, charming young man such as yourself belongs in only...'

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The hat roared with the strength and intensity that had Louis bolting out of his seat before the hat was even off. Fortunately for him (to save complete embarrassment) the professor was more than competent enough to lift it off of his head and out of his mind, hands most likely used to this exact thing countless times, as Louis happily bounced towards the table of cheering Hufflepuffs. His House. The thought made his smile grow impossibly larger, even as he high-fives a few older members and went to sit down next to where Rhian was seated as the newest member of the house of yellow.

Azaiah was indeed impressed when he walked up to the doors of the castle, well, on the outside. On the inside, however, he was scrutinizing everyone and everything. Behind his mask of childish wonder, he carefully watched the headmaster before them. His pale skin and sharp features, his raven black hair, and his pale blue eyes, he watched his mannerisms and body language for any off actions, and upon finding none, he just grew more suspicious. He turned away from the dear headmaster to scan the students around him, some looked wary, others just shone with wonder. He internally huffed at them, naïve, that’s what they were. His eyes flicked to the tall walls of the castle around him, noting nothing worthy of his attention, he focused back on the group of surging children, maneuvering through the bodies with practiced ease he made his way to the front of the crowd, behind the headmaster, who had just pushed open the doors to the great hall and gave them a dramatic speech Azaiah just stored in the back of his mind, behind one of his fabricated doors of his psyche. After being led to the side and told about what would happen and how the sorting works, he scanned the room from his position on the outskirts of the first years, the tables, each baring the symbol of their house, held a group of students in black robes with lining of the same main color of their table, each table seemed to have personalities of their own, the Ravenclaw were quiet and reserved, chatting with each other with varying degrees of politeness, he could get along with them. The Gryffindors were boisterous, some butting heads, others just plain loud, he already disliked them, not hate, no, he never hates people, it’s too close to love, but dislike, he would tolerate them. The Hufflepuffis seemed to be a happy bunch, kind smiles adorned their faces as they acted like a real family, yes, that group is composed of his quiet longings for normalcy, a real family, but he’d never get it. The Slytherins, they had cunning smirks painted on their face, they poked fun about other houses, some with loud laughing and sneering, others just quietly gossiping with random breaks of laughter, though there were some that sat quietly by themselves or with a small group, calculating everyone in the room, yes, he’d fit in there, despite the ignorant boasting and verbal barbs at or about other people.

“Morgos, Azaiah”, he was snapped out of his musings as his name was called, he hadn’t realized the sorting were going on. Mentally kicking himself about the slip-up he walked towards the hat with a fake smile and eyes forced to sparkle, no one noticed. He sat down on the chair, gently setting the hat on his white-haired head. The mental probe searched through his hallways of his mind, he followed it with quiet reservation, directing it away from the doors with information he’d rather keep secret. The probe seemed slightly surprised by his psyche’s awareness, but metaphorically shrugged it off, allowing the small boy to lead it. They stopped before the door that had big white letters reading “Personality & ambitions”, and he opened it, gesturing for the Sorting Hat’s probe to enter. After watching it sift through the room’s contents it came back out, and they jerked back to the room surrounding them, only a mere couple seconds passing in reality, with a deep breath the old hat uttered its conclusion.

“SLYTHREN!”, the students and staff clapped politely while Slytherin welcomed him with smirks and words of congratulations. Inwardly sighing he put back up the Childish façade and, like the snake he truly was, immersed himself in their ranks.

Hestia was terrified. She'd been trying to prepare herself for this day since she'd received her acceptance letter, and no amount of reassurance from her parents managed to quell the growing anxiety she'd been experiencing as the first day of her first year at Hogwarts grew closer. Despite the Great Hall being full of burning candles and warm, friendly smiles, Hestia found herself shivering slightly. If only Leo was here.

The redhead tried to look anywhere but the raggedy old hat that sat on a stool on a raised platform. Every time the hat yelled out a new student's house, Hestia felt the nervous knot in her stomach become tighter. In an attempt to distract herself, she began to think about what house she would like to be in - her mother was a Hufflepuff, and her father had been a Slytherin, so she really had no idea what she'd be in. Ravenclaw, maybe... Slytherin, maybe. Definitely not Gryffindor.

