When her name was called Tora whipped her head back to the (now vacant) stool where she would soon be sitting from previously staring longingly at the Hufflepuff table. Gram would be proud in whichever house she was placed in, but personally Tora wanted to be like Gram and be in Hufflepuff. She walked over to the stool and vaguely wondered how the Hat had a mind of its own and what spell was used to create it.

Then the Hat was over her head and speaking to her inside her mind. Tora had expected this of course, but it was still a bit of a shock to actually have the Hat there. In her MIND.

"You want to be Hufflepuff I see." the Hat's voice said immediately.
"Of course." Tora said out loud before she realized the Hat could probably understand her if she just spoke in her mind.
"I want to be just like Gram"she continued silently.
"Ahh, I'm afraid it is too late for that. You are your own. Now. On to your Sorting. you wish to be Hufflepuff but you're you're claustrophobic, and you tend to scare people off at first with your temper, no? No. You're definitely not Hufflepuff."
"What? Why? Those can't be the only reasons!"
"They are. I notice you are brave... very brave. 'You're more hurt by hesitation than by what you are hesitating to do'. That's an interesting statement young lady. Gryffindor would do you well."
"Gryffindor doesn't sound too bad I guess. Gram would be happy... But sometimes I just wonder what it would be like to be in Hufflepuff, ya know?"
"You're not a Hufflepuff. Although I do see curiosity in you. A vast amount. In fact... all your brave deeds seem to be grounded in-"
"Loyalty?"
"Curiosity. You are brave because you need to be brave to find an answer. Oh and for the last time you are not Hufflepuff!"
"Then what am I?!" Tora said exasperatedly aloud. (forgetting again that she only needed to say it in her head.

"RAVENCLAW"

"You'll love me for it someday."

Ravenclaw. RAVENCLAW? Tora didn't know what to even think. Only that she wasn't a Hufflepuff. Real tears started to burn in her eyes as she handed back the Hat. She never cried, and so she wouldn't cry now. She set her face and mainly followed her ears to the table cheering the loudest, not trusting her tear-blurred eyesight to lead her to the blues, the Ravenclaws. Where she belonged.
She only brightened a little when she wondered how she would love that Hat someday. It was never wrong, and so there must be a reason for Tora to be a Ravenclaw. She could barely wait to find out what the reason was.