The Sorting
The room that they walked into was, luckily big enough to fit them all. Taller than it was wide, the stone room felt immeasurably huge. Knowing how small this room probably was in relation to the rest of the castle, Nico felt a little bit overwhelmed- this was the biggest building he had ever seen.
He stumbled slightly, accidentally catching the back of some girl’s shoe. She smirked at him as he stumbled out an apology, and ruffled her short pink hair as she turned back around. Embarrassed, Nico tried to move away to the sides of the room, and he couldn’t help the pleasant warm feeling in his chest as he noticed that Cecil was walking with him.
Nico could see the other boy more clearly in the orange light from the fire along the walls. It cast weird shadows on his face, lighting up his curly light brown hair an orange-white at the edges, like someone had tried to spray paint around the outside of his head. Even though he wasn’t talking, his mouth was pulled to one side like he was about to crack a joke, and his dark eyes took in the castle walls with a twinkling mischief. When he noticed Nico looking at him, he smiled a goofy smile, and opened his mouth to say something that probably would have been witty and hilarious, but alas, was cut off as a gasp swept through the room. The two boys turned along with everyone else, and Nico couldn’t really believe what he saw.
It was a ghost. Or at least, this was the most ghost-like girl Nico had ever seen, as she was a glowing pearly green and was floating at least 6 inches above the ground. She looked to be in her late teens, with hair in a messy, curly braid to one side, and eyes scrunched up in amusement. Despite being dead she really didn’t seem very sad at all. In fact, she smiled a very big smile at the shocked crowd of soon-to-be-first-years.
“Well, hello there! My, don’t you all just get smaller as the years go on! You all are about to be Sorted, yes?” A few students nodded mutely. “Wonderful! I remember my Sorting Ceremony. I was terrified. But, don’t worry! There’s nothing to be afraid of. You’ll always be placed where you need to be, I can tell you that.”
The door on the opposite wall began to creak open, and while some students whipped around to see what was happening, many, like Nico, were still transfixed by the glowing teenager.
“That’ll probably be Hagrid to lead you in. If you have any questions or ever need to talk, just come find me! My names Hestia. Have fun!” She smiled again, a sweet one, and glided through the wall.
Hagrid opened the door all the way, golden light spilling into the stone entry room. Nico felt his stomach drop in anticipation, and glanced around to see if anyone else felt the same way. He was slightly mollified by the noticeable paleness to Cecil’s face and the tension in his shoulders. Hagrid clapped his huge hands together, and the whole crowd jumped. He chuckled at them good-naturedly.
“They’re ready for ya now. Follow me!”
The Great Hall was named perfectly, because Nico honestly didn’t think he’d ever seen a hall greater than this one. Craning his neck towards the ceiling, he took in the roof with a kind of quiet awe. The stars shone and twinkled down into the room, and the giant luminous moon cast a silvery light that contrasted greatly with the hundreds of floating candles scattered about. Nico wondered about the candles themselves. Were they magically suspended? What if they burned too much, and dripped hot wax downwards? Would it be caught with magic or would the unlucky student beneath just have to deal with minor burns? Nico can’t imagine it being that last one. Surely they had some sort of health and safety precautions.
His gaze was torn from the sky when he abruptly ran into the boy in front of him. Nico opened his mouth to apologize but the boy cut him off.
“Watch where you’re going, idiot. Can’t you use your own feet?”
Nico shut his mouth. Mumbling a slight apology, he eyed the boy as he haughtily turned back around. Weak, skinny, and pale, with hair so blonde that it looked almost colorless, that touched the collar of his shirt. Not only did he act like a jerk, he looked like one too. The boy noticed him looking and gave him another menacing glare, causing Nico to drop his eyes again. Cecil patted Nico comfortingly on the arm, making him jump slightly.
“It’s alright Nico. He’s just being rude. Plus, he looks like a scarecrow.” He whispered. Nico had to stifle a snort as Hagrid gruffly set a wobbly wooden stool with a large old hat down in front of them.
Nico looked at it curiously. It was worn and dusty and covered in mismatched stitches, as if it had been repaired many times since its making. Something about it radiated wisdom though. Nico almost couldn’t find it in himself to be surprised when a seam near the brim ripped open and began to sing- almost. It sang in a loud clear voice:
“Listen close and listen well,
For I’m about to share
The entire story of Hogwarts.
