Closed The Sorting ceremony 2018-2019

Eden's first steps into Hogwarts quickly seemed like a distant memory as he found himself walking the center isle of the Great Hall to be sorted into his house. The murmuring whispers from the surrounding students unnerved him slightly. Eden knew, for better or worst, the house he was sorted into would be his new family for the next year's to come. He reached the end of the isle, and the sorting hat was placed on his head. Eden wasn't startled when the hat began to speak, it was expected. "Hmm", the hat pondered, "Ambitious, this one. Clever too. I see, you want to be powerful. Maybe Slytherin for this one..." The sorting hat trailed off. Eden began to smile, "This was exactly what I thought, it's perfect", he thought. As soon as Eden's smile came, it became a confused grimmace as the sorting hat let out a final remark, "No. you'd do better in... Gryffindor!" Edan stood up, speechless, as his new housemates clapped. As Eden walked to the Gryffindor table he thought to himself, "If this was the lot I was given, I suppose I'll have to make the best of it. Besides, who wants to hang out with a bunch of slimy reptiles anyway." Eden greeted his table with a smile.

Rather than be surprised at the big, wonderful castle, Cross wasn't very surprised at all. He found that the stuff his father told him was true after all. He found that the words his father said precisely described the castle, even about how much people there were. Cross did not really know what was going on, or where he was supposed to go. He simply followed the other first years. Until eventually, they entered the Great Hall. Cross felt both hungry, and tired, from all the time he spent gathering school supplies.

"I hope there's food." Cross mumbled, as he entered the Great Hall. Cross was speechless. He continued walking forwards with the crowd, with his mind somewhere else. He wasn't looking at the room, the people. Instead, he was looking at how good looking the foods were on the tables, not to mention the amount of food there are. Moments later, the crowd stopped, which lead Cross walking to the person in front of him. "S-sorry." Cross said as he backed up from the person in front of him.

Cross moved to another part of the crowd, basicly avoiding the person he bumped into. Cross thought, "Gee, am I really going to make mistakes in my first minutes?" An announcement would be made. Cross only managed to listen some parts of the announcement due to the hundreds of people talking at the same time. He did, listen to the part where there is a sorting hat and he will be sorted into a house. Cross closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the words his father told him before he entered the hogwarts express train. "Stay confident. Don't panic. And let the rest just flow." Said Cross' father moments before Cross entered the train. Cross re-opened his eyes as his name was called out. "Cross Scamander!"

Cross took a deep breathe, and then walked towards the sorting hat. Cross sat down on a chair, and the sorting hat was put on top of him. He tried not to panic, like his father said. Cross' focus would be broken as the sorting hat spoke, "Tell me, boy. Where do you want to be in?" Cross froze, forgotten the names of the houses due to all the panic he is getting. The sorting hat waited for Cross' response, but Cross just froze. Seconds later, the sorting hat spoke, "Hmm... Confident... A little bit cocky. I'm sure you'll learn more in ... GRYFFINDOR!" Cross stood up, as the sorting hat was taken away from his head. He felt a little relief. He's finally able to be calm. Cross would then walk towards the Gryffindor table.

What was this place? What is magic? Why were there so many sitting at certain tables wearing certain colors? Cliques? No these were teams of sorts, right? Questions only filled his curiosity in as he entered the foreign area showing a face of awe at anything he never thought was possible. Despite his amazement at floating/flying objects and talking hats, one thing stood out to him in his mind; 'It's so outdated. Like they found a castle, took all they could from medieval times and filled it to the brim.' Coming from the city back in Scotland then suddenly being thrown into the world of magic made him confused, curious, and excited. Being near the very back of the line gave him lots of time to think and try to process what was going on with his life now. He thought he was going to a private or boarding school, but no, he was going to a type of magic academy.

Robes, cauldrons, wands... It was peculiar to him, but he couldn't wait to use them in some way! He immediately looked to the far part of the hall to see ghosts roaming in their magnificent bluish glow. How wonderful! He wanted to explore the unknown territory with no proper senses to tell from what was dangerous or not.

' Well boy, haven't got all day. Get up here.'

Suddenly, he was pushed forward from behind causing him to stumble forward towards the hat. Laughter could be heard that was aimed at him, but he tried to fight off the growing feeling of embarrassment itching within him. Catching his footing halfway he went to sit on the stool in front of everyone on the stage. He started to instantly feel violated as the hat was placed on his messy head. He looked at the crowd that was awaiting the hats answer eagerly, or at least that's how he saw it.

'Daeshim Young. Never had one of you here, but is a well known pure-blooded family back at Scotland, yes... Until you.

