The Sorting Ceremony

[Katherine Alicastell]

It was not the first time Katherine Alicastell had graced the Great Hall of Hogwarts New Zealand but it had been many years since she was last present. The transition from leading the Department of Experimental Charms to taking up a position as Headmistress of a school may have been a large one for some, but for Katherine, it was the return to a familiar environment. Education was her true passion, and her life appeared to always lead her back to it.

Vivid stars twinkled through white wisps of cloud overhead of those entering the Great Hall, shining brightly against the velvet darkness of space that blanketed the entirety of it's ceiling, dominated by a single pale moon that bathed the room's entrants in a silvery light. The hall itself was further illuminated by flickering candle flames that appeared to sway and float in mid-air as if held aloft by invisible threads, bathing the building's lengthy tables adorned with shining dishes in a warm glow. Katherine herself stood positioned behind a podium at the forefront of the hall, greeting the youths who entered with a silent nod and a small smile. She had yet to meet many of the school's student body, but those seeing her for the first time could no doubt guess she would be their new Headmistress.

"Welcome," She began, her eyes sweeping over the sea of faces already gathered at the house tables, and those waiting to join them. "To those of you returning for another year, and to those of you joining us for the first time today. This day marks the start of your journey as young witches and wizards in the magical world. The castle and its surrounding grounds will be your home for the next seven years - a place for you all to live, to learn, and to grow. That being said, I must remind the older students, and caution those of you who are new, that the Forbidden Forest is strictly off limits to students unless supervised by a professor or member of staff. It may look enticing to some of you, but many dangers lurk within the forest. It is restricted for your safety, and any rule breakers will be punished accordingly."

The woman let her warning linger for a moment, eyeing those in particular who appeared more than willing to break that rule, before continuing on. "Now, let's begin. Each of you will be sorted into a house, which you will remain in for the duration of your time here. These houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, named after each of the original founding members of this prestigious school." As she spoke each name, banners rolled up against the farthest wall suddenly unfurled, depicting the colours and crests of each individual house, matching the silk cloths adorning each table. "First Years, as I call your name, step forward and seat yourselves here." Katherine gestured toward the short stool at the front of the hall, situated in perfect view of everyone present. "Once seated, I will place the Sorting Hat upon your heads, after which your future house will be decided and you are to move on to your table and join your new housemates. This decision is final, and houses cannot be changed once the Sorting Hat has made its decision. Now, let us begin." Ending it on that note, the woman unraveled the roll of parchment in front of her and called up the first name.

Out of Character:

As stated in the [member]Information about Sorting thread[member], you must fill out the sorting form entirely properly and fill in an RP as exemplified in the post. If your RP does not leave room for the sorting hat to sort you: you will not be sorted. If the sorting hat does not receive your sorting form: you will not be sorted. Follow instructions and: you will be sorted.

You can edit your post once you are sorted, but be sure that you only reply to this topic once and it is through the sorting form provided. Thank you.

 

[Sorting Hat]

The time has come now once again,
To greet you all in song.
New year, new friends, and all new faces,
In amongst the throng.

But who am I? The Sorting Hat!
I'm here to sort you all.
I'll tell you soon where you should go,
Be you great or small.

The bravest of you might become
Old Gryffindor's new pride.
Your bold, courageous housemates
Will always have your side.

Or Ravenclaw might better suit
Those clever of the mind.
Your wisdom will grow far here
if you're scholarly inclined.

In Hufflepuff the fair and true
Will find their closest friends.
A house made strong by working hard
To achieve their ends.

In Slytherin a cunning heart
Will see your goals succeed.
Your ambitions will be fostered
All subtle in your deed.

So try me on! I never bite
And hardly ever dither.
Your house awaits, as does the feast
So call the students hither!

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

The train ride, the trip up to the castle, everything he had done thus far today felt to Kauri like he had walked straight into a storybook, but none of it compared to the sight of the great hall as he entered with the rest of the first year group. Floating candles, enormous tables with hundreds of students, bright banners and a ceiling that seemed to go on forever... it was otherworldly, and a delighted laugh escaped him as he followed the rest of the first year group, gazing around the room in wonder.

