"Alright, but what's the House Cup supposed to be for anyway?" Greg looks confused. "Just a year long competition to see which house is the best? Is there really anything out of it other than, well, your house on a cup??"
Vincent remained quiet during most of the trip and stayed such for McGonagall but when it came to Houses talk, he simply shook his head. "Any House is a good house to be in. Just be glad you landed yourself in Hogwarts. But yes, the competition is purely bragging rights for the students and the teachers as well." he said remember how his mother described it.
"It gives us something to focus on. To pull together." she explains. "It teaches us to work with others."
She shrugs, "Or it's just a way to focus the students against each other instead of the faculty."
Ken shuffles his feet as he waits, feeling a little restless and more than a little hungry. As talk turns to the House Cup, he says, "I'd say that the House Cup is a great way to get students to follow the rules and pay attention in class. Think about it. You answer questions right in class, they give you points. You break the rules, they deduct points. Lose enough points, and your own peers will resent you for making them lose the competition. The risk of being the kid with no friends is real good incentive to follow the rules."
Professor McGonagall returned with a scroll in her hand just a few moments later. "We're ready for you." She told the new students before she had them follow her into the Great Hall.
The hall was filled with five long tables, four of which held fellow students from the other years who looked upon that first years with a mixture of interest and nostalgia. But the grandeur of the hall is what drew the first years attention. The large hall was lit with not only the brazers upon the walls but the candles that floated above their heads and.. into the... Night sky?!
The fifth table was the faculty table though what caught the eye was not that, but the small stool that sat just above the three steps that lead to the table. Then upon the a ragged old hat. Professor McGonagall lead all of the first years right up to the stairs. "Gather here please." She said before looked to the hat upon the stool.
Soon the hat began to twitch and pull open at the seem then, it began to sing!
The first of the free steps forth
To place me upon their head and know their worth
For I am the old sorting hat
Know I do where you'll be at
For it twas founders four who made me
Each knowing what they want their House to be
Down from Godric's head I did come
And with enchatment strong
I put you all within the House where you belong
Be it Gryffindor, or Hufflepuff, else Ravenclaw, or Sytherin
Never once have I been wrong
So place me upon your head for all to hear what House you're in
The Great Hall clapped though Head Master of Hogwrats, Professor Dumbledore help up his hand to quiet them again. The Professor McGonagall spoke. "Now when I call your name you will come foreword and I shall place the sorting hat upon your head." With that and a flick of her wrist she unfurled the scroll and began. "Macbeth Aries." A boy rather large for his age with redish-brown hair came foreword and sat upon then stool. McGonagall placed the hat upon his head and only a moment later it cried The far left table exploded in applause as the boy got up and ran over to that table, setting amoung his new house mates.
"Hugh Boyle." A more slender boy with sandy blonde hair followed after that when the hat also called out
"Kyle Campbell" sat upon the stool and and had the hat placed upon his head for it to cry out The far right table laughed and applauded as the welcomed him to the table.
"Camron Castellow" was followed by causing the table on the inner left clapped and cheered.
"Colleen Clarke" soon found herself sorted into
"Dragislav Dobrescu." Prosfessor McGonegall called as she looked out to the group, holding the hat in her hand and waiting.
Ken found himself quite distracted by the enchanted ceiling. I wonder what happens when it rains? Does the Great Hall get wet? Is there magic to keep the rain away?
He's brought back to the here and now by the Sorting Hat's song, then watches as the first of the students goes to be sorted. I wonder if it evenly distributes us, or if some houses end up lopsided. If it needs one more in a House, will it force us into that House even if we don't fit?
Dragoslav set his gaze on the hat and stepped forward. He was starting to get used to the excited feeling of this new experience, his heart wasn't pounding like on the train or boats.
When he sat upon the stool Professor McGonagall placed the hat upon his head.
The hat cried.
Professor McGonagall lifted the hat off of his head as the table on the inner right for the first time of the night erupted in huge applause.
"Greg Douglas-Fir" Called Professor McGonagall once the room calmed down.
Better than at the end of the pack, thought H.B., although he had the distinct need to use the loo all of a sudden. Glad my name isn't Zacharias or something. Mare Pachi Dumai Raaja--no one will care after they're dead. Onward.
Greg audibly gulps, doing his best to keep his legs from shaking as he moved forward and sat down. Taking a deep breath, he closes his eyes to not meet with anyone else's.
Professor McGonagall placed the sorting hat upon Greg's head and waited.