What did the hat mean? What's a pure-blood? Did he mean his mixed ethnicity or something else? Whatever it meant he felt kind of offended by the hat's murmur targeted at him. A pout formed on his lips trying to push down his annoyance towards the talking object. He stayed quiet though since it was technically his superior from the authority and respect placed in it.

You're a blank slate when it comes to the wizarding world and was raised as a muggle. Pitiful, but you were placed in the right institution to teach you. You hold unsatisfied curiosity that would surely make you a great student if you weren't a procrastinator. Ravenclaw is not the place for you to grow your motivation.

It was true to the point it hurt. His average was Cs and Ds due to his constant last minute work and running away from responsibilities. It was also a reason he wasn't excelling in English and it's taking so long to get the gist of it since it seems to break the rules of how grammar worked for him. He rarely felt motivated to do such things finding them too tedious or he just blatantly forgot about such things. Would this place be any different? Piles of unfinished late work and bad grades. Wait... What was Ravenclaw? He wasn't paying attention earlier. Kekeke!

Mischief and being an antagonizer runs in your blood, but you care for life more than anything. Your adventurous spirit can often lead you into trouble leading you into places you shouldn't be. Loyalty and honesty are what makes you, yet you are a carrier of secrets. I know...






HUFFLEPUFF!

Talia made completely sure she wasn't trembling and then stepped onstage with every ounce of confidence she could muster. She had a family back home to impress.

"Ah," the Sorting Hat remarked, when the worn fabric balanced itself atop Talia's head. She jumped, as the voice spoke so directly into her ear that it was as if the words reverberated through her soul. "Callidus. Product of a Slytherin and a Gryffindor. Not a common pairing, your parents." Talia nodded.

"You've got a good ounce of both in you, I see." The Hat shifted itself a bit, which Talia felt was the strangest sensation she'd ever experienced, as if there was some weird circular animal curled up on her hair. "Tough one. I sense you've got cunning, and I sense you've got spark. You could truly go either way, heck, Ravenclaw wouldn't suit you too badly, but I think my better judgement is telling me...

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Talia saw the whole Gryffindor table erupt in cheers and felt a weight lift as the hat was scooped off her head. She was speechless. She was stunned. As if her feet were moving of her own accord, she slid into a chair at the Gryffindor table. Red and gold had blossomed onto the previously blank tie of her robes.

Talia thought all her life she'd be sorted into Slytherin. She spent hours by her father's desk while her Gryffindor mother was off on long trips with Aurors and adventurers-- she'd reveled in his genius, appreciated the greens and silvers of his old house flags which she'd moved to her own bedroom at home just before arriving at Hogwarts. Gryffindor? Her brows furrowed as she stared down at the table, completely unaware of hands clapping her on the back and people shouting congratulations at her down the long table. Her tie's bright gold stripes winked up at her. Talia felt like her life had just been completely turned upside down.

Lora had nearly missed her name being called to come up to be sorted. Her eyes shimmered as she had been taking in the magnificence of the Great Hall around her. It was warm and inviting. Everyone from all the tables looked upon the group of first year students eagerly. Part of it made her nervous. So many people looking on at one time, so much anticipation about which Houses would gain new members.

"Lora Martindale!" The call of her name broke the tiny girl out of her thoughts. She emerged from the group of first years and took her place upon the stool.

The young eleven-year-old did not have many expectations or assumptions about where she would be sorted. Her aunt and uncle had said that she would most likely be placed into Ravenclaw with the way she had acted growing up. The wizarding side of her family had been a mix of Ravenclaws and Gryffindors. There were a few Slytherins, but she had never really learned about them. She hadn't learned much at all about each of the Houses since her aunt and uncle wanted to keep her unbiased about wherever she ended up.

When the Sorting Hat was placed on her head, there was silence for a moment. That was truly when the nerves and the anxiety hit her. What if the hat wasn't sure about where to put her? Of course, she didn't need to think about. In her mind, she reminded herself of her aunt telling her to be calm and that the Sorting Hat knew what was best for her.

It felt like an infinite amount of time had passed before the Sorting Hat quit its murmuring and pondering on her head. Before the house was declared in a proud and true proclamation.

"Ravenclaw!"

Lora broke out into a bright smile as she watched the Ravenclaw table burst into applause. She made her way over, brown curls bouncing, and found a spot at the table with her newfound family.

