An eleven-year-old boy appeared on the edge of the large platform; his wide hazel eyes looking around eagerly as he forcefully pushed his trolley in front of him. Oddly enough, the enormous leather trunk drew no attention from the thousands of others standing about the platform with him.
Behind him, an older boy materialized through the wall, also pushing a trunk-occupied trolley. His handsome blue eyes spotted his younger brother, and he made his way over to him.
"So, Blaine, what do you think?" he smiled knowingly. After the seventeen-year-old came the two boys' parents.
"This place is amazing, Coop." The brothers looked around at all the bustling families, reuniting friends, and gleaming scarlet steam engine. "Hogwarts Express" was emblazoned on the front. Blaine had been to King's Cross before, but he had never been allowed onto Platform 9 ¾.
A shout was heard and Cooper ruffled Blaine's curls, which were regrettably springing free of the potion that had been used on them. "Gotta go, B," he grinned, and with a nod to both his parents he ran towards his usual posse. As an afterthought, he shouted over his shoulder, "And don't forget to make some friends!"
Blaine's father clapped him on the shoulder and his mother fussed over his curls.
"I'm fine, Mom," Blaine protested, but he was still smiling. He laughed and shook his head at his brother's antics, a bit sad that his first year at Hogwarts was also his brother's last.
"Come on, let me help you get your luggage up," Blaine's dad said. Blaine nodded and the two went over to the train. As they pushed it up into a space in the luggage compartment, Blaine heard a noise and an exclamation of frustration.
Turning around, Blaine saw a boy sitting in a kind of chair with wheels. He and his mother had been trying to put his suitcase up into a spot, but it had fallen and spilled everywhere.
Blaine watched his father run over and whip out his wand. With a swipe it repacked itself and was set nicely back onto one of the racks.
"Th-thank you," the boy's mother spluttered.
"No worries," Blaine's father grinned. He stowed his wand away and shook hands with the woman. "It seemed like you could've used some help there. I'm Warren Anderson, by the way."
"Nancy Abrams. Is that your son?" Mrs. Abrams gestured to Blaine. Blaine nodded, and walked over to the group.
"I'm Blaine Anderson. I'm a first year."
"So am I," the boy in the chair grinned. "Artie Abrams." Artie's mom and Blaine's dad left the train, going to find their respective spouses, so Blaine started wheeling Artie out of the luggage room and into the long narrow hallway between the seating compartments. He was afraid Artie's chair wouldn't fit, but it just did.
"You could always go to St. Mungo's," Blaine shrugged.
"Where?"
"It's the wizard hospital. The Healers there could fix you right up."
Artie put the brakes on, causing the chair to halt abruptly. "I'm not broken, Blaine. This chair is a part of me and I'm not going to have someone wave their magic wand so I don't need it anymore. It would feel like I was giving up."
Blaine paused. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."
Artie sighed and shrugged it off. "No, it's okay. You didn't understand. I'm just really protective of my chair."
Blaine continued walking until he found an empty compartment. He reached out and slid open the door, carefully wheeling Artie in. He helped Artie sit down.
"It folds up, you know. You can just store it up there," Artie pointed to the metal luggage rack above them. Blaine followed Artie's advice and the two sat awkwardly for a few minutes.
"So what's being a wizard like?" Artie asked finally. Blaine smiled.
"I bet it's different from being a Muggle. You can't use magic until you turn eleven of course, but there are so many things you get used to when you grow up with it."
"Like what?"
Blaine proceeded to explain what growing up in a wizarding family was like. Eventually, Artie started talking about Muggle life. When 10:45 rolled around, a young blond boy knocked on the door of their compartment, his applewood wand hanging from his other hand. Blaine got up to open the door.
"Hey, can I sit with you guys?"
"Yeah, sure," Blaine said with a quick glance at Artie. They made room for the blond boy.
"I'm Sam Evans by the way. Half-blood. What about you?"
Blaine raised an eyebrow, but opened his mouth to reply. Artie was quicker.
"Muggle-born."
"Pure-blood, but my family is a bunch of blood traitors," Blaine laughed.
Sam grinned. The three chatted for a while, until another knock came. This time it was an Asian girl with her black hair in two pigtails.
"Everywhere else is full. I know the three of you are boys, but I was hoping I could sit here."
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Thanks."
The girl sat down and looked around at everyone.
"I'm Tina Cohen-Chang," she smiled nervously.
"Blaine Anderson."
"Sam Evans."
"Artie Abrams. Nice to meet you."
"You too."
