The Sorting Ceremony Y51

[Professor Kalif Styx]

The overhead sky was cloudy, but no threatening storms or rain. The moon appeared to pop up from time to time, depending on the clouds and how they moved. It added a magical atmosphere to the Great Hall that Professor Kalif Styx never appreciated while he was in the school. From a professor, to a Slytherin Head of House, back to a professor, and now returning as Headmaster, he had seen the Sorting Ceremony many, many times and knew how it ran by heart - even now with several years gone. He stood at the podium before the students, looking over them all with his onyx eyes. Styx was not the biggest fan of speeches, but alas, it should be done as should his expectations be known. He cleared his throat and started the speech, "Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts New Zealand."

His tone was not exactly welcoming, but it was just stern, strict - just as he had used when he used when he addressed the Slytherins when he was their Head of House. His eyes loomed over the house tables, and then on the first years standing in the middle. "This will be your home for the next seven years. For some of you, this will be your first real step into the magical world. So, I will give out a couple of rules for the first years, as well as reminders for the rest of you. The Forbidden Forest is off limits to all students unless supervised by a member of staff. The forest is dangerous, and anyone that wants to risk their safety will be punished." For anyone that might have heard of Styx's punishments from their parents should take this to heart.

"Now, it is time for the Sorting Ceremony. Each of you will be sorted into one of the four houses and you will remain there for your tenure of education. The houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. They match the surnames of the founder of the original Hogwarts located in Scotland. And thus, you will be sorted based on the values of each of the founders. Then, when I call your name, step forward and take a seat on this stool." Styx stepped around the podium and gestured at the stool before him. "Once you take a seat, I'll place the Sorting Hat on your head, and it will decide where you belong. Then, you will join your new housemates at their table. Like every year, the hat will sing you all a song." Styx could hardly say that he missed that.

Once the song was finished, he unrolled the long scroll of parchment, and called 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.

 

[Julio Santana]

Julio wanted to be excited about all of this. He did, but that was hard to do when the only thought in his head was that this was the wrong school. This was not where he wanted to be. Not where he expected to be. It was all going so well until his father decided to pick everything up and move them all back to his home. Which just wasn't fair if you asked him. And no one had; otherwise, he would have made this very obvious.

The boy tapped his foot while he waited, eyes narrowed at the talking hat at the front of the room. He just wanted this whole thing over and done with so he could sit down, but no, he had to stand around and wait for his name to be called.

"Julio Santana!"

"About time," the boy muttered as he shouldered his way to the front, wasting absolutely no time in turning around and sitting down on the stool. And as the hat was lowered over his eyes, he only let out a rather loud huff. "Can we just get this over with already?" The last thing he wanted to do was to sit there all evening with everyone staring at him.

"This never really takes long, a short moment and the future is set, I will never understand the desire to rush. But on the matter at hand, I see in you that there is a hunger to prove yourself, a desire to be the best, a hunger for knowledge. Lesser hats might've placed you in Slytherin with all this ambition, but I see more clearly, that this desire for knowledge is what drives you...Ravenclaw,"

 

[Henry Collins]

Henry still couldn't believe that this place was real. He was amazed by everything, and of course, he was still learning about the magical world and all. The train ride here had been quite long, and he was mostly tired from the ride over here. Now he had to stand here and wait to be sorted? He wondered how long that was going to take if he was being honest.

Henry stood with the rest of the firsties as he listened to the headmaster. He didn't want to admit it, but the headmaster seemed a little scary if he was being honest. Henry wasnt usually one for being a bit nervous around a lot of adults, but the headmaster's demeanour was a little something else. He listened carefully to what the professor had to say as he wanted to take everything in and make sure he was learning about the magical world. He was away from his family, so the unfamiliar place and world he had been placed in was a little bit of a scary thought.

He listened to the song that the magical hat sang. Apparently, there were clothing accessories in the magical world that could sing and talk? Henry had no idea that it had existed either. It wasn't long before some of the students had been sorted. He watched with wonder and anticipation as each person before him went up to the stool and was sorted.

"Henry, Collins!"

Henry felt like his heart dropped when his name had suddenly been called, and his palms began to sweat. He looked at the people around him with a nervous smile before making his way up to the front and sitting on the stool, anticipation growing inside of him as well as him hoping for this to be over as quickly as possible.

"This will be an easy and quick process, I know for newcomers it can be very overwhelming. There's a good intelligence, and a good amount of curiosity, but I think the best place for you will focus on that determined nature....Hufflepuff,"

 

[Leo Ilves]

Leo was conflicted now that the day to start at Hogwarts had finally come. In one hand he was looking forward to being with Lilith and to being at the school, but in the other it meant he'd have to leave mum alone. Mum said she'd be fine, she had the dogs, but Leo had still been hesitant. Lilith had made sure to take both him and Leena to get their wands, in his humble opinion his sister had been way too overbearing, like for Merlin's sake it wasn't like they were her children! But secretly he'd enjoyed the attention, especially since his sister's boyfriend wasn't with them.

