He reached up and flatted his hair on his head, some attempt to look good or whatever despite the large purple bruise unattractively underneath his left eye. It didn't really matter though. The moment that Takeru Asakura stepped into the great hall, with mostly first years surrounding him his eyes narrowed. The floating candles, enchanted sky, long stoned hall- it all seemed like the favourite word of his last foster sister- pretentious. Like they were trying to hall to be cool- and yes even the stone hall, couldn't they upgrade with something normal like uh, wooden floors?

He had observed the castle from the boats. It all seemed like so...much. So excessive. And if the kids here acted like this was all normal perhaps they were all a bit pretentious as well.

Clenching his jaw he turned toward the front and watched as an old dirty hat on a stool began calling out names. Just like Scarlett had said. Not even give people had gone up before the hat opened its mouth...if that was a mouth and yelled out ASAKURA, TAKERU.

Gathering his thoughts he slowly strolled over to the stool and sat down, darkness fell over his eyes as the hat was placed on his head.

"Ah!" The hat chuckled. "There is little doubt where you belong."

Tak remained quiet, weighing his words before finally asking something simple. [b]"Why? And tell me quickly- you might have lice.[\b]

"You're a very resourceful one. And self preservation seems to be flowing through your veins instead of blood"

His brows furrowed together. What did that mean? He didn't get the chance to ask before the sorting hat opened its brim and yelled out SLYTHERIN!

Carefully taking the hat off his head Tak hesitated before walking over to the table full of people who were actually clapping for him?

This was going to be an interesting year.

Oeh oeh, the sorting hat! She had been soooo curious about getting sorted, wondered how it would be done but she definitely didn't had thought that it would be such a simple thing as a old looking and probably stinking hat! Buuuuut... She wanted to be sorted, she WANTED to be in a house and preferably in Slytherin so she waited until her name was being called before stepping forward.

She wasn't exactly scared, no, she already was sure that she would be sorted into Slytherin but it would be nice if it was being confirmed by the sorting hat!

"Leesha Girffel" whispered the sorting hat into her ear as soon as it was placed upon her head, "Muggle born but still determinate to become a Slytherin..." The sorting hat paused a few seconds before speaking again, probably searching for some more information and then he whispered again. "You will be good into Gryffindor but... Slytherin is more you house..." Leesha's eyes narrowed, Gryffindor? Well NO! Absolutely NOT! "Slytherin!" Called the sorting hat out loud and the now first year Snake uttered a silent sight of relief before standing up and walking with a really BIG smile to the table from her new house!

Jill had no idea what to expect when they got to the school but whatever it was it certainly wasn't this. A hat was going to determine who her family was for the next seven years? She eyed it skeptically, but obligingly stepped forward when her name was called to sit on the stool and have the hat placed on her head.

"Hmm," said a voice in her ear, and she squeaked quietly, hands gripping the edge of the stool. She knew that the hat could speak, after all it was yelling out the names of houses, but she hadn't expected the hat to speak inside her head. "Fierce and determined, with quite the ambition, but ah- ah, yes, only one place for you really. Gryffindor!"

The hat was lifted off her head, and she figured out which table she should be going to based on who was cheering the loudest. Their cheer was infectious, and she found herself grinning as she walked over to the table and slipped in to an empty spot on the bench.

It was awkward standing amongst the little first years when you were fifteen years old, waiting to get sorted. He had been curious as to how the sorting would work but he never asked anyone about it. With these kind of things he liked being suprised. And when the sorting hat appeared he had definitely been surprised.

Just put on the hat and thats it? He had thought that they had to atleast show they had magical abilities and didnt just...came here by accident... How funny would that be? Then again, he knew nothing about Hogwarts itself and he couldnt wait to check out the library and read more about it.

"Winslow Mason?"

He looked startled when his name was called and pretended that no one was looking as he made his way to the front. He sat on the stool and the hat was placed on his head. "Hmm, lets see... Bravery and loyalty are there, you like knowledge but aren't thirsty for it.. Yes..yes... Oh! You'll do great in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor, yes you would but i see that you dont mind which house you get...so....

RAVENCLAW!!"