Five minutes later, the train started to move. Blaine lifted the shade and opened the window, since he was closest. He helped Artie over to it, and the four first years waved to their parents. Blaine turned his head and found Cooper, who waved to him as well. Slowly the train moved out of sight, and Blaine had to close the window again. The four kids gradually became friends as the train ride wore on.
The trolley lady came by, and Blaine and Tina bought a lot of candy so the other two could try.
When they began to near the castle, Tina, Blaine, and Sam took turns heading to the bathroom in order to change into robes (Artie, for convenience's sake, had been changed before he got to the train station).
When the four finally got off the train, they followed the sound of a booming voice calling for first years while everyone else headed to a group of (literally) horseless carriages. Blaine accidentally got separated and bumped into some of the older students.
Blaine cautiously moved away from a second year Slytherin and hurried to catch up with his friends. The Slytherin in question, Santana Lopez, was in a bad mood, so it was understandable why Blaine had moved away from her.
"Where is she?" she muttered to herself, looking around for her friend.
"Looking for Quinn?" another voice asked, coming up beside Santana. The Latina turned her head, looking down a bit at a brunette girl with a big nose. She rolled her eyes. Rachel was okay, but most of the time she was a pain in the butt.
"Yeah," Santana sighed, still searching. Finally, she spotted a familiar dirty blond head. "There she is." Rachel nodded and the two made their way over.
"Hey, what happened?" Santana snapped.
"Sorry, I got separated. I was swept up," Quinn shrugged sheepishly as she tried to fix her mussed up hair.
"Whatever, let's just find a carriage."
Quinn looked away, a bit angry, while Rachel looked quizzically back and forth between the two. The three girls eventually found a carriage and ducked in, expecting to find it empty. Instead, there were two others in the carriage with them. A boy and a girl: both Ravenclaws, both second years.
All five of them stared at one another, until finally the unfamiliar girl broke the silence.
"You can sit here, if you like," she said brightly. The boy beside her gave her a look, but she didn't notice. Santana raised an eyebrow and sat down with her friends.
She fixed a calculative eye on the two across from her, analyzing them. The girl was blond with a soft, innocent face and clear blue eyes. She turned her gaze to the boy.
He had a feminine face, and although Santana had never met him personallyshe knew who he was. He was the infamous Kurt Hummel, son of the famous Burt Hummel, Minister of Magic.
"I'm Kurt Hummel," Hummel said shyly, looking cautiously at the three Slytherin second years across from him. He had seen them all around before, but had never met any of them. He didn't like the way that dark-haired one was watching him. "This is my friend, Brittany Pierce."
Brittany waved to them, and with perfect timing the carriage gave a jerk and started moving forwards. There was a bump and a hiss. The Slytherins glanced around for the source of the noise.
Kurt rolled his eyes as Brittany reached up behind her. On the ledge on the top of the seats was an enormous cat, and Brittany brought it down to her. She petted him anxiously, trying to calm him down.
"Shh, Lord Tubbs, I'm here," she cooed softly.
"Lord Tubbs?" Quinn asked snarkily. Brittany shot Quinn an icy glare.
"His name's Lord Tubbington. Got a problem?"
"No. Just thought it was funny, that's all," Quinn protested, taken back by the Ravenclaw's sudden forcefulness.
Brittany gave Quinn an odd look and went back to comforting her cat. Santana sighed and leaned against the side of the carriage.
The ride to the castle went by much too slowly for the five, but eventually all the carriages found their way. The students made their way to the Great Hall.
"Hey man!" Noah Puckerman called as he slid an arm around his best friend's shoulder. Finn Hudson grinned and shoved the other boy off. The two twelve-year-old Hufflepuffs sat down at their table, close to the middle. Mike Chang came and sat across from them.
"So, you thinking of trying out for Quidditch this year?" Mike asked the other two.
"Definitely," Puck smirked toothily. "What about you, bro?"
"Yeah, I've been thinking about it." Finn shrugged.
"It's great fun," Marcus Reed, the sixth year Prefect, called down the table. He was one of the Beaters, and also the Captain of the Hufflepuff team. The three boys acknowledged him.
Mercedes Jones, who sat farther down the table, bit her lip. She chatted with the girls around her, but, like she had last year, felt a bit lost. She sighed and looked up at the staff table. She noticed the Flying teacher and the DADA professor talking.
"Butt Chin," the blonde greeted with a smirk.
Professor Schuester rolled his eyes.
