The door swung open at once. A tall, dark alicorn with a starry mane was standing there. She had a small smile across her face and Morning Shine smiled too as it was none other than Princess Luna.
"First years this is-," Spike started.
"Princess Luna!!" a bunch of the foals shouted.
“Thanketh thee, Spike. I shall taketh it from here,” Princess Luna winked.
A few foals snickered as she pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit a whole house inside. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.
They followed Princess Luna across the flagged stone floor. Morning Shine could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -the rest of the school must already be here - but Princess Luna showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.
"Welcome to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns," said Princess Luna. "The start-of-term banquet shall beginneth shortly, but before thee taketh thy seats in the most wondrous hall, thee shall beest sorted into thy houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while thou art here, thy house shall beest something liketh thy family within the school. Thee shall have classes with the rest of thy house, you sleep in thy house dormitory, and spendeth free time in thy house common rooms. The four houses are called Gryffindor ,Flufflepuff, Dragonclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While thou art at CSFGU, thy triumphs shall earneth thy house points, while any rule breaking shall loseth house points. At the endeth of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a most wondrous honor. I desire each of thee shall beest a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony shall taketh place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest thee all smarten thyselves up as much as thee can while thou art waiting,"
Her eyes lingered for a moment on Nettle's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear. Morning Shine nervously tried to make her mane look nicer.
"I shalt return when we are ready for thee," said Princess Luna. "Please wait quietly,"
She left the chamber. Morning Shine swallowed.
"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" she asked Eclipse.
"Some sort of test, I think. Farrier said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking," Eclipse explained.
“I think Mom was in Dragonclaw,” Sparkling Radiance added.
Morning Shine’s heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But she didn't know what the test would question - what on earth would she have to do? She hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived. She looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except Sparkling Radiance, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need.
“Moveth along now," said a Princess Luna in her Royal Canterlot voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to starteth. Now, form a line, and followeth me, please,"
Feeling oddly as though her legs had turned to lead, Morning Shine got into line, with Eclipse behind her, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.
Morning Shine had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Princess Luna led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Morning Shine looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars.
She heard Radiance whisper, "It’s bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in CSFGU, A History,"
It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open up to the heavens.
Morning Shine quickly looked down again as Princess Luna silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty.
Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, Morning Shine thought wildly, that seemed the sort of thing - noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, she stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing.
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Princess’ Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Flufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Flufflepuff are true And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Dragonclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands,though I have none,
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.
"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Eclipse whispered to Morning Shine. "I'll kill Farrier, he was going on about wrestling a troll,"
Morning smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but she did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching. The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Morning didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for her.
Princess Luna now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.
"When I calleth thy name, thee shall put on the hat and sitteth on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Rain, Glitter!"
A light blue filly with silver pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause -
"FLUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Glitter went to sit down at the Flufflepuff table.
"Confetti, Sleepy!"
"FLUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Sleepy scuttled off to sit next to Glitter.
"Grape Emerald!"
"DRAGONCLAW!"
The table second from the left clapped this time; several Dragonclaws stood up to shake hands with Jubilee as he joined them.
"Eclipse, Cherry" went to Dragonclaw too, but "Sparkles, Tropical" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Morning Shine could see the Weasel twins catcalling. "Twilight, Glimmering" then became a Slytherin.
"Cupid, Music!"
"FLUFFLEPUFF!"
Sometimes, Morning Shine noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Lightning, Cherry," a sandy-haired colt, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.
"Her Royal Highness, Princess Sparkling Radiance!"
The whole room oohed and ahed as Radiance almost ran to the stool and Princess Luna placed the hat on her head.
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat.
The Gryffindor table erupted with applause as Sparkling Radiance went to join them. Many were patting her on the back, or trying to shake her hoof. A few were even trying to get her autograph.
A horrible thought struck Morning Shine, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if she wasn't chosen at all? What if she just sat there with the hat over her eyes for ages, until Princess Luna jerked it off her head and said there had obviously been a mistake and she'd better get back on the train?
When Nettle Longflank, the colt who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Nettle. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Nettle ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to “Paradise, Love".
Malfoal swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"
Malfoal went to join his friends Crab and Gargoyle looking pleased with himself.
There weren't many ponies left now. "Splice, Olivia" “Apple, Poison" "Glory, Ember" then a pair of twin fillies, "Firefly, Gypsy" and "Firefly, Lily,” then "Crush, Pineapple" and then, at last -"Glimmer, Morning Shine!"
As Morning Shine stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.
"Glimmer, did she say?"
“The Morning Shine and Eclipse Glimmer?"
