Regina could feel the judging stares of a million eyes upon her as she took a seat upon the stool and the Sorting Hat was lowered onto her head. As she had awaited her turn, she thought of the important people in her life: deceased parents she scarcely knew, Evelyn, Elwin, and what houses they had found themselves in. Would they be disappointed if she did not follow in their foosteps? Regina was already disappointing enough as it was.
Surprising approximately no one, Ramona had been sorted easily into Gryffindor. Part of Regina yearned ardently to join her elder niece, but Gryffindor was for the bold, the brave. She would not wish to seek comfort in Mo's presence only to feel misplaced for the next seven years. Perhaps she and Stella could be together instead, somewhere that felt less intimidating.
(As though any of this could feel less intimidating.)
"Describe yourself in three words."
Polite, respectable, and accomplished. After all, they were the three things demanded of any young society lady. But was that all G was? Was she not also kind and loyal to her family? Was she not patient? Shy? Nervous? Guilty?
No, no, there was a correct answer, according to the late Olivia Pendergast, and Regina had given it.
"Would you rather be able to change into an animal, change your appearance, or see the future?"
The Hat could not bestow these abilities, could it? Surely her sisters or cousins would have mentioned it if it did. Seneca was a metamorphamgus, but that was not one of the proffered gifts, and she'd had that power before she started at Hogwarts.
Her answer came shyly. See the future. She might have saved herself years of fretting about being a witch if she had known she'd be going to Hogwarts, after all. She might also have been able to avoid Padmore Park that day. Seeing the future, in Regina's estimation, was the best way to have the future one wished—and perhaps be the impetus they needed to guide the present a bit more clearly.
"If you could invent a potion, what would it do?"
I'm sorry, I really don't know.
Merlin, but she hated not having an answer. Had all the other first years been faced with the same questions? Caspian was smart enough to have come up with good answers, and students had been sorted into Ravenclaw so they had to be clever, but they couldn't all have brilliant enough ideas to meet the hat's standards!
Right now, she just wished for a potion that would bring her a sense of ease.
Imagine you see someone cheat in class. What do you do?
Cheating was wrong. Regina knew that. Oh, there were the little things one did to get ahead, but that was not so much cheating as playing more creatively. Ares cheated a chess sometimes, but G never did.
She, however, was a student. It is my responsibility not to cheat, but it is the professor's duty to ensure no one else is, either. I would not help them to cheat, but I would focus upon my own actions and not theirs.
"Who is your enemy and how will you defeat them?"
Her enemy?! Was she supposed to have an enemy? Regina couldn't fathom defeating anyone!
My enemy is... the witch trailed off, biting at her lower lip as she tried to come up with an answer, any answer. My enemy is anyone who would try to harm me or those I care about. I would defeat them however I could.
Unless they could be cowed by needlepoint or sitting nicely, though, she doubted she had the skills to defeat anything more than a flobberworm.
Surprising approximately no one, Ramona had been sorted easily into Gryffindor. Part of Regina yearned ardently to join her elder niece, but Gryffindor was for the bold, the brave. She would not wish to seek comfort in Mo's presence only to feel misplaced for the next seven years. Perhaps she and Stella could be together instead, somewhere that felt less intimidating.
(As though any of this could feel less intimidating.)
Polite, respectable, and accomplished. After all, they were the three things demanded of any young society lady. But was that all G was? Was she not also kind and loyal to her family? Was she not patient? Shy? Nervous? Guilty?
No, no, there was a correct answer, according to the late Olivia Pendergast, and Regina had given it.
The Hat could not bestow these abilities, could it? Surely her sisters or cousins would have mentioned it if it did. Seneca was a metamorphamgus, but that was not one of the proffered gifts, and she'd had that power before she started at Hogwarts.
Her answer came shyly. See the future. She might have saved herself years of fretting about being a witch if she had known she'd be going to Hogwarts, after all. She might also have been able to avoid Padmore Park that day. Seeing the future, in Regina's estimation, was the best way to have the future one wished—and perhaps be the impetus they needed to guide the present a bit more clearly.
I'm sorry, I really don't know.
Merlin, but she hated not having an answer. Had all the other first years been faced with the same questions? Caspian was smart enough to have come up with good answers, and students had been sorted into Ravenclaw so they had to be clever, but they couldn't all have brilliant enough ideas to meet the hat's standards!
Right now, she just wished for a potion that would bring her a sense of ease.
Cheating was wrong. Regina knew that. Oh, there were the little things one did to get ahead, but that was not so much cheating as playing more creatively. Ares cheated a chess sometimes, but G never did.
She, however, was a student. It is my responsibility not to cheat, but it is the professor's duty to ensure no one else is, either. I would not help them to cheat, but I would focus upon my own actions and not theirs.
Her enemy?! Was she supposed to have an enemy? Regina couldn't fathom defeating anyone!
My enemy is... the witch trailed off, biting at her lower lip as she tried to come up with an answer, any answer. My enemy is anyone who would try to harm me or those I care about. I would defeat them however I could.
Unless they could be cowed by needlepoint or sitting nicely, though, she doubted she had the skills to defeat anything more than a flobberworm.