September 1st, 1895 — The Great Hall, Hogwarts

The new first years are lead into the Great Hall for the very first time and come to stand a short distance from a worn leather hat on a wooden stool. As the new students come to a stop, the leathery folds of the hat begin to animate in a way that's reminiscent of a human face. A hush falls over the room and the hat starts to sing. (Returning students will note that the song this year is particularly witty.)

The song concludes and after the applause starts to die down, the deputy headmaster calls out the first name on the list.

And the judgement begins.

---

When the hat is on your character's head, it is rooting through their mind more stealthily than the most accomplished Legilimens. Your character cannot hide secrets from the Hat but like a priest in a confessional, what the hat learns goes no further.

Please write your posts in two sections. The first section is what you would write in any other thread
detailing their thoughts, feelings, etc. This section is not just for storytelling, however, so don't rush through it to get to the 'sorting part'. Everything you write will influence the outcome.

The second section is a series of prompts. These prompts are not literally being asked of your character by the Sorting Hat, they're not happening IC and the context of the sorting ceremony shouldn't influence what you write. This means if your character doesn't know what an animagus is, for example, you should write as if they do. Explore your character's responses as if they're posing these scenarios/questions to themselves in a moment of private philosophical reflection i.e. from their POV and without external influence. I recommend formatting your post in such a way as to make it clear that section two isn't a continuation of narrative. The more you give me, the more nuanced your sorting will be!

Finally, please post one at a time until September 3rd and tag me in the discord tag channel!

1. They have a whole week of unlimited resources and freedom.


2. What do they think their animagus form would be?


3. A classmate answers a professor's question correctly but the professor mistakenly thinks your character was the one that spoke and awards you their house points.


4. Someone they want to be friends with suggests doing something they're uncomfortable with.

Kermit Escher Margaery Lockhart Arcturus Black Poppy MacFusty Alys Gower Ariel Sherington Selene Gallivan Leo Lupin Chiara di Visconti Lysander Echelon Cassandra Eade Hermia Pucey

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   Basil Foxwood, Poppy MacFusty

Alys watched the precession of children in front of her have there thoughts plumbed by the strange hat shaped entity. She was excited to have her turn. She felt there was so much more to this thing than the other students were getting into so she would very much like to know. She walked up and took her seat with a glimmer in her eye and a serene smile as she felt its thick leather hide encapsulate her. It began speaking and she listened, but she spoke herself, quietly, intending privacy of conversation with her headpiece.

"Fascinating... you are an entity of preception, intellect and distribution, I believe you may speak with the songs of Raphael?" her inflection posed a question to the strange hat. He might answer, he might not. But she felt she had once chance to ask. There were several other of the choir that might lend power to this entity, Gabriel for its intellectual, perhaps even Cassiel for its part in the structure of this place... but she had it in mind that she was correct and she had learned to trust her mind. The ever inquisitive and insightful seer wanted knowledge!

---

Unlimited resources and freedom? Is there such a thing for mortals? Unlimited freedom is an illusion, fate controls everything and your resources will always be limited by what the universe allows to be expended. So if Alys was to be granted unlimited resources and freedom, she her only option would be to gather unlimited knowledge and power, both wonderful things but entirely illusionary for a normal person to achieve.

---

Alys does now know what an animagus is, but she views Ravens with high esteem for their wit, intelligence and their connections with the esoteric world, this is the animal she identifies most with. There are other options perhaps something knew and unfathomably strange? If she didnt know what an animagus was, did it have to be a creature that she knew existed, the imagination of the choir was endless.

---

It would be easy for someone to hand out the wrong credit, and Alys was the sort that loved a fact so would throw herself into answering these things. Perhaps she would keep the credit. Mistakes happen for a reason, but her actions are also part of fate so whether she confesses or hides the truth is ultimately meaningless. In which case her honesty and intention to earn her knowledge would prevail.

---

She has not unlocked the depths of her connection to the choir by remaining comfortable so discomfort would not push her away from any particular task on its own. She would need more information to make a decision what to do as other factors would sway her decision how to act more than mere discomfort.

---

The Sorting Hat

  

---

Olive said I could!

Merlin this was a little nerve-racking. Margie really didn't know what to expect. Well, she knew what to expect, but still it didn't really prepare her. Alphabetical order left her in a good place to see half the people go before her and she didn't have to wait until the very end. Anticipation was killing her as she watched those in front of her get the Hat placed on their heads and then off they went to their houses. Her mum had been in Gryffindor and her father in Hufflepuff, so it could go either way, but Margie could see Ravenclaw or even Slytherin too.