Lifting the hat from Greg's head and looked to the scroll. "Siobhan Doyle." was soon matched with
Followed by "Malcolm Elliott" who went to
Then came "Anora Evans"
Anora seemed to freeze the moment her name was called. But slowly Anora stepped up to the stool and too her seat. She felt the hat settle upon her head, then she waited.
The sorting hat set upon Anora's head for a moment before it cried out
"Alec Ferrier" came up and found himself in
"Tory Flint" joined the house of
"Ethan Foster" soon joined the House
"Leslie Galt" fell in with
"Charlie Garcia" became a
"Gavin Glenn" proudly joined the House.
"Hem Gurung" Professor McGonagall called.
The look of shock upon Anora's face spoke for itself but she quickly cleared the stool for the next student and joined the Slytherin table.
Vincent listened idly. His stomach was growling and he was listening for his name. But when Anora's name was called, he looked up for a brief moment waiting to see if he'd won the bet.
It was when the hat shouted Slytherin that he lost all decorum and went slack jawed staring. His mind began rolling through how this could possibly happen and his emotions kept filtering from anger to curiosity to confusion and back again. He just shook his head, surely this girl must've lied, or perhaps even her parents had lied about a family member being magically inclined.
H.B.--Hem Bahadur, you're from a long line of warriors,--he mentally intoned, then made his mind as blank as a fellow without a shred of Occlumency lessons could--stepped forward and sat in the stool. Here goes, slipped out a thought, as he nodded to the Hat, his face forward.
After a short delay Dragoslav joins the applause coming from the Slytherin table, while not intimately familiar with Hogwarts and Slytherin he remembers talk of the house not taking muggles, but he was glad to have one of his new acquaintances in the same house with him.
cried the hat before Professor McGonagall lifted it from his head and allowed him to move along.
"Kevin Hayes" soon joined
"Aeron Lewis" became a
"Eres Lloyd" got to be a
"Ciaran Loughlin" Professor McGonagall called out.
Ken's jaw went just as slack as Vincent's as he stared at Anora, eyes following her as she walked to the Slytherin table. Muggle-Borns are never sorted into Slytherin. It just doesn't happen. How could Anora have been? He supposed she could have lied, but he didn't feel like she was that kind of person. Dragoslav's sorting made sense, but for Anora it seemed out of left field. She could have been adopted - he remembered when Percy Melbourne, in primary school, found out he was adopted, it had been a bit of a shock for him. He wondered how Anora would handle it, since this is how she was finding out.
He turned back to watch H.B. be Sorted, still getting past Anora's being Sorted into Slytherin.
H.B. gave a wave to all four Houses, and then walked to Hufflepuff's table. Well, all right then, he thought. Battle medic. He then did a double take. How in the blazes does a Muggle-born get into Slytherin? Adopted? Hospital error? Oh, that's a right good headline. "MUDBLOOD SWITCHED AT BIRTH"...ugh, I hope they don't use that word here. Like that time my cousin got his head beat by a bunch of neds calling him a P~~@...anyhow... H.B. cleared his head a bit and shook the hands of various Hufflepuffs, getting a firm handshake and a grin from Court, a rising second year. She seems like a leader, he thought.
Ciaran steeled himself before nodding and walking up to the front. He took his seat on the stool and relaxed, waiting for the sorting hat to settle over his head.
'You can do this Loughlin! Steel yourself man. Straight back and a stiff upper lip!'
cried the sorting hat before Professor McGonagall lifted it away.
"Brian McLoughlin" followed as as a
"Bryn Morgan" became a
"Isabella Orpington-Belushi." Professor McGonagall called.
She stride forward proudly. She knows what she wants but she's not sure how well that aligns with the houses. Still, she's going to be ready for anything.
Professor McGonagall placed the hat upon Isabella's head and waited.
Professor McGonagall removed the sorting hat so that Isabella could join the Slytherin table.
"Samantha Peterson" swiftly joined the
"Griffith Price" became a
"Eilian Rees" joined the House.
"Shawn Rosier" got sorted as a
"Oliver Selwyn" also joined
As well as "David Travers" -
"Vincent Wallace" Professor McGonagall called.
Anora smiled as she joined Dragoslav but it was shake smile. When Isabella was set to join them Anora waved her down, happy to see that another of her friends made it into the same house as her.
Vincent almost absentmindedly missed his name being called as he combed though his hair idly trying to think. He paused and shook his head looking up at the hat and nodded before striding forwards and looking down at it and the stool.
