A/N: Okay, I was originally going to make this another chapter for my 50 Things, but I changed my mind and decided to finish my Sorting Hat challenge.


"Firs' years follow me... Watch yer step 'n no more'n four ter a boat!" bellowed Hagrid, and the nervous first years all closed in around him, entering a boat.

Rose, Albus, and Scorpius piled into a boat with a young girl who had bronzey curls and was even smaller than Albus' sister, Lily.

"Hi, I'm Rose," greeted Rose, before pointing to Albus and Scorpius in turn, "and this is Albus, and this is Scorpius."

The bronze-haired girl with the curls smiled mysteriously at them.

"Hello Rose, hello Albus, hello Scorpius," she murmured quietly, "do you not recognize me?"

She lifted her face and gazed straight into Albus' eyes.

"L-LAVI?" shrieked Rose.

"Lavi! It's you, Lavi, it really is?" asked Albus.

Scorpius gazed critically at her, and Lavi turned her golden stare on Scorpius, and a grin broke out on his face.

"Lavi, where have you been? Uncle Neville said -"

"I was sick. Dad thought I would make others sick, so I've been at home for the past couple of years," she said by way of explanation.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

They caught site of the beautiful castle, and no more conversation was heard. The boats docked neatly in a row along the edge of the lake, and the first years scrambled out. As the children huddled and formed a great big clump, Hagrid knocked three times on the great oak door.

A man who looked to be in his mid-thirties, early-forties, with salt-and-pepper hair opened the door. He greeted the first years with a gentle smile.

"Here, Professor Longbottom. The firs' years."

"Ah, thank you, Hagrid. I'll take them from here," he said.

Hagrid nodded to the professor as well as the students, and turned away to leave.

"Now, children. Come along."

Professor Longbottom's voice hardened the slightest bit, and he whirled away in a flurry of black robes and shadows.

He led the eleven-year-olds across the flagged stone floor, into a small chamber off to the side of a large door where voices chattered.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," he spoke, his voice quiet but haunting, full of authority, yet still amazingly approachable.

"Before the start-of-term banquet begins, you must be Sorted. The Sorting Ceremony is a big deal. You would do well to not mess it up," he murmured silkily, his words resounding throughout the entire chamber.

"You will be Sorted into a House. That House will be - well, a house to you at Hogwarts. You will have classes with your yearmates in your house, you will eat, sleep, drink, study, and live with your house. Do something well, and you will earn house points. Do something wrong, and you will lose house points. Whichever House has the most points at the end of the year wins the House Cup, which is a very great honor," continued Professor Longbottom, his voice getting progressively silkier and more haunting, yet still oh-so-caring, as if he were everyone's father.

"There are four Houses. They are Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. It does not matter which House you are sorted into, and intolerance of peers because they are of a different House is frowned upon," his voice dropped so quiet in this that the children strained to hear him.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few moments. Tidy yourselves up as well as you can, and follow me," he said at a normal decibel, and it sounded like shouting after all his whispering. He glared severely at a young boy who had a smudge of chocolate right above his upper lip, and at another young girl whose hair was flying all over the place.

He spun on his heel and walked briskly to the large doors they had walked past earlier, and flung them open dramatically.

He led the first years into a line in front of the staff table.

Another professor set an old four-legged stool down in the middle, followed by a slightly battered old hat with a large rip in the brim.

Nothing happened for a moment.

"BILBY!" shouted someone from the crowd, and the hat jerked. The rim opened wide, and it began singing.

I'm just a tattered hat-

but I'm a special tattered hat,

for I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat!

I decide where you belong,

So put me on your head,

And you'll notice that before long,

I'll shout a word instead,

Be it Gryffindor,

where the brave and mighty

courageous and fighty

dwell?

Or be it Slytherin,

where the cunning and ambitious

sly and not-so-vicious

are?

Maybe it'll Ravenclaw,

where the smart and witty

with intelligence and creativity

belong?

How about Hufflepuff,

where the loyal and fair

patient and hardworkers

live?

