Sorting Ceremony 2020-2021

Interacting with @Toni Bunch

Em jumped slightly and pulled his hand back at the unexpected touch. What . . . Oh, it was a girl, she was leaning closer to him across the table. "I’m Toni, it’s nice tah meet ya" she said, then held her hand out to shake.

Em stared at the hand for half a second, eyes wide, before realizing what was going on. "Oh!" he said. He smiled and grabbed her hand. "Hello!" he said a bit too loudly, "Um, I mean hello!" he said at a quieter volume, "My name's Em." He shook her hand firmly, if a bit awkwardly at the angle.

He leaned back from his awkward angle across the table and settled firmly in his seat again, absently picking at his nails. "So, um, are you having fun?" That was the thing you were supposed to ask at things like this right? Or was that just people you already knew?

He chuckled a little weakly, "It's a little loud for me, it makes me nervous." Nervous was, a bit of an understatement. More like overwhelmed and jumpy.

He stopped picking his nails at a stab of pain. "Ow." Whoops. He quickly put his hands in his sleeves and started picking at the seams of that instead.

"So," he said, looking around. He wasn't very good at picking conversation topics. "do you. . . Like space?" All the commotion around him was getting to him, making him more unsure of his words than usual, but it was nice to have something specific to focus on. "Um, I was really glad that the sky was clear and I could see the stars! Do you have a favorite constellation? Mine's Orion, it's really easy to find!" He smiled at Toni hopefully.

interacting with @Em Testerman

The Hufflepuff jumped after Toni gained his attention, looking quite alarmed. Toni grimaced slightly, realizing that might not have been the best attention grabber. Her worries were lessened when his tense face broke into a smile and his hand engaged hers in formal greeting. Scooching back to her original position on the wooden bench beneath her, she hoped this interaction would go better than her previous one.

While trying to think of a conversation topic, the boy, just introduced as 'Em', spoke up.

"So, um, are you having fun?"

Toni didn't quite know what to say, the day had been so full of new experiences she had focused more on trying to find her place than thinking about if she was enjoying any of it.

"Well, I certainly feel relieved. I don't know if I'd say I'm having fun, but I'm glad to have gotten through the day unscathed." She answered with a relaxed chuckle. "On second though, I'm rather hungry.." She realized, hoping the Headmaster would begin his speech soon. She had heard so much about Hogwarts from her older siblings, she knew exactly how this ceremony would commence. There was a slight lull in their conversation before Em continued:

"So, do you..like space? Um, I was really glad that the sky was clear and I could see the stars! Do you have a favorite constellation? Mine's Orion, it's really easy to find!"

Toni found it to be an odd question, but understood once he mentioned the ceiling. To be perfectly honest, Toni was so focused on being sorted she didn't really think to take in the scenery. Looking up, she took in the night sky dotted with stars. Em was right, the sky was extremely clear. She also noted Orion, a topic Em seemed to be very energetic about. She smiled, happy to have found a topic that sparks interest in the boy."I've always found tha sky tah be fascinatin'. Bu' I never focused on constellations. My dad mostly taught me about tha mathematics of space, surface temperature of stars, luminosity vs apparent brightness, things like tha'."

Just as Toni finished speaking, Headmaster Lear gathered the attention of the hall and began his welcome speech. After a few minutes the Beginning of Term Feast began, to Toni's elatement. Gathering food onto her plate, she looked back to Em, hoping to continue their conversation. "So, what's your family like? And where do you live, England I'm guessing?" She questioned before she began to eat.

Em nodded at Toni's answer, her feelings about the day were actually pretty similar to his own.

Em chuckled a little at her comment that she was hungry and nodded again. "Yeah, me too. I hope they have stuff that I like," He chuckled a little again "I'm, uh, pretty picky."

Em leaned forward slightly in his seat when she started talking about the math of space "Yeah! Stuff like that's super cool too! I really like anything to do with space." He blushed in embarrassment and chuckled weakly, looking down at his hands "I, um, can never remember the numbers for any of it though. It just, um, doesn't really stick, so I have to keep looking them up." He looked back up determinedly. "But-but that doesn't mean I don't like it! I do! I just. . ." His eyes drifted back down to the table. "Have a bad memory." Well, that wasn't exactly the truth, his memory was fine, he just had trouble actually using the stuff he remembered.

He scratched his cheek, realizing he had rambled a bit. "Uh, I haven't heard about that brightness thing though!" He smiled up at her, bouncing in his seat a little, "Are stars not as bright as they look sometimes?" That was a cool thought, he wondered what the brightest star was then? Probably not the north star. Heck, the north star wasn't even the brightest star just from looking, that was why he always had so much trouble finding it.

Just as he was about to ask another question the headmaster started his speech. He frowned slightly, oh, so there was a speech. He sighed, put his head in his hand and faced the headmaster, ready to be sitting here for another ten minutes.

