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SIMON
My life up until this point has been filled with orphanages and foster homes, loneliness and monotony.
Over the course of a few days, everything changed.
I found out about magic.
I found out that I’m a wizard, and not just any wizard, but the Chosen One, destined to save the world. All of the strange things that happened to me as a child, how I seemed to make impossible things happen without trying… it was all starting to make sense.
Now I’m at Hogwarts - still a bit confused as to why the school is named Hogwarts, but afraid to ask. I can feel my magic thundering through my veins -- it’s always been there, but having a name for it feels incredible. I have yet to meet David, the famous wizard who is currently the head of Hogwarts, but I can hardly wait to see him, and thank him for letting me come here.
David sent a woman named Ebb to come and get me. She told me all about magic and even demonstrated a spell. After that, she took me to a secret place called Diagon Alley and bought me school supplies. It felt like Christmas. I even got my own pet owl -- which worried me a bit because I don’t know how to take care of an animal, but Ebb told me I would be just fine. I named the owl Cherry, which made Ebb laugh until she started crying. She assured me that she’s perfectly okay, but I wasn’t convinced. She cried a lot that day.
Ebb gave my current care home some papers so she could legally take me away, but I wondered if they would have noticed if I just left without a word.
Hogwarts is the most amazing place in the entire world. I thought the same thing about Diagon Alley, but now that I'm here, I know that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is beyond comparison. The framed pictures on the wall move and talk just like a telly, the staircases float around on their own (which is slightly terrifying but mostly exciting), and there are real life ghosts drifting through the hallways. It's like something out of a storybook.
And, of course, there's the dining hall. I have to hide a few tears of joy when I see it.
“You’re Simon Snow.”
I turn to the voice coming from behind me. It’s a a girl with brown skin and vibrant red hair who spoke. Everyone had been staring at me all day; I had heard whispers of “Simon Snow" and "Chosen One” on the train, but she was the first person to directly address me. “Um… hello.”
“I’m Penelope Bunce." She confidently holds out her hand for me to shake. "Do you want to be friends?”
I decide that I like this Penelope Bunce, and tell her that I would very much like to be friends. She lets me know that I can call her Penny, and I say, “You can just call me Simon”, which makes her laugh. Now I have two friends, Ebb and Penny.
Penny and I meet Agatha Wellbelove, who makes me nervous, because she’s extremely pretty. We talk about the Sorting Hat - which I learn is a talking hat that tells you which house you belong in, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw. I’m having trouble keeping them all straight, but apparently I'm expected to end up in Gryffindor, because that’s where the brave ones go.
I don’t feel very brave.
After all, I didn’t choose to be the Chosen One.
Penny says she’s hoping for either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, and Agatha has no clue where she’s meant to end up.
I tell Penny that I hope I get sorted into the same house as her, but Penny assures me we can still be friends, even if I end up in Slytherin, or “if the hat decides to kick you out.”
My heart starts pounding. “Has that ever happened before?”
“No, of course not!” Penny pats my arm like I'm a lost puppy. “I was only kidding."
I notice a boy across the hall, staring me down. He’s even prettier than Agatha, but a lot more intimidating. “Who’s that?”
“Oh, that’s Baz Grimm-Pitch,” Penny says with a hint of annoyance in her voice as Agatha dreamily says, “That’s Basilton."
“Why is he staring at me?” I ask as he sneers in my direction and then turns back to his friends. I just know he’s making some sort of comment about me, and I tug on my robe self consciously.
“You’re the Chosen One,” Agatha tells me. “Everyone’s staring at you.”
“Okay, well, why is he staring at me like he hates me?” I clarify.
“He’s a Pitch.” Penny sends a wary look in his direction. “His family hates David, so, by extension, they probably hate you.”
“Why?”
Before she can answer, we're interrupted by one of the professors ushering us into the Great Hall. There are hundreds of students, and the grandiose room is big enough to accommodate all of us. Once we’re all seated, the professor explains how the Sorting Ceremony will work and also talks about a competition between houses -- where we earn points for our house throughout the year through good behavior. Everyone is bouncing with anticipation, waiting for their turn to put the hat on. I’m nervous about being sorted in front of the entire school -- even the older kids are here to watch.
