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Olivia shifted from foot to foot, her stomach tying itself in sickening knots of anxiety. She wondered if she should have made that deal - did she want to go to Slytherin? Was she cunning enough? Ambitious enough? Olivia wasn't even sure it was a question she wanted answered - but she was about to find out, whether she wanted to or not.
The robe felt uncomfortable and heavy over her muggle clothes, its fabric suffocating, and she couldn't reach her phone. Not that she could use it now, of course, but she found herself wishing she could at least hold it, feel the smooth, warm brushed metal on its back in her hands.
The other first years whispered to each other, waiting in nervous, tense semi-silence. Olivia craned her neck to look around. A platinum blond boy with pale skin and a gleam in his eyes was chatting to another student loudly about how he hoped he'd go to Slytherin. Perfect, she thought.
"Is Slytherin a good house?" she whispered.
He turned and grinned, with a slight hint of self-satisfaction that could have been his expression or just the way his face was made. "It's the best. You'll go far in Slytherin. I'm Scorpius Malfoy, by the way." he said, holding out his hand in greeting.
Who shakes hands anymore? Olivia thought, staring at the extended hand in confusion for a moment. She reached out and shook. His hands were soft and dry - unlike her own hands, which cold and shaky and maybe a tiny bit sweaty.
"Nice to meet you, Scorpius. I'm Olivia Thorne."
" Are you hoping for Slytherin, then? You should. It's the best," he said, a hint of pride in his voice. Olivia wished she was so sure of her house.
"I guess," she replied cautiously.
"See you there, hopefully," he replied with a nod.
"See you in Slytherin," she agreed, hoping that she would.
Was she even really supposed to be here? Was she even a real witch? She didn't think she was anything, really - she had never thought of herself as really intelligent and wise, or brave, or cunning, or loyal. She had always just been Olivia.
She was saved from her misery when the great, beautiful double doors in front of them swung open with a massive groan, revealing a huge hall bigger than any room Olivia had seen before, illuminated by hundreds of candles hovering unsupported far above. Above them, there seemed to be no roof at all - just a dark, clear sky full of hundreds of shining stars, far more than she'd ever seen in the city - she'd only ever seen so many stars when her family had gone on holiday to Tahiti when she was ten. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight.
Below, there was a large raised dais where all the teachers were sitting on carved chairs. The largest chair at the top was empty, though - Olivia assumed that was headmistress' chair. She looked wonderingly at the teachers. On the left sat a peculiar group, including a handsome, middle aged man in bottle-green robes was chatting politely to an incredibly old man who was gesturing cheerfully with his wand to some of the first years. Next to him was a woman bedecked in cheap jewellery, with a massive head of frizzy brown hair and crumpled purple robes covered in strange runes, and beside her was a man with thick, short brown hair and piercing green eyes. His robes were immaculate. She wondered what he taught.
On the right of the table were an equally strange mix of teachers. There was a small man perched on a pile of books on top of his chair who looked a little bit like the goblins in Gringotts. He had wrinkled skin, long, precise fingers and a large nose. His eyes gleamed as he talked animatedly to a neat, prim-looking witch who looked to be in her twenties in nicely ironed red robes. Next to her was a massive bearded man. There was even what looked like an actual ghost hovering above a chair. Olivia had seen pictures of ghosts in her books - but never in real life. He looked very old.
On the right of the room were four tables filled with people in robes like hers with badges on the front showing their house They were laughing and chatting, waiting for the Sorting to begin. Many were waving to first years they knew, and they waved back. Olivia felt terribly alone - she had no siblings or family here.
At the back of the hall were four massive hourglasses filled with sparkling gems, each with a house banner above it that showed the house name. Gryffindor's hourglass was filled with rubies, Slytherin's with emeralds, Ravenclaw's with sapphires, and Hufflepuff's with yellow gems that Olivia didn't know enough about gems to recognise. The banner also displayed the number of points each house had - each had none, except Gryffindor which already displayed -5. Olivia wondered what the points were all about, and what or who had caused Gryffindor to be in negative points befor school had even begun.
Headmistress McGonagall was standing beside a three-legged wooden stool with the grubbiest, ugliest old wizard's hat Olivia had seen on top.
"Line up in single file. You will be called one by one for your sorting," she said, clearly and crisply.
They lined up in single file, facing the hat. All of a sudden, two slits in its ancient, stained fabric opened. Olivia stared at it in amazement as it burst into song, describing all the houses and how it would sort them in a cheery Scottish accent. She gaped. Surely they wouldn't be Sorted by a hat? She calmed down a little at the thought - at least it wasn't a test. All they had to do was put on a hat - Olivia just hoped it didn't give her knits.
Finally, it finished, and everybody clapped and roared. Once the crowd had quitened, Headmistress McGonagall unrolled a long scroll (an actual scroll) in her hands and read out, in a commanding Scottish accent, "Abbot, Isabelle!"
Isabelle Abbot, a small girl with hair in a long brown braid down her back, shuffled up to the stool, sat down and placed the hat on her head.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" roared the hat almost as soon as it touched her hair. The entire Hufflepuff table cheered and clapped loudly.
Slowly, one by one, people were sorted. Olivia didn't pay too much attention to who went where. Ben was sorted early on, or at least she assumed he did - she had stopped paying attention by then and didn't see which house he went to. She craned her neck, trying to look for him, but she couldn't catch sight of his head among the crowds of students.
She gave up and began sizing up each house - Hufflepuff seemed to have the most students, although only by a very small amount. Ravenclaw's students seemed the most distracted - and also the most divided among themselves. Gryffindor house was rowdy and boisterous. Olivia found herself unsurprised that they were already in negative points. Slytherin wasn't quiet, but it wasn't rowdy either. A girl with shining blonde hair caught her eye, and smiled a brilliant smile that somehow didn't quite reach her eyes, and gave her a wave. Olivia waved back, deciding that she liked this table - even if they did have shifty smiles.
Finally, the words "Olivia Thorne!" snapped her out of her walked up boldly, feeling each and every eye upon her. Do not trip and fall now, Olivia.
The moment the hat was on her head, it spoke, and Olivia nearly jumped off the seat.
Well, well. You could do well in all the houses, Ravenclaw excepted.
Olivia felt a little offended at that. She wasn't that stupid, was she?
The hat chuckled. Ravenclaw is for those who value wisdom - there are intelligent people in all houses.
I'll have Slytherin, please, Oliva thought firmly back at it.
Are you sure you wouldn't rather Gryffindor? Gryffindor would suit you. The glory, the camaraderie, the thrill. Or Hufflepuff - you would find loyalty there, a home. Slytherin could be the making of you, would suit your ambition…but -
Slytherin, Olivia insisted, deciding in that moment that she wasn't going to let this ridiculous hat overrule her and choose her fate. If Slytherin was what it took to achieve success, to be great, Olivia didn't see how there was really any other option.
Very well, the hat replied with a hint of smugness in its voice. For a moment Olivia was afraid that it would ignore her and say something else.
"SLYTHERIN!"
Olivia took it off with a sigh of relief and hurried over to the cheering Slytherin table.