ππ΄πΏππ΄πΌπ±π΄π π·ππ, π·πΏπΌπ½
Andromeda Black could not think of a time that she was that speechless. From the second she stepped off the train and saw the castle off in the near distance, she had to keep her jaw from falling slack.
Hogwarts was the most amazing place she had ever seen. Ceilings even higher than the ones in her home, staircases that moved every few seconds by themselves, and the grounds were sprawling, surrounded by a large forest and shimmering lake.
The ceiling in the Great Hall was what made her unable to contain a gasp. She wasn't alone as some of her peers began to whisper in awe and trip over their own feet as their eyes locked onto it. Stars even brighter than the ones outside twinkled over the room. She squinted to see if she could maybe find the constellation for which she was named after, but no luck.
The first years halted at the front of the room, all eyes on them, until a wizard dressed in silky grey robes stepped forward. Professor Dippet looked absolutely π’π―π€πͺπ¦π―π΅, just as Bella had described. He wasn't as scary as Andromeda expected the headmaster to be, but his firm voice and stoicism made her a little nervous.
He said a quick welcome before he revealed the sorting hat from behind him as the room looked on expectantly. After a few moments the ratty hat began to sing a song that quite frankly, Andromeda felt was a bit lousy. When the hat finished its song, a small applause broke out until Professor Dippet cleared his throat, silencing the room.
He picked up a scroll and read from the top, "Andrews, Catherine."
A blonde girl strode up to the stool and sat down. She was sorted into Gryffindor mere seconds after the hat hit her head and confidently walked over to the table as they hooted and hollered for her. Andromeda wondered if the other houses cheered like that, if anyone would cheer for her.
Only a few people were between Catherine Andrews and Andromeda Black. A Hufflepuff, two Ravenclaws, a Slytherin, another Gryffindor. Then "Black, Andromeda" was called and she felt her stomach lurch forward.
She was better than this. She didn't get this nervous β ever. Besides, nearly her whole family had been exclusively sorted into Slytherin. Andromeda doubted she would get a surprise today. She tried to hold her head as high as possible as she walked towards the stool, the braid Narcissa had worked so hard on swinging behind her, pieces of hair falling out all over. Though her palms were sweating and her ears were warming, Andromeda tried to play it calm, cool, and collected. The hat would drop down on her head, yell "Slytherin!", she'd sit next to Bella at dinner, then go to her dorm and meet new friends. All would be well.
"Ah, Andromeda Black, daughter of Druella Rosier and Cygnus Black," the hat hummed, and Andromeda stiffened at the sound of its voice, louder than she expected. "The obvious choice for you would be Slytherin... yes, but I have my doubts."
She clenched her jaw so tightly she worried she would crack a tooth.
"Very smart, you possess much ambition. Hard-working, compassionateβ¦ but you seem to value courage over all... I also sense a longing to be... to be original, an individual..." The hat spoke so slowly, Andromeda wanted to scream at it, ππππ ππ π πππ ππππ.
"Perhaps less like your lineage."
She froze. That thought had never entered her mind until then, that she could be anything but Slytherin. She thought of herself in a red tie like the Gryffindors, or donning a navy blue or dark yellow tie. Andromeda wondered if she would like it more than the Slytherin green. Until that moment, she was fairly certain she would just be another Black member, sorted into Slytherin before the hat had time to give it a second thought. And she had been fine with that. The other houses were foreign and daunting. Plus, what would everyone think?
The hat fell silent, only making a few humming noises every now and then to signal his thinking. Was it supposed to take this long? It had been at least four agonizing minutes. People started to whisper β "what's going on?" and "she's a Black, shouldn't it be obvious?". Andromeda's eyes, brown and wider than normal, flickered to Bella, who sat near the front of the Slytherin table, her eyes narrowing more and more with every second that passed.
Until finally: "Under it all, however... I think you have the power to do whatever means as long as you'll reach your desired end. πππππππππ!"
Andromeda felt a smile forming as Professor Dippet removed the hat from her head and she hopped off the stool. Mum and Dad would be proud. Bella wouldn't make fun of her for the rest of the year.
β¦ But she wouldn't have minded being different. Just this once.