The line in front of her grew shorter until it was her turn. The stool and the Hat looked innocuous enough, but she was still nervous. As she sat down and the Hat covered her eyes at least she didn't have to look at the crowd.

---

They have a whole week of unlimited resources and freedom. I'm not even sure what I would do with this. I've always been busy, always had something to do, something to take responsibility for. I suppose if anything, I would try to make sure anything we needed was covered at the house and then maybe then I'd take my free time to work on my art, or read a new book. I'd really like to use a good telescope to look at the stars, so anything for that would be nice. It feels hard to fill an entire day without having something to take care of, but the break would be nice.

What do they think their animagus form would be? I would hope it would be something with wings. Being able to fly would be lovely. I like flying on a broom, so I would like having my own wings. An owl maybe, one of the little ones. I love astronomy so being out at night would make a lot of sense.

A classmate answers a professor's question correctly but the professor mistakenly thinks your character was the one that spoke and awards you their house points. That's unfair. I would make sure the professor knew it wasn't me and give credit where credit is due. People work hard to know the answers, it takes a lot of work to do homework and be prepared, so that person should get the reward for their hard work.

Someone they want to be friends with suggests doing something they're uncomfortable with. I think maybe it depends on what they want to do. If it involved water or something like that, I couldn't do it. But maybe it if was just outside my comfort zone, I might be willing to try it. Otherwise, if I was really uncomfortable I don't think I would be able to follow through and would maybe want to rethink being friends.

---

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   Greta Gillenwater

---

Margaery Lockhart

The Hat deliberated for a few seconds, finding itself torn in multiple directions. Fast as lightning, its leathery mind was made up and it cried out, “Hufflepuff!”

Kermit Escher Arcturus Black Poppy MacFusty Ariel Sherington Selene Gallivan Leo Lupin Chiara di Visconti Lysander Echelon Cassandra Eade Hermia Pucey

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   Fortitude Greengrass, Margaery Lockhart, Selene Gallivan, Zelda Darrow, Zinnia Gallagher

Somehow, despite having two elder sisters at Hogwarts for years now, Hermia had never thought to ask what the sorting ceremony entailed. She'd heard whispers of a hat while on the train, but didn't think much of it—she'd packed her own hat, thank you very much, and wouldn't need one issued by the school. It only now dawned on her that she'd taken everything out of context.

The Sorting Hat (as she now realized was its name) was singing at full volume as it sat perched atop the stool at the front of the Great Hall, but all Hermia could think was that a hat so self-aware and lively must have been aware of how tattered and worn it looked. Could it not have asked for a cleaning or two? A better patching job? If she'd been tasked with watching after it, it would've looked no different from any other hat. No ugly patching, no crooked stitches, no unseemly tilting at the tip.

It seemed, though, that the Hat either cared little about its appearance. It commanded the room's attention with each booming proclamation it made, passing judgment on each student until it came to her name.

Pucey, Hermia.

At last it was her turn—and so, abandoning her twin sister's side, she approached the stool.

✿ - ✿ - ✿

1. They have a whole week of unlimited resources and freedom.

Is it silly to say I'm content at home? Maybe I would buy a hundred different spindles of thread and practice new designs without being interrupted by Miss [Governess] or Mama. I don't normally mind the bustle of the house, but I do think being able to sit in peace would be nice. That would only take a day, though, and I've been offered a whole week! Maybe I will ask my friends if they'd like to take a trip somewhere. To London? Or maybe Paris—the maids say it's the most cultured place in Europe. I would buy a pamphlet of all the best things to do there and hire a chaperon who's entirely at my command! That way we can do whatever we want, but none of us would get in trouble! Once we've seen everything we'd want to see, I'd spend my last day at the local sweet shop and buy one of everything (I'd share with Demetria if she asked nicely, but Lysandra and Polly would be on their own).


2. What do they think their animagus form would be?

Probably a butterfly. Even better if it was like the ones in our garden. I like the idea of being able to flit around with ease. I could go places and nobody would ever find out!


3. A classmate answers a professor's question correctly but the professor mistakenly thinks your character was the one that spoke and awards you their house points.

I'd speak up immediately. Firstly, it's wrong to claim credit when I did nothing. Secondly, everyone around me would be staring right at me, and I don't think I could handle being so poorly thought of.


4. Someone they want to be friends with suggests doing something they're uncomfortable with.

I'd try to reason with them at first, I think. It depends on what it is. Is it something that's fun but I'm uncomfortable because I think I'm not allowed to do it? I don't like getting in trouble, but it's all about the risk versus the reward. If it's something dangerous, or something I want absolutely no part in, then I have no problem telling them no. I think I'd soften the blow by suggesting we do something else, or promise to do it in the future if I think I can think of a better way of getting out of it later.

