1Chapter 5: The Sorting

Ron Weasley hurried into the Great Hall as it exploded with people laughing. He was late because Professor Flitwick had just issued him another detention (failure at learning an acne-causing jinx). He hurried over to his best friends Harry and Hermione. They were all in their seventh and final year at Hogwarts.

"Merlin, what did I miss? And why is McGonagall making a speech during lunch?" he asked in a breathless whisper as he, and everyone else in the room, settled down to let McGonagall finish what she was saying.

"Shh!" Hermione replied. Ron gave her a Look before turning to Harry.

"Some Muggles appeared in the dungeons this morning," he answered Ron. Ron's eyes lit up.

"Actual Muggles? In Hogwarts?"

"Yeah. They're right up at the high end of the table."

Ron pushed himself up to get a better look of the end of the Gryffindor table. Sure enough, there sat about seven Muggles, a few who looked pink-faced from whatever had just happened, he assumed. He sat back down.

"Thank you, Mr. Kinneas, for that enlightening explanation," McGonagall continued. "Yes, students, we have some interesting visitors with us this afternoon. They aren't the same types of magical folk as in our world yet they aren't what we call Muggles either. They have come from a completely different world where everyone, with the right training, can acquire magical skill."

Everyone began whispering about this. "If it were like that here, even Muggles could go to Hogwarts!" Neville said to Dean. Ron took a glance over to Malfoy to see what snide remark he might come up with. He was simply smirking. I bet he's going to owl You-Know-Who as soon as lunch is over, Ron thought darkly.

McGonagall let everyone quiet a little before going on. "I'm sure all of you will be accommodating to our guests, as they will not be here for today but, as I have been told by their group's leader, the rest of the school year. Which brings me to the next order of business... Professor Sprout, if you please."

A short, stout woman suddenly lifted up from under the table something everyone but seven people in the room knew very well.

"The Sorting Hat!" Hermione exclaimed, but only those closest to her could hear. "They're actually going to sort them into Houses?"

The room grew loud again with people commenting to each other and their friends. "Yes," McGonagall went on. "Our guests will be Sorted. As they are magical and will be staying with us for the better half of the year, I and your House Heads have decided it best to assign them each their own houses. Once sorted, they will be asked to do the same things you do with your houses; they will attend classes with you, eat at the same house tables as you, and even share your common rooms and dormitories. Now, before the Sorting takes place, are there any questions you would like answered?"

Hermione immediately raised her hand. In fact, as everyone knew she would have the best questions, nobody else bothered raising their hands. "Yes, Miss Granger," McGonagall acknowledged, giving her a quick nod.

"Professor, can you explain anymore where they came from? I mean, how can they be magical and not be part of Hogwarts?"

McGonagall looked thoughtful for a moment, and even almost looked as though she might smile for a moment. "As it was explained to me, our visitors created a portal from their own school to ours through many months of research. They have had knowledge of our world almost since their research began, and have been wanting to visit it. Their leader, Miss Selphie Tilmitt"- Selphie stood up suddenly and gave a little wave to everyone- "says that they not only want to study our world but also have fun while they're here. That's all the information we have from them at this time. Any more questions?"

Hermione raised her hand again. "Why are they leaving at the end of the school year? Will they be coming back to Hogwarts next year?"

"They're leaving because, as I understand it, they will be graduating from their own school when they return. And no, coming back next year hasn't been discussed as of yet."

At this final note everyone was silent. It seemed to carry an "end of discussion" tone, and not even Hermione wanted to know any more at the moment.

"At this time I will ask our visitors to join me on the platform," McGonagall said, motioning towards the seven strangers. This was when most people in the hall got a good look at them for the first time. Ron's eyes fell on the girl in the yellow dress who had stood up. She was the shortest of the group. He wondered why she had been made leader, and why, if they were his age, they hadn't come with a Professor of their own, like the kids from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons had.

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Squall shuffled with the rest of his comrades up to the platform, aware that all eyes were on them but not feeling nervous. He had done plenty of standing up in front of other people after saving the world. This felt no different.

What was weird was that ratty "Sorting Hat" Professor Sprout had brought out. Why did they need to be "sorted"? He supposed it would be easier for the school itself, but wouldn't it be smarter to keep their group together? Oh well. If it was all part of Selphie's experiment...

Selphie approached McGonagall first, and she whispered something in her ear. McGonagall nodded before saying, "I will now hand the stage over to Miss Tilmitt, who would like to say something before the sorting begins."

Selphie stepped up confidently but looked around. "Where's the microphone?" she asked McGonagall quietly.

