𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍:
A chatty mangy old hat
(1971)
"WELCOME TO HOGWARTS," said Professor McGonagall.
"The start-of-term feast will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room."
"The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin."
Sirius and Viviane shared a look.
"Each House has its own noble history, and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule-breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours."
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
Her eyes lingered for a moment, and Viviane couldn't help but feel intimidated.
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." She left the chamber. They were all silent when suddenly a ghost popped up from the floor, looking like a little man with wickedly slanted, orange eyes, dressed in loud, outlandish clothes including a bell-covered hat and an orange bow tie.
"Boo!" The students scream, and Viviane gasps, almost tripping until Remus holds both of her shoulders. Sirius laughs, amused, "Hilarious."
"Oi! Peeves! Stop bloody scaring the firs' years!" Another ghost appeared, walking through the walls. "Sorry, lads."
About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room, talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years.
Ah, yes, the ghosts. Viviane had read about them. A jolly fellow ghost who resembled a monk then faced them, floating. "First years! About to be sorted, I suppose?" He asked, and they all nodded.
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" He said. "My old House, you know. The name's Friar."
"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.
"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."
And they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.
It's more beautiful than Viviane had imagined.
It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables with the house colours where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets.
At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them.
The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver.
Viviane looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. She recalled reading in Hogwarts: A History that the ceiling is bewitched to look like the night sky.
Then they all halted, looking at Professor McGonagall silently placing a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool, she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed, and extremely dirty.
Viviane grimaced. She hoped that the thing didn't have any Wizard lice.
For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth — and the hat 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 it.
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats 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've 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 folk 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!"
The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again. Sirius moved beside her, whispering, "That was quite lame, if I'm being honest."
Viviane looks at him, whispering back, "Then don't be honest," Then he looks back towards the hat.
Professor McGonagall now stepped forward, holding a long roll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said
"You said on the boat that we'll be fighting a dragon!" Peter exclaims to the three boys with a betrayed look.
"Again, Mate, learn to have a laugh," Sirius replies as he scoffs, rolling his eyes.
"Abbott, Nicolas!"
A blond boy slowly made his way to the stool, put on the hat, and waited for a few moments.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat. The boy made his way towards the right side of the hall table, dressed in yellow and black was filled with fellow Hufflepuffs waiting for him with applause among them.
Viviane immediately caught sight of Amos Diggory, the handsome boy with the red-headed twins earlier. Thinking of the twins, she quickly looked towards the Gryffindor table. Colors of red and gold invaded her eyesight.
Then she sees the twins already looking at her with big smiles as they send her a wave and a thumbs up. Viviane waved at them, giggling. Turning back to the sorting hat.
They waited for the others to get sorted until Sirius was called.
"Black, Sirius!" Sirius grins at them as this time, Viviane's the one who grabbed his arm, saying. "Think about this carefully, Sirius." Sirius gently shook her hold, smiling.
"I'll do anything to spite them. I'll bloody beg the sorting hat to put me in Gryffindor if I have to." Sirius turns around, walking excitedly towards the front, sitting on the stool as Viviane starts to worry.
Sirius isn't bloody serious, is he? Merlin, Walburga will have more than a hissy fit about this. Sirius looks determined, and Viviane wants to slap the hell out of his shit-eating confident grin. He really refuses to be sorted into the House that their ancestors have been sorted too.
After a few minutes of silence, the hat finally yelled.
"GRYFFINDOR."
Merlin, help us all. Viviane wanted to faint. She really did. She looks towards the Slytherin table and sees her cousins. Bellatrix's lips were curled, eyes following Sirius skipping towards the Gryffindor table. She said something that Viviane only made up from reading her lips. "Walburga's going to fume over this."
Narcissa looks worried, eyes connecting with Viviane, almost pleading her to be sorted into Slytherin. Viviane purses her lips, nodding. While Andromeda just looks amused, trying to contain the smile creeping up her face, hiding it with her hand.
"Brown, Henry!"
"GRYFFINDOR."
"Carrow, Alecto!"
The Carrow twins. Viviane hated them, so full of themselves, when her Father received an invitation to a ball. No doubt they'll be sorted to...
"SLYTHERIN."
Amycus, too, is sorted into Slytherin.
"Catchlove, Greta!"
"HUFFLEPUFF."
"Crabbe, Vincent!"
"SLYTHERIN."
"Evans, Lily!"
The redhead stepped forward and smiled nervously as she sat on the stool.
There was barely a second after it had touched her dark red hair, and the hat cried, "GRYFFINDOR!"
James then nudged Viviane, saying, "Pretty that one." Viviane rolls her eyes.
"I'm nervous," Remus whispers beside her and adds, "I'm nervous. Probably won't be sorted to Gryffindor." Viviane then says assuringly with a teasing smile, "I'm sure you look good in blue and bronze."
Remus chuckles, raising an eyebrow at her, "Not that smart to be in Ravenclaw."
"You think too little of yourself." Viviane counters as Remus is about to say something but then James places an arm around his shoulder.
"Don't worry, mate. You'll be sorted into Gryffindor. At least one of us needs to be a behaved one."
"Fortesque, Alice!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Goyle, Gregory!"
"SLYTHERIN."
Ugh. Viviane thought. Scoffing, it's the son of one of her Father's friends. Quite annoying when he's around the manor.