He started gently when the speech ended just a few minutes later and food appeared in all the plates in the hall. Oh! That hadn't taken long at all! He smiled and turned his attention to the dishes in front of him.

He carefully scanned the food in front of him humming under his breath, 'Weird texture, no. Oh I like that!' he soon had a plate full of food.

"So, what's your family like? And where do you live, England I'm guessing?" Toni asked a minute later.

Em smiled at her question, "Oh, my family's great!" he said. "I'm technically an only child, but I've got lots of cousins, and we all live near each other so we run around a lot! We live in a pretty rural area, so there's a lot to explore!" There was something he was forgetting about this kind of interaction. . . Oh! "Um, what about you?" he asked.

Rosean didn't know anyone, she was alone in the middle of Great Hall. She would have liked her brother to be there with her ! Rosean looked around her, stars in her eyes. It was so grand ! She looked candles hanging from the ceiling that created a starry sky above her head. In the start, she was think that it was realy sky, but she had heard that was not that's. It was pretty, very pretty, Rosean love the Great Hall already.

She was trying to remember names of children who were called. She was tiptoe but she didn't really see the children bigger than she was, she was too small. *Why am I so small ?* Rosean has hurry to be called to know her house where she lived during seven next years. Her mother was in Gryffindor, and Rosean wanted ake like her mother, so going in Gryffindor. She hoped with all her heart to go to the lions.

And the Headmaster called her.

She walked toward the Sorting Hat by blushing because everyone looked her. She hearded the Sorting Hat to speak in the head.

"Hum... You are humble and loyal, Rosean Kimberly, like your mother... But you can not to go to Gryffindor, you are not quite courageous like your mother... And you are hard working ! It's good, it's good... So... I think that..."

- HUFFLEPUFF !

Why she was not to go to Gryffindor ? Why ? She was courageous, her mother had always said that she was courageous... Maybe she was wrong, Rosean hasn't never to be courageous ?

Rosean walked toward Hufflepuff table to the applause of the greatest. She didn't like to be center of attention, she wanted to disappear underground. *I should have gone to Gryffindor...*

Abel was silent, still taking in everything that has happened so far. He could barely believe he was here right now. He checked several times to make sure he wasn't in a dream, pinching his face and trying to have his hands phase through each other while he was on the train. To think, he'd be able to learn magic, REAL magic! And while he was very excited, he made sure to keep a composed expression.

He was currently seated with the other first years, waiting for his turn to be called onto the stage and told which House he belongs. Suddenly, a voice boomed throughout the Hall, causing him to look over at the elderly man with a dashing beard. The shining armor and tall height gave Abel the impression of a majestic lion looking down on them like mewling cubs. As the Headmaster's speech went on Abel took great care to remember the names of the houses and their Heads.

He enjoyed the Sorting Hat's song, clapping loudly before waiting to be called on.

"King, Abelgas!" came the Headmaster's voice.

Abel got up, taking a deep breath to soothe his nerves before walking towards the stage. He walked with his back straight and chin held high, aiming to look levelheaded if not dignified despite his short stature. The trip to the stage was a breeze, having experienced large crowds before. He was one of the top students in his previous school, and he intended to act like it. He hopped onto the seat, subconsciously holding his breath as the dusty old hat was placed on his head.

'Well well, what do we have here?' A voice not his own echoed throughout his head, making him somewhat uncomfortable. He had no prior knowledge of the houses, so he was fine with whatever house he got.

'Hmmm, quite the loyal one are you...? Doing everything you can for your mother.' Was it looking through his memories? Or perhaps his emotions towards certain things?

'Ah, but that's not all...You're ambitious, hardworking, and quite mature for your age. Slytherin would do you good, but I think it'd better be...'

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat suddenly yelled, causing Abel to flinch. He jumped down after the hat was removed, making his towards the Ravenclaw table and quietly sitting in an empty seat as thoughts rapidly flew through his head.

The Great Hall was full of students, new and old of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry, and it was not a surprise that Vi was in there, standing with the other students, waiting for the soorting hat to sort her into her destined house. She didn't have to wait long, for her surname started with a 'C', so when her name: ''Carrington, Violet!'' was pronounced by the Headmaster, she walked awkwardly through the crowd in front of her to see a ragged old hat that she was going to put on her head soon. She made an awkward face but decided to show some respect to this odd talking hat, and when it ws placed on her head, she wanted to ask so many questions...about her personality, if the hat could read her mind...

''You come from the Carringtons, I see.'' the hat started to say, and Vi began to feel more relieved. Maybe the hat would sort her in the same house that her ancestors had been, thought it was a bit of a mix really.... ''Yes, I am a Carrington. The youngest member of the family at the moment...or so I think so.''

