Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All characters, settings, etc belong to J.K. Rowling.
-Ronald Weasley-
"Weasley, Ronald!" I gulp as my name is called and instantly everyone in the Great Hall looks at me. I feel my ears and cheeks burning as I stumble towards the stool on which rests the legendary Sorting Hat. At least I don't have to fight a troll, I thought reassuringly, but the thought didn't calm my nerves one bit.
"Another Weasley? How many of you are there?"
"My sister, Ginny, is the only one left."
"Ah. Well, back to you. I can see a good mind-"
"I like to play chess!" I thought hurriedly, trying to at least show the hat that I was good at something.
"-And a good sense of humor, too. Hufflepuffs are known for their jokes, you know."
"Don't put me in Hufflepuff. Fred and George will tease me for the rest of my life."
"Oh, but Hufflepuff would be good for you. It would teach you to be less insecure."
"So I'm a Hufflepuff?" I asked resignedly.
"Let's see. Slytherin, hmm... Not very ambitious, I see. Not cunning, either. I could definitely rule out the Snakes for you."
I let out a sigh of relief. "So, what house am I in, then? I want Gryffindor, so could you-"
"Mr. Weasley, I think you might have hit the jackpot-"
"How much is the prize?"
The Hat chuckled. "That's an idiom, Weasley. But back to the topic: you're loyal, brave- though you need to work on controlling your fear, you know- yes, a true GRYFFINDOR!"
The Hat yelled the last word and I stood up, my arms raised in triumph. I heard Fred and George whistling and clapping and grinned wildly. I placed the Hat onto the wooden stool I'd previously occupied and knew that my flaming red hair was probably sticking up in a bad case of hat hair, but right now, I didn't care. I practically ran to the Gryffindor table that had burst into applause for its newest member.
"Ron!" It was Harry Potter, my new best friend. He patted an empty bit of bench and I thankfully parked myself next to him. George and Fred thumped me on the back, making me splutter and cough until I turned green. Meanwhile, that mental Hermione Granger kid stared at me disapprovingly out of the corner of her eyes.
Oh boy. This was going to be a long, long year.