As the Sorting Ceremony began, the Great Hall was completely flooded with eager faces. Some looked dazed and confused, as though they had never seen a dining hall before. Of course, this was certainly one of the more majestic ones, even in the eyes of the richest Purebloods. In fact, many of the wide-eyed first years truly had never seen anything like this place. They had come from all over the world - both worlds, actually- and were staring eagerly at the worn old Sorting Hat. Each of these kids can from entirely different background, yet they all seemed to share the same apprehension. All of except for Ford Farquad.

The blue-eyed boy slouched lazily in his chair, struggling to keep his eyes open. He was utterly unimpressed by the Great Hall and its luxuries. He had never been here before of course, but he'd seen the place in enough pictures to know that it hadn't changed in hundreds of years. The Sorting Ceremony which he was now half-watching had evidently not changed either. Each student would step up to the chair and receive their assignment. This would be their "House", essentially their team for the next seven years. They would be asked to bond and rely on each other to compete for mindless rewards... forced by their peers into behaving though the same sort of group psychology used in those Muggle war movies. The whole thing was endlessly boring to young Ford. It may have at least been slightly interesting if he cared for psychology, but as it was the boy just wanted to get this over with.

"What house do you think you'll get?" The girl next to him turned and asked suddenly. He studied her face for a moment. Why was she asking him? What did it matter? The girl had only interrupted a blank thought, but it the interruption still felt rather annoying. He looked away, hoping that the girl would take the hint and leave him alone. Yet she continued to talk. "I'll be a Slytherin for sure. My whole family are Slytherins, and I'm not about to break that tradition. Besides, I'm the cleverest out of all of them."

Ford rolled his eyes as if to say Bully for you. He cared nothing about this girl, her family, or her aspirations. As for which house he would get, the boy had no idea. Nor did he have a preference. He was intelligent beyond his years and quite studious when he wanted to be, so Ravenclaw was certainly out of the question. Slytherin could certainly be in the running as well. Ford was tactically clever and an amazing liar when he decided to be. He found most people incredibly dull and likely easy to manipulate. Even Gryffindor was not far out of the realm of possibility thanks to his stubborn grip on the few ideals he did hold dear to him. And Hufflepuff... well, he definitely wasn't a Hufflepuff.

The thought of being placed in the house of yellow made him cringe inside. Everyone who'd gone to Hogwarts talked about how the houses weren't as stereotypical as they seemed. Yet every Hufflepuff he'd had the displeasure of meeting was a shiny happy person. Ford could not stand shiny happy people. For the most part he couldn't stand people in general. Sometimes they were necessary of course. He was only eleven years old, so there would be certain limitations that a circle of acquaintances might help him overcome. But to be constantly surrounded by people who sought friendship for no other reason than to have friends... that sounded like his own person version of hell.



Ford stepped up to the chair, ignoring the various chuckles that came from his fellow first years. Kids. So immature. Though he had to admit that even he found humor in his name. The movie that had turned his name into an unfortunate pun had come out years before his birth, but the busy Farquads were not exactly frequent moviegoers. His parents had no idea what they had done to their own child. Still, it could have been far worse. Ford had grown up isolated, training under his father to become the best, most powerful Lord and wizard he could be. Had he gone to a public school, he likely would have faced constant ridicule with no way of defending himself. Now he was prepared. This sea of faces and their opinions meant nothing to him.

Let's get this over with...

The tired child grabbed the pointy hat and shoved it roughly over his ears. It was a bit large for him, though he could still barely contain his disgust as he thought of the tens of students who had put it on before him just today. The thing was rough and smelled of sweat. The voice that echoed in his head did not make the situation any less unpleasant.



Just sort me already.



In all honesty, there was probably a lot that he could learn from the house of patience and loyalty, but it definitely would not fit his personality. Ford would be enraged if the hat went through with its threat. Of course there was no way it would. The hat was apparently foolproof, placing each student in the house that fit them best. And for Ford that would be...



The boy stood and walked away, carelessly tossing the hat back on to the chair behind him. He was in no way surprised, nor was he excited. At least Ravenclaws were supposed to be smart, right? Maybe they'd be smart enough to leave him alone. As his fellow Ravenclaws waved and tried to greet him, he gave them a polite nod. Then he sat in the far corner of the table and lay down his head. This was going to be a long day.

Mary stepped inside the Great Hall, and stopped in her tracks, her feet seem pasted on the linoleum floor. Her eyes gawked at the wide and huge room, her mouth ajar. It wasn’t the room—big rooms weren’t new to her. The Tudor Mansion have many bigger ones and her room was one. But it was the long tables and students that seem to stretch forever. She couldn’t even see the other end.