Believe me, I was there.
The founders thought they would remain
As teachers for all time.
But on the chance they could not stay,
The pleasure would be mine.
Twas in the early days of youth,
When Gryffindor sewed me new,
To sort new students into place,
Where their journeys would be true.
Whether that be Hufflepuff,
Where there are hearts as good as gold.
These accepting folks shall be your friends,
From when you’re young to when you’re old.
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
Where dwell the sharp of mind.
These creative and enduring ones
Harness the knowledge of mankind.
Or you could be in Gryffindor,
Where the courageous ones are found.
They’ll protect their friends fierce and true
Til they’re put in the ground.
Or last of all in Slytherin,
Where lie those of great ambition.
These cunning and determined folks,
Do it all to achieve their mission.
So come on up and try me on,
Pull me snug about your ears.
And I’ll tell you where you should be
For all your Hogwarts years!”
The school exploded into applause. The hat bent its pointed tip towards the masses, as if taking a bow, and then became still again. Nico was completely bewildered. He had seen and heard many weird things, but even despite being warned it was a little disorienting to see inanimate objects possess the power of speech and movement.
The strict looking lady seated at the center of the table facing the first years stood up from the large ornate chair and walked down next to the stool. She pulled a yellow, cracking piece of parchment out of seemingly nowhere.
She looked over her glasses to the group of students fidgeting at her feet. “As always, we will begin by welcoming new students into our midst. When I call your name, please step forward so that you may be placed in your Houses.”
“Octavian Augustine!”
The boy Nico had run into earlier haughtily stalked up to the stool and shoved the hat on his head. His expression was schooled into a dignified and detached sort of disgust, but Nico privately thought he looked ridiculous with that giant droopy hat on his head. His frame was so skinny and his head so small that Nico could easily imagine the Hat simply swallowing him whole. Instead of eating him, the hat instead seemed inclined to just sit silently. Or at least, it was silent to everyone else. From the way that Octavian was rolling his eyes, he was having some form of conversation with the enchanted headwear. He then looked very pleased with himself, and actually whispered aloud, “Yeah, where else would I be?” before the rip in the brim of the hat yawned open again and screamed the word “SLYTHERIN!”
The table to the far left erupted in cheers and Octavian smiled hauntingly as he went to join them. Nico felt inexplicable relief when he lost sight of him. The relief spread as he realized that the Sorting process seemed to be pretty private. He’d heard about the hat and the Sorting from Bianca of course, but he’d always been afraid he would have to converse with it aloud.
A few more people were Sorted as Nico anxiously waited for them to approach the surnames beginning with D. A pretty girl named Reyna with a braid of hair long enough to hit her waist was also sorted into Slytherin, after she told McGonagall in front of the entire school that she’d prefer to be referred to with her first name only. Another boy named Clovis Cadal fell asleep as soon as the hat dropped over his eyes, and the hat laughed and put him in Ravenclaw, where he sloppily settled into the bench and promptly fell asleep again.
Nico craned his neck and grinned, trying to catch a glimpse of the sleeping boy, but then a few small words made the blood rush to his head.
“Nico Di Angelo.”
He tried very hard to not feel like he was marching to his own death.
The old wooden stool was rickety and weak when he settled upon it, and he made sure to prop the hat on his head in a way that he could still see the tables. His head was still very small though. He cursed himself once again for being so short.
I’m sorry to inform you that you are probably always going to be very short, my dear boy.
Nico almost fell off the stool.
Now, calm down. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. That tends to happen.
“It’s okay.” Nico thought softly, feeling a bit ridiculous.
Good. Well let’s take a look then. My, a lot of potential here. You’re brave, definitely, so brave in ways that you don’t even realize yet. And loyal too- you would stand by your family and friends til your very last breath. And wisdom, creativity- mounds of it. You strive to create, to build, even when you feel like all you do is break things down. You’re full of cunning too- I see plans and tricks and grudges. My, my Nico Di Angelo. Where to put you?
“That’s all well and good,” Nico thought, distractedly noticing how the other first years were looking at him, interested and apprehensive. “But where should I go?”
