Sorting Ceremony Y44

[Matt Alcott-Ward]

The sky overhead looked clear tonight, and bright moonlight added to the candlelight in the Great Hall. Matt felt less nervous about his role here tonight. He was settling into his position as headmaster. He stood in front of the entire school, smiling at the students. He stood at the podium and waited for the hall to quiet down so he could make his speech. His gaze moved from table to table, feeling a sense of pride. All these young minds would learn so much in the upcoming school year. Matt was honored to be a part of it.

He nodded and smiled in greeting, then cleared his throat as he started his speech. "Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Welcome back," he started, looking at the house tables in turn. "And welcome, to the new students joining us today. Today marks the start of your journey as witches and wizards. For some of you, the first step into the magical world. Hogwarts will be your home for the next seven years. A place to learn and grow into full-fledged witches and wizards." He said with a smile. Then he put his serious face on as he continued. "There are a few housekeeping rules to mention for the new students or those who might need a reminder. The Forbidden Forest is strictly off-limits to any students unless they're supervised by a professor or a member of the staff. The forest is dangerous and this rule is set up for your own protection. Anyone who breaks the rule will be punished accordingly."

Matt paused there to let it sink in, though he knew that real troublemakers wouldn't be deterred by his words. Then, he continued on. "It is now time for the sorting ceremony. Each of you will be sorted into a house, and that house will be your home for the duration of your time here. The houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. They are each named after one of the founders of this school." He said, watching the banners of each house unfurl as he named the houses in turn. "You will be sorted based on the values of each of the founders, which means you will be placed with students with similar values. First years, once I call your name you can step forward and take a seat on this stool." He said, gesturing to the stool which was in view of all the students and teachers in the hall. "Once you sit down, the Sorting Hat will be placed on your head. It will decide which house suits you best and sort you. After that, you can join your new housemates at one of the tables." He paused, smiling slightly. "But first, the hat has a little song for us," He said, gesturing to the hat to start singing. Once the song was done, Matt unraveled the roll of parchment in front of him and read the first name.

 

[Sorting Hat]

It comes but once, but once each year,
When, I, the sorting hat appear.
I appear to sort the latest batch,
To look within and find a match.
To seek the person who does reside,
Beneath the skin, deep down inside.

Rest assured, I do take care,
To avoid mistakes and always be fair,
Because I know my duty is very great,
The decisions I make affecting fate.
So do not approach with a sense of fear,
Embarrassed when seated upon your rear.
And when I'm placed upon your head,
Your thoughts should not be full of dread.
Approach with confidence, pure and true,
Give me the chance to honour you.

Those who step forth brave with pride,
Likely in Gryffindor they will reside.
Fire and Lion, scarlet and gold,
A house of friends, strong and bold.

Hard working kids who value fair play,
May find that Hufflepuff is where they stay.
The Earth and Badger, yellow and black.
Loyalty and tolerance, keep them on track.

Creativity and intelligence will help some soar,
Above the rest to Ravenclaw's door.
Air and Eagle, bronze and blue.
The wisdom to make dreams come true.

And finally those, resourceful and cunning,
Ambitious and powerful are in the running.
They'll join the house of silver and green,
Where water and serpents stage the scene.

Now, one last thing, please take heed,
Here is some advice that you may need.
This school has grown in a short time,
So have mistakes and heinous crime.
A challenge to all present, to look within,
No matter the house I've placed you in.
To do your best and persevere,
To use your strengths and face your fear.

The time has come, no more delay,
I call you forth, come on, let's play.

 

[Dante Styx]

Dante Styx could hardly believe that he was heading to the school. Cassius was a third year now, and now he was ready. Then it would be Samael. Dante had no idea which house he would be in since the family sort of had everyone in every house, so there was no telling. Dante didn’t care. He just didn’t like the idea of sharing a bedroom with others. He just got his own room at home, and now it was being taken away from him. Dante let out a sigh as he walked into the Great Hall, clearly unimpressed with everything around him. Well, maybe things won’t end up too bad. Cassius always had bad stories to share, and how he barely had fun when people kept pissing him off. So, the impression of the school was already a bad one. He stood still until his name was called. He strolled up to the podium and sat down on the stool. He felt the hat perch on his head, and he waited patiently for the verdict. Who would he have the misfortune of living with for the next 7 years?

