The Great Hall: First Feast

Ponies at every table cheered as the first years came in. Some watched with anitcipation as a few foal's little faces lit up inside the hall. One stallion who wore a green fez over his brown and blue mane over by the Slytherin table cheered quite loudly.
"WELCOME TO HOGWARTS LITTLE FIRSTIES."

Pillow Dew trotted in at the end of the group, unknowing anything that was going on. She heard the cry of a friend from the orphanage she lived at, and smiled. Then, she nearly tripped over herself when everypony infront of her stopped, staring at the mare whom held the scroll of names, and the sorting hat.

Switchblade relaxed at the Gryffindor table, watching the first years enter, with interest on where they would be sorted by observing their personalities. He was sitting with all the other ponies around him, but was very obviously alone, judging by how nopony was talking to him. He saw the first years stop and he suddenly was focused on nothing but the sorting hat.

Misfit stepped into the hall, unsure of what was going to greet her. She had heard of the Great Hall from her father, but never had she actually seen it.

The noise was almost deafening. Ponies all around her cheered, roaring in delight at her and all the other foals around her. She was here. She was at Hogwarts. Her emotions overwhelmed her, and she grinned, her smile so big she thought her face would break. Some supervisor ponies had taken most of the foal's luggage, including hers. She supposed she'd find them later in her dorms... Well, wherever her dorms would be, anyway. However, the filly still had her lute strapped to her back, along with her red scarf. It was odd not wearing her hat. She felt vulnerable.

Everypony suddenly got quiet. There was a mare in the front, which she presumed to be a professor, holding a scroll. This was it, wasn't it? She was going to be put into a house. She was going to have a family. At least, ponies she would live and relate with.

A filly next to her, one that had been sleeping on the train, nearly toppled over. Misfit put out a hoof in front of her in case she was to fall again. She gazed concerningly at the foal for a moment, then brought her attention back to the mare. She was ready.

Vassago, having split off from the initial group at the train, sat at the far, far, far end of the Slytherin table. It was nice, seeing as nopony would sit within a meter radius of him, giving him plenty of room to lounge and eat and watch what was going on.

Seeing those he shared a compartment with on the train ride over, he watched them and nodded his head lightly to say hello.

He looked up and down the Slytherin Table, re-acquainting himself with the faces of his house mates. Not that he planned on interacting with them very much, but he felt powerful with the knowledge of everypony's names.

~Nikki Hooves~First Year~

The little green filly followed the one in front of her as they entered the Great Hall. She stopped to admire the floating candles hovering above the tables and the starry sky in the ceiling before she was bumped by a rather impatient foal. Disgruntled, she followed the filly with the patched-up hat to the front of the hall. She watched a little forlornly as she saw Vassago sitting at the Slytherin Table, all alone. He seemed perfectly okay with it, which made her feel a little better, but the lack of friendship was really bothering her. Part of her wished she could be in Slytherin just to sit with him, but she suppressed that part of her and hissed for it to stop.

Looking for a familiar face at the teacher's table, she frantically scanned it until she found the instructor she was looking for. Calla Lily had been the Charms teacher for a few years before she was finally offered the "cursed" Defense Against the Dark Arts position by a frantic Headmaster Celestia. Seeing her filly, the head of Ravenclaw gave an encouraging wave to Nikki, and the filly suddenly felt a bit better. Being in Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad... she hoped.

"Ready?" she asked Sandy, the colt standing next to her, as the hall went silent and the mare in front opened up her scroll.

(The rest of my OCs will be used periodically and when needed.)

~Iris~

Iris sat at the teacher's table, back hooves thrown up on the surface and chair tilted lazily. She glanced around the hall, eyes wandering towards the first years who'd just been sorted, picking them out with ease. They were the ones who looked lost or scared. It was hilarious! Oh how she enjoyed their terror! Of course, she wasn't just being heartless, no no, she was just always this way. Ask anyone! It came with being placed in Slytherin. Now she was just a potions master.

~Stormy~

Stormy Ruin sat properly at the table, with her hooves resting just below the table, carefully watching for any sign of danger. Being merely a Runes teacher, Stormy wasn't of much importance, so she had been cast off to the side of the table, near the end. She didn't care though, she was, after all, just a simple archaeologist-with knowledge beyond compare. Oh well, it didn't matter.

