"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 folk 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!"
Dumbledore applauds politely as it finishes, but I stare, open- mouthed. "Holy shit, it talks!" I exclaim in wonder.
"That it does, Miss Starre. Now, go on." Dumbledore smiles.
"Uh…right." I say, inching my way up to the stool the hat rests on. I really, really don't want to put that thing on my head, but I guess I have no choice. I slip it on, and find it soothing, in fact.
'You're an interesting case, Alex…' a voice says. 'I'm torn between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw…then again…you have been cheating…'
'No! No, I haven't, please, please put me in Gryffindor…' I say in my mind to whatever is listening.
'Are you sure Gryffindor is right for you?' the voice says.
'Yes, I'm sure, please…' I think hurriedly.
'Then, I suppose its GRYFFINDOR!' The voice—which I have found comes from the hat—yells to Dumbledore.
"Well, my dear, I see the hat has made its choice." Dumbledore smiles. I notice his twinkling, merry eyes and smile back. "I assume Ron will help you with your things,"
"Yes, he's very nice." I say.
"I noticed Harry Potter has taken a liking to you, too." Dumbledore says softly. Is the whole SCHOOL going to know? Then I remember, this is Harry Potter. THE Harry Potter. I blush.
"Goodbye, come visit again soon!" Dumbledore says. I say a pleasant goodbye and walk out. 'He's a bit odd,' I think to myself.
I hear Dumbledore in the room. A voice high like the hats is speaking to him. I listen in. "She really needed Gryffindor." The high voice says.
"She's going to be a big change," Dumbledore says.
A misty voice surpasses both. "I sense bad things happening here in the future…an urgent need…"
I stop listening and blink back tears. I was wrong. They don't care. They think I'm bad, and I can't fit in. I'll show them…
"Alex?" Ron's voice says.
I turn around. "Yep,"
His eyes hold hope. "What house?"
I grin. "You are looking at Alex Starre, new Gryffindor…" I say in a sportscaster's voice.
"That's wonderful!" He says, looking very excited.
"Mmm hmm, can you help me get my trunks? And…oh!" I say in shock. "Lotus! Where's Lotus?"
"Hermione took her after Draco tried to…you know…"
"Thank god. If anything happened to her…"
Ron looks at me strangely. "I know, Alex, I know."
Peeves breaks our moment by silently creeping up behind Ron and then screaming "GOT YOUR CONK!" rather loudly and annoyingly.
"Peeves, the Bloody Baron…"
"You're no fun." The poltergeist complains, and speeds off.
"I think I'm beginning to dislike ghosts," I say.
"No, no, don't dislike ghosts. Just Peeves." Ron laughs. He takes my trunk on his back and leads me down twisty hallways, down stairs on which you must remember to jump a vanishing stair, and finally stops in front of a suit of armor. "I think I forgot something. I'll be right back, Alex."
"Okay," I tell him. I sigh at the unfairness of not knowing my way around, but then note he's going to probably get Gryffindor to welcome me. Just great…I'll end up looking all flustered and embarrassed, and then they won't want to be in the same House as that piece of trash, Alex Starre…
"Back, sorry." Ron smiles.
"Mmm hmm, let's go."
"Okay," We walk down the halls again and stop in front of a portrait with a fat lady in it. She's wearing a pretty pink dress, and I smile. She smiles back, and I jump. Being in a Muggle house long enough, you forget things…
"Fairymelon," Ron says in a monotone manner, like mumbling something incoherent is normal. The portrait swings open, and I see a crowd of people in red and gold swarming me. Then I see Harry in the corner, looking at me. He turns away. No. No, he's not allowed to turn away from me! I didn't mean to hurt you, Harry…
"Welcome to Gryffindor!" A pretty girl who looks like Ron says happily. Why are you happy? What is there to be happy about?
