Chapter Text
Lara straightened the tie of her Hogwarts uniform, feeling surprisingly calm. She glanced around at her yearmates, gathered in the space between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables. She caught Megan’s eye- Megan looked very nervous.
Lara wasn’t used to seeing her without the yellow and black tie that marked her as a Hufflepuff.
In fact, every seventh year was back in the standard all black robes to mark them as unsorted.
The idea had been implemented when Lara was a first year- it hadn’t been long before that when they discussed the issue with students at Hogwarts being sorted too early into their houses. Kids at 11 had an essence of who they were and what they believed in, but there was room for so much more learning and growing between 11 and 17.
Lara at 11 had watched with wide eyes from her new place at the Hufflepuff table as the 7th years underwent the first official resorting- she’d taken to heart the advice the new 7th year Hufflepuffs had imparted on the first years.
Embrace all sides of yourselves. Make friends outside this house.
Lara and Megan, roommates in Hufflepuff for six years, had developed an immediate friendship. They’d met Yoonchae and Sophia in first year charms shortly after, and though Megan was more reluctant to expand their friend group outside their house, Lara was determined to learn from the seventh years who hadn’t known they would be re-sorted.
Eventually hanging out with Yoonchae or Sophia was just as natural as spending time with Megan.
Year two brought Megan to the Hufflepuff quidditch team- Lara enjoyed sitting in the stands and cheering both Megan and Yoonchae on with Sophia.
That was how Dani was introduced to their group.
Dani was in their year and played for Slytherin’s team- it was rare to see a second year as a beater, but Dani was ruthless on the field and surprisingly kind off the field, and unlike past Slytherin beaters, she did not believe in headshots.
Which Lara appreciated, with Megan and Yoonchae both playing in chaser positions.
Through Dani came Manon, the sixth and last addition to their group. Manon was Dani’s Slytherin housemate, and extremely grateful when Dani invited her to study with Lara and the others after a few games against Megan and Yoonchae. Manon was muggle-born (Slytherin house having done away with the pureblood requirement), and her wand work was still not super natural- Lara and Sophia, both pureblood witches, had given her pointers that had helped immediately. Manon eventually developed a deep love of potions, repaying the favor by helping the other girls when needed and keeping them well stocked with homemade skincare salves.
By third year, the six were practically inseparable. They survived Megan and Yoonchae’s third year quidditch quarrel, they survived Manon and Dani’s year of Care of Magical Creatures debacle in fourth year (they both hated that year long study of mooncalves, which required them to go to class late at night). They even survived Lara and Sophia’s extreme OWL rivalry, with the help of Megan’s prank war and Manon’s group morning meditation sessions.
Lara was certain a re-sorting wouldn’t hurt them at all at this stage. But she appeared to be the only starting seventh year in all of Hogwarts that felt that way.
She could feel the nervous energy emanating from all of her yearmates. She knew she was one of very few people in her year that hadn’t completely tied some aspect of her identity to her starting house, but she felt that she underestimated the weight that everyone else had put into their association with their house. Even Manon had been shifting uncomfortably in her seat when Lara had caught her eye, and Manon was often the most grounded of the six of them.
A loud clap brought everyone’s attention to the front of the Great Hall, where the Headmaster stood. The signal needed no further instruction as students took their seats. Lara sat next to Megan, shooting the younger girl a sympathetic look before turning her focus up at the speaker. Waiting a moment for the commotion to die down, he cleared his throat before gesturing to the sorting hat that laid motionless on the chair next to him.
“I know it has been a long time from when you all first put on this hat, but I presume by the nervous energy in the room that you all understand the implications of today. If you wish to be a great wizards and witches, you must learn to adapt and move with changes you were not prepared for. Today may be daunting, but comfort is the death of growth,” he announced in a strong, determined voice.
His words fueled the excitement within Lara, causing a smile to spread across her face. In contrast, Megan groaned at the speech. The reminder that everyone else didn’t feel the same way she did forced her to wipe the smile off her face. Although she was eager to embrace this new chapter, there was a chance her friends would reject the change, and consequently, themselves.
And that could mean a lot of heartbreak for all of them.
“Let’s start with Gryffindor! We shall see if your bravery has not blossomed into something new,” the Headmaster proclaimed, waving over the Gryffindor table. Something in his words seemed to spark a need to defend the house they were placed in years ago as the students stood with confidence they did not hold seconds before.
Lara watched as the first student proudly walked up and took his seat. He looked cocky, but Lara could see something anxious spark in his eyes as the hat was placed over his head.
“So full of yourself,” the hat stated bluntly, causing an eruption of laughter from the hall. The student opened his mouth, ready to defend himself, but the hat spoke again before he could. “Slytherin is your house, boy.”
“What?! I can’t be with them,” he protested, pointing accusingly at the Slytherin table.
Lara chuckled at the response. It was obvious to her that he did belong there, whether he liked it or not. She looked over to catch Manon’s eye at the Slytherin section. The older girl rolled her eyes, mouthing “he’s such a baby.”
