Y41 Sorting Ceremony

[Katherine Alicastell]

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 its 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. A sea of faces both new and old, from those here for their first year, to those here for their last.

"Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Welcome," Katherine 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. For many of you, 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. "You will be sorted based on the values of each founder, and placed with students who embody similar values. 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.
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Out of Character: Please Read

As stated in the Information About Sorting thread, you must fill out the sorting form entirely and properly, and proceed to fill in an RP as exemplified in the post. To be sorted, you must have submitted your sorting form, and your RP must leave room for the Sorting Hat to edit your post and sort you - you cannot roleplay the hat's decision in your post. You can edit your post to include a reaction once you are sorted, but be sure that you only reply to this topic once. Thank you.

 

[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.

 

[Ronald Wagner]

Ronald walked closer to old hat and looked to her. He seemed more woried about this time like first time go dentast. "Ronald Wagner, Sir" He told the hat and was thinking of gryffindor house. He wanted be there and nothing more. It was inportant to him. He hoped not be the same house with her sister.

"Hmm, it's seems it is Gryffindor that you want, but I don't think that's the right house for you...there's no desire here for your name to sit amongst the names of other heroes...no...the house for you is.....Hufflepuff,"

 

[Demeter Easterling]

Dem was here at Hogwarts first time and she looked around here where was all family and see to gryffindor house her cousin Annabeth and she wanted be with her Gryffindor house. "Demeter, Easterling! I am not sure where i wanna be. Gryffindor? Where is my cousin?" Right? She didnt know what else she wanted be and her mind was Hufflepuff to.

"I do not know who your cousin is...though I am the last person you should ask about that, the only thing I can do, is tell you where you will go. You've a lot to learn and a lot of growing to do and that'll be best done in...Gryffindor,"

 

[Senna Overby]

Senna had been nothing less than excited about attending Hogwarts ever since she had first heard about it. Or rather since she had realized this wasn't some elaborate prank that was being played on her. Magic was real. She had been told about, she had seen it, she had accidentally performed some herself. There would've been no way anyone would have figured out she was magical if she hadn't and part of her wished she had been able to show signs of magic far earlier. If she had learned about this whole world years ago then perhaps she wouldn't feel so out of touch with it all right now. It felt a little disappointing to know she could've become part of this world a long time ago. That didn't make things any less exciting though. Magic was real. There were witches and wizards and creatures she couldn't have come up with in her wildest imagination. Sure, it wasn't completely like people portrayed it to be in books and movies but she had already learned there were some things that had been true. Like brooms being used as an actual mode of transportation.

Even if she had only recently learned about the world she was about to become a part of Senna wouldn't be herself if she hadn't already managed to rake up a couple of friends. She had ran into Josh in the train and had decided to stick close to him as they were being led up to the castle. A castle. Their school was a castle. They would be living in a castle. And it was right in front of her. Walking into the great hall Senna looked around at the dozens of students already at their tables, trying her best to remember which colours belonged with which of the four houses but failing to be completely sure. She linked her arm with Josh's and looked around to see if she could see Emmanuel. Maybe if they could catch up with him he would know. In her search for the other boy she noticed Mila as well, giving the girl a wave as the group came to a halt in front of what she was told would be the headmistress. She watched the banners unfurl as the woman spoke about the houses, glad she had just saved her from accidentally walking up to the wrong table.

Senna eyed the Hat in front of them, wondering if perhaps the Hat talking had been a joke. Just one little detail from Freya to throw her off guard and laugh about it afterwards. Emmanuel had mentioned it as well though and she didn't take him for the type to mess with someone he had just met. She snorted when the Hat suddenly began singing, dampening the sound by quickly placing a hand in front of her face. Now this, this was too silly to make up. As the headmistress started calling out names Senna reluctantly let go of Josh's arm when it was his turn to head up, clapping loudly when he was sorted. She did the same for Emmanuel who was called out just before her and held her head up high as she eventually made her way onto the stage. With how little knowledge she had about the houses she figured there was really not much to lose.

