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Yes! Seoirse was happy with the outcome, whispering a tiny thanks to the sorting hat before the Professor lifted it up. He nodded toward the woman, then headed to the table decked in blue. They were all cheering, and for a fleeting moment, it felt kind of cool that they were cheering for him. Seoirse straightened his robes, watching as the fabric changed to a brilliant sapphire hue beneath his hands. Magic was so frickin cool! And now he could do it... legally!

He walked over to the table and sat down near the other couple first years that had beaten him here. Already he wished he hadn't put his book in his backpack... but then again, it would be pretty hard to sneak in. It was a hardcover, after all! Maybe he could think on penning his first letter home? Mum and Dad did say they should write often.. and a proper sorting was good news, he figured! Looking at the other Ravenclaws nearby, he vaguely wondered if he ought talk to some of them.... but most people seemed engaged in their own conversations. He could manage without a book... for now. Though he did miss the incessant chatter of his siblings. They always kept things going.

Well, that didn't last long. Seoirse looked over to see a very excited looking blonde girl looking at him. She immediately launched into an excited welcome, but she was a Prefect! That was something he'd already had his eyes on, so perhaps getting to know this Alice would be of a benefit? She also ran the culinary and literary clubs. He shifted a bit, sitting up with "proper" posture as his mum always mentioned, but before he could speak, Alice had launched into a part two. She offered to help with any questions, then mentioned that it could be very odd without family, especially if he weren't familiar with magic.

"Pleased to meet you. Seoirse Shanahan. And thanks for the welcome. I'm just glad I got Ravenclaw. It was my preferred house, after all. My mum was a Ravenclaw too and now she's a top-notch lawyer. Otherwise, I would like to get your input on becoming a Prefect. It is in my preferred path." He offered a hand to shake, thinking he ought to be polite, especially to a Prefect. "You said you run a literary club? That does sound interesting. Do you have a focus on nonfiction, or is it a fiction-forward group?" Every book club at his primary focused solely on fiction, with his preference for history branding him a nerd, even to them! But perhaps Hogwarts would prove different. Otherwise, he would likely continue reading alone.

Seoirse had about a million more questions, and since he'd managed to find a prefect, he figured there wasn't a better time to ask than now. Especially if she also ran a club that seemed... interesting. After inquiring about the types of books they focused upon in the Literature Club, she said they preferred fiction. Darn. Well... maybe not, if she also enjoyed a good nonfiction. He nodded politely as she explained her muggle upbringing. But then she said something that really got his mind whirring. She'd been reading about Aesop Sharp! "Yes, I've come across his name... rather recently, in fact. He was one of several professors who helped in one of the battles in the Goblin Wars. I was reading a new book about it on the way into school." Man, now he really wished he'd brought that book in!

But then another topic came up. Alice explained that prefects were personable, which made him frown a bit. He'd never been prized for his personality, after all. His little sister often teased him for being as exciting as stale toast.... but Rowan was an over-excitable pest. "Well, I very much am well behaved. And perhaps I can figure out the rest by the time prefect selection comes around for my year. But thank you for the advice." Even if it wasn't super helpful.... but he'd never say that. Instead, he would likely dive right into research about top qualifications for Prefect Candidates. Yes... that seemed more his style. "Do you think we'll be allowed to tour the library this evening? Or would that be something that must wait until tomorrow?" If anyone would know, it'd be Prefect Alice.

Alice felt a little sad as she took the table for the Sorting Feast, since this would be her last Sorting here at Hogwarts. After this year, she graduated and would be moving on to the rest of her life. Sitting at the table, the blonde reflected back to her own Sorting, to the scared little boy that she'd been when she first came to Hogwarts. Remembering how she feared magic because of the strict Catholic upbringing and how she hated who she was. How Hogwarts helped mold her into the person that she was now. She'd been a shy, inward little boy and grew up into a boisterous and overenthusiastic young woman. Hogwarts, and more specifically Sebastian, had helped her make friends, had helped her realize who she really was, and had developed her talents which made her into one of the brightest witches of her age. She'd earned almost perfect grades in her O.W.L.s, made Prefect, went on to be a fixture in the Hospital Wing, and in her final year, earned the title of Head Student. Alice couldn't imagine where she'd be without Hogwarts being an important fixture in her life. It was a little sad to think that next year, she wouldn't be sitting here, watching a new crop of students taking the first steps of their journey through the school. She wanted to gather up all the baby first years and tell them about how Hogwarts was going to shape their lives and make them into their best selves.

The teen huffed out a contented little sigh as she watched the Sorting Feast proceed. Her mind was busy with ideas. There was the clubs she had to plan, her studies she needed to form a schedule for, the Christmas event that she was planning along with Kasamir, the upcoming Quidditch season to prepare for, her Prefect and Head Student duties that needed to be taken care of, and her shifts in the Hospital Wing that she needed to work into her schedule. Not to mention that she wanted to spend time with the dozens of friends she had at Hogwarts and of course her boyfriend. Blue eyes glanced up and down the table at her housemates, then they drifted over to the other tables, settling on the many friends she'd made in her time here. It was going to be so weird waking up each day and not seeing all their faces. A couple tears welled in her eyes but she wiped them away before they could fall to the table. With a sad smile, she turned her blue eyes back to Sorting, trying to focus and memorize her last year's worth of new students.

{OoC: Open for interaction}