Closed The Sorting ceremony 2018-2019

Tatiana was standing among the other first years, anxiously waiting out in the corridor for the doors to the Great Hall to open. Tonight was the Sorting Ceremony. Having been the only one of her immediate family to attend Hogwarts, she made sure to read about it plenty in the weeks before her arrival. Her copy of Hogwarts, a History, already embarrassingly warn through and dog eared in several locations. The voices around her were whispering about which houses they thought, or according to some, already knew for certain, they would be sorted into. Truth be told, she hadn't really developed a preference. From what she knew, or at least had read, each house had it's own special set of qualities, any of which she would be proud to represent.

When the large doors finally opened, the hinges groaning under the weight, the room before her was even more magnificent than she had imagined. There were four endlessly long tables stretching the length of the entire hall, all adorned with tapestries and accents in the colors of each of their respective houses. Braziers, ablaze with flame, hung from chains in the mouths of stone animal figures lining the walls. As she crossed the threshold, being herded along with the rest of the crowd, she looked up with wonder at the ceiling above her. It was all glass, or enchanted to look like it at least, and displayed the clear night sky dusted with stars. High above them, candles floated across the room, filling the space with warm light.

As the group of first years made their way down the middle of the room, every pair of eyes from every table was fixed on them. Straight ahead on the opposite side was another long table with wizards and witches in various garbs, of who she could only assume were the professors and staff. Proceeding to the end of the hall, Tatiana tried her hardest to avoid making eye contact with the older students, her heart already racing from anticipation. And as the reached the other side of the room, the group came to a collective halt, all standing before a rather odd sight.

Just atop the stairs, a few feet in front of the staff table, was a lone stool with a curious looking hat sitting on it. The Sorting hat. Of course, she had already read about it, an incredibly fascinating magical object as it was. According to her books, it could read your thoughts, your feelings, your aspirations. And in a matter of seconds, it could take all this information and deduce which house you'd be most successful in. What house will he put me in? she wondered, honestly curious for maybe the first time. But her thoughts were cut short, as the sorting hat begin to sing. As soon as it was finished, everyone in the hall applauded, but were quickly silent once more. By this time, a professor was already standing in front of the group, a long piece of parchment hanging from their hands.

"As I call your name, you will come sit and place the hat on your head, before moving to join your new houses. Let us begin."

Crane. C wasn't very far into the alphabet, so Tatiana was vaguely aware she'd probably be one of the first ones to go. She watched as a few students' names were called, each nervously moving to the stool, wearily picking up the hat and placing it on their heads. Sometimes the hat spoke, either pondering aloud or embarrassingly revealing the nervous thoughts of the current wearer. He could usually place them in a matter of seconds, though some students took him a little longer to identify. She had hardly been paying attention when it was finally her turn.

"Tatiana Crane," she heard a voice shout, breaking her from her daze. She tried not to turn around as she walked up the steps, eyes boring into the back of her. With a deep breath, she lifted the hat, and before it could even make contact with her head- "Ravenclaw!" he shouted, the blue and silver table erupting in cheers. Ravenclaw. She could accept that. In fact, now that he mentioned it, it felt like it had been her real first choice all along. Making her way through the rest of the first years, her face beaming, she joined the rest of her housemates at the table.

As soon as Henry arrived in this gigantic room with so many people staring at him, he couldn’t feel anything but nervousness. Yet, at the same time he looked around the hall with a sense of awe, from the floating candles to the sky ceiling. Henry could not believe that this place was real.

The professor led the group of 1st years to the end of the great hall, with Henry still in awe looking at everything around him. Then he saw the hat. Why in the world would a hat be important enough to just sit there looking smug. Wait, can hats even look smug? Henry was too much in wonderment that he didn’t know what the professor was saying until all of a sudden she started to call names. He then waited patiently for his name to be called. All of a sudden Henry realised that the hat started talking and then shouted out some houses for different people. Huh, Henry thought, I guess hats can not only look smug but can talk...

