"What house do you guys think you'll be in?" Finn asked the Glee Club, nervously drumming his fingers. They were all crowded into one carriage. Finn, Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine sat on the bench across from Santana, Puck, Brittany, and Quinn. Mercedes, Artie, Tina, Mike, and Sam, and Lauren were squished together on the floor, reading various books such as Hogwarts: A History and class textbooks.
"Undoubtedly, Gryffindor," Rachel beamed confidently, as usual, the first to answer.
"Gryffindor," Mercedes held up her fist to Rachel and they fist-bumped.
"Gryffindor!" Kurt and Blaine grinned at each other. They had both come out to their schools. What could be more brave than that?
"I'd say Hufflepuff, but maybe Gryffindor..." Sam shrugged. The others mumbled words of agreement.
"Slytherin or Gryffindor," Quinn raised her perfect eyebrows. "I walked around a school with a huge belly for nine months. Pretty brave to me."
"Slytherin," Santana and Puck announced simultaneously and exchanged a knowing smirk.
"Slytherin," Lauren wiggled her eyebrows. That was obvious.
"Ravenclaw," Tina grinned, and Mike nodded in agreement. They Eskimo-kissed, causing the whole carriage to look away, basking in discomfort from the public intimacy of the couple.
"Same for me," Artie nodded.
"Artie, where's your wheelchair?" Brittany asked. Artie pointed to the compartment overhead.
"Britt, what house do you think you'll be in?" Santana asked her.
"We have to buy houses?" Brittany's eyes widened and she cocked her head in utter confusion. "But I don't have any money! My parents cut me off when I bought too many cats." The carriage broke into a fit of laughter. Brittany just glanced around with her eyebrows furrowed, confused.
"No, Britt-Britt, you're sorted into a house," Santana managed to choke out between giggles. Brittany looked as confused as ever. "Well I suppose we'll have to see when we get there."
"I think I'll be in Gryffindor," Finn smiled. "Then I'll get to meet Harry Potter and his friends."
"I've read all about him in The Daily Prophet," Rachel leaned forward excitedly. "I've actually taken more of an interest to his friend Hermione Granger. She really proves that a woman's bravery is on the same level as a man's."
"And she's hot," Puck added, plastering on his usual seductive smirk, extracting eye rolls from almost every member of the Glee Club.
"I've also heard there's a really smart Asian girl in Ravenclaw," Tina smiled shyly. "I hope we become friends."
"She's hot, too," Puck's smirk didn't falter.
"How do you know what they all look like?" Mercedes raised an eyebrow.
"I do my research," Puck winked. Everyone raised their eyebrows at him, expecting a real answer. "I added a lot of people from Hogwarts on Magicbook."
"Figures," Kurt piped up. "Puck will have probably hooked up with half of the girls in Slytherin before he even gets sorted." The group snickered and Puck grinned proudly.
When they got to the school and were escorted into The Great Hall, they all stood by the back wall, whispering to each other.
"Everyone's staring," Tina shivered nervously. Mike wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her shoulders reassuringly.
"There's Harry Potter!" Finn elbowed Sam and gestured towards the whispering Gryffindor table with a wave of his head. Harry was staring at them, confused.
"They're from Lima, Ohio," Hermione informed her confused, whispering friends. They glared at her, looking even more confused than before. "It's in America."
"We've got exchange students?" Ron scooped a spoonful of noodles into his mouth. Hermione smacked him disapprovingly. He made a big deal to swallow before he spoke again. "Bloody hell, look at that one!" He pointed towards Quinn. "She's as gorgeous as the Veela. Look at her. She looks like a Delacour." He watched her in utter amazement as she flipped her bleach blonde hair out of her crystal blue eyes, pursing her lips and observing the crowd. Hermione frowned. She hadn't admitted it to herself, but she had had inevitable feelings for him since her first year, a harmless crush. She didn't like that he thought her gorgeous. Hermione silently wondered if she compared to the girl in the least bit.
"SILENCE!" Dumbledore yelled in his deep, stern voice. The entire Great Hall went silent as it always did out of respect for the headmaster, except for the Slytherins of course, who kept whispering and snickering at the exchange students.
"Students. I could imagine how confused you all are by the people who stand before you. They are exchange students from Mckinnely Prep of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Unfortunately for them, their school has closed, due to the low number of students who attended. Therefore, they will attend Hogwarts for their sixth and seventh years of school. We will welcome them with open arms, hearts, and minds. Do I make myself clear?" The Great Hall was filled with words of agreement. "I will call the students one by one up to the Sorting Hat. Starting with... Artie Abrams."