Kauri was so enthralled by everything he was seeing and hearing (a hat that could SING!) that the names being called out quickly blurred into one another and faded into the background, the familiarity of hearing his own name called jolting him back into the fact that this new magical world was real life.

"Tipene, Kauri!"

Startled, Kauri hurried over and practically leaped onto the stool, buzzing with the excitement of being sorted. Who would be his new friends, his classmates and companions? Which of the tables stretching before him would he call home? His whole future was about to start, a future he had never dreamed could be real, and the excitement was almost too much to sit still.

"This hat can do a lot more than sing! I think you'll do splendidly well in GRYFFINDOR!"

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[BenPearce]

Ben waits confidently in the Great Hall, as he stands next to his friends. "I'm gonna be a Slytherin. For sure" he thinks to himself. Part of Ben is nervous, because he would be letting down the entire family if he was to be a Hufflepuff or a Gryffindor. Heaven forbid that ever happen. Ben is determined to get into the house that will help him to become one of the most powerful wizards of all time. He mostly wants to use his powers to make the world a better place for wizards and witches alike, but Ben knows that people will end up being better than him in some fields. He knows what he has to do then. As the sorting begins and the first student gets sorted into Hufflepuff, Ben's stomach begins to twist. He palms begin to sweat, and he attempts to calm himself down. Deep down, Ben knows he won't be a Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. He hears his name being called out, and slowly walks towards the sorting hat. He sits down on the stool and the hat is placed over his head, obscuring his vision slightly. And then the hat makes it's decision....

"I don't like that you've limited yourself this way, but if you're quite sure you're not interested in anything else... SLYTHERIN!"

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[Caro Taylor]

Caro could almost cry with excitement. After eleven years trapped in the same home with the same family and thousands of people telling stories of their wonderful exploits around the world, Caro was free. She had left home, gotten on a train and travelled far away, just like she had always dreamed. She knew that eventually Hogwarts would begin to feel like home, dull and repetitive and restricting, but right now it was everything she had ever dreamed. A new place to explore and learn and discover, new friends to meet, new sights to see, all of it foreign and beautiful and exciting. She felt alive in a way she never had before, buzzing with adrenaline as she followed the rest of the group into the great hall.

Seeing the banners bearing the logos of the different houses brought Caro somewhat back to herself. She could see Lizzie in the distance, seated over at the Gryffindor table, and her heart sank slightly. Caro loved her sister, but their differences made her impossible to spend time with, and seven years spent living in Lizzie's shadow was a terrible thought to start her dreams of independence and adventure off with. The rest of the hall was so interesting though and she distracted herself quickly, looking around at the other tables and their banners, the bright lights and new faces. And the hat in the middle of it all.

"Taylor, Caroline!"

Caro had been focusing on the sorting going on in front of her, but she still wasn't quite prepared to hear her own name. Her confident walk to the hat was interrupted by a soft "WOO!" coming, no doubt, from Lizzie. Great. Caro's smile fell slightly and her hands began to tremble as she took her seat and donned the hat, quietly hoping she was enough like her Slytherin mother not to wind up with her. 'Please, hat... I don't know if you care what I think about all this, but don't make me live with her...' She thought worriedly, glancing over at the Gryffindor table again.

"It could do you a whole lot of good to live with her and stand on your own despite it all, you know. I can see you have that within you. But if you're quite quite sure you'd rather go a completely separate way... alright, alright. SLYTHERIN!"

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[Jordan Hewitt]

Jordan walked through the Great Hall, he had been expecting this day for a long time. He had long since imagined the walk through this Great Hall to get sorted, and then spend the days and nights he spent after that discovering everything that he could find in the castle. He followed the rest of the students towards the Sorting Hat, and when it was his turn he sat on the stool and the hat was placed on his head. Okay Mr. Hat, let's do this. Make sure you place me correctly. He thought, and awaited his sentence.