“Henry Price,” the old professor exclaimed!

Henry immediemtly felt anxious and worried, especially because he didn’t listen to a single instruction because of his curiosity and anxiousness. Henry proceeds to then walk up to the school, feeling as every eye in the world was staring right at him. No way this could get worse, he though to himself.

Henry walks up and sits on the stool, suddenly the hat was on his head. Before Henry could even process what was about to happen, the hat started to speak quietly to him: “Ah, a new wizard we have here. And it looks like you don’t have a clue about what your doing, do ya? Though I do see that your intelligence and determination are not something to joke about. You would make a fine Ravenclaw. Though also there is kindness and loyalty for others that is matched by few, hufflepuff would make a fine choice. Both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff will be fantastic for you, your are truly exceptional at both fronts.Hmmm a hard choice, both houses equally matched”

At this point Henry just had no clue what the hat was talking about. He was just more amazed by it being able to talk.

The hat finally comes to a decision, “You might not have the best ears in the world for listening, but your curiosity and joy for learning outweighs your love for kindness and loyalty. You would be a fine Hufflepuff. But you must be a RAVENCLAW,” the hat shouts suddenly, startling the young wizard to the point of him almost falling off the stool.

Henry has no clue what just happened, but he sure knows that this is gonna be one interesting year...

Maia stood among the other eleven-year-olds, anxiously waiting to be sorted. Where would she be put? Hufflepuff? Maybe, her father would want that. Gryffindor? Maia didn't feel as if she was the most courageous, but maybe the hat knew better. Ravenclaw? Perhaps, she wouldn't mind that either. She did like reading and learning. Slytherin? Maia didn't feel like she would fit well, but you never know.

It would all be up to the hat.

Until then, she could only wait and gaze at the others in fascination. Maybe the guy in front of her was a Slytherin or a Hufflepuff. Maybe they would be in the same house. Did the girl beside her grow up in a city or in the country? She might have grown up in the suburbs. What type of things did they like? What subject were they most excited about? Did they have a big family, or were they an only child? Maia didn't know yet, but she hoped to find out and become friends with them all.

They all waited, some people striking up small talk. Maia was a bit shy and instead began to study the corridor. The high, curving ceilings. The intricate designs to support it. It was all so surreal, and magic. Maia was amazed. Even though she had been around it her whole life, it was still awe-inspiring.

The heavy metal doors swung open, and they walked in. She stepped in and looked around, shocked. There were candles levitating and paintings all across the walls. They were four tables, long enough to fit many people. She looked up and saw the night sky. It was beautiful. Maia smiled softly in awe.

They walked forward and the hat sang his song. Maia knew she would be towards the beginning considering her last name started with 'D'. So she waited impatiently amongst the other children.

"Davidson, Maia". Her name was called out. Maia walked up to the stool, a small smile on her face. She was half nervous and half excited. She sat down on the stool and the hat was placed on her head.

"Ah, what do we have here?"

"A fair amount of caringness and loyalty, but also a love of learning and creativity."

"Are you brave?"

"I don't think so," She thought to herself.

"Ah, hmmm. But you can be resilient at times?"

"I mean, I guess..."

"But Gryffindor wouldn't be a great fit for you, Slytherin wouldn't match either. So, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff? Though you are very loyal and humble, your love for learning and growth is much greater than all else... but where do you want to go?"

"I'm not sure." Maia thought.

"Then I guess it better be... RAVENCLAW!

Maia opened her eyes and took the hat off. The table of blue rang out with applause, and she walked down, a big smile on her face. She already loved her house.

