The sorting ceremony
The boat ride to the castle was a lot shorter than the train ride, leaving less time for him to talk to Max who was currently filling them in on the sorting ceremony. “So basically there’s four houses, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin.” Dustin’s eyes were practically bulging out of his head as questions whirled around his mind.”So what happens? You said something about a sorting hat right, do we not get to choose the house we want to be in?” Max and El shook their heads in unison. “ The sorting hat chooses.” El spoke softly, raking her hand through her hair in order to maintain it. Will and Dustin shot each other bewildered looks. “Are you kidding me?!” Dustin complained, kicking his feet out like a tantrumming child. Max snorted at this “ What do you expect? If it were a choice I bet nobody would be in Slytherin.” El silently nodded at Maxs words. Will narrowed his eyes at them. “What’s so bad about Slytherin?” Dustin turned back to face them, also intrigued in the subject. El and Max exchanged glances before shaking their heads, “you’ll find out soon enough.” Max sneered. Will glanced at Dustin. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
Before they knew it they were out of the rocking boats and walking towards a huge flight of stairs. Dustin and El were a little ahead whilst Max and Will began talking in hushed whispers. “What house do you want to be in?” Will asked curiously, hoping that her answer would give him some sort of idea of what the houses were about. Max had indulged them on the basic information, and how they would have to sit on a stool in front of everyone and be sorted. The idea made Wills skin crawl, it was going to be so humiliating. Max immediately perked up at the question, flashing him a wide grin, “ I would love to be a Gryffindor y’know because they’re so- I’m sorry but do you know him, this is like the third time I’ve seen him staring and I don’t think it’s at me?” Her voice was stern, and for a moment he felt like he was talking to his mother. He turned to face what Max was discreetly pointing at only to be met with a familiar pair of dark brown eyes. And jet black curly hair. It was the boy from the train. And he was staring right at him. Will felt a shiver go coursing through his body which he would blame on the wind if not for the boy glancing his way. This boy definitely did not like him, and will found himself fighting the urge to look away. He wondered what this meant, was he going to get bullied again? Was this the universes way of telling him this wasn’t going to be a fresh start? His mind started to wander when he felt a tug on his arm, it was Max. It was only then that he realised he hadn’t answered her question. “Uh no- I uh, I don’t.” He glanced back towards the boy who was still staring at him. And then the boys features graced into a genuine smile, awkward for sure but it looked like he meant it. Will returned the gesture, just as awkward as the boy looking at him. he slightly raised his hand, waving at him before turning back to Max. He really needed to stop reading into things.
They reached the top of the stairs in record time, Dustin being heavily out of breath as they took their first steps into the castle, only to see more steps menacingly staring back at them. Dustin sighed, rubbing the back of his calves, causing Max to roll her eyes. A woman in dark emerald green robes and a black witch hat emerged from a huge set of oak doors to greet them, introducing herself as professor McGonagall as she led them up the staircase, stopping suddenly in front of the huge set of doors. She spun on her heel to face them, voice booming as she spoke.” Now before we begin the feast you must be sorted into your houses.” Will snook a glance at Max who was grinning from ear to ear. He smiled at his friend, turning his attention back to the professor after having missed half of what she was saying. “- and with all that said I welcome you to the great hall.” And with the wave of her wand, the doors began to open, revealing Wills worst nightmare. In front of him was a huge dining hall, four tables full almost entirely by students. He gulped as his eyes reached the far side of the room. Sat perched on a stool was a hat. It was old and battered, not fit to be on somebody’s head. It must be the sorting hat. he found himself gaping at the sight, quickly snapping his mouth shut a brushing down his robes in an attempt to clean himself up. McGonagall led the first years down the centre of the room, faces boring into the back of Wills head as he passed them. They stopped in front of the hat, leaving enough room for people to walk up to it and be sorted into their permanent house. Will was nervous now, and Dustin must have noticed as his arm slowly draped across Wills shoulder. “It’ll only be a couple of seconds, well at least that’s what El told me. Although she also said someone once took five minutes to get sorted, that must have been humiliating. But hey, i doubt that'll be you right?” He chuckled, patting Wills shoulder before retrieving his hand. He knew Dustin was trying to shake the nerves but he had made things at least ten times worse. What if the hat couldn’t sort him? Suddenly, the hat moved making Will and Dustin gasp, Will in horror and Dustin in excitement. The hat began to speak, although Will couldn’t be sure as it was only murmuring and huffing. Max leaned close to his ear. “You’re gonna love this.” She whispered grinning at him as he turned to face her. He didn’t have time to ask her why because the hat began to speak again. No that wasn’t right, it 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 in 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!