~Belle~

Belle Karina, a sixth year Gryffindor, sat near the back of the hall, surrounded by a circle of admirers. She rolled her eyes, wishing they would back off. It wasn't her fault that she was so beautiful! Why didn't they just go crowd around someone else? There were plenty of pretty mares in the hall! But no, no they all had to bother her. It wasn't like she could help it, and sometimes, she wished it away. But not even her magic could do that. Instead, she had taken out her journal and began to scribble away about her day, hopefully the boringness of the action would weed at least some of the stallions away.

~Stargazer~

Star smiled at the ponies sitting near her, her bright pink eyes brightening their already exciting day. It was the first official day back at Hogwarts! How exciting! The seventh year Hufflepuff couldn't wait for her classes to start! She wanted to see how much knowledge she had retained over the summer, her last year was gonna be awesome! She knew it had to be, it just had to be! It couldn't be anything else, right? Everypony looked so happy, and that just made Star so full of joy!

~May~

May glared at the ponies sitting around her. The seventh year Slytherin could care less for this year. It wasn't going to be any different from the years before, just stuffed full of learning and annoying ponies. The teachers would bother her, like they did every year, about not scaring the first years. As if she wasn't going to do that! It was the most exciting part about this dreadfully boring school! At least she didn't have to brave it alone. Her dark eyes passed to her right, glancing at her sister before traveling back to the table in front of her. pfft What a lame excuse for a schookl.

Jet yawns as he walks in thinking 'Goggles check, Shades check.' He then yells "Lets do it!"

Posting Order:

The mare with the scroll sighed softly, then began reading off names, one by one, in no particular order. (just go in posting order, if you have no firstie in this, just go as normal)

"Dew~, Pillow?"

Pillow nervously walked up to the hat, frightened as the first to go.
Quickly, but anxiously she sat down on the small stool next to the mare, her large yellow eyes staring at the crowd of ponies as the hat was placed on her head.
She nearly fell asleep in the few seconds it took for the hat to belt out a roaring-
"HUFFLEPUFF"
The entire table of the house cheered for the filly, encouraging her, and one pony even got up from the table and helped her down to her seat. Anxiously, she looked over to one of her fellow orphans for a hint of approval.
Ivy League smiled and gave her a curt nod.

Switchblade watched the first of the first-years sit in her chair, he smiled, one down which meant he was another filly closer to being able to return to his usual activities without all the social side of it.

(Warning: This may be kinda long because I love this AU way too much and has thought about this single post way too much. Sorry about that.)

Misfit clapped her hooves, cheering for the new Hufflepuff student. However, even though she was happy for the other students, she was dreadfully nervous for her own name to be called. Would they say her real name? What if they did? What would she do? She wanted to leave that name behind, not let it catch up back to her at one of her future's greatest beginnings. Foal after foal was called up. Some took dozens of minutes to be chosen, the hat mumbling decisions and feelings and characteristics of the first year, while others took only a few mere seconds. She watched the announcing mare carefully.

The mare looked like she was about to call a name, then held herself. "Misfit!" She called out instead, brushing off the small pause. The filly let out a sigh of relief, but her contentment only lasted a few seconds.

Misfit trotted up to the hat, all eyes on her. As she took a seat on the stool, it felt as if she had swallowed a crude stone. She gulped as the hat was placed on her head.

"Ah..." The hat mumbled. "An oddball, are we? Parents from two different houses too... Mm, sneaky one... A clever lass... yet, such passiveness, what a shame... Is that protectiveness or courage, hm? Where would you be best, oh, don't you wonder? Well..." Misfit's heart beat fast. She snuck a peek at the crowd, gazing around the gigantic room. Any of them would work. Any of the houses. She wanted to be in all of them. What if she wasn't chosen at all? What if she kicked out because she didn't fit into any of the houses perfectly? Maybe they got it wrong. Maybe she wasn't to be a witch.

The filly's eyes wandered over to the Slytherian table. The black and green always gave them a bad aura, as if they were the villains of the school. Her brow furrowed. That wasn't right. Slytherians were intelligent, persuasive, and strong-willed. You could certainly get a bad egg out of them, but that didn't ruin the whole house. She then saw Vassago, sitting all alone. That's it. She wanted to change this. She was going to change this. Slytherian was amazing, whether other houses thought so or not, and she was going to show them.