Richard stood at the doors of the great hall, after the warm welcome by the headmaster at the entrance of Hogwarts, waiting with the group of new students. Richard assumed that the headmaster was waiting to do a dramatic entrance at the Hall, he smiled at thought, still trying to process that he was standing at the great hall of Hogwarts, unbelievable. His mind and heart began to race; doubts began to assault him, would he be able to get into his favorite house? Gryffindor, the house that almost everyone on his family putted into by the sorting hat during their own sorting ceremony and the one that both his parents have told him that was the best house at Hogwarts

Just stay calm, you will be fine — he whispered to himself, trying to remain calm and not look worried or afraid in front of his soon to be classmates, his dad told him that the sorting hat can sense fear and if he acts like a scaredy cat then he won't made it into Gryffindor, his dad laughed right after as he meant it as a joke but Richard took it to heart, he spent nights worrying about not getting sorted into Gryffindor, what would his parents say? Would they disavow him? What if they send him away with his aunt in Spain? All of his fears and doubts were about to be push aside by the words of the headmaster who finally opened the door leading the group of students into the great hall.

And so he walked at fast pace getting closer and closer to the large table at the end of the hall with a lot of older students eyes fixed on his group, sometimes meeting the eyes of some of them, but he tried to remain focused on his soon-to-be teachers trying to memorize their faces and guessing what sort of teachers would they be but yet again his train of thought was derailed by the headmaster who asked to wait until the deputy headmaster said our names

Richard was doing a good job suppressing his nervousness, smiling like a fool at the song of the Sorting Hat, after he was done with signing he clapped like the rest of the students. Then the deputy headmaster started naming students from the list of names, he stood, balancing his weight from foot to foot waiting for his name to been called, for him it was an eternity but sure, after a few minutes he finally heard it
Richard Stanton — said the deputy headmaster looking right into the eyes of Richard. He could only smile from ear to ear, after an awkward couple of seconds he finally walked to the small stool and he sat looking at the hat on top of his head

The hat began to ask him questions but before he could answer them the hat talked to himself, almost like he was convincing himself that his decision was right one, it only took a about 10 secs before the hat shouted — Gryffindor! —. Richard jumped right off the stool not waiting for the hat to be removed and ran to the Gryffindor table, he won't be disavowed or sent away with his aunt, tonight he was a happy lad.

[quote]Margo was not impressed. Admittedly she had just entered a magical hall filled with the largest number of wizards and witches she’d seen together in her life, but she prided herself on having an aura that never, ever showed any surprise. Anyways, what was there to be impressed about? It wasn’t like the new students’ first day at Hogwarts would be any different to the many others they would experience in following years. Every student, even the first years, wore their black robes, which just proved her point further about normality. The only thing that that set them each apart were the coloured ties around their necks, and the first years didn’t even have those yet! Margo would just have to resign herself to the fact that she would be the only one dressed differently for the sorting ceremony. Sadly, her acts of costume defiance hadn’t been very rebellious this time around; they just included a homemade, multicoloured bandana around her head, her favourite earrings that were in the shape of scorpions and her knee-high, brown leather boots. She had acquired a few strange looks so far, but why shouldn’t she show the world her creations? It had taken her months to twist the metal in those earrings into perfect, matching shapes and she’d worked hard to acquire those boots fourth hand from the local stables (she’d had to do some serious serious embroidery upon them to hide the scuffs).

According to Margo, the introductions barely seemed to take any time at all. It must be because the professors are so interesting, she silently commented, though she knew it was really because she could immerse herself in her thoughts for hours on end. She knew, of course, that a lot of the new students in the crowd had not grown up amongst magic, but she didn’t think that they should be fed information. They had many knowledgeable students surrounding them, and surely they could understand that there were four houses from the tables and colours throughout the hall. Spoon feeding information helps nobody, Margo thought wryly. Besides, maybe it was better to grow up without constantly asking the question of which house one would be sorted into. Margo was not one to outwardly show feelings, no matter how she felt within, so never showed any preferences for any specific house. However, she would be inwardly displeased if she were to be sorted into Ravenclaw. Her whole family, including her older brother, thought of the house as home, and if Margo liked anything, it was being different.

As names were called, and one by one, the students made their way up onto the podium to have the ancient sorting hat placed upon their head, Margo stood perfectly still. Each house cheered for its newest members, but Margo didn’t wanted to bore anybody with the same old applause. She whooped for those with interesting expressions or clothing, and the rest, well, they would have to show their unique personalities to her in a different way.

