Hogwarts Sorting

Ami got off the train and walked over to the thestral-carried carriages. Then she heard a loud voice bellowing out, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" Unsure of where to go, Ami remembered that the first years were led to the sorting ceremony. So Ami followed the voice over to a large man whom she recognized as Rubeus Hagrid. She followed him to a bunch of boats tied to the shore, bobbing up and down on the lake's uneasy surface. Everyone seemed to be bothered by the heavy rain that was coming down, but Ami just swept it away with a wave of her hand. It was the least she could do, as she had studied weather magic, and a bunch of other magics, since she was three. She had to admit though, when she saw the castle (or what she could make out...most of it was blocked by heavy rain and the wind), she was impressed. So were all of the other students.

She climbed into a boat and was followed by three more students. She noticed how they were all shuddering in the cold, and taking pity on them, Ami sent over some warmth to get some chills out. Of course, they were too excited to notice because at that moment the boats all sped off into the lake.

All of the first years oohed and aahed at the sight of the giant lake and then of the enormous cliff face they were coming closer and closer to. The boats weren't making very good time; it was as if their magic was fighting the current that tried so desperately hard to wash them all overboard.

Hagrid had a hard time making himself heard when they reached a cliff's outcropping hid by ivy. Most students got the message when they saw themselves coming closer to it, except for one student, a short one, who had been standing on his seat to get a better look at everything. Luckily the boats had been traveling too slowly to make any lasting damage. But the poor kid fell into the lake. Hagrid, who was riding in the back in case something like this happened, sped forward to reach him. But before he got there, someone had pushed him onto a boat. Shivering cold, the child was thrilled. Ami could here him telling others that he had been pushed up by the giant squid as she got back into her boat. The other students were too busy listening to their classmate's story that they didn't notice the strong burst of heat that warmed Ami and dried her clothes from the lake's water. When they got on solid ground, Hagrid gave the boy his coat, who was still telling everyone that he was saved by the giant squid, and proud of it. Ami didn't want to burst his happy thoughts by telling him the truth. And, she figured, no one saw her anyways. They would all believe him anyways.

They got to the Entrance doors of Hogwarts, and Hagrid knocked three times. A stern looking lady with a pointed black hat opened the doors and welcomed everyone in. If she noticed that everyone seemed to be wet except for Ami, she didn't say anything. She led them all to a small room.

"Line up, please. I will call you into the Great Hall when we are ready for you." She left the room and Ami went near the back of the line. She didn't want to be in the middle. It would look too awkward. She was at least a foot and a half taller than most of them. Besides, she didn't want them to feel more nervous than they already did. She could feel stares coming from curious first years, wondering if she had failed and had to take the sorting again. She ignored all of them and waited patiently to get the Sorting over with.

After what seemed like forever, the stern teacher, whom Ami assumed was Professor Minerva McGonagall, led them all inside to the Great Hall, where all of the students looked anxiously at the incoming students, making comments on how drenched they looked, and whether or not that girl on the end was actually a first year or not.

Professor McGonagall placed a three-legged stool in front of the line of incoming students, and on top of that put a very dirty hat with a wide brim and a large tear. It was the sorting hat. And everyone in the hall looked at it. And it sang loudly, the tear near the brim opening wide just like a mouth.

A thousand years or more ago,

When I was newly sewn,

There lived four wizards of renown,

Whose names are still well known:

Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,

Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,

Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,

Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.

They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,

They hatched a daring plan

To educate young sorcerers

Thus Hogwarts School began.

Now each of these four founders

Formed their own house, for each

Did value different virtues

In the ones they had to teach.

By Gryffindor, the bravest were

Prized far beyond the rest;

For Ravenclaw, the cleverest

Would always be the best;

For Hufflepuff, hard workers were

Most worthy of admission;

And power-hungry Slytherin

Loved those of great ambition.

While still alive they did divide

Their favorites from the throng,

Yet how to pick the worthy ones

When they were dead and gone?

'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,

He whipped me off his head

The founders put some brains in me

So I could choose instead!

Now slip me snug about your ears,

I've never yet been wrong,

I'll have a look inside your mind

And tell where you belong!

