Open Practice Makes Perfect

[Amanita Castillo]

"We should play Sorting," Amanita announced, kicking her legs against the climbing frame she was perched on and listening to the ping of her heels hitting the metal. They played Sorting plenty at home, Mum made an excellent Headmaster but Dad kept thinking it was funny to sort Ama into different houses each time which was not the point of the game. If he wasn't going to take his job as the Sorting Hat seriously, then she was going to need to find someone else who did. Impartially.

"Chel, you can be a student," she said, glancing at her sister. She'd got into trouble enough trying to exclude Morchella from the game, even if it didn't make any sense for her to be sorted when she was obviously too young, but fine. Amanita didn't want to get home and get in trouble, especially not when Dad had so much extra time on his hands to be annoying about it after he'd taken the semester off. "Hine, do you wanna be the hat or the headmaster?" They'd definitely need extra people at this rate, regardless of what Hinemoa picked, so Ama was already scanning the playground for any hopefuls to rope into the game as well.

 

[Morchella Castillo]

Morchella had been enjoying letting herself dangle from the climbing frame, but pulled herself up to sit on it as Amanita announced what they would be playing. She puffed out her cheeks as she said they were going to play Sorting. AGAIN. It was all she wanted to play these days, and it was getting really old.

But she perked up when her sister said she could be a student this time. "Yay!" She said, happy that the last time she had cried to her parents about not being allowed to play properly had worked. Amanita had made her be the stool and had tried to sit on her. It had not been very nice. Deciding to push her luck, Morchella pulled herself up a bit so she was closer to her sister. "Can I go first?" She asked, though she knew she was pushing it.

 

[Amanita Castillo]

Ama kept a close eye on where Morchella was swinging. It'd ruin the game if she fell off and while Amanita had plenty of practice also playing Hospital Wing with Mum, she wasn't looking forward to spending the rest of the afternoon trying to stop Chel from crying if she fell.

"No you can't go first," Amanita snapped, rolling her eyes. This was why she didn't like letting Morchella play, she never got the rules. Merlin little sisters were stupid. "Sorting is alphabetical," she said, enunciating the syllables as clearly as possible. "A comes before M so, obviously, I go first," she said, kicking her heels again smugly.

 

[Ulric Vale]

Ulric had found himself once more at the park, abandoned by his mother as she went to do some shopping. But the last time hadn't been so bad so he was feeling slightly braver this time around. Today he eyed the playground and cautiously approached. He jumped as some other kids screamed as they ran past him. He felt a wave of relief when he saw the swings were free and took a seat gratefully. He relaxed slightly as he gripped the chains in each hand. Carefully he pushed himself back and forth for a few moments as he tried to relax. He felt woefully exposed around so many other kids. He had been told it was an important step to making friends but he wasn't convinced if it was really worth it. He kept his head down staring at his shoes hoping someone else would approach him first, or no one at all. Either way he could say he tried.

 

[Hinemoa Josephs]

School was creeping closer and closer, but Hinemoa still felt like it was forever away. Sure, she had spent plenty of her early childhood toddling around the halls of Hogwarts, but since starting kura she hadn't been back in years. She missed it, the smell of old stone, the noise of chattering students, the quiet calm of Mum's office. She would be back soon, very soon, and she was counting the days until she could return to the peace of the Ravenclaw common room.

It was nice not being alone in the feeling at least, Amanita was going through the exact same thing at the exact same time. Their time was creeping closer and closer, and the two of them would finally be making that train journey together. For now, it was nice to play like this. Though she couldn't help frowning at Amanita's designations. "Why can't I get sorted too? I don't wanna be the hat."

 

[Morchella Castillo]

Morchella made a point of sticking out her tongue when Amanita didn't look. Why did she have to be so by the rules all the time? "Well, we're pretending anyway." She told her as she kicked her legs. "You're not really being sorted yet, and Hinemoa looks nothing like a hat. If we're pretending about that, why can't we pretend M comes before A?" She pointed out. She gave Hinemoa a sympathetic look. "She made me be the stool last time, the hat is way more fun." She said encouragingly.

 

[Amanita Castillo]

Amanita bit back a huff at both Chel and Hinemoa. "Fine. Hine, you can be a student too. But we're still going in alphabetical order. Just because we're playing pretend doesn't meant things can be unrealistic," she said magnanimously, scanning the playground and letting out a little 'aha' as she spotted a kid on the swings.