"Everyone, this is Alex Starre, new Gryffindor!" Ron announces. Cheers rise from the mob. "…And my new girlfriend, so don't even try anything." Some boos arise and I chuckle. I'm nothing to try anything on. I look again at Harry, separated from the mass. He turns to look at me, and glares. I see his eyes are wet, though. My heart drops down, and I fight the urge to cry myself. "Don't make her party too long, she's still hurt…" Ron says, but his words are lost to everyone but me. The wave descends on me, and I mutter a few hellos and thank yous, then make my way to the stairs that obviously lead to the dorms. I go up and to the left, and find a door that says 5th-year girls in red and gold. I open it and find luxurious beds, deep red velvet. I sink into one that doesn't have anyone's things behind it.
"Alex, isn't it?" An Indian-looking girl asks. I hadn't noticed her when I lay down.
"Yes, it is." I say quietly.
"My name is Parvati, Parvati Patil." She says.
"Enchanté." I reply, using my knowledge of French.
"You speak french, that's good. It might come in handy." She says.
"Mmm,"
"You're going out with Ron?"
"Mmm hmm."
"Lavender had her eye on him—Lavender Brown. Maybe you met her?" She asks. I shake my head. "Okay. She'll be heartbroken, but I sense you and Ron won't last long."
"Why do you say that?"
"Oh, I don't know, I'm just trying to make good conversation." She grins.
I smile in spite of my depressed heart. "When do classes start in the morning?"
"Early enough. I take it you want sleep?"
"I'm very tired,"
"As you should be. We…we heard what Malfoy tried to do to you."
I look at her. "How many people have heard?"
She shakes her head sadly. "God knows…Hogwarts likes to gossip…"
I feel the urge to cry in frustration, but I remind myself that crying is a sign of weakness. "There goes my chances of a normal existence in Hogwarts," I mutter.
"Oh, don't worry. I mean, Harry got through it just fine. People will just be pretty sympathetic to you. Are you thinking…" I try to pay attention to her, but my mind drifts. Harry. Why did he seem so hurt? Why wasn't he happy for his best friend? And why wasn't he happy I'm in Gryffindor?
"Alex?" Parvati asks.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Parvati. I just really need to sleep, I'm drifting off."
"Okay. Well, if you want to talk later, I'm here." She says. "'Night, Alex."
"'Night, Parvati." I say, my mind flowing into dreams of Harry Potter.
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 folk 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!"
Dumbledore applauds politely as it finishes, but I stare, open- mouthed. "Holy shit, it talks!" I exclaim in wonder.
"That it does, Miss Starre. Now, go on." Dumbledore smiles.
"Uh…right." I say, inching my way up to the stool the hat rests on. I really, really don't want to put that thing on my head, but I guess I have no choice. I slip it on, and find it soothing, in fact.
'You're an interesting case, Alex…' a voice says. 'I'm torn between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw…then again…you have been cheating…'
'No! No, I haven't, please, please put me in Gryffindor…' I say in my mind to whatever is listening.
'Are you sure Gryffindor is right for you?' the voice says.
'Yes, I'm sure, please…' I think hurriedly.
'Then, I suppose its GRYFFINDOR!' The voice—which I have found comes from the hat—yells to Dumbledore.
"Well, my dear, I see the hat has made its choice." Dumbledore smiles. I notice his twinkling, merry eyes and smile back. "I assume Ron will help you with your things,"
"Yes, he's very nice." I say.
"I noticed Harry Potter has taken a liking to you, too." Dumbledore says softly. Is the whole SCHOOL going to know? Then I remember, this is Harry Potter. THE Harry Potter. I blush.
"Goodbye, come visit again soon!" Dumbledore says. I say a pleasant goodbye and walk out. 'He's a bit odd,' I think to myself.
I hear Dumbledore in the room. A voice high like the hats is speaking to him. I listen in. "She really needed Gryffindor." The high voice says.
"She's going to be a big change," Dumbledore says.
A misty voice surpasses both. "I sense bad things happening here in the future…an urgent need…"
I stop listening and blink back tears. I was wrong. They don't care. They think I'm bad, and I can't fit in. I'll show them…
"Alex?" Ron's voice says.
I turn around. "Yep,"
His eyes hold hope. "What house?"
I grin. "You are looking at Alex Starre, new Gryffindor…" I say in a sportscaster's voice.
"That's wonderful!" He says, looking very excited.