That only made Lara laugh louder, gaining some attention. Megan nudged her in the side. “This isn’t funny! They can place us anywhere,” she responded in a hushed panic.
“They’ll place you where you’ll thrive,” Lara informed the nervous girl, placing a supportive hand over Megan’s bouncing knee.
“You’re insane for being this calm,” Megan commented, looking past Lara to see the next student.
Lara simply shrugged at her. Megan will understand in time. She just hoped the younger girl wouldn’t combust before that time.
Gryffindor got sorted fairly fast, arguments being cut off by the Headmaster in favor of getting this over with before dark. One student tried to punch the hat, one cried, many begged and pleaded. Lara always found it funny how Gryffindors thought they were the best house and moving to another house was a downgrade. It put a bad taste in her mouth, but then again she didn’t know anyone in the house so maybe she just didn’t get it.
Eventually, it was Hufflepuff’s turn. Lara could feel the anxiety practically radiating off of Megan at this point. The younger girl raised her hand up to point at the students sitting in front of them, counting how many people they had before them.
Lara caught her hand, stopping the action. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. I’ll go before you and show you how easy it’ll be,” she reassured, squeezing Megan’s hand.
“Okay,” Megan mumbled, clinging to Lara’s hand.
The only thing Lara did worry about was being separated from Megan. They had been roommates for six years, always coming home to each other to debrief and reset. Lara secretly had her concerns for the younger girl living with someone else. Not that anyone wouldn’t love Megan immediately, because she did have that lovable nature to her, but more so Megan’s co-dependency.
The younger girl wasn’t used to doing things on her own, always needing one of the girls with her. Lara had promised her many times that things would be better after this change, but she hadn’t voiced that the “better” may include some changes that none of the girls were quite ready for.
“Lara Raj,” the Headmaster called out. She gave Megan one last smile before calmly standing up and brushing the wrinkles out of her robe. Strutting to the front, students gawked at her confident demeanor and it made her smirk.
She sat comfortably in the chair and leaned forward to help the Headmaster put the hat on her head, no hesitation in her action.
“Mmm, you’re a special one,” the hat thought out loud. “So ready for changes out of your control.”
Lara hadn’t thought of it that way until he stated her situation like that. Sure, this was outside of her control, but that was why she trusted it. There was no other option. Like if a wave came at you in the sea, you can try to fight it but it’ll move you where you need to go anyways. So she might as well embrace it with the faith that this was going to send her on the right path.
“You have no doubts. A strong mind, indeed,” the hat commented, searching her intentions. “I could place you anywhere and you would believe that the stars aligned.”
She raised an eyebrow at that. All of the sudden she wished she had gone after Megan, maybe then she could have chosen the same house as the younger girl and they would still be roommates.
“Ah, your care for others is obvious. This is why you were placed in Hufflepuff. But, it holds you back, interfering with their destiny and yours.” The hat informed her, knowing she would be grateful for the insight on herself. Rarely did he share so much with a student, but then again, rarely did a student not fight him during sorting. “Since you are so keen to follow the stars, I shall place you in Ravenclaw where you may see them better from the house’s rooftop access.”
She smiled at that, excited to see a new house. “Thank you,” she said before the hat was taken off her head.
“You are very welcome, Ms. Raj,” the hat said, nodding his head at her respectfully. She walked towards the Ravenclaw table with a skip in her step. Before joining the table, she threw a ‘thumbs up’ at Megan to encourage the girl.
“See? Easy!” she mouthed to the younger girl. Megan shook her head doubtfully, but stood up anyways when her name was called, nervously loosening her tie so she could breathe better.
Lara took a seat next to Sophia and Yoonchae. “Welcome to the best house,” Yoonchae cockily stated.
“You say that now, but if they place you in a different house, you’d switch up immediately,” Lara said, reading Yoonchae like an open book.
Yoonchae simply side-eyed her, letting out a nonchalant “nuh-uh,” before focusing on Megan.
Lara followed her gaze towards the front of the hall. Megan was sitting in the chair with her hands gripping the seat tightly. Her leg was bouncing aggressively now and Lara could already anticipate how Megan was going to complain about how awkward she was up there when they debriefed later.
Megan nearly flinched away from the hat as it was placed over her head. “Nervous, are we?” the hat asked rhetorically. “So scared to go on your own,” he stated. Lara cringed at the statement, knowing that would hit a nerve with Megan.
“And yet, you’re stronger than you know,” the hat continued. “Gryffindor.”
“What?” Megan asked, confusion written all over her face. But, the hat didn’t explain further and the Headmaster released her from the chair, guiding her towards the Gryffindor table. Her legs wobbled as she walked and Lara instinctively started standing up to help her.
But a hand stopped her, pulling her by her wrist back down to the table. “You can’t,” Sophia warned Lara, though her eyes revealed a similar worry.