He turned about, adjusted his robes and sat down attempting to keep his manners about. He took a deep breath as the hat is put on his head.
Professor McGonagall placed the hat upon Vincent's head and waited.
The hat cried before Professor McGonagall removed it from his head.
"Jennifer Williams" quickly became a
"Kenneth Williamson" Professor McGonagall asked.
Vincent adjusted his hair as the hat was pulled off and make his way towards the table. He tried to keep a jovial look on his face, shaking hands, joining in on the revelry but all the while locking eyes on the Anora.
He eventually found himself a seat with the others of the train ride, sitting across from Anora and Dragoslav. He kept his mouth shut and just stared.
Anora seemed to shrink under Vincent's gaze. "What? Do I have something on my face?" She whispered to him.
Ken took a deep breath, exhaled, then walked up to the stool. Okay, Ken, you’ve got this. Nothing to worry about. He sat down on the stool and waited for Professor McGonagall to put the Sorting Hat on his head.
Professor McGonagall placed the hat upon Ken's head.
Loudly cried the sorting hat before Professor McGonagall pulled it from Ken's head.
"Ava Wood" joined House
"Olivia Yaxley" was the last to be sorted into
When the last of the students had been sorted Professor McGonagall took the stool, sorting hat, and scroll away as Professor Dumbledore stood up from his Head Master chair. "Before we begin the feast, I have a few things I wish to say. Many of you are aware of what happened this past year, and while I expect you to celebrate it encourage even, I ask you not to get so caught up that you forget your studies. Now to our first years, please note that the fobbiden is off limits to all." He said as he looked down his half moon shaped glasses at the students. "And with that I've only two more words to say... Dig in!" He held up his hands and the tables where filled with wondrous looking food! Whole turkeys, racks of lamb, roasted chicken sat alongside mashes potatoes, peas, corn, copped carrets, and dinner rolls. Drinks is glass jugs sat with juices of all kinds in between the bills of food.
Older students began filling their plates and the Great Hall grew louder with the voices of students and the clinking of plates, knives, forks, and spoons.
Vincent was polite, well at least to the majority of the students. It could be taken as not polite to not answer her as he gives her the look he is. He looks up and away from her as Dumbledore begin speaking.
Thankfully the speech is rather short and as he says Dig in, he whips back around to hiss at Anora "I thought you say you were a muggle! Maybe one of your parents are just squibs but there's no way the Hat would put a muggle in Slytherin!" he said keeping his voice low. There wasn't really malice in his voice more accusation and confusion.
Izzy shrugs, "Obviously Anora has some qualities that Salazar Slytherin would admire enough to overlook her heritage. An incredible drive or unplumbed depths of cunning." She looks directly at Vincent, "Thus, it would probably be best to avoid getting on her bad side."
Ken stood and walked over to the cheering Gryffindor table, a smile on his face, and took a seat near Ciaran and Greg. ”Well, we got ourselves Sorted. How about Anora getting put in Slytherin, eh?”
Once the food appeared, Ken wasted no time in grabbing some of everything in reach. ”Finally! I am starving!”
Perhaps it would be best to talk about such things later, right now lets fill our bellies.
"Slytherin is famous for being completely anti muggle. Maybe she was just playing a game with us for fun?" Ciaran shrugged, helping himself to some lamb chops and potatoes. "Whatever it is, I hope she is happy in Slytherin. The hat is never wrong!"
Anora looked down. "The hat just said... this was where I belonged..." She muttered. Though when Isabella took up for her she felt a small bit of relief.
Nodding in agreement to Dragoslav, Anora filled her plate with a mixture of the food that set before them. Even if she wasn't suppose to be in that house... at least she had friends!
The table welcomed H.B. gladly and right off the bat began to talk to him in a friendly manner. "Don't let others talk you down when it comes to us Hufflepuffs." An older girl said with a smile. "I'm Kelly by the way, and this here next to me is Tomas!" Kelly said warmly. "Last year was our first year so if you have any questions ask away!"
Kyle, a first year alongside H.B. who sat next to him, leaned over to ask "What are classes like?" He asked.
Kelly shrugged and said "Depends on the class, most are alright but... potions can be... difficult."
Macbeth, who had been the first sorted into Gryffindor house this year, looked to Kenneth and Ciaran. "What do you mean? Of course Slytherin is anti muggleborn. The founded hated muggleborns, no muggleborn has ever been sorted into Slytherin." Macbeth stated. "I'm a half-blood myself, though both of my parents are magical but my mother was muggleborn."