"Hey, you." Amanita hopped down from climbing frame, ponytail swinging as she strode over to the boy. "Come play with us. We need someone to be the sorting hat and sort us." It was the perfect solution, really, the boy would have no chance to be bias like any of them would and Ama's tone left no room for arguments.

 

[Ulric Vale]

Ulric had heard the girls near by speaking but hadn't given them much of a thought. They already seemed to be friends and he didn't think they'd bother with him. That was until one of them came right up to him. "Me?" he couldn't help but ask even though there was no way she could be speaking to anyone else. Quickly his eyes darted between the girl in front of him and the others near by. They seemed nice enough, even the girl in front of him even with her bossy command. "But I don't know how to be a sorting hat." he protested lightly but still found himself standing up from the swing.

 

[Hinemoa Josephs]

Hinemoa wrinkled her nose, eyeing Amanita. "Come on, you can't make her be a stool!" She insisted, though defending Morchella felt a bit less important when she'd been restored to student status. Still, she felt a slight loyalty to anyone else who was the youngest in their family. It was a relief when Amanita found a boy to fill in, and she nodded in encouragement. "Yeah, you can be the hat." She shook her head. "It's easy, you just tell us what house we're in, like they do at Hogwarts."

 

[Morchella Castillo]

Morchella waved cheerfully at the new boy as he approached. "Hi! I'm Morchella!" She said brightly. She felt a little bit bad for him as he now had to be the hat, but maybe he could be a student next time. She beamed at Hinemoa as she defended her. Sometimes she wished she was her sister instead, she was less bossy than Amanita. But then she felt bad for thinking it. Morchella had a sudden thought and giggled. "You should put Ama in Hufflepuff." She singsonged teasingly.

 

[Pomegranate Bell]

Pomegranate often came to visit the park when someone in the house went shopping, but usually preferred odd hours when other kids weren't going to be there. She only wanted to use the swings, but someone else was already there. Watching from a nearby bench, Pomegranate saw the boy appear to be joining the group of girls playing some game, and locked in her focus to be ready to swoop in as soon as he left. She wrinkled her nose as she overheard one of the girls making a comment about Hufflepuff. Was there something wrong with that house? Her mum and her grandma had been there. Pomegranate decided it didn't matter, as she didn't want to be involved and had important playground activities to worry about.

 

[Amanita Castillo]

Ama flipped her ponytail over her shoulder with a sigh, shaking her head. "Chel was a rubbish stool anyway, she kept squirming and laughing," she muttered. "So she gets to be a student even though she's too young," Amanita explained patiently. She hoped Morchella appreciated that.

She nodded as Hine explained the hat part to the new boy.

"Exactly, it's easy-" She started, looking over her should to glare at Morchella. "Don't make him bias, Chel!" She groused at her sister. "Ignore her, you should put us in whatever house feels right, right," she said, leaning into the boys space to get her point across. Like she could beam the thought of Slytherin into the boy's head. Dad always said eye contact was important in getting your way and it's not like there were any chance the real sorting hat would put her anywhere else. They had to keep things realistic after all.

"So, it's sorted," Ama said with a clap of her hands, straightening back up. "You can be the hat, we're students, and we can just pretend the headmaster is there it's fine, Professor Alcott-Ward is kind of quiet anyway," she said with a wave of her hand, looking around. "We can use the swings as the stool and- Oh, do you wanna play too? We're being sorted," Ama said, spotting another girl eying the swing set nearby. The more the merrier, Ama figured. As long as she still got to go first.

 

[Morchella Castillo]

Morchella shrugged happily as Ama described how she hadn't been a good stool. She smiled at her sister. "Because it's pretend." She told her. "We're pretending I'm also eleven." It wasn't that far off, she was already nine. Morchella did another happy shrug when Amanita snapped at her not to make the boy biased. She was enjoying needling her sister more than playing the game, if she was honest. Ama could get so annoying when she was so serious and bossy.

Morchella swung her legs over a bar and let herself swing downward, so she was hanging upside down. She looked at the girl Ama was inviting. "Maybe she goes first, you don't know her name." She pointed out as she reached down her hands to see if she could touch the ground from here.

