Ineffable | Remus Lupin

VI

Ingrid sat on the wonky wooden stool, staring out at the professors that stood before her. They all watched cautiously as Professor McGonagall held the tattered old hat in the air.

"This is the sorting hat. It will sort you into your house for your time at Hogwarts. Your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points. Any rule breaking and you will lose points. " McGonagall explained briefly.

"A hat? Right, okay. Sure thing." Ingrid raised an eyebrow sceptically as McGonagall stood before her.

Ingrid was positioned in the centre of an empty classroom with four professors stood watching on. They had introduced themselves but Ingrid couldn't remember what any of their names were, simply that they were the heads of houses at Hogwarts.

She wasn't entirely sure what she was supposed to make of the situation. Sure, over the past few weeks she had come to terms with the extent of her magical abilities and how eccentric the wizarding community was. However the sorting hat was pushing it a little bit.

"The hat will be placed on your head. It will sort you into your house. Then you will be free to sit at your table in the Great Hall for the sorting ceremony and feast." Mcgonagall continued to explain.

Ingrid pursed her lips and looked at the tatty fabric in the Professor's hand, "Doesn't sound like I have a choice."
"No, Miss Temple." She replied shortly.

"Better late than never, I suppose." Ingrid mused disapprovingly. That was all it took for Mcgonagall to drop the hat onto the girl's head. It fell over her eyes and Ingrid was about to start complaining again when suddenly... The hat became animated.

"Ingrid Temple!" A deep voice announced from above her.

She tended her jaw so it didn't drop open in surprise - she wouldn't give Mcgonagall the satisfaction.
No matter how much magic she saw, Ingrid was starting to believe more and more than she had simply gone mad and this was all a hallucination. However, never in a million years could she have come up with such nonsense.

"I see you are not too impressed... Hm?" The hat hummed, "Do you not like what you can't explain?"

"This is just nonsense." Ingrid muttered under her breath.
The hat laughed upon hearing this, "Nonsense! Why that is the best way to live! Nevertheless... I know just where you belong..."

She had to stop from tearing the hat off her head and tossing it out the window. Never had a piece of clothing so infuriated the girl. Ingrid absolutely hated being told what to think - as if she couldn't conjure up thoughts for herself.

"They will not tell you what to think. They will not tell you not to think." The hat rambled, "They will only challenge you as you so wish! You will be in Ravenclaw!"

Ingrid let out a laugh, as the hat was taken from her head and her vision restored, "What does that even mean? What's a Ravenclaw?"

"Ravenclaw is your Hogwart's house and Professor Flitwick is your Head of House. Your prefect will explain more. We best hurry back to the Great Hall - we cannot be late." Mcgonagall insisted as she held open the door for Ingrid to leave.

Whatever Ravenclaw was, Ingrid Temple did not particularly care for it. Though even she had to admit, blue did suit her.
But, no matter how many snide remarks she made or how many questions she asked the Professors, a short while later she inevitably found herself sat at one of the long wooden tables in the Great Hall.

Looking around the room, it was quite a breathtaking sight. The candles floating in air above her head was at first a little nerve-racking - Ingrid half expected wax to drop down into the food she was eating. Clearly magic had a workaround for that, because she'd yet to see a student yelp when a splodge of hot wax landed on their flesh.