Penny is one of the first students to be called. She walks up to the front of the room with her head held high. The Sorting Hat, without a moment of hesitation, yells “GRYFFINDOR!”
The crowd erupts with cheers and Penny beams.
BAZ
I know exactly how my first day at Hogwarts is going to go -- I’ve been looking forward to it since I can remember. My mother used to take me here when she was the headmaster, and those were the best memories of my early childhood. My heart pangs when I thinks about her now, I still haven’t gotten used to a world without my mother. When I was younger, I used to dream about the day I’d finally be able to go to Hogwarts, see my mother more often, and live up to her greatness.
Now she’s gone.
Father sends me off with a, “Make me proud, son” and then I’m getting on the train, filled with anticipation and a sense of dread that makes my stomach hurt.
I spend my first day at Hogwarts with Dev and Niall, who I’ve known since forever. The school is just like I remembered, magical and enchanting. I sneer at the students who are constantly looking around in awe, but I feel just like them on the inside.
Dev and Niall are going on and on about the Sorting Ceremony, about how they’re sure they’ll be placed in Slytherin -- ending up in any one of the other houses would be a disgrace. I know I’m going to end up in Slytherin because my entire family line was in that house. At the same time, I can’t help but wonder how things would be if I was placed into a different house. I think my father would disown me if I was placed in Hufflepuff, but part of me wishes I was kind enough to be placed there. Gryffindor would be unexpected, but Father would probably accept it, urging me to use it as a chance to spy on Simon Snow, the Chosen One that no one will shut up about. Father spent most of the morning warning me about him, about how he’s dangerously powerful. About how David plans to use Simon as a weapon, an advantage over the Old Families.
I see him across the hall now. I can even sense his magic from here. He’s befriended the Bunce girl and Agatha Wellbelove, and seems oblivious to the fact that every kid in the hall is staring at him until his eyes find their way to me. Naturally, I frown at him, narrowing my eyes. He does the same thing, although he looks more confused than anything. He says something to Penny and Agatha, which causes all of them to look my way. I turn my attention away, commenting to Niall that the sorting is about to start. We watch as a professor guides us into the Great Hall and instructs us on how the sorting will work. I already know all of this, so I don’t bother to pay attention.
I find my gaze drifting back to Simon Snow. He’s the worst offender when it comes to gawking at everything around him like he’s in a museum. Penny whispers to him and he grins, a huge smile lighting up his face.
He doesn’t look dangerous, or like a weapon.
He just looks like a boy.
The ceremony begins, so I tear my eyes away from Simon Snow. Bunce is one of the first to put on the hat, and it barks out “GRYFFINDOR”. I’m not surprised. The Bunce family is full of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. Dev and Niall both go before me, and are placed in Slytherin, to their delight.
Finally, my name is called. I walk up to the front of the room, all eyes on me. I lift my head and square my shoulders because that’s what I’ve been taught to do, but I’m scared of what’s coming. I know I’m expected to be in Slytherin, but what if I’m not placed there? What if I disappoint my father?
A memory comes back to me from years ago, when I was a young child playing around in my mother’s office.
“I wanna put the talking hat on!”
My mother smiles at me proudly. “In a few years, Basilton.”
“I’ll win the House Cup every year!” I proclaim.
She plays along. “For what house?”
I pause, unsure. “What house were you in, mum?”
“Slytherin.”
That helps with my decision. “I wanna be Slytherin!”
My mother leans down, composed as ever but with kindness in her eyes. “You know, Basil, all of the houses have wonderful qualities. I think you could thrive in any of them. I would be proud of you no matter what.”
Coming back to the present, I sit down in the chair and nervously place the Sorting Hat on my head. The room is filled with tense silence.
I hear the Sorting Hat speak, “Ah, the esteemed Pitch boy. I suppose you’re hoping for Slytherin, eh?”
I pause, afraid to respond. I don’t know what I want.
“You know what your father wants for you.” The hat responds to my thoughts. “But your mother, she only wanted you to be happy. And where would you be happiest?”
