- DISCLAIMER - I do not own anything from the Harry Potter verse, just borrowing, credit goes to the original creator, J.K. Rowling. Also, any direct quotations I use from the books will be written in italics (not to be confused with character's thoughts) and noted at the bottom. Hope you enjoy, Please review!

"Goodbye, Mum. Goodbye, Dad." I reached up to hug them both, holding back tears.

"We'll miss you, honey. Christmas seems too far away now that you're heading off to this strange school. You'll write?" Mum's brow wrinkled with worry as she brushed back my hair.

"Of course! Just as soon as I'm settled in." I thought of how exciting it would be to send them letters with an owl; and grinned.

The scarlet engine behind us whistled a warning. One last hug and I dashed off to board, pulling my trunk behind me.

The train was packed; some students looking for a compartment to stow their trunks, while others were looking for friends, and more still were watching from their compartments looking both apprehensive and excited. Nearly half-way down the length of the Hogwarts Express I found a compartment that only held one occupant: a worried looking boy about my own age, bent over his open trunk searching franticly.

I nervously cleared my throat and raised my chin, hoping to affect an air of confidence that I wasn't feeling. "Hello. I'm Hermione Granger. Do you mind if I share your compartment?"

The boy jumped and turned to face me. He had a round face with large green eyes and was the same height as me. He was a little on the plump side as if he hadn't quite grown out of his baby fat. "Oh! I guess so… I mean, yes, of course! I just need to find Trevor."

I frowned and pushed my trunk into the compartment. "Who is Trevor?"

"My toad. Grandmother gave him to me and she'll be so mad if I've lost him already!" He blushed and grabbed one end of my trunk. "Oh, sorry, I'll help you with that; I'm Neville Longbottom by the way."

We struggled and wrestled my trunk up into the luggage rack, and I strapped it down. Taking off my book bag I sat down on the bench opposite his trunk; just as the train lurched into motion. "Thank you for your help. I suppose I could return the favour by helping you look for Trevor now. Where did you last have him?"

Neville looked out the window, nervously pushing back his bangs. He said, "It was after I got on the train. The first few compartments were already full and there were just so many people; I was having a hard time holding on to him, so I put him in my pocket. He must have jumped out." He shut his trunk and sat down beside it miserably.

I glanced around the compartment. "Well, we'll stow your trunk first then we can start searching the train, asking every compartment if they've seen Trevor." Neville smiled hopefully and thanked me.

As we were stowing Neville's trunk, two girls asked to share our compartment: a Hannah Abbot and Susan Bones. They wished us luck when they heard Neville's story and promised to save our seats while we searched.

Searching for Trevor proved to be a disheartening task. I'd sent him towards the back of the train while I went forward, thinking it more efficient if we split up. Most students would answer me with a polite no, and a Gryffindor prefect said he'd check the prefect compartments up at the very front of the train for me.

I had read through most of my text books already and also thought it prudent to purchase a few other books just to learn about the magical society, but it seemed that to some that wasn't good enough. as I discovered when I got to one particularly rowdy compartment.

The compartment went quiet when I knocked; and a blonde boy, already dressed in school robes, answered with an impatient, "What do you want?"

"I was just wondering if any of you have seen a toad? Someone's lost one." I tried to smile, but the atmosphere in the compartment made me nervous.

He smirked and looked me up and down, sneering at my short sleeved blouse, blue pleated skirt and the crest I'd pinned to my pocket. "And what House is that for?" he said pointing at it.

I blushed." It is the crest from my old school."

The sneer grew. "A muggle school? Well, why don't you go back there where the other Muggles are."

"Pardon? I...I'm sorry." I flushed angrily, turning sharply on me heel as I left. I could hear the condescending laughter echoing behind me. I had thought things would be different here, that I wouldn't be an outsider anymore because I was going to be with other people like me; other people who could do magic! But now...

I stumbled back to my compartment, my vision blurred by the tears I was refusing to shed. Anger and shame were coiled tight in my chest and I fought to gain control over my emotions. By the time I got there, I was back under control, and I stuck out my chin in an attempt to hide the redness of my eyes.

"Any luck, Hermione?" Hannah asked when I opened the door.

"None yet. Have you seen Neville?"

"No, not yet. We should probably change into our robes though." Susan replied. I nodded and changed, smoothing out my skirt and fixing my blouse. With a short smile to Susan and Hannah, I left to start double checking the compartments towards the back, hoping to find Neville as well.

I passed a toad-less Neville half way to the back and sent him to double check the forward compartments. Near the very end I came upon a compartment with only two boys, first years by the looks of things. The one with messy black hair and glasses was sitting across from the red head who had his wand pointed at the rat in his lap.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost his." I asked. It looked like he was about to do magic; I hoped he'd let me see.

"We've already told him we haven't seen it." he replied.

I continued to look at the wand in his hand, curiosity getting the better of me. I sat down next to him."Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."

He seemed nervous. "Er – all right."

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,

Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow." He waved the wand at the rat, but it slept on unchanged.

I sighed, disappointed, but I didn't think it sounded quite right for a transfiguration spell. "Are you sure that's a real spell?" He seemed annoyed at my doubt so I continued, "Well it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprised when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard – I've learnt all our set books off by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough – I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?" I cut myself off, mouth snapping shut with a soft noise.I winced at my boasting and haphazard introduction, hoping they would snap at me like the horrid blonde boy had.

