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Felixir · 01-04-2025, 02:29 AM

It was all so very different.

So far none of this was like his old school, and though Alexei had been prepared for that (his parents had been careful to walk him through exactly how different it would be, and what to expect) knowing it and living it were very different things.

It was just a lot. There was so much going on, so many sights and sounds and smells, all of it doubly (triply, quadruply, etc) overwhelming in its newness. Alexei tried to appreciate it, knowing that it was a big day, a special day, a special moment, but couldn't stop thinking about how the cuffs of his robes chafed against his hands, how the fabric felt like it was weighing him down, how his tie seemed determined to choke him. How people kept knocking against his shoulders and his back, how someone's breath kept tickling his neck and had to keep shrugging and squirming away from them because it was driving him crazy, how the light of the candles and braziers and their reflections in the dark windows were playing havoc with his eyes and giving him a headache.

Alexei stayed close to Elena as the sorting progressed, but that was another thing that wouldn't leave his head, tainting this moment with nerves beyond any sensory irritation or the unease of knowing he would soon be at the very centre of attention. He had a bad feeling about what was coming. His татко had tried to prepare him for this, too, for the possibility that they'd end up in separate houses, but Alexei had been way ahead of him. It had occurred to him months earlier, though he'd never actually put it into words.

As Alexei preceded Elena alphabetically, this was one of the few situations where he would lead, and she would follow. Hopefully all the way to the house table but... well, that remained to be seen.

They wouldn't have long to wait, either, as 'Petrov, Alexei' was the next to be called up.

A nasty jolt in the pit of his stomach, distracting him even from the annoyance of his mispronounced name. He glanced at Elena, then walked towards the stool on tiptoe. He'd been so focused for most of that day on all the daunting changes and missing his parents and on the likelihood of being split up that he'd barely spared a thought to worry about the house itself. Not that it was really anything to worry about, but it now struck him all too suddenly that this Hat was about to look into his mind, to make a judgement about him, categorise his personality into one of four possible options. Alexei wasn't at all sure which house he'd go to, and it occurred to him now what an uncomfortable concept it was, that this Hat was trusted to know him better than he knew himself. And not even to really know him. More like to generalise him based on a few seconds or minutes (which didn't seem much better) of analysis.

Well, it didn't matter. It was happening either way. Alexei sat on the stool, and the hat was lowered onto his head, mercifully blocking out the sight of all the faces turned towards him. He gripped the sides of the stool and grimaced slightly as the Hat spoke into his ear. At least he couldn't feel it breathing.

Hmm, what do we have here? Not a bad mind, not bad at all, creativity, and a passion for knowledge. Not just intelligent, but clever too, and I see clear ambition... though no desire for the limelight...

Alexei said nothing. He tried to think nothing too, but that had never been a very attainable thing. He focused mainly on listening, and trying to figure out where the Hat was headed, and whether any of those things might also apply to Elena.

I see loyalty here too, though of a selective sort, and a capacity for kindness, though somewhat lacking in selflessness... and... ah, yes, you know how to balance the scales, how to recognise certain advantages...

This last part did not make much sense to Alexei, and he was so stuck on trying to puzzle it out that he might have missed the final part of his sorting, had the mention of houses not immediately grabbed his attention, not to mention the volume of its final judgement.

You might do well in Ravenclaw, perhaps even Hufflepuff could serve you well, but I think, on balance, it ought to be...

"SLYTHERIN!"

The hat was lifted off of Alexei's head. He blinked in the sudden brightness and rose to his feet, seeking out Elena's face in what what was left of the crowd of students to be sorted. Slytherin wasn't so bad... he'd not been expecting it - if he'd had to guess then Ravenclaw, like татко, or Hufflepuff had seemed most likely - but it made him slightly more optimistic. Elena could go there too; it didn't seem impossible. And their dad had been a Slytherin.

He flashed the faintest of smiles at Elena before following the cheers to the Slytherin table. The whole thing had lasted less than a minute, but he was relieved it was over all the same. He joined his table and melted into the crowd, watching as his sister was sorted next.