"SLYTHERIN!"

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[Lourdes Brackenstall]

Back straight, head high, clothes and hair tidy... Even after an exhausting and noisy train ride, Lourdes knew it was important first and foremost to present herself appropriately, and represent her family well. Holding herself with good posture she entered the Great Hall with the rest of her classmates, and the composed girl couldn't quite hold back a gasp. She had been in some exquisite magical buildings in the course of her life, but the floating candles and shifting ceiling were beyond compare. And the students... so many, more children than Lourdes had ever seen in her entire life. How could there be so many students? Annoyance flickered through her as she realised she was never going to get so much as a second to herself in this place.

Lourdes's parents had reminded her that her name was early on in the list and she listened intently, watching the other children be sorted into their houses. Mother had reminded her that she would have to share a room with other girls, and she wrinkled her nose slightly, watching how scruffy the various candidates all seemed. How unappealing...

"Brackenstall, Lourdes!"

Lourdes stepped forward calmly as her name was called, hands clasped daintily in front of her, and kept her shoulders square and eyes forward as the hat was placed on her head, not wanting to let her future classmates see any signs of weakness when she was so publicly and personally being put on display, though she couldn't fight back the slight nervous tremble in her hands. How was she going to survive in a place so different to home?

"SLYTHERIN!"

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[Elijah Zelinsky]

Elijah Zelinsky walked through the entrance of Hogwarts Castle, pausing every so often to take in the world around him. Everything was so different to what he had expected, and he looked towards his siblings to see if they were as surprised as he was. He was so excited to be here, and it made him feel a lot more comfortable that his siblings had been chosen to join him as well. He hadn't doubted that they would, but it was also nice to get confirmation.

As they entered the Great Hall and approached the Sorting Hat, he wondered whether or not they would be sorted into the same house, or even which house they would end up in. He hoped they would be together, but at least they would be in the same school and he would be able to look out for them if something came up. He smiled, and when it was his turn to be sorted he stepped up and took his seat on the stool.

A multitude of thoughts crashed through his mind at that moment, and he felt himself freeze. He had watched the others be sorted and it all seemed to be a fairly quick process, but it seemed to go on forever for him. He took a few deep breaths, and felt himself relax. He would be sorted no matter what, he just had to wait it out. Okay hat.. let's do this. Please place me in the same house as my siblings.. He thought.

"I'll put you in the house where you'll do best and we'll see about your siblings later. RAVENCLAW!"

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[Ysabel Becerra-Alvarado]

They have arrived at the said boarding school and was instructed to change into their uniform. New to the ways of greeting first year students, Ysabel held tight to her brother's arm as they stood outside two huge doors. She did wanted to go to this school but it seems just by looking around, with those old brick walls, bring a bit of creepiness to her. "Theo, creo que me perdi de imaginar qué clase de magos de internados tienen (Theo, I think I missed imagine what kind of a boarding school wizards have)" She stated to her brother who seems calm but then again, he was eyeing the same girl they met and shared a compartment with. Ysabel slapped Theo at the back of the head and rolled her eyes, "Presta atención. Hay muchas chicas en esta escuela para que las veas después de esta iniciación (Pay attention. There's plenty of girls in this school for you to look at after this initiation)" When the double doors opened. Ysabel's grip on her brother tighten even more.

There were simply hundreds or thousands of students there, looking at them as they walked to the end where a gorgeous woman stood. The woman started with a welcome and then an old hat started singing which amazes the young girl even more. Once the hat stopped singing, the woman, who was introduced as the new Headmistress, started calling out names alphabetically. In the twins experience, being enrolled in a non-wizarding school, Theo was always the first one to get called up. As the names neared theirs, Theo was called up and Ysabel's hands slid down as her brother walked forward and sat at the stool with the hat on his head. Ysabel smiled as her brother was placed in _____ and hoped she gets the same house as he is in. Theo was always the brave one out of the two and she hates it when he's not around. Ysabel was called up next and the room went silent.

