Hey guys, so I know most of the sorting was told from Olivia's POV, but I decided to include a chapter with each character's POV of their sorting. Here you go!
Chapter 5
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.
Chapter 6
Benedict waited in line, feeling almost frozen in the moment as student after student was called. He'd waited for this all his life. Everything had lead up to this.
All he'd ever wanted was to be in Hufflepuff, to follow his mother's footsteps, to help and be loyal. To be good enough - kind enough and hard working enough - but a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach kept reminding him of all the secrets he kept, all the lies he told, the burning fire of ambition that kept him awake at night, thinking, dreaming, plotting, the other side of him hidden beneath the surface.
Was he good enough to be a Hufflepuff, he wondered? He'd never taken himself seriously enough to believe he had a dark side, but that was what it was, wasn't it? Even if he did have good intentions... He was a Slytherin, he realised belatedly, finally allowing himself to admit that truth - after all, it was hardly as horrifying as he'd imagined, was it? Yes, Slytherin, that was where he belonged. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all - maybe he wouldn't even mind.
"Bones, Benedict!" the Headmistress called. Ben froze for a moment. It was as if time had stopped. He wanted it to be over as soon as possible, he wanted it to last forever... But the moment just kept slipping through his fingers. Ben walked with false confidence to the hat and sat down. He jammed it on his head, thinking as hard as he could, Hufflepuff, a final, desperate hope.
He had never been more surprised in his life than when "HUFFLEPUFF!" rang through the Hall.
"Weasley, Rose!"
The hall went completely, utterly silent, everybody holding their breath to see where the famous child of Hermione and Ron Weasley would be sorted.
It took a moment for Rose to recognise her own name. When she did she nearly tripped over herself hurrying up to the old hat, feeling sick with hope and dread.
Which house would she be? She wondered for a moment if it would be Ravenclaw... Ravenclaw would make a lot of sense, after all... No, Gryffindor. She was a Gryffindor, through and through.
Sure enough, as soon as the hat touched her hair, it cried out,
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Relief flooded through her as the Gryffindor table burst into applause.
Evan wasn't sure where he wanted to go. Slytherin seemed good, so did Hufflepuff. Gryffindor was too loud for him, too busy. He wanted quiet, peace and quiet - but was Ravenclaw right? He didn't quite know - but when he finally shuffled up and put on the hat, it did.
hmm, let's see, I know...
"RAVENCLAW!"
Scorpius knew he was a Slytherin. He knew it in his bones. He had known it ever since he was small, and his father asked him what he wanted, and he had replied with one word.
"Power."
He was a Slytherin. It was in his gut and his heart. Scorpius Malfoy didn't just want to be happy, or in love, or even to be rich. He wanted to rule this school. Never mind those Potters and Weasleys - he wouldn't make stupid mistakes like his father.
Scorpius wasn't afraid when he stalked up to the hat, and it never doubted its choice as it sorted him into Slytherin.
He only felt the thrill of exhilaration as he walked up to his table, to his home. Scorpius Malfoy was going to rule the school. This, here, now, away from his father's shadow and his mother's worries, was his first shot at a taste of real power, of politics and drama and the thrill of the chase.
Scorpius was home at last. And he was not afraid, or angry, or sick with hope and longing. He was happy, and ruthless, and absolutely determined. He smirked a little to himself as he sat down among his cheering classmates.
It didn't bother him one bit what the hat had told him. He didn't care if Slytherin would lead him down a dark path, because he was already down one - despite his parents best efforts to turn him into a better person, the Malfoy blood had won through: Scorpius Malfoy knew he was black to the core, and he liked it that way.