---

  

Hermia Pucey

Hermia walks in on a house elf struggling to clean the [REDACTED] common room - it is obviously seriously ill beyond the visible sores and swellings.

  

Hermia walks in on a house elf struggling to clean the [REDACTED] common room - it is obviously seriously ill beyond the visible sores and swellings.

Hermia knows of house elves, and even has friends and relatives who keep them. They are ugly little things, some as short as a toddler and some uncannily gangly. She's never spoken to one before—and really, what would she even say? But then again, she's never seen one so ill before.

She knows better than to interrupt an elf doing its job, but there's just something so... sad and pathetic about it. She doesn't mean it in an insulting way, but there's no better way to describe it. Its scrawny little arm, struggling to lift the cloth it's using to clean. Its ankles, so swollen and sore-covered. Its skin so pale it hardly looks like an elf at all.

There's a nagging feeling in the back of her head to do something. Take the cloth and quickly scrub the spot it can't read, call someone to grab the school nurse, try to summon another house elf with the hope that it knows what to do. Something. Anything. And yet, for a good while, all she can do is stare at it with a frown. It grunts, it groans, it whimpers, and Hermia feels such compassion.

Just not enough to make a definitive move.

"You don't have to clean anymore," she calls out instead, still keeping her distance. "We'll get some help. Have you seen a healer?"

---

  

Hermia Pucey

The Sorting Hat mutters something about Hufflepuff helping her grow, but ultimately shouts out, “Slytherin!”

Kermit Escher Arcturus Black Poppy MacFusty Ariel Sherington Selene Gallivan Leo Lupin Chiara di Visconti Lysander Echelon Cassandra Eade

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   Hermia Pucey

Cassie took a deep breath to steady her nerve as she stepped up, exhaling slowly, just like Mum had taught her. This was the moment that would define much of her life going forward — she had to make it count. She approached the hat and the deputy headmaster without issue, remembering to pick up the front of her robes as she stepped up.

She had to take another deep breath as the hat was placed upon her head, slipping down to cover her eyebrows. Now or never...

---

If Cassie had a whole week of unlimited resources and freedom, she'd probably spend most of her time playing with her siblings, making flower crowns, and feeding the poor children in the town near her home. Or maybe Hogsmeade. She didn't like that there was an imbalance of who had what, and she'd try to help as many people as she could in the week she had.

---

Cassie wanted to learn how to become an animagus, oh, so badly, and would hope that her animagus form is a dog. Maybe some kind of retriever.

---

It was certainly be tempting to keep that point, but Cassie knew better. She raised her hand and politely corrected the professor (hopefully earning house points for her own house in turn).

---

It depended, really, on what the uncomfortable request was. If it was something simple, something like trying a food she'd had poor luck with in the past (or breaking a minor rule, when none of the staff might know), she'd give it a try. If it was something major, something...untoward? She wouldn't just deny her potential friend. She'd report their request to the nearest authority. There's a limit, after all.

  

Alys Gower

"A curious one indeed..." The after a second of rigorous contemplation, decisively announced, “Ravenclaw!”

Cassandra Eade

The Sorting Hat bellowed, “Hufflepuff!” as soon as its leathery brim brushed past her eyebrows, making it the fastest sorting thus far. Admittedly, they were only on 'E'.

Kermit Escher Arcturus Black Poppy MacFusty Ariel Sherington Selene Gallivan Leo Lupin Chiara di Visconti Lysander Echelon

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   Alys Gower

Lysander was nervous. He had never been away from his Uncle August for very long before, and most of the children he'd played with had been of a certain set — either progressive or related to him, and usually not significantly poorer than he was. But it wasn't just the Pettigrew or (Evangeline) Rowle children here today, and his uncle and governess had tried to expectation set as much as possible with him — some children would not have left the towns they were born in before, and some children would have beliefs that Lysander would likely consider a bit backwards. (But so did some of his relatives, so.)

It would all be alright. He was shy, but he thought he would try to get up the nerve to talk to as many people as possible, to understand their perspective — and to make more friends, even though he had some here already.  But Cousin Leo was not much of a comfort, — they were very close, but Lys was privately a bit worried about what his cousin would do the first time he got an answer wrong in class or was told off by a prefect.

