It started as a complaint.
A very loud one.
"I am not doing another interview," Godric groaned, dramatically slamming himself into a chair. "If one more child tells me they 'just want to learn magic,' I might throw myself off a tower."
Helga laughed softly. "You say that every time."
"And I mean it every time," he shot back.
I leaned against the table, arms crossed, sighing. "…He's not wrong."
It had become a problem.
A big one.
With more students arriving, we were spending hours—hours—interviewing each one.
Testing them.Talking to them.Trying to figure out where they belonged.
It was inefficient.
Painfully inefficient.
"We already have the solution," I said, tapping my wand lightly against the table. "Legacy."
Rowena nodded thoughtfully. "It tells us their talents, yes… but not everything."
Salazar smirked slightly. "Talent is not the same as ambition."
Helga added gently, "Or kindness."
Godric leaned forward. "Or courage."
I sighed.
"…Exactly."
Legacy solved half the problem.
But only half.
That's when Godric did something… unexpected.
He reached up—and pulled off his old, worn hat.
The thing looked ancient, even now. Slightly crooked, patched in places… honestly, it looked like something that should have been thrown out years ago.
He placed it on the table.
"Then let's stop doing it ourselves."
Silence.
I blinked.
"…Explain."
Godric grinned.
"We make it do the sorting."
I stared at the hat.
Then at him.
Then back at the hat.
"…You want to enchant your hat."
"Yes."
"With what?"
"With us."
That…
Actually made sense.
Rowena's eyes lit up immediately. "A magical construct capable of analysis and decision-making…"
Salazar tilted his head slightly. "With access to thought and intent…"
Helga smiled. "And kindness."
I stepped closer to the table, staring at the hat more intently now.
"…This could work."
We didn't waste time.
Godric went first—of course.
He placed his hand on the hat, channeling his magic into it.
"Courage," he said simply. "Bravery. Nerve. The willingness to stand when others fall."
The hat shimmered faintly.
Rowena followed.
"Intelligence," she murmured. "Curiosity. Wit. The drive to understand the world."
More magic layered into the hat.
Helga stepped forward next.
"Loyalty. Hard work. Acceptance. A place for those who need one."
The magic softened slightly—warmer.
Then Salazar.
His magic felt colder. Sharper.
"Ambition. Cunning. Resourcefulness. The will to rise above others."
The air itself seemed to tense slightly as his magic settled into the hat.
Finally…
Me.
I stepped forward slowly, wand in hand.
"This is where it becomes efficient," I muttered.
I cast Legacy directly into the hat.
Golden threads of magic spread across its surface, weaving into the existing enchantments.
Now it could see.
Truly see.
Talent.Potential.Affinity.
But I wasn't done.
I layered more magic into it.
Refinement.Analysis.Classification.
A system.
"If it's going to decide," I said quietly, "it needs to understand."
The hat pulsed faintly as the spell settled.
We all stepped back.
For a moment…
Nothing happened.
Then—
The hat twitched.
Godric blinked. "…Did it just—"
The hat suddenly jerked upright—
And then—
It spoke.
"Well! This is certainly new."
Silence.
I stared at it.
"…Did we just create a sentient hat?"
Rowena looked absolutely fascinated. "It's thinking…"
Helga looked surprised but delighted. "Oh, that's wonderful!"
Godric burst out laughing. "HA! That's brilliant!"
Salazar, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…Can it read minds?"
The hat turned slightly—turned—toward him.
"Oh, I can do quite a bit more than that, thank you very much."
I froze.
Then slowly…
A grin spread across my face.
"It works."
The hat shifted slightly, almost as if stretching.
"Hmm… four very loud personalities… and one rather intense one," it said, sounding mildly amused.
I raised an eyebrow. "…Excuse me?"
"Oh yes," it continued. "Bravery, intelligence, loyalty, ambition… and something else entirely."
Its brim tilted toward me slightly.
"Something… dangerous."
I smirked.
"Good."
Godric clapped his hands together. "Well then! Problem solved!"
And just like that…
It was.
No more interviews.
No more wasted time.
We had created something new.
Something… lasting.
The hat spoke again, almost thoughtfully this time.
"I suppose I'll be deciding where they all belong, then?"
I crossed my arms, watching it carefully.
"Yes."
A pause.
Then—
A chuckle.
"Oh, this is going to be fun."
And just like that…
The future of Hogwarts changed forever.