Ravenclaw? That was the same house as his compartment friend in the train! Mason grinned proudly as he walked over to his new home.

Bloom stood in the line where the first years were, waiting nervously to get sorted , she had read all about it from the books Kitty suggested. she studied the probability of getting into each house and Hufflepuff was the ideal choice for her since loyalty and kindness were the most valued traits in her opinion. She knew what was going to happen so everything should be fine. Bloom was lost in her thoughts when suddenly, a voice called out her name -her heart skipped a beat- it was the same voice that called out the kids who just got sorted. "it's my turn" Bloom thought . She slowly advanced to the chair where the sorting hat was , sat down , put the hat on and waited anxiously for its magic to work .
"hmm" the sorting hat murmured. long silence . "hmm" another murmur followed.
That was it Bloom thought . What she feared had happened , there was simply no place for her in any house. Her place in fact was at her old school with muggles . Still she wanted to stay at Hogwarts so badly , so she said with a fainted voice " let it just be Huff..."
"RAVENCLAW" the sorting hat yelled .
"what? why ?there must be a mistake !" were Bloom's first thoughts. but for now she was too happy she belonged somewhere to push her exclamations further . so instead she turned her head to where Ravenclaw's House table was , and headed towards it , grinning at the all the cheering coming from it .
" i'll try my best to make you proud !"

Lyra waited impatiently with all the 1st years and transfers like herself to see where what would come out of the Sorting Hats mouth. She did have a house in mind as she research some about each house a past students who have gone onto better things from those different houses. Her main goal was not to get into a house full of "Goody Goody" rule followers and to be sorted into a house where she could at least find some friends to team up to scheme with her. She moved closer and closer to the front of the line until she finally reached the stool and the sorting hat came down upon here head. "Oh, I see we have a wise one here who sometimes likes to do things on her own." "I think you would make this particularly house really proud with your ways of achieving success.
"SLYTHERIN" the Sorting Hat yelled out. Lyra breathed a gasp of relief as that is where is wanted to be sorted as her house cheered she headed to the Slytherin table.

Finnlay had been nervous on the train, nervous at the station, nervous in the boats, and now nervous in the castle. He was so unsure of himself. Even when the giant doors were opened and he first beheld the Great Hall, the only effect it had on him was to make him feel small and inferior. He HATED that feeling. He didn't like feeling like he didn't know anything about anything, either, and that was what this unknown world was forcing him to admit.

So there he stood, listening as each of his fellow classmates took their turns putting on some old, ratty hat. It looked really dirty and likely had lice eggs and all other sorts of things living in it. And he had to wear that? Wizards were a strange lot.

Finally, "Muir, Finnlay!" was called. A pit formed in the bottom of his stomach. He wasn't ready! He wasn't prepared! There was no way to know what was expected of him here, how was it fair to do this to them as soon as they arrived?!

Ever so slowly, he shuffled his way through the half of the first years that remained un-Hatted. He sat on the very wobbly-looking stool (seriously, couldn't wizards just like.. wave their wands and fix it?) and winced as the disgusting hat was placed upon his head. So now what?

"Woah!" he exclaimed aloud as a voice began to talk to him. He hadn't known what to expect, but a voice in his head wasn't it. But after its initial remark of 'interesting,' the hat was silent. Curiosity continued to mount until finally the voice came again. 'Brace yourself,' was its only suggestion before it shouted out "Ravenclaw!"

Utterly nonplussed, Finnlay snatched the filthy cap off his head as quick as possible, dropping it onto the floor as he made his way towards his new housemates. Knowing nothing at all of this house's reputation unsettled him, so he was cautious as he took his seat. Here goes nothing!

"Harvey Jarvis!"

This was it! The moment of truth. He would finally find out whether he really was different from his family, as he suspected, or whether, after all, he was just like all his sisters...

Harvey swallowed loudly when he placed the hat on his head with trembling fingers. Nothing happened. Then-

"So you want to be different, do you? Well, the ambition is there, but so are brains, oh yes, and a desire to learn, to understand... the best place for you will be RAVENCLAW!"

And just like that, with a shout and a sigh of relief, he was sorted.