"Sharing a room isn't that bad…and well…you'll just have to get used to it. But which room shall it be. There's an intelligence, but also an ambition, a desire to learn and a desire for adventure. A mixed bag, so to speak. But I know where you'll excel best, flourish best… Slytherin,"​

 

[Artemis Vasilakis]

Artemis Vasilakis knew that this was not the school her brother went to, but it still had the houses. She was very excited to see everything here and everyone. The smile would just not go away on her lips. She clasped her hands in front of her skirt and realized that they were going in alphabetical order once a magical hat stopped singing, and the Headmaster gave them all instructions. She rolled back and forth on the balls of her feet as she waited for the students to get sorted. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. She wouldn't mind any of them, though the latter did scare her because of the stories of her family's history against that house. Artie jumped as she heard her name, so she walked up and perched on the stool, barely able to contain her excitement. She just tried to silence her thoughts so the hat wouldn't get mad at her, 'I know you are probably tired by the time you got to me, so I hope I won't make it too hard on you, Mr. Hat.'

"Sorting is the easiest job in the whole world, and even if this will be rather easy, you would never make it hard. You have a bravery that wouldn't go unnoticed in Gryffindor, but there is more to you than that, and for that…Hufflepuff,"​

 

[Vanity Mettlestone]

Vanity was determined not to look too impressed as she made her way to the Great Hall, though she was silently cursing her stupid brother for not being able to describe things properly. He hadn't done this school justice at all, it was awesome. Vanity couldn't help feeling like a princess as she made her way through the castle. Though she kept her face as neutral as she could, giving the portraits they passed a bored stare. The girl looked around as they entered the Great Hall, spotting the four tables easily. She didn't really care which house she would get, but she didn't want to be with Emery. She was sure everyone at school knew how weird he was by now, and she did not want to be associated with him if she could help it. Unfortunately, they didn't have a very common name. Vanity waited impatiently for the ceremony to start, wishing she could shut the hat up already when he just kept on singing. Vanity almost groaned outwardly once names started getting called and she realized it was going alphabetically. At least she would be somewhere in the middle, but she was growing more and more impatient by the minute. When it was finally her turn, she marched over to the stool and sat down on it. She was ready to join a table, she would make a place for herself here at Hogwarts no matter what house she got.

"That certainly is a mission statement, and I can see it. In any of our dear houses, you could easily create a space for yourself. But there is a house, that I can see you having the easiest time with...Slytherin,"

 

[Toby Oikawa]

Toby Oikawa was not all too impressed with Hogwarts. It was old looking and the corridors seemed rather drafty. If he had his way, he would be going to school absolutely anywhere else. Unfortunately, his idiot parents seemed to think they knew better, so here he was. He was stood there, absently picking at his nails and not paying a lick of attention to anything that was happening. It was not like he wanted to really be there. It was not like he cared about this stupid sorting or this equally stupid school. He only briefly looked up when he heard his name, heaving a sigh as he used his elbows to get to the front, promptly sitting himself down and folding his arms across his chest. "Just get on with it," he huffed rather rudely, "I don't have all night."

"Funnily enough, I do have all night, but, I guess, I will be quick. You'd make a good Ravenclaw with these smarts, but it's that ambition which sets you into…Slytherin,"

 

[Milo Frogg]

Milo tilted his head allll the way back, taking in the ceiling stretching out above them as the professor at the front of the hall started to address them. He could see Marnie out of the corner of his eye trying to get his attention and continued pointedly looking up. No way was he gonna let her embarrass him before the school year even started. "That's an enchantment, you know," he told the kid standing next to him, nodding to the ceiling above before shifting his attention to what the headmaster was saying, sighing at the mention of school rules already. He was definitely going in that forest, he decided, wondering if he could find that girl he'd met before school and take her with him.

The hat came out next and Milo tried to stand on his tippy toes to see if he could see it properly past the kids in front, with little luck. He couldn't wait till finally have a growth spurt, being short was exhausting. The song was kinda cool, though Milo thought it could be funnier, and he tried and failed to wait patiently until his name was finally called, squeezing past the kids in front to get past and up to the stool for his turn.

