The Beginning

The Sorting Hat~*Zaelie*

The Sorting Hat

Zaelie

As they walked into the Great Hall, all Zaelie, Helena, and Caedis could do was stare. The ceiling was the night sky, candles were floating in midair, lighting up the hall, and there were 4 long tables, each filled with students in black robes and pointed hats and glittering plates and silverware. As they walked down the center of the hall, Caedis could feel the entire hall’s eyes watching her and the other first years.

There was a stool up in front of the teachers table. On it sat an old faded hat. Nothing special, she thought. Then the hat opened its mouth, if you could call it that and started to sing. Caedis looked at Zaelie in amazement.

“ 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 brave of 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 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 you won't get in a flap!

You're safe in my hands(though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!!”

Every single person in the hall applauded. Then Professor McGonagall called out the first student.

“La Rinx, Celine”

The girl from the train with dark blonde hair confidently walked up to the sorting stool. She had a smile on her face like she knew something that you didn’t and desperately wanted to know. Celine put at the hat in an elegant motion. All eyes were on her as the hat decided her fate.

“SLYTHERIN!”

The Slytherin table cheered as Celine set down the hat, shook out her hair, and walked over to the Slytherin table, that same smile still on her face.

Professor McGonagall called the next first year up to the stool. “Malfoy, Draco”

As the hat had barely touched his head as it called out the house, “SLYTHERIN!”

A smug smile appeared across his face as he sauntered off to the Slytherin table to sit with Celine, who looked overjoyed that Draco was in the same house as her.

“Boot, Terry”

Zaelie didn’t trust Draco. Not after what he’d said to Harry before they’d come into the hall. I mean come on Zaelie thought, who tells someone who to make friends with on the first day of school. Seriously-

“Zaelie!” Caedis hissed in her ear. She blinked. Professor McGonagall was looking down at the first years.

“Violet, Zaelie,” she called for the second time. Crap, Zaelie thought, I just screwed up my first and only sorting ceremony. Foster, Kiley and Weasley, Ronald had both been sorted-Kiley into Hufflepuff, while Ronald was sorted into Gryffindor- while Zaelie was off in her thoughts.

She quickly walked up to the stool and jammed the hat down on her head. It fell over her eyes. ‘So, you think you’re smart, huh?’ Zaelie practically jumped out of the chair.She could hear some students tittering. Yup. I’m definitely making a good first impression, Zaelie thought.

‘It’s just me, the hat’. She didn’t jump quite as high that time. Suddenly, a loud voice announced the house, “RAVENCLAW!” Zaelie pulled the hat off in a rush and hurried over to the Ravenclaw table. Oh well, at least they’re clapping, she thought. Zaelie noticed Celine snickering at her from the Slytherin table. She shot her a glare.

Parkinson, Pansy was called. Two seconds later another “SLYTHERIN!” was shouted out by the hat. Celine suddenly turned pale, looking up at the stool, where a girl with short dark brown hair was pulling off the hat. After her, Caedis was called. It took about 10 seconds for the sorting hat to figure out that she should go in “GRYFFINDOR!” Zaelie applauded along with the rest of the people in the hall.

“James, Lily.”

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

“Reyes, Helena.”

“RAVENCLAW!” Yes! Now Zaelie wouldn’t be alone! .

“Garberg, Krisseline.” The girl glared at the professor.

“GRYFFINDOR!” Caedis cheered very loudly. Zaelie felt a sting of jealousy.

Then he was called. Harry Potter. The whole hall was completely silent watching him walk up and put on the hat. He sat there, the hat’s brim covering his eyes. No one moved, everyone secretly hoping that the boy who lived would be in their house.

“GRYFFINDOR!” The hat’s words rang loud and clear around the silent hall. The whole table leapt up and cheered as he ran down to sit across from Caedis at the table.

The rest of the sorting passed in a blur. To Zaelie’s disappointment, one of the girls who’d ignored her on the train, Cassandra Moon was also put in Ravenclaw. At least Helena was in Ravenclaw so she’d know one person. Zaelie noticed the other girl with “Celine” was also sorted into Slytherin.  And at least she hadn’t screwed up her sorting as much as Neville Longbottom who’d run off the stool to his table still wearing the sorting hat.

They were finally there. The place they’d wanted to be their whole lives. Hogwarts.