Take a chance, live a little!

And you'll see where you belong!

The hat bowed five times - once to each table, and once towards the first years and staff. Then it stilled again, and Professor Longbottom pulled a scroll out of his robe.

His voice, though quiet as before, spread through the Great Hall with ease.

"When I call your name, you will try the Sorting Hat on. Once it announces your house, you'll take it off and go sit with your house."

"Belby, Kaitlyn!"

A young girl with snow-white hair tumbling down her shoulders and crisp blue eyes glided up to the stool, and put the Hat on. Within moments, it shouted her house.

"RAVENCLAW!"

The girl joined her housemates as everyone cheered.

"Boot, Susanna!"

A tiny girl who could've been eight years old had she not just been called, scrambled toward the Hat and jammed it on her head. It enveloped her head completely, and all that was visible was her mass of chestnut curls.

"RAVENCLAW!" cried the Hat, and Susanna Boot ran off to join Kaitlyn Belby and her housemates.

More names were called, including "Corner," "Creevey," and Scorpius began chatting with Rose, Albus, and Lavi.

"Finnegan," "Goldstein," "Higgs," "Jordan," and finally, "Longbottom, Lavi!"

Lavi walked confidently up the stool, picked the Hat up gingerly by the brim and set it on her head.

Well, what have we here? Little Lavi Longbottom, daughter of Professor Neville and Hannah Longbottom nee Abbott, indeed?

Yes.Hat, please just sort me.

Straight and to-the-point, are we? Smart - incredibly - brave, and cunning... So we've got Slytherin or Gryffindor, with a touch of Ravenclaw.

It doesn't matter, Hat. My mum was a Hufflepuff, my dad was a Gryffindor. My best friend's parents were Slytherins and Ravenclaws can't be that bad.

Tolerant, then. Well, it'll have to be...

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers and Lavi was welcomed warmly into their clutches.

After Longbottom came "Macmillan," "Maddock," "Madley," and then "Malfoy, Scorpius!"

Blonde-headed Scorpius walked up the Hat with as much confidence as he could muster, and summoned all the Malfoy-training from his father.

Well, well, well. What have we here? A Malfoy? I suppose you no doubt want to get into Slytherin or else you'll get disowned?

Not sure. Mum says it doesn't matter, but I'm sure it does to Dad.

Not much of a choice you've got, boy. You're a Slytherin all the way...

"SLYTHERIN!"

Scorpius took the Hat off, flashed a grin at Rose and Albus (who had yet to be Sorted), waved at Lavi, and took a seat at the Slytherin table.

After "Nott," "Oakby," "Owens," "Peasegood," "Peterson," and "Polkin," finally came "Potter, Albus!"

Whispers erupted all over the hall, following the second Potter child to the stool. Nervously, Albus pulled the Hat over his eyes and sat quietly.

A Potter? With a Slytherin-esque mind, no less?

Please put me in Gryffindor! I'm a Potter! I belong in Gryffindor!

Your father was almost a Slytherin, and you are a Slytherin, no matter what.

No! I'm a Gryffi -

"SLYTHERIN!"

The whispering ceased, and a shocked silence filled the hall.

Professor Longbottom pulled himself together quickly, and his voice rung out.

"Please join your house, Mr. Potter," he said.

Numbly, Albus nodded and wobbled over to the Slytherin table before collapsing next to Scorpius.

After Albus came, "Pucey," "Quirke," "Rowle," "Schmidt," "Sloper," "Smith," "Thomas," "Warrington," and finally, the only one left, "Weasley, Rose!"

She walked up gracefully, and with extreme delicacy, laid it down on her light auburn curls.

You are a mystery, child.

Am I?

You are not a Ravenclaw, as much as you may think so. You are not ambitious enough for Slytherin, either.

I am smart! I'm very smart, I'm smarter than Hugo! And I have ambitions!

Do not fool yourself, young one.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"


A/N: Bwahahaha, I feel mean. Rose is a Hufflepuff. xD I think one day I'll post my NextGen universe so nobody gets all confused.