Now as Leo walked into the Great Hall next to his sister he peered around the various tables littered with older students, all attention seemingly on the first years. Putting on a grin and even waving at some of them he pretended he wasn't a tad nervous the hat was going to place him incorrectly, because Leo knew the only right place for him was with Gryffindor. His attention shifted from the other students to the man at the front with a strict voice. Yeah Lille had told him and Leena that the former Headmaster had quit or retired last year. "He seems... delightful." Leo whispered to his sister in Finnish, cracking a smile at his own sarcasm. The warning about the forest only made the first year more curious, the punishment couldn't be that bad, now could it? Lilith had never broken any rules so he'd never heard of any punishments. Maybe Leo could sneak in there secretly and not get caught, he was sure he could be sneaky enough. Besides there had to be at least ten different bird species that he'd never seen over on this side of the globe. Okay it was way over ten.

"Leo Ilves!"

Oh. He hadn't even heard the song. Dang it, he'd been too busy scheming adventures. "See you on the other side, good luck lil sis." He said to Leena and with one last gentle squeeze of her hand he was off to the stool. The walk seemed longer than it actually was, Leo's heart was hammering behind his ribcage, all his aspirations and the next seven years depended on what the hat chose next. All his life the boy had wanted to be like his father, albeit in the last few months he'd gotten into more trouble than it was worth he still wanted to do well and make those around him proud. That started with making it to Gryffindor, there really was no other option. Staring down at the stool for a moment the first year took a seat and stared at all the faces around the hall. He didn't care that they were staring, not at all. He actually thrived under attention, what he cared for right now was to hear where he'd spend his years in. He'd been looking forward to this very moment for his whole life and now that it was here it didn't feel real. Make the right choice. He thought, hoping the hat would listen to his wishes.

"There are no wrong choices when it comes to sorting, but I see exactly what you desire, and how strongly you desire it. I see that this desire is not exactly unfounded...so...okay...Gryffindor,"

 

[Quentin Carew]

Quentin had been looking forward to this moment for a very long time, pretty much ever since the day his older brother had left for Hogwarts four years earlier. He knew he would probably get Ravenclaw as all the other houses sounded strange for not putting learning as the most important point of being at Hogwarts. It was a school after all and everyone here was ultimately here to learn. Quentin stepped forward when his name was called and took his place. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now, that he passed the time trying to figure out an equation that had been bothering him. "If x = 7 × y" he thought, "then if y is a small prime, what are the possibilities? 2, 3, hmm 5. Or maybe y is also 7? No that can't be right." his thoughts went on until the Sorting Hat started speaking to him.

 

[James Furneaux]

Oh James was a big boy now! Both his sisters were at Hogwarts so when he'd gotten his letter he'd felt like the coolest guy the entire time. He'd had to fight not to tell all his friends that when he said he was a wizard it no longer was a joke. Now that he was in the Great Hall, after that fun trip to the wand store, he couldn't wait to see all the cool things around him. He was busy glancing around to see his sisters in their tables, he'd already forgotten the house names though, when a voice spoke up. The man that was speaking seemed grumpy so James didn't focus on him, instead he gawked at the hat that was singing. "Um..... are you seeing and hearing what I'm seeing and hearing?" He asked the witches and wizards around him. BRO A HAT COULD SING? THAT WAS SO COOL.

As names started being called out James watched kids go one by one and waited for his own turn, tapping his foot impatiently. He was focused on the tapping when someone called for his name and he was walking toward the grumpy man with the hat. "Is there any way someone else can put that hat on my head? He kind of looks like.... a supervillain from a marvel movie." The boy said to an adult that seemed like a trustworthy one. Eventually he did sit down on the stool, begrudgingly so, and let the supervillain put that hat on his head. "So like? What now? I just sit here while you sit on my head?" He asked the hat, peering up at it on his head. If his sisters had told him anything about this process he didn't remember. "Don't tell me I needed to take some quiz before today..." He muttered to himself. "I suck at them."

 

[Thorine Zhefarovich-Dolohov]

Thorine Zhefarovich-Dolohov knew exactly what to expect when it came down to Hogwarts New Zealand. Her own mother came here, was sorted in Slytherin, and didn't really do much of anything. Of course, Thorine hoped that she would be able to sail on through without any sort of issues. Especially with who was Headmaster. Of course, no one told her that their family Patriarch was harshest on his bloodline, but still. Thorine waited patiently as she watched each one sorted. Some family, most not.