Hestia snapped out of her thoughts at the right time - just as the hat called her name. As she walked up to the stage in her slightly oversized robes, Hestia could feel the blush rising to her face and figured that she looked like a tomato. Oh my word, this was so embarrassing. Hestia sat down on the stool, instantly tucking her hands back into her sleeves and looking down at her lap awkwardly.

Suddenly, a voice sounded in her head. At first, Hestia was scared, but then she realised it was the sorting hat. "Hmmm... clever, ambitious, witty. Textbook Ravenclaw..." the hat pondered, turning back to silence for a few seconds before speaking again. "But then, there's something else there. You hold loyalty as an important trait...." the silence was longer this time, and Hestia could hear her heart beating in her chest. The hat stirred on top of her head before yelling HUFFLEPUFF.

A long, relieved sigh escaped Hestia's mouth as she practically sprinted down the steps to the Hufflepuff table, sitting down next to another new student. She shot them a small smile before smiling bashfully at the table.

[font=times new roman]James may have flipped through Hogwarts, A History briefly, but nothing he saw in a book could have prepared him for the sight of the Great Hall. The eleven year old wizard around gazed excitedly around the hall as he filed in through the large set of double doors with the rest of the first years.

Of course, he already knew about Hogwarts' four houses. His father had been in Gryffindor and his mother was in Ravenclaw. Before he left to attend the wizarding school, his parents had explained they would be happy with whatever house James got sorted into. But he definitely had his hopes set for one of the houses his parents had been placed in. The main issue was, nobody was able to explain how the first years were sorted.

After the Headmaster, Ackerly Blackburn, guided them to the end of the Great Hall, the Deputy Headmaster stepped forward and explained the sorting would begin. James was surprised when the pointed wizard's hat on the stool began moving and speaking. An old, frayed hat? A hat would be sorting them? He had been warned to expect the unexpected while attending Hogwarts, but he didn't think he'd have to stay on his toes so soon.

Luckily, see how his family's name began with the letter 'F', James wasn't the first to be called upon. As he watched others get sorted, James nervously shifted his weight from foot to foot. Was the hat going to read his mind? Would it hurt? Did the hat truly belong to Godric Gryffindor? He was consumed with his overload of questions when the Deputy Headmaster sharply called, "Forrest, James."

Hesitating for a few moments, James stepped forward and quickly shuffled to the stool. The large, pointed hat was placed on his head, and he was surprised with how light it felt. Soon though, the Sorting Hat spoke, "Ah, a very curious mind. I believe I know the house to best serve your thirst for knowledge. It'll have to be... RAVENCLAW!"

James released a breath he didn't know he was holding. A wide grin spread across his face as the hat was lifted from his head, he got off the stool, and headed for the Ravenclaw table. The students at the blue table cheered and clapped for him, and an older boy patted him on the shoulder in congratulations as James sat in the empty spot next to him.

A Ravenclaw! Just like Mum! James couldn't wait to write an owl home and to let his family know the news! Well, maybe it could until after dinner - he was starving. Everyone had a golden plate and goblet in front of them, but where was the food?[/font]

Sariel entered the hall alongside Louis, her eyes immediately traveling upward to the ceiling where the floating candles glowed under the enchanted night sky. This was the Hogwarts Great Hall her mother had so excitedly told her about many times over the years. Her mother had described it to Sariel in detail when asked. The witch's description was both accurate and yet had been unable to capture the true excitement of standing underneath the starlit vaulted ceiling or shuffling down to the end of the hall to the raised platform flanked by the long House tables where a battered hat on a stool waited.

Sariel shuffled into the room along with the rest of the first years near the front of the pack. Louis was ahead of her and eager to get on to the stage to test out the singing hat. She was eager too, but that feeling was overshadowed by the sheer feeling of awe. Next to so many older students and standing in the massive hall she felt...small. Before she knew it, the welcome speech was over as was the song directly from the hat itself. Louis glanced back at her beaming and about to come out of his shoes with excitement. The genuine joy was catching and she grinned back at him before leaning forward to whisper to him. "This is it. We made it!"

