Nova watched with immense curiosity as other students were sorted before her. She knew very little about magic and Hogwarts, but her guardian had informed her of a few things before she arrived. Her guardian had been in Slytherin, and while the woman had spoken highly of her house, Nova wasn't quite sure it was for her. She didn't consider herself to be cunning, or ambitious. There was Ravenclaw, but she was sure she wasn't smart enough for that house. That left her with Hufflepuff, or Gryffindor. She knew Hufflepuff was the house of the loyal and dedicated. Perhaps she could fit in there. In fact, she was sure she'd be placed in Hufflepuff. There was no way she was daring, or brave enough to be a Gryffindor. Hmm. Well, so much for the sorting hat -- she'd already done the work for it.
"Pierce, Nova."
She slowly stepped forward and perched herself on the stool when her name was called, but she did not listen to the sorting hat as it spoke of her. She was sure, so sure, that she was a Hufflepuff --
"GRYFFINDOR!!!"
-- That she almost fell right off the stool when she was sorted into NOT HUFFLEPUFF. What? Her eyes went wide in disbelief. If she'd been unsure of her magic before arriving at the school, then that was nothing in comparison to how she felt now. She'd been wrong. No. The HAT had been wrong. She wasn't brave, she wasn't daring. And nerve? SHE HAD NONE.
She slid off the stool and went to join her housemates at the Gryffindor table... |