 That's Rough Buddy | Be the Flower | Moon & Stars
This was it.
This was the end of his childhood. Cornelius. Orion. Baltazar was well on his way to manhood. Soon he will lose all of the baby fat and he’ll grow even taller. His shoulders would get wider, just like Johnathan’s. He might even get some hardcore peach fuzz above his lip. Or sideburns. Whatever it was, he’d have facial hair soon.
Discussing this with himself, Cornelius allowed the crowd of first years to move him along. Biting his tongue in concentration, debating whether a goatee was even possible, Cornelius stopped, eyes wide; the light of the floating candles reflected on his emerald eyes. He almost toppled forward as the students behind him collided like dominoes into his back.
“Now THAT is decoration,” he said, jabbing his thumb toward the ceiling, totally spacing out the complaining grumbles behind him.
There were names being called out. SORTING TIME.
Cornelius jumped, his curls bouncing off his face like springs. Who was being sorted? He wanted to know. Oh--Ravenclaw. That one person just got sorted into Ravenclaw. The boy shrunk down a bit. What if he was sorted into that house? What if the Sorting Hat wasn’t taking requests and it set him there? Cornelius felt his chest tight. Was the healer near? ‘Cause he might need one.
His name was called. Even though this was the day he’s been dreaming of, Cornelius was nervous. Yeah. Cornelius. Orion. Baltazar nervous. The world was going to end. Hopefully it ended if the Hat ruined his life.
Shaking off the negatives, he took confident steps toward the stool, his shoulders acting as if they were broad like a weight lifter’s. He tried to look up at the Hat once it was placed on his head. This was his chance…
"Cornelius...Orion...Baltazar," the Sorting Hat seemed to savor.
"You said it right--"
"Clever young mind," the Hat continued, making no sense of the scowling young boy under it. "You seek knowledge--"
"I also seek insects and sweets. Naps on Wednesdays but not Thursdays. Blue muffins, preferably chocolate chip." Cornelius inhaled a deep breath before continuing. "And--"
"You do not disappoint, just like any Baltazar." The Hat said with an irritated grumble. Cornelius wondered if they had all been chatty as well, though Cornelius was only doing it to be annoying. "They were, too," the Hat added as if it heard him.
"Enough digging through my mind, sort me." Long pause. "Please."
"Mmm...ready mind--"
"AND brave at heart, daring, nerve, and chivalry set me apart," he preened.
"A thirst for learning," the Hat continued. "I know where you--"
"ANNNND I'll make my real friends, with those cunning folk that use any means to achieve their ends!" The eleven year old spoke quickly, slightly panicking of where the Sorting Hat was heading. "NOT Ravenclaaaaaaw," he whined. His mum would expect WAY too much of him. She'd want him to be a perfectionist and he WASN'T.
"Not Ravenclaw, eh?" the Hat whispered. "Better be...SLYTHERIIIIN!"
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