THE ENTRANCE HALL WAS ABLAZE WITH TORCHES AND ECHOING FOOTSTEPS AS STUDENTS CROSSED THE FLAGGED STONE FLOOR TOWARDS THE DOUBLE DOORS TO THE RIGHT. The four long house tables in the Great Hall were filling up under the starless, dark ceiling, which replicated the night sky. Candles floated in mid-air aligned with the tables, illuminating the silvery ghosts who were sprawled around the Hall, along with the faces of eager students.
Luna had drifted away from the Gryffindors and joined her table: Ravenclaw. A small boy right in the middle of the row seemed to be trembling. The whole school waited with baited breath. Then the rip near the hat's brim opened wide and the Sorting Hat burst into song:
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The hat became motionless once more; applause broke out, though it was punctured. All across the Hall, students were exchanging remarks with their neighbors, and Harry, clapping along with everyone else, knew exactly what they were talking about.
"Branched out a bit this year, hasn't it?" Ron wondered, his eyebrows raising.
"Yeah... it has," Alena responded.
The Sorting Hat usually confined itself to describing the different qualities looked for by each of the four Hogwarts houses and it's own role in sorting them.
"I wonder if it's ever given warning before?" Hermione asked, her voice began to sound anxious.
"Yes, indeed," Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost answered, leaning across Neville towards her.
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