The Hogwarts castle couldn't compare with even their wildest dreams. Though colossal enough from the outside, it seemed even larger on the inside. The hundreds of students were guided into the Great Hall, in which there were 4 giant tables where older students were already seated. Candles were floating on their own, and the ceiling was enchanted to display the clear, starry sky outside. At the front of the room sat all the professors, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, who had long white hair with a matching beard and was wearing half moon spectacles, up front.
"Konata, I understand you're nervous, but you're preventing the blood from flowing through my arm," Shiro whispered. Konata immediately let go of him, her face transforming into a shade of crimson. She mouthed the words "I'm sorry," but no words came out. Shiro smiled reassuringly down at her (he did actually have to look DOWN, for while he was 5 feet 4 inches, Konata was a mere 4 feet 7 inches) and patted her hand.
Dumbledore gave a brief speech that welcomed the return of the second to seventh years and the entrance of the first years. Though it only lasted about 2 minutes, to the students it felt like it took an hour to complete. Especially to the older ones, who had heard relatively the same thing multiple times. When the speech was finally finished, Dumbledore drew the students' attention to an old chair at the front of the room. On it sat a scruffy brown hat that appeared ancient and ugly. To the shock of some, the hat suddenly moved, a sort of face appearing in the crinkles. But the biggest surprise was when it began singing:
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your tops hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell brave of heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achive their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And you won't get in a flap!
You're safe in my hands(though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
Many of the first years exploded into enthusiastic applause, but the older students' clapping seemed more forced. "Abbott, Hannah!" Professor Minerva McGonagall shouted, thus officially starting the sorting. A blonde girl with her hair in two braids slowly emerged from the ground, shaking like a leaf in late autumn. She took a seat in the chair, hesitantly allowing McGonagall to place the hat on her head. Being much too large, it plopped over her eyes. "HUFFLEPUFF!" it announced in its gruff voice. Wild cheers sounded from the Hufflepuff table, at which students were dressed in black and yellow and wore crests with badgers on them. Smiling timidly, Hannah ran down and sat with them.
"Alexanders, Blaze!" McGonagall called soon after. "Good luck!" Konata and Shiro called after her. Blaze nodded, appearing about 5 times calmer than Hannah had. Being 5 foot 5 inches, the hat fit her a bit better. "Hm… Very tough decision here… Ravenclaw would suit you well… As would Slytherin…" the hat mumbled. Blaze drew in a gasp. She didn't dare breathe as the hat declared, "But you'd best be put in GRYFFINDOR!" Sighing in relief, Blaze stood and sat at the Gryffindor table with Satoshi, whom she automatically recognized as Shiro's brother.
Many other names were called, and many other houses grew in number. A girl with bushy brown hair that Shiro had seen talking to the boy with the glasses and one of the red head boys- her name was Hermione Granger- was sorted into Gryffindor and sat with Blaze. It was then Shiro noticed that the twin boys sitting with Satoshi had also been among the red head family. He recalled Satoshi saying their names were Fred and George Weasley.
"Malfoy, Draco!" McGonagall called after a while. Shiro tried to make himself unseen. Before the hat was even placed on Draco's head, it surely shouted "SLYTHERIN!" Shiro rolled his eyes. There was no other house his dear "friend" would fit better in.
Twin girls named Parvati and Padma Patil had been put into Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, then shortly after them the boy with the glasses was called up. Along with many other students, Shiro caught his breath when he learned he was the one and only Harry Potter: the boy who lived. "Why is everyone looking at him like that?" Konata asked in a whisper as Harry was put into Gryffindor.
"It's a… long story," Shiro muttered.
Many students later, McGonagall called "Ueda, Shiro!" Konata gave his hand a quick reassuring squeeze, then whispered "Good luck" as he walked toward the chair. "THAT'S MY BROTHER!" yelled the voice of Satoshi. Many cheers- most of them from the Gryffindor table- rung throughout the room, causing Shiro to blush a deep shade of red. He could just FEEL Draco laughing at this, but at this point he didn't care.
When the hat was placed on his head, he swore he heard it whistle. "There is a little bit of everything in this here head. You have the good of a Hufflepuff, the bravery of a Gryffindor, the smarts of a Ravenclaw, AND the cunning of a Slytherin… Tsk tsk, this is difficult. I would say you are most suited for… RAVENCLAW!" Shiro smiled in relief, sliding the hat off his head and trotting down toward the blue, black, and silver Ravenclaw table. He smiled gleefully back at Konata, whose name was called next.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat declared the very second it touched Konata's head. Though her legs felt like jelly, Konata willed herself to proceed to the Hufflepuff table. She sat with Hannah, who immediately greeted her. Ron Weasley, who Shiro had seen sitting with Harry, was called next, and was put into Gryffindor. After a few more students, McGonagall called Blaise Zabani (he was put in Slytherin), and the sorting was declared over.
The feast was in its own category of amazing. In a matter of seconds, there were plates and glasses in front of each and every student, endless platters of exquisite food in the middle of each table. Dumbledore said a few more words, then invited them to begin eating.
"Whew, alright, I think I've eaten enough to last me until the next holiday feast," huffed Shiro as he scaled the seemingly everlasting stairs to his destined dormitory.
"I thought so too, but by the time we get to the common room I bet it'll all be burned off," responded Shiro's new roommate, Michael Corner. Michael had deep brown eyes and a head of long black hair. He had sat beside Shiro during the feast, and the boys clicked immediately. Also rooming with them would be two other fellow Ravenclaw boys, Terry Boot and Anthony Goldstein. To Konata's delight, her dormitory would be shared with Hannah, as well as some girls named Megan Jones and Susan Bones (she chose not to point out that two of their last names rhymed). Blaze's roommates were Hermione Granger, Parvati Patil, and a girl with curly, dirty blonde hair named Lavender Brown.
When the four boys resorted to their new dorm, consisting of two four poster beds and a large window that provided a breathtaking view, they were relieved to see their trunks had been brought up for them. Mischief had been curled up on one of the bottom bunks, but stretched then sat up with a "meow" when her master returned. Shiro tickled her under her chin, which made her purr, and tossed her a piece of chicken he'd snatched from the feast.
"Best be getting to bed now. I'd say we have a LONG day tomorrow," declared Anthony with a yawn. The other boys nodded in agreement, reaching to unlatch their trunks. Though they all were sure they were much too excited to get much more than a wink of sleep, after lying in their pajamas under their covers for 5 minutes, they were out like a light.