But he'd managed to feel excited once he was on the boat with his supplies and his owl, and that feeling stuck with him through the line for the sorting. (He hadn't known about the sorting hat, but how interesting was that? Lys had been worried that they would have to answer questions in front of the whole student body for the sorting, and where would he end up if he couldn't manage to speak in front of this many people? Would they send him home?)

The hat was still in front of everyone, but it was also — apparently silent. Lysander watched it carefully as it sorted the children ahead of him in line, and started slightly when his name was called out: Echelon, Lysander.

Did the sorting hat ever make mistakes? It was too late to worry about that now as it slipped onto his head. Surely if it made mistakes someone would have changed it by now.

1. I think I would spend a lot of time playing chess or charades with my friends without lessons, and probably some time with Uncle August, too, maybe exploring the law office — I haven't been. It's strange to think of unlimited resources, though — I've never felt like my resources were limited before, and I'm not sure what I would do with freedom, either. I think it might be interesting to go to High Street or to Padmore Park without anyone going with me. That would be new.

2. I hope I'm good enough at Transfiguration to try for an animagus transformation someday! It would probably be something that watches — like one of those birds that learns things, or maybe a cat. I liked when I saw a fox in the garden once in Germany, though — it would be really neat to be a fox, and to camouflage while also being so red.

3. I like to think I'd speak up because that's the right thing to do, and I would want my friend to do that for me, too — but sometimes I get daunted when I have to talk to new adults, so it might be really difficult for me. I'm trying to be less shy, though, and if I did not manage it I would apologize to my friend as soon as class was over, and try to approach the professor with them to clear things up without having to do so in front of the whole class.

4. Mm - if it's like a prank, or something I'm only a little scared of, I think I'd try it if a really good friend asked me. But if it's going out after curfew or something I think is dangerous, like the Forbidden Forest, I'd definitely tell them no. If they want to break a big rule, that's fine — I don't think I'd tell on them unless I thought they'd get really hurt — but I don't want to get in trouble and disappoint everyone.

---

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   Basil Foxwood

Walking into the Great Hall Chiara held herself straight, allowing herself to look around a space she had been assured was grand. Internally she scoffed. There were ruins of abbeys back home more grand than this castle. The British. She sniffed. There was none of the grandeur of home here. The walls were stone, the floors were stone. The only “grand” thing about the room came from a mere enchantment - and that was the ceiling that looked exactly as it had been outside. Anyone could add an enchantment to a room. But the real skill was in enchanted paints, the masters of the renaissance that had painted walls and ceilings all over her home land. The castle here, at least the small bit of it she had seen, was fine. But, like everything on this God forsaken island, it was grey. A blur of monochromatic color that Chiara loathed. Still, she was here to impress so impress she would.

What a chore. Chiara thought as she stood between the other chittering first years, nervous each and every one of them. She was much more mature, after all she could have been sorted last year in Incantima and had a year of schooling by this point - if her mother hadn’t convinced her father of this foolhardy plot. So she showed herself as the dignified young lady she was, holding still, watching her surroundings impassively until at last her name was called.

Primly Chiara stepped through the crowd of children to the front and took the steps up to the stool where the ridiculous and ugly (ugh - did she actually have to wear that thing?) hat sat waiting for her. Keeping her face unreadable Chiara picked up the hat and set it on her head as she sat down elegantly and waited. For what she didn’t know.

---

They have a whole week of unlimited resources and freedom.
One week. That was all she had to prove herself to her father, prove that she was every bit as useful as her older brothers. That one day she ought to be the one in charge of the family, of their business, not anyone else. And this was the week she would do it. It wasn't a long time, Chiara knew that, but any time could be used to obtain what one wanted. She had the freedom and the resources to do as she wished. And this was it. This was her chance. She wouldn't squander it. She would study everything the boys learned, she'd show her father how she could cunningly outwit the Capobiancos, how her reason and poise would elevate them with the Italian nobility. She would be respected, she would bring in a future that her father could only dream of. This was the week where she would show the whole world that Chiara di Visconti was the Visctoni to fear, to admire, to bow down to.

What do they think their animagus form would be?
Training and studying to be an animagus was a long hard journey. It was a good thing that hard work wasn't something Chiara shied away from. Instead she embraced it. To become an animal at will was to add a skill of immense importance. It was therefore only logical that her own form was that of an owl. A beautiful graceful owl, resembling the creatures at home but easily blending into other locales. She could easily hear things and would not fall easy prey to other creatures. Besides, in their world, who ever considered an owl anything other than an owl? It was the perfect disguise and one that would spell everyone else's downfall.