 

[Ulric Vale]

Ulric felt instantly overwhelmed as he was brought into these girl's world, and he wasn't sure if he should be honored or insulted that he was so quickly given the job of sorting hat. Regardless it seemed more pleasant than any of the times his siblings "played" with him, and he did know vaguely what the sorting ceremony entailed. "Morchella?" he repeated when the younger girl introduced herself. "Like the mushroom?" he asked curiously before turning to the girl she called Ama. "Do you want to be in Hufflepuff?" he asked before she snapped at him to not be bias. From what he understood about the houses, he didn't think she'd end up there anyways. "Um, ok." he stammered before he got into place, standing behind the swing. He wasn't sure what to do with his hands and he was terrible at make believe games. "Uh.....welcome to this years sorting ceremony." he said stiffly as he tried to set the scene. "First up is.....um...." he tripped up when he didn't know any of their names. "What's your name?" he whispered to the bossy one.

 

[Hinemoa Josephs]

Hinemoa resisted the urge to roll her eyes as Amanita took charge - she loved her best friend, but the bossiness could get a lot sometimes, especially when Morchella was around to give instructions to. She didn't bother to interrupt though - it wasn't like anything Ama was saying was wrong. She was glad the new boy didn't seem put off at least, leaning back against a tree as she watched the ceremony begin. "She's Amanita!" She called out when the boy asked. "And I'm Hinemoa."

 

[Pomegranate Bell]

Pomegranate's hopes and dreams of swing acquisition were shattered with the realisation everyone was migrating over there. She didn't really want to join in, but she didn't really know how to say no without being rude, so nodded and hesitantly moved over to the group. "I'm Pomegranate... Bell." she introduced herself, quickly tacking on her surname because her mum had told her that sorting went in surname order so she'd be prepared about being one of the first called up. Pomegranate hated that idea, and immediately regretted it as the others only used their first names.

 

[Amanita Castillo]

Amanita knew Chel was being annoying on purpose and tried to ignore her, at least till she glanced at her sister and hand to double take.

"Chel don't let go of the bars like that, you'll break your neck," she groused, waiting with crossed arms until Morchella looked like she was about to end up in a heap on the ground before continuing.

She rolled her eyes as the boy, their new Sorting Hat asked her if she wanted to be in Hufflepuff. "I don't want to make you bias," she reiterated, resisting the urge to stamp her feet and calming herself down. They were just playing a game. "Just put us where feels right. You're a wizard, right? It's just a game, you'll be fine," she assured him, moving to sit down on their unofficial sorting swing now that the impromptu opening ceremony was mostly done with and Hine had helpfully introduced them both.

At least until the new girl moved over and introduced herself too. Ama rolled her lips, trying to decide if she could brute force her way into being first. They were pretending Morchella was 11 already, they could pretend this sorting hat went by first name.. UGH.

"Oh. Hi. Did you wanna play then?" Ama tossed her ponytail again. "If you do you're up first, I guess." Amanita tried to smile despite the bitter feeling. At least she'd be next. Amanita urged the new girl into the swing with a quick twirl, nodding to their Hat. "Alright, Mr Hat, sort away."

 

[Ulric Vale]

Ulric's eyebrows furrowed when he was told the bossy girl's name. "Another mushroom?" he asked softly to no one in particular. He blinked and stiffened as Amanita turned to him again. He nodded when she asked if he was a wizard, he had thought it was obvious but apparently not. He just wasn't sure what it had to do with knowing what house to put people in. He couldn't read minds. Ulric darted his eyes between Amanita and Pomegranate, and held his breath waiting for instructions. Once the order was agreed upon he stepped over to where Pomegranate was sitting on the swing and held his hand just above her head to mimic the hat. But now that it was his turn to sort her he started to panic. He didn't know anything about her. She seemed nice enough and all the Hufflepuff mentions had made it the only house he could think of. "Hufflepuf!" he announced without the kind of confidence he was sure the hat had and he quickly looked around to see if he had done it right.

 

[Pomegranate Bell]

Pomegranate wondered if maybe Amanita hadn't wanted her to go first, but the other girl had told her to, so maybe she was overreacting. Taking a seat on the swing as instructed, she dug her toes into the ground and held her breath to quell her anxiety as she felt all eyes on her. She looked up from her seated position as she felt the boy's hand hovering near her head, unsure if this might actually be a very mean prank where they dumped water over her head for interrupting their game. Pomegranate had been told she wouldn't have to say anything to the real hat because it knew where she belonged without words, and applied that logic to the pretend one. Upon hearing Hufflepuff, Pomegranate let out her breath in a rush an immediately felt dizzy. Unsure how she was meant to react, she hopped off the swing as though it was burning, and whirled around to beam at the boy. "Oh, cool! Thank you, Mr Hat." Pomegranate looked between the others, nerves once again encroaching now that her turn was over. "Um, who goes next?"

