Unexpected | Kotlc x HP

Chapter 2 - The sorting

Ember's POV

Giving the elves one last glance, they left for the door, before Ember bumped into a figure and fell.

"What the actual hell?" asked Ember, "Who are you?"

"Sorry, sorry, sorry. I'm so sorry!" said the girl, nervously twisting one of the tiny braids scattered in her platinum blond hair. "Professor Dumbledore sent me to fetch the elves from the hospital wing. It's time for the Sorting."

"Who are you?" repeated Ember, curiosity getting the best of her. This girl looked about Ember's age, despite the fact that Ember had never seen her before.

"I'm Aurelia..." said the girl tentatively, as if she thought that Ember would bite her. She kept on casting worried glances at Malfoy, who looked embarrassed to be caught off-guard and trapped. Oh. That horrible excuse of a person must have tormented this girl, who didn't look like she deserved it at all.

"Well, I'm Juliet, and this is Ember,"

"Well, Ember?" asked Juliet, jolting Ember out of her thoughts. "Aren't we going to go to the Sorting?"

"Yeah, sorry let's go." said Ember, following Aurelia and the elves to the Great Hall. Malfoy scrambled to catch up to them. Ember enjoyed seeing the helpless look on his face as he experienced karma.

"What's it like seeing Karma in the face, Malfoy?" Ember taunted.

Malfoy shot her a glare. "You shouldn't be speaking, Reyvel,"

"Yeah? Who says?" Juliet countered, and Ember nodded. The girls then continued to pelt the blond boy with insults, piercing his ego mercilessly.

Aurelia stood on the side, but upon seeing Juliet and Ember were running out of ways to insult Malfoy, she built up the courage to shove karma in his face.

Flicking her hair over her shoulder, she slapped Malfoy. "Next time, don't pick on people who aren't pure-bloods. Especially the people who are in your house." She snapped.

Malfoy gasped, gingerly touching the spot where Aurelia had hit him, then shot Aurelia a look of pure hate. "Mark my words, mudblood, I'll get you back!" He finished, then promptly ran into the Hall.

Juliet stepped forward. "Malfoy, keep out of where you don't belong." She called after him. "And I will gladly make you next time."

As soon as Malfoy was out of their line of sight, the elves gaped at Aurelia, especially Keefe, who looked like he had just been the one who had been slapped across the face.

"Whoa..."

"Well?" asked Aurelia, whose shyness seemed to have disappeared. "Aren't we going to the Sorting?"

"Yeah, sure..." Murmured Fitz, who had a peculiar expression across his face. The elves followed Aurelia to the Great Hall, still looking surprised by her bluntness. As they stepped into the Great Hall, the room seemed to freeze for a moment. The students' chatter died down instantly as everyone's eyes turned toward the newcomers. The elves were a sight unlike anything Hogwarts had seen before.

Aurelia held her head high, though there was a nervous tension in her shoulders. The elves, looking distinctly out of place in the sea of students, shuffled behind her.

"Professor Dumbledore," Aurelia said, her voice shaky.

"Ah, Aurelia, welcome," Dumbledore greeted, though his gaze flicked to the elves with a mix of curiosity and caution. "I trust the elves are ready for the Sorting?"

"Yes, Professor," Aurelia replied, stepping forward. "They're all set."

Dumbledore nodded and motioned for the elves to approach the Sorting Hat. The students whispered among themselves, casting sidelong glances. No one had ever seen anything like this before—elves, students, and a Sorting ceremony all in one.

???'s POV

"Fitz," Professor McGonagall called, and Fitz nervously took a step forward.

The Sorting Hat seemed to pause as it adjusted to the elf's unique aura. It hummed quietly before finally speaking:

"Ah, a quick mind, but a heart full of loyalty. Interesting... Ravenclaw!"

The Ravenclaw table broke into tentative applause, the students clearly surprised by the result. Fitz, his ears twitching, made his way over to the table, still looking unsure whether to be pleased or confused by the Sorting.

Next, Keefe approached. The Sorting Hat barely touched his head before it cried out:

"Slytherin!"

The Slytherin table clapped, though the applause was more reserved than for Fitz. Keefe didn't seem fazed, walking to the Slytherin table with a confident stride, though Ember could see the uncertainty in his eyes.

Sophie stepped forward, and Professor Mcgonagall placed the old hat on her head.

"Hmm... Loyal, Courageous, all Gryffindor traits, better be... GRYFFINDOR!"

The whole Gryffindor table cheered. Sophie, dazed by the talking hat, stumbled to the Gryffindor table, taking a seat across from a boy with jet black hair and an unusual scar on his forehead.

"Tam Song,"

The hall fell silent as the boy walked up to the stool.

"SLYTHERIN!" The hat screeched.

Keefe slumped. "Why????" He groaned. The Slytherins sent him weird looks, but clapped all the same. Tam walked over to the Slytherins and took a seat at the other end of the table, shooting Keefe a dirty look.

Biana then sat on the rickety stool, fidgeting with the cuffs of her human clothes. The Hat was placed on her head, and almost took a full minute before declaring her House.

"...HUFFLEPUFF!" It shouted, then fell silent. The Hufflepuffs cheered, some giving Biana a standing ovation.

Biana made her way to her table, flashing a dazzling smile at the cheering students.

"Dex Dizznee!" called Professor McGonagall, peering inquisitively at him through her spectacles. Dex sat on the chair, and the Hat immediately screeched out his House.

"...RAVENCLAW!..."

The Ravenclaws, clad in blue and bronze, burst into applause. Dex practically ran to the correct table, pulling up a chair quite a long way away from FItz. Fitz frowned, expecting Dex to sit next to him.

"Linh Song!" Professor McGonagall announced, rolling her parchment up. Linh sat on the stool, bursting with excitement. "HUFFLEPUFF!" the Hat screeched right away, before being carried away by Dumbledore. Linh walked to the Hufflepuff table, pulling up a chair next to Biana, while waving to Tam, who waved back, a stoic expression on his face, yet still glaring at Keefe.

The elves, still receiving curious stares, as they sat down at their respective tables. For now, the Sorting was over, but the air in the hall was thick with whispered questions and excitement. This year was bound to be unlike any other.

Ember and Juliet exchanged glances, both sensing that things were about to get complicated in ways they hadn't expected.

"Well, that was... something," Juliet said quietly, her eyes scanning the room.

"Yeah," Ember replied, glancing at Aurelia who was still standing, watching the Sorting with a quiet pride. "Let's see how long it takes for them to get used to the idea."

The elves, clearly aware of the attention they were getting, still held themselves with quiet dignity, though Ember could tell it wasn't easy. Keefe, especially, seemed to be shrinking under the weight of so many eyes.

Professor McGonagall's voice rang out again, calling the students to attention. "Now, let us proceed with the feast!"

The students quickly fell into a murmuring silence, but the tension in the air remained. As the elves settled into their new lives at Hogwarts, one thing was certain: this year would be anything but ordinary.