A short collaboration between Shadowcatcher, gothpuppy95, and C W St J Nobbs
Time: The start of a new year at Hogwarts
Place: The Great Hall, Hogwarts
Characters: Shadowcatcher as June and Headmaster Potter, Nobbs as Sorting Hat, and gothpuppy as Kaitlyn (the most important "1st year").
Plot: The first years are sorted and Headmaster Potter gives his speech.
"....uneberry..... berry..... Lovegood....? LOVEGOOD!!
Juneberry snapped her head up as she heard a loud voice call out to her. She had to stretch her head farther than normal as she looked up at Hagrid. "Uh...why are you calling me?" she looked around nervously and noticed...there was no one here.
"Oh my god...did i miss the ceremony!?" she panicked.
Reaching down to heft the girl onto her feet, Hagrid smiled. "Not yet. They are just getting started. You might want to get in there before they close the doors."
"Oh gee, thanks Mr. Hagrid." she said skipping off into the Banquet Hall. As she walked inside and looked around, she could see Headmaster Potter and her mother, along with all the other "important" instructors standing around him.
Juneberry rushed to her table and found a spot to sit....however, rather than sit down, she stood on her seat and looked to see if she could see her new friend Kitten there. She thought she spotted her ebony haired friend in the crowd of first years but she couldn't be sure.
"Will you sit down Lovegood?" one of her house mates sneered at her. June just huffed and crossed her arms, sitting down and deciding to wait until her friend's name was called.
The new Sorting Hat was unique; as unique as a piece of enchanted cloth made into a hat could be. Most people said that it was occasionally rude, and was in the middle of talking to them when it made a decision about their House. But it made the right decisions, so no one compained too loudly.
Kitten shuffled in with all the first years. She felt so out of place all of this was so extravagant. their entering banquet was beautiful, where the Salem ones were very simple. The food was still excellent at Salem but the decorations were truely amazing.
The timid first years were herded into the Great Hall and the Sorting Hat was brought out and placed on the stool. The flaps in front that acted as a mouth opened and it's yearly song began:
Ohhhhhhhhh--holy hell, there are a lot of them this year. No time for a song, let's just get them sorted so we can all move on.
The Sorting Hat hasn't really been the same since it had been used in the Battle of Hogwarts.
Headmaster Potter began calling out students alphabetically and placing the Sorting Hat onto their heads. Sometimes the hat would call out a house almost as soon as it was placed on their head, and sometimes it would seem to take an eternity. A few times it would call out a house before it had even been placed onto their head, the Hat claiming the student 'had the looks' of a certain house to them. Nevertheless each time a student was place in a house, there was a great applause and they were greeted by some upperclassmen.
After a short time, Kitten was called forward and noticed some people staring at her. Several people looked at her strangely. She had to resist the urge to transform and run. She reached the hat and sat quietly.
"Hmmmmm...hmmmm...it smells like you use expensive shampoo."
...
"I mean...Ravenclaw!" but only the announcement of the House was pronounced to the students in the Great Hall
Before the other students in the Ravenclaw house had a chance to clap, Juneberry jumped up and yelled "I KNEW IT! HAHA! I WAS RIGHT AND ALL OF YOU WERE WRONG!!" she said pointing at the closest house table of Gryffindor. She sat back down after waving to Kaitlyn for her to come and sit by June, then and crossed her arms triumphantly, not caring that everyone was looking at her. "You all thought you'd get the American but nope. We got her." she giggled then stayed quiet. After a few short moments of silence Kaitlyn half ran over to June, clearly not fond of everyone staring at her, and the other Ravenclaw students clapped in welcome to Kaitlyn.
After all the first years were sorted and the claps had died down, Headmaster Potter sood and moved to where all of his students could see him.
"I can see all the wonderful smiles on your faces. But if you can spare me just a few more moments of your time, I would appreciate it." He waited until the quiet died down before he spoke again.
"I know some of you are excited to start a brand new year here at Hogwarts...some of you are afraid you will not fit in, or make friends. Some of you, I know, even have planned to come here and do nothing but have fun...and that is exactly what i want all of you...." he waved his hand across in a wide arc, gesturing to all the students in the Hall. "...to do this year." He paused to look out among them. "There is much to learn and there is much to see, and do...and you cannot expect to remember all of the important details without a little fun. I once sat in the same seats you all are sitting right now. We all have." He gestured to some of the teachers behind him. They included the Weasly professors, Madame Granger, June's mother, as well as Professor Longbottom.
"All of you now, are our legacy. It is no longer what we do that makes Hogwarts one of the greatest wizarding schools in the world...it is what you do that continues to set standards for the other who dare try to compete with us." he smiled than and took a few steps down the stairs.
"I am not saying it's going to be easy. There are going to be times when you may feel lost...helpless. But you need to know that you are not alone. You all have eachother. You all have peers who can balance out your faults, who can help you get better at your strengths. You have professors here that only want to support and guide you. In the end...it is up to you to choose your path to greatness....or failure."
He let that hang in the air like he does when he wants his students to really listen to the meaning behind his words.
"Life is full of choices. Do not choose to fall into the pit of darkness. Choose to be better than your siblings, and your peers. Chose to be better than your professors, your parents, and even me. As wizards we all have power...some have a bit more than others. But hear my words today my students...it is not about how much power you have...it is about what you do with that power and how you change the world with your gifts that truely matters." he raised his hands then.
"And now here at the start of this new year. Let us feast!"
There was a loud uproar from the Gryffindor house then as they all stood hollering and clapped, likely bursting with pride for their house. The other three houses followed suit not long after and clapps, woots, and hugs filled the room.
Headmaster Potter laughed and turned to see the professors were laughing as well.
The new year had officially begun.
