An Agreement with Fate

Sorting Hat

"Firs Years! Firs' Years, come on!"
_

"Four to a boat, Firs' Years!"
_

"Professor McGonagall, the Firs' Years!"
_

"There are four houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Hufflepuff . . ."
_

"Let the Sorting begin!"
_

I looked around the expansive hall that contained hundreds of people in wonder. There were burning wax candles floating in the air and four gigantic tables with banners hanging above them.

I looked to my left and observed that the first table had a yellow and black banner with a badger while the second had a green and silver one with a snake. 'Hufflepuff and Slytherin', I realised.

I looked to my right and saw that the third table had a red and golden banner with a lion and the fourth table had a blue and bronze banner with an eagle ('Why not a raven?', I wondered). They are Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.

I looked in front and the teachers were sitting in a 'U' shape at the front of the hall on a raised platform, with Dumbledore seated at the centre. He had a balding man with a huge belly, a walrus moustache on his left, and an empty chair on his right.

I thought, 'The empty chair is probably for McGonagall'.

In front of the First Years, on the raised platform, was a stool that had a worn-out wizard's hat on top of it. I wondered why it was kept here and if it was related to the Sorting.

McGonagall continued moving, with all of us (The First Years) following her from behind. I heard some people gasp and noticed that they were looking above. I glanced at the ceiling and was amazed to see a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. It was as if there was nothing above!

"Bloody brilliant", muttered Sirius and I was bound to agree.

A boy was telling his friend that it was bewitched by Ravenclaw herself to look like the outside sky. My respect for Ravenclaw shot up a bit hearing that. I mean, such a beautiful wonder was created by her!

I looked at McGonagall as she clapped to get our attention. She was standing with a closed scroll in her hand, right next to the stool with the hat.

I wonder what will happen now.

For a few seconds, there was complete silence in the hall. Then, the hat twitched and a rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth and the hat began to sing.

The words were sung in a crass voice but there was a lot of thought and effort put into the performance. As the song was finishing, I pondered if the hat is sentient or just enchanted to do this every year.

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

"So we've just got to try on the hat", I muttered to myself.

Seems simple.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward, opening the scroll she held. She explained, "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted."

"Adelwen, Benjamin!"

Wait, what?

I walked to the front in a daze, I didn't know I would be the first one!

From behind me, Harry pushed me ahead and I stumbled a little as I walked forward. As the Sorting Hat was set upon me, I gave him a half-hearted glare.

"Interesting, very interesting indeed", a voice spoke in my head and my eye's widened.