"Oh you may not think me 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 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 Gryffindors 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!*
All the students clapped and not surprisingly the hat bowed.
"When I call your name, you will sit on the stool, place the hat on your head and be sorted," Professor McGonagall said. She held a long roll of parchment in her hands
"That's a relief!" Harry heard a red-haired boy further behind him say. "Fred and George were going on about having to wrestle a troll!"
"Hannah Abbot."
A small girl with shoulder length blond hair sat down and put the hat on her head. It immediately yelled out "Hufflepuff!"
"Susan Bones."
A dark-haired girl who was wearing her hair in pigtails sat down, put the hat on, and was also sorted into Hufflepuff.
Lavender Brown was the first one to be sorted into Gryffindor. Terry Boots was the first sorted into Ravenclaw and Mandy Brocklehurst the second one. Millicent Bulstrode was the first one to be sorted into Slytherin. Michael Corner was sorted into Ravenclaw
"Vincent Crabbe," Minerva called.
Vince, looking nervous went up, sat down and pulled the hat over his head. It took a few seconds and it looked as if he was having a discussion with the hat and it yelled, "Better be Hufflepuff!"
Tracey Davis was sorted into Slytherin and Justin Finch-Fletchley was sorted into Hufflepuff. Seamus Finnigan was sorted into Gryffindor. After Anthony Goldstein was sorted into Ravenclaw, Minerva called, "Gregory Goyle."
Greg put the hat on and like Vince he appeared to being having some sort of discussion with it and then the hat yelled out, "Hufflepuff!" Greg took it off looking relieved, jumped off the stool, and took his place at the Hufflepuff table next to Vince.
Harry was happy they had gotten into the houses they wanted.
"Hermione Granger."
Hermione walked up muttering to herself, "Calm down. You can do this."
"She's mental that one!" Harry heard the loudmouth redhead in the back of the line say.
Hermione placed the hat over her head and after a few seconds, it yelled out, "Ravenclaw!"
Daphne Greengrass was sorted into Slytherin. Professor McGonagall called the next name. "Neville Longbottom."
Neville looking very nervous as he walked up and placed the hat on his head. After a few minutes it shouted, "Better be Hufflepuff!" Smiling, Neville jumped down and started for the Hufflepuff table, but then remembered he still had the Sorting Hat on and had to jog back and set it on the stool again.
Ernie Macmillan was also sorted into Hufflepuff and Morag McDougal was sorted into Ravenclaw. "Draco Malfoy."
"Good luck," Harry whispered.
Draco sat down on the stool and the hat didn't even touch his head before it yelled out Slytherin. Theo Nott followed Draco into Slytherin as did Pansy Parkinson. Padma Patil was sorted into Ravenclaw, but her twin sister, Parvati was sorted into Gryffindor.
"Harry Potter-Snape," Minerva called out.
You could have heard a pin drop as the hall had suddenly become very quiet. Dumbledore looked stunned and glared angrily down the table at Severus who ignored him. The old barnacle would just have to live with it!
Harry placed the hat on his head and he heard a little voice inside his head. "Mr. Potter, I recall sorting your parents into Gryffindor, but I don't believe it's a good fit for you. I see you're very intelligent and you love books so Ravenclaw would be a good fit. On the other hand, you're also very loyal and hard working so I could place you in Hufflepuff and while I see qualities that the Slytherins would value, they're not your own so where to put you?"
"I'd really like it if you put me in Ravenclaw," Harry told the hat and then a few seconds later the hat yelled out, "Better be Ravenclaw!"
Harry took the hat off, placed it on the stool for the next student and sat down at the Ravenclaw table next to Hermione.
Dean Thomas was sorted into Gryffindor while Lisa Turpin was sorted into Ravenclaw, the obnoxious redhead whose name was Ron Weasley, was sorted into Gryffindor and Blaise Zabini, the very last student, was sorted into Slytherin.
Dumbledore stood up still feeling stunned by Severus' betrayal and said, "Let the feast begin."
The food appeared on the tables and all the first years gasped never having seen so much food on one table. Harry served himself some chicken, roasted potatoes and green beans. He poured himself a glass of milk and suddenly a vial of clear fluid appeared beside his plate. He opened it and poured it into his milk. His dad had sent him his nutrient potion knowing he'd forget it in all the excitement. He looked up at Severus and smiled. He loved that his dad was always looking out for him.
Hermione was talking excitedly to some older Ravenclaw's about their classes tomorrow. She suddenly nudged Harry and whispered, "Why didn't you tell us who you were on the train especially after I asked that silly question if anybody had seen you yet?"
"Because I want people to accept me for myself not because of something I did as a baby. I didn't even know what I did so why should I be hailed as some kind of hero?"