Above the Sorting Ceremony

"First years, over here," Hagrid called to the students.

"Thank you, Hagrid," Professor McGonagall said, pulling open the door behind her to reveal the Entrance Hall. She waited for the first years to straighten their clothes before directing them to enter the Great Hall in a line.

Evita was somewhere in the middle. When she noticed many people stealing glances at her, she pulled her hat down a little and walked on without a word.

Soon, she too entered the Great Hall. Looking up, she found it a magnificent place, its enchanted ceiling filled with stars beneath a perfectly clear sky.

Students from the other years in all four houses were already seated around long tables, looking at them with great friendliness. Countless floating candles lit the hall brilliantly.

Another long table stood on the platform at the head of the Great Hall, where the teachers sat. Most of the seats were occupied, with only two left empty. Hagrid took the seat at the very end, his enormous body making the long table look small.

Under Professor McGonagall's direction, the first years lined up with their backs to the teachers and watched her bring out a four-legged stool and place a very battered wizard's hat on it.

The hat began to twitch. A long rip opened in it, and it burst into song.

"Perhaps you think I'm nothing but a battered old hat, with all my many patches, but I believe they are a mark of exceptional skill.

I am the Hogwarts Sorting Hat, and I know this school's history.

I have stayed here year after year, watching countless wizards arrive and depart.

The story of Hogwarts goes back a very long time, a thousand years, to the four great wizards whose tale is a beginning worth singing of.

They were-

Brave and steadfast Gryffindor, tolerant and kind Hufflepuff.

Wise and learned Ravenclaw, shrewd and tactful Slytherin.

Knowledge began to spread through the wizarding world, and four friends decided to teach students together!

If you have courage, boldness, and an open heart, then you were born for Gryffindor.

Hufflepuff values honesty and loyalty, diligence and simplicity; she treats all students alike!

If you love study and thirst for knowledge, then you will surely enter Ravenclaw.

Slytherin values ambitious folk who know how to read the times; he likes pure-blooded youngsters best!

Come, put me on and let me look inside your mind; I'll tell you which house you will enter.

Do not look down on me for my appearance, for I can see your hidden thoughts. I am a hat of exceptional intellect!"

After passionately singing its song, the Sorting Hat bowed to the students of each of the four houses in turn and fell still.

Professor McGonagall took a list and began reading out names one by one.

Each first year whose name was called came forward and put on the Sorting Hat. Immediately afterward, the Sorting Hat would shout out the house assigned to them.

The students came forward one after another. The Sorting Hat usually called out its answer within a minute or two, and for some, it gave the answer in an instant.

The older students of every house applauded the first years warmly. The house ghosts smiled, as did the heads of the houses.

The line moved forward little by little, until-

"Evita Lorand!"

Professor McGonagall read out the name in the middle of the list.

Evita trotted forward and put on the Sorting Hat. It was large, so she used her hand to hold it up a little.

"Hmm, let me see," a faint voice said. "Oh, I can feel it. Sorting you will be very difficult indeed. You're not the only one who's been difficult to sort... I've seen quite a few before, but don't worry. My judgment has never been wrong."

"Bold and courageous, with a little lion's spirit of adventure, a dislike of restraint, and a longing for freedom," the Sorting Hat said slowly. "A desire for honor... Of course, that isn't a bad thing. Few people can turn down fame entirely. What's bad is pursuing honor by any means necessary."

It continued, "You read many books before coming to Hogwarts, and you have a certain thirst for knowledge. That's a quality well suited to Ravenclaw. You're gifted at learning and have the indispensable spirit of inquiry..."

"A peaceful and tolerant outlook—that's a remarkable quality in a Hufflepuff student. Oh—a good girl, you're very fond of Fantastic Beasts? That love reminds me of two former students. One was a Hufflepuff, none other than Newt Scamander, the most renowned Magizoologist. He's proof enough that Hufflepuff isn't as mediocre as outsiders say."

The Sorting Hat was deeply torn. It stayed on Evita's head for a long time, and only after about five minutes did it ask, "Where should I put you?"

Evita raised her eyes. The first thing she saw was a short witch with flowing gray hair and a thick, heavily patched hat, smiling gently.

Perhaps it was not outstanding or famous... Perhaps, in outsiders' eyes, it looked mediocre and bad, but she still repeated silently, Hufflepuff. I want to go to Hufflepuff.

"All right, if you've decided, you'll spend a very good seven years here," the Sorting Hat agreed, then shouted, "Hufflepuff!"

"Thank you very much." Evita took off the hat and walked toward the Hufflepuff students, who were applauding enthusiastically.

The ghost, the Fat Friar, smiled as he welcomed her. "Welcome. I hope you have a wonderful seven years. I'm Hufflepuff House's resident ghost."

But Evita was already swamped by greetings from her fellow students, one after another. She could only give the Fat Friar a dazzling smile at first, and it was quite a while before she could speak. "I know. Everyone says you're the friendliest ghost."

After the greetings, the conversation at the Hufflepuff table turned to their families.

"My mum and sister were both Hufflepuff students," a girl said. "So I've wanted to be in Hufflepuff since I was little, and I always thought I would be."

"My mum's side of the family are wizards, and my cousin is a Hufflepuff student," another boy said. "But my mum was a Ravenclaw student."

"Lorand? What about you?"

Evita, who had been listening to the rest of the students being sorted, came back to herself and answered frankly, "Hufflepuff House is my favorite, so I wanted to come here... But an elder I'm very fond of was also in Hufflepuff."

As if a fuse had been lit, the students all began talking at once, saying they had known since childhood that they would end up in Hufflepuff, and other things...

Evita smiled and saw Professor McGonagall, having read out the last name, roll up the parchment and leave with the Sorting Hat.