Austin was nervous. Where would the sorting hat place him? His dad was in Ravenclaw. He was more like a Hufflepuff so ut would be a mystery.
"Slytherin!!" He heard the hat shout. He was in Slytherin? Really?

Ellie was relieved when she along with her twin and all the other student’s we’re lead from the Entrance Hall and into the Great Hall for the sorting. She tried not think about how many hundreds of eyes followed her as she stopped near the staff dais. The sorting ceremony commenced after the ragged and mangy old hat had sung his song. Waiting to hear her name Ellie’s eyes were drawn upwards to the magical ceiling and floating candles. Then she heard her name be called out finally after what felt like forever.

“Eleanor Smethwyck!”

After giving her twin a long nervous glance Ellie walked over and sat down on the stool and put the hat on her head and within seconds everything went black as the hat slipped over her eyes and she heard a voice talking in her head. "Ah a Smethwyck. I still remember when I sorted your father. He had been quite difficult to place but I never fail to find the right house for a student!"

"Now, now Ells I see courage, a flair for drama, stubbornness but also warmth and friendliness and oh a little temper. Hm I think it’s best if I put you in ----" The hat was cut short as Ellie chimed loudly "Please oh wise hat can I be sorted anywhere except Slytherin?" The hat it felt like was laughing as dug around in her head as it said "Is that so? Well I see an affinity for adventure and a like for pranks too so,"

“GRYFFINDOR!” The hat bellowed out to the gathered hall and Ellie pulled off the hat to cheers from one of the tables. On happy, overwhelmed and slightly shaky feet she headed towards the red table but not until she had seen her brother be sorted into Ravenclaw.

Analiese waited to be sorted and didn't have long to wait. Her surname started with an A. Well, that could be seen as a good thing since she would have it done and over with quickly.

"Analiese Allanach-Senchuri!"

Analiese nervously walked up to the wise, old Sorting Hat and sat down on the stool. "Alas! Half an Allanach! I remember when I sorted your mother. She was a difficult one. I wonder whether you will be the same..." Analiese heard a voice in her head. She looked at all the other students and saw that they were all staring at her. Look somewhere else, will all of you, she thought. "Your Slytherin side coming out there..." Analiese jumped as the hat spoke again.

"Hmm... I see bravery, friendliness, intelligence... Oh, and your rudeness..." Rudeness?! She wasn't rude all the time! "You would do well in Gryffindor, but you would also flourish in Slytherin... But I think you truly belong in RAVENCLAW!" Analiese internally shouted with joy but was a bit miserable that she wasn't sorted into Gryffindor like the rest of her family. But that was that. She was a Ravenclaw at heart and the Sorting Hat was never wrong. The 11-year-old strode over to the table clad with blue and bronze and sat down.

Avalon relished the warmth of the Great Hall as the first years were led toward the dais. Luckily, her clothes had dried from the rain while they were waiting in the Entrance Hall, but she was still a bit chilly. She couldn't help but smile as the Sorting Hat burst into song. She had been waiting for this moment for so long -- she couldn't believe it was finally here. As the first students were called forward to be sorted, Avalon looked behind her at the four tables. Every house has something to offer. No matter where you end up, you'll be alright. She remembered the words that her dad had spoken to her before she boarded the train earlier that morning. Even so, Avalon couldn't help from shuffling her feet a bit and picking at a hangnail on her left hand. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was slightly nervous about the sorting. She just wanted to make sure she ended up in the right place, no matter which house that might be.

"Avalon Sinclair!"

Her thoughts were interrupted as the Sorting Hat bellowed her name. She tried not to pay attention to the hundreds of eyes on her as the hat was lowered onto her head. "Ahh, another Sinclair! Although I haven't seen one of you in awhile," the hat said, referring to her father's lineage, which was primarily composed of Hogwarts students. "Your father was a Gryffindor, and I certainly see those qualities in you as well." The Sorting Hat paused for a moment, and Avalon's heartbeat quickened. What in the world was happening? "But I also see a lot of creativity. Intellection. Wittiness. Hmmmmmm. I believe you belong in RAVENCLAW!" She couldn't help but smile as the hat bellowed out the name of her house. That would do. Avalon bounded off the dais and headed toward the tables of blue -- her new home.

Aoife reached under her robes as she entered the Great Hall and, as quietly and discreetly as she could, pried open bag of Tayto crisps she had hidden in them. It was far from quiet or discreet. Ah well. There was nothing to do about it now. She popped a crisp in her mouth and took in the details of the Great Hall. Aoife stopped chewing as she glanced up. There was no ceiling.

"T'ere's no ceiling..." But looking around no one else seemed concerned by this development, so Aoife shrugged it away, popped another crisp into her mouth and caught up with the group.

