home (reader at hogwarts)

thirty

merlin, the ceiling is gorgeous.

you walk in and let out a gasp of delight at seeing the ceiling in all its glory. it was just the way you imagined it when reading the first book- an opening to the heavens above, a darkening evening sky with glints of shimmering stars sparkling out at you and the hundreds of children seated at the four tables around you.

the table at the front, the one you previously had the meal with the rest of the teachers at had been slightly rearranged- with all the chair facing the students instead of facing other members at the table.

your eyes immediately glance up to severus who gives you a subtle nod one would only notice if they were looking for it. your nervous stomach settles slowly but surely as the crowd near the front of the hall, peer up at a ragged hat on a small stool.

minerva stands beside the sorting hat and its seems to move a little. some of the first years seem to know what is to come, just the way you do, and some- presumably from muggle house holds do not.

nevertheless, the hat springs to life its mouth opening almost as if had been ripped open at the seams into a mischievous and clever grin.

the sorting hat, as you watch on in awe, springs into song.

'oh you may not think i'm pretty,
but don't judge on what you see,
i'll eat myself if you can find,
a smarter hat than me.
you can keep yours bowler black,
your top hats sleek and tall,
for i'm the hogwarts sorting hat
and i can cap them all.
there's nothing hidden in your head
the sorting hat can't see,
so try me on and i will tell you
where you ought to be.
you might belong in gryffindor
where dwell the brave at heart,
their daring, nerve and chivalry,
set gryffindor apart;
you might belong in hufflepuff,
where they are just and loyal,
those patient hufflepuffs are true
and unafraid of toil;
or yet in wise old ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
where those of wit and learning
will always find their kind;
or perhaps in slytherin,
you'll make your real friends,
those cunning folks use any means,
to achieve their ends.
so put me on! don't be afraid!
and don't get in a flap!
you're in safe hands though i have none,
for i'm a thinking cap!'

the entire hall burst into applause for the sorting hat and it bowed graciously to each of the four tables before becoming quite still.

you can spot ron lean down and whisper to harry.

"so all we've got to do is try on the hat! i'll kill fred, he was going on about wresting a troll."

harry smiles weakly and looks up nervously at the hat just the way you do.

despite knowing what house you will be sorted into already- you feel your stomach start to feel queasy again. you'd be trying on the hat in front of the entire school- what it it realises you aren't supposed to be here?

y/n.

you glance up at severus and he gives you a small smile.

you'll be fine.

you nod and look back and professor mcgonagall as she starts to speak again.

"when i call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." she looks down at the scroll and adjusts her glasses. "abbot, hannah!"

a girl with blonde pigtails and a pink face stumbles out of the line and puts on the hat. it falls right over her eyes, far too big for any of the first years and before even a minute passes the hat yells.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

the table on the far right cheered and clapped as hannah walked to it, looking much more relieved than she had looked walking to the stool.

you wait for the next few names

terry boot, sorted into ravenclaw. veer bhardwaj sorted into slytherin. mandy brocklehurst followed terry to ravenclaw before lavender brown was sorted into gryffindor.

you grin as you hear two loud voices whistling at the poor girl and turn your head to see two tall gingers gazing at the girl.

she is undeniably pretty but she looks very uncomfortable. fred and george are then shoved into their seats with a red head with slightly curlier hair and a sterner gaze.

percy.

millicent bulstrode gets sorted into slytherin and gives you a glare as she takes a seat at the table besides someone who shakes her hand with a grin.

the slytherins seem to all know eachother already.

seamus finnagan gives you a small smile as he takes his place at the gryffindor table.

hermione granger almost falls on her way over to her sorted, running almost before having to wait at the stool for almost 3 minutes.

eventually, the hat declares her a gryffindor.

you are almost certain the hat was stuck between gryffindor and ravenclaw.

neville, of course, messes up by walking away with the hat and having to run to give it to morag macdouglas and makes his way to the gryffindor table.

the gryffindors seem to like neville for his clumsiness as he immediately is showered with welcoming praises. neville shys away, however, looking as though he'd rather not become famous for being a clutz.

"malfoy, draco!" minerva calls and he swaggers past you to make his way to the stool.

the hat barely touches his head- only grazing a few of his platinum blonde hairs before it screams-

"SLYTHERIN!"

he grins on his way there, and the applause from the table is significantly louder than it had been for any of the previous slytherins.

you watch on as moon, nott, parkinson and two twin patils are sorted into their houses.

then, sally-anne.

and then-

snape, y/n!

you heart hammers in your chest as you walk slowly over to the stool. you feel as though you legs have turned to lead, and minerva places the hat on your head before backing away.

"hello." the hat says to you. "curious, your house has been decided already."

"mm." you hum, wondering why the hat sounded so upset by this.

"that is my job. they've done it for me." the hat says to you and you begin to get nervous.

you can hear minerva tapping her feet as she wonders what is taking so long.

you sigh. "i have a job to do, please just put me in gryffindor."

"i don't think so."

the hat bellows.

"SLYTHERIN!"

and as you take off the hat, you look back at professor dumbledore and he looks mortified.

the slytherins cheer at the top of their lungs, out cheering the applause that had sounded for malfoy. you walk over to the table shakily, and the prefect at the table walks over to you and smiles, with perfect white teeth.

"i'm gemma farley, slytherin prefect. with a father like yours, there was no doubt you'd be put here with us!"

you nod, smiling before you look up and minerva calls out another name.

his name.

potter.