"It seems while new in this world, you've had no issue already making good connections with others. This will help you along your journey here at Hogwarts and is a trait in you, that will be best fostered in....Gryffindor,"

 

[Joshua Lynch]

Joshua was super hyped to be at Hogwarts. He was finally here! He had finally arrived. The train ride had been fun. Josh had managed to bump into Senna and he was glad to find his find because he didn't know how he was going to handle all of the magic stuff. He was excited to learn about the magical world, but he wasn't excited about the boring schoolwork that had to come.

Josh walked into the great hall with the rest of the first years, staying close with his friend Senna as they made their way further into the great hall. He felt Senna link her arm with his and sent her a small smile, not minding it. It had actually helped since he was nervous now. Josh's eyes bulge out of his head when he noticed the singing and talking hat. But after a while, the boy chuckled quietly as he thought it was a wee bit funny that the hat was singing. No one had ever mentioned to him a singing hat, which had caught him by surprise. As the headmistress spoke, Josh began to zoned in and out from the speech, as it sounded a bit boring. He just wanted to get sorted right away. After what felt like an eternity, they were finally able to get sorted. Josh watched with curious eyes as the first student made their way up there to be sorted and it took a bit until the hat had made a decision. The boy flinched slightly at the cheers, not expecting it at first. But as the ceremony progressed, the boy clapped, sometimes cheered along to join in the fun.

It took a while until it was finally Josh's turn and the headmistress called his name. He smiled nervously at his friend before making his way up to the stool and sitting down on it. He usually wasn't this nervous. Josh felt the hat being placed on his head and muttered a small hello to the hat as he awaited for the hat's decision, hoping that he'd like the house he'd be sorted into.

"Hello young sir. I hope too that you'll like where you're placed, I do see that you are rather easy going so that might be easily done, and just wait till you get to experience quidditch....hmmm....I know where should be........Gryffindor,"

 

[Mila Rogers]

Mila was extremely looking forward to sorting, she pretty much knew what was gonna happen, so she confidently came in to the hall, linking her arms with Lizzie, glad to have her twin sister right next to her and she just hoped that they weren't going to be seperated, she didn't want to be away from Lizzie. Mila impatiently listened to the headmistress' speech and watched the posters uncurl, excitedly smiling at the Ravenclaw's one, twin oldest siblings were there, she just hoped that they could join them as well tho she was pretty sure it wasn't going to happen.

However, when the headmistress started to call names, Mila became extremely impatient, she couldn't wait for her turn, she wanted to sit down, she was tired, all this was tiring. But Lizzie was called first and Mila let her go. "Go sister! Love you! Gonna join you in a second!" Mila called after Lizzie, supporting her and then even louder cheered when her sister was sorted. After that, she approached the headmistress and hugged her. "Thank you for accepting me into the school!" and then she sat under the hat, unable to sit patiently, wanting for her house to be called out finally.

"Welcome to Hogwarts! You seem very eager to be here, which is a good thing. You've a lot here, a desire for adventure that would put you in Gryffindor, a lot of ambition that in another person would put them in Slytherin...but no, though you'd do well in those houses, you'll do best in.....Hufflepuff,"

 

[Mischa Falter-Butera]

Mish had been waiting for this moment all his life. One day he knew he would end up at Hogwarts and now that day was finally here and he really couldn't be happier about it. There was a large grin on his face as he stood with his new classmates, rocking back on forth on the balls of his heels with some impatience. He was not really a boy who was very patient, especially not when he was so excited about something. So having to stand there and watch everyone else get sorted as the Professor slowly made her way down a list was an absolute nightmare. How could they just expect him to stand there and wait normally?

"This is taking forever," he hissed at the student standing next to him, shoving his hands into his pockets. It was even worse when the hat seemed to pause for some people, taking the time to decide on a house. But, finally, after what seemed like an actual eternity, Mischa heard his name being called out. "Me!" He announced loudly, quickly shouldering his way through the people standing in his way, "That's me. Future famous wizard coming through."

He grinned the whole way up the stairs, eagerly spinning around and sitting down on the stool. "Come on," he muttered when the hat was lowered over his eyes, "Just put me wherever. I don't mind. Just do it quickly."