When finally, the teacher reading the names was onto the W’s on the list, Margo payed a little more attention. A boy in front of her was sorted into Gryffindor and then it was her name that was being called. She walked purposefully up to the platform with her head held high and sat on the stool with as much grace as she could muster for the occasion. Only when the hat slipped over her eyes, creating a barrier between her and her surroundings, did she close them. I wouldn’t be surprised if people got fleas from this thing, she thought before the hat’s voice spoke loudly in her ear.

“White, eh? Clever, kind, different... “

I’ll sew your mouth shut in the middle of the night if you put me in Ravenclaw. Margo warned.

“Bah! You’ve got spunk, girl, more than your brother, I’d say. I know just where you belong...

SLYTHERIN!”

With that, Margo stood and strode purposefully towards the sea of green that was her new house. She hoped that there was at least one person whom she could snark with who wouldn’t get mortally offended. People are so sensitive, Margo thought as she slid her boots under the bench of the table, we’ll see if they can survive my sting.

Heather followed the other students in a daze, looking around the room at all the sights and sounds. The view from the lake had been underwhelming at first, nothing but shapes, shadows, and points of light--until her boat had gotten close enough. The massive castle had been breathtaking in the moonlight, and this great hall was just as impressive, if only for sheer size. Where was the ceiling?! There was nothing but the night sky overhead as she looked up. The room around was bright, lit by thousands of floating lights--candles? It was hard for her to tell. The four tables glinted gold in the light, and she wondered what was on them. The benches were crowded with other kids--all looking at them! The sound of their voices was like a constant soft buzz, and she could almost feel their excitement in the air around her.

Heather felt suddenly shy, remembering something about a sorting, would that really be in front of everyone? She kept a close hold of her guide cane, not wanting to trip anyone by accident as she moved its tip over the stone floor. But it was hard to focus on that with so many thoughts whirling through her mind. At least the principal--headmaster, she silently corrected herself--seemed nice enough. What did he mean by their house being like family? Maybe it was a magic thing...

Movement up ahead caught her attention. One of the adults was moving something at the front of the room. The crowd hushed, and a new voice sang out over the silence. She listened to the Sorting Hat’s song, still confused, but more curious now than ever. Then a different voice called to them with instructions for putting on a hat and being sorted, and the role call of names and the declare of houses began.

Well, Heather thought, maybe this won’t be so bad. At least we don’t have to pull a rabbit out of it or something. Then her name was called.

“RUBY, HEATHER!”

Carefully, she moved her cane across the stone, waiting as the other students around made way before stepping forward. The silence and excitement were like a living thing in the air, coiled and waiting. It seemed as if everyone was holding their breath. She could feel the eyes on her as she slowly moved towards the front of the room.

She heard an adult’s voice call to her, directing, “This way, up here,” but was too nervous to do anything but nod and keep walking.

Finally, she was close enough to see the stool with it’s tattered frayed hat and the teacher’s table behind it. Wordlessly, she folded her cane and sat down on the stool, staring out at the sea of shapes, shadows, and light, and let the hat be placed on her head.

She heard a voice in her mind, the same one who had sung to them all, as the hat slipped over her head, covering eyes and ears.

“A good mind here, yes... Curiosity in abundance... A bit haughty though... But I can see you’d hate being called ignorant... Interesting... You seek mysteries... A great thirst for knowledge... Yet you would do anything for those you love... I know the place for you... RAVENCLAW!”

A roar of cheers struck her like a wave of sound as the hat was pulled off her head, and she staggered a little under the unexpected noise. The joy was contagious, and she found herself smiling but unsure why. As her trembling hands unfolded her cane, she wondered, did that hat just read my mind? What did it--he?--mean by all that stuff anyway? But that thought was quickly driven out as the Deputy Headmaster directed her towards the Ravenclaw table. Her head was still buzzing with thoughts as she slowly made her way to the table, and the next student was called to be Sorted.