Will found himself smiling at the daft old hat. After hearing what it had to say about the houses he was more than sure he was going to be sorted into Hufflepuff. He was definitely loyal and he was always honest and fair, it seemed as though he was made for that house. McGonagall began to talk through the plan of being sorted, with the students being sorted in alphabetical order. In order of surnames. Will silently cursed himself for his surname being Byers. He was going to be one of the first up there. He started to tap his feet, a nervous habit he had picked up from his brother. El must have noticed as she grabbed his hand and interlaced their fingers. He peered over his shoulder to look at her, an encouraging smile beaming back at him. she was just about to speak up, probably trying to give him a pep talk that he really didn't want when he heard his name being called out. “William Byers!” Miss McGonagalls voiced echoed around room startling Will as his name was called out a second time. El gave his hand a light squeeze before letting go, lightly pushing him towards the hat. He awkwardly walked towards it, McGonagall lifting the hat from the stool to let Will sit down. Once he was sat he realised just how many people were in the room, not even counting the teachers sat behind him. He felt the hat lower onto his head, flattening his bowl cut. “Hmm, very loyal, yes Hufflepuff could be great for you y’know.” Will eyes widened. Was the hat reading his mind? “But you have a lot of wits too, Ravenclaw could be a great choice too,” wait what? “ but you aren’t afraid of a challenge are you? No, no I think I know where to put you,” Wills eyes fluttered closed waiting for the big reveal. “GRYFFINDOR!” Wills eyes opened to the cheers erupting on his left side. He glanced down to see his friends cheering and grinning like idiots. He jumped out of the stool and practically ran over to the Gryffindor table and took a seat. It wasn’t what he had expected but he was happy none the less. This was the house Max had hoped she’d be sorted into, and from what the hat had sang he was supposedly brave. He felt the smile creeping back onto his face, looking back up to the stool to see it already occupied by another first year.
The sorting ceremony was taking far too long and none of his friends had even been sorted yet. Although they had just begun the surnames beginning with H so he couldn't really complain. “Dustin Henderson!” McGonagall shouted. Dustin beamed, proudly walking up to the chair, whilst McGonagall plopped the hat onto his head. The hat hadn’t even needed to think because it simply roared “HUFFLEPUFF!” Will found himself clapping as Dustin skipped over ti the Hufflepuff table, which was thankfully right next to the Gryffindor table. His smile dropped however once he realised his friend wasn’t in his house, did that mean he wouldn’t see Dustin again? “Jane Hopper?” El glanced at Will before taking her seat, hat perched on her head. Like Dustin she was placed in Hufflepuff. Leaving only Max out of the four of them to be placed.
Finally her name was read out by McGonagall. “Maxine Mayfield?” Will could see Maxs eye roll from his seat. She skipped over to the stool and the hat was placed on her fiery red hair. After a couple moments of thinking the sorting hat boomed “GRYFFINDOR!” Will felt himself rising out of his chair cheering for her. Max came running down from the stool and sliding into the seat next to Will, hugging him at same time. “ That was a lot more nerve wracking than I thought it would be.” She finally said. Will nodded. Max had been sorted into the same house as him. Everything was going to be okay.
