Black_Paladyn
patreon
Last of the Fae Chapter 11: Sorting Ceremony
🕑 Added 2024-08-05 15:46:09 +0000 UTC“Today we celebrate another year, as we welcome the newest among us.”Dumbledore said with a wondrous twinkle in his eyes as he gestured to a stool in front of the head table atop of which sat a old leathery wizards hat that had certainly seen better days.
As the room's collective attention fell on the hat, the seemingly inanimate object came alive as its many folds and wrinkles turned into a mouth and two eye sockets. Then with a cough to clear its non-existent throat the hat began to sing,” One thousand years ago this story starts.There were four sorcerers with strong and kind hearts.Bold Gryffindor from wild moor. Fair Ravenclaw from glen. Sweet Hufflepuff from valley broad. Shrewd Slytherin from fen. They had a dream to teach all that they knew. Witches and wizards came far and it grew. 'Til a castle stood tall by the shores of a lake. And a thousand years later the magic remains.”
As the song came to an end the room erupted into cheers and Kenji couldn’t help but grin at the spectacle. After the applause died down Albus stood up once more, “Now without a further ado let the Sorting Ceremony begin.”
“Abby Adams!”
The sorting hat shouted loud enough to echo through the hall and after a second a timid looking girl with long brown hair stood up, “Y-yes?”
“Approach and be sorted!” The hat shouted again, making the girl jump before she quickly walked over to the hat and put it on her head before sitting on a stool. There was a brief pause as the hat seemingly muttered to itself before it shouted out loud, “Hufflepuff!”
The hats announcement was followed by a loud cheer from the table with black and yellow badges featuring a honey badger on their robes.
The girl smiled as she took off the sorting hat, placed it on the stool and ran over to the cheering table. Thane watched as name after name was called in alphabetical order so he knew it was only a matter of time before he was called.
“Thane Carter!”
Rising smoothly from his seat Thane walked down the aisle trying to ignore the hundred eyes staring at his back. Grabbing the sorting hat Thane sat down on the stool and placed the magical artifact on his head.
“So tell me Thane, is it everything you hoped for?”
Thane blinked, not expecting the sorting hat to address him directly, “W-what?”
“The wizarding world,” The sorting hat specified, “Is it everything you dreamed of and more.”
Thane nodded and he could help but grin, “Definitely more, I’m learning so much and it’s only been a few days.”
“Hmm, a thirst for knowledge certainly a desire worthy of a Ravenclaw,” The sorting hat mused, “But I sense there is more, something that eludes even my magic. You have been given a purpose, a great hope has been placed on you. A weight you have decided to shoulder and carry, a destiny that you wish to fulfill.”
Thane’s heart hammered in his chest as he fell silent all of a sudden wondering just how much the sorting hat could see.
“Fear not, I am sworn to keep all I see secret,” The hat assured Thane, “But even without the full picture I can see the ambition burning in your heart and long dormant power that has been awakened inside of you. A leader no… a future ruler in the making. While all the houses fit you in some capacity there is only one in particular that will serve you well. You belong in SLYTHERIN!”
The sorting hat’s announcement was met with an awkward applause and Thane glanced over at the table decorated with green and black hues only to find a sea of less than welcoming gazes and some that were openly hostile.
“Good luck kid,” The sorting hat whispered as Thane stood up and placed it back on the stool.
Walking over to the table he would be sitting at for the rest of his career at Hogwarts Thane tried not to buckle under the collective weight of the venomous glare that fell across his shoulders. Suddenly Padma’s and Parvati’s warnings about Slytherin echoed in the back of Thane’s mind.
‘They can’t know I’m not a pure blood just by looking at me…right?’ Thane thought to himself as he sat down at the very end of the table but glancing around at his less than welcoming housemates Thane realized what really set him apart.
While there was nothing wrong with Thane’s robes, they were clearly not made with the same quality and care compared to his housemates who practically screamed wealth.
‘Oh,’ Thane thought lamely as he tried to make himself as small as possible. Seemingly satisfied that Thane had gotten the message that he didn’t belong, the open glares stopped and Thane let out a soft sigh of relief.
The sorting ceremony continued and Thane watched as Padma was placed into Ravenclaw while her sister Parvati was sorted into Gryffindor each with both being enthusiastically welcomed by their respective houses. Hermione also received an equally warm welcome as she joined Gryffindor.
After that Thane almost stopped paying attention entirely but he did look up as one name was announced that caused the entire room to stir. Looking up as a sea of whispers filled the dining hall Thane’s eyes landed on a frail looking boy with brown hair, round glasses and a lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead.
As the boy approached the sorting hat, Thane could practically feel the entirety of Slytherin glare at the first year as some muttered curses underneath their breath. But as he glanced around the room the rest of the tables seemed to be practically star struck as they whispered excitedly to their friends. And the roar of cheers when the sorting hat announced that the boy had been placed into Gryffindor was practically deafening.
All the while Thane wondered what the seemingly unassuming boy had done to be so universally loved and hated at the same time.