"I'll take as long as I need, and really this is a bit tricky. Certainly you have a desire to be known, a desire to be famous, which would alone make you a rather great Gryffindor.....but, there's a certain loyalty here and no desire to fall on your own sword....so, you'll be better in.....Slytherin,"

 

[Liesel Besemer]

Twenty-four hours ago, Liesel had been normal. No, that wasn't true - she had always been a witch, even if she'd only found out on her eleventh birthday - but she'd looked normal, and she'd felt normal-ish, and not a soul but herself, Genna, and Phillip had known there was anything unusual about her. The last few weeks had been particularly hard. There weren't very many children at Fairview House that Liesel felt like confiding in, but she'd wished for someone to talk to, if only so she could admit how utterly terrified she was. Her poor teddy had taken a bit of a battering, useless as he was in the realm of emotional support, but being the ideal shape and size into which to lay her fist. The other children must have thought she'd gone mad. They thought she was a little bit mad anyway.

They were right. It all made sense, Liesel thought, with dizzying relief. No wonder she'd never been able to get along with them; they were Muggles, and she was a witch. Here, at Hogwarts, that castle which thrust its light-peppered turrets high into the darkening sky, things would be different. Finally, Liesel would belong.

Excited chatter prevailed along the path to the castle. Liesel kept her mouth closed, afraid that if she opened it, she might be sick. Even with a map, compass, and sextant, she was bound to get lost in a building of this size; and who would she ask for help? She didn't know anybody by name. Yet, as a storm of worry brewed in her stomach, a ship of excitement turned its sails to the wind. This was her home, now. She lived in a castle. I am a witch and I live in a castle.

Up the stone steps they went, through the nail-studded doors and into the cavernous hall. Torches guttered on the walls, illuminating great stone statues and portraits of wizards and witches centuries old. As Liesel got closer, what she had at first ascribed to a trick of the light became clearly real: the portraits were moving. Some were even waving and greeting the students cheerfully, as if they could actually see them walking by.

"Hello," Liesel said. Three or four wizards showered her at once in a chorus of welcomes and kia oras, appearing to be almost more excited than the children. Liesel wanted to stay a little longer, to figure out how on earth the magic worked, but at that moment a professor ushered them into the great hall, and within seconds she had forgotten all about it.

Twenty-four hours ago, Liesel had been eating off plastic plates, on a plastic tablecloth set upon a plastic table, and now she would eat like a queen.

As she followed the professor down the hall, a horrible thought came over her, that the witches might have made an administrative error, and that she was in fact no more magical than a wooden doorstop. Perhaps that was the real reason for the sorting ceremony - to weed out the Muggles who had slipped in by mistake. To be given a taste of a world so much richer and more fantastic than her own only to have it ripped out from underneath her would have been a fate worse than never knowing magic existed at all.

The boy standing behind Liesel seemed to be getting impatient. "Hi. I'm Liesel," she started courteously, but she made it no further before he elbowed her out of his way, propelled forward by the calling of his name. Well, he didn't deserve to be famous for anything, except perhaps being rude and horrible.

Liesel put her hands in her pockets and focused on the floor, pushing down a rising sense of fear. Things were supposed to be different here. The people were supposed to be different. So why did Mischa remind her so much of Toby, who was absolutely, definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, a Muggle?

"Besemer, Liesel."

It almost seemed not to matter where the hat sorted her; if there were boys like Mischa in the wizarding world, there would be at least one in every house. She climbed the steps on shaky legs and sat down on the stool. The hat was still warm from Mischa's head. I don't like it here, Liesel thought. I'm not really magical. I want to go home.

"It's okay, you belong here, like all these other kids, there are so many likeminded people, and plenty of places to let that imagination of yours run wild. You'll do that best, while in.....Ravenclaw,"

 

[Sabrina Wagner]

Sabrina was really unsure of why the professors had to make them stand in front of everyone and go through the hall but she did just get closer to Ron and took a little glance at him to make sure he was fine. She was a bit worried herself but she made sure that Ron wasn't worried. When they stopped, Sab made sure to correct her knitted jumper that she had under her clothes so the sleeves didn't show to everyone. She wasn't sure whether she was allowed to have a jumper under her uniform but it was cold in the hall and as well, Sabrina wasn't used to being without a jumper.

However, the girl tried her best to make sure to listen to everything that the headmistress said. They weren't allowed to go into the Forbidden Forest, well, the name of it already gave away that they weren't allowed to do so. Then she talked about houses, Sabrina already knew them, she read the history of Hogwarts before entering the train, at least one of the twins had to know where they really were heading off to. And she was the one that usually made sure that both of them were fine, she just wanted to be sure that he was fine.