Artie walked hesitantly up the aisle between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables. He ignored the whispers as he walked up to sit in the chair at the front of the Great Hall.
"RAVENCLAW!" The Sorting Hat declared without a second thought and Artie grinned, taking a seat at the Ravenclaw table and engaging in friendly conversation with intrigued Ravenclaws.
"Blaine Anderson!" Dumbledore yelled. Blaine moved gracefully up the aisle, causing a bunch of dreamy sighs from the girls. Kurt smirked. Too bad he was gay.
"GRYFFINDOR!" The Sorting Hat yelled. Blaine looked relieved and sat down next to Neville Longbottom, who introduced himself politely and made small talk with Blaine.
"Rachel Berry!" Dumbledore's voice boomed. Rachel bit the inside of her cheek. Okay, breath, Rachel silently commanded herself. She held her head up high, walking confidently towards the front of the Great Hall. She had no problem ignoring the whispers, hence the fact that she had learned to ignore them a long time ago. Hermione eyed her speculatively, automatically assuming by the girl's confidence and air of class that she'd have some academic competition.
"You'd do well in Ravenclaw. Too self absorbed to be in Hufflepuff, too goody-two shoes too be in Slytherin..." The Sorting Hat mumbled to her. She frowned. "Very brave, yes. Hm...GRYFFINDOR!" Rachel gave a winning grin and skipped over to the Gryffindor table. She sat next to Hermione. They politely introduced themselves, but Ron and Harry shared a knowing glance when they caught the ice in Hermione's eyes.
Mike Chang and Tina Cohen-Chang were both sorted into Ravenclaw, where they engaged in deep conversation with Cho Chang and Luna Lovegood. Sam grinned when he was sorted into Gryffindor, sitting next to Ron Weasley and across from Harry Potter.
"You, my dear..." The Sorting Hat mumbled over Quinn's head. She bit her lip anxiously. "You definitely have enough wit to be a Slytherin...Yes, you'd do well there...But your bravery is simply undeniable...You leave me no choice. GRYFFINDOR!" Her whole body screamed in happiness, honestly relieved that she hadn't been put in Slytherin. She slid in between Sam and Ron. Ron glared at her dreamily.
"FINN HUDSON!" Dumbledore shouted. Finn prayed that he'd be in Gryffindor with his friends as he walked up the aisle.
"You have a big heart, much like a Hufflepuff..." The Sorting Hat muttered. "Slytherin is definitely not an option...Ravenclaw...Well, you're too oblivious. But you do have courage, boy. GRYFFINDOR!"
Finn tried to stifle a happy dance as he plopped down between Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley. He and Harry spoke politely, but when he turned to Ginny...God, she was beautiful. Her long red hair cascaded down her pale shoulders. She had a natural glow about her. And she smelled so nice...
"KURT HUMMEL!" Dumbledore interrupted Finn's train of thought.
"GRYFFINDOR!" The Sorting Hat shouted as soon as it touched his head. Kurt smiled happily, and plopped down next to Blaine, who looked at him with love and pride. He kissed him lightly on the lips, causing the girls who were staring at him lustily to gasp. They were gay.
"You could very well be Slytherin..." The Sorting Hat mumbled to Mercedes's horror. "Your wit and snide remarks have done you well in the past...you could do well there. But your heart is the size of a Hufflepuff's. You are smart, but Ravenclaw would be no place for you. But there is one quality that overpowers it all, my dear. You have not once been afraid to be yourself. This shows that you are destined to... GRYFFINDOR!" Mercedes squealed and sat between Rachel and Kurt, who hugged her happily.
The hat barely touched Santana's head before yelling "SLYTHERIN!" Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all flinched at practically the same time, remembering vaguely that the same had happened to Malfoy in his first year. Santana smirked and strutted over to Slytherin. Almost every guy at the table shot her a seductive look and even the girls looked approving. Malfoy eyed her with a smirk identical to hers. She was perfect.
"Ravenclaw is completely out of the question. Slytherin as well," The Sorting Hat snickered. "You have the sugary sweetness of the common Hufflepuff...but hm...interesting...you are very brave. You haven't ever been afraid of...anything. GRYFFINDOR!" The entire Glee Club's jaws dropped. Brittany skipped over to the Ravenclaw table.
"They said Gryffindor," Luna looked amused.
"Isn't that the name of the school?" Brittany raised an eyebrow.
"No, it's your house," Mike stood up and turned Brittany in the direction of the Gryffindor table. "Go." Brittany shrugged and plopped down next to Quinn.