Madam Sue Sylvester sat down beside Professor Schue and gave him a glare. The two teachers had a strange acquaintanceship. They were constantly engaging in battles of wits, but when it really came down to it they would defend each other.
Suddenly, the front doors opened with a big bang and a husky sort of woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties entered the room. She was Shannon Beiste, the groundskeeper. Behind her were fifty or so terrified eleven-year-olds. Beiste made her way to the front of the hall and helped the kids line up in front of the staff table, facing the students. She then went to take her place at the very edge of the staff table. Professor Holiday, the Transfiguration teacher and Deputy Headmistress, set down a three-legged stool and an old-looking hat in front of the first years.
Everyone was silently staring at the hat. After a moment, it opened up a bit at the brim, almost like a mouth. To the first years' amazement, it began to sing.
Long long ago four wizards came
In their brains they had thought up a dream
This thing was a school for all magicfolk
And they knew it could be amazing
Alas these four friends had their own opinions
On who should be allowed in the school
They thought the students should be like themselves
Either smart or brave or pure or true
Rowena Ravenclaw, wise as she was
Thought students should only be clever
Yet Godric Gryffindor had other ideas
He thought braver was better
No, said Salazar Slytherin
Only pure-bloods will be allowed
Helga Hufflepuff did not agree
Those admitted should be loyal and proud
And after long fights and arguments
The four found a way to decide
The students would be sorted into houses
Each with their own kind of pride
So, come right up and put me on your head
I'll tell you where you should belong
For I am the great Sorting Hat
And I can tell where is right or wrong
Let me read into your mind
I promise, I won't pry
I'll just pick the house in which you'd be best
So come on! Let's give it a try!
The Sorting Hat closed its "mouth" and sat there, once again looking like a regular hat. Professor Holiday smiled and with a whip of her wand she brought out a long piece of parchment from its tip.
"I will read out your name and you will place the Hat on your head. Once it tells you where you belong, you will leave the Hat on the stool and go to sit with that house. Let us begin." Holiday's eyes alighted upon the first name.
"Abrams, Arthur!" she read out, her voice radiating around the entire hall. Artie took a deep breath and wheeled himself over to the stool. He picked up the hat and placed it on his head, waiting.
"Let me see, let me see," a voice whispered in his ear. Artie's breath caught. "I'm not going to hurt you," the voice laughed. "You are decisive, and you have a thirst to prove yourself. Need to carry the burden of your chair, hmmm? Well, you could belong in any one of these great houses, but it's clear where you should go. GRYFFINDOR!" The Hat shouted the last part. Artie grinned and set the hat down. Graciously, Professor Holiday levitated Artie's chair down the stairs and he made his way to the Gryffindor table, which had erupted into cheers. The rest of the hall clapped politely. One of the older students there helped him onto the bench. Someone else magicked his chair to lean against the wall.
Professor Holiday continued. "Anderson, Blaine!" Blaine took a deep breath and walked over to the stool, placing the hat on his head. He got a glimpse of Cooper looking at him before the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" again. It hadn't even needed to speak into Blaine's ear. Gryffindor clapped loudly again as a few of the students in the other houses got puzzled looks on their faces.
"Cohen-Chang, Tina!" came the third call. Tina sat down on the stool and wondered what was going to happen.
"My, my, what a mind you have!" the voice whispered excitedly. Tina's brows furrowed. "You are very intelligent and loyal as well. Have a bit of a mean streak too. But above all, you belong in… how curious. Seems like this lot of first years is biased. GRYFFINDOR!" the hat called for the third time. The roar coming from the table in question was almost unbearable. The rest of the students clapped somewhat less politely, and at least half of the Slytherins didn't clap at all. Most of the Slytherins that did clap only brought their hands together once or twice. Almost all of the staff's eyebrows were raised. The first three Sorted, all Gryffindors. How curious indeed.
The next person, "Dawson, Marie," was sorted into Ravenclaw, thankfully, and her twin into the same house. The Slytherins were getting anxious.
"Evans, Sam," Holiday announced. Sam fearfully put the hat on his head and waited.
"Oh dear me. You are a tough one, aren't you?" The Hat continued to speak to him for a while, almost a full five minutes until it finally decreed, "HUFFLEPUFF!" Sam grinned and scurried down to the table, giving high fives to Finn, Mike, and Puck. He sat down next to Mercedes and she smiled at him.
The students watched the rest of the Sorting take place, and then Headmaster Figgins stood up, addressing the whole school. He gave the basic rundown of the rules, and then with a big sweep of his arms, food appeared on the tables and everyone dug in.