Then the sorting came, Sab fastly understood that they would stay there for a pretty long time since their last name started on the letter W. She just watched everyone getting sorted, she heard someone already complaining about the sorting taking forever and honestly, Sab agreed with that, she just didn't say that loud. All the worrying made the process seem to be longer. And she tried to become smaller when Ron left her, she just hoped no one would notice her standing there. And then her name was called as well and she just wanted to stay in her place, but then she just slowly went forward. "H-hi?" Sabrina softly whispered to the Hat, wanting to just join her brother finally.

"Hello there, I don't believe you'll end up with your brother, and that's not a bad thing. You are your own person in your own right, and that means for you, the best house is....Ravenclaw,"

 

[Emery Mettlestone]

Emery Mettlestone had grown up in the magical world, so he wasn't new to any of this, and yet... he had never been in a place quite this magical. As he followed the group of first years through the halls of Hogwarts, he looked around, taking everything in. He hoped he would be able to find his way quickly, though it seemed likely that he would get lost. Emery quite hoped they would take a bit of a detour before they headed into the Great Hall, as everything around them seemed so interesting, but they arrived fairly quickly. The Great Hall was filled with students, and Emery was glad he was a bit at the back of the group of students. He didn't really like the idea of being the center of attention in here. Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that that was unavoidable. They were supposed to be sorted by putting the hat on one by one in front of everyone. Emery grimaced, surely there had to be a more efficient way to do this? Emery's name was somewhere in the middle of the group, and he was very glad he didn't have a last name starting with a W or a Z. Still, it took ages for his name to finally be called. He took a deep breath, then stepped forward and sat down. He closed his eyes, hoping the hat wouldn't take ages to place him.

"I'm a very magical hat, and there is no way to make two of me, so unfortunately we go at my pace, but don't worry, I will be quick for you. See you could manage in any of our houses, to a degree, but where you'll be best, and where I believe there's an excellent gobstones set - but don't quote me on that - is......Ravenclaw,"

 

[Yuelia Rossingol]

This was the day Yuelia had been waiting for for so long now. Ever since her father had told her about Hogwarts when she was a little girl she had been so looking forward to learning magic. Having been locked away at home for so long, all she wanted was to learn as much magic as she could, shape the world around her to the way she wanted it to be. She knew it would be a long time before she could learn all the kinds of things she really wanted to learn, but she would be patient. It would hopefully be nice to meet people, too. She'd met a couple in getting ready for school and had mixed experiences. Some just didn't quite get her, but at least Emrys was nice. She stood next to him as they were shuffled in to the hall, although his name was called a long time before hers, and she was left alone, smoothing the ribbon in her hair a couple of times. She was not nervous about being sorted, but having all sorts of people watch her while something out of her control took place...well, that was a little daunting, perhaps.

As she quietly wondered what was in the forbidden forest - perhaps some interesting creatures - her name was finally called, and she strode forward as calmly as her legs would carry her, putting on a serene smile as she sat down on the stool. Hello, Sorting Hat, she thought, politely, knowing it would probably be able to hear her thoughts. It is very nice to meet you finally. She wondered what house it might put her in.

"Good evening child, it's nice to meet you too....though I cannot claim the finally.....What a curious mind too, I know where you should go....Slytherin,"

 

[Ethan Alexander]

Nothing had felt real to Ethan all day. From the moment he woke up to the moment he stepped on the train he figured at some point things would start to feel a bit less like a hallucination. But then they had arrived and were be ushered into a massive hall and he was starting to realized that maybe things would always feel like a dream here. Without realizing it he had let his jaw drop as he looked up at the ceiling and could see stars past the candles...that were floating? With a sharp click he shut his mouth and looked around at all the students sitting at the tables. Four tables, four houses he thought and wondered what his mom's first day at Ilvermorny was like even though he had heard their sorting ceremony was different. He wanted so desperately to ask her about it but he couldn't. He felt silly in his robes and nearly tripped on in half a dozen times before they finally stopped walking. He glanced around confused but stood up straighter as the headmistress started to welcome them. Ethan only listened for a moment before getting distracted and staring at the ceiling again. But when the hat...started to sing his head swung wildly to get a better look. Was that real? He hardly listened to it's song, too transfixed to look away.