"I am no comedian, though I see if I was you might like my song more. You've an interesting head, brainy, ambitious and adventurous. There is little that can distract you from an idea or path. You would have suited Slytherin and Ravenclaw well, but I think you'll find more like-minded people in...Gryffindor,"

 

[Esme Warrington]

She didn't know where she wanted be and why needed be sorted? She was muggleborn but she was proud it. She walked and sit on the chair and waited her desteny where she will be. "I not sure, dear hat. Where i wanna be. Can you choose for me please?" She asked with warm smile..

"Choosing for you is my whole job. I see you have a preference, and though I think that would be fine, you would manage, I think that brain of yours ought to be challenged a little so....Ravenclaw,"

 

[Amortentia Layton]

Ten hadn't just been waiting for this day since her eleventh birthday in July, she'd been waiting since she first found out she came from a magical family; she couldn't have been much older than three or four. Despite growing up in a muggle home, Ten had still been surrounded by magic for most of her lifetime, and so while she knew it would be the adjustment going to a place like Hogwarts where she'd have to leave her phone behind, she couldn't wait to get started to see the full extent of the magical world. To make things even better, she had Ned at her side, and as she waited with the rest of the first years, Ten was linked arms with the girl she'd been calling her best friend for almost six years.

Despite her best efforts to wait patiently and quietly, Ten's voice was known to carry around the room as she started to chatter to Ned beside her about all the things she could see. Ten didn't even notice that there were some students around them there almost seemed bored already, waiting for the sorting hat to make it's verdict. Instead Ten couldn't keep from commentating her thoughts, that was until her eyes landed on a girl that they had definitely seen before. "Isn't that the girl from the zoo?" Ten asked her companion loudly under her breath, eyes hooked on a blonde not too far from them. It was certainly going to be interesting trying to make friends with some of these people, but Ten was up for the challenge.

Ten's name was called before Ned's, and squeezing her arm in excitement, she let go of her friend and made her way up to the stool. It was pretty surreal, to think she was were her mum, dad, older sister, Leda, Wendall, and even Mervyn had been at one stage. She knew wherever she was placed her family would be proud of her, and although she knew that Monty no longer worked at the school she couldn't help glancing around to the staff table to see where he would've been. As the hat began to speak, she turned back to Ned, grinning at her in the crowd as she waited to hear the result of her house.

"I see you have a strong desire for where you'd like to go. It helps that behind that desire is a notable bravery, a determination, and a desire to be known....Gryffindor,"

 

[Audrey Beauchamp]

Audrey could've killed her parents right now.

It's not like they were even there (and wouldn't have bothered if they were allowed to be there anyway), but here she was at a moment that should have been hers to shine, and it was ruined by the fact that apparently they hadn't even bothered to inform the school of her name. At least, not the name she actually went by. She rolled her eyes, plastering on a look that said 'I'm totally not bothered by this' even though she was, in fact, very much bothered. Hearing them call out 'Prudence Beauchamp', that was a very bad start to what should have been a great moment. Especially because she was so early on in the list that people would actually still be paying attention. "It's Audrey, actually," she corrected, loud enough for everyone around her to hear as she sauntered down towards the professors and sorting hat.

Giving a slightly toothy grin to the Professor, even as she almost hissed "nobody calls me that," in an attempt to charmingly laugh it off, Audrey sat down, initial annoyance giving way to more of a curiosity and intrigue by the sorting process. Hello, Sorting Hat, she thought, closing her eyes as the brim covered them and waiting to hear what it thought. I hope you put me somewhere that isn't boring. And don't tell me Hufflepuff isn't boring, because it totally is.

"Hufflepuff isn't boring, but it's also not for you. Here I see two front runners, battling between your desire for knowledge and the measures which you would take to get it. You seek challenge and you desire to learn, and for that...Ravenclaw,"

 

[Marley Owens-Lee]

Marley was pumped to go to Hogwarts. She couldn't wait to explore the castle and everything inside and outside of the castle. She couldn't wait to make friends and just really take everything in. In all honestly, she only knew bits and pieces about the houses, but she honestly didn't mind what house she was going to be sorted into.

