Patrick, Ashley and Lina
"Now who should go next?" inquired Crio. "How about Paladin Patrick?"
Patrick shrugged cheerfully. "I'd be happy to, Crio," he said. He walked over to the chair, and he put on the Hat.
"I can't imagine which one Patrick is going to get," whispered Andrew, "He's a family man, from what I've heard, but he's also a pop culture geek, and he had more enthusiasm for a lightsaber-based wedding than his wife."
"I guess we'll find out soon enough, Andrew," said Lina.
The Sorting Hat came to life on Patrick's head. "Ah," it said in greeting, "This is one special fellow here. Evidently, you have enthusiasm for stories that take place in other worlds. You also make costumes, play games, and collect realistic toy swords. But you are also a good family man, loyal to your wife and children, and you like to be appreciated for your innate qualities. Your bravery is also pretty good."
Patrick said, "I'd rather not be a Slytherin, thank you. They may not be inherently evil, but they still have a tendency to be bullies, and I don't want my kids to feel like they have Draco Malfoy or Blaise Zabini for a father."
"Not a Slytherin, eh?" replied the Hat. "Well, don't forget, Slytherin can help you achieve the greatness you desire. It is also the most brotherly house."
"I said, not Slytherin," said Patrick as politely as he could.
"Oh well," the Hat responded, "Maybe Slytherin isn't right for you, after all. Besides, you have a big brain which can calculate and make quick choices and decisions, as well as an affinity for popular cultural icons, like I implied just now. I think you will be a… RAVENCLAW!"
"YES!" said a pleased Patrick as the others clapped him on. "I'm going to show Everealm that I can use my brain to do anything I need to do to save this place!"
"We all look forward to it, man," said Shondo.
"Paladin Ashley," Crio chose next.
Ashley fluttered her nervous hands and whispered to herself to "Okay, relax."
Jim remarked, "Ashley seems a bit mental."
"Oh, don't say that about me," Ashley retaliated, "I'm just a little nervous, like almost anyone else would be when being sorted, okay?"
Jim smiled and said, "If you say so, ma'am."
Ashley sat down and let Crio put the Hat on her head. It got straight to the point this time.
"I see that you are very sentimental, young lady," it surmised. "You love getting involved with friendly stories, and you memorize them by heart. You also believe in loyalty very much, and you like kids who are considered to be misfits. Yes, your house is quite obvious. HUFFLEPUFF!"
Ashley smiled joyfully at her sorting. She too heard approving applause.
Jasmine grinned. "Welcome to the club, girl," she said pleasantly.
Crio looked around. "I suppose that just leaves you, Paladin Lina, right?"
"That's right, Crio," Lina said.
"Then come here and get sorted," he replied.
Lina came over to the seat and sat down. Crio slowly put the Hat on her head.
"Hmm, now this one is difficult, very difficult," the Hat mused again, "You are very brave and daring. You also have plenty of kindness and loyalty, and are not known for breaking your word when you make a promise. Your mind is pretty good, too, and yet you have a thirst to prove yourself as a hero. But, as I have said, not for the first time in my existence, where to put you?"
Lina thought silently, "I hope I'm a Gryffindor, or a Hufflepuff. I've got to be one of those two! There's no way I'm part of one of the dark houses!"
"So, you consider Ravenclaw and Slytherin to be dark in nature, do you?" said the Hat. "Well, Ravenclaws and Slytherins are not always prone to corruption, you know. In fact, some of the greatest nobles, like Severus Snape and Merlin of Camelot, have been Slytherins, and they were very good as well as great, even if Severus didn't show it very much. And Ravenclaw produces some of the most ingenious inventors, many of whom create beneficial inventions."
Lina was uncertain. "I'm still not sure about that."
"Well," drawled the Hat, "I can assure you that you are well balanced in the four houses' traits, to begin with, so your leaning isn't a polarized one. And Ravenclaws and Slytherins can make just as good and loyal friends as Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs can. And anyways, I know that you would like nothing more than to be the One True Hero. You are a dreamer, with firmly set goals, and you are more than capable of making anything come true in your life, just like anything goes in the fantasy stories you and your fellow Paladins love. Finally, by owning those qualities, you have already achieved some greatness, and you have the ambition and longing to become even greater. What's more, I can tell that you will never make the fatal mistake of selling your heart and soul to gain the whole world, which is far more than even you deserve."
Lina's eyes went wide, surprised at what she knew was coming next.
"Yes, Ms. Lina," the Hat concluded, "I surmise, you are a… SLYTHERIN! And a thumping good one, I must say."
Lina gaped in wide open mouthed shock as her comrades applauded this surprising sorting.
"I'm…a Slytherin?" she echoed. She shook her head as if trying to clear it, as Crio took the Hat from her head, and said to herself, "Well, as a Slytherin, I sure don't intend to fail myself, particularly not on the Quest!"
To be continued…