Name after name was called, and though they were in the front of the pack, the group was starting to dwindle before Louis name was called. She watched as he bounded up to the platform and the sorting hat slipped over his ears. "HUFFLEPUFF!" The pronouncement for her newfound friend wasn't surprising. In fact, it was a good fit for him in her opinion. Louis rocketed off the platform to join his new House almost too fast and the witch in charge of the hat had to snatch the relic from his head.

A few more named were called until she jolted at the sound of her own. "Sariel Monroe!" That was her. As if she were entirely numb to any of the chatty children at the tables, Sariel walked up to the platform without hesitation and sat down on the stool. The hat was summarily slipped over her head, catching on her ponytail just over her eyes. You'd make an excellent Gryffindor...
The hat said immediately.

Sariel blinked into the darkness of the hat and tilted her head. "Why do you think that?" It occurred to her that she had just spoken aloud to a hat, something that struck her as funny and she giggled.

Strong...bold...unafraid to stand up...you'd make a wonderful Gryffindor...but there is the desire for exploration and knowledge there too. A fair amount of good nature...Hufflepuff might be good.. Where to put you..hmmm...

As the hat debated, Sariel's feet kicked back and forth on the stool until she voiced her opinion again. "If I'm already those things then why don't you put me somewhere I can learn from." It seemed like a good idea. She didn't want to be stuck in a house where everyone was like her. She wanted to explore.

That seemed to do the trick and the hat let out a bellow. "RAVENCLAW!"

Sariel hadn't thought about Ravenclaw terribly much, other than they probably read a lot and prized intelligence. Now that she was thinking about it, maybe she wanted somewhere she would fit better. Why did she have to say that? The hat was tugged from her head, revealing the Ravenclaw table beckoning her over. Too late now. She had wanted adventure and something different and that's exactly what she got.

Half floating over to the Ravenclaw table, Sariel plopped down next to the boy that had been called before her, James, and the beginnings of a smile worked its way to her lips. She was a Ravenclaw now and she would endeavor to embrace her new House even if she was a little awkward in the process.

Beth had done her best to be prepared for her arrival at Hogwarts. She had received her letter a couple months before the term began and as such, she had some time to actually prepare for her attendance. Granted, she didn’t go ham to be prepared. She wouldn’t be back home until winter, so it was only natural that she spent as much time with her school friends and her grandmother.

Really, though, her grandmother did the hard work by explaining many things to her instead of a large textbook. Even still, as she entered the Entrance Hall with all the other students, her emotions raced with nervousness and excitement. Would she make friends here? Would she make enemies? Where would they place her? She had her vague stereotypes as told by her grandmother of the different houses, but she had never actually met, well, anyone who even knew about the Wizarding world. People chose their fates, not a House, right?

Once inside the entrance hall, she stayed quiet and out of the way but tried to get close enough to see the individual who stood in front of all the first years. He began to introduce himself – he was the headmaster and personally would guide them to the sorting ceremony. That was nice of him (or was that just standard procedure?) Either way, Beth hoped she wouldn’t see him again this close – because if she did, it would probably mean she was in trouble.

She took a deep breath as she watched the Great Hall open to them. She had never seen anything quite like it before – long tables, the sky above and… A hat sitting on a stool. Beth gulped at the sight before her. She wasn’t quite sure why she was so nervous about it all. All these other peoples had done it – those already sitting, and they were fine. The Deputy Headmaster explained the process very clearly and right afterwards, the hat began to sing. Her Grandma warned her about the talking hat but it was still a sight to behold. Beth nearly felt the need to clap at the end of the Hat’s song, though, but the Deputy Headmaster had begun to call names.

Beth’s face became pale at a certain realization. It was all so… Public. What if the hat said something personal out loud? Or maybe she would have just preferred to have done this not in front of hundreds of other students.

As she debated such a… Public sorting ceremony, she heard her name called from the Deputy Headmaster. She took a deep breath, slightly paralyzed, before forcing herself to timidly walk in front of everyone. She tried to not look at anyone and mostly focused on the hat, before turning and sitting down on the stool. A second later, the hat was placed upon her head.

“Oooh, yes. Let’s see here…”

Was it just her or was he (or she?) talking very loudly? She gulped, her cheeks turning red.

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

Beth exhaled as he said the house she’d be in, anxious to get away from the seemingly loud hat. The hat was removed, and she quickly moved towards the cheering Hufflepuff table. She quickly sat down next to some of the other students whose names had just been called. Where they as nervous as she was during it all? She rubbed her arms before looking back towards the sorting hat. A few more to go...

