The Unknown: A Harry Potter Story

Chapter 5: The Sorting Ceremony

The doors flung open, ushering them into a large room lit by thousands and thousands of floating candles hovering over four long tables. The tables were covered with glittering golden plates and goblets, and at the tables sat the rest of the student body. At the far end of the hall stood another long table, where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years through the room and had them stand in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them.

While staring out at the ocean of faces, Jason could hear Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History." Wondering what she was talking about, he looked up to see that the roof appeared like the night sky dotted with stars. It seemed as if there wasn't a ceiling at all, but instead, the room was open to the heavens.

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, which was beaten up, dirty, and filled with patches. The entire hall went quiet until a rip near the brim opened into a mouth, and the hat began to sing. In the song, the hat explained that to be sorted into a house, a student has to wear the hat, and it would place them.

When the hat stopped singing, the hall burst into applause. The hat bowed to each of the four tables and then became still again.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered. "I'll kill Fred. He was going on about wrestling a troll."

Jason and Harry both smiled at that. Why would Ron even believe that? Jason thought to himself.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward, holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbot, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled her way out of line, put on the hat that fell to cover her eyes, and sat on the stool. A moment's pause -

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The right-most table cheered and clapped as Hannah sat down with them. The ghost of the Fat Friar also waved at her.

Jason didn't pay much attention as the sorting ceremony continued. Instead, he took the time to contemplate what his life would be like with each house. He would like Gryffindor, but Ravenclaw would be interesting too, most people don't want Hufflepuff, but he doesn't see a problem with it. The only house he absolutely didn't want to be in was Slytherin.

"Diggory, Frederick!" Jason was snapped out of his thoughts.

The lanky boy slowly inched his way out of the line and towards the stool. He had a nervous look on his face, as he tentatively put on the hat as he sat on the stool. It was dead quiet for a while, longer than any of the other sortings, but finally, the hat spoke.

"RAVENCLAW!"

The Ravenclaw table erupted with cheers, and from the Hufflepuff table, Jason could make out Cedric Diggory clapping. Fredrick made his way to the Ravenclaw table with a look of both relief and disappointment on his face.

"Fortescue, Jason," Professor McGonagall called after a few more people were sorted. Many people in the hall started to whisper to each other, as they recognized him.

Jason made his way to the stool, trying to portray an air of confidence that he didn't feel. As he picked up the hat, he felt the rough material in his hand. When he placed the hat on his head and took a seat on the stool, the hat drooped down over his eyes, encasing him in darkness.

"Hmm," a small voice whispered in his ear. "This will be interesting. I see reasons to place you in each house. Courage? Yes, plenty of that. Ambition? A fair amount of that too. Lots of intelligence and loyalty as well."