McGonagall led them into the Great Hall and what Almira immediately noticed is that the whole hall was illuminated by a huge amount of floating candles, floating all around the huge hall. Under these candles were four long tables, all covered in gold and silver plates and goblets, and with the older students sitting around them. At the top of the hall was another table, where all the teachers seemed to be sitting, minus McGonagall who was leading them. When Almira looked up she saw the ceiling looking just like the sky outside the castle.

McGonagall waved them to stop, before taking out a four-legged stool and placing it in front of their group. On top of this stool she put a patched and dirty pointed hat.

They were all very confused on what this was about, but then a rip close to the brim of the hat opened like a mouth and the hat started to sing:

“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 your bowlers 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 on me and I will tell you

where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

where dwell the brave of heart,

their daring, nerve and chivalry set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff, where they are just and loyal,

those patient Hufflepuff’s 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 folk 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 the Thinking Cap!”

Everyone started applauding as the hat finished its song, falling silent once again.

“That was super cool! I also want a singing hat!”

Almira says to Susan with stars in her eyes.

As the hall calms down, McGonagall steps forward holding a roll of parchment in her hands.

“When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted.”

She looks at the group of first-years, making sure everyone heard what she said, before starting to read the list out loud.

“Abbot, Hannah!”

She called out, and a pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails walked forward, put on the hat, and sat on the stool. A moment later, the hat shouted:

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

And the table on the right cheered as Hannah went to join them.

As Hannah sat down, McGonagall continued reading the list.

“Bones, Susan!”

Now it was Susan’s turn to walk to the hat and put it on. She had just put the hat on and sat down, when the hat shouted:

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

Susan waved towards Almira, as she also went and joined the Hufflepuff’s table, sitting next to Hannah.

“Boot, Terry!”

.

.

.

“Granger, Hermione!”

Almira turned to look, as the girl she met 10 months ago ran to the sorting hat and jammed the hat onto her head. The hat shouted almost instantly:

“GRYFFINDOR!”

Hermione walked happily to the cheering Gryffindor’s table, and Almira watched as the girl her mother wanted her to be friends with got sorted into a different house than her new friend Susan.

“Greengrass, Daphne!”

Once again McGonagall continued the cycle of her calling out a name from the list, the one getting called walking to the Sorting Hat, and then walking to the cheering table, which ever that may be.

There were nine names that got called after Hermione’s, before Almira heard her name getting called by McGonagall.

“Marlson, Almira!”

Before McGonagall finishes saying her name, Almira’s already sitting on the stool with the Sorting Hat on her head. After a few seconds Almira hears a small voice in her ears.

“Courage and bravery for Gryffindor, loyalty and honesty for Hufflepuff, cleverness and creativity for Ravenclaw, and determination and resourcefulness for Slytherin. You’re not making this easy for me are you girlie?”

‘Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff…’

As if to answer the voice, Almira starts saying “Hufflepuff” again and again in her head.

“Hufflepuff? Why do you want to go there?”

The hat asks her, seemingly having heard her thoughts.

‘It sounds the most fun!’

Almira answers again in her thoughts.

“Well, you sure have the honesty of one. So be it… HUFFLEPUFF!”

The hat yells the name of her house to the rest of the hall, and Almira skips happily to the Hufflepuff’s table, joining Susan by sitting on the other side of the table from her. Susan proceeds to introduce her to the two other girls, who got sorted into the Hufflepuff.

“Mira, this is Hannah Abbot, and this is Megan Jones. Hannah, Megan, this is Almira Marlson.”

Susan first introduced the blonde, pigtailed girl sitting next to her as Hannah, the first one to be sorted into a house. Then she introduced the girl sitting next to Almira as Megan, who had a round face and brown hair reaching the small of her back. And finally, she introduced Almira to the two girls.

“Potter, Harry!”

They all turned to look, as McGonagall called out a name that even Almira had heard before, Harry Potter, the boy who lived.

The Sorting Hat seemed to be having the same kind of discussion that it had with Almira, with Harry, and moments later it shouted:

“GRYFFINDOR!”

And the Gryffindor’s table let out a cheer louder than any of the tables had cheered that evening.

There were seven names that got called after Harry, but none of them got quite the same reception as those before Harry.