Taking a deep breath, she walked up and sat on the stool as the hat was placed gently on her head. She thought of happy memories, when before they got their letter from this school. Their ancestry might be one messy feud but that's all in the past. Please, don't judge me for my past and lack of knowledge about your world ... actually, our world. It's not my fault we're keep in the dark about it. I would like for me to be placed with my brother if it is possible. Of course not all that she wanted would be given. Ysabel doesn't know the process of the hat, does it judge you for your personality? Your history? Her parents wasn't helping as well as they didn't graduated at Hogwarts. The brunette waited for an answer patiently ...

"I use all kinds of information found in this head of yours to place your where you'll flourish for these next seven years. Sometimes I even listen to where you think that might be. Since you don't know all that much about our world, trust me when I say you're a GRYFFINDOR!"

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[Theo Becerra-Alvarado]

Arriving via the train was simple for Theodore but when a boat was on the list to make to the boarding school, his face simply went poker. The boy can feel his sister's grip on his arm and he reassure her by squeezing her hand. Once on a solid ground, Theo released a sigh of relief and everyone made their way inside, waiting behind two large oak doors when he spotted the same girl they met on the train. He thought he heard his sister said something but ignored her as he kept staring at the girl. A second had passed and a hard slap behind his head woke him up from day dreaming. "Si querida hermana (Yes, dear sister)" Theo answered politely. Ysabel has a tendency to get jealous when Theo gets comfortable with other girls. She keeps telling him that she and their mom are the only girls in his life and that is it.

Theo noticed how Ysabel's grip tighten even more when the doors opened to a huge hall full of other students. They just went on to the end where a woman, who introduce herself as the Headmistress, stood. The group stopped and was welcomed, only it got weirder when a hat started singing. The boy looked at his sister who was enjoying the show. It went forever before the singing stopped and then one by one, new students were called up, he didn't understand what was the importance of houses but he'll find it out when he was called up next. Theo sat on the stool and the hat was placed upon his head. He has no clue what to do, do I say something? or do I wait? I heard boarding schools isn't this complicated but that was wrong of me to judge such. Help me here, dear lord. Theo had thought of many prayers until a decision was made ...

"Oh, I know what to do alright - and as for you, how is sitting here complicated at all? HUFFLEPUFF!"

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[Professor Geovanna Adler-Cade]

It was finally time. Geo stood next to her best friend Leila; a girl whom six months ago she had never met. Leila had opened her eyes to the possibilities of what could lie ahead - what could be expected during her time at Hogwarts and addition, what could be expected after. While appearing calm, her heart pounded inside her chest. She didn't want to be seperated from her friends for a second time in one year, but whatever the outcome Geo knew it would be something she could bounce back from. Glancing over in the direction of two other students that she'd spent much of her time with, she gave them a reasurring smile. It could be no easy feat., to sit in front of a large number of strangers and have all those pairs of eyes stare back at you. This girl wasn't shy, but it was unsettling to know that in those few moments everything would be decided for you for the next seven years.

As the group made their way between the Great Hall tables, Geo tilted her head around the room and peered up at the celing. It was even more surreal than she'd been told. Everyone back at the orphanage waited for this moment, the moment they would be free to start their own path, but it all began with sorting. For the rest of their lives their houses would represent them, and as an adult if asked, Geo would have liked to look back with fond memories. As her name was called, she took a deep breath, and confidently took her place on the stool at the front of the room, and waited for her hat to be placed on her head. She may have grown up aware of her abilities, but she'd never experienced it before. The sensation of something alive on her head was most disconcerting, but she close her eyes and waited for the verdict.




"Your loyal and self-giving nature make you an excellent candidate for HUFFLEPUFF!"

