Stubborn Sorting Hat

The Lovegood girls were like fraternal twins—almost identical in every regard, but not quite. Luna Lovegood had a peculiar and generally bizarre fashion sense, always donning playful articles of clothing with whimsical hand-made jewelry. Alena Lovegood had a novel and experimental taste, but it was more of a polished and fashion-forward type of eccentric. Luna had quirks; Alena had idiosyncrasies—the same thing, but different. Two sides of the same coin.

They were both blonde, except Luna's hair was golden and had a straggly texture, while Alena's was silvery and supple. Luna's body was elegantly narrow, while Alena had a small waist merging into nicely proportioned hips. They had the same sweetly curved lips, but Alena's were bee-stung. Luna's eyes were icy blue; Alena's were blue-green with bursts of yellow around the pupil. Both of their rosy noses and cheeks were embellished with tiny dispersed freckles. And of course, they both shared the signature Lovegood dazed look on their faces. When they walked side-by-side, it was like watching two celestial beings—fairies.

By the time the girls reached the Great Hall, the entire student body was seated for dinner. When they entered, it was as if a spotlight had been placed on them; heads turned in a domino effect.

"Did this Beauxbâton get lost?" A Slytherin girl mocked.

"Is that supposed to be an insult?" Alena heard someone ask from the Hufflepuff table. She flashed a pursed-lip smile and blinked three times in a row.

The Lovegood girls stood near the doors like deer in headlights as Professor Dumbledore rose from his golden chair at the High Table.

"Attention, everyone," his voice echoed across the room. Alena could sense pride and familiarity in his tone. He took place behind his Owl Lectern.

Oh, no. Did he really have to break out the Owl Lectern for this?

"Please join me in welcoming a truly remarkable witch as a new student here at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, she could not arrive in time for the Sorting Ceremony yesterday, so she will be sorted tonight. Alena Dumbledore, please step forward."

Luna's eyes widened, realizing this was not what her cousin had anticipated. She then skipped off to the Ravenclaw table, leaving Alena alone in the middle of all the stares and glares.

I'm going back to Ilvermorny first thing in the morning.

What had happened to the discreet, inconspicuous entrance she had mentally prepared for? She had completely underestimated her grandfather's natural inclination for the theatrical.

Whispers thundered throughout the hall.

"Who is that?"

"She's clearly not a first-year."

"Did he say Dumbledore?"

She looked around nervously before walking towards her grandfather. He reached his hand out to her, waiting for her to arrive at the front of his podium.

"In the interest of full disclosure... Alena is my own granddaughter. She is transferring from Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry—a school widely considered as one of the greatest magical educational establishments in the world—just like Hogwarts. She is a sixth-year student and I expect you all will give her an especially warm welcome. Please, Alena, take a seat." He gestured to an old three-legged stool which was facing the crowd.

XX

She sat and delicately placed her clasped hands over her knee. Professor McGonagall smiled at her and put the Sorting Hat on Alena's head. "Glad to have you here year-round, my dear girl. You know I've always thought you would be a great addition to Gryffindor," she whispered excitedly and winked.

Professor McGonagall—Minnie, as she had asked Alena to call her in private—was the closest thing she had to a motherly figure. She and Professor Snape had been teaching her advanced subjects since she was quite young.

"Ah, a fascinating mind, I see... hmmm... Curious. Quite curious, indeed," the Hat bellowed as soon as it touched her head. It proceeded to remain silent for what felt like an eternity, except for the occasional "hmm's" and "ahh's." Her face felt hot under the symbolic spotlight she was currently under.

Luna was right, the Hat was absolutely stumped going through the mess inside her head.

At her best, Alena was dauntless and lionhearted. After all, she had grown up with one of the most audacious wizards to ever live. Not only was she an erudite witch, but she was just as intelligent in non-magical matters. Her fear of failure combined with the weight of her last name pushed her to work diligently at every task at hand. And if there ever were a corporeal expression of empathy, it would surely take the shape of Alena Dumbledore Lovegood.

For all the goodness that resided in her, there was a certain darkness, too. There was a cunning, unrelenting side to her. A side that craved revenge, that was unforgiving and was much too proud. She was rebellious and ungovernable about particular things. Alena was highly aware of this part of her and wasn't fond of it, although she did appreciate the edge it gave her at times.

It was a daily struggle trying to keep this murky side of herself tucked away and hidden.

And then there was the in-between; the sweet middle-ground. The thrilling witch somehow managed to be zany and posh all at the same time. Her curiosity and intrigue often landed her in interesting situations, and she was a bit of a trouble-maker who just happened to be exceptionally good at never getting caught. If there was an opportunity for silliness and laughter, Alena would eagerly take it—every single time.

She had given much thought to which house she would select, something she hadn't had the chance to do at Ilvermorny. She came to her decision based on pure generalization. Slytherin was out of the question—Alena hated exclusivity and even the slightest mention of blood status made her brain stormy.

The prospect of being in Gryffindor was exhausting to her as she cared very little about competition and glory. Ravenclaw was a good option, but if Ravenclaws were anything like Horned Serpents, then they were a bit too bookish and concerned with enigmas to allow for a bit of frivolity or simplicity—and they were just as competitive as Gryffindors. Of course Luna was a Ravenclaw, but Luna was also an anomaly.

Hufflepuff was the only choice that felt right. They would be welcoming and kind, making her transition much more manageable. More importantly, this was the most egalitarian and democratic of the houses. A place where outcasts were accepted for who they were. Simply put, Hufflepuff house was like a middle finger to Salazar Slytherin and the abominable elitist mentality. It was her shady snakewood tree.

