Though there had been plenty of excited chatter around her Annie had fallen quite silent since the train had pulled into the station, watching everything with wide eyes.  From the boats to the castle (which was so much bigger than she’d imagined!) to the great hall with the impossible ceiling, it was a lot to take in.  When her name was called she almost didn’t register it was her turn, somehow expecting the hat to call her Annie.

Which house would you like to be in and why?

'Hufflepuff' she decided after a moment, wondering if it was really so simple as picking.  Her mom was a Hufflepuff plus going by the hat’s song the other houses seemed to be looking for things she wasn’t sure she could be all the time like daring or cunning.

You catch a fellow student copying your friend's homework in their absence, how do you deal with this situation?

'I’d tell my friend!' she thought resolutely. 'And maybe ask the person what they are doing first.' If they were sneaking it then just asking might get them to stop or maybe there were other factors Annie didn’t know about like what if her friend was letting them copy?  Either way it would be up to her friend to decide what to do about it.  

Centaur, unicorn, kelpie, or abraxan?

'Abraxan!  Because they can fly!'  That was the easiest question so far.  Just the thought of the flying horses made her happy.  

What would you like to do once you leave Hogwarts?

'Well er… be a healer?'  It was the first time she’d actually said as much, in so many words.  Even if it was just inside her head to a hat.  Until a few months ago she wasn't even sure she was a witch and now saying she wanted to be a healer felt a little like she was asking too much.  And saying it was scary because that made it real instead of just a thought in her head and that much more of a disappointment if it didn't happen.  Even though it was a new dream she clung to it fiercely and knew deep down she’d put everything she had into it.  

Your close friend is miserable, what do you do about it?

'Try to help them with whatever is making them miserable.  And if I can’t help then I’d make them some tea and give them a hug. And after that everyone is a little different - maybe they want to be left alone or maybe they want company - whatever they want'

What do you consider to be your best trait?

She wrinkled her nose under the hat's brim.  What a strange question!  She squirmed internally, trying to think of things she was proud of or things people had praised her for and like… yeah she tried to be a nice person and yeah she wasn’t afraid of hard work but really what she was most excited about was… she was a witch.  

After years of being unsure and curbing thoughts of the future - now she knew and now she could look ahead to things she could be and learn and do.