Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Harry Potter, J.K Rowling does (duh). All I'm doing is putting in something new to try and make a different ending for the fun of it. Of course mine sucks and could never be as good as the actual Harry Potter books.

The Seer's Magic

A New Start

Harry got his first look of Hogwarts from sitting in a small, rickety little boat bobbing on the lake. It was the most amazing thing he had ever seen and he thought that he was the luckiest person in the world. He was away from the Dursleys. He was free.

But he was not the only one that felt this way. In another boat slightly behind Harrys sat a girl. She had long, dark hair that fell down to the middle of her back in soft, gentle waves. Her eyes were a light, warm brown and her smile was so kind that you would feel a sudden urge to smile back if it was turned upon you. At that moment, she was gazing up at the castle with an expression of hope and joy on her face.

Suddenly the boats hit the edge of the lake and the giant man, Rubeus Hagrid, started helping people to get out of their boats. They walked slowly up the castle steps and into the entrance hall where a tall woman stood with her hair pulled severely back in a tight, strict bun.

Minerva Mcgonagall surveyed the first years with a piercing gaze and each of them felt as if she could tell what each and every one of them was thinking.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly..."

The girl tuned out what she was sure was a well practiced speech that must be used every year. Instead of listening, she turned her gaze to look better at her surroundings. She saw a hug marble staircase which led up to who knows how many floors and their were corridors and doors leading off every which, way and where. This castle was magnificent and the girl could just feel the magic that was pulsing out of it.

Suddenly the girl noticed the Mcgonagall had stopped talking and that the line of first years had begun to move. The procession winded its way into the great hall. As each student entered, they let out a small gasp of surprise and delight. It looked as if there was no ceiling on the great hall and that it just opened straight out to the heavens. She could hear a girl with bushy hair whispering that it was enchanted to look like the night sky.

Then, a hush fell upon the whole hall as an ancient, frayed looking hat that had been placed on a stall, began to sing.

'Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find,
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat,
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head,
The sorting hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you,
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry,
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin,
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means,
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a thinking cap!'

When the hat had fallen silent the whole hall broke into applause, and the sorting began. The girl stood there waiting patiently for her turn, she was the only one who was unafraid of where the hat may put her. Eventually, Professor Mcgonagall called out her name off of the long list that she had before her..

"Field, Alexis"

Alexis moved with a calm grace up to the stool and sat down. When the hat was placed on her head, it fell down over her ears and covered her eyes so that all she could see was the inside of the black hat. Suddenly, she could hear the hat talking in her ear so that no one else could hear what was being said.

"Hmm. Now what have we here? Ahh! You appear to already know where I am going to place you! Very interesting. Yes, I can see why it would be a good place for you. Very well then... Gryffindor!"

The last word had been bellowed to the whole hall just as it had been for everyone else who had gone before her. Alexis moved over to the Gryffindor table to loud cheers and a round of applause. She sat down on the end and merely nodded as people congratulated her and as before in the entrance hall, she stopped paying attention and allowed her mind to wander until something that Mcgonagall said brought her back down to Earth.

"Potter, Harry"

Everyone else was more surprised and excited by this than she was. Alexis simply watched as he sat on the stool awaiting the verdict. Finally, the hat called out:

"Gryffindor"

And Harry walked over to join the screaming Gryffindors. Over this din could be heard a chant of "WE GOT POTTER! WE GOT POTTER!" Once the din had died down, the sorting continued until there were no more first years left.

Professor Dumbledore rose from his chair as soon as the hat had been put away and he said that there would be time for speeches later and at that moment he would just say a few words and they were:

"Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

Then the plates before them filled up with food and everyone dug in. When they had all eaten to their hearts content Dumbledore gave a few start of term notices including the fact that the Forbidden Forest was out of bounds as was the corridor on the third floor and where list of banned items could be found. As if anyone would go anywhere near Filches office willingly! Then they sang the schools song and went off to bed.

The first years were led up by the Prefects and once they had finally reached their respective dormitories, Alexis lay down and fell straight to sleep with a huge smile on her face.