Fifty Shades of Black

Seven // The Sorting Hat

Cassiopeia Black was a wreck before the Sorting Ceremony. For years, her mother told her about her years as a Gryffindor, and often spoke fondly of her friends. Cassie knew her mother was the boastful, proud, brave Gryffindor, and she heard stories about her father being a cunning Slytherin who got messed up in the wrong crowd of Death Eaters, which led to his death. Cassie's mother swore the death was an honorable one, however, sometimes Cassie wasn't so sure.

Cassie was nervous. She wasn't sure if she was brave enough to be a Gryffindor and live up to her mother's coveted House or if she would follow in her father's footsteps.

The daughter of a Gryffindor and a Death Eater Slytherin. The whisperings about Cassiopeia Black began the minute she stepped on the Hogwarts Express. Many people seemed to have a negative association about her last name, so they avoided her. She sat alone on the train.

All of the first years were nervous, but none seemed more nervous than Cassie. She would be one of the first few to be Sorted, and as the Sorting hat started to rattle off the names and the Houses, Cassie felt sick. She only wanted to make her mother proud.

"BLACK, CASSIOPEIA!"

Cassie was shaking and felt like she was in a trance as she walked to the stool and placed the hat on her head. She couldn't hear the whispers from the other students.

"Cassiopeia Black..." a tiny voice spoke in her ear. Cassie's heart hammered away. "You come from a long line of distinguished witches and wizards."

She gulped and tapped her feet anxiously.

"So many thoughts of courage and mischief... Perhaps you are just like your father and mother... a Gryffindor..."

"My father was a Slytherin..." Cassie wheezed. The hat paused in what felt like surprise.

"Hmmmm... A lie about your father... Perhaps I should have placed your mother in the house of the snakes... Should you be a Slytherin as well?"

"My father? What do you-"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

With that, someone pulled the hat off her head and Cassie rose, ready to meet the excited sea of gold and red. As the feast continued and she was welcomed by her new House, Cassie started to fit in, and forgot about the odd comments from the hat about her father.