NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Selection ceremony
As we walk down the central aisle of the large dining hall, students from previous years look at us attentively and are equally excited to know what new talents will be in their houses.
For a moment I feel how Patrick pulls my robe as a sign to show me something he saw on one of the tables, when I turn my gaze to the left the three bullies of the wagon were sitting staring at us, their gazes showed a malice that could not be hidden.
"Relax, they won't be a problem."
"Okay," says Patrick more calmly.
When looking at the other side you can see 3 heads of red hair sticking out, which indicates to me that at that table are the Weasleys, more exactly, the twins and I guess he is the other son named Percy, the boy referred to by their mother in the wagon.
"Very well stop, everyone get into formation and wait for the respective indications"- orders Professor McGonagall.
In front of us was an equally long table where all the teachers were located and the great wizard known as Albus Dumbledore, a man who looks older than the other teachers, with a long white beard, with glasses and a white robe and of course with a kind of white cap.
Professor McGonagall approaches the headmaster and whispers something in his ear, something that apparently is not to his liking. Next step the teacher returns to stand in front of all the old and new students.
"Again, welcome to the great Hogwarts Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry, at this time we will begin the great selection ceremony. At your back are your future housemates, as you can see there are 4 long tables, each one represents each house, to your left is Slytherin, followed by Hufflepuff, then Ravenclaw, and finally Gryffindor."-McGonagall.
All the students look around at the different houses impatient to know which one will be their house.
"When I call your name, you will come to the front and the sorting hat will be placed on you, which will assign you to your respective house, when you are told your house you will go to the respective table of each one"- explains Professor McGonagall.
At the moment when Professor McGonagall steps aside, just behind where she was positioned, a chair appears along with a pointed hat, it is tatty and old; it is patched and extremely dirty, something that just by looking at it one cannot get the idea of how long that hat has been used, I did not imagine it was like that when stories were told about it.
"Ohh look at that...that's quite a few kids this year, I find myself a little uneasy as to what's going on in their heads"- the hat speaks, a tear along the rim opens like a mouth.
It is true that the hat, besides having the mission to determine which of the 4 houses mentioned above corresponds to each student, has the ability to read thoughts and respond to them.
"But as is tradition it wouldn't be a great ceremony without a great show," says the hat moments before tuning his voice.
(Verse 1)
In a time long gone, four minds came together.
With a dream in their hands, they protected magic.
Gryffindor, brave and daring, Ravenclaw, with reason.
Hufflepuff, faithful and honest, Slytherin, with ambition.
(Pre-chorus)
Together they forged an unparalleled legacy, a school where knowledge shines immortal.
But fear and discord drove them apart, and the fate of Hogwarts changed.
(Chorus)
Put on the Sombrero and let him see what is hidden in your soul.
Each house is a path, which your essence will guide.
To be brave, to be shrewd, loyal or wise in walking,
choosing well your course, you will find your destiny.
(Verse 2)
When it all began, there was nothing to fear.
But an echo of battle, broke the bond of yesterday.
Slytherin marched aloofly, his ambition set him apart.
And though the fear was constant, Hogwarts never gave up.
(Bridge)
Ravenclaw, with her unparalleled ingenuity, finds answers where no one else can.
The mind is your lighthouse, your light and your faith, with wisdom I will guide your steps.
Hufflepuff, noble and sincere of heart, his friendship and effort are pure steel.
There is no challenge you face without giving your best, work and prosper with great courage.
Gryffindor, fierce as a fiery lion, brave heart, indomitable always.
Unafraid to fight for what is right, he stands strong with his sturdy honor.
Slytherin, sly as a snake, in the shadows stealthily advances.
With ambition and determination, his goal is triumph, his strength, passion.
(Final chorus)
Put on the Sombrero and let him see what is hidden in your soul.
Each house is a path, which your essence will guide.
To be brave, to be shrewd, loyal or wise in walking,
if we choose to be together, no one can bend us.
The chant although somewhat exaggerated by the hat makes everyone present stand up and applaud with joy, even among the students you can see some kind of small fireworks, something that the hat proudly received at the end of his song, even the tip of the hat bowed forward as if it were a bow for each of the 4 tables.
"I see what my mother meant about a show that can only be appreciated once a year... I don't know if you knew this Dion but the hat is more than ten centuries old it is said that it belonged to Godric Gryffindor (founder of one of the Hogwarts houses), he sings a song that he himself composes and he always usually talks about the same thing; that the houses should be united even if they are different, my mother used to say that every year the song is different, so this is new, and it is the only time we will hear it." - Patrick explains to me.
"You know a lot about all this," I whisper.
"My parents' dream was always that I would enter Hogwarts, so this is the dream of my whole family and mine of course, that's why I know many things about here, even though I've never been here and everything is new to me... because of my parents it's like I already know what's what but it never ceases to amaze me this world." - Patrick says whispering.
"All right now if we're going to start.... " -Professor McGonagall
The joyful faces of the freshmen change drastically from smiling and clapping to serious and full of fear.
"Andrew Leighton, please come forward," said Professor McGonagall.
As the boy passed by and took his seat, the hat was placed on his head, a few seconds of silence flooded the room.
"Hufflepuff!" shouted the hat.
"I wonder how they could have made a hat that could read thoughts and apart it will come alive with its own personality... it's amazing" - says Patrick happily as he watches the boy get down from the chair and call the next student.
In total, we are between 120-140 students. So this will take a while, in total it should be a total of 30-35 students for each house, to make it equitable I would think.
(a few minutes later)
Most people don't sound as familiar to me as I thought they would, some I do recognize from the stories my teacher told about Dumbledore's army.
One thing I discovered is that the hat speaks inside the hat in a small voice, quiet to others, or at least to those far away, those in the front row only hear whispers from the hat to the person wearing it.
"Alright, next up is .... Dion Beaumont de Legrand"- makes the call Professor McGonagall, her face makes a serious expression while she adjusts her glasses as she sees me walking towards the chair where the hat is.
"Good luck Dion, I trust we'll stay together"- Patrick says to me as I make my way through the other students ahead of me.
Professor McGonagall doesn't take her eyes off me.
"I hope you won't cause problems like the ones in the wagon, Mr. Dion," the teacher says to me as she puts the shade on me.
"Ohh this... it's interesting, it's brilliant, so many possibilities, I wouldn't know which one to choose..."- says the hat in a low voice-"what a curious boy, the power I see in you, a lot of ambition...something that would be perfect for Slytherin, brave and with determination perfect for Gryffindor, witty and calculating something representative of Ravenloft. And last but not least noble and sincere, noble qualities of a Hufflepuff."
"Is there any difference with the houses, you can choose any, I have no problem."
"Haha boy how straightforward you are, it's not that simple, the house will determine your growth, it will speak of the person you are and reinforce your most valuable qualities, it's not something to be taken lightly, besides your mind is messy there are blurry things I can't read, it's like your mind is a book but some pages are in another language"- says magic hat.
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