The Great Hall was filled with applause when the Sorting Hat finished his song. Professor McGonagall held a large parchment, which she unrolled, and she told the students, "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool. When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table.

"Ackerley, Stewart." A nervous boy stepped out of line, trembling all over. He walked over to the hat, put it on, and sat on the stool.

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted.

Stewart put the hat down and smiled, his nervousness gone. The Ravenclaw table was clapping for him, and he rushed over to his table and sat.

The rest of the students went up individually to the stool and got sorted into their houses, adding a respectable amount of new people to the Great Hall. Finally Ami was the last person to be sorted.

"Majicmaster, Ami." Ami walked up to the stool. McGonagall smiled when she announced her name. "Miss Majicmaster is very welcomed here. We are tremendously glad she has finally made her school choice, and we are also glad to see that she has chosen the right one." There was some laughter at that, and Ami looked around, smiling a bit from the comforting atmosphere of the place. Perhaps she needn't be as worried as she had thought she should be. "You see, four years ago Ami was accepted into every magical school in the world. She declined them all. We are happy to have her finally join us, as we know that she will be a very excellent addition to our student roster." Feeling better already about taking on this mission as the students applauded her, Ami sat on the stool, which was a little too small for her. McGonagall gave her the sorting hat.

The moment she put the hat on, Ami could hear a little voice in her head. Hmm...where should you go? I can see that you have admirable qualities that all of the founders would have loved...there's courage, loyalty, cunning, intelligence...so many talents...I can't think of one house to not put you in.

"Can I not be in Slytherin?" Ami thought to the hat.

Not Slytherin? But why? You'd make an exquisite Slytherin...in fact, I can see you as the best of all Houses. If only you'd been around with the founders when they were living...

"But I was...I was friends with them all...don't you remember me? I was practically as old then as I am now."

Oh! Were you that girl...the Most Powerful Being in the Galaxy? Is that what they called you? Ami nodded to the hat. Wonderful! It's nice to see you again after all these millennia. But which House to place you in? I wonder...

By now everyone was wondering what was taking so long. The Hat never took so long in making a decision. It had been a couple of minutes at least before everyone started whispering to their neighbor. They had never seen the hat take so long on one individual. Perhaps Hogwarts wasn't the right school for this girl...perhaps she really wasn't a witch at all...maybe that was the reason the hat hadn't shouted any Houses out yet. Some students even started standing up so as to see what was the hold up.

I'm sorry, but I just can't tell you which House to be in...maybe if you would just give me a prod in the right direction...

"Well, Gryffindor wouldn't be too bad in my opinion,"Ami thought honestly.

Gryffindor? Then that's what it is. I would think you would want to be in Gryffindor... after all, wasn't he your favorite of the four? Ami smiled as she remembered Gryffindor. She had liked him more than the others for his bravery and dedication, and for the way he treated his friends.

McGonagall herself had just lost hope. She reached overto take the hat off of Ami's head when it shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" It gave McGonagall quite a shock, and all of the Gryffindors cheered for Ami. Ami walked and sat next to Harry at the Gryffindor table, glad that at last the Sorting was over.

"I have only two words to say to you," Headmaster Dumbledore said with a smile when the school stopped talking. "Tuck in."

As the tables' dishes which were once empty began filling with the most delectable looking food, Ami thought about her sorting. It was long, and she could tell that people already thought of her as odd. Her good feelings had deflated, and she began to wonder herself just how normal she was. I guess I am really powerful. If the hat couldn't decide which house I should be in, then I must really confuse people. She had never really thought that her powers made her any different than the rest of the galaxy...she just knew that she had more responsibilities than them. But if a hat was indecisive over her, what would her classmates think? They, after all, had no knowledge whatsoever of how much power Ami had. She doubted if any of them could even imagine it. Hermione looked over at her and asked, "Are you okay?"

Ami looked at her, surprised. "Yeah...I'm fine," she lied.

"Well, you aren't eating anything." She looked down at her food.

"Yeah, well...I guess I'm just not used to this food...I ate other things where...where I stayed last."

Hermione looked dubious. "Okay," she said. "You'll get used to it."

Ami didn't have to penetrate her mind to realize that Hermione was questioning Ami's story, and was wondering just how powerful Ami really was.