At least that part was over – now on to the better stuff. Like classes, and learning, and stuff or whatever.

Her cloak was itchy, people were staring at her, she barely knew where she was, but Sadie Lou was not one bit nervous. She was beaming in pride, gazing around at the sea of students and faculty, not to mention ghosts as well. She hadn't been nervous even when she had to run through the wall to Platform 9-1/3, like her older sister Tabitha had been even though she'd been doing it for five years now.

She was never afraid of a new adventure, which this was exactly. She was now surrounded by magic people, objects and...everything! She could almost sme the potions to be brewed, hear the spells to be casted, and see the beasts to be tamed. In muggle school it wasn't exactly boring but wherever magic was concerned, there was barely a comparison. Sadie Lou would miss her friends and family back home, especially her little sister Paige who love to boast about how she's going to be the Minister of Magic one day.

Sadie Lou, on the other hand, didn't want to do anything concerning the Ministry, or that's how she felt so far. Although she still needed to do her research, she wanted to become an Auror. One of her mothers, Catherine, was an Auror and she always told stories about the dark wizards she's met, usually as scary stories, although they only scared Tabitha and Paige. Everyone though she wanted to become a photographer for the Daily Prophet or maybe a some creative muggle job but she had big plans.

Sadie Lou thought about all of this as she waited in line for her turn with the Sorting Hat. She figured she'd either be put in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. Her eldest brother Gregory was in Gryffindor, her twin siblings Barry and Tabitha were in Hufflepuff, and her sister Penny was in Slytherin, which didn't surprise anyone. She was the quietest and never cried and wasn't open, but she wasn't mean. She even smiled at Sadie Lou when she entered the Great Hall with the other first-years.

Her mothers, Catherine and Elvira, were in Gryffindor and Ravenclaw when they were attending Hogwarts. They'd been best friends and decided to get married a few years after they graduated.

When Sadie Lou was called, she happily sat on the seat and listened as the wizard contemplated which House she would be in. After a while it seemed like it would be clear that she'd be in Gryffindor, since it kept recalling all the times she did brave things, like grabbed a snake that was crawling on Paige's sleeping bag in the dark while everyone was asleep and threw it into the trees, when she got beat up by eighth graders at the park when she was in fourth grade for sticking up for the little kids, and even when she went to meet the man in Azkaban who everyone said was her insane father. He even threatened to kill her but she still gave him the origami swan she made for him.

When the Sorting Hat chose that she would be in Gryffindor, the red themed tabled erupted in cheers like for everyone and Sadie Lou grinned as she hurried to sit down with her peers. Students congratulated and welcomed her, some even offered to show her around. She was nearly overwhelmed by being around such warm people, but she felt the little longing to be back home, where everything wasn't so strange and new. But it was just a tint part of her. A large, adventurous part of her couldn't wait to see what would happen in the seven years she'd be attending Hogwarts.

"Hi, my name is Iris Triglery. I heard that you're adotped, too?" Sadie Lou looked up and saw a girl white blonde hair and grey eyes. She smiled back at her and nodded.

"Yes, everyone else in my family is too, even my mothers."

"Mothers? As in more than one? You mean a stepmum?"

Sadie Lou laughed. "No, my mom's married each other, they're a two women marriage."

"Oh...um, okay. What's your name, anyway?" asked Iris.

"It's Sadie Lou McAfee, my first name being Sadie Lou, but everyone just calls me Sadie or Lou-Lou."

"Hm, well, what do you prefer? It's your name after all."

"Queen of the Glitter Unicorns and Rainbows. Just kidding, Sadie is okay." They both giggled, the sense that some barrier had been crossed.

They talked for a while about nothing and then Iris asked about Sadie's ride to Hogwarts. "I don't remember seeing you on the train."

"Well, I sat with some other first-years at first," she said, shrugging. "But then I heard some older students, mean looking girls, mention my sister Penny in a jealous way and they giggled about how she always sat by herself on the train. So I went to find her and we sat next to each, somewhere where not a lot of people were around."

