"Firs' years, this way!" boomed a voice. The half giant was bigger than lucan had thought while reading the books, easily twice the height of any grown man Lucan had ever seen. He had a wild beard and hair like a pile of black hay. "Mind yer step now. Follow me!"
They trailed after him up a winding path, the crunch of gravel underfoot mixing with nervous whispers. Darius kept his head high. Cedric walked quickly, as if trying not to be left behind. Lucan just stared up at the castle.
They reached a towering set of oak doors, thick with iron bolts and so tall Lucan had to tilt his head all the way back to see the top.
The half-giant knocked three times. The sound echoed like a drumbeat.
After a pause, the door opened. A stern-looking woman stood there, hands clasped in front of her dark green robes. She wore a tall pointed hat, her grey-streaked hair pulled into a tight bun, and her sharp features gave the impression that smiling wasn't something she did often. Yet there was something calm in her eyes. Controlled.
"I trust the journey was uneventful?" she asked briskly, looking over the group.
"Yeh, all smooth, Professor McGonagall," said the half-giant.
"Good." She nodded once. Then she turned her full attention on the first-years.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. In a few minutes, you will walk through these doors and be sorted into your Houses. Your House will be your family while you are here. You will have classes together, share dormitories, and earn or lose House points depending on your behavior."
Lucan listened intently. He already knew most of this, of course.
Ravenclaw, and Slytherin," McGonagall continued. "Each has its own noble history, and none is better than another. The Sorting is a serious tradition and is not to be taken lightly. Now, please wait here quietly. I will return shortly to escort you in."
She turned and disappeared through the doors, leaving them in a wide stone hallway lit by torches. The stone walls echoed with distant footsteps.
"I heard you have to duel someone," Cedric muttered. "Or do a spell. What if we mess it up?"
"They wouldn't kick you out on the first day," Lucan said, trying to sound casual.
"Probably."
Cedric paled.
Darius snorted. "You're just saying that to get in his head."
Lucan gave a lopsided smile. "Wouldn't dream of it."
McGonagall returned a moment later and held the doors wide. "Follow me."
They stepped into the Great Hall.
Lucan blinked up at the ceiling first. It was vast, the night sky twinkling high above with floating clouds.
Four long tables stretched down the hall, packed with older students in black robes. Hundreds of eyes turned to them at once.
At the front was a smaller table where the teachers sat, and before it stood a stool with a tattered old hat.
At the center, in a throne-like chair, sat AlbusDumbledore, unmistakable with his long silver beard that flowed like a river down his robes. Half-moon glasses perched on his crooked nose, his blue eyes twinkling with some secret joke. He watched the first-years with a calm, gentle smile.
Next to her was a round, cheerful-looking witch with flyaway gray hair: ProfessorSprout, if Lucan remembered right. Head of Hufflepuff House. Her robes had dirt smudges on them, and a small leaf was tangled in her collar. She didn't seem to mind.
Farther down sat a dreamy-looking woman with long black hair and slightly crooked glasses: Professor Vector, the Arithmancy teacher. She looked halfway between distracted and fascinated by something floating in her goblet.
Then Lucan's gaze found the man he instantly knew was Professor Snape.
Pale-skinned, with shoulder-length black hair and a hooked nose, Snape looked down at the students as if they were some sort of foul stench wafting through the air. His black robes billowed even while seated, and his expression was unreadable, almost bored, but deeply focused all the same. The very air around him felt heavy
Next to Snape sat a man Lucan didn't recognize, but he knew immediately, this had to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. They changed every year, didn't they?
The man looked middle-aged, maybe in his forties. He was bald, his scalp smooth and pale under the candlelight, but he wore a short, scruffy beard that reached his collar. His green eyes were sharp and watchful, flicking from student to student like he was sizing them up. He had a slightly sour look about him, like he was waiting for someone to say something foolish so he could correct them. Still, there was a certain stillness to him, not quite menace, but authority. He wore dark gray robes with faint patterns embroidered in silver thread that looked like shifting runes.
ProfessorVariusThorn, Lucan guessed. That had to be the name he'd seen in the supply list.
More professors sat farther down: Filius Flitwick, the tiny Charms teacher with the excited smile; Madam Hooch, with hawk-yellow eyes and spiky gray hair, likely watching for Quidditch potential; and even the ghostly figure of Professor Binns, half-phasing through his chair.