 

[Morchella Castillo]

Morchella nodded when the boy asked if her name was like the mushroom. "Yep," she said, popping her lips on the p. She pulled herself up on the climbing frame as Amanita started scolding her, making sure she was upright and relatively safe, only to giggle when the new girl introduced herself and her last name was Bell. She could see how badly Amanita wanted to change the rules so she still came first, but she somehow restrained herself. Morchella kept on quietly giggling as the hat sorted her into Hufflepuff. She clapped politely for this Bell girl. She was tempted to jump in and go next, but she knew Ama would probably kill her for that. So instead she pointed to her sister. "Her next!"

 

[Amanita Castillo]

Amanita kept a level eye on their sorting hat just in case he had issues with Morchella’s (or her own) name, but relaxed when he seemed more focused on his very important task of sorting. Good. Amanita had been right to pick him, it was a very important task, after all.

She clapped politely when Pomegranate was sorted into Hufflepuff eager for it to be her turn.

“Hufflepuff table can be uhh,” Amanita squinted at the space in front of the swing set, pointing randomly, “-There.

“It should go me, Morchella, then Hinemoa. And then you if you want, one of us can be the hat after you,” she clarified for the boy, taking a seat on the swing and trying to control the urge to fidget or kick her feet, swing or no swing. Back straight, head up, game or no game, it was good practice after all.

 

[Ulric Vale]

Ulric was relieved when he seemed to have done the sorting right. Or at least no one was willing to correct him and he was grateful for their silence. He nodded as Amanita gave him instructions, he was tired of trying to figure them all out. He had enough to worry about trying to be the hat. She sat down on the swing and again he placed his hand just above her head. He paused for a moment as he tried to think, she was bossy and reminded him a little bit of his siblings, but at the same time she hadn't tried to terrorize him so he hesitated to place her into Slytherin. After living with two Slytherins, he didn't think the association was a kind one. "Gryffindor!" he announced finally, knowing they could be quite headstrong too.

 

[Amanita Castillo]

Amanita felt a thrill run up her spine when the boy, no the hat, hovered a hand over her head. She gripped the chain of the swing tighter before letting out a rush of air when he announced. Gryffindor.

Amanita froze, trying to ignore the sick feeling in her stomach. It was just a game. They were playing, she reminded herself. This wasn't the real sorting hat. And besides. What if she did get sorted into Gryffindor? It wasn't the end of the world. In fact, it was stupid to get upset about it.

She stood up jerkily, pasting on a smile as she nodded and walked over to where approximately guessed Gryffindor table would be. "Yay, okay, Chel, you're up next," she said quickly, dropping herself down on the grass and smoothing out her shirt, picture of complete and total acceptance and definitely not someone about to cry about a game that had been her idea in the first place.

 

[Morchella Castillo]

Morchella watched as Amanita went forward and sat down on the swing. When the boy who was now the hat plaed his hand above her head, Morchella watched her sister closely. She tried to imagine what it would really be like in a few weeks, and tried not to think about how she wouldn't be there to see it. When the boy called Gryffindor, Morchella gasped and clapped her hand over her mouth. She forgot for a moment it was only pretend, and she could see Amanita wasn't happy. She was pretending she was fine, but she was never very good at that. Morchella hoped off the climbing frame to go to her, when her sister reminded her she was going to be sorted next. She hesitated, then moved over to the swing. "Can you put me there too, please?" She whispered to him before sitting down. Then, she could at least hug Amanita, and they could be together.

 

[Ulric Vale]

Ulric would never claim he was good and understanding what people were thinking but he didn't have to be to know he had chosen the wrong house for Amanita. He didn't even need to see her face. But he saw the way her shoulders tensed and the way she stood up to know he had messed up. Before he could offer to change his mind Morchella was sitting down. He had a feeling Amanita would deny him the chance to fix things anyways. He knew the hat's choice was final and the inaccuracy wouldn't be allowed. He had a knot in his stomach now and froze. He had heard the hat listened to requests sometimes but still worried. "Ok." he whispered back before lifting his hand and holding it above Morchella's head. He waited for a few moments to make it seem like he was thinking before he found his voice again. "Gryffindor!" he announced and didn't even feel too bad about it. The younger girl had seemed rather brave hanging upside down on the playground.