Not to mention, her choice would confuse the hell out of a lot of stuck up, closed-minded witches and wizards. That sounded like fun.

"Yes, yes... let me think. Lots to process and sift through on this one. She's a brave one, she is..."

"Hmmm... anyway. A very sharp mind... Merlin's beard, a very sharp mind."

"Oh, I know! You'd be a great addition to Slytherin... I see an impressive amount of ambition..."

If you sort me into Slytherin, I will personally tie you to a rock and throw you in the Black Lake.

Six whole minutes had passed, and the Hat had not yet sorted her. She was growing a bit worn out. And so was the Hat. Professor McGonagall had at some point transfigured a fork into a pocket watch and was carefully studying it with raised brows and an eager smile.

Seems like you're a little bit stuck. Let me help you.What say—Hufflepuff?

"Lots of admirable traits in this one! Any of the four houses would be fortunate to have her—but this willful mind has chosen the house that values loyalty and inclusivity the most. A diamond will be added to the hourglass...

HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Bloody finally," Aleena said quietly under her sigh of relief.

All of Hufflepuff roared in cheers. They welcomed her with their genuine celebration and were quite pleased with their new addition.

"Yes!"

"Dumbledore is a Hufflepuff!"

"A Hufflepuff Hatstall!"

She turned back to look at her grandfather who was busy nonverbally and wandlessly transfiguring the flags of the Enchanted Ceiling from showing the Hogwarts crest to showing the Hufflepuff House crest. She fought against her own urge to change them right back.

Merlin, wherever you are, take me now. She cringed. This is not normal.

Dumbledore rose from his chair once again and spread his arms out as he waited for the crowd to quiet itself. Alena noticed he did not bother to stop the cheering, he simply allowed it to cease on its own.

"The Sorting Hat has officially taken more than six minutes to sort Alena Dumbledore. This is a phenomenon known as a Bona Fide Hatstall—meaning the Hat relinquished its own role to sort," he gestured to his granddaughter, "onto the student herself." Whispers of wonder thundered throughout the hall. "The last time that this happened was a very long time ago—at my own sorting ceremony. I sorted myself into Gryffindor. Today, my granddaughter sorts herself into Hufflepuff. I am very proud."

Sounds of revelry erupted once more, even louder than before. Alena's grandfather stepped down from his podium to wrap his arm around her shoulder in the most proud and paternal manner before releasing her to the Hufflepuffs. She couldn't stay mad at him. He loved her with the purest love.

XX

If Draco Malfoy wouldn't care about appearances, he'd be collecting his jaw off the floor right about then.

A Hatstall. A bloody Bona Fide Hatstall.

Yes, he would also be collecting a measurable sum from all the bets he made with his fellow Slytherins. After all, she did go to Hufflepuff. But a Hatstall? That was totally out of left field.

He felt sick to his stomach and went over the list in his head.

Reasons to hate Alena Dumbledore:She's—a Dumbledore.She's from Ilvermorny.She chose Hufflepuff? Deliberately?She's practically like the girl version of Saint Potter, it feels.

He only had four reasons at the moment, but he was sure he'd have another five by morning. There were two options: he could pretend she didn't exist or he could actively make her life miserable like everyone else he disliked.

The Hat made it a point to mention her value of inclusivity. This girl was a staunch supporter of the movement responsible for the downfall of the wizarding world. A fervent blood-traitor, like her crackpot of a grandfather. That in itself counted as ten thousand reasons to hate her. Or perhaps he was just being over-dramatic.

XX

Alena didn't even remember Draco Malfoy, the tosser from the carriage, at this point. She encountered lots of happier, brighter people. At the Hufflepuff table, she met Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Ernie MacMillan, and Justin Finch-Fletchley, who were all in her year.

"Yesterday, Dumbledore—erm, your grandfather—announced the Triwizard Tournament. We have visitors on campus from Beauxbâtons and Durmstrang," said Justin, his eyes wide with excitement.

"Cedric Diggory is entering his name into the Goblet of Fire. Can you believe it? A Hufflepuff could actually be a Triwizard Champion," said Susan as she peered across the table to look at an older boy.

Ernie chimed in. "And now this, the first Hufflepuff Hatstall in... how long? And a Bona Fide, at that."

"No idea, but we're starting off the year just right, it seems," answered Susan.

They were all so animated that Alena could barely get a word in edgewise. She didn't mind.

Luna had come to check on her before she went off to the Ravenclaw tower for the night. "Good night, everyone. I hope you all enjoy Harlie as much as I do," said Luna in her light, airy voice as she walked away.

"Harlie?" asked Ernie.

"My middle name is Harlowe. My family will sometimes calls me Harlie," she explained with a warm smile and a glint in her eye.

Before her parents died, she was just Alena Harlowe. Her father was adopted as a baby by the Harlowes, a healer and an auror. They would've been the ones to take care of her had her grandfather not fought for her custody. It wasn't a fair fight. He also insisted that she take his last name—which she agreed to, as long as she could also use both of her parents names; thus, making Harlowe her middle name and Lovegood her second surname.

"Family? You're related to Luna Lovegood, too?" Asked Hannah.

"Yes, Luna and I—we're cousins. Her father and my mother were siblings."

"Wicked. Luna can call you Harlie... Around here, you'll be known as Bona Fide," said Justin proudly. "The one and only Hufflepuff Bona Fide."

"Hufflepuff Bona Fide! Hufflepuff Bona Fide! Hufflepuff Bona Fide!" The group began to chant, and the rest of the Hufflepuff table followed suit.

Oh, boy.

She couldn't wait for the Hatstall thing to blow over. She smiled and observed her surroundings. She'd been at Hogwarts a thousand times, but never like this.