"Oh, is that right?" The hat suddenly questioned. "Well, in that case..."

"SLYTHERIAN!"

Misfit smiled, joining the table. Sure, Ravenclaw would have been cool, and Gryffindor would have been exciting, and Hufflepuff would have been fun, but she was completely fine with this choice. In fact, she was better than fine! She was ecstatic! The filly quickly sat down as the next foal was called, about half a dozen seats away from Vassago.

Vassago clapped politely as the freshponies got their house assignments, but he hardly payed attention to the hustle and bustle around him. He kept everypony who 'mattered' ('mattered' being a purely subjective term of those who have garnered his interest and no reflection on the value of the ponies around him.) in his sight. He briefly perked an ear when they called Misfit's name.
"That certainty isn't what I heard." He muttered under his breath as he watched her sit a couple benches over. He mulled over what houses Sandy and Nikki and the rest would get into as the next pony's names were called.

~Nikki Hooves ~ First Year~

Oh dear. Nikki could feel herself shaking in her school-issued boots, and she wasn't really sure if it was excitement or freezing fear, or even both. She watched as the filly with the patched cap went to join Vas at the Slytherin table (albeit quite far away), and she started shaking harder.

Then she felt a calm hoof on her shoulder, and she stopped. She looked up at a smiling Calla Lily, who gently calmed her down with her touch before returning to the table, where an identical Calla Lily was sitting, a smile plastered on her face. The professor merged with her illusion, and Nikki realized with a warm feeling in her chest that her mom had kept that little moment a secret.

"Hooves, Nicolette!" the mare at the front called.

This was it. The big moment. It was then that Nikki suddenly heard how plain her name sounded, how normal and ordinary anyone with the last name of Hooves would be.

A fire built itself up in her chest. She would be brave for her friends. She would go up there, and sit down, and listen very carefully to what the Sorting Hat would tell her. She would be glad to be in whatever house she would be in, even if it was Hufflepuff. The Hufflepuffs were a good group of ponies, and she'd be as proud to be in their group as any other, despite the whispers and sniggering of some of those Slytherins. She'd even be proud to be in Slytherin, despite their bad reputation.

She sat down upon the stool, shivering with anticipation as the hat was placed over her head. Without her horn, it would have most certainly engulfed her head in its great, velvety folds, but it instead settled for just covering her eyes.

"Clever," it told her. "Such a clever little filly. You have a mother in the school... how proud she would be of you if you were in her house, yes. There is so much wisdom in this little head, but also courage and kindness. Is there something more sinister underneath it all, I wonder?"

Nikki squeezed her eyes shut and whispered the words she both wanted to say and regretted right away.

"Not Slytherin. Anything but Slytherin..."

"Not Slytherin?" it asked her. "There is much potential for you in Slytherin. They will help you be great. Is it old grudge that holds you back? There is turmoil in you. Why not?"

"I don't want to be so cowardly," she murmured. "I won't be a coward. No, I will take Slytherin if it is best for me... Even if I am so scared of being with them...

"Yes, yes, a very valid point," the hat told her. "There is much courage in admitting so. I think you best be in...

"GRYFFINDOR!" it cried, its voice suddenly so much louder. The applause thundered through the room, radiating most of all from the suddenly excited table of Gryffindor students. However, Nikki had only eyes for one pony, and when she did, the expression on her face brightened considerably. Her mother was grinning and clapping louder than anypony else, and it warmed Nikki's heart to see no regret from Calla that her daughter had not become a Ravenclaw.

She looked over to Vas, hoping he wouldn't be too disappointed. A little part of her was disappointed too, but how proud she was to be part of the red and gold lion House.


~

"Take care of her, would you?" the blue unicorn said to the green one next to her. Professor Clear Mind nodded vigorously along with the promise, shaking Calla's hoof in agreement.

(Geez, that was long. So sorry about that!)

~Iris~

Iris' bright eyes wandered as she listened distantly to the hat's announcements. As she glanced about the room, she noticed a small flicker of movement, one that only she would notice, really, as she was accustomed to Calla's magic. A light smile of laughter touched her lips, but she hid it away before anyone could see. She glanced over at her friend, a knowing twinkle in her eyes. She sat up straighter when Calla's daughter was called up, and watched with vague interest as she was placed in Gryffindor. Iris tilted her head, curious as to why that would happen. Nikki was a smart foal, and her mother had been in Ravenclaw, so logically, Nikki should have been too. Well, the Sorting Hat knew best, Iris knew not to interfere with such business. She'd hate to get stuck with its job.

