Dangerously Yours - Mattheo Riddle

The Sorting Hat

Professor McGonagall led the first-years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight.

Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Alora looked upwards and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. She heard a girl whisper, 'It's bewitched to look like the sky outside, I read about it in Hogwarts: A History.'

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens. She looked up at it in awe, her green eyes sparkling as she gazed up at it. 

Mattheo looked dead ahead, but his eyes turned slightly to look at her, the corner of his lip twitching as he spotted the look of awe in her eyes. 

Alora quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first-years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.

Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, Alora thought wildly, that seemed the sort of thing – noticing that everyone in the Hall was now staring at the hat, she stared at it too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth – and the hat began to sing:

'Oh, you may not think I'm pretty, But don't judge on what you see, I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black, Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff Where they are just and loyal, Those patient Hufflepuffs are true And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning, Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none) For I'm a Thinking Cap!'

The Great Hall erupted in applause as the Sorting Hat concluded its song. Alora didn't clap, she was too busy looking around at the castle in complete awe. It was amazing, she still couldn't believe that she was actually here. The hat gracefully bowed to each of the four tables and then settled into stillness once more.

Mattheo still had a blank look on his face, his hands were shoved into his pockets as he looked over at the hat plainly. He didn't see the need for a stupid song, he just wanted them to get this over and done with so he could sit down at the Slytherin table and get stuck into the food

Alora turned to him, a happy smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "I'm a bit nervous if im being completely honest."

Mattheo turned his head down slightly to look at her, "you'll do fine freckles," he mumbled out, his eyes glancing at her for a few mere moments before looking back at the hat

"But what if it just says im not good enough for any of the houses and kicks me out?" she muttered out, fiddling with her hands anxiously as she looked up at the hat, "and my name isn't freckles."