When she entered the great hall she looked around the great hall with amazement. It was only just one part of the castle, but it was just so pretty. She was so busy looking up and around the great hall, still walking, unaware that the people in front of her had stopped when she accidentally walked straight into the person in front of her. "Oops, I'm sorry, are you okay?" Marley whispered to the person in front of her.

Marley then listened to the headmaster, listening to the rules, which she was sure she may follow, but the mention of the forbidden forest had made her a little curious. Though, she was going to continue about the forest a little later. There was a singing hat that made Marley surprised. She wasn't expecting a singing hat, which she thought was interesting.

It wasn't long before the first-year students were making their way towards the front to be sorted. Marley was starting to get nervous, still, however, excited about what house she was going to be sorted into. It wasn't long before Marley's name had been called and her palms became a little sweaty. She gulped a little, before putting on a smile and making her way towards the stage.

"This'll be easy, you have a good amount of bravery that would see you succeed in Gryffindor, but I can also see something else, something that I think defines you better...Hufflepuff,"

 

[Marama Te Rangi]

After years of watching her brothers disappear halfway through each year and return taller and louder, it was finally Marama's turn. No more being the little sister left behind while everyone else went off to school, she was here, ready to strike out on her own and find out what the magical world held for her. She had resisted the urge to follow Manaia and Rāwhiti around on the train, finding her own spot and trying to make her own friends instead. And now she was here, standing in a cluster of her future classmates, ready to learn what her next seven years would hold. Her mind wandered during the song as she looked around, first spotting Auntie Kahu at the professors table and giving her a wave, followed by Rāwhiti in Gryffindor, Manaia in Hufflepuff, and Ngawaiata in Slytherin. Something about having her whānau spread out through the school was a comfort, knowing that no matter where she went she wouldn't be alone. It felt a little like a leash at the same time though - whose footsteps would she have to follow in?

"Te Rangi, Marama!"

Her thoughts had carried her all through the song and over half of her classmates being sorted, and she was jolted out of her thoughts by the sound of her name. She grinned at the loud whoop from Rāwhiti as she hurried to the stool, nerves buzzing as she took her seat. Wherever she wound up the future was going to be bright, and she couldn't wait to see where that path would lead.

"I think that's a good attitude to have and very right for you, you seem like the sort of person who would do well in any of the houses, but I think your adventurous spirit will be best suited in....Gryffindor,"

 

[Trevvo Boot]

As far as Trevvo was concerned, this whole thing still felt a bit like a cartoon. He was magic, and had to go away to magic school? Yeah right. Sure, he'd seen some weird things while he was shopping for what passed for school supplies here, but... nah. There had to be an explanation for all of it. They could do all kinds of things with movie magic these days, and... well, his parents had never pulled a prank on him before, but maybe they had just been putting together something really elaborate behind the scenes. That would make more sense than.. this.

Still, he couldn't hold back a gasp as he entere the hall and looked up - candles on wires hung from some kind of ceiling projector. It was all kinds of impressive, and reminded him a bit of the escape room birthday party one of his school mates had had a few years ago. The room was huge, full of enough people to make him a little dizzy. Who had gotten so many people in on... whatever this was? It reminded him of going in to the city for new years festivals. He felt a little sick just thinking about it, and that feeling didn't ease as some kind of ceremony started. He only half-listened to the headmaster, still distracted by his surroundings. And then a hat started singing, and this had to be a dream. It had to be. Maybe there was a speaker in the stool. He kept his cool through the song, but it was hard to actually pay attention to the lyrics. Something about lions and snakes? It was all nonsense There weren't even any snakes in the country. It was a surprise when the headmaster started calling people up one by one, and a bigger surprise when they started... sitting under the hat, and it started saying some kind of nonsense words. He was still trying to figure out what was going on when abruptly-

"Boot, Trevor!"

The sound of his own name was like a shot to the gut, and Trevvo couldn't help the nervous laugh that escaped him. This was stupid. Either he was having the most vivid dream of his life, or experiencing the most elaborate prank on the planet, and he didn't know which was more likely. Either way, there were people watching. He kept his hands in his pockets as he made his way to the stool and sat down, cringing at the weight of all the eyes on him. Easier to imagine them all as a flock of sheep than the hundreds of people in front of him. It was a relief when the hat slipped down to cover his eyes, though it didn't do anything to assuage how silly he felt. "Alright, ha bloody ha." He mumbled in what he hoped was the direction of the man playing the headmaster. "You've had your fun, when can I go home?"

