end
The Sorting Hat thought of many other students. Each one had brought their own complexities, their own challenges. Some choices had been clear; others had been fraught with uncertainty. The Hat had seen their potential, but it could never predict their futures.
It had always known one truth: the houses didn’t define the students. The choices they made, the paths they walked—that was what truly shaped them. The Hat could only guide them to where they might thrive, but it couldn’t dictate who they would become.
“I don’t choose their fate,” the Hat thought quietly. “I only see what’s already inside them.”
And so, it waited. Another year. Another round of students. Another chance to see the spark of potential in their young minds. The Hat didn’t need to know the outcome—it simply needed to play its part and trust in the magic of the castle and its students.
And as the Great Hall began to fill with light and the echoes of footsteps in the distance, the Sorting Hat felt that familiar flicker of anticipation.
A new chapter was about to begin. Another generation. Another story waiting to unfold.