She was just about to another crisp, it was poised just before her lips, when her name was called. "Aoife Ní Fearghail." Aoife glanced around looking for someplace to set the crisp, but there was nothing and in the end, Aoife stuck it in her pocket, patted it, then wiped the grease off her hand on her robe.

She bounded up to the stool and let the hat lower over her head. It was much too big for her and the Hall and all the other students vanished from sight under the dark brim of the hat.

It smelled a bit funny too.

The hat cleared its throat, and Aoife jumped slightly. It had been in her head. She heard it in her head. She hadn't expected that. "Interesting...interesting..." the voice said. "There's a bit of intelligence in you..." the hat emphasizes a bit just a bit too much for Aoife's liking. "...and a willing...no. More of a longing really, to believe. At its worst, it makes you gullible."

Hey! Aoife thought back.

"Hush." She glowered beneath the brim of the hat, reached into her pocket, and defiantly ate the stored crisp as the hat continued. "There's a strength to you; a desire to do right and to protect others. You would do well in Hufflepuff..." The hat fell silent as if double checking this verdict.

"Hmmm..." That was all. Simply, 'hmmm...' Then, finally, "There's boldness, too, disconnected from any desire to protect or help others. And a thirst for adventure as well, I see. It run deep in you. Very deep, indeed. Adventure purely for adventure's sake, to the point of foolishness at times..."

Aoife glared again. How funny she must look, half her face hidden from everyone else in the room, with only her lips to convey any emotion to everyone else. "Do ya really need ta--"

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted, both in and outside her head, cutting her protest off midway. Then it was gone, lifted as quickly from her head as it had been placed on it. Light blared for a few seconds, washing out the Hall as her eyes adjusted again. Then Aoife leapt off the stool and made her way to the table cheering the loudest. It seemed a safe bet that they were the Gryffindors.

Anna's eyes were big and bright as she followed the line of students through the great hall. She was prepared for the ceiling, thanks to her parents, but it was still beautiful. The stars and the clouds were as pretty as they'd been as she crossed the lake in that little boat.

What Anna hadn't been prepared for, however, was the sheer amount of people. And that was what held most of her attention as she waited for her name to be called. Then her name was called, and she hurried up to the stool, which she promptly hopped onto.

Having a voice talk in her head was an interesting phenomenon. Her eyes turned upward, as if she could see something other than a hat. It was just a hat, though.

"You have a lot in this head of yours, Miss Keller, don't you? Kindness and friendship are important to you. But there's a curiosity as well. You're very curious. Honest."

Anna sighed, just a soft sound, which the hat seemed to ignore. It kept chattering, telling Anna all about herself, which she found somewhat silly. She already knew herself, didn't she? She didn't need an accessory telling her that she liked having friends. And she felt like she'd been sitting up on that stool forever. She was starting to get nervous. Why hadn't she been sorted yet? What if she would never be sorted? What if the hat told her that she wouldn't fit in any house and she should just go back home and forget about school and Hogwarts and learning and everything she'd been looking forward to for years now?

... "Ravenclaw!"

With a quick sigh of relief and a tiny smile, Anna slid off the stool onto her feet. Ravenclaw. Her eyes found the table with all the blue, and she hurried to find her own seat there.

Much like any other time Andromeda was convinced she wasn't nervous at all, her mouth was hammered shut and fists clenched at her sides as the newbie group was guided to the great hall with mostly all eyes on them, perhaps anticipating a trip on a robe or stumble on the stairs. Was she trying to secretly keep her robes from misplacing itself under her foot? Yes. Was it working? She hadn't tripped yet, but possibilities would not be ruled out.

Nevertheless, she was quite able keeping herself from falling flat on her face when standing still and waiting for her name to be called. The announcements became a blur after the first few, and she took the waiting time to peak around the hall. Dad and mom had sat at that very table in the front at some point, though their precise seating arrangement she didn't quite know. And the house tables... well, she'd been on the lookout for the Gryffindors since that's where Dad was... and he was their head of house before! And mom even helped out some when they were professors, so-

"ANDROMEDA FLAMSTEED!"

Snapping her attention to the front, she grasped her robes again as she somehow made her way up to the stool to become sorted. Legs were feeling a bit wonky though. Was she walking correctly? So much... awareness. Somehow she made it into the sitting position without consequences, and the hat somehow fit her head despite looking as though it'd flop right over her chin.

Magic.

After several moments, however, her expression morphed into one of confusion with furrowed brows. She wasn't hearing a voice like with the others, but a series of slow and random inquisitive "Hmmmm........" 's. This was not mentioned in the third pre-guide explanation she requested of what would happen during the sorting before the train took off that morning.

"RAVENCLAW!" She jumped, not at all expecting it to be that loud.

She'd been SORTED! Hopping off the stool, Andromeda went to the table that cheered the loudest like all others before her had with more energy in her step, a smile on her face and quite pleased she was even sorted at all... even if she did take a last glance to the house of red and gold before sitting.