"Yeah but that doesn't mean all purebloods go to Slytherin!" Leslie spoke up after Macbeth brought up the fact that he was half-blood. I'm pureblood and I'm a Gryffindor!"[/b] She stated proudly.
Tory Flint, a broad boy with dark hair, leaned to Dragoslav and said "Dobrescu, that is a family from Finland? I can't remember... but I know my father spoke of the name before! I'm Tory, Tory Flint by the way." He said with a smirk.
The last to be sorted into Slytherin, Olivia Yaxley, spoke up to Isabella. "I heard your name, any relation to the actress?" She asked.
Ken shrugs. ”I’m half-blood, although my mom was Muggle-born. My dad’s a complete Muggle - my parents kept me in the dark about a lot of what goes on in the Wizarding World, I think because they didn’t want to talk about You-Know-Who. We were talking about Anora Evans - we met her on the train, and both her parents are Muggles. We were talking about how it’s odd she got Sorted into Slytherin.”
"Kelly, Tomas, I'm Hem Bahadur, but that's a mouthful, so everyone calls me H.B.," said H.B. warmly, shaking hands all around. "I'm excited to be part of the House. Some real great wizards, and if there's a scuffle, I'm good in a scrap," he continued with a wink. "As a last resort, of course. What about Defense Against the Dark Arts? Do they have a teacher for that who's going to stay?"
Ciaran grimaced a little when Ken mentioned Anora to the others. He hated to start rumours about the girl after they just met. "My mum has always said we place too much emphasis on the 'quality' of our blood. I think those of us with muggle parents are very lucky. I feel like I'm missing half of the knowledge in the world by being pureblood. I'm proud of my heritage though, truly."
"Why yes, yes I am. She's my mother." Izzy is beaming at this. "It's my heritage, and I hope to follow in her footsteps."
Vincent seems to take this answer into consideration and just nods at her. "Perhaps...It'd be nice to see even the hat break one of Slytherins own rules like my father says Slytherins are prone to do." he said leaving the conversation alone for now.
At this point, he piles his plate high with good food and even offers Anora a couple of dishes he recommends trying to show he wasn't mad at her or anything.
Greg takes some chicken, along with some corn and peas when the image of his mother echoes in his mind. "Well, Ciaran, if you only have half the knowledge in the world, then I suppose people like me with only muggle parents would be the other half. I assure you, it isn't much better on this side."
Ciaran grinned at Greg around a mouthful of potato, before swallowing and coughing politely in to his elbow. "But you are here to learn the other half of that knowledge Greg. You're gonna hate me before the week is out, I'll be asking you so many questions!" He laughed to show he was joking... a little.
"Romanian, although my father spent time around Scandinavia when he was a student at Durmstrang. It is nice to meet you, Tory. Where are you from?"
"Don't know yet." Kelly answered with a shrug before she took a mouth full of potatoes. "Normally Professor Dumbledore introduces them but the seat for them is empty... we might not have a teacher this year." Tomas said as he cut apart his meat before eating a few pieces. "Besides," He began still chewing a bit but was nice enough to keep a hand over his mouth. "The last ones left in a hurry, they were suppose to do this year too... But couldn't. Didn't hear why."
Macbeth coughed heavily to keep himself from choking on a dinner roll. After a moment of catching his breath he looked to Ken wide eyed. "Did you just say there is a muggleborn in Slyrherin?!" He asked, thankfully the hall was loud enough that only the small group around them could hear. Leslie was also looking at them with a small amount of shock on her face waiting to hear the answer.
"England." Flint answered. "My family has been around for generations." He went on to say. "The Flint family is one of the Sacred Twenty-eight of course." Tory said proudly.
Olivia clapped shortly with a smile. "Oh wonderful! I am such a fan! I hope well be rooming together!" She said.
Anora tried the dishes suggested by Vincent so at the very least she didn't seem too bothered any more. Though she is rather quiet.
Ken realizes he's let his mouth get ahead of his brain as he sees Macbeth and Leslie's reactions. Giving himself a moment to think he takes a big bite of chicken, trying to think of a way to say it that wouldn't result in Anora being the subject of gossip and whispers. Swallowing, he says, "I met a girl on the train who said both her parents were Muggle-born, who may have been sorted into Slytherin. However, if the Sorting Hat sorted her into Slytherin, that may not be the case. Regardless, I realize that it probably wasn't a good idea to say anything, so I'll ask the two of you not to spread anything around. Please?"