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[Isaac Lee Kendall-Wu]

Isaac smirked as the new first years entered the great hall, Isaac in the front. He had been waiting bored for months until he was finally able to memorise every detail of the castle and the corridors. As an observant person, Isaac did not like not to know where things were as soon as he could remember. He didn't like maps, he preferred his brain over a piece of paper. Isaac waited, a little impatiently but with his neutral expression on his face, as one by one the year got sorted, why was his name at the bottle of the list again? Save the best for last, he thought proud of his family heritage. Isaac walked up with his back straight as soon as his name was called and sat on the stool, taking a deep breath as the sorting hat was placed into his head. Now he had to wait.</SIZE></COLOR> ​

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"You'll never be able to memorize this castle - and there are a lot more things you need to learn about this world, and I think having some wise friends will help you on that road. RAVENCLAW!"

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[Sayoria Flynn]

Sayoria's heart pounded with excitement as she and her classmates marched into the great hall. As one of the first in line, she didn't have time to ponder which house she might end up in. Soon her name was called and upon taking her seat, the hat was placed on her head.

"I could see you doing well in a couple places - but perhaps your clever mind and ambition to be your best can be of service to your fellow students in SLYTHERIN!"

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[Sybil Jin Howard]

Sybil entered the great hall with Calvin Taylor and the rest of her cousins. There were so many excited and happy students in the room which irritated her. She had never been in a room with so many strangers with different personality. Her eyes began to roam looking for the next target that she would attack once she got herself sorted. She saw a weak prey and glared at him coldly without the boy noticing. When the sorting hat began to speak, Sybil glared at it and locked her eyes at it. The names were being called, her cousins began to walk toward the stool one by one. Howard this, Howard that, and finally

"Howard, Sybil Jin"

The girl made her way toward the stool and sat on it with nothing in her mind.

"Badgers have been known to eat coyotes from time to time. HUFFLEPUFF!"

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[Oswald Brigham]

It was going to be strange, living so far from home. Amazing, but strange. The shopkeeper's son trembled slightly as a professor shepherded him into the great hall, taking care not to step on anybody's toes. He'd seen plenty of magic before, but that of the great hall was everything he'd anticipated it and more. Like many of his fellow unsorted students, Oswald's jaw was slack as he shuffled up to the front of the room, trying to get a glimpse of anything and everything around him. Hogwarts. Was. Amazing. And this was just one room inside it! What would the classrooms be like? Or the common rooms? The excitement thinking about it was nearly enough to overwhelm him, so for now he concentrated on the stool ahead, up to which each student was being called in turn. Before too long Oswald's own name was called, and he made his way eagerly up to be sorted. Would he be in Gryffindor, with the brave and noble? Ravenclaw, where they read books? Slytherin? Or Hufflepuff? His dad had been a Hufflepuff, back in his day. It would certainly be nice to follow in his footsteps.

"You can follow in your father's footsteps in many ways - but your footsteps begin most clearly in GRYFFINDOR!"

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[Jaime Huberta]

There were so many things that Jaime Huberta was looking forward to accomplish during all the upcoming years of his study in Hogwarts. He wished that he would be sorted into the house that his mother used to be in though part of him wanted to follow the footstep of his father. Jaime walk passed the students and queued, a boy accidentally bumped on him. He glared at the boy coldly, locking his eyes at him, making him uncomfortable. He saw some of his friends being sorted and wait for his turn. He got so impatient that he started tapping his foot to the ground. Finally!

"Huberta, Jaime!"

The boy was called. He had his eyes straight on the stool in front of the great hall and sat on it.

"SLYTHERIN!"

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[Brooklyn Vacarius]

Brooklyn Vacarius walked through the doors to the Great Hall, and just as her brother, Logan, told her, it was impressive and nothing like she had ever dreamed of. She gushed as her eyes remained glued to the ceiling. It looked just like the night sky. She felt a nudge on her to continue walking, so the young girl did. Brooklyn walked with the other first years, looking around to see if anyone would show if they were as disgusting as the boy that damaged her brother. Then she knew just who to stay away from. She heard that hte boy was in Hufflepuff, but she doubted that it was true. Hufflepuff seemed like a nice house. She felt like she could belong there, but she also felt like she could belong in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor too. It was hard for her to choose, so she was relieved when it was out of her hands and into the hands of a magical hat. Hearing that the forest was especially dangerous, Brooklyn wondered what kind of school was this? She eventually heard her name. Brooklyn walked up to the stool and sat down. The hat settled on her head. She thought, 'Please keep me away from the majority of the prejudice pure-bloods. I know there might be a few in each house, but put me in the one that has the least amount if possible.' She only prayed that it would heed her request.

