Hazel waited in bated breath as Willow walked, took a seat on the stool and put on the sorting hat. The Sorting Hat took a few minutes to think before announcing.
"RAVENCLAW!"
The Ravenclaw table cheered very loudly than before, almost everyone stood up clapping. Hazel's smile remained frozen as she stared at Willow, who slid off the stool, smiling. Willow started walking towards the Ravenclaw table. Halfway through, she turned and glanced at Hazel, Harvey and Cyrus and smiled at them before joining the Ravenclaw table.
"Aww man, I was so sure Willow was going to be Gryffindor with us," Harvey muttered near Hazel.
Hazel tried not to look disappointed, but she already felt weird that Willow wouldn't be with her.
The next name called was a girl named "Dixon, Grace," who became the first Slytherin and the table from the other side cheered a little as the girl walked over to them.
"Day, Jessica," was the next Hufflepuff, "Fisher, Julian" went to Ravenclaw, then "Green, Aisha" became another Hufflepuff. "Goyle, Duncan" was another Slytherin, who made the Slytherin table cheer a bit louder. A few more students, "Hughes", "Jones", "Knight", were sorted into Gryffindor, then "Malfoy, Cyrus" was called.
Instantly, a whisper broke around the room – especially at the Slytherin table.
"Malfoy?"
"Did he say Malfoy?"
Hazel heard many people whispering. For a second, Hazel thought she had imagined it, but the Slytherin table seemed to be glaring at Cyrus as he stepped forward.
"All the best," Hazel whispered as Cyrus passed him and shot her a nervous smile.
Cyrus sat down. After Willow's sorting into Ravenclaw, Hazel got worried, so she started muttering quickly under her breath. "Please be Gryffindor. Please."
"SLYTHERIN!"
There was barely a cheer; only a few young Slytherins clapped. Cyrus took off the hat and looked at Hazel. Hazel just stared at him, surprised because she didn't think Cyrus would be in Slytherin, a house that already seemed to dislike him. Even though her parents told her all houses were good and equal, at that moment Hazel wasn't sure what was going on. Even Cyrus didn't look happy as he stepped towards the Slytherin table. In fact, as he sat down, no one came to shake his hand or anything. Hazel felt so horrible that she just wanted to go and shake the sorting hat to change Cyrus's house.
"Looks like it's just you and me going to be in the Gryffindor, Hazel," Harvey whispered to Hazel. Even he looked a little worried as he glanced at Cyrus sitting at the Slytherin table. Hazel didn't reply as the next name, "Moon" was called. She just looked back and forth between Cyrus and Willow, who sat at different tables. Her plan at Hogwarts was already falling apart. She couldn't imagine the next seven years of her school with her best friends, Willow and Cyrus, in different houses.
Two more names went to Ravenclaw, then one more in Gryffindor. Then the moment came.
"Potter, Hazel."
Hazel was so busy thinking about her friends that she almost didn't notice her name being called. But she jolted when she heard the loud whispers.
"Potter?"
"Wait, Potter? As in Professor Potter's daughter?"
Students from all tables were talking loudly.
"Hey, see you in Gryffindor," Harvey said, grinning at her and slightly nudging her forward. Hazel nervously smiled back and stepped to the front.
"Is that really Christina Norton and Harry Potter's daughter?"
"She must be exceptional."
"Oh, I wish she gets our house!"
"Oh, she will definitely be in Gryffindor."
"Or Ravenclaw, her mom was super smart too, you know."
Hazel heard all the loud whispers about herself as she reached the stool. She looked up at her father, and Harry smiled at her encouragingly.
The last thing Hazel saw before the hat dropped over her eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at her. Next second, she was looking at the black inside of the hat. She waited.
"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "A Potter, eh? Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, A my goodness, yes -- and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting. . . But a quality that suppresses all . . . "
"Please be Gryffindor, please," Hazel said in her head.
"Gryffindor, eh? And why do you think you should be in Gryffindor?" The Sorting Hat asked.
"Because I am . . ." Hazel hesitated nervously. "Because I am brave?"
"Yes, you have courage, but there are many other important qualities that are equally important as bravery," said the Sorting Hat. "And I can see you have many of them. I hope you use those qualities wisely, Potter – HUFFLEPUFF!"
Hazel sat there stunned for a moment as the Sorting Hat announced its judgment.
"Hufflepuff? But none of my friends are in Hufflepuff. Wait, no," Hazel started to protest, but Professor Flitwick lifted the hat from her head.
"Off you go, Potter," Professor Flitwick smiled, but Hazel couldn't return the smile.
"But –" Hazel began, but her words were drowned by the loudest cheer that went up in the hall. The Hufflepuff table was screaming and clapping.
"We got Potter!"
"We got a Potter!"
Many of the Hufflepuffs were yelling happily. Hazel stood up shakily and looked up at Harry, who was still trying to smile assuringly. Hazel slowly walked towards the Hufflepuff table and sat down. Many shook her hand, many came closer to get a better look, many introduced themselves. However, Hazel barely paid them much attention as she stared at Willow and Cyrus at different tables, then at Harvey, who was still standing in line waiting to be called on. Both Harvey and Cyrus looked as surprised as Hazel.
The Sorting continued, but Hazel was barely paying attention anymore.
"Shaw", "Taylor", "Thomas", "Turner", and "Watson" names were called, but Hazel didn't listen to which houses they went to. Finally, "Weasley-Granger, Harvey" was called, and Hazel instantly straightened up.
"Isn't that the Minister of Magic's son?"
"Omygod, that is!"
Hazel heard many people talk. She stared at Harvey, but somehow she already knew which house Harvey would go to; still, she hoped. Maybe there would be a mix-up just like hers, and Harvey would be in Hufflepuff too.
"GRYFFINDOR!" The Sorting Hat shouted even before the Hat had completely touched Harvey's head.
Another loud cheer went up for Harvey as he joined the Gryffindor table. For a second, all four of them stared at each other, sitting at all different tables. Willow looked somewhere between happy and a bit uneasy. Cyrus was worried and was almost trying to make himself smaller. Even Harvey, who was so excited to be a Gryffindor, looked slightly upset, and Hazel looked outright miserable.
However, the ceremony continued as if nothing had happened – nobody seemed to notice and care that the four best friends were separated for the next seven years.
The last name "Young, Ren" was called, who got sorted into Hufflepuff as well and plopped into the seat next to Hazel. He smiled at her, and she tried to smile back, but it felt forced.
Professor Flitwick waved his wand and put the scroll and stool away without even looking, and Professor McGonagall got to her feet. Her dark green robe dragged after her a little as she gracefully stepped forward, pushed her small, round glasses up her nose bridge and looked at the four tables. Everyone instantly hushed down.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said quietly, but her strict and firm voice carried through the complete silence. "Before this school year begins, I wanted to remind you all that all four houses of Hogwarts are four extremely and equally important parts of our school. All four founders had contributed equally to build and protect this school. So do not forget that your house and you are equally lucky to have each other. I hope you make your house and the founder who chose you very proud."
Professor McGonagall's eyes swept over the students and briefly landed on Hazel. Hazel froze under her piercing gaze, but then Professor McGonagall moved on to look at the other tables.
"And I hope the house also treats their newcomers with equal warmth and acceptance," She said, glancing at the Slytherin table, which made many older Slytherin students shift uncomfortably. "That will be all. Now enjoy your dinner."
Professor McGonagall sat back down, and there was a stunned silence for a second before the plates in front of them were filled with food and the dinner began.
[To be continued]