A/N: I did not write the sorting hat's song. Another author did and I really liked it. It was written by afterall. Hogwarts begins at 14, when most students would be starting high school, and first years are allowed to go to Hogsmeade with permission.
All the first years were ushered in through the front doors of the magnificent castle. As they stood waiting in the Entrance a stern witch came to greet them.
"Good Evening and Welcome to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor House and Professor of Transfiguration. In just a moment you will all be sorted into one of the four houses of Hogwarts. When I call your name you will step forward, sit on the stool and place the hat on your head. When you have been sorted you are to sit at the appropriate House table." The witch walked out of the hall leaving the first years to talk amongst them as she made the final preparations.
-Flashback-
Cassidy Taylor, Alice Davies and Rebecca Smith sat in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express as they neared the school. They were all 14 and were first years, making the journey for the first time.
Cassi had chestnut brown curly hair and green/brown eyes (depending on the day), Alice had long, straight light caramel coloured hair with dark brown eyes and Becca had straight, shoulder-length blonde hair and light blue eyes, which sometimes looked grey. They sat and talked about the new school they would be going to.
In the hour that they had known each other they had become great friends, and were all hoping to be sorted into the same house. While they all came from wizarding families, Cassi was the only one that came from a "pure-blood" family. Cassi's parents weren't like most pure-blood witches and wizards, they didn't think that they were better than everyone because of their blood line, so she was comfortable with Muggles (non-magic people), Muggle-borns (witches and wizards with Muggle parents), and wizards with a long magical history.
The girls talked and laughed until the train came to halt in Hogsmeade Station. Then they gathered up their luggage and walked off the train. They put their luggage in a pile with the other First years' then followed the loud voice to a lake with boats floating along the shore.
The voice belonged to a large man who instructed them to sit 4 to a boat. The three girls sat in the first boat they saw and waited for someone to join them. Finally, a black haired girl, with a scowl on her face sat in the empty seat next to Alice. The ride to the castle was quiet; the three friends admired the scenery, the other girl scowled at everything, so no one tried to talk to her.
When they got to the castle they followed the gigantic man inside to the Entrance Hall.
-Present-
The witch returned and told all the first years to follow her. They walked through the double wooden doors into the Great Hall where four tables ran vertically each seating one of the houses and a fifth ran horizontally where the staff of Hogwarts sat, with Professor Dumbledore in the center.
Directly in front of the staff table was a stool with a ragged hat on it. All the students sat in rapt attention as the hat began to sing:
For all this past millennium
These furnishings antique
Have watched our school develop
But only I can speak.
So once again I welcome you
If you be young or old
And usher in another year
Of stories not yet told.
These tales are yours to tell
But stay, before you do,
And first allow me chronicle
What has preceded you.
It has been said for many years
And rarely e'er denied
That Gryffindor built a house that burned
With valiancy and pride,
And such was said of Hufflepuff
In legend oft' portrayed
That charity she did esteem
Diligence displayed.
Good Ravenclaw, I have been told
And seen with my own eyes
Sought wisdom, knowledge, valued truth,
Fought ignorance and lies.
In Slytherin's house will always go
Those determined striving few
Who though condemned by th'other three
To their own selves are true.
And what of you, new to these halls?
When all is taught and learned,
Will your name be one that's granted
Or a reputation earned?
I cannot say what is not known
And claim it to be true
If it be you who shape your house
Or th' house that changes you.
As the song ended the entire hall erupted in applause, and Professor McGonagall began to read out names. One by one the students walked up to the hat and tried it on.
"Abbot, Christine" HUFFLEPUFF
"Avery, Chris" SLYTHERIN
"Black, Sirius" The entire great hall watched as another Black walked up to the hat. "GRYFFINDOR" The Hall felt silent as the boy walked to the Gryffindor table grinning from ear to ear. After a few startled seconds the Gryffindors erupted in applause.
"Bulstrode, Cornelia" SLYTHERIN
"Collins, Mellissa" HUFFLEPUFF
"Connors, David" RAVENCLAW
"Cook, Martin" SLYTHERIN
"Davies, Alice" GRYFFINDOR
"Derby, Jade" RAVENCLAW
"Edwards, Gregory" HUFFLEPUFF
"Evans, Lily" GRYFFINDOR
"Harris, Samantha" RAVENCLAW
"Jones, Megan" RAVENCLAW
Long, Ross" SLYTHERIN
"Lupin, Remus" GRYFFINDOR
"McMurphy, Tracy" RAVENCLAW
"Pettigrew, Peter" GRYFFINDOR
"Phillips, Carter" RAVENCLAW
"Potter, James" GRYFFINDOR
"Rogers, Stefanie" HUFFLEPUFF
"Smith, Rebecca" GRYFFINDOR
"Snape, Severus" SLYTHERIN
"Taylor, Cassidy" GRYFFINDOR
"Turner, Rob" HUFFLEPUFF
"Walker, Kristie" HUFFLEPUFF
"Winters, Adam" RAVENCLAW
Alice and Rebecca grinned wildly as Cassi sat down at the Gryffindor table. Cassi recognised the girl that sat with them in the boat as Cornelia Bulstrode and thought that she definitely belonged in Slytherin. Cassi glanced to her right and realised that the red head girl, Lily Evans, was sitting next to her and looking lonely.
"Hey, I'm Cassidy Taylor." She said introducing herself to the girl, who turned to face her and smiled.
"I'm Lily Evans." Alice and Becca had stopped talking and looked at Lily.
"Hey, I'm Rebecca Smith, but pretty much everyone shortens it to Becca." Lily and Becca smiled at each other as Alice took her turn in introduction.
"And I'm Alice Davies."
Just as they finished their introductions, the Headmaster stood and said a few words, "Blubber, Squawk and Tweak" after going over a few of the simpler rules and then commenced the feast. Magically the gold plates, which it turns out, were new for that year, filled with every kind of food and instantly the students began to eat.
The girls talked about the excitement they felt for the coming year and the upcoming trips to Hogsmeade, as well as being in Gryffindor House. They chatted amicably with each other until the feast ended and prefects ushered the first years up to the common room.