Iris frowned. "My sister- her name is Janice, she's a fourth year, she's over there- she told me about how there was a fight last year between a second-year and a third-year Slytherin, named Penny and Mathilda."

"Really?" Sadie looked so surprised. She'd never heard of this, and she couldn't imagine Penny getting in a fist fight. "What happened?"

Iris shrugged. "They said it was duel, the one with the wands, and Mathilda lost, which made her mad because Mathilda came from a Pure-Blood family and since Penny was adopted and had a muggle name, they figured she was Muggle-Born. Because who would give up a Pure-Blood baby?"

Sadie was angry, and she glared at Iris. "You don't know anything about Penny! No one knows, and no one has the right to judge her just because of stupid assumptions, so that Mathilda girl deserves whatever she got for messing with my sister."

"Alright, alright," said Iris, holding up her hands. She eyed Sadie. "She's not even your blood sister."

Sadie felt like screaming at this dimwitted girl but she knew better and she forced herself to calm down. Instead, she said, in a quiet and controlled voice. "I think that we're done here, Iris Triggerly, or whatever your name is." She proceeded to turn her back and talk to someone else. She didn't want to get into a fight on her first day, even if it were for her family. And it wouldn't look good when she was training to becoming an Auror either.

She hoped every day wouldn't be like this. Iris was alright, but she spoke a little too much about things she barely understood. But Sadie had too many things to worry about, like what happened next, and maybe this tastey pastry she was about to take a bite out of.

Sonya walked into the great hall with awe on her face. It was so beautiful, her father had described it several times and she'd read about it but it was more beautiful than she could ever imagine. She took in her surroundings along with the many other first years, in wonder. She snapped back to attention when she heard the headmaster speak. She tried to pay attention and not get lost in her thoughts as he gave his welcome speech. After he finished the first student to be sorted was called. Sonya saw they looked nervous and she looked around to see more faces with similar expressions. She thought about it and remembered that not all wizarding parents were as accepting as her father, who would accept her no matter what. He was a Ravenclaw but was alway open to other houses so so was Sonya. Most people she met thought she would make a good Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. Unlike some other kids, she had nothing to worry about. She snapped back to attention as she heard her name called, "Sonya Carlson."
She walked up, confidently, without a care in the world. The sorting hat was placed on her head. "Ah, someone who is not afraid," she heard a voice say. She sat as she waited for a determination on her house. "Would be a worthy Gryffindor. Oh, but very eggar to meet people. Cares a lot about those she's close to." Sonya thought of her family, she did care a lot for them, in fact she'd do anything for them. HUFFLEPUFF! The hat exclaimed as she smiled and the Hufflepuff table cheered. The hat was taken off her head and she walked off to join her new classmates.

His mother had always told him stories about her time at Hogwarts and all the wonderful things he’d be able to experience. How he could meet other children like him and finally experience the things her stories had made him dream about. The hall was beautiful, just like everything his mother had described and more, filled with the happy and excited chattering of all the other students topped with the stunning design of the room.It was perfect. And yet somehow, disappointing.

Frey followed the group of first years as they were corralled to a different area, away from all the houses.The Headmaster explaining the sorting would finally begin, to come forth when your name was called. He wasn’t the first called up luckily and he watched curiously as the other student’s were called up, the hat placed atop their heads. One of the first a blonde girl named Bethany, Hufflepuff, she was welcomed warmly. The next a brunette named Sonya, another Hufflepuff...It started to grow repetitious. Sort and applaud, he began to tune out the noise choosing to let his focus wander to the different teachers and houses around the room until he was nudged softly by a boy to his side.
“Frey Fairchild.”

Tensing he walked over after a small pause, gaze on the ground as he became very aware of the many, many eyes on him at that moment. Sorting hat placed on his head he tugged at his robes sleeve, “Ah a quiet one we have here, self reliant I see but passionate, honest...You must be…” He let out a soft breath, he’d be Ravenclaw like his mother.

“GRYFFINDOR!”

Frey felt himself almost choke on surprise as the hat was removed. The Gryffindor table cheering wildly and excited as he numbly walked over to his new house. Hands patted his shoulder, warm welcomes bombarding him from all sides, he sighed in relief when attention was drawn to the next person giving him a moment to think. His mother said the hat was never wrong, he supposed he would have to deal with this.