"It seems like you're a little blood-status prejudiced, too! No, not in the way you hate - but in a way all your own. Your love for chemistry in your muggle school could leave you very adept to potions here. You may not like it, but I see your flourishing and growing very well in SLYTHERIN!"

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[Andromeda Zhefarovich]

Andromeda Zhefarovich walked into the Great Hall, knowing that this was her place to shine, but having so many peers without knowing who they were did make her nervous. What if she was touched by someone? What if someone managed to piss her off so much, she went to her father? Andy did not know what to make of this, and suddenly wanted to be homeschooled. She settled her nerves, and her mint green eyes looked around for somesone familiar. Nope, not yet. She was also a little short so she could not see over hte students in front of her. The names were called, and she heard the familar ones that were pure, and she silently wished them well. Of course she would never admit this in person. Eventually, after so many people, her name was called. Andy approached the stool, sat down and grimaced as the hat touched her hair. So many mudbloods, half-bloods and part creatures had this on their head before hers. She wished she had something to disinfect her body after all of this.

"Oh your poor, greasy, little head. Did you even consider what it will take to wash you out of my fabric? Hundreds of years of sorting students and yours could be the head that puts me out of commission for good! Magical society as you know it would crumble, but you're concerned about your hair. Typically shortsighted. Salazar would want nothing to do with you. Can't say there'd be much of a yearning from anyone, honestly. Fortunately for you, Helga wanted even your likes to find a home in HUFFLEPUFF!"

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[Leila Walden]

It was Leila's time to enter Hogwarts and to find out her fate on where she would be sorted. It seemed like only yesterday that she and Geo had received their acceptance letters. She had grabbed her friend and jumped up and down with excitement and now, here they both were, standing in the Great Hall in the most magnificent place that Leila had ever seen, waiting to hear about their future. It was the best feeling to be with all the friends that she had made already and to see them standing around her. She reached for her best friend, Jess's hand and waited for the Sorting Hat to call her name.

"Walden, Leila!"

She jumped a little and made her way towards the hat and sat down on the stool and closed her eyes and took a deep breath while she waited for the Sorting Hat's decision. She felt her sibling's eyes on her and wanted nothing more than to join them, she just hoped the Sorting Hat would agree with her.

"Your family tradition continues on - GRYFFINDOR!"

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[Christopher Elms]

Chris certainly took to Hogwarts as they approached in near darkness. The individual flickering lights of hundreds of tiny windows guided the first years toward a castle like none other Chris had ever laid eyes on. Hogwarts was huge, made up of a mass of winding turrets, giving the castle a magical look. Chris smiled to himself, of course there would be no better place to learn magic for the next seven years than in an enchanted castle. He was so excited to see more.

Inside the castle was just as impressive. The medieval architecture offered an intriguing welcome. Chris wanted to explore the castle in greater depth but decided it would be unwise to stray far before sorting. He stuck with his fellow first years and followed the path to the Great Hall. The doors opened and the new students were ushered inside. There were hundreds of older students already there, some glancing round at the new arrivals, but Chris tried to ignore them, preparing to stop ahead of a table of teachers and a hat perched on a stool. He recognised it at once to be the Sorting Hat. His parents had told him about the Sorting Hat, and of course the four houses he could be placed in. Christopher took the time to evaluate each house for the final time. Chris always imagined himself making Gryffindor, but he knew each house valued different traits. He thought he could end up anywhere.

"Elms, Christopher."

Chris stepped forward, copying the students who had gone before him. He sat on the hard stool and accepted the hat which fell below his ears, plunging him into darkness. He waited in anticipation for a judgement, too nervous to even ask for Gryffindor, it was entirely the hats decision and all he could do was wait.