Ethan jumped slightly as his name was announced. Somehow he hadn't expected to be called so soon even with his last name usually landing him at the beginning of most school lists. It felt like all the eyes in this huge room were on him and he tried to act calm and natural as he pushed through the other first years to get to the front. He wiped his hands on his robes to keep his sweaty palms from being to obvious. When he finally reached the hat he bowed slightly, not sure how you were supposed to greet a magical sentient hat. He took a seat and stared off into the distance, too scared he might make accidental eye contact with someone, and held his breath as the hat was finally placed on his head.

"Saying hello is always a solid greeting.....There is a lot here, a desire and passion to make friend and work, that would make you a good hufflepuff..but no, it wouldn't quite be the right fit so better be.....Ravenclaw,"

 

[Marnie Frogg]

Marnie bobbed her head along as the sorting hat began to sing, unable to keep her attention from wandering all over the assembled crowd and the rest of the room. The ceiling above was amazing and Marnie was already thinking about trying to stitch some clouds and stars onto the pocket of her new robes. She'd wanted to spruce them up before school but Mum had made Marnie swear she'd wait until she was at school so Mum wouldn't "have to see it." Marnie would never get why parents were so intent on keeping things neat and clean for so long. So what if they were brand new, they were Marnie's now and she was the one who'd have to look at them all day.

Focusing back on the ceremony, Marnie realized the line was already starting to move and kids were called up and she stood on her tippy toes trying to see the kid who was on the stool right now as the room broke into applause. This was so exciting, Marnie couldn't wait for it to be her turn. she'd argued with her brother about potential houses until he'd gotten annoyed at her and left, and then she'd spent half the train tide speculating about what colours would go best with her new house uniform. When her name was finally called, Marnie scuttled up to the front, eagerly sitting on the stool, brushing her hair aside so it could sit properly and trying not to wiggle as she waited for the hat's verdict.

"What do we have here? There is a lot going on....I definitely agree that clouds and stars will suit your robes..Really you'd do well anywhere but slytherin, a passion to create sure, but that ambition is reigned in. But in saying all that, I know exactly where you'll thrive....Hufflepuff,"

 

[Blanche Broomhead]

Blanche knew she should be happier, but all she could really think was how this wasn't how it was supposed to be. She should have been here for a year already, sitting with her brother, not in a group of strange kids without him. She tried to fight down the bitterness and focus on the fact that at least she was finally here, even if she'd forever be doomed to be a year behind her twin. Following the group of first years into the Great Hall, Blanche looked around, quickly spotting Silas at the Hufflepuff table. She was hardly one to clamour and wave but she caught his eye and gave him a nod, stomach twisting with the need to go over and sit with him. A year apart was much too long, and she was ready to start putting the universe in something closer to its proper order. Even if things would never really be right again - they would never have classes together. He would graduate first. It was all so wrong.

But she was here, at least, and that was something. She listened as the Headmistress spoke, though she had already heard all this from Silas. Because he was already here. The hat's song was kind of interesting but she zoned out a bit, looking around the room. It was even more grand than she had expected, and it stung all over again that Silas had been here for a whole year already. Separating twins was deeply unfair, and Blanche was struck with another flash of need to complain to the school. Mum had discouraged her last year, but it just felt wrong, and now Mum wasn't here to stop her...

"Broomhead, Blanche!"

The sound of her own name drew her out of her thoughts, and Blanche realised they were underway already. Her heart skipped in her chest as she took a step forward, having to fight the urge to run. Surely the hat would see how badly she needed to be in Hufflepuff, let her at least reunite with her brother in that way. Even if it wasn't everything, it was something. Her heart thudded as she settled on the seat and felt the hat settle on her head. 'Hufflepuff, please... please let me be in my brother's house, we've been apart for so long...' She thought insistently as the hat's brim slid slowly further down her forehead.

