Professor Mitchell stood inside. She smiled a warm greeting to all the first years and said kindly, "Wait here a moment. It will soon be time for the sorting. I presume you all know about the four houses?"
At the students' nods she smiled again and hurried into the great hall. There was silence, apart from a few hushed whispers from some of the students.
Alexie stood with folded arms, looking around at the students slightly haughtily while Dora stood on tiptoes and looked towards the great hall. She was breathless with excitement upon seeing the shining floating candles - the long tables, and at the end the sorting had on its stool. It was all as she had heard about.
Professor Mitchell had returned. "Come along - it's time for the sorting!"
Dora stepped lightly into the hall, and looked around marvelling. She was not nervous anymore - Hogwarts was too wonderful for that.
The sorting began.
"Aaron, Lucy." A small girl with yellow curls and glasses stepped forward, and sat down. The hat slipped down over her face. There was a few seconds silence, and then:
"RAVENCLAW!" The hat shouted. The girl skipped to her table amid cheers from the Ravenclaw table.
"Appleby, Andrew." A sandy haired boy sat down.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" Yelled the hat.
"Black, Alexie."
Alexie stepped up confidently. Her white blonde hair shone in the candlelight, and her green eyes were as sharp as ever. She sat down, her jaw set. There was a long silence. 30 seconds passed, and then a minute. Dora bit her lip, waiting. Then:
"SLYTHERIN!" Yelled the hat.
Dora clapped with the others, but her hands felt heavy. Alexie, the only friend, if that's what she was, Dora had ever had, and she had gone to a house Dora didn't think she herself would be in.
She was unaware of the next names that were called, until she heard her own. "Caldicot, Dora."
Dora walked forward and up the steps - her knees trembling a little as they always did when she was nervous, and sat down. The hat dropped down over her eyes, covering the view of the mass of students looking at her. It was better like that.
Hmm, a voice said in Dora's head. Well, this is quite a surprise! You, my friend, remind me exactly of someone I sorted a long, long time ago - now, who could that be? Oh yes! The hat chuckled. That Newt Scamander. You have a gift with animals, and you'll get into trouble for the right reasons, just like him. The hat chortled again, and Dora wondered what he meant, but the sorting hat was speaking again. But I must get onto your sorting, mustn't I? Well, you definitely have some Hufflepuff traits now, don't you? Kind, and hard working, to an extent. A little hot headed, I must say. Now, that's a common Gryffindor tra -
At that moment there was a loud mixture of noises - murmurs, gasps, thudding, skids and - barking? Dora lifted the hat slightly.
Hurtling down the hall, first years jumping out of his way, came Albion, ears flapping, tail wagging wildly. Spotting Dora, he came running towards her - but as he bounced up the steps he tripped slightly and instead of coming to Dora he skidded towards the staff table. Dogs are clumsy creatures. Albion knocked into the table leg, and the whole thing shook dangerously. Goblets and cutlery tipped and fell. Plates wobbled. Professor Penrose narrowly avoided an incoming fork hitting his face. Professor Soleil was standing on her chair, her hands over her mouth. Professor Wessex was looking bewildered, angry and amused all at the same time.
Then Headmistress Oshiro got calmly to her feet and pointed her wand at Albion. "Locomotor mor -" She began, but Dora, having no knowledge of spells or that the Headmistress was not planning to harm her dog, only get him under control, cried, "No!" And leapt forward.
The spell shot towards Albion, but he but he leapt out of the way. Dora's hands grasped thin air as she reached for Albion's collar, and the spell whooshed by her and hit a suit of armour instead. The armour then came shooting towards the staff table. The teachers dived out of the way just in time. Goblets and plated showered everywhere, and Dora ducked. The house tables were a roar of laughter by now, and chaos reigned the hall.
Dora stood up, searching with her eyes throughout the hall. Spotting Albion crouched under a chair looking very bewildered, she called his name. "Albion."
The dog perked up his ears, tilted his head, and then came trotting over to her. Dora grabbed his collar and looked down at him, not quite sure what to think.

It was around quarter of an hour before the hall was brought back to its normal state. After Professor Wessex had taken care of the suit of armour with some deft magic, Professor Penrose had fixed the cutlery and plates back to their normal places, and Albion had been led out of the Great Hall by a very angry Filch, who said that Albion had escaped when he had opened the crate door, Dora resumed her place on the stool, blushing furiously after the stern but twinkling eyed look that the headmistress had given her. The students' giggles were only just fading away. As Dora placed the sorting hat back on her head she heard the sorting hat laughing.
Oh, it's been a long time since I had such an eventful sorting as that, he said. But now I know where to place you.
"GRYFFINDOR!"