"I can see Gryffindor in you. But you're ambitious, too, like a Slytherin. These things are obvious, but I also see a wisdom beneath the surface that can help you achieve those ambitious goals in RAVENCLAW!"

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[Satchel Howard]

Satchel walked a step behind his siblings as they entered the Great Hall. It was pretty, the enchantment for the sky was nice. He'd have loved to be able to draw it, but he knew it was beyond his capabilities. He wasn't particularly worried about which House he'd be put in. His parents were probably hoping for Slytherin, but out of the three of them one was sure to get into the coveted house of the snake. Satchel had always liked snakes; he wanted to get one, but his father said no. No doubt his mother would be angry if he got a different House, but Danton would protect him. He watched as the other Howards were sorted. He didn't particularly mind about his other classmates. The Howards were an entity to themselves, and Satchel needed to keep up to date on the family. He felt sorry for little Juno, she would probably be lonely now that they were all off to Hogwarts. He was anxious as he watched for Sybil to be sorted, knowing she would want Slytherin. When his own name was called, there were no such worries. He walked up to the chair and took his seat, unperturbed by the eyes which watched him. He neither welcomed them nor avoided them. I don't mind where I go, hat. I imagine my parents want Slytherin, but I can't see how the Houses influence anything really. He waited patiently, unsure how long this would take.

"Can't see how the houses influence anything? Oh dear. Can you see how education influences anything? Can you see how peers and mentors influence anything? Let's do a case study, shall we? GRYFFINDOR!"

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[Phoebe Holland]

Phoebe had been ready for Hogwarts for over a year now, and she was finally here. Because she and Rose were only a little less than a year apart, it was sometimes hard to forget they weren't twins like they used to pretend. Phoebe had been a little angry after Rose had left for school, but now it was getting harder and harder to remember why. She was here now and everything was as it should be. The school was beautiful, magical, and full of secrets. Phoebe knew she had seven years to figure them all out, but she wished she could get started right away. She had been close to stopping and chatting to several portraits on the way to the Great Hall, curious about their 'life', but had been reluctantly dragged along by the stream of students. It was alright, sorting was important too.

The Sorting Hat greatly interested her. She had learned about it from a letter from Rose and had tried to find out more about the weird object(person?), but she hadn't really managed to figure anything out. She was now focused on it as it sorted other students, so much so that she forgot to look for Rose's face in the crowd. How did it work? Could it really think on its own? Did that make it technically a person? Did it have rights? Would it be treated like a person if it commited a crime? Or, she supposed, if it got someone with a body to do it? Would it get a trial or would it just be destroyed? Did it sleep? Eat? Have memories? All these thoughts were crowding into her head as her name was called and she jumped. She had almost forgotten why she was here. As she walked to the stool, she finally did notice Rose. Her silly sister was now standing and waving with both arms to catch her attention. Phoebe couldn't help a small smile as she sat down and waited for the hat to be put on her head. She tried to focus on any of her earlier questions in the hope the hat might answer one or two, but her nerves and anticipation about hearing her future house was making it hard to focus. She closed her eyes, ready to hear what was in store for her.

"There are certainly limits to magic - even magic as powerful as me. I do what I was created to do, and I do it exceptionally well. I have the knowledge of the founders and can see who best embodies their values, but I am not them. Keep asking questions, though, in RAVENCLAW!"

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[Leif Odegard]

Leif was absolutely thrilled to go to Hogwarts, mostly because of the stories his sister had told him about the three years she had already been at the school. Every time she came home during a holiday she would tell him whatever he wished to hear, followed up by other stories. Needless to say the boy had heard more than enough to know that he'd be having a far better time at the school than he would at home. Not that anyone could blame him, it was hard being the only boy at home, escpecially since his father was away most of the time and Freya spend the majority of her time at Hogwarts. That just left his two younger sisters, his mother and him. He adored his little sisters, but it was about time for the boy to get away from home and make some new friends.