I think, the hat mused, that you should decide your own path. Where do you want to go, Nico?
“Me?” Nico started at the question. “You’re asking me where I want to be placed?”
Nico Di Angelo, in my time here at Hogwarts, I have learned many things, and one of the most important is that every hero thrives best with the opportunity to control their destiny.
“But I’m no hero.”
Not yet you aren’t.
Nico cast his gaze across the hall. His face got a little warm when he realized just how many people were gazing up at him expectantly. He looked over at the Slytherin table, catching the eye of the Reyna girl, who didn’t exactly smile at him, but the tilt of her chin and the set of her jaw gave him confidence anyways.
He didn’t know if he was brave, or true of heart. If he was being honest with himself, the values of a Gryffindor seemed like very high standards, and he could feel his courage actually leaving him at the thought of having to live up to that. And the values of being a Slytherin scared him too- he didn’t believe in the idea that all Slytherins were bad at all, but he had to admit to himself that their values were the most negative of the lot. Cunning and charm can be good in the right situations. But Nico didn’t know the first thing about being charming. He always used to charm his teachers by just being adorable, but somehow he felt that wasn’t really what the hat was describing. And for Hufflepuff, the sayings about being a friend, loyal and true… well he was certainly loyal, but he’d always had trouble making close friends at school. He just had acquaintances. He mainly stuck with his sister.
His sister….
He’d always gotten great grades in school. He was intelligent and dedicated to schoolwork and was willing to try very hard to do well. But he knew that wasn’t really what Ravenclaw was about either. It was creativity, it was ingenuity, and it was passion. Did he have that? He had no idea.
But then he looked at the Ravenclaw table and saw Bianca nervously clutching the arms of her sweater and giving him an encouraging smile and he knew what he had to do.
“I want to be with my sister.”
Are you sure?
“Yes, of course I’m sure. I always want to be with my sister.”
It would be wise of you to learn how to deal with situations where that is not possible.
And before Nico could adequately respond so such a morbid statement, the hat was yelling “RAVENCLAW!” into the hall, and he was being ushered into a cheering table next to Bianca.
She pulled him into a tight hug and whispered “I’m so glad you’re here,” into his ear over the roar of the cheering table. People he didn’t recognize were patting him on the back, so he just smiled meekly at them. Annabeth leaned over from the other side of Bianca and gave him a smile and a thumbs up.
Over the roar of Grace, Jason being sorted into Gryffindor, Nico took in the table in front of him. The plates were shiny and golden and all completely empty. His face reflected back at him, bright and watery like he was staring through several layers of plastic wrap. Even so, his face looked as blank as his mind felt. He was completely overwhelmed.
There was so much noise, and so many people, and so much to look at. He noticed that the longer the Sorting went on, the longer it took for the Houses to finish their cheering so that the next person could be called. He could see some of the older students rolling their eyes at this, sometimes even shushing them. He supposed it must be old news to them by now, but it was still so exciting and new to him that he cheered as loud as he could when people were sorted into Ravenclaw.
When one girl, Lou Ellen Sinclair, was sorted into Ravenclaw, she plopped into the seat next to Nico. It was the girl with the pink hair that he had run into in the entryway. She smiled a mischievous smile at him. He said hello. She offered her fist to him, and he tapped it with his, uncertainly. He guessed they were friends now?
“Solace, William.”
Nico looked back up to see who was being sorted, but before he could see the boy’s face it was hidden by the hat. The hat took a few moments, and the boy fidgeted nervously. Nico wondered idly what was happening when the boy’s fists suddenly clenched onto his robes. The hat chuckled, and yelled “HUFFLEPUFF!”
The boy turned around and set the hat back on the stool carefully, before turning in the opposite direction towards the cheering table, hands firmly stuck in the pockets of his robes, and head tilted so low it seemed like his chin was touching his chest.
Nico wondered why he looked so afraid.
Nico was beginning to get hungry by now. He hadn’t eaten anything since that morning’s breakfast, because when the sweet old candy lady offered him some he got too shy and said no before even thinking. His eyes glazed over, and he spaced out a bit, only clapping when Valdez, Leo was sorted into Ravenclaw. Finally, finally, it was the last person to be sorted, a chubby Asian boy called up with the name Frank Zhang who was placed into Hufflepuff.