A classmate answers a professor's question correctly but the professor mistakenly thinks your character was the one that spoke and awards you their house points.
Chiara glanced over at her classmate, the girl's face easily showed her annoyance at the professor's mistake. But she didn't say anything. Chiara felt a smirk forming on the edges of her lips. Foolish girl. If she couldn't find the courage to correct their professor than Chiara wasn't going to. After all if he remembered Chiara's own name, well that itself was reward enough. She had respect, she had the courage to claim the points, and she certainly wasn't going help out someone who couldn't even brave opening their mouth. Chiara haughtily turned back to face the professor and class continued on as if nothing had happened.

Someone they want to be friends with suggests doing something they're uncomfortable with.
As much as Chiara did want to pursue a friendship with this girl, such a suggestion was stupid. There was no way she would ever respect this girl again and thus no way they could ever be friends. "You're welcome to." Chiara told her with a superior shrug, "But I wouldn't be so foolish." She let the distain show on her face as she spun around. Enemies were even easier to control than allies, after all.

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   Ariel Sherington, Silas Merlion

Lysander Echelon

A professor asks for a volunteer to give a five minute presentation in front of the class next lesson. No one raises their hand. The professor turns to Lysander and asks him to do it.

Chiara di Visconti

“Slytherin!” the hat roared before the girl's hands had even made it to rest in her lap.

Kermit Escher Arcturus Black Poppy MacFusty Ariel Sherington Selene Gallivan Leo Lupin

  

There was nothing unusual about Kermit being reduced to a shuddering ball of nerves. He favored his sister's shadow in the face of the new and unfamiliar, but Scallion wasn't here for him to hide behind. He was very much on his own. In Hogwarts, where he'd always dreamed of being, only just realizing that dreaming and doing felt very different.

One year. If he didn't do well-- exceedingly well, actually, perfect across the board-- that would be all Kermit got. He felt his throat swelling tight at the very thought. His hands were bruised from all the twisting he'd been doing on the boat-ride over.

Dimly, Kermit recognized the sound of his own name. He wobbled up to the pedestal, all but toppled into the seat. Squeezed his eyes shut as the hat was settled onto his head, and tried, tried so hard to think about all the reasons he'd wanted to be here. In the week leading up there had only been excitement. He'd opened up every single book he and Scallion bought together, read through the introductions, read a good deal more than that of The Standard Book of Spells. If he could only keep it together he would get to see so much more. All the magical beasts he used to pester Scal for stories about, all the secrets of the castle...

He just had to excel. That was all.

No pressure.

---

They have a whole week of unlimited resources and freedom.

All the money in the world...? I could go anywhere. See everything. I would take Scal and we would travel all over. Or maybe just a couple places, since it's only for a week. I think I would go to Italy-- oh, Rome! And eat everything, and see all the ruins, or-- Or maybe I would go to America! I heard there are places in America that no one's ever explored. Maybe together, Scal and I could be the first.

What do they think their animagus form would be?

Kermit would be a greyhound-- highly sensitive, watchful, prone to nervousness and eager to please. Once they set to a task they are gone, running and running and no one can stop them, they'll run themselves into the ground to catch the goal.

A classmate answers a professor's question correctly but the professor mistakenly thinks your character was the one that spoke and awards you their house points.

Kermit's eyes become absolutely immense and all the color drains out of his face. He sinks in his chair and it takes two tries to say, in a cracking voice, "N-no, sir, it wasn't me--". He points frantically at the kid who says it and tries not to meet the eyes of his own Housemates. He wouldn't be able to live with knowing the house points were there and unearned.

Someone they want to be friends with suggests doing something they're uncomfortable with.

Kermit's anxieties and his desperate need to be liked, to be admired, to be needed, would absolutely go to war. He would go along with the suggestion, so long as no one (or only himself) were being put at risk. He would, however, inevitably panic and break if whatever it was lasted more than a couple of days. He is not built for any sort of long-term strain and he would probably end up running to the professors with whatever scheme he'd been coerced into.

---

  

Kermit Escher

Kermit has been marooned on an island and he was only able to bring three items with him. What would he want those items to be?

  

Kermit Escher

Kermit has been marooned on an island and he was only able to bring three items with him. What would he want those items to be?

Does Scallion count as an item? Or maybe that other kid-- what was his name, Merlion? He seemed to know his way around a boat.

No, no, that would be silly. People obviously don't count, so... the next best thing... books. A really, really thick book to prevent boredom. Maybe about building boats! And sailing them... one would need that, right? To get off an island? And food, and water. So... So... a big barrel to catch rain in, right? And seeds to grow food. A boat book, a barrel, and a bag of seeds!

---

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   Silas Merlion