"Mmm hmm, can you help me get my trunks? And…oh!" I say in shock. "Lotus! Where's Lotus?"
"Hermione took her after Draco tried to…you know…"
"Thank god. If anything happened to her…"
Ron looks at me strangely. "I know, Alex, I know."
Peeves breaks our moment by silently creeping up behind Ron and then screaming "GOT YOUR CONK!" rather loudly and annoyingly.
"Peeves, the Bloody Baron…"
"You're no fun." The poltergeist complains, and speeds off.
"I think I'm beginning to dislike ghosts," I say.
"No, no, don't dislike ghosts. Just Peeves." Ron laughs. He takes my trunk on his back and leads me down twisty hallways, down stairs on which you must remember to jump a vanishing stair, and finally stops in front of a suit of armor. "I think I forgot something. I'll be right back, Alex."
"Okay," I tell him. I sigh at the unfairness of not knowing my way around, but then note he's going to probably get Gryffindor to welcome me. Just great…I'll end up looking all flustered and embarrassed, and then they won't want to be in the same House as that piece of trash, Alex Starre…
"Back, sorry." Ron smiles.
"Mmm hmm, let's go."
"Okay," We walk down the halls again and stop in front of a portrait with a fat lady in it. She's wearing a pretty pink dress, and I smile. She smiles back, and I jump. Being in a Muggle house long enough, you forget things…
"Fairymelon," Ron says in a monotone manner, like mumbling something incoherent is normal. The portrait swings open, and I see a crowd of people in red and gold swarming me. Then I see Harry in the corner, looking at me. He turns away. No. No, he's not allowed to turn away from me! I didn't mean to hurt you, Harry…
"Welcome to Gryffindor!" A pretty girl who looks like Ron says happily. Why are you happy? What is there to be happy about?
"Everyone, this is Alex Starre, new Gryffindor!" Ron announces. Cheers rise from the mob. "…And my new girlfriend, so don't even try anything." Some boos arise and I chuckle. I'm nothing to try anything on. I look again at Harry, separated from the mass. He turns to look at me, and glares. I see his eyes are wet, though. My heart drops down, and I fight the urge to cry myself. "Don't make her party too long, she's still hurt…" Ron says, but his words are lost to everyone but me. The wave descends on me, and I mutter a few hellos and thank yous, then make my way to the stairs that obviously lead to the dorms. I go up and to the left, and find a door that says 5th-year girls in red and gold. I open it and find luxurious beds, deep red velvet. I sink into one that doesn't have anyone's things behind it.
"Alex, isn't it?" An Indian-looking girl asks. I hadn't noticed her when I lay down.
"Yes, it is." I say quietly.
"My name is Parvati, Parvati Patil." She says.
"Enchanté." I reply, using my knowledge of French.
"You speak french, that's good. It might come in handy." She says.
"Mmm,"
"You're going out with Ron?"
"Mmm hmm."
"Lavender had her eye on him—Lavender Brown. Maybe you met her?" She asks. I shake my head. "Okay. She'll be heartbroken, but I sense you and Ron won't last long."
"Why do you say that?"
"Oh, I don't know, I'm just trying to make good conversation." She grins.
I smile in spite of my depressed heart. "When do classes start in the morning?"
"Early enough. I take it you want sleep?"
"I'm very tired,"
"As you should be. We…we heard what Malfoy tried to do to you."
I look at her. "How many people have heard?"
She shakes her head sadly. "God knows…Hogwarts likes to gossip…"
I feel the urge to cry in frustration, but I remind myself that crying is a sign of weakness. "There goes my chances of a normal existence in Hogwarts," I mutter.
"Oh, don't worry. I mean, Harry got through it just fine. People will just be pretty sympathetic to you. Are you thinking…" I try to pay attention to her, but my mind drifts. Harry. Why did he seem so hurt? Why wasn't he happy for his best friend? And why wasn't he happy I'm in Gryffindor?
"Alex?" Parvati asks.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Parvati. I just really need to sleep, I'm drifting off."
"Okay. Well, if you want to talk later, I'm here." She says. "'Night, Alex."
"'Night, Parvati." I say, my mind flowing into dreams of Harry Potter.