"Hmm, hufflepuff? For you? I think not...you and your brother will just have to be apart a little more because, for you, it'll be....Slytherin,"

 

[Raawhiti Te Rangi]

Rāwhiti almost couldn't believe he was finally actually here. He had been hearing about Hogwarts from Auntie Kahu and Manaia for years now, and it was finally his turn to walk the halls. He'd barely been able to contain his excitement the whole train trip over, and now here he was, and here he'd be for the next seven years of his life. He took in everything as the group made their way to the Great Hall - the moving staircases, the portraits, every little detail that was going to become a regular part of his Hogwarts life.

As they entered the Great Hall he stuck close to Emery, but looked around quickly for his whānau - he spotted Manaia at the Hufflepuff table first and waved enthusiastically to his brother, then spotted Ngawaiata at the Slytherin table and greeted her too before looking for Auntie Kahu. There she was at the teachers table, looking far more serious than he had ever seen her before. Rāwhiti waved to her and beamed when the serious look cracked at once, his auntie smiling and waving back to him. He turned his attention back to the Headmistress when she spoke, only half-listening to her speech and the hat's song. It was all exciting, but he couldn't quite suppress the eagerness for his own turn. His attention drifted again as the sorting began, and he cursed how late in the alphabet the letter T fell. Emery was called first and he clapped his friend on the shoulder before he headed up to the hat, watching in excitement. And then before long it was finally, finally his turn.

"Te Rangi, Rāwhiti."

Rāwhiti practically scrambled out of the group, legging it across the room and onto the stool. His turn had finally come, and the sooner he could find out who his new housemates were, the better. He did feel a little guilty about his goals - while he knew he should probably be hoping to be with Manaia or Ngawaiata, or in Auntie Kahu's house, Rāwhiti had his own goals. Gryffindor was the house of heroes, of Quidditch legends, of so many amazing people. The thought of joining them, of making his own legacy away from his family was an appealing one, and the thought circled in his mind as the hat settled on his head and slid almost all the way in front of his eyes.

"So, you desire to make your own history, you desire to be a hero? Which with your desire for adventure makes this choice very easy indeed.....Gryffindor,"

 

[Galen Greengrass]

Galen thought he knew what to expect when coming to Hogwarts. Despite being raised in seclusion from the outside world, he lived in a home filled with magic throughout his life. He knew all about magical bookcases, moving portraits, and the other impressive enchantments that made the school so beautiful. But, Galen had been truly caught off guard by the sensations of being in a crowd.

Galen couldn't help but see himself, in the same robes as the others, awaiting the same moment of judgement as the others, to take the same steps as the others, and feel a burning comradeship. As the feelings continued to roar in his body he heard the call, "Greengrass, Galen". He shuffled forward, eyes locked on the pointed hat until he finally sat on the stool.

"Hello?" He whispered. "If you look in my head, do you promise to keep any secrets you find?"

"I promise to keep any secrets I find in your head. All I'm here to do is figure out where you should go, I do not concern myself with anything beyond it..I can see you'd like Hufflepuff...but you also have a bravery and keenness for adventure....I think you'd thrive and grow better in.....Gryffindor,"

 

[Michael Watson]

Michael couldn't wait to be sorted. Soon he'd finally get to be grown up and not wearing robes that "oh, don't worry, you'll grow in to them soon". It made sense financially, but it emphasised that he hadn't hit a growth spurt yet and that bothered him. It was bad enough he had to learn to bowl spin instead of pace, or he had to rely on speed instead of strength when he played rugby. He hoped he could at least make a decent chaser in Quidditch or something, at least until he was big enough to play beater.

He had plenty of time to ponder these questions, of course, as W was very late in the order and nearly everyone was sorted by the time it was his turn. He wondered where he might end up, though he really didn't have a good idea of what the stats were on the hat's sorting metrics, and that kind of bothered him. New experiences were all well and good, but it was easier when you had an estimate on what might happen. As his name was finally called, he practically jogged up to the hat, trying not to look at the sea of faces in front of him and focusing as the hat was sat on his head. "Long night, huh?" He joked, mostly trying to diffuse his own tension.

"When you are as old as I am, long nights no longer exist...but that's nothing for you to care about. The important part for you is where you will go, and while you might fair well enough in Slytherin with that drive, you have a desire for where you want to go and lucky for you I believe it's the right place too....Ravenclaw,"

 

[Elizabeth Rogers]

Lizzie was super excited to go to Hogwarts. She had heard things about it from her father and was super pleased that she wasn't gonna experience this all alone. Lizzie stood with her twin sister, glad that her sister was giving her company. As they stood walked through the great hall, she looked around nervously. She became anxious as the headmistress spoke and then a hat singing had caught her by surprise.