Then Lucan's attention was pulled to the old, patched hat sitting on a stool in front of them.
Suddenly, the rip at the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the Sorting Hat began to sing
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 top 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 the brave at 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 in 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 achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!
A few students clapped nervously when the song ended, though most just looked tense.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward again, her voice crisp and controlled.
"Now that you've heard the Sorting Hat's song, allow me to explain how the Sorting Ceremony works. When I call your name, you will step forward and sit on the stool. I will place the Sorting Hat on your head, and it will determine which House you belong in. Do not be alarmed, the hat's decision is final, and it takes your qualities into careful consideration."
She paused to let the words sink in. "The Houses are more than dormitories. They are communities. The friendships you form within them may last a lifetime. I expect you to treat the Sorting with the respect it deserves."
Professor McGonagall unrolled a long parchment scroll and held it up.
"When I call your name, come forward to be sorted," she said.
A tense silence fell over the first-years.
"Adams, Marigold!"
A small, nervous-looking girl with tight blonde curls stumbled forward and nearly tripped on her robes. The hat barely touched her head before it yelled, "Hufflepuff!"
The table on the far left clapped warmly as she scurried away, red-faced but smiling.
"Bletchley, Miles!"
The boy who stepped forward was tall for his age, with pale skin and sleepy gray eyes.
The Sorting Hat considered for a good thirty seconds before calling out, "Slytherin!"
Miles smirked slightly and wandered off to the Slytherin table, where he was greeted with polite applause.
Lucan let his eyes wander across the hall as the names continued.
"Campbell, Fergus!" – Gryffindor.
"Chang, Adrian!" – A quiet boy with short hair, sorted into Ravenclaw.
"Donahue, Corin!" – A gangly boy with ears that stuck out. Hufflepuff.
"Flint, Marcus!"
Lucan perked up slightly. He knew the name. The Flints were purebloods, and not exactly subtle about it.
Marcus lumbered forward, already broad-shouldered with a thick jaw and a scowl that seemed permanent.
The Sorting Hat didn't hesitate. "Slytherin!"
"Greaves, Cedric!"
Lucan's eyes narrowed slightly as his boatmate walked calmly up to the stool. Cedric's eyes flicked briefly back toward him before he sat down, impassive.
The Sorting Hat sat silently on Cedric's head for longer than usual, almost a full minute.
Finally, the hat called, "Ravenclaw!"
Cedric didn't look surprised. He stood, walked over, and sat at the Ravenclaw table, not looking back again.
"Hawthorne, Mireille!"
A girl with cinnamon skin and a mass of dark curls strode up, her expression unreadable. Her gray cloak was a little fancier than most, trimmed in gold. She sat without hesitation.
"Slytherin!" cried the hat almost immediately.
"Selwyn, Darius!"
Lucan tilted his head slightly.
Darius stepped forward with that same casual stride he'd had on the train.
The Sorting Hat barely settled on his head before it bellowed, "Slytherin!"
"Hale, Lucan!"
He stepped forward, back straight, face unreadable.
He climbed onto the stool and the Sorting Hat dropped over his eyes.
Hmm… interesting… very interesting indeed, the hat murmured in his mind. Not a mind I see often in someone so young. A planner. Cunning, yes, but not cruel. Oh no, you've got a spine of steel, but a quiet one. Sharp instincts. Strong sense of identity, too. Clever, ambitious, and more than a little dangerous when cornered.
You could do well in Ravenclaw. Your curiosity burns. But you don't just want to understand the world, do you? You want to shape it. Hmm… You would rise fast in Slytherin. You'd be tested, yes… but you'd thrive.
Lucan remained silent.
You're not afraid of it, the hat noted, impressed. Very well. Let it be—
"Slytherin!" the Sorting Hat announced.
Lucan stepped down calmly, lifting the hat off his head and placing it back on the stool before walking toward the Slytherin table. A few clapped politely, others just sized him up as he sat beside Darius.
"Was there ever a doubt?" Darius said with a smirk.
Lucan didn't answer. He looked back to watch the remaining first-years being sorted, already wondering who might matter in the long run.
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Yeah, I know, I've been going a little wild with all the names. I just really enjoy making up characters, even if half of them won't show up again anytime soon. Don't stress about remembering everyone; most are just there for fun or flavor. Thanks for sticking with the story!