"All here, Professor Chang." Eswaran replied.
"Good. You may go now. I'll brief them on what's going to come." Professor Chang replied curtly.
A chill of horror dawned on Janice. What's coming later? Why isn't she allowed to sit with the older students? Suddenly, she remembered. She had to go through the sorting, as stated in the Harry Potter books. Suddenly, Professor Chang's voice interrupted Janice's thoughts.
"Well, pupils, welcome to Yap Ee Chian. In a few minutes you will be sorted into your houses through the sorting ceremony. The houses are Mohammed, Narayana, CuiHua and Ivanov. Once you are sorted, your house will be like your home. You will sleep in your house dormitory and you will assemble in the common room for important announcements. The school also happens to follow a meritocracy system. Your triumphs will earn your house points while your foolishness and negligence will lose your house points. Understand? Now follow me. It's almost time." Professor Chang replied.
With that, the doors behind Professor Chang opened and slowly, they began to follow Professor Chang into the Great Hall.
In Janice's opinion, the great hall was the most magnificent place she had been
to, besides Vertic Alley. Several candles, which were suspended in mid-air,
lighted the hall and the sides of the hall were lit up by a lot of lamps. Just
as Janice was wondering how they managed to suspend the candles in mid-air,
Landy whispered "Hey look, Janice! There's actually a bewitched sky! Just
like Hogwarts!" True enough, there was a bewitched sky where the ceiling
was supposed to be.
Suddenly, they came to a halt. Janice realised that it must be time for the sorting. Professor Chang then placed an extremely dirty wizard's hat on a stool. Then she took out a very long piece of parchment and announced, "Now, when I call your name, you will come forward and put the hat on, where you will be sorted to your houses."
"Hui Ling, Ang!"
A girl with oval spectacles stood up and put the hat on. Then…"
"NARAYANA!" shouted the hat.
The table on the extreme left burst into cheers to welcome Hui Ling.
"Ming Li, Aw!"
A girl with chestnut brown hair stood up and put on the hat.
"IVANOV!"
This time, the table on the extreme right burst into cheers to welcome Ming Li.
"Pey Shan, Janice Chan!"
What? It was her turn now? Janice thought in her head. Slowly, she got up and put on the hat. She could hear someone inside the hat speaking.
"Tricky. Very Tricky indeed. I see a good mind in you, a bit rash on times, but plenty of bravery, I can see. Might grow up into a powerful witch with a choice of two extremes... But a bit lazy on times and indecisive, I know where to put you now... how about CuiHua!"
Janice could hear the hat shouting the house name to the whole school. She hastily took off the hat, and walked towards towards the CuiHua table, where the older students were cheering on her arrival. Hastily she found an empty place to sit and took a look around the hall.
Janice could now see the teacher's table very clearly now. Behind the teacher's table bore the schools coat of arms in colour. Red with a golden Phoenix, Green with a silver cat, Purple with a golden peacock and Dark Blue with a silver eagle.
Just as she was busily staring at the school crest, she could hear Landy's name mentioned. It was then she finally tore her eyes of the flag and watch Landy. Janice could see that Landy had gone white when her name was mentioned. As she later put on the hat, it immediately screamed "CUIHUA!" This time, Janice cheered along with the older students. Landy, upon seeing Janice, rushed to the CuiHua table.
"I can't believe it! We are actually in the same house!" Landy shrieked.
"So do I. Do you think that the boys will be in the same house as us?" Janice enquired.
Just then, the hat, sorted another student into CuiHua house. It was none other than Lawrence.
"Well, we are in the house now, what's next?" Lawrence said, the moment he sat down.
"Will Boon Kee and Chee Hao be in the same house as you?" Landy asked.
"I think so, I mean, everyone in our family always gets sorted into this house." Lawrence mumbled.
Just then, both Boon Kee and Chee Hao walked towards the CuiHua table. From the grin on their faces, Janice guessed that they were in CuiHua house.
"Well, now the five of us are now in the same house." Boon Kee declared.
"I wonder when the feast will start? According to my parents, the food served is really something out of this world." Chee Hao said dreamily.
"Is food all you care about?" Landy retorted.
"Pardon me? If you haven't eaten for like ten hours, would you care for other stuff?" Chee Hao retorted.