September 1, 1908

Newt Scamander walked slowly into the Great Hall with the other first-years and stood between the tables as he waited to be sorted. He looked toward the Gryffindor table and caught the eye of his brother Theseus. Theseus winked and gave him a thumbs-up sign, and Newt smiled and waved back nervously. He was pretty sure he wasn't going to join his brother in Gryffindor. He quickly looked away.

The Great Hall was easily the biggest room he had ever been in. At the front of the room sat the imposing headmaster, Phineas Nigellus Black. Theseus didn't like him, and Newt didn't either. On either side of him were deputy headmaster Armando Dippet, charms professor and head of Ravenclaw, and Albus Dumbledore, transfiguration professor and head of Gryffindor. Dumbledore was only in his late twenties, but everyone said he was one of the greatest wizards Britain had ever seen. Theseus said he would even become headmaster someday. Newt hoped it was true. He would be much better than Black.

After the headmaster gave his welcoming speech (which didn't encourage Newt - he didn't seem very welcoming of anyone who wasn't a Slytherin pureblood), Dippet stepped forward to pick up the Sorting Hat and called the first name. Newt zoned out for a while - he knew it would be a long time before he got to S. Finally, Dippet called "Scamander, Newton", and Theseus had to nudge him in the side to get him to notice and step up to be sorted.

Newt sat down on the stool and Dippet put the hat on his head. He closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to see the entire school staring at him.

"Very interesting," said the hat. "You are a pureblood, but you're not ambitious or cunning, so I don't think Slytherin is right for you. And you are brave, but you don't have the temperament for Gryffindor. That just leaves Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff."

Newt mentally sighed with relief. He knew he wasn't Gryffindor material, though it was still a shock to hear the hat call him brave. And of course he was relieved not to be in Slytherin - Theseus would hate him.

"Yes, you're very intelligent and very kind," said the hat. "You would do well in either house. So do you have a preference between the two?"

A preference? Newt thought. He had no idea that the hat took your choice into account.

"I've always thought of myself as more of a Ravenclaw, honestly," Newt thought.

"But is that what you want?" the hat asked him.

"I never really thought about it," Newt admitted. Truthfully, he just felt lucky to be going to Hogwarts at all. He had always been a strange child, and hadn't really had any friends growing up besides Theseus. He had always felt more comfortable around animals than people. He would certainly rather spend his time reading than trying to talk to strangers. But on the other hand, he didn't want to spend the rest of his life as some weird bookworm shut up in a library. He bit his lip.

"I - I'd sort of like to be in Hufflepuff," he thought. "B-but is it true what I've heard about them? That they're all a bunch of duffers?"

"Of course not," the hat said. "Why, Helga Hufflepuff herself created a special room right here in this very castle, to help anyone who needs it. Hufflepuffs are always helping others, just not in ways that people tend to see."

"Oh," thought Newt, smiling. "That's nice."

"So do you still want to be in Hufflepuff?" the hat asked.

"Yes," thought Newt, more confidently. "Yes, I think I do."

"Very well then," said the hat. "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Dippet took the hat off his head, and Newt got off the stool and made his way to the Hufflepuff table amidst the smattering of polite applause. He dared to look over at Theseus, who seemed disappointed but not surprised. Still, he smiled at Newt and patted him on the back just as Dippet called the next name.

As Newt sat down at the Hufflepuff table, he looked up at the banner. It had a picture of a badger on it. Newt didn't know much about Muggle beasts, but the badger seemed like his kind of animal. He swallowed, then turned toward the student next to him and started talking.

A/N: Thanks for reading! If you want, I'll make chapters for Tina, Queenie, Jacob and Credence, at Hogwarts or at Ilvermorny.