When the sorting finally began, Lizzie kept her eyes peeled at all the students that were making their way up the front towards the stage and sat on the stool. It meant that as each name passed, it was coming closer and closer to the fact that her name was going to be called. "Rogers, Elizabeth" was called and the girl cringed. Lizzie wondered why they had to say her full name. The girl smiled nervously at her twin sister, her sister's words a bit encouraging for her. The girl sat nervously on the stool and felt the hat being placed on her head, as she awaited for what was to come.

"Don't worry from here on out, you can correct everyone who calls you Elizabeth...and as for where you will go, though you'd probably thrive in a number of the houses, there is one where you will thrive best....Hufflepuff,"

 

[Daria Bright-Root]

Hogwarts was so much bigger than Daria could have ever imagined. The castle seemed to go on and on forever, and she already knew she was going to be spending a lot of her time here terribly lost. She stuck close to the group of other first years as they made their way to the Great Hall, wishing she had a friend among her classmates. The size of the place made her feel more alone than ever. Some of her classmates seemed to have made friends already somehow, and Daria wondered if she would be left all alone again, with no one by her side.

Her sorrow about having no friends dissolved all at once as she set foot in the Great Hall, looking around in awe. It was impossibly big, and the tables were full of what felt like more people than she had ever seen before. Her primary school back in Thailand had been a small, rural school, and she wondered how it was even possible to run a school with so many people in it. Her crisis about the amount of people was put on hold however, as she looked up. The ceiling was stunning, and Daria could have stared at it forever.

"Bright-Root, Sujira."

Daria winced at hearing her first name, not used to being referred to by it. She had been given the nickname Daria at birth, and never gone by anything else. Even her parents only called her Sujira when she was in trouble. Her head hung low as she shuffled her way to the stool, hair falling in front of her face. She bit her lip, hesitating before whispering to the headmistress, "It's Daria..." She mumbled before dropping into the seat, shoulders hunched. It was a relief when the hat fell over her eyes, preventing her from seeing the hundreds of eyes staring at her.

"Welcome to Hogwarts Daria, I see you desire hufflepuff, and yes, I can see that. You would fit in well with Hufflepuffs no doubt, but I think you'll thrive more in...Ravenclaw,"

 

[Bianca Halliwell]

Bianca, who had, since the time she’d walked into the Great Hall with the other first years, been so impatient for the Sorting to start that she continuously chattered very loudly on the way up to where the Sorting Hat was sitting, let out a loud cheer of triumph when her name was finally called and ran up to the stool. Sitting down quickly, she exclaimed:

”All right, Mr. Hat! Where am I going for the next seven years?” Then, slightly quieter: “Oh… please do mind the necklace. It’s my prized possession.”

"Well, let me take a look and find out...hmmm....okay...I see...I don't have to look too hard with you I'll be honest, and rather than drag this out...Gryffindor,"

 

[Kate Kensington]

Kate felt sick. Her parents had prewarned her that this was going to happen, but she had managed to shove it to the back of her mind until today. Not even the beauty of the castle and the sky could hush her nerves. Who, in Merlin's name, thought that it was a good idea to put everyone on a stage, in front of the whole school? It was lunacy! Not to mention the fact that they were all swept into a big group together. Kate had never, ever been around this many people, let alone children her age. She felt suffocated.
But, the majority of the other students seemed incredibly excited. One student even yelled that he was going to be a famous wizard. Somehow, that calmed her somewhat. A small smile graced her face as the boy's confidence seemed to rub off on her. He was odd, but she had certainly met a number of odd children over the last few hours.
The calmness was short lived, however, as her name was called soon after. She could feel the bile in the back of her throat, threatening to make it's presence known to all around her. Kate took a deep breath, releasing it slowly as she walked up the steps, not making eye contact with anyone, her eyes solely focused on the Sorting Hat. She closed her eyes as soon as she sat down, not wanting to see the hundreds of pairs of eyes on her, wishing this moment over quickly.