~Stargazer~

Star clapped along with the other Hufflepuffs as the first year Pillow Dew was placed in her house. She watched as the young mare sat down at the table as the cheering died down, before returning her attention to the front of the room.

~May~

May clapped her hooves lightly as the young mare dubbed Misfit was placed in Slytherin. Being who she was, May didn't care much for such foolishness. The second she had stepped into this Great Hall six years ago, she had known she was destined to be apart of the greatest house of the four. It had been obvious to everyone.

~Belle~

Belle watched the sorting take place with interest, remembering her first appearance at the school. The hat had been one her head for a short 10 seconds before it shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" So she hadn't known the suspense that the others might have, the fear of being placed in the wrong house, or that they didn't actually belong in a magic school and would have to be sent home. But it didn't matter, that was so long ago. Now, she could clap for the newest addition to Gryffindor house, Nikki Hooves.

"Shadow Jet!" Shaow Jet hears his name called and walks over there when they put the hat on it says "Takes that thing off your eyes." Jet nods flicks them off and catches it when the hat yells "SLYTHERIN," Jet nearly falls over but catches himself then walks to the Slytherin table

One by one the remainder were sorted, concluding that portion of the feast. Celestia gave her speech, and the yea4 officiallying began.

Pixel quietly sat on the end of the table, slowly eating her plate of potato. All potato. Potato salad, mashed potato, baked potato...

Was there some mistake? As soon as the hat was put on her, it had shouted "GRYFFINDOR!". She wasn't brave, or strong. There had to be a mistake.

Well, at least it wasn't Slytherin. Being a "Mudblood" or whatever that was, she probably wouldn't have had the best company. Did it really matter that she came from a non-magic family?

She sighed. Maybe Gryffindor will have friendlier people... then again, maybe not...

She looked down at her black robes, which blended eerily with her velvet coat. Everything here... was strange, yet amazing! She couldn't help but feel an excited tingle run down her spine. Magic! She was a Pegasus, but had the possibility of performing magic? Almost unheard of!

But she was here. Hopefully she'll make some friends, and have good grades and good classes--

Her stomach rumbled. She giggled softly to herself and, with a lot more confidence, began eating her potato-plate. Good food.

(I've been waiting for Switchblade to go, but it's been awhile, so I'll just go. I hope that's alright.)

Misfit's eyes widened as food suddenly flooded the tables.

Oh my bucking Celestia, Luna, and Faust above.

So much food.

So much delicious, smell-bindingly, taste-tingling, wonderful food. Her stomach growled loudly, but most students were already in deep conversation by this point, so she doubted anypony heard it. She didn't know what to eat first. The hay-fries? The daisy salad? The fondue? The grass sandwich? The petunia burgers? The apple fritters, dumplings, pie? She could spend ten minutes just naming off the different dishes and she'd still have about half left. Grabbing a plate, she attempted to take a humble portion of pizza, before realizing that she hadn't eaten in two days and took two huge scoops of mash potatoes, gravy, some fries, some pasta, three cookies, some weird sweet-looking things she wasn't quite sure of, and a glass of soda. The soda had an odd flavor, and the weird food buzzed on her tongue, but it was tasty nonetheless.

She just ate for a few minutes, not talking to any other pony. Did others think she was a pig? Maybe. She had never been very good with table manners, and, excuse her language, but she damn hungry. So she ate until her stomach felt full, which wasn't actually that much. Many other students were able to eat much, much more before hitting their limit, for they got regular meals a day and their belly was already stretched. Misfit, on the other hand, almost swore her stomach was the size of an almond.

The filly glanced over at the other residents of her table. Okay. Come on Misfit. This is your house now. You'll be spending seven years here. Make a good first impression! She wasn't sitting right next to anypony, but the closest to her was another first-year colt with some weird goggle-things on his head, two mares with black hair that kept glaring at each other, and Vassago. She gazed at each of them for a seconds, wondering if any of them would look up and maybe strike a conversation. At least,  that's what she hoped. "...Hi" She said to no one in particular.

God she was lame.

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