The woman, whose name was Professor McGonagall as Bianca had whispered to him, rolled up her parchment and turned to the students. Her magically amplified voice said, “I will save my start of term notices for after supper. But for now, eat!”
Nico wondered briefly if she had gone mad. There was no food on the tables! But then he jumped, startled, as hundreds of plates of steaming, savory food popped up on the golden platters in front of him.
Nico didn’t even know where to begin, but his loudly grumbling stomach pushed him to load up his plate with a little bit of everything from the plates around him. Then, he dug in. He sighed in happiness. It was all amazing. Bianca looked over at him and snorted a little bit.
“You have mashed potatoes on your nose,” she said.
Nico felt himself blush and furiously wiped his nose, looking around to make sure no one else had seen. Unfortunately the Lou Ellen girl was smirking at him again. What was up with that? Was she ever not smirking?
“So, Nico…” the girl started out, “Ever play wizards Battleship?”
Nico swallowed the bite of chicken he’d just put in his mouth, shaking his head. “Is that anything like Muggle Battleship?” He asked. “I’ve played that.”
Her eyes lit up excitedly, and the sarcastic smirk pulled up into a genuine smile. “It’s a lot like that, only way cooler. The ships are armed with tiny crews and they send real mini explosives to the other game board!” Then she was off, explaining the finer points of the game. She got a little maniacal light in her eyes when she talked about winning her first game by sending tiny game spies over to scout out the playing board with her sister not noticing.
“That was actually the first time I used magic,” She finished, giggling a little. Nico felt a bit breathless from laughing. He could see Bianca looking at him, pleased, out of the corner of his eye, but he ignored her for the time being. “The game people aren’t supposed to be able to leave the board, but I somehow took the barriers down. It was really cool! When was the first time you used magic?”
Nico felt his grin become a little fixed. “Well… I never really showed much magic as a kid. My parents thought I was a… what’s the word? A Squib? Yeah, that. We weren’t really sure if I was really magic until I got my Hogwarts letter.” His grin came back, full and easy, as he turned his face towards the star filled ceiling. “But look at me now.”
Lou Ellen punched Nico in the arm, shocking him out of his meaningful moment.
“Yeah man! Look at you now! You’ll be great!” Nico smiled at her. She was loud, and excitable, and nice enough to give advice to people she barely knew. And apparently really, really strong, he thought ruefully, rubbing the sore spot on his arm where she had punched him.
They finished the dinner, chatting idly with each other and with Bianca and Annabeth, who introduced Nico to their other friend Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Bianca kept calling her Red, which Nico supposed was fitting, since not only was it her initials, she had the wildest curly red hair he’d ever seen. She politely shook his hand, and Nico noticed that her sleeves and tie were stained with various colors of paint.
When desert came around, Nico was already full. But when he spotted the bowl of chocolate gelato, he knew he had to take some. It reminded him of the homemade gelato his mom made at her restaurant. Goodness, he missed them already. He resolved to write a letter to Hazel first thing in the morning about everything that had happened so far.
All too soon, the desert cleared itself away, and contented babble filled the huge hall. The soft murmur of the voices soon died away however, as Professor McGonagall stood up to address the congregation once more. Mind clear or hunger and worries, Nico took in her appearance for the first time.
She appeared to be fairly old, her hair a stark and straight gray, but she stood with such authority and presence that Nico subconsciously straightened his own back in turn. She gave the students all a hard stare before her face melted into a smile of its own kind. Her arms opened slightly, like she was about to engage in a hug with all of them.
“Welcome to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.” Her voice echoed throughout the hall. “I hope you all found your summer holidays to be enjoyable, and I hope you sit in your seats tonight ready to begin a new year of learning and magic, whether it is your first night here, or your hundredth.
“I have a few start of term announcements. First years must be aware that passage into the forest is strictly forbidden without express permission from a professor. Anyone found to be breaking this rule will be punished.” She looked out at the students over her rectangular glasses with an air of ‘you had better not even dare.’
