Amelia was trying her best to hide her excitement at being in Hogwarts, and unlike her mother, hiding her emotions came easily to her. She didn’t come with the uncanny ability to have her skin, hair, or any part of her light up like a neon Christmas tree showing just what she was feeling which was quite a relief. She anxiously waited for her name to be called, that was the thing about having a surname starting with Y you always waited nearly to the end.

Always.

Phhhh.

There were so few students left. She stuck out like there didn’t she? “Yarborough, Amelia” when she heard her name she felt her heartbeat quicken and her hands tightened into fists as she steeled her nerves. It was time. She could do this. She could, she got this. Right? It wasn’t like she was going to feint right there – right? No, even though she did feel a little nervous and woozy but that was probably all because of her impossible level of hunger. Making her way to the stool the fourteen year old made her way to the stool and the realization that she was here, that she had made it, that she had successfully broken her parents iron resolve to let her go to the school that had almost broken them, the school that had also made them.

With a bright smile on her face she thought a gleeful hello to the hat, knowing full well that it would be able to tell what she thought, that it would be able to speak to her. That maybe, just maybe it didn’t have to speak just aloud but could know what she wanted deep down. ”Ah, Yarborough, I knew your parents” the hat spoke she could feel it moving as it spoke ad couldn’t help but laugh the movement tickled not like it had given her lice or anything, it was like lots of little fingers playing with her hair. It was simply impossible not to laugh. Though it was very possible it cold have given someone lice in the past, the thought of it made her squirm on the stool. ”hmm, you seem to be stubborn and loyal, like both of your parents, interesting indeed you would fit in slytherin and your father’s house of huff-“ the positively impatient girl interrupted the hat, ”hufflepuff, put me in Hufflepuff not because of my dad but because of the kitchen, i need access to late night snacks a girl needs her study food” she grinned and paused a second “sorry for interrupting” she added as she felt the guilt of being rude to the impossibly old tattered possibly lice ridden hat. She would never ever suggest to its shabby face that it had been given lice of course, that was rude. She would never be rude to its face. She would just use a lice-removing potion on her hair later.

”ah, there, you came with a decision then” the hat seemed to be pleased with her at least it didn’t know that she was planning her lice bath. Or at least she hoped.

”HUFFLEPUFF”

Amelia hopped off of the stool as soon as the hat was removed from her head and gave it a little salute and wink before skipping off to her new table. Hufflepuff, she was home with her badgers. Ferocious and loyal.