01-04-2025, 02:29 AM	#8 (permalink)
Felixir Forum Manager Book Club Mod Alley Proprietor Banshee Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Posts: 50,154 Hogwarts RPG Name: Charlie Upstead Gryffindor Fifth Year Hogwarts RPG Name: Aurelio Kaiser Slytherin Third Year Hogwarts RPG Name: Alexei Petrov Slytherin First Year Hogwarts RPG Name: Yves Flamel Slytherin Sixth Year Hogwarts RPG Name: Achilles Zacharias Ravenclaw Third Year Diagon Alley Proprietor: Ezekiel Ransom-Kruus Ollivanders x12 x12	Lovely™ \| Captain Hurted \| Ariana's Bane \| Resident Antagonist \| Unparalleled Delight It was all so very different. So far none of this was like his old school, and though Alexei had been prepared for that (his parents had been careful to walk him through exactly how different it would be, and what to expect) knowing it and living it were very different things. It was just a lot. There was so much going on, so many sights and sounds and smells, all of it doubly (triply, quadruply, etc) overwhelming in its newness. Alexei tried to appreciate it, knowing that it was a big day, a special day, a special moment, but couldn't stop thinking about how the cuffs of his robes chafed against his hands, how the fabric felt like it was weighing him down, how his tie seemed determined to choke him. How people kept knocking against his shoulders and his back, how someone's breath kept tickling his neck and had to keep shrugging and squirming away from them because it was driving him crazy, how the light of the candles and braziers and their reflections in the dark windows were playing havoc with his eyes and giving him a headache. Alexei stayed close to Elena as the sorting progressed, but that was another thing that wouldn't leave his head, tainting this moment with nerves beyond any sensory irritation or the unease of knowing he would soon be at the very centre of attention. He had a bad feeling about what was coming. His татко had tried to prepare him for this, too, for the possibility that they'd end up in separate houses, but Alexei had been way ahead of him. It had occurred to him months earlier, though he'd never actually put it into words. As Alexei preceded Elena alphabetically, this was one of the few situations where he would lead, and she would follow. Hopefully all the way to the house table but... well, that remained to be seen. They wouldn't have long to wait, either, as 'Petrov, Alexei' was the next to be called up. A nasty jolt in the pit of his stomach, distracting him even from the annoyance of his mispronounced name. He glanced at Elena, then walked towards the stool on tiptoe. He'd been so focused for most of that day on all the daunting changes and missing his parents and on the likelihood of being split up that he'd barely spared a thought to worry about the house itself. Not that it was really anything to worry about, but it now struck him all too suddenly that this Hat was about to look into his mind, to make a judgement about him, categorise his personality into one of four possible options. Alexei wasn't at all sure which house he'd go to, and it occurred to him now what an uncomfortable concept it was, that this Hat was trusted to know him better than he knew himself. And not even to really know him. More like to generalise him based on a few seconds or minutes (which didn't seem much better) of analysis. Well, it didn't matter. It was happening either way. Alexei sat on the stool, and the hat was lowered onto his head, mercifully blocking out the sight of all the faces turned towards him. He gripped the sides of the stool and grimaced slightly as the Hat spoke into his ear. At least he couldn't feel it breathing. Hmm, what do we have here? Not a bad mind, not bad at all, creativity, and a passion for knowledge. Not just intelligent, but clever too, and I see clear ambition... though no desire for the limelight... Alexei said nothing. He tried to think nothing too, but that had never been a very attainable thing. He focused mainly on listening, and trying to figure out where the Hat was headed, and whether any of those things might also apply to Elena. I see loyalty here too, though of a selective sort, and a capacity for kindness, though somewhat lacking in selflessness... and... ah, yes, you know how to balance the scales, how to recognise certain advantages... This last part did not make much sense to Alexei, and he was so stuck on trying to puzzle it out that he might have missed the final part of his sorting, had the mention of houses not immediately grabbed his attention, not to mention the volume of its final judgement. You might do well in Ravenclaw, perhaps even Hufflepuff could serve you well, but I think, on balance, it ought to be... "SLYTHERIN!" The hat was lifted off of Alexei's head. He blinked in the sudden brightness and rose to his feet, seeking out Elena's face in what what was left of the crowd of students to be sorted. Slytherin wasn't so bad... he'd not been expecting it - if he'd had to guess then Ravenclaw, like татко, or Hufflepuff had seemed most likely - but it made him slightly more optimistic. Elena could go there too; it didn't seem impossible. And their dad had been a Slytherin. He flashed the faintest of smiles at Elena before following the cheers to the Slytherin table. The whole thing had lasted less than a minute, but he was relieved it was over all the same. He joined his table and melted into the crowd, watching as his sister was sorted next. __________________ Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Chocolate!