“I would also like to announce that next year our Potions master will be retiring.” An old, fat man, raised his hand and waved jovially. “So for this year, Professor Slughorn will be training the next Potions master. She will be in all of his classes. May I introduce Miss Bainsworth?” The students clapped politely as she swept her hand to her side, and a girl who looked to be in her mid-20s stood. Her curly red hair caught the candlelight strikingly, and even from this far away Nico could see her wide, childlike eyes. He caught them, just for a moment. He couldn’t explain the shiver that was sent down his spine when he did.
Professor McGonagall waited for the meager clapping to subside. “All House’s Quidditch tryouts will be held in two weeks. All students are reminded that magical interference before and during these tryouts are strictly forbidden- no potions or spells for luck, no potions or spells for confusion, and no potions or spells to slow or worsen reflexes or agility. I cannot believe I have to stress this, but it is apparently necessary.” Her eyes flashed to the Slytherin table, where a gangly boy with curly brown hair waves jovially at her, before a boy that looked remarkably similar to him slapped the back of his head.
Professor McGonagall glared, but it seemed forced. “Now, I trust you’ve all eaten your fill, so if I could have the Prefects please lead the first years to their dormitories! You will all receive your class schedules first thing in the morning. Thank you and have a good night!” She tapped her wand once on the podium and the doors leading into the Great Hall opened with a flourish. A happy, contented buzz filled the air along with the scraping of the benches as people stood. Bianca gave Nico’s hand a squeeze before gently pushing him in the direction of the girl in the blue tie shouting, “Ravenclaw first years over here please! Over here, please!”
He looked at her blue tie and then glanced down at his own. Huh. It had changed colors automatically. He was now sporting blue and bronze around his neck. Cool.
Lethargy was settling into his bones, and he lazily crowded with the other Ravenclaw first years around the girl. Lou Ellen kept whispering jokes and puns out of the side of her mouth, and Nico kept making tired little snorts.
“Right, is this everyone? Yes? Good. Off we go.” And they followed her like tiny little ducklings.
Nico doubted that he would have been able to keep track of all of the corridors and staircases even if he hadn’t been exhausted. There were just too many. And after everything that had happened that day, he couldn’t find it in himself to even be surprised when the staircase began to move while they were still on it. He just stifled a yawn with the back of his hand and blinked drowsily. Surprise would have to wait.
They went up a dizzying spiral staircase before pausing at the top. The prefect held up her hand for silence, even though no one was really talking.
A soft melodious voice spoke out clearly over the crowd. Nico craned his neck to see who was speaking, but he was too short. Gosh darn.
“Can one create something from nothing?”
The prefect got a thoughtful look on her face, before turning to grin at the door. She answered, “Well, according to the Law of Conservation of matter, there is no such thing as nothing, as nothing can truly be destroyed. So I say yes, because it would be illogical to presume otherwise.”
The soft voice responded, “Well phrased.” And the door swung open.
Nico first impression of his new common room was that it was cold. His second impression was that it was really really cool.
There were high arched windows along every wall, letting in soft moonlight. He could see the lake that they had rowed across, and the sweeping grass grounds. The room itself was composed of beautiful high arches with a stunningly detailed depiction of the stars painted on the ceiling. There was also a large marble statue of a woman wearing an intricate crown standing serenely, gazing out over the squashy blue armchairs. Bookcases filled all the walls where there were not windows. Even in his sleep stupor, Nico could recognize how breathtaking this was.
“Alright, boys dormitories on the left, and girls on the right. Any special accommodations need to be brought up with Professor McGonagall. Please be down here in the common room by 7:30 so that I can give you your schedules and lead you back to the Great Hall for breakfast. Any questions?” Silence. “Good! Just follow your respective staircases up. Your names, as well as the names of your roommates, should be on the door. Your trunks have already been brought up. Sleep well!”
Nico trudged up the left staircase. The boys eventually whittled out, going into their respective rooms, until there were just four of them left at the very top. Nico looked at the sheet of paper on the door.
Clovis Cadal
Nico Di Angelo
Malcolm Pace
Leo Valdez
Nico was so exhausted when he walked through the door that he only had time to locate which bed contained his clothes before he collapsed onto it, asleep. He didn’t even have time to remove his socks.