The last thing Morning Shine saw before the hat dropped over her eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at her. Next second she was looking at the black inside of the hat. She waited.
Hmm," said a small voice in her ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?"
Morning Shine gripped the edges of the stool.
"Better be GRYFFINDOR!"
Morning Shine heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. She took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. She was so relieved to have been chosen, she hardly noticed that she was getting the loudest cheer yet. Prancer the Prefect got up and shook her hoof vigorously, while the Weasel twins yelled, "We got Glimmer! And the Princess!”
She could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest her sat Spike, who caught her eye and gave her the thumbs up. Morning Shine grinned back. And there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Princess Celestia. Morning Shine spotted Professor Mistral, too, the nervous young mare from the Doughnut Joe’s.
And now there were only three people left to be sorted. "Afternoon, Ash," a dark colt even taller than Eclipse, joined Morning Shine at the Gryffindor table. "Forest, Cherry," became a Dragonclaw and then it was Eclipse's turn. He was pale green by now. Morning Shine crossed her hooves under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Morning Shine clapped loudly with the rest as Eclipse collapsed into the chair next to her.
"Well done, Eclipse, excellent," said Prancer Weasel.
"Skies, Snow," was made a Slytherin. Princess Luna rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.
Morning Shine looked down at her empty gold plate. She had only just realized how hungry she was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.
Princess Celestia had gotten to her feet. She was beaming at the students, her wings opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.
"Welcome," she said. "Welcome to a new year at CSFGU! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Friendship! Harmony! Magic! Peace! Thank you!"
She sat back down. Everypony clapped and cheered.
"Is she okay?" she asked Prancer uncertainly. “I’ve never seen the princess act that way before,"
"She’s fine," said Percy airily. "Princess Celestia has an odd sense of humor that doesn’t show often. Potatoes, Shine?"
Morning Shine's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of her were now piled with food. She had never seen so many things she liked to eat on one table: boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, hayburgers.
Morning Shine piled her plate with a bit of everything and began to eat. It was all delicious.
When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding - "
As Morning Shine helped herself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.
"I'm half-and-half," said Mystic. "My dad's an earth pony. Mom’s an unicorn"
"What about you, Nettle?" asked Eclipse
"Well, my gran brought me up and she's an unicorn," said Neville, "but the family thought I had no magical potential whatsoever. My Great Uncle Nectar kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me - he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned - but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Nectar came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Almond offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced - all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here - they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Nectar was so pleased he bought me my toad,"
On Morning Shine's other side, Prancer Weasel and Sparkling Radiance were talking about lessons. Morning Shine, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. Spike was drinking deeply from his goblet. Princess Luna was talking to Princess Celestia. Professor Mistral was talking to a teacher with platinum and light cornflower blue mane, and violet eyes that had a smug look to them.
It happened very suddenly. The mare looked past Mistral straight into Morning Shine's eyes. The teacher’s eyes widened at the sight of Shine and she quickly turned away.
"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Mistral?" she asked Prancer.
"Oh, you know Mistral already, do you? The mare next to her is Professor Lulamoon. She teaches Potions, but she doesn't want to - everyone knows she's after Mistral's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Lulamoon,"
Morning Shine watched Lulamoon for a while, but Lulamoon didn't look at her again. At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Princess Celestia got to her hooves again. The hall fell silent.
"Ahem - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well,"
Celestia's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasel twins.
"I have also been asked by Mr. Leach, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hoops. And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
The Gryffindor first years followed Prancer through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Morning Shine's legs were like lead again, but only because she was so tired and full of food. She was too sleepy even to be surprised that the ponies in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Prancer led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Morning Shine was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.
“Here we are," Prancer said.
At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat mare in a pink silk dress.
"Password?" she said.
"Caput Draconis," said Prancer, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it - Nettle needed a leg up - and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.
Prancer directed the fillies through one door to their dormitory and the colts through another. At the top of a spiral staircase - they were obviously in one of the towers - they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas and fell into bed.
Morning Shine was going to tell her siblings good night, but she fell asleep almost at once.
Meanwhile in the colts’ dormitory, Eclipse thought he had eaten a bit too much, because he had a very strange dream. He was with Professor Mistral, who kept talking to him, telling him he must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was his destiny. Eclipse told the professor he didn't want to be in Slytherin; she got larger and larger; he tried to run but he got smaller and smaller - and there was Malfoal, laughing at him as he struggled - then Malfoal turned into Professor Lulamoon, whose laugh became a pitched cackle - there was a burst of green light and Eclipse woke, sweating and shaking.
He rolled over and fell asleep again, and when he woke next day, he didn't remember the dream at all.