The ceremony seemed to blur past him after his friends had been sorted and they were now bearing the end of it. Will glanced up to see the last few people who still hadn’t been sorted. Amongst them was the boy from the train, who eyes were fixated on the hat. His foot was tapping against the floor and in that moment, Will felt bad for him. He had complained about being one of the first people to go up but he hadn’t even thought about how it would have been to go last. Feeling as though you’re holding everyone up for being called out last. He empathised with him. “Michael Wheeler!” The boy took a step forward, then another, striding towards the hat in his best efforts to not look nervous. He sat on the stool peering at each of the tables. His eyes landed on Will momentarily before snapping towards the Slytherin table. The hat had took his time, not saying a word but sitting on the boys head as though it were a bed. Will had seriously started to think the hat had fallen asleep before it screeched into the great hall “SLYTHERIN!” A roar erupted from the Slytherin table and he saw Mike take a deep breath before slipping out of the stool and into a seat next to the other boy from the train. Lucas he remembered Mike saying. He found his eyes kept wandering back to the boy even after the feast had started. He didn’t know why, maybe it was him wanting to know why hat took so long or wanting to ask why he was staring at him before they entered the hall. But he kept his mouth shut, instead talking to Max about where their dorms and common room would be.
After the feast the prefects started leading the first years towards the common rooms and dorms. He had realised by now that he wouldn’t have a dorm to himself and he definitely wouldn’t be allowed to share with Max, which meant he’d have to dorm with entirely new people. The people he had seen at the Gryffindor table had seemed nice, but he was so infatuated with Max he hadn’t even introduced himself to them. Whilst walking out he and Max found themselves walking alongside the Hufflepuffs. They have a long wave towards El and Dustin before heading off in a different direction.
he had climbed plenty of stairs but moving stairs? That was a first. He and Max began running up them, fearing that if they waited too long the stairs would move and they would be stranded in the middle of nowhere. They reached a halt in front of a painting. A portly lady who Will realised was moving. Gasps erupted around him as they too noticed the portraits movement.” Password?” She spoke. She sounded posh. “Grata Domum.” The prefect said turning to face the first years,” and don’t you guys go and forget it, write it on your hands if you have to.” The portrait swung open, revealing a room that was, well it was definitely red. The Gryffindors really went all in with the house colour. Though he supposed each common room was the same. There was large window situated next to the fireplace which Will thought would be great for sketching the grounds once it was daytime. There were also dozens of bookcases scattered around the room which Will was sure would come in handy. It seemed cozy enough and upon inspection he saw the sign reading Boys dormitories. Turning to Max he said. “ guess this is my stop. I’ll see you tomorrow?” Max smiled replying “ I’ll meet you in here at 7:30 no later, otherwise I’ll have to come through there and drag you out myself.” Will chuckled at her statement before turning back around and walking towards the boys dormitories.
The dormitories were already assigned which he was thankful for, not wanting to go round asking if anybody would have him in their dorm. Once in the dorm he noticed all of his possessions, neatly placed on a bed by the window. Chester screeched at the sight of him and Will found himself bounding over to him, scooping up the cage and ruffling his feathers.
Once his side of the dorm was organised he introduced himself to his roommates. They were nice enough but he didn’t really feel the connection he had with his new friends. Instead choosing to spend his spare time laying back in his bed and trying to doze off to sleep. He was awoken a couple of minutes later by his roommate Ben, who handed him a piece of paper. On the paper was a timetable. His timetable. Of all the classes he was going to have this year.
On Monday he had charms with the Hufflepuffs, which was great as he could spend his time catching up with El and Dustin and defence against the dark arts with the Slytherins.
On Tuesday he had potions with the Hufflepuffs and transfiguration with the Ravenclaws.
On Wednesday he had Astronomy with the Slytherins, which was at midnight. How strange.
On Thursday he had herbology, which was also with the Slytherins and charms again.
And on Friday he had history of magic with the Ravenclaws and then the afternoon off, occasionally having a flying lesson which intrigued Will.
He placed the slip of paper down on the nightstand and closed his eyes again, drifting off into a non interrupted sleep.