''Well, lets go on with the sorting... I see that you are intelligent, and you are always up to learning something new. But you are scared of failing, and doing things wrong...Ravenclaw, could be a possibility.

Well, that was true. Violet was a complete perfectionist, and couldn't stand even one error without having a panic attack, even if it was a slight one. The brunette took a deep breath and nodded in asent, being careful not to knock the hat out of her head at that moment...

''you are also loyal to your close friends, and kind and polite to most people. Hufflepuff could suit you well.

Hufflepuff? Violet? Nah, that would be a joke, right? Yes, it was true, Vi could never be unkind to her close friends she made along the way. They weren't much...mostly the ones that shared her qualities or accepted her, even if it was difficult for her to communicate with them at first.

But you are also brave, and headstrong. But not quite a Gryffindor yet...

Well that was a bit disappointing. Vi's mother had been a Gryffindor, and being one would have suited her, in Vi's opinion...

But because of your intelligence, your ambition, and bein so cunning...I think the house for you is...SLYTHERIN

The voice of the hat thundered in the hall...she was now sorted, a Slytherin. A lot of Carringtons were Slytherins...s was this good? or bad? Vi took a deep breath, and walked across the hall to her house's table. Could it be...was she actually grinning?

Before the Headmaster started his speech al Samantha could do was look at the room around her. The room was the biggest Samantha had ever seen. On the four tables sat older students who were talking with their friends about their summer break. Samantha had to stand on her toes to see past the other first years.

The room became quiet when the Headmaster walked across the room. The silence made Samantha even more nervous. After the speech of the Headmast the first couple of first years started to be sorted. In the beginning Samantha watched every child get sorted with excitement, but after a while it started to get boring. The same every time, a nervous child walked to the chair and was sorted in their house, the house would go wild and then it started al over again. Samantha was not nervous for her turn, why would she be? 'The sorting hat is never wrong, right? There were some children who did not look happy, but that has probably nothing to do with the hat. I would love to get sorted in every house, well what I have read about it' Samantha's thoughts interrupted when she heard her name.

If somebody would have asked Samantha if she was nervous she would have said that she wasn't, but as she walked forwards she began to feel very nervous. 'What if the sorting hat isn't always right, he can make mistakes to, maybe he will sort me in the wrong house and then I will be stuck there forever.' Samantha putted on a brave face when the hat was put on her hat.
"Ahhh, I see" Samantha was taken by surprise when she heard a voice inside her head, " yes, yes, you have the brains to be in Ravenclaw, maybe I should put you there. Slytherin would also be a amazing house for you, you want to prove yourself, but no. I know what to do with you..." The voice disappeared from her head to yell one second later:



At second table from the right people started to clap, as the hat was removed from Samantha's hat. Samantha was relieved. What she had heard of Ravenclaw was nothing but good and she was sure she would fit in.

To say that Holly was terrified would have been an understatement, though she had grown up in a Pure-Blood family and had known of the school that she would be attending for the next seven years, that didn't make it any less scary
As she had approached the Great Hall with the rest of the first years, she could feel their excitement and nervousness, as it matched her own perfectly
It felt like so long until her name was called, though it couldn't have been that long, she made her way over to the stool, trying not to let her legs give way under her like they felt like they were about to
She took a seat on the stool, feeling the hat search her thoughts, or at leas that was what it felt like it was doing, keeping her mind clear, her eyes closed as she took soft breaths to calm herself
"Ravenclaw!" The hat yelled what could have only been seconds later
She stood up to the sounds of applause coming from the table with the black robes with blue and bronze colours decorating them
She made her way over to the table and sat down in one of the empty seats, her nerves disappearing now she was surrounded by her new housemates

Trepidation. Yes, that was it. A step after being terrified, but one before having a panic attack. Clara followed into the Great Hall together with other new students and the for a minute, just for a minute, she forgot her fear and it was replaced with a awe at the view of the Hall. The banners, the flying candles and a buzzing on the level that it felt like she had gone deaf and could only hear white noise. The little group was herded towards the front of the room and, one by one, each prospective student got sorted into their future houses.

There really was only one solace that one could cling to. Everyone got sorted. Nobody, not as far as she had ever heard, had ever been kicked out and left homeless. Honestly, she was open to options, really. Her dad had been a Rawenclaw, gran had been a Slytherin. So, it would be one of those, right? Yes, Rawenclaw or Slytherin, that was fine, that felt safe.

And then it was her turn. She flinched away from the Hat when it was lowered on her head. It talking into her head also didn't help the overall stress of the situation and Clara flew through the questions and ponders. But the Hat just kept lifting hidden planes of her mind, asking and wondering around like it was at home. She had wanted to say different things for a lot of those questions, but the second even half a thought sparked it was done, the Hat moved on to ''GRYFFINDOR!''

And the newly minted lioness practically leaped off of the high stool, dazedly making her way towards the table that had the red and gold banner hanging above it.