The Trick

First Year- Houses and Sortings

Mariah's POV

“Estella, Mariah!” Professor McGonagall said loudly. The lights in The Great Hall seemed to get brighter and hotter as Mariah’s name was called. Her stomach started to twist into a knot as she stood up. Charlie patted her back reassuringly as Mariah went up to the stool with the Sorting Hat on it. 

It felt like she had been walking for an hour until Mariah finally made it to the front of The Great Hall. Professor McGonagall looked at Mariah with a slight smile and gestured for her to sit on the stool as she picked up the sorting hat. When Mariah sat on the stool she was faced with hundreds of eyes looking at her. She felt her eyes go wide and looked for Charlie. When she made eye contact with her, Charlie held two thumbs up. Mariah relaxed a little bit as the Sorting Hat was placed on her head. 

“Hmmm...very interesting, yes. You have the intelligence and wit of a Ravenclaw, but also the courage of a Gryffindor,” The Sorting Hat pondered. 

“Please just let me be a Slytherin with Charlie,” Mariah pleaded.

“Syltherin?” The Sorting Hat said loudly. The Slytherin table cheered and Mariah felt relieved. 

“No, no. Definitely not Slytherin.” As the Sorting Hat said, the table of Slytherins went silent. 

“You have the ambition of a Slytherin but not the leadership.” The Sorting Hat went on to determine its choice. Mariah was starting to feel her pumpkin pasties rise up from her stomach the longer the Sorting Hat took. 

“Please hurry. I don’t care where you put me!” Mariah whispered. 

“Well, alright then!” The Sorting Hat took a deep breath in before yelling, “GRYFFINDOR!” Mariah sighed in relief as the Gryffindor table erupted in shouts and clapping. Mariah stood from the stool as the Sorting Hat was pulled off of her head. She went over to the Gryffindor table, glad to be away from all the attention. She saw an empty seat next to the boy named Sirius Black who was called a little while before her. 

Mariah decided to act a little more brave since she was in Gryffindor now by talking to him. “Hi, I’m Mariah.” 

Sirius looked at her and his eyes looked a little worried, but it quickly turned into confusion. “Wait, don’t I know you from somewhere?” 

Mariah was taken aback a bit. “I don’t think so-”

Sirius interrupted her with a smile. “Sugarplum’s Sweet Shop! I ran into you.” 

Mariah looked at him deeply and recognition lit up her mind, “I remember you! Wow, I thought I wouldn’t know anyone. Well, I don’t really know you, but I know your face.”

“Apparently not well enough,” Sirius said with a laugh. Mariah felt overjoyed that she would have at least one friend in her house. She was about to start talking to him more when she heard Professor McGonagall say her best friend's name. 

“King, Charlotte!” As Charlie started to walk over to the Sorting Hat, Mariah saw her start to struggle. She then fell face first into the hard wooden floor. Mariah tried not not to laugh for the sake of her friend, but she couldn’t help but giggle a bit. Everyone else in The Great hall started to burst out laughing. She watched as Charlie got up and made a witty comment about The Great Hall’s floors. That’s my best friend, she thought with a smile. 

The Sorting Hat began to start it’s process of placing Charlie. Mariah for sure thought that Charlie would be placed into Slytherin while the hat talked to Charlie. Mariah didn’t want to be separated from Charlie, but she also wanted her to be somewhere she truly belonged. Mariah started to feel glad that she wasn’t placed into Slytherin. 

Mariah’s heart skipped a beat when she heard the Sorting Hat say, “GRYFFINDOR!” Mariah cheered with the rest of the Gryffindor table as Charlie skipped over to sit next to Mariah.

Written by: Cass