Exchange to Hogwarts. (On Hold)

The Sorting Hat

Every student in every house immediately turns their heads towards the entrance to get a look at who would be joining their school. A shock of anxiety surged through Connie's body at the sight of the hundreds of people staring at her. She found it a miracle that she could move at all considering how nervous she felt. Although once she had seen that Keira had slightly spaced out during Dumbledores speech, she was quick to nudge her friend's side before they began to follow Professor McGonagall towards the front of the hall.

Once they had reached the front of the hall where all the teachers sat and Professor McGonagall addressed the students.

"Alright, as your headmaster has just informed you we have two students joining us from Centerstone School of the Magical Arts, and they are both needed to be sorted into the house they will be apart of while they attend Hogwarts." the professor began. Both girls looked at the hat that sat atop a wooden stool as it began to sing.

"Oh you may not think, I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hat sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you have a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

Turning to face the two girls Professor McGonagall explain that when she calls there name they would sit on the stool and the sorting hat will be placed on their head to decide which house they each belong to. She also told them of each house, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Hufflepuff. Neither girl was sure which "Hogwarts family" they would be sorted in and to be fair neither care too much anyway.

"Right then we shall begin the ceremony." Stated the witch. "Kennedy, Constance!" Professor McGonagall called reading the name as it was written on the parchment she held. Connie stepped forward, still filled with nerves as she sat on the stool.

"Aha! Constance Kennedy" Shouted a the hat and almost scared the poor girl half to death. "Never sorted the third year before. Where to put you?! Quite a confusing one you are. Might take a bit, lots of conflicting teenage hormones to sort through." The hat announced, making some students giggle.

*Time Skip*

After several minutes -about four and a half- of "you'd do well with the Ravenclaws" or "oh, the kindness of a Hufflepuff" and many questions being asked, the hat had finally come to a decision.
"GRYFFINDOR!!" The Sorting Hat announced with an echoing yell, making the Gryffindor table explode with applause, cheers and whistles of celebration for their new member. Professor McGonagall removed the hat from Connie's head and told her to go sit at the Gryffindor table, which she did. She had sat in between the twin, who had made space for her to sit down.

"I believe that means that you must be the other person on the list," McGonagall said to Keira lightly. "Carlyle, Keira!" The professor called.

Keira moved and sat on the stool, not at all as nerves or scared as Connie, mainly because Keira didn't care at all what house she was put in, just as long as no one was too preppy or annoying.

"Merlin's beard!" The hat exclaimed. "This one might even be more difficult to sort then Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and Professor McGonagall combined!" Everything went silent. All eyes looking between the purple-haired girl and all the people mentioned by the hat.

Even Dumbledore himself was shocked to hear that hat consider Ms Carlyle harder to sort then the combined sortings of, the smartest witch Hogwarts has seen in years and the boy who lived AND Professor McGonagall, who was known to be the record holder of the longest Hatstall ever.

The Sorting Hat began to mutter his thought to Keira, "then yes, you are quite strong-willed, good for Gryffindor...very caring... You'd do well with the Hufflepuffs...my, my, great for Ravenclaw....competition for Ms Granger in classes...very smart this one." Keira looked up at the hat with a raised eyebrow.

All of those who were in the Great Hall was absolutely dumbfounded. Yes, even Draco Malfoy was speechless. It had been a total of fourteen minutes and forty seconds, and the Sorting Hat still had not come to a decision on the placement of the Hazel eyed girl. The only person who wasn't shocked was Keira herself. Not understand how big of a deal It was that she had been sat on the stool wearing the hat for this long, Keira sat filled with boredom, with her chin in her hands and elbows resting on her knees. The hat had said to give it time to thing to itself, that was five minutes ago. Keira had now been awaiting her house placement for a total of fifteen minutes, at this point she had grown slightly irritated with the entire situation and turned to Professor McGonagall.
"Is this thing gonna take much longer?" Keira asked the witch in an obviously bored tone, with her strong Aussie accent. The professor was about to tell the girl that she must have patience but she was cut off by the sorting hat.
"Mhm, alright." It spoke. "After much consideration and with great difficulty I have come to a decision." The hat announced, its voice echoing off the walls of the Great Hall.
"Bloody hell! Finally, I've been sittin' here for forever!" Keira exclaimed with relief. "Alright what is it?" She asked the Hat.
"You shall join...SLYTHERIN!" At the yell of the house name, the Slytherin table erupted with applause for their new member. Keira got off the stool and went to sit a the table. She had placed herself in a seat that was next to a boy with platinum blond hair.

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Word Count: 1795