Angry Birds at Hogwarts (Year 1)

Chapter 2: The Sorting Ceremony

It was magnificent. The first years stared in awe at the bewitched ceiling above them, that looked so much like the night sky outside. The older students were all casting curious glances, wondering about who their new housemates would be. Red swore he saw a few passing sickles, nuts, and  galleons under the tables, betting on which first year would go into which house.

"Bet you five galleons that eyebrows over there goes to Slytherin." Chuck heard a fifth year Hufflepuff whisper to his buddy.

"How could someone that rude not go to Slytherin?" Silver muttered to herself, having apparently heard the older students too.

"Hey," Chuck grumbled, feeling a need to defend Red, "even if he is a bit rude, it doesn't mean he's going to Slytherin. Besides, not all Slytherins are bad."

"Whatever." Silver rolled her eyes as they continued walking.

"Good evening, students." Headmaster Judge called happily as the first years made it up to where the teachers sat.

"As you know, you will be sorted into your house with this hat." Headmaster Judge held up a tattered and patched witches hat.

"Before we sort you, you need to know a few rules. For one, the third floor corridor is out of bounds." Red paid close attention, ignoring the eyes he felt on him. Red couldn't help but feel like all of the teachers and a few of the older students were staring at him like he was radioactive or something.

"Second, do not enter the forest without a teacher. Third, have a wonderful stay while you're here." The end of Headmaster Judge's speech was met with applause and cheers. Red still felt eyes on him.

"And now for the sorting ceremony!" Headmaster Judge flicked his wand, making a roll of parchment appear in the air. The parchment unrolled, a list of names were scrawled upon it.

"Bomb Net!" The Headmaster called cheerfully. Bomb froze for a moment in shock. He walked up to where Headmaster Judge stood, next to an owl podium. A stool appeared at a wave of the Headmaster's wand. Bomb sat down, hopping his robes hid his shaking legs. Headmaster Judge placed the Sorting Hat on Bomb's head, and it snapped alive. Bomb's eyes grew wide as the Sorting Hat's face morphed into the hat.

"A Net. Nets are in every house." The Sorting Hat spoke in it's raspy voice, "Let's see...HUFFLEPUFF!!!" Bomb's face lit up as Headmaster Judge took the hat off of his head and Bomb excitedly went to the Hufflepuff table. For a solid five minutes, Headmaster Judge ranted off names and the sorting hat picked their house. When the Headmaster got to Chuck, he went to Hufflepuff, and like Silver said, she got Ravenclaw. Finally, after a few more names were ranted off, Headmaster Judge called out a name that was greeted with a few gasps.

"Red Cróghact!" Red trudged up to the stool next to the Headmaster, doing his best to ignore the whispers behind him. As the Sorting Hat was placed upon his head, it went silent for a moment as it thought about the owner of the head it rest upon.

"A Cróghact....it's been awhile since I sorted a Cróghact. Strange, it's very rare that I have trouble deciding where to put a student." The Sorting Hat was speaking softly, so only Red could hear it.

"Just put me wherever you want, I don't care." Red's voice was barely even a whisper.

"Oh but you do." The Sorting Hat retorted, "Let's see........GRYFFINDOR!!!" The Gryffindor table cheered as the Sorting Hat was removed from Red's head and he walked silently over to his house table. He made sure to pick a spot that didn't have many people surrounding it.

"Weird." Bomb muttered to Chuck, "he really doesn't seem like a Gryffindor."

"That's what you think." Chuck said as he gazed at the red headed boy he'd shakers a seat with on the train. Chuck felt something weird in his chest as he continued to look at Red, wondering more and more about him, "To me he looks just the type for Gryffindor." Sitting there, wondering who this quite redhead kid could be, Chuck felt that he was going to have a very interesting first year.