Sorting Compass (Ongoing thread)

[Doctor Florence Nettle]

It was the night after the welcoming dance and it was time to sort the students. The Doctor stood up in front of the assembled students, moving to the front of the staff table with a grin. Of course he was The Doctor, he was pretty much always smiling. Picking up the ornate, silver, compass from the table, he held it up for the students to see,

"This... is the sorting compass!" he told the first years happily, "You will form a line and, one at a time, you will come up here to hold the compass."

He gestured to the compass again,

"It has four possible places the needle can land." he grinned, "Each one is a House in our glorious Institute! And when you hold the compass it will point to the house you belong in!"

This time he gestured to the house tables,

"When you are sorted you will join your new brothers and sisters at your table." he smiled in a more friendly way than his usual, energetic, way, "While you are here your housemates will be your brothers and sisters. People of the other houses will be your cousins. There is no hatred between houses here! Hating our family makes us weak. We must all grow strong... together!"

He held out the compass for the first student,

"Let the sorting... begin."