Blue versus Green, but bronze does look fascinating
The Hat settled on Cho’s head, warm and heavy. She thought it to be the the weight of centuries this object lived through.
“Ah,” it murmured. The voice was rich. “Now this is... unexpected.”
Cho let out a slow breath calmly. Her mother’s said to her before the train. “The beginning is half the task.” And was this not her beginning?
“I sense determination,” the Hat continued. “A sharp mind, disciplined and prepared to work... but oh, it is not for your gain. You are a constructor. aren’t you? A foundation for others, that is what you aspire.”
Cho slowly sent out a small trigger of thought - yes. Mind was a delicate thing.
“Interesting,” it mused. “You would thrive in Slytherin, you know. You have ambition, and those don’t need to be power or glory. But of course, your goals are very collaborative.”
Another soft thought - My lone work would be minuscular and ineffective, compared what people can do.
The Hat chuckled. “Wise words, indeed. Yet, I see the pull of many threads within you. Loyalty. Courage. A touch of cunning. You’d do well in any House. You’ll find no shortage of all your values in Ravenclaw, though.”
Cho’s mind flickered briefly to the blue, then green. It was tempting, in a way. She admired the drive, the vision. But they could only take one so far without roots, and every beginning was about the stones you laid out.
“In Ravenclaw, you will find all the tools you need to bring your vision to life,” the hat coaxed.
“I’ve made my choice,” she said quietly.
“So you have,” the Hat replied. “You are a Ravenclaw, both by nature and by choice.”
The Hall erupted in polite applause as the Hat was lifted from her head. Cho glanced at the blue and bronze table, taking a steadying breath. The beginning is half the task, she reminded herself, standing tall as she walked to join her House.
Bronze, of course, is what made many of civilizations.
A faint rustle echoed through the halls. The Ravenclaw prefects scanned the corridor and found a small shadow. The male prefect sighed, half expectant, half annoyed.
"That’s Mrs. Norris," he cautioned the anxious first years who were fidgeting. "Filch’s cat. Don’t let her catch you doing anything suspicious. She’s got a... way of reporting things that are better left unspoken."
Cho, who was at the back of the group, gazed at the said cat. It was a thin, tabby with fur that looked as if it’s seen too many years. However, unlike its browbeaten state, the stares it gave were sharp and calculating.
The tail flicked. The rest stayed statue-still, focused on the newly-sorted Ravenclaws.
“Don’t think she’s just a cat,” the prefect adds quietly with a glance. “She’s more like Filch’s eyes and ears, and he’s always watching out for your hides."
Leaving the ominous mention, the group resumed walking.
Cho did not bothered adding onto the prefect. Her opinions were not wanted. However, one of the girls apparently did not believe so. Maybe it was induced by Cho's thoughtful expression, but whatever the reason was, Cho did not unwelcome it.
"Strange cat, isn’t she?" the girl muttered. Her voice was kept low, and others did not pay attention. "Filch must have done something to her, or maybe... magic?"
Cho realized most of the Hogwarts population did not know that Filch was considered a squib. However, the girl was true. Something about the cat's posture wasn’t quite the way typical cats act.
“I have heard before that magic could influence natural animal instincts to enhance,” Cho started casually but with deliberate precision. “But Mrs. Norris’s behavior seems… conditioned.”
“I don’t know much about cats. I like crups better, so. How is it conditioned, do you think?”
“It’s not how she watches us like a hawk. Cats are territorial, so that’s understandable. But she moves as if to expect something specific to happen.”
“Maybe she is a familiar.”
She cannot be, Cho thought to herself. Filch is a squib. He might own some latent magic to influence non-magical animals, but that is not enough for a familiar bond. However, she only replied back without that tidbit. “Maybe, or maybe not. Whichever it is, she could be a part of hyperawareness Filch possesses.”
“Hmm,” a thoughtful expression emerged to the girl’s face. “Never thought about it like that. It does seem a bit different compared to familiars I’ve seen. Hmm, a good mystery. I like it.”
Cho gave a small smile. A wizarding household, then. Definitely not muggle-raised.
“My, I forgot to introduce myself! I am Lucinda Ashcombe. What’s yours?”
“Cho Chang.”