And the noise. Oh, the noise. She never heard anything like it. So many people talking together, the words turning into a whirlwind of static. She was both amazed and frightened. Can people still possibly hear each other in this noise? And they had to put up with this every single day. Thrice a day or more for 7 years! Has anyone become deaf? Will she become deaf? All her life she lived in silence, her footsteps and breathing only echoing on the walls of Tudor Mansion, but now she was here.  This warm, thunderous room was like freedom welcoming her and patting her on the back. Welcome Mary! Good job!

But she’s no longer in Tudor Mansion. This is going to be her new home. She will adjust soon... hopefully. 

“Hello,” Mary jumped at the sudden voice behind her neck. “Oh, woah. Hey there, didn’t mean to surprise you.” When she turned, she saw a tall boy smiling at her with a yellow scarf on his neck. Gryffindor. “You must be one of the new students, yeah?”

Mary only nodded, her mouth unable to utter words.

“Knew it!” His smile turned even bigger, “Well, why don’t you take a seat on those benches,” she followed his pointed finger, “Eat before you get sorted, you’ll need it.” He tapped her on the shoulder, surprising her again. “Woah, relax newbie.”

She forced a smile that she thought was polite, “Sorry, but thank you. I—I should get going.”

She did not wait for his answer and turned, speed walking towards the table he pointed with her hands clasped in front of her. Her eyes grazed on the tables and the children talking and laughing. No one seem to notice her or mind her.

She took a seat on the newbie’s bench. Everyone seemed to be getting along and so, she was left alone, watching everyone. She stared at the long line of food from the table but she didn’t feel hungry. Not that the food were appetizing—they were—but adrenaline has been pumping into her system since the moment she left the Tudor Mansion for the first time! And she can’t wait to start her day here in Hogwarts! Her mind was clouded of possibilities—what she would do when she have friends, when she will excel on her subjects, when these kids will finally know her! She was thinking of so many what-ifs that she had no more space for hunger.

Mary was kicked out of her thoughts when the room suddenly turned quiet. She looked around and saw that everyone’s attention was pierced on someone ahead. She realized one of the teachers had stood up, with the infamous Sorting Hat hanging from her hand.

All newbies were instructed to line up and Mary obediently did so. She stood in line and held her head  high, her hands staying still on each side as she fought the urge to clasp them together in front of her.

“Mary Anne Tudor!” 

She was called and with a nervous smile, she climbed up and sat on the stool. The hat rested perfectly on her head.

“A Tudor...” the hat said. Mary stared at the heavy double doors ahead, knowing everyone was staring at her. “And a lady at that! It’s been so long since I saw one!” Mary held her breath. “Tudor ladies are known for their beauty and elegance, or intelligence and cunning, which one are you?” She swallowed, was she supposed to answer? But the hat then continued, “Named after an infamous Mary... will you do the same, Mary?” She opened her mouth to answer but the hat announced, “Slytherin!”

A table erupted in applause and she saw that most people who sat their wore green scarves. The hat was removed from her head and she was escorted to the Slytherin table. Mary smiled politely to the welcomes and handshakes she received and sat down to an offered chair.

Slytherin... an infamous house. She have read all the stories of villainous Slytherins. It’s always from Slytherin. And she knew what the hat meant. Why did the Sorting hat put her here? Was it because she was named after someone... so horrible?

Would she do the same?

The young red haired girl sauntered slowly into Great Hall for the sorting ceremony with her fellow new students. In her hand she clutched a letter her mother had slipped into her pocket as they said good-bye before Raine got on the train to Hogwarts. She had found it while sitting alone on the bus. She was trying to keep to herself with her head down low. She didn't want to deal with students here possibly treating her how kids back home would. As the line of students came to a halt, gathered around an old hat, she slowly unfolded the letter and read it for the hundredth time. 

As she finished reading her mothers letter she sighed softly, folding the letter up before placing it in her robe pocket. Pulling her hand out of her robe she tried to brush stray curls behind her ears to keep them out of her peripheral vision but it was unsuccessful. Her wild mane bobbed all around her face. 

She glanced around briefly and took in the sight around her. She was amazed at the room, everything so extravagant, and long tables already filled up with older students. All of the first years still gathered around the hat as they waiting for the ceremony to begin. Suddenly the man conducting the ceremony quit talking and the hat burst into song. If Raine had been paying attention she'd have known the ceremony was beginning now. 

When the song was finished the first name was called and Raine sighed in relief that it was not her turn. She didn't want to be first, or second, and definitely not last. A few more students were called and sorted into their house when suddenly she heard --


She jumped slightly at the booming voice that called out her name. She quickly pushed past the students in front of her muttering, "excuse me" and "I'm sorry" as she went. When she reached the front she turned around to face the crowd and the hat was placed on her head.