"Fernandez, Philipp!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
Viviane takes a deep breath. She knows she's next. James places a hand on her shoulder, patting her. A silent assurance while Remus smiles at her.
"Hawthorne, Viviane!"
Viviane squares her shoulder, chin up, confidently and gracefully walking to the front, sitting on the stool as Professor McGonagall places the hat on her head. Remus and James send her a thumbs-up while Peter just nervously smiles at her.
Suddenly a voice spoke inside her head.
"My, my, tickle me curious. This is a first, a Hawthorne. That's a girl."
Viviane rolls her eyes, responding, "You're not the only one who's surprised."
"I see many potentials. Naturally clever and with a fast wit, you'll strive in Ravenclaw. I see that it's one of your options, hmmm...Selfless and hard-working like a Hufflepuff. Oh! But that won't do, would it?"
"Just sort me to Slytherin, please." Viviane pleads. "And why not Gryffindor?" The hat counters, humming again. Merlin, the hat is surely taking his sweet time. The students in the Great Hall are looking at her curiously, anticipating where the Hawthorne Heiress will be sorted into.
"I'm far from brave," Viviane argues. The sorting hat chuckles. "But you've got nerve and stubborn. Like you're meant to be in Gryffindor. Yet, you've had enough of breaking traditions, are you? I see your cunningness and ambitiousness. Just like your Father."
Viviane shivered at his comment about being like her Father.
"Well, he told me that you weren't even placed on top of his head before you yelled Slytherin."
"Didn't need to. I felt it. You Hawthornes always strive for power...and perfection."
"Merlin's sake put me in Slytherin. Will you? Let's get this over with. They're dying with anticipation." Viviane looks back at the crowd that hasn't uttered a single word, all eyes on her. Bloody hell, she felt like a celebrity—technically, she is.
"Very well...it is the righteous house for you."
"SLYTHERIN!"
Pleasant cheers erupted from the Slytherin table. Viviane let out a long sigh of relief, and she rushed away from the hat. Merlin that was the most unpleasant interaction she had ever had. She was still shocked that she had almost ended up in almost all the houses.
Before heading towards the Slytherin table, who looks smug about having the Hawthorne Heiress in their House, she looks at the Gryffindor table, seeing Sirius saluting her with Remus smiling, still waiting to be sorted. While James sends a wink her way. Viviane shakes her head, amused, as she makes her way to Andromeda, who is waiting for her with an empty seat beside her.
"Congratulations, Viv!" Andromeda gushes as she places both of her hands on Viviane's chubby cheek, placing a kiss on the side of her head. Viviane takes a seat. Narcissa, who sat opposite hers, smiled, saying. "More sleepovers for us then."
"Be bloody glad that there's only one disappointment for today." Bellatrix commented bitterly. "I'm sure our dear Gryffindor cousin of ours will be blasted off the family tree." She spat out with a scoff, rolling her eyes and focusing her attention elsewhere.
Viviane stays silent as Andromeda holds her hand under the table—squeezing her hand in assurance. Narcissa sighs—she's extremely worried for Sirius.
"Knighton, Althea!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Longbottom, Frank!" Longbottom. Viviane knows that they're part of the Sacred 28. She saw the boy at the Sacred 28 Society ball with his mother, Augusta Longbottom.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Lupin, Remus!" Professor McGonagall called out, and Remus turned, making his way toward the stool and taking a seat as the hat was placed on his head.
Not even a second, the hat yelled, "GRYFFINDOR." Sirius booming cheer erupted from their table. Viviane beamed as she looked at Remus, a relieved expression on his face making his way toward the Gryffindor table. Sirius eagerly welcomed his friend. Only waiting for James and Peter.
"Meadows, Dorcas!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Macdonald, Mary." followed Remus into Gryffindor. And so did, "Mckinnon, Marlene."
"Montgomery, Dominic!"
"RAVENCLAW."
Merlin helps her because Avery and Mulciber are sorted into Slytherin. Soon enough, Peter Pettigrew is sorted to Gryffindor—Viviane was sure he'll be sorted into Slytherin because of his Pureblood beliefs, she scoffs, crossing her arms to her chest.
"Nott, Tiberius!"
Another Pureblood.
"SLYTHERIN!"
Typical.
"Potter, James!" Viviane watched as James strides towards the stool, sitting with a wide smile.
"GRYFFINDOR."
With a fist pump, he darted down the steps and rushed into the applause of his House.
"Parkinson, Aurora!"
Viviane looks at the girl. She's a Parkinson, of course, she'll be in...
"SLYTHERIN!"
Aurora sits at the end of the table. As an older boy waits for her with a grin.
"Reyes, Myra!"
Oh, Viviane hoped that they'll be in the same House. She just knows that she and Myra will get along well. Especially when their mothers are friends.
"SLYTHERIN!"
Viviane claps excitedly as she makes space for the girl. Myra ran towards her, eagerly taking a seat beside her and giving Viviane a tight hug.
"I'm so happy that we're in the same House!
Her Father said she could be friends with purebloods—Mrya is a Filipina pureblood. Viviane is only following what her Father says.
She didn't break a rule. Not that he needs to know, anyway.
Author's Note:
— That's it for my birthday updates! I hope you enjoyed Chapters 9, 10, and 11! I'll be back by December and the New Year to update as a Christmas gift! I'll be officially back to Wattpad next year by February and March! 💗