"One isn't needed if you speak loudly enough," she replied. "But... if it'd make you feel more comfortable..."

With a flick of her wand, a microphone suddenly appeared in Selphie's hand. Her eyes looked widely at it for a moment but she seemed to shake it off pretty quickly. She gave a big smile to her audience, all whose eyes bore at her. Some bore lower then others, but Selphie didn't seem to notice.

"Hello, Hogwarts!" she greeted. "I would just like to say that I'm very happy to be here as this journey's been a long time coming. I know our visit will be awesome! Any questions you think of, you can feel free to ask me or one of my friends. We've come mostly to learn about it here, and I'm sure you'll help us, too. Now I know that Professor McGonagall would like to get on with the Sorting thingy, but first I wanted us to introduce ourselves to you. As stated, my name is Selphie Tilmitt. And this is..."

Selphie went down the line of her comrades, stating each of their names, before handing the mic back over to McGonagall, who sent it away with her wand before saying, "Now we shall Sort!"

McGonagall stood up a little straighter and with a flick of her wand a stool appeared on which she placed the Sorting Hat. "Almasy, Seifer!" she called, and Seifer, with a smug smile to Rinoa, approached the stool and placed the Hat on his head, taking a seat. "My, my... how difficult it is to sort someone older then eleven..." the Hat muttered. "You are strong... and seek power... but something in your past tells me you are not as brave as you'd like to think you are..."

At this, Seifer's face scrunched grotesquely, turning his fine features into something rather ugly. "This power you seek... you would find it best in... SLYTHERIN!"

The Slytherin table clapped and called as McGonagall pointed Seifer over to their table. Seifer was greeted, warmly by Slytherin standards, with pats on the back. By what Squall could make out, he was seated next to some kid who looked a lot like him, with almost white, blonde, sleeked-back hair. They also looked as though they had the same arrogant personality.

"Dincht, Zell!"

The hat almost immediately shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!" without any deliberation as it had done with Seifer. Zell took one look back at the others before heading over to a different table from Seifer's. He was greeted with even more warmth. To Squall, it looked as though the people at Hufflepuff didn't win anything that much. At least there only seemed to be four groups they could be divided into, so some of them would be together.

"Heartilly, Rinoa!"

"Hmm... true to your friends... lots of loyalty for what you believe in... and willingness to risk your own life for those you care about... better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Suddenly the Hall erupted with the loudest cheers Squall had heard yet, and it was only coming from the table they had all sat at earlier. Rinoa was sat next to a few other girls and was crowded around almost instantly.

"Kinneas, Irvine!"

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat took no time in announcing. Squall knew he was next.

"Leonhart, Squall!"

Squall walked up to the stool, sat down, and placed the hat on his head. He suddenly felt as though it were looking into his thoughts, however weird that sounded. It reminded him of the time when they were battling some monsters out in Galbadia and Zell had wanted to see what it was like to use 'Scan' on someone in his own party. Despite his serious demeanor, he couldn't help but smile slightly at this memory. Rinoa had been there too, and she had laughed. That was right before the creature lunged out at her and took them all back to reality. Of course Squall was able to kill it with one swing of his gunblade.

"Bravery beyond anything I've ever seen... following orders to the death... and a thirst to prove yourself to someone... but who? Anyway... GRYFFINDOR!"

The cheers erupted again. "We got three!" somebody at the table shouted as he came nearer. He was immediately surrounded by kids in cloaks, who gawked at his gunblade (still in its sheath), and sat next to Irvine and Rinoa, both who gave him small smiles. Squall noticed Irvine's famous cowboy hat had been placed on the girl he had been eyeing earlier, the only red-headed one in the crowd.

They quieted down again for the final two sortings. Quistis was placed in the last House, Ravenclaw, and to the Gryffindor's, and Rinoa's, glee, Selphie was also placed in Gryffindor. After Selphie was given a hero's welcome, McGonagall spoke one last time. "The rest of you will be happy to note that all classes have been canceled for the rest of the day. May I ask the Head Boy and Girl to escort our visitors to their proper common rooms and that the rest of you not crowd them so. Enjoy the lovely weekend!"

It was only then that Squall looked up at the ceiling and noticed it looked just like the sky. He was puzzled by this, but he had no time to think as he was grasped by Irvine and Selphie along with Rinoa and taken over to two cloaked people who looked about their age, standing at the front of the room but not on the platform. Professor McGonagall was next to them. "Everyone, may I introduce you to Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, the Head Boy and Girl."