Before long, as one of the last ones, her name was finally called. She approached the stool and sat down on it. The hat sat upon her blonde hair, and she inwardly groaned. Someone needed to spice this up to today's latest trends because she knew that other than today, she would not be caught dead with something as old as this on her person.​

 

[Reinhardt Katsaros-Styx]

Reinhardt Katsaros-Styx followed the first years into the Great Hall to be sorted. He didn't really show emotion with the charmed sky and the hat singing after the Headmaster's speech. He knew what to expect. His mother and father attended, and were sorted in Ravenclaw and Slytherin respectively. He was a good blend of both of them, so it might be a little hard for him to have a preference from one to another. He truly didn't care. He was apathetic about a lot after all. He felt more sorry for whoever was the Head of House for the twins in a couple of years.

He heard his name, which he only let out a sigh as he approached the stool. He felt the hat drop onto his head. He folded his arms across his chest as he peered over the crowd. He knew that he didn't belong in Gryffindor. Hufflepuff wouldn't be terrible, but they might annoy him. Slytherin was a hit or miss. And Ravenclaw might panic over having the best grades. Reinhardt assumed that he would go in either Ravenclaw or Slytherin. Unless the hat saw something else in him - which he doubted wholeheartedly.​

 

[June Parish]

June was trying her hardest to put on a brave face. She refused to look scared when she knew her sister would be searching her face for any sign that she wasn't ok. But she was ok! And even if she wasn't, she could handle it herself! June took a deep breath and followed along with all the other first years, who she hoped were just as nervous as she was. She wasn't exactly sure what she was scared of. Nothing bad was going to happen to her. Her whole family, well except Bellamy, had given her all the information she needed to know. She just had to walk up and sit down and it'd be over in a flash. Yet, she still balled her fists at her sides as she took in the great hall and just how many students were here.

The space was beautiful and grand and for a moment she tried to picture what it would all look like as a gown flowing gracefully across the stage. She sighed and closed her eyes and the image calmed her a bit. The professor spoke and he was different than what her sister had described but she didn't pay much attention. The hat on the other hand she eagerly watched and she couldn't help but wonder how he was made. When the names started to be called, she remembered she was nervous and she stomped her foot in frustration.

June's breath froze in her chest when her name was finally called and she took care to move as quietly as she could. She had always been on the short side but now it felt like the older kids at the tables seemed to loom over her until she was finally sitting on the stool. She kept her eyes down and focused on the floor but couldn't help but spare a glance at the hat as she tried to find where it's seams were. She couldn't make much sense of it and once it was on her head she closed her eyes and waited for what it would say about her.

 

[Leena Ilves]

Almost nothing could stop the shaking that was currently going through Leena's limbs. That was, until Leo took her hand, and she focused on the way he was gripping her just tightly enough to calm her nerves down. It wasn't that she was scared of crowds, new people, nor that she was about to face a room full of strangers and be given a house, only that this felt like such a big decision. It was as though she was graduating, or passing her driving test, she presumed. It wasn't something to be taken lightly, and while she knew her family would be pleased wherever she ended up, this moment would be one that changed her path forever.

Leena had enjoyed the last few days more than she had in a long time. Spending time with Lilith as the twins bought their wands, being shown around the area and having her sister play tour guide as she introduced them to the stores she'd been telling them for years. Merlin, even seeing Eoghan in his robes had been a comfort, and Leena thought the boy was usually cold company.

She was jolted by her thought of the last holiday that Lilith had come to visit, and smiled at her brother. She hadn't even noticed the Headmaster, which probably wasn't a good thing to admit out loud on her first day of school. "Yeah," she was sure Leo only made his comment to distract her from the impending importance, so she make an effort to follow his lead, and not to get too hung up on what was about to happen. "Maybe he has to be strict," Leena wasn't going to take the risk of insulting the man around people she didn't know. For all they knew, they could speak Finnish too. It wasn't long however until Leo was called up to the stool, and she gave him the most reassuring smile she could muster as they said a brief goodbye. If they weren't in the same house, it would be a while before they had a chance to speak again.

Suddenly alone, Leena glanced around the hall in search of her sister. She knew Lilith would be watching intently to see where the twins would end up, although the blonde couldn't see the fifth year at the Ravenclaw table anywhere! Trying not to panic, she turned back to Leo just in time to see him be admitted to Gryffindor, and clapped hard as he made his way over to his table. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Now there was no way they'd all be together, even if Leena were to be in one of their houses too.

"Leena Ilves!"

As her own name was called, the first year stepped forward, gingerly taking a seat where her brother had been a moment prior and took a deep breath. One, two, three, four. Four tables. One, two, three.. no there were too many students in the room to count them too. The hat needed to get on with it and put her out of her misery, maybe then she could finally relax in her new home.