The enchanted stars Lucy had so longed to see were absent from the magical ceiling inside the huge stone castle. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes to get a better look at the students in the great hall, the headmistress was making her start of term speech, Lucy could not think of her name, she was new, that much Lucy remembered, this headmistress had had her first year of running the school when molly was a first year. Suddenly the hall burst into applause, Lucy hastily clapped along, trying to remember the headmistress's name.
it's something like Singerstra, or Serpenline, or..
"Thank you Professor Sinistra!"
Eh, I was close.
"We will now begin the sorting!"
"Abbey, Martha"
A girl with curly brown hair sat and the three legged stool that the professor had placed at her feet, the professor dropped a raggedy old hat onto her head. The whole hall seemed to be holding its breath for a moment, just enough time for Lucy to think "what's supposed to happen?" until a huge rip in the hat opened and called out
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The girl placed the old hat back on the stool and scrambled over to the Hufflepuff table where the Hufflepuffs all cheered.
"Marston, Ethan"
A tall boy with ash blonde hair and blue eyes went up. Lucy suddenly felt that the sorting was a truly fascinating ceremony.
"RAVENCLAW"
Another boy was sorted to Hufflepuff, then a girl to Gryffindor, and another Gryffindor, and then Lucy lost interest. She glanced at Hugo beside her, he didn't seem to listening either. He did look a little green though. Lily on her other side wasn't looking too good. She was extremely pale which made her freckles stand out all the more.
Oh yeah. Lucy was supposed to be feeling nervous. She tried to think like Hugo:
Eerggh what if I am a Slytherin! I will shame my family! Percy Weasley could never accept a Slytherin! Or a Hufflepuff! No actually that isn't so bad, Hufflepuff is a good house, Teddy went there, loyalty and honesty are traits not many people have, and dad wouldn't actually care what house I'm in, he knows I'm not evil or anything…
Ok this wasn't working, she knew it would be fine, she fully expected to be Gryffindor just like all her predecessors. She suddenly felt Lily grab her hand. Lily if possible was even paler. "Ow. Ow. Ow. Lily, ah ow that's my hand." Lily's grip let up a bit, she smiled apologetically, until:
"Potter, Lily"
Lily walked nervously to the stool and sat, she looked like she was going to get her head chopped off instead of sorted.
Barely a second passed before:
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindors screamed their approval. Some even yelled "we got all the potters!" over the commotion making everyone laugh.
Lucy clapped along with everyone else. She was happy for Lily, she watched all the Weasleys and potters hug her and give her high fives, and she could see her sister Molly sitting a little ways away. Lucy tried to wave to her sister but none of her Gryffindor family noticed her. That was okay though, her family would see her later.
Not all of her family was in Gryffindor of course. Louis was a Ravenclaw, Dominique was a Slytherin and Teddy had been a Hufflepuff like his mom before he graduated. Rose had told her once that she had almost been a Ravenclaw too, but she had ended up a Gryffindor all the same.
Lucy knew that she might be sorted elsewhere. She accepted this possibility. It was however highly unlikely. Her father had been a Gryffindor and her mother had gone to Durmstrang, and both of her father's parents had been Gryffindors so she didn't see-
"Weasley, Hugo"
The boy beside her froze. She smiled nervously waiting for him to budge. "Hugo!" she whispered," Move!" he blinked suddenly and on trembling legs he took his seat on the stool. A few moments passed while Hugo sat on the wobbly little stool. Something occurred to Lucy while she waited for Hugo to be placed.
Wait if Hugo's going now that means that I'm next!
Nervousness suddenly gripped her stomach. It's not the end of the world she reasoned, just your house! However reason would not stop her stomach from being queasy or her legs from trembling.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Lucy clapped softly as she watched Hugo sit down amongst their family.
The hall grew silent in anticipation.
"Weasley, Lucy"
She drew a deep breath and calmly took her place in the front of the hall. She could see her family now, they all smiled knowingly at her and she saw Fred scoot over and motion for her to come and sit next to him.
But then her view was covered by the musty old hat that had been placed on her head. It fell down to her ears and stayed there causing her glasses to fall askew. She adjusted them calmly and wondered dimly if professor whatever-her-name-was wore the hat round the clock, or just on special occasions. Suddenly a voice appeared in her head.
Goodness do we have another Weasley? I'd thought that I'd placed you all.
She could feel the hat's consciousness shifting through her thoughts and memories. It unnerved her. She shifted uncomfortably on the stool.
Well you're extremely smart, any hat can see that. You're brave, to be sure, but in an unusual way. You're not shy, but I think perhaps introverted. You know that you are different but don't chose to accept it. You must learn that you are not separate, you are only apart. I know just where you belong.
"RAVENCLAW"
She slowly lifted the hat from her head.
This isn't right! There has been a mistake!
She stood and placed the hat back onto the stool.
Oh god my whole family probably never wants to speak to me again!
She walked robotically to the Ravenclaw table. She imagined her sister and cousins all looking away, ashamed and disappointed. She couldn't sum up the courage to actually look at them though. She sat in-between Louis and a second year. She stared at the empty golden plate in front of her. She never heard where Roxanne was sorted, or any other sortings after that. Only when Louis elbowed her in the side did she notice that a huge banquet had appeared in front of them. But she didn't really feel like eating.
"I know it seems horrible now," said Louis patting her shoulder, "but the sorting hat puts everyone in the right house, even if it doesn't make sense at first. I know I was completely horrified when the sorting hat didn't put me in Gryffindor, and I'm sure Dominque felt the same way, but in the end we both love our houses and I know I would have hated being a Gryffindor."
Lucy looked up at him, he seemed sincere.
"but, but, but If I was different from everyone before, now I'll never be able to fit in with them!" she said despairingly. She knew she sounded like a child, but right then, she didn't care.
"Maybe that's a good thing." He reasoned," it's because you were different that you weren't sorted with everyone else, and maybe now you can learn to accept your differences and be yourself."
She sighed, knowing he was right, "stop it "Lucy demanded "you sound too gosh darn reasonable."
"Ravenclaw man! It makes you smart!"
She laughed, maybe he was right, maybe Ravenclaw wasn't the worst place to be.
She realized how hungry she felt, "this food looks amazing!" she admitted, piling her plate with food. If she was going to be a Ravenclaw she was going to enjoy it.