Hello everybody! This will be a series of one-shots about the Sorting Hat and all those students known as Hatstalls who made the Hat think longer than ten seconds. Most of them will be OC's, but there will be a few ones you'll recognize, like Minerva McGonagall and eventually Harry Potter. I'm not sure how long this will be, I guess until I run out of ideas or years of Hogwarts history. And for those of you wondering about my other stories like The New DADA Professor or Bring A Muggle To School Day, be patient, I'm under a lot of stress regarding high school and numerous things that have no business being on the internet. I will upload irregularly, but I will get it uploaded, I promise.
The year was 993. Hogwarts's first year as a school. Rowena Ravenclaw had proudly declared that on this day, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was officially running and students were accepted to come and learn.
The Sorting Hat was a new creature. Fresh, pristine, not worn or torn, not yet. He was excited to be sorting children. He had been instructed by all four founders on the details of all four houses, down to the last minute expectations. He was determined to get it right.
There it was, the unveiling. He sat on a stool. Hundreds of young faces peered at him nervously. He almost grinned in anticipation.
The first student was a strong young lad named Geoffrey Belby. He thrust the hat on his head. The hat looked into his mind, into his heart, and into his soul.
Belby was slightly scared, but was determined to do his best. He had a sister, Violet, his twin, who was scared as well, but he had consoled her and said not to fear school. He had a strong heart. The hat didn't need to think twice before calling out the first House name to have a child, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Godric stood up and clapped. Everybody else followed, even Salazar, though he was slightly grouchy.
The rest of the students passed quickly. Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, etcetera. The hat never failed, and each student was Sorted without a stumble and without a thought.
It wasn't until 1009 that the first Hatstall made the Sorting Hat question his judgement. A girl. A petit, charming blonde, who gently placed the hat on her head and sat daintily on the stool.
The hat gazed into her and saw many different things. "Oh, curious, curious. What is this? Hm-hm, I see..."
The child, a miss Prudence Chestnut, chewed her lip nervously. "What, what?" She whispered, alarmed.
The hat debated for five and a half minutes between two houses, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. The girl was very scared. Was the hat thinking she wasn't magical? Was she going to be sent home? Her mother had been so proud, she couldn't go home so soon! Prudence started tearing up, finally prompting the hat to sort her into Hufflepuff. She relaxed and tossed the hat off, racing to safety among the badgers.
She was the first, but not the last.
The Sorting Hat never forgot a student. In all of his years sorting, he remembered each and every one. But the Hatstalls are always foremost in his mind. These are the Hat's students.