"I'm sorry, but your fun is only just beginning. The next step is which of these houses it'll be, and for you the answer is clear...Hufflepuff,"

 

[Emmy Zhefarovich]

Emmy couldn't help but let herself be swept up in the excitement. It was contagious, and she felt herself let out a small "oooh" when she entered the Great Hall and saw the ceiling. Although her mother had told her about the school, it was nothing like actually seeing the place in person. It was magnificent! She heard a boy say that the sky was an enchantment, which made perfect sense, as the room wasn't nearly as cold as it would have been if it didn't actually have a roof and they were looking at the real sky.
Emmy stood, buzzing with excitement and feeding off of the energy of those around her. She tried to focus on the Headmaster and the Hat's exciting song, but it was almost as if her brain wasn't soaking in the information; there was too much going on. It didn't take her long to realize they were going alphabetically...and with her surname, Emmy knew she was going to be one of the last ones sorted. But that was okay. It was fun to watch her new friends and classmates get sorted, before finally, the crowd thinned out, and Emilia heard her name being called.

"With a name like yours, you were always likely to be one of the last, but some say that you leave the best till last. I see some options of where you could go, but one shines above all the rest and funnily enough, I can see it's what you desire...Gryffindor,"

 

[Elodie Wynshaw]

Elodie was nervous. She was excited. She was... a little nauseous. She ran her fingers over the cool metal of the charm bracelet on her wrist. Byron had given it to her as a going away present. She took a deep breath, shifting and folding her hands in front of her. She knew she'd be waiting for a while, one of the last to be sorted. She didn't know anyone here, and it felt very... isolating. She should be used to that, though, right? So while she waited, she looked around, taking in everything. The beauty of the ceiling took her breath away. What sort of charm was that, and could she learn to do it? It would be one of the first things she wanted to learn. "Wynshaw, Elodie." She jumped when she heard her voice, and with a shy smile she hurried forward and up to the stool. She sat down, hands folded in her lap. Hello, Mr. Hat. She greeted in her mind. Thank you for the beautiful song, and for all your hard work. Could I send you a gift? Do hats even like gifts? She mused, distracted by the thoughts of what she could get a hat. A bow, maybe? Some pretty ribbons?

"Hats, like myself, have no need for gifts, so thank you for the thought, but it is unneeded. From this, I can see exactly where you should go. Enjoy...Hufflepuff,"

 

[Amodeus Jones]

Amodeus skipped into the hall, keeping close to Marley. This looked like it would be fun! The castle was so big, and there were so many people! He was trying to count them, though he kept losing track and he had to start over again. He was on his fourth try when he felt someone nudging him. Marley? He looked up front, realizing he was being called, and hurried forward. He tripped on the stairs going up, giggling as he stood back up and brushing off his knees before moving to sit down. As the hat covered his eyes, his own went wide. He tried to look at the inside of the hat, starting to count the threads he could see. When he heard a voice, he jumped. "Who said that?" He whispered, turning his head from side to side as if he could see something from under the hat.

"It's just me, the sorting hat, I can speak inside your head as I glance around for glimpses of where you should end up. I see a desire and interest in adventure and that is more than enough for me to say...Gryffindor,"

 

[Eluned Strangewayes]

"Who? I don't know. Maybe," said Eluned, who had forgotten all about the girl in the petting zoo. Presently, she was preoccupied straining to see over the shoulder of the boy in front. What she needed was a little fold-up step stool - or a piggy-back. She was about to ask Ten if she could hop on when the headmaster called the redhead's name. Ned reached after her back dramatically, as if Ten were embarking on an adventure from which she might never return. "Goodbye! I love you!"

Over the last few months, Ned had thought long and hard about what she'd do if she was separated from Ten. She wasn't above grovelling on her hands and knees, but Mervyn said it only made so much difference; the hat saw deep into your soul, saw all the little bits of you that you stuffed behind your mind's furniture and tried to forget about, and it was never wrong. Still, Ned hoped her soul was the same colour as Ten's. There was nowhere else she wanted to be.

"Strangewayes, Eluned."

