The Sorting Part 1
Percy's POV:
Professor McGonagall led them into a large room, called the Great Hall apparently. Percy can see why it's great. Candles are floating around and there are four long tables with hundred of students sat at them. Suddenly, Percy felt very out of place and the fact that there is no ceiling did not help. Nothing to stop Zeus from striking him down.
Professor McGonagall placed a very shrivelled and old hat onto a stool in front of what Percy assumed to be the teachers' table. There was an awkward silence, and then the hat began to sing:
Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong to Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart,
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil,
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind,
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!
(Yes, it reuses the songs every 8 years so that none of the students notice)
Even Apollo's haikus are better than the Sorting Hat's singing. That's all that needs to be said about it.
Professor McGonagall speaks again, "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted."
Then she starts reading names, Percy spaces out until he hears: "Chase, Annabeth!"
He gives Annabeth's hand a reassuring squeeze and watches her make her way to the stool at the front. All eyes were on her, she was of particular interest as she was one of the 'transfer students' from America.
Annabeth's POV:
She confidently walks up to the stool and pulls the hat over her head as she sits down. She may be 17 but the hat still covered her face.
Now, I'm going to have to see into your memories if you want to be sorted.
She panicked, almost ripping the hat off of her head but she managed to keep her cool. "Is there any way to sort me without seeing my memories?"
I'm afraid not.
"Schist, ok.. Do you promise not to speak of this to any other person or talking being?"
Yes, I am sworn to secrecy, the only thing I can reveal to anyone is your house.
"Swear on the River Styx."
Sorry?
"Oh you're a hat, never mind then. Just... make it quick."
I must say, I am quite curious now.
"You shouldn't be."
Ok then, looking now-
Silence. There was utter silence as her whole life flashed before her eyes, literally. Running away, Thalia dying, meeting Percy for the first time, her first quest, finding out of Luke's betrayal and so on. As the memories got closer and closer to the fall into Tartarus, Annabeth began to have second thoughts.
"Wait! No, stop!"
Too late. It was happening, she was reliving the things that haunted her worst nightmares: outsmarting Arachne, falling for eternity, the River Cocytus, drinking from the Phlegethon, getting curses from the Arai, fighting Akhyls and... facing Tartarus himself.
I- I am so sorry. You-
The hat sounds like it was choking back sobs, which should be impossible, because it's a hat.
You- You're so brave, it's amazing that you're still alive. If not from dying from monster attacks but amazing that you haven't ended it yourself yet..
"Yeah well- I have something to live for."
Perseus.
"Yeah... look, can you just sort me into a house and be done with it?"
Of course, of course. I'm sorry. Well, I must say that since you are a child of Athena, my first thought was that you should be in Ravenclaw but now... yes I think that would be best.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Oh and hat, please put Percy-"
The hat was taken off her head before she could finish but she was certain the hat knew what she was about to say.
She blinks back tears, adjusting to the light of the hall, and notices everyone staring at her. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.
McGonagall points her in the direction of the Gryffindor table and they all start cheering, remembering that that's what they're supposed to do.
She tries to walk calmly over to the table but she was shaking a lot and people definitely noticed. She sat down one space away from the boy on the train- Harry is his name, she remembers. The one space between them was for Percy. She trusted that the hat would place him with her.
"Are you okay?" a female voice asks, Annabeth looks up and sees Hermione sitting opposite her. "You're shaking a lot and you spent like 5 minutes getting sorted."
"I'm fine." That came out more rude than she intended, but oh well, Hermione will get over it.
"No you're not." Harry says.
"Yes, I am! Now leave me alone."
"di Angelo, Nico!"
Annabeth's head snaps up from her lap, first making eye contact with Percy, who looks both worried and concerned, and then turning to watch Nico.
Nico's POV:
Nico really doesn't like attention. This classes as attention.
Hurriedly, he makes his way up to the stool and and pulls the hat over his head.
Oh god, another one.
"What do you mean, another one? Another what?"
Another demigod.
"How do you know that I'm a demigod?"
Your friend, Annabeth Chase.
"And?"
Nico is slightly worried, he had seen how much Annabeth was shaking after being sorted, he definitely did not want that to be him in a few minutes time.
I need to see into your memories, Nico di Angelo.
"Absolutely not! Who do you think you are?!"
If you want to be sorted, I need to. I'm truly sorry.
"I- No! You can't-"
Nico couldn't bear the thought of having to see Bianca again, see younger him scream at Percy when he found out..
"No."
The hat sighed- he's just going to pretend that's normal.
I understand that you do not wish to see these memories again, nor for anyone else to see them. But I assure you, this is necessary.
"No! This completely undermines all the trauma I've been through! Gods, I sound like Mr D."
Mr D?
"Dionysus. He's been helping me out."
I see, I didn't realise demigods had such close relationships with gods.
"We don't, Zeus cursed Dionysus to work at Camp Half Blood-"
Your summer camp.
It wasn't a question. "Yes, Dionysus.. well basically he upset Zeus and Zeus sent him to work at Camp Half Blood for 100 years as punishment."
Harsh.
"Pfft, he'll probably forget about it as soon as the 100 years are over. That's how the gods are."
I see, can I look in your memories now?
"No."
Fine, I didn't want to have to do this but..
"I said no!"
Memories began flashing by: getting thrown in the Lethe by Hades (even though that wasn't a memory), getting out of the Lotus Casino and discovering it was 70 years later than he thought it was, seeing his first monster- the manticore teacher- with Percy, Thalia and Grover-, Bianca joining the Hunters and leaving him on his own, Percy coming back with the news...
"Stop!"
Nico could feel tears rolling down his cheeks but he didn't care. If everyone saw him like this, so be it.
"Stop! Please."
But the memories kept flashing by: Nico cursing Percy, meeting Minos, the Battle of the Labyrinth, Hades telling him that it would have been better if Bianca had lived, Percy holding him at sword-point after Nico betrayed him and fighting in the Battle of Manhattan.
Every traumatic thing up until now was shown. Even his time in Tartarus and in the jar.
Nico's hands balled into fists as the scene with Cupid replayed, he still hadn't mentally recovered from that.
Are all of you this traumatised?
"No. Only me, Percy and Annabeth have been to Tartarus and it is by far one of the most traumatic things that can happen to you."
Nico could feel anger boiling inside of him.
"And I was starting to improve! I was happy! Happy with Will! But now- now you have set me back about a million steps!"
I see- I realise now that forcing that out of you was not a good idea. I'm sorry.
"No you're not! You don't care! You don't understand, you're a hat for gods sake!"
Nico was losing control, cracks were appearing in the ground below the stool and he felt a skeleton pop up in the corner of the room. Hopefully, no one was looking over there. He willed himself to calm down, practicing some of the breathing exercises that Mr D had taught him in their sessions.
"Just sort me before I slice you into pieces!"
I see, well there is only one place for you.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Thank gods, at least he was with one friend.