Making his way into the Great Hall amongst the other soon to be first years Leif looked around and smiled. Never in his life had the kid seen such an amazing place as Hogwarts, which ofcourse isn't too hard to understand seeing as the boy had never left the house a lot. Yet, even after the stories his sister had told him, Hogwarts exceeded all of his expectations. Once they reached the front of the hall the group of students came to a stop and Leif tried to control his nerves. He wasn't nervous very often, but as far as he knew sorting was quite a big moment in the life of Hogwarts' students and he was quite anxious to know which house he would be placed in. He was soon to find out though, as the Sorting Hat called out his name and he was forced to make his way over to the stool and sit down. Here goes nothing.

"Odegard, Leif!"

"I think you'll find that there are plenty of good friends to be had in HUFFLEPUFF!"

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[Gideon Zelinsky]

The train ride from Obsidian Harbor to Hogwarts New Zealand was far too long a time spent in a small space. Gideon had spent the duration of his trip kicking his legs impatiently against the seats opposite to his own in the carriage, or leaving his sibling's compartment to go and pester other newbie students. At one stage, he'd tried to stick his head through an open window to catch the wind in his hair as the castle in the distance slowly approached. Only, an older looking girl had commented that it was a bad idea, and that the trolley lady would attack him with her magical claw-hands and exploding pastries. It was the most garbage rumour he had ever heard in his life, yet it was still enough to stop him from trying. The trolley witches finger nails did look quite sharp, and with magic, anything was possible. He wasn't going to risk it.

Finally entering the castle's Great Hall for the first time turned out to be worth the wait, and marked quite a major milestone in the young wizard's life. He'd never seen anything quite like it, from the enchanted night sky to the floating candles, it was far beyond anything his dad had ever shown him. Gideon bounced excitedly on his heels, taking it all in. "Yes! We're here! Go Team Zelinsky!" The boy raised his hand to high five his closest sibling, waiting even as she chose to actively ignore his gesture. "Come on Morry, don't leave me hanging." Even at his persistence, she left him when the group started moving forward, and he gradually lowered his hand back down. "You can be such a squib sometimes." He muttered, with the slightest roll of his eyes. He looked instead for his brother, but the older boy was already on his way up to the talking hat, and assigned to Ravenclaw. "Haha, the nerd house. That sucks. Guess I'll be getting a house to myself." Part of him had wanted to be with his family for the duration of the year, but a much larger part hoped he would be able to have his own space, a luxury he wasn't always granted with two siblings. As it was, he couldn't see himself in Ravenclaw house.

"Zelinsky, Gideon."

The boy propelled himself through the crowd at the sound of his name, eager to get his sorting over and done with. With a deep breath, he took his seat on the short stool, giving a quick thumbs up toward Elijah and Morrigan before the hat obscured his vision of both of them. It was go time.

"You could very easily be in 'the nerd house,' yourself. But, instead, let's see how you fare in GRYFFINDOR!"

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[Gabriel Rosenberg]

It was finally time for Gabriel to attend Hogwarts New Zealand. Last year his sister and niece Beaubelle were the first to attend, and were both sorted in a different house. Gabriel was excited about Sofia her stories about Gryffindor so he hoped he would be placed there too. But he knew that it was gonna be okay, the sorting hat would place him in the right house where he could win the Quidditch Cup for his house. He just knew all of this because he was confident about his future. He had stepped on the train together with his sister, but she was already gone before he could ask where they would sit together. She was cleary not gonna stay with him, so he found another place with other people to meet. The Swedish boy was curious about the Great Hall and when they entered it, he was amazed by the beauty of it, while looking around. It was very big and mysterious and Gabriel thought about the many rooms that this castle must have. While they walked to the front of the Hall he couldn't wait anymore longer so hoped he would quickly hear in which house he was gonna be.

'' Rosenberg, Gabriel!''

The blonde got a smile on his face when he heard his name and while he walked through the front he saw his sister sitting and she put her thumbs in the air, to wish him good luck he thought. He was ready for this adventure on Hogwarts, he only needed to know which house he would be amazing in.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

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