They both watched Megan sit at the Gryffindor table, surrounded by students she didn’t know. It felt like a betrayal to leave her there, but Lara had to remind herself that this was the younger girl’s destiny.
Whether she liked it or not.
Once the Hufflepuff table was done, it moved on to Ravenclaw. Immediately, Lara felt the tension that took over the students surrounding her. Hufflepuff had been full of nervous tapping and shifting, but the Ravenclaw students seized all movement. It was odd to Lara, but it ignited her curiosity over her new house.
Yoonchae was called up before Sophia. Lara had given her some encouragement that the younger girl had acted like she didn’t need, but Lara caught how it fueled her steps a little more than before.
She sat down in the chair with a rigid posture, her hands nervously playing with her robe in her lap. It looked like she had chosen a spot on the far wall above all the students and had decided she would stare there until this was over. Lara sympathized with her, knowing about her overwhelming stage fright.
“You seemed to work in Ravenclaw, but there’s more underneath the surface,” the hat started thinking out loud, processing the difficult puzzle Yoonchae could be. “You are a complex one.”
Yoonchae didn’t say anything or move, but Lara caught the smallest upturn of a smirk on her face at the words. The hat seemed to notice too. “You’re secretly confident, maybe even in a dangerous way. I think you belong in Slytherin.”
Her eyes widened at the placement. Sophia let out a short laugh beside Lara. “Now that is fitting, she would always steal my things,” Sophia whispered to Lara, making the newly Ravenclaw girl laugh.
Manon highfived Yoonchae as she joined her and Dani at the Slytherin table. Lara thought about how much the table did fit her already, a cheeky smile growing on Yoonchae’s face as she talked to Dani.
She must have been lost in thought because she barely noticed Sophia’s name being called before the older girl passed by her. Lara frowned at the missed opportunity to encourage Sophia as well, but the older girl wasn’t one to waste time. She hid it well, but Lara could tell there was anxiousness swelling in her eyes as she took her seat.
Sophia sat with poise, looking elegant despite her darting eyes. She looked up at the hat as it was placed on her head, her hands twitching slightly.
“Hmm,” the hat hummed for a while, leaving the hall in uncomfortable silence. Lara grimaced at the prolonged suspense that Sophia had to sit through, but the older girl held herself together, putting on a strong face as she folded her hands in her lap.
“You present as something you’re not,” the hat accused, making Sophia raise her eyebrows in surprise. “Your heart battles with your mind, and your mind has won for too long. Your heart belongs in Hufflepuff, so that is where I place you.”
Sophia’s face furrowed immediately, a flood of protests on the tip of her tongue. The Headmaster intervened, taking the hat back and sending her towards the Hufflepuff table before she could argue. She hesitated, but one stern look from the Headmaster and she went where she was told to go, her shoulders slumping as she walked.
Lara sighed as she watched the discouraged girl sit at Lara’s old table. Everything really was changing, and so quickly. She reminded herself that this was for the better and forced herself to look away from Sophia towards Manon and Dani, the final ones out of their friend group to go.
Manon was first, saying something under her breath as she hyped herself up enough to go up. She sat down, trying to keep a serious face, but ending up bursting out in nervous laughter as the hat was placed over her head.
“Cheerful for a Slytherin,” the hat commented, taking in her unlikely response. “You joke and prank others, but underneath you care deeply for them,” he said, reading Manon with enjoyment. A rare smile came across the hat’s face. “Your mind is fun, you should share it with more people. I will gift you to Hufflepuff.”
Manon made eye contact with Dani, a slight panic washing over her face. Lara couldn’t see the other girl’s reaction, but she did catch Manon’s eyes searching for her as she walked towards the Hufflepuff table. Lara gave her a big smile, mouthing “you big softy.”
The older girl rolled her eyes, but a smirk grew on her face. She took a seat next to Sophia, whispering something that Lara couldn’t hear. They both seemed to get drawn into conversation, and Lara planned to ask them about it later.
Lastly, Daniela was called up. She took a deep breath before pushing off of the table and making her way to the chair, head high. Sitting down, she leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees, her jaw tense.
“You like Slytherin,” the hat immediately announced after covering her head. “But you wrongly mistake your drive for action as ambition. Instead, I see genuine kindness that goes wasted behind hard layers.”
Dani flinched back in her seat at the vulnerable reading. She hid her face behind her hands, hoping to save herself from the eyes staring out at her.
“Though maybe your bravery can be improved,” the hat joked. “You belong in Gryffindor.”
She stood up quickly, ready to get out of this situation as fast as possible. Once the hat was removed, she sped to the Gryffindor table, finding Megan. Lara let out a sigh of relief over the way Megan relaxed at Dani’s presence. She wouldn’t be all alone after all.
Though as Lara made that realization, another one came in kind. They had all moved houses. It was odd to say, but Lara felt like something had been preparing her for this.
That she was the only one who could save these stubborn morons from running back to where they were comfortable.