Magic? || Years 1-5

Hermione And The House-Elves: Year 4

"Oh no, not necessarily. Parvati Patil's twin's in Ravenclaw, they're identical. You'd think they'd be together, wouldn't you?" Hermione replied, looking up at the staff table. "Where's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?"

They looked around, not seeing anyone nearby to fill the empty seat.

"Maybe they couldn't get anyone!" Hermione fretted.

"Oh hurry up, I could eat a hippogriff," Ron groaned, his head in his hands.

A few seconds later, the doors to the Great Hall opened. Professor McGonagall was leading the new group of first years up to where the Sorting Hat would be.

And Amisty thought she was wet. The first years were practically drowning in the amount of water dripping from their clothes, leaving puddles wherever they stepped.

One of them was even covered in Hagrid's moleskin cloak, looking the most excited out of all of them. He was looking around, catching Colin's eye.

'I fell in the lake!' He mouthed, giving his brother, as Amisty assumed, a double thumbs up.

Professor McGonagall picked up a stool and placed it down in front of the first years, placing the Sorting Hat on top of it. And then the tear in the hat's brim opened and it broke into song.

A thousand years or more ago, when I was newly sewn, there lived four wizards of renown, whose names are still well known;

Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor, fair Ravenclaw, from glen, sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad, shrewd Slytherin, from fen.

They shared a wish, a hope, a dream, they hatched a daring plan, to educate young sorcerers, thus Hogwarts School began.

Now each of these four founders, formed their own House, for each, did value different virtues, in the ones they had to teach.

By Gryffindor, the bravest were prized far beyond the rest;

For Ravenclaw, the cleverest would always be the best;

For Hufflepuff, hard workers were most worthy of admission;

And power-hungry Slytherin loved those of great ambition.

While still alive they did divide their favorite from the throng, yet how to pick the worthy ones when they were dead and gone?

'Twas Gryffindor who found the way, he whipped me off his head, the founders put some brains in me so I could choose instead!

Now slip me snug about your ears, I've never yet been wrong, I'll have a look inside your mind and tell where you belong!

Amisty clapped along with the rest of the Great Hall as the Sorting Hat's song finished.

"That's not the song it sang when it Sorted us," Harry spoke over the sound of applause.

"Sings a different one every year. It's got to be a pretty boring life, hasn't it, being a hat? I suppose it spends all year making up the next one," Ron replied.

"When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool," Professor McGonagall was unrolling a sheet of parchment. "When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table."

"Ackerley, Stewart!"

He walked forward, shaking, and placed the Sorting Head on his head.

"RAVENCLAW!"

The Ravenclaws burst into applause, welcoming their new member to the table.

"Baddock, Malcolm!"