Well, my first story on here, lets see how it goes. And I know it may be short, but I promise they will grow after this. Not sure exactly what time period this will be yet but may not follow events within the books, sorry!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Harry Potter universe.
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 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 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!
Ara already knew all that, she thought, after all she did spend her whole summer reading about the wizarding world. For having only just found out about being a witch, she was remarkably knowledgeable about how this world worked. Once she had received her letter, she demanded that her parents take her to the Diagon Alley immediately to collect her school supplies, unable to contain her excitement about the existence of magic. Her parents were still unsure on whether to send her off to Hogwarts or not, but with a little persuasion they were all for it. She already knew all the houses and which one she was destined for, and now she just had to play her part.
Watching her peers before her, she waited her turn to be sorted. She already knew how the Sorting Hat worked. It could use Legilimency to read their minds and decide which house each student belonged to, and could talk to them as well. Pretty neat, she thought to herself, deciding that she would one day learn to do that. Her fellow students were still being sorted, but her turn was coming up.
"Ara Manning," Professor McGonagall called out to the group of first years. I can do this, Ara said to herself before walking up the stairs to the Sorting Hat. Sitting on the stool, the hat was placed onto her head. For a while the hat didn't say anything, and she inspected the hall. Each of the four tables still had larges spaces at the front, ready for the first years. Each table had different expressions on their faces; Hufflepuff excited, Ravenclaw half intrigued and half bored, Gryffindor happy, and Slytherin bored or expressionless.
Confused as to why the hat was yet to say anything, Ara attempted to reach out with her mind, something she had only read about. "Hello? Sorting Hat?" she tried. Suddenly there was a voice inside her head.
"Ah, there we are. You have some impressive wall around your mind young one, but I can see they're purely accidental," the hat spoke. Walls, she thought. I had walls? "One can create walls to block others from entering their mind, though it is a difficult task, but some are born with the ability. I must say, yours are the strongest I've seen. Now onto the sorting, you possess many qualities of each of the houses, though one seems to stand out. Are you sure that's where you want to be young one? You may face some difficulties." The hat finished.
"I'm sure. Put me where I best fit." She said firmly in her mind.
"If you insist. Better be SLYTHERIN!"