Ned puffed out her cheeks and strode up to the stool. Confidence. Believe it'll happen, and it will. Granted, this attitude didn't usually help her, and often resulted in injury, but it was all she had. Confidence, and a private promise, not legally binding, to behave herself as long as the hat put her in Gryffindor.

"I see there is a reason for why you desire where you would like to go. It helps that your desire for ambition does not override all. That your desire for adventure and your loyalty are much stronger traits. So, you believed it and it'll happen....Gryffindor,"

 

[Teddy Pirrip]

Teddy was bubbling with excitement as he followed the other first years into the Great Hall to be sorted. He couldn't help but grin from ear to ear as he looked at his surroundings.

As he reached the Sorting Hat, Teddy took a deep breath and straightened his tie. He wanted to make a good first impression, but he also couldn't resist the urge to have a bit of fun. He did a little dance on the spot while he waited for his name to be called.

Before long, his name was called and Teddy stepped forward. As he made his way towards the Sorting Hat, Teddy couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

As the hat was placed on his head, he waited for his house to be called. Teddy couldn't help but grin at the thought of all the fun he was going to get up to at Hogwarts.

"You know, before I sort you, know that you would've made a pretty decent Slytherin. Maybe in another life. Instead, it'll be...Gryffindor,"

 

[Alexandra Larson]

the excitement of the moment made her breathless even a little, but when the doors of the Great Hall opened and Alexandras feet followed the whole process, she gasped for no reason. The walls, the full hall, the professor's desk above everyone and that ceiling! The gaze had a place to cling to, and if Bella had the chance, she would simply settle down with a mattress right here in the corner of the Great Hall to live here. So gorgeous, so beautiful, so impressive!

- Wow! -The legs went forward like that, and soon Sasha was crowding from the professors' table with the others.The surroundings definitely made an impression on the girl.With a tighter handshake before releasing her friend's hand, Alexandra looked before her, taking in her other new tower. The excitement here, because the letter A was already there!, was so high that Alexandra didn't even hear which tower her sister or brother was in. The main thing is that she was not with him. She was together and upon hearing her name rushed to the stool and the table and almost fell to the ground in a hurry - but she managed to slow down in time and maybe it didn't look so bad from the outside! At least she hoped so "Hello, I realy wanna be Slytherin house. My family Larson was there, dear hat" She told her.

"Well hello there, I see that is what you would like, and can see the traits in you that help me agree...Slytherin,"

 

[Iris Zephyr]

This was it. The eldest Zephyr had been dreaming about this moment since she was seven years old. She wondered to herself how her mom and dad felt entering these halls. She looked around them, her heterochromic eyes having a hard time focusing on just one thing. As cliché as it sounded this was magical. She stood next to the same students she had ridden in from on the train but paid little to no attention to them as the hat began to sing his little ditty. She was impressed, all the stories her mom told her were true.

As the song ended she knew it was time. They'd start calling names. She waited for what seemed like forever. When finally she heard "Iris Z....." She didn't even wait for them to finish her name before sprinting up there and sitting down quickly. "Present!" She said smiling at the person who would place the hat on her head. She swung her legs as she waited, humming a song in her head. She hoped whatever the hat chose would make her family proud - that was what really mattered.

"I am sure, no matter where you go, your family will be proud. After all, all Hogwarts Houses are great. But for you, you'll find like-minded people in....Hufflepuff,"

 

[Arcadia Glashaus]

Arcadia had never been inside a building so big. Her muggle school back home was not even close to the size of this castle. She picked at her nails and looked down at her feet, her black Mary-janes already dirty a little. She would need to clean those. She sighed and looked up, the hat was talking. She rubbed her eyes and adjusted her glass the hat was really talking... singing? She was going crazy she was sure. She didn't have too much time to contemplate it though when names were being called. Oh no this was it. She closed her eyes, listening to them before they called her name.

She froze for a second, but slowly moved to make her way up. She swallowed hard and finally took a seat. Was she supposed to talk to the hat? Could he read her mind. She couldn't help but let her mind race and hope this would be over soon enough.