The boys exchanged a glance, "I'm Ron Weasley," replied the red head.

The other smiled softly. "Harry Potter."

"Are you really?" I was excited. I had read about him in a few of the extra history books I'd picked up, and told him as much. He seemed surprised; I considered offering to lend them to him if ended up in the same house together.

"Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best, I hear Dumbledore himself was one, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad …Anyway I'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon." I smiled at them, which Ron ignored and Harry seemed a little perplexed.

Standing hurriedly, I closed the door behind me when I left and nearly fell against it. I was angry with myself. I knew I sounded bossy; knew I sounded like a know-it-all. I hadn't even started classes and I already felt this was going to be the same as my old school. Some few would take pity on me and be nice but no one would want to be friends with a little know-it-all.

I sighed and started back towards the front, darting into a random compartment of older students when I saw my tormentor from earlier, which turned out to be lucky as they had happened to find Trevor under one of the benches after I'd passed the last time, and were currently taking turns changing his colour.

I frowned at their frivolous use of magic. "Is that really necessary?"

"Oh, it's just a bit of fun; not hurting him. You can take him back to your friend now." said one of the red headed twins. "I'm George by the way." He courteously introduced the rest of his companions.

"Hermione Granger. Thank you for finding Trevor." I took the mischievous toad and returned to my own compartment.

Neville was overjoyed at my find and thanked me; it seemed I might make at least one friend. The rest of the ride went on rather quietly with Susan and Hannah chatting quietly as Neville looked out the window. I pulled out Howarts: A History to read more about the Sorting and the different Houses.

The train came to a stop and I stored away my book and grabbed my things, leading the others from our compartment and out onto the crowded platform. Older students were pushing past to get to the black carriages that were lined up; they were obviously manipulated by magic as the harnesses hovered in the air in front with nothing to pull them. I was starting to get worried about where to go when I heard a voice calling out to first years. The voice belonged to a very large man who looked a bit wild with his untamed mane of hair and a beard that covered half his face.

Hagrid, as one of the older students had called him, lead us down a path to a dock with a fleet of little boats waiting on a black lake. Across the water, I got my first look at the Hogwarts castle. With the moon lighting up its majestic architecture it looked like something out of a medieval fantasy novel. I was so distracted by its beauty I let Neville lead me into a boat with Harry and Ron. I glanced at them and kept my mouth shut this time, feeling that flush of shame again. The boats floated right under the castle's cliff and to a little harbour. I clambered out as fast as I could and Neville sniffed.

I turned to him, concerned. "What's wrong Neville?"

"Trevor's gone again." I rolled my eyes when he wasn't looking. Honestly couldn't he hold on to that bloody toad?

Hagrid called to Neville that he'd found his toad in his boat, and returned it to him before leading us up through a passage to a flight of stairs near the front doors of the castle.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" Hagrid asked. A few people nodded and he knocked on the door. It swung open to reveal an older severe looking witch, with grey streaked black hair pulled tightly back from her face; obscured by a wide-brimmed pointed hat. Hagrid introduced as Professor and Deputy Headmistress McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall led us to a small unadorned chamber off what sounded like the Great Hall, already filled with the older students. She explained in a very no nonsense manner about the Sorting and the aspects of the different houses, and the House Cup. She did not say, however, what it was we had to do to be sorted. She left us to stew in our curiosity and fear for a few minutes.

I heard Ron mumble something to Harry about some test we had to do, and everyone looked terrified so I started talking, mostly to Neville and the dark complexioned twins near me, about the spells I had taught myself and if any of them would be the one I would need. No one else seemed to want to discuss it though, and then I heard screaming.

The ghosts I'd read about residing at Hogwarts drifted through the back wall, alarming some of the other students who obviously hadn't read up about Hogwarts. They were all watching and listening to the ghosts as they floated across the room towards the Great Hall. But Professor McGonagall had returned and she dismissed the ghosts. She herded us into a line and we followed her into the Great Hall.

I nervously tried to flatten my frizzy hair as I felt the eyes of all the students seated at the four House tables, as well as the staff at the front, bore into us. Professor McGonagall led us up to a stool with a dilapidated hat upon it, in front of the staff table.

Now all eyes turned to the hat as a mouth ripped open in the seam and it began to sing its own introduction as the Sorting Hat and about the qualities of each house. I applauded with everyone else, and nervously listened as Professor McGonagall called out our names in alphabetical order. Hannah and Susan were the first and second and both went to Hufflepuff. I noticed I was picking at the hem of my sleeve as she went through the 'F's and promptly stopped when she called my name. Nervous habits are bad habits I scolded myself. I straightened my back and strode purposely towards the stool and plopped the hat on my head, it fell past my eyes, and I swallowed nervously.

"Oh, you are a smart one aren't you? Very thirsty for the fountain of knowledge, I see. But you've got some nerve and daring to be just who you are no matter what others think. So, shall it be Ravenclaw, where you can strive to learn all there is? Or will it be Gryffindor, where you'll dare to stand out?" I listened anxiously and thought only of wanting to be myself and how desperately I wanted to fit in somewhere, where I might finally have friends. The Hat hummed and hawed weighing out my Ravenclaw qualities against the Gryffindor until it finally shouted for the whole Hall to hear, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Author's Notes: Thank you for reading my first chapter!

Quotes were from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Raincoast Books 2000 edition.

Chapter 6 - pages 79, 80 and 84.