I don’t know. My eyes scan the room. This is taking longer than usual, and everyone’s looking at me with wide eyes, waiting for the Hat send me to Slytherin. I look at Dev and Niall, who have their eyebrows raised in confusion. My eyes find their way to a group of Hufflepuffs, sending me sympathetic looks. Then there are the Ravenclaws, whispering amongst each other, trying to figure me out. Next I see the Chosen One, a mess of bronze curls and enticing magic. To my surprise, he smiles encouragingly when we meet eyes. I don’t want to be Slytherin, I realize.
“You’re cunning and clever, not to mention powerful.” The hat speaks again. “If not Slytherin, where else?”
All my life I had planned on Slytherin. Now that I’m faced with three other options, I have no idea what to do.
“You’re a hard worker, and loyal. Maybe Hufflepuff is the place for you.”
I never thought I could fit in there.
The Hat continues. “You’re braver than you think, and full of pride. Is Gryffindor where you belong?”
I don’t know if he’s waiting for me to make the decision. I’m torn between the possibilities. I never thought I was destined for anything more than to follow in my father’s footsteps, to be the pawn in his game.
“You are competitive and filled with wit, and an individual, despite pressure to fit into a mold. Above all, you are blessed with your mother’s intelligence. The house you were meant for is... RAVENCLAW!”
The Ravenclaw table breaks into excited cheers, while Slytherin sits in silence, dumbfounded. Yet again, I feel my eyes finding their way to the Chosen One. Bunce is looking at me with an impressed expression, and Simon is cheering along with the Ravenclaws. I smile for what feels like the first time that day, taking the hat off and making my way to the Ravenclaw table. The future is unknown, but I’ve never been more excited to find out what it will hold.
SIMON
Every time a student walked up to the front of the room and put the hat on, Penny would make a prediction about what house they would be put in. She was usually right. As Baz made his way there, the image of poise, she whispered, “Slytherin. Obviously.”
Obviously, I think as Baz slowly lifts the Sorting Hat, probably soaking in the moment. From what I’ve heard about Slytherin, he seems to fit the bill.
But the hat doesn’t yell out “Slytherin” without hesitation like it did with Gryffindor for Penny. There’s at least a minute of intense silence, as Baz’s face becomes increasingly more distressed. He glances around the room nervously until our eyes meet. I try to give him an comforting smile even though he was rude to me earlier. I think he needs it right now.
Finally, the hat calls out, “...RAVENCLAW!”
The Ravenclaw table cheers, proud to have the son of a former headmaster in their house. Penny says, “Hm, maybe he won’t follow his family’s footsteps after all,” with approval in her voice -- she holds the Ravenclaw house in high esteem. The Ravenclaws are still cheering, and I join in with them, whooping and clapping. From across the room, Baz looks at me with a smile on his face. It’s not his arrogant sneer from earlier, but softer. Happy. He sits down at the Ravenclaw table, and my eyes follow him all the way there.
After what feels like forever, my name is called out. Everyone in the room turns to me, and for a second I forget what I’m supposed to do. Penny nudges me, “Go on then, Simon.”
I get up, almost tripping over my chair. I can hear whispers of “Simon Snow, the Chosen One” and “Gryffindor” as I walk forward. My hands shake as I carefully place the Sorting Hat on my head.
I jump when the hat speaks, “The Chosen One, destined to save us all. Will the Gryffindor house have the honor, or perhaps Slytherin?”
Me? In Slytherin? I can’t imagine that.
“Let me see... You are kind, a friend to all, and loyal beyond measure. There will be sacrifice in your future, sacrifice to save the ones you love. The house you belong to is… HUFFLEPUFF!”
The room is silent.
No cheers, just shocked faces as I’m placed in Hufflepuff instead of Gryffindor.
I take off the hat, tears filling my eyes. I feel like I did something wrong.
Just then, Penny stands up, dragging Agatha with her, and they cheer and clap as loud as they can.
More cheers sound from the other side of the room -- coming from Basilton Grimm-Pitch.
Once this happens, the Hufflepuff house seem to snap out of their shock and erupt from their seats, thundering with applause. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor follow suit, and even a few Slytherins are cheering along with them. I beam, practically running toward the Hufflepuff table, where I’m attacked with hugs and surrounded by love. All of them are excited to have the Chosen One representing their house, and they welcome me with open arms. It’s a feeling I've never experienced before -- being wanted.
I’ve never had a real home, but I’m starting to think Hogwarts could be it.