"You do not need to talk, I can read your mind, and this will be over soon. I see a number of things, and though perhaps the easiest choice would be Hufflepuff, I think you might find more challenge in...Ravenclaw,"

 

[Atlanta Jackson]

Atlanta had been looking forward to starting her Hogwarts adventure for her whole life she was excited to finally be walking through the halls of the school and into the Great Hall. She was glad she would be the first of her siblings to set foot in the school as she wouldn't have to walk in anyone's shadow, she would be able to forge her own path. After a quiet train ride, she followed her fellow first years into the Great Hall and waited for her name to be called before the sorting hat. The wait wasn't that long and soon enough she stepped up to the stool and hat the sorting hat lowered to her head and she waited for her fate.

"I see a lot of different things within you. It would make you a good fit for Gryffindor with that adventurous spirit, or Ravenclaw with that brain, but I think that you will find the best fit in...Hufflepuff,"

 

[Damsel Hawke]

Damsel knew this was a mistake. She could have been homeschooled by her parents. They would have allowed it - even relished the fact that she wanted to be just like them. It was unfortunate timing, her turning eleven. She hadn't been expelled from her last school - her parents had taken her out before that could officially happen, but it had given them a wonderful opportunity to send her back to New Zealand. She could have gone to Beauxbatons, or Durmstrang, or anywhere really. But, no, she was here at Hogwarts to be judged by a hat. Damsel was no stranger to magical artifacts, as her parents had a tendency to collect them, but the ones that played at sentience freaked her out a bit.

"Hawke, Ophelia,"

Damsel was almost surprised to hear her first name instead of her middle, and it made the whole situation feel uncomfortably formal. She tried to block out the crowd and ignore that they were even there as she made her way to the hat. She hated people looking at her when she couldn't put on a front, and the hat was going to dig around in her head and judge her in front of everyone. Damsel didn't have a particular attachment to any of the houses, so it ultimately didn't matter which. She just hated the idea of being trapped.

"The good thing is, that we have a massive expansive outdoors, which I am sure you will enjoy. It'll just be unfortunately a rather long trek to get there...Gryffindor,"

 

[Lucy Montague]

Lucy stepped into the Great Hall, wide-eyed and staring first at the multitudes of students seated, then to the mesmerising sky above. It was one of the coolest things she'd ever seen and it brought a wide, deep smile to her face.

"Wow," she said in a hushed whisper. She looked around at her classmates to see if anyone would meet her gaze and agree that yes, indeed it was wondrous. She barely listened to the speech the professor gave but caught in time the rule not to go into the Forbidden Forest. Well, it's called the Forbidden Forest, obviously it's forbidden, Lucy thought to herself. She liked forests but she couldn't see herself going there. Not without a little nudging.

The Sorting Hat then sang a song and Lucy listened enraptured. A singing hat was pretty cool, it had to be said. A sentient singing hat that could then decide what house to put students in? Even cooler. She listened intently to the song and waited her turn, watching other students get called out. She started to feel nervous. What house did she even want to be in? Her father had been a Ravenclaw but her mother had been a Gryffindor. Did she want to follow in their footsteps or choose her own path? Was it even up to her?

"Montague, Lucy."

Lucy practically bounced her way to the stool, aware and yet not caring that virtually all eyes were on her. She was too focused on the brewing anxiety and uncertainty in her gut. She took her seat and waited with bated breath.

"Hmmm, well, this is a little tricky. I can see a little of many things within you, but I think, there will be one house that'll challenge you best...Ravenclaw,"

 

[Marcus Massey]

This was stupid. Marcus kept his hands in his pockets, trying to pull back further into his hood. He didn't know if he was supposed to be wearing it, but that hardly mattered. He kept his eyes on his feet, being pushed around by the crowd and just dragged along. That seemed fitting. He kept glancing up every so often, peeking at a girl with big glasses before lowering his eyes again. This whole thing was dumb, he couldn't wait for it to be over. He stayed still, not really watching the ceremony. He bit back a long, dramatic sigh as his name was finally called, pulling his hood back before shuffling up to the Sorting Hat, his eyes never leaving his shoes as they scuffed over the stones. His shoulders slumped as the hat fell over his eyes. The darkness was almost comforting, and he just shut his eyes, hoping the darkness would stay and that he wouldn't have to open up his eyes and deal with the annoyance that he knew this school would be.

"This school can be really fun, or so I've heard. Perhaps give it a shot with some like minded folk in...Hufflepuff,"