Sorting Ceremony 2023-2024

Most of the children to her left and right, ahead of her and behind, stared down the length of the grandiose room in absolute awe. Costanza was simply bothered. She fixed her glare at the tunnel-like center of the room until she caught sight of someone in front of her looking up. Matching the tilt of their chin, her eyes widened as she observed the candles that floated above. They had to be hanging by strings, right?

But even in the theatre where strings were used to hang props, there was always that one angle where the light caught the flexed material, making it visible to anyone who was looking. As Costanza made her way down the path between two tables, her eyes stayed glued to the ceiling. She was looking for some kind of tell - an omen that this place was as fake as she thought. She’d get to leave then. But as the group of children gathered at the front of the room, her neck was starting to hurt. She pulled her chin down, unsuccessful in her hunt.

Unwilling to give up, Costanza listened to the Headmaster’s speech and took in the information he spewed with a grain of salt. She jumped when the hat ‘spoke’, but surely someone was just hidden with a mic. The thing was placed on a stool and she watched with a repulsed expression as the fabric rippled without assistance. It’s voice filled the hall, singing a lengthy tune. Some parts caught Costanza’s attention, especially when it started describing the houses.

All she knew about the houses is what Malachi had told her, and that wasn’t a lot. He was in Slytherin and that was the type of energy Costanza was trying to emulate after closing the book on her past self. But when she looked over to the table of students wearing greens and listened to the hat sing about cunning, she knew she would hate it there. That thought disappointed her to no end.

She didn’t think she belonged in Ravenclaw either. Her grades were always fine, not exceptional, and wit was something she would always lack. Gryffindor was her pick, because the other two didn’t match, and also because under no circumstances would she welcome being in Hufflepuff. As she listened to the hat prattle on about patience and loyalty, an uncomfortable feeling crept up Costanza’s arms. The verse described her to a T. Or rather, the old her. The one who felt loved and gave love tenfold. That wasn’t her anymore. She would rather steer clear of people like that.

Fate would have other plans.

Her name was finally called and she sucked in her nerves before briskly walking to the stool and having the hat placed on her.

“You want to switch identities, ay?” the hat began as soon as it made contact with her head. She took a moment to process the fact that its voice was echoing in her mind. “Well, I can aid you with that. Slytherin will help you become the person you want to be. It helped shape dear ol’ daddy and it can do the same for you.” Costanza cringed at Malachi being referenced as her father. She had barely begun to think of him like that. She glanced over to the Slytherin table again and felt the same distance as when she first saw them. “You already know that’s not the place for you, don’t you?” So the hat would put her in Gryffindor, then? And, she wouldn't be too worked up about Ravenclaw either. “You’re trying to shed the person you once were, and maybe you’ll succeed. But there’s only one place that will be comfortable for you until then.” No—

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

No. No! Ugh. Costanza’s parents always tried to avoid cussing in front of her, but sometimes they slipped up. She’d been told not to repeat any of the swears she heard, but it was all that moved through her mind as the hat was plucked off her head. The mask of indifference she had tied so tightly to the back of her skull was beginning to slip and the witch made her way to the sea of yellow with a sneer etched onto her face.

Jessie had to admit that Hogwarts Castle was a step up from the usual Scottish castle. It was large, ornate, medieval and downright magical. Neither the letter nor the books she had read in preparation (that Tomkink fellow needs to update his prose) did justice to the last fact. A charlatan would faint before they recreated her time in Diagon Alley, let alone Hogwarts.

Who knew ghosts were so chatty?

Less exciting were the clothes. Granted, the robe fit her body well enough. But the colour was a trite black. Ubiquitous, you might say; boring, she’d simplify. Jessie looked better with lighter tones to complement her blue eyes and blonde hair.

She fiddled with the fabric as the Sorting Hat droned on. The material was strange to the touch. Closer to silk than polyester, though. If she could get her hands on the source, her tailor would have quite a list of alterations. Dyes and measurements formed a merry company in her mind.

Thoughts about which house she would join were fleeting at best. Each of them was blessed to have her. After the Costanza girl, her name was called. She walked casually to the stool and let the awful hat fall to her head.

"Oh dear," a small voice said in her ears. Jessie froze. "Not in want of courage. I see a flame of ambition, a flicker of cunning, but perhaps a lack of wisdom."

Her recovery was quick enough. Says you!

"There is greatness in confidence. Humility can come later. I hope to see you blossom in GRYFFINDOR!"

Jessie took off her hat and walked down to the Gryffindor table. So a witch for a lion. She could work with that.

By the time he entered The Great Hall, Kaito was already beginning to feel sleepy. Regrettably, his ride on the train was filled with too much tension and action for him to even think about getting a quick nap in, so all he wanted to do as he walked down the legnth of the grand room was pass out right there on the floor. Months later and the boy wouldn't know exactly what it was about Hogwarts that made him so desperate to hit the hay, but he would be able think back to this moment that defined him as a chronic in-class sleeper.

He tried to listen as best as he could to the Headmaster's speech and the hat's song, but even the novelty of magic had quickly worn off in his drowsy state. He just wanted to be done with the whole thing so he could assess the sleepability of the beds in the dorms. After expectantly watching the first few students get sorted, he slowly began to drift off, eyelids succumbing to the heavy feeling that burdened it. Only after he heard the shout of, "KAITO FOXGLOVE!" did he stir, wetting his lips to curb the dryness and sauntering over to the stool in an attempt to look like he wasn't just running with sheep in dreamland.

The hat was placed on his head and after watching the reactions of the first few students, he half-expected the thing to start a deep-dive analysis on his personality. Instead, it hummed and groaned, seemingly unsure of where to place him. Honestly, he couldn't even help the hat out. He hadn't listened to the song and knew nothing about the houses beforehand, so the sentient... er, intelligent piece of clothing was going to be on its own for this decision.

"If it's any consolation, I don't really care where I end up." The hat gave a low chuckle at that and then grunted. Kaito imagined the hat as a slight old man, waving off his comment with an expression that said, "Bah!" Silence followed for a couple of seconds and he wondered if the magical thing had somehow turned off. Then the hat's voice flooded his mind.

"I can't just put you anywhere, boy. See, Ravenclaw's going to fit you like a glove."

"Then sort me with the dang birds and let's get a move on." The hat didn't speak for a while longer. "What's the problem?"

"You'll probably enjoy it there for a time. But... your hard academic work was out of necessity, not a love for knowledge." He didn't know how to take that one, but it didn't sound like a compliment. "I fear you'll grow to hate knowledge instead of feeling your current indifference towards it. And you'll grow stagant in every house other than... GRYFFINDOR!"

The hat bellowed its choice for him out loud and the table of people wearing robes with red trims began cheering. Kaito rose from the stool and joined the table calmly, wondering if he really needed to listen to the hat's yapping when it could have just sorted him and sent him on his way.