The Sorting
The first years were led through the towering double doors into the Great Hall, and Vi had never seen anything like it.
The ceiling stretched impossibly high, glittering with hovering candles and the bright specks of stars through the night sky.
“It’s bewitched,” Caitlyn whispered as Vi stared in awe at the ceiling. “Just a spell to make it look like the sky.”
Vi barely grunted in reply, too overwhelmed for words.
The four long house tables were packed with older students, each and every one of them craning their necks to peek at the newcomers. Gold and silver plates gleamed under the flickering candlelight, and up at the front sat a long table of Professors who watched with interest. At the headmaster’s chair sat a tiny little creature with wise eyes.
Vi barely had time to take it all in before an old, dusty, pointed hat was placed upon an equally old stool at the front of the hall. The woman who had introduced herself as Professor McGonagall stepped forward and unrolled a long scroll of parchment.
“When I call your name, you will come forward, sit on the stool, and place the hat on your head.”
Vi swallowed and glanced at Caitlyn next to her, the girl’s presence reassuring and calm.
One by one, names were called alphabetically, and students approached the stool. The hat spoke, murmuring words meant only for its wearer before coming to a decision and loudly declaring the student’s fate for the whole hall to hear.
“Kiramman, Caitlyn” Professor McGonagall’s shrill voice called out.
Vi shot her a grin and gave her a nudge. “You got this,” she said with a smile.
Caitlyn straightened her shoulders and marched forward, taking a graceful seat on the stool. The hat was placed on her head, and Caitlyn’s expression would change as the hat spoke to her. Then–
“GRYFFINDOR!”
Applause erupted from the red and gold clad table as their newest member made her way over. She caught Vi’s eye and gave her a small smile. Vi couldn’t help but wonder what her parents would think.
“Lanes, Violet,” McGonagall’s voice called. Shit she was up.
Vi froze for half a second before making her way up to the stool. She forced herself to sit as she felt every eye in the Great Hall on her. The hat dropped down onto her head, too big it was, slipping over her eyes. Then, she heard a rough gravelly voice. It wasn’t in her ears, but as if the hat was in her head.
“Hmm… Interesting.”
Vi flinched with nerves.
“Brave, certainly. A bit reckless. Quick-witted, but not one for patience… Oh yes, there’s fire in you. A natural leader…”
Vi sat frozen, her fingers digging into her knees.
“Gryffindor would suit you well… Though I see something else, too. A sharp mind. A strategist’s way of thinking… You could do well in Ravenclaw.”
Vi’s stomach fluttered. Ravenclaw? Wasn’t that for smart people?
“... And yet.”
The hat chuckled like it knew what she was thinking. Vi assumed it did.
“You wouldn’t be happy there, would you? No, no. You need action. You need challenge. You need —”
“GRYFFINDOR!”
The hat shouted the word to the entire hall, and Vi looked over to the sea of cheering red and gold.
She blinked and her stomach flipped. This was real. She barely registered herself sliding off the stool and making her way over to the Gryffindor table, where students clapped her on the back and shook her hand. She slid in next to Caitlyn who gave her a warm smile that stretched into her icy eyes.
Vi exhaled before turning her attention back to the sorting. She watched as the girl from the boat with the stupid hair (Nolen, Maddie) became a Slytherin, O’Hale, Finley became a Hufflepuff, and Prewitt, Theodore also joined the Gryffindor first years. Eventually, Young, Penelope became a Ravenclaw, and the sorting came to a close.
After the remaining first years were sorted, the small creature at the head of the Professor’s table stood to speak.
“Welcome, pupils, to a new term at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor Heimerdinger, Head of School. Before we begin our feast, I would like to take a second and make our new students aware, and remind some of our older students,” – he said this last part with a twinkle of mischief in his eye– “that the Forest on the edge of the grounds is strictly Forbidden.”
Vi caught herself staring at navy blue hair and porcelain skin as the Headmaster continued his speech. Caitlyn was, of course, paying rapt attention.
Vi was snapped from her staring at the sudden filling of plates in front of her. Her eyes widened. She had never seen this much food in one place.
“Let the feast,” Professor Heimerdinger began with a flourish of his hands, “begin!”
Vi didn’t need to be told twice to begin eating. She dug into the food in front of her with a sort of reckless enthusiasm. It wasn’t as though she were starving back in Zaun – Vander made sure they always had enough. But this was something else. Every time a serving plate was emptied, it just refilled in front of her very eyes. She began to let herself think about just how cool this all was, or could be.
“This is incredible,” she mumbled through a mouthful of mashed potatoes. Across the table, a boy with bushy eyebrows and a sly grin chuckled.
“Never had mashed potatoes before, eh?” He laughed.
“Of course I have, just never in unlimited quantities on magic gold plates,” she shot back.
“Don’t mind my friend Mylo here.” Another voice chimed into the conversation. Next to the boy with the bushy brows sat another boy, though a bit more along around the middle. He wore some type of goggles on his head and spoke quite jovially. “Names Claggor, pleasure.”
“Vi,” she answered with a soft smile. “This is Caitlyn,” she gestured to the girl beside her.
After introductions, Vi found herself quite enjoying the conversation with Caitlyn and the two boys. They were friendly enough and the four of them held up a lighthearted conversation throughout dinner. Vi even let herself imagine being friends with the two ruffian looking boys.
Caitlyn sat next to Vi, inserting herself into the conversation where appropriate, cutting her food with precision and taking each bite carefully off the fork with her teeth. It was quite the juxtaposition to the inhalation that Vi had partaken in earlier.
“Oi Vi, gotta crush?” Caitlyn had just excused herself from the table to use the restroom and Claggor took the opportunity to comment on Vi’s obvious staring.
“Oi Claggor! Shove it.” Vi bit back with a touch more defensiveness than she would have liked. She winced, hoping she didn’t ruin a friendship before it even began, but both boys threw their heads back in raucous laughter.
Mylo whooped. “Oh yeah, she’ll fit right in with us, eh Claggs?”
Vi’s shoulders visibly untensed and she was able to relax into more comfortable conversation.