Professor McGonagall now steps forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she says. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbles out of line, puts on the hat, which falls right down over her eyes, and sits down. A moment's pause—

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouts the hat.

The table on the right cheers and claps as Hannah goes to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. The ghost of the Fat Friar waves merrily at her.

Could be worse, certainly.

The Deputy Headmistress continues down her list: Kellah Bimm, Gryffindor; Susan Bones, Hufflepuff; Terry Boots, Ravenclaw; Mandy Brocklehurst, Ravenclaw; Lavender Brown, Gryffindor; Millicent Bullstrode, Slytherin; Vincent Crabbe, Slytherin. Some of them the Hat decides on immediately, while others take a bit longer. And then:

"Evans, Victor!"

Whispers suddenly break out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"Evans, did she say?"

"The Victor Evans?"

He goes and sits on the stool and tries to ignore the whispers.

Muninn perches comfortingly on his shoulder.

Hmmm... the Hat's voice sounds in his ear—or his head? Difficult, very difficult. A sharp mind, I see, and attentive to details—ready to offer a helping hand, mindful of the needs of others... and often to the point of self-sacrifice, a true hero's soul. You've made yourself small, but you'll rise to whatever task that's put in front of you, and you could be great, yes... Where does your greatness lie, young Victor Evans?

I don't know, he thinks to the hat. If the question is which house I'm most like already, I think I probably fit best in Hufflepuff. But I've heard my parents were heroes, and I think I can be brave when I try, so maybe I should go to Gryffindor to learn how to be more like that.

Yes... for one who seizes their calling is the greatest hero of them all, are they not?

"GRYFFINDOR!" the Hat shouts to the whole hall, and the cheers are the loudest yet.

He puts the hat back on the stool and goes to sit at the Gryffindor table, resisting the urge to try to hide behind Muninn somehow.

Two identical red-haired boys start chanting, "We got Evans! We got Evans!"

Three more names are called (Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hufflepuff, Seamus Finnigan, Gryffindor, and Gregory Goyle, Slytherin) before "Iroko, Adedayo!"

"What a queer name."

And Dayo confidently strides towards the hat and puts it on.

Victor sits quietly and wishes people wouldn't pay so much attention to him.

Vain wish, that, although people are mostly paying attention to the boy who's been talking to the Hat for almost a minute now, until—

"SLYTHERIN!"

Dayo beams, takes the Hat off, and walks towards the applauding table.

Malfoy does not look happy about this.

...well. Hopefully Dayo will be all right there.

He seems to be pretty happily chattering away at the Slytherin table with other students, so he probably will.

Neville is, after some deliberation by the Hat, a Gryffindor, to his own surprise. He runs off still wearing the Hat and has to return amidst laughter to give it to 

"MacDougal, Morag!"

Who is a "SLYTHERIN!"

Malfoy goes next, and the Hat has barely touched his head when it cries—