"This will be over in a moment, I won't need to take very long, this is very simple...Hufflepuff,"

 

[Diana Harrington]

Diana walked in the Great Hall with the most confidence she could gather. Katrina had guided her through everything she was about to do the week before, all eyes would be on her and everyone would already know or at least would find out her last name for sure and if she caused a bad impression her grandparents would probably kill both her and her new mom.

Katrina had hand picked an outfit for her that would be the most appropriate, all black and white, without showing any house preference. A true Harrington would always wear a small blue accessory as they knew they would get into Ravenclaw but as Diana was not a Harrington by blood Katrina felt it was safer not to risk it and ditch the blue. The only pieces she was wearing that she like was her corset-like top that was white and glittery, but that sadly was mostly hidden by a black blazer, and a diamond chocker, a really obnoxious one with really big gems that Katrina said was an offer from some prince of somewhere that wanted to marry her but that she never wore, so Diana, mostly dazzled by the brightness and opulence of the object decided to wear it.

As she walked she tried to search for her uncle Beckett with her eyes in the Ravenclaw table, she could have sworn she saw a surprise expression on his face, probably because of the thing on her neck, but he was quick to compose himself and turn his face. She only suppressed a smile and kept walking, he was probably thinking that her choker was some sort of rebellion against them and he wasn't totally wrong.
When her name was called and she was sitting on the stool her eyes found her uncle's but this time it was her that glanced away, she couldn't possibly keep it together if she saw his expression if the hat said anything but Ravenclaw. For a moment she thought she really wanted to belong there, being in the same house as Beckett would allow her to more easily bond with him, make family matters a lot more simple, probably even make them see her as something more than an outcast. On the other hand being in a house whose only focus is studying... couldn't be her.

She already had dared to wear the diamond choker today, if there was a better day than today to announce she wouldn't belong to the house that her whole new family belonged in she couldn't think of of any. She had done something reprehensible already so she might as well go all the way. The last thought that crossed her mind was "Screw it."

"Certainly I believe with this intelligence that your studies will come easy to you but I can see that education is not your primary interest and for that reason....Gryffindor,"

 

[Wisteria Lacewing]

Wish wanted to disappear into her robes and hide inside the stitches. Everything was too much all at once and it took every ounce of her bravery not to cry in front of the huge crowd she was trapped in. Her awe at the castle was overshadowed by her awareness of how many eyes she felt on her as she was herded along with the other first years, and she ducked her head low and tried to vanish behind her hair as she studied the other students who went before her. Wish found it very difficult to keep her focus and not get lost in the enchanted ceiling, feeling like she could get swept up and carried through the stars at any moment. She would have liked to drift away on a soft fluffy cloud until all the people went away and the world was less overwhelming.

"Lacewing, Wisteria."

Her full name sounded so long and formal to her ears, like a pair of shoes she was far too small to ever grow into. Wish shuffled up to the front like she'd watched the others do, carefully copying their actions so she didn't mess up and make a fool of herself in front of what felt like thousands of strangers silently judging her. Her parents had told her all about the hat and how it would choose her house, and Wish was terrified it would make the wrong decision. She was too scared to even speak as the hat was lowered onto her head. She felt all her limbs freeze as though she'd been hit with a body-bind curse and hoped it would all be over soon.

"There is truly no wrong decision when it comes to sorting...though you are a tricky one...........this may take a few minutes........okay......well yes but.....hmmmmm.....Then there's...........Ah...okay...yes, now I see....I'll delay no further....Slytherin,"

Out of Character:

This decision took a bit of time so please feel free to Roleplay this as a hatstall

 

[Lorenzo Vero]

Enzo had been exahusted by the train ride. He'd never traveled so far in one day and by himself. His mother at least had some games to keep him occupied, or his father would read one of Chekov's works, which usually put him to sleep. However, this journey had been on his own, and while he was a little nervous, he knew that he'd make his way compared to some of the other first years.

As he listened to the old blonde lady speak, he wondered what was hidden in the forest. Obviously, it had to be something good they were hiding. When he heard his name, Enzo took to the stool and sat, feeling the large brim rest on top of his curls.

"This will be an easy sort, both what you want and what I see are aligned - which is not often the case - you will excel and prosper in....Slytherin,"