"Oh my gosh, you're Harry Potter!" Brittany grinned across the table at Harry. Harry smiled politely and nodded. "Do you charge money? Because I don't have any. And I really want a pot." The Golden Trio, their friends, and her Glee Club friends all gave her a blank stare. "Don't you make and sell pots, Harry...?"
"Bloody hell, no wonder they didn't give Ravenclaw a second thought for her," Ron mumbled quietly to Harry who grinned back in amusement. Hermione kicked them both under the table.
"OW!" They groaned in unison.
The Sorting Hat didn't even come near Puck's head before it yelled "SLYTHERIN!" Almost every girl from every table's eyes followed him to the Slytherin table, where he plopped down by Santana and across from Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. Lauren, to no one's surprise, joined them.
"The sorting is over. Now, resume eating!" Dumbledore boomed. He flicked his wand and even more food rose onto the table to the students' delight.
"So, what was life like in America?" Ron asked Quinn with a mouth full of bread.
"Don't talk to me while you're chewing, it's rude," Quinn raised an eyebrow coolly. "And boring. Hopefully it's better here."
"It's quite nice here," Ginny chimed in brightly, overlooking Quinn's cold tone. She always looked for the best in people. "Hogwarts is the best magic school in the world."
"Really?" Finn asked with a boyish grin, his usual charm kicking in. Ginny nodded with a returning smile. "Cool."
"Just so you all know, the third floor corridor and Forbidden Forest are forbidden," Hermione announced.
"I know," Rachel piped in. Hermione tried not to roll her eyes. "I read all about it in Hogwarts: A History."
"That's my favorite book," Hermione accidentally put a bit of emphasis to the word my, making her tone sound a bit accusatory. She hoped Rachel would overlook it. She didn't want to make an enemy, despite the fact that she already wasn't fond of Rachel."
"Why do your voices sound different than ours?" Brittany asked Ron innocently.
"They're English, Britt," Kurt pursed his lips and shook his head.
"So are we," Brittany eyed him like he was stupid.
"Bloody hell," Ron mumbled under his breath.
"So are you two..." Neville broke the awkward silence that followed Brittany's familiar stupidity by looking to Kurt and Blaine. "Like are you..."
"Yes, we're dating," Blaine laughed and placed his hand on Kurt's. Neville looked relieved that he hadn't been offended by his question.
"Mercedes, you haven't breathed barely a word since we got here. Are you feeling okay?" Kurt giggled and patted his bestfriend on the arm.
"Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out how they did that," She gestured towards the ceiling. All of the Gryffindor Glee Club members gasped except for Rachel. They marveled at the ceiling, which wasn't a ceiling. It was filled with twinkling stars scattered across a deep blue night sky.
"It looked like they had a roof from the outside," Finn crinkled his eyebrows. Ginny giggled at his innocence.
"If you all had read Hogwarts: A History, you'd know that there is a roof. The ceiling is bewitched to look like the sky outside and to mirror the weather without any of the negative effect," Rachel recited. Hermione rolled her eyes, unable to stifle it this time. This would be a long year.
Over at the Slytherin table, Puck wasn't eating. He was eyed almost every girl seductively, his signature smirk and raised eyebrow dazzling them.
Santana took her wand out of her bra and pointed it at Puck from behind the table where he couldn't see it. "Expulso," She muttered. His goblet exploded, sending pumpkin juice and pieces of the goblet flying back on his robes. His chair tipped and he fell to the floor. Their quarter of the table burst into laughter as he recomposed himself, climbing back onto the chair. Santana smirked at him.
"He's got to be used to that by now," Lauren grinned maliciously. "I did that spell on him last week."
"That was hilarious," Astoria Greengrass snickered.
"Well done, Santana," Pansy Parkinson grinned at her in respect. Santana just shrugged with a smirk.
"Aguamenti," Puck pointed his wand at himself and waved his hand ever so slightly so that just a little bit of water trickled onto his robes, cleaning off the pumpkin juice. "What was that for, Lopez?"
Malfoy grinned at her. She really was perfect. Witty, smart, sexy, and malicious. That was his type of girl.
"For being in my presence," Santana flipped her shiny dark brown hair behind her shoulder as raised an eyebrow as if that should've been obvious.
"You're just jealous because I'm not undressing you with my eyes," Puck smirked.
"I'd actually prefer you to not make eye contact with me at all, Puck," Santana retorted coolly.
"Think you're the shit, now do you?" Malfoy narrowed his eyes at Puck maliciously.
"And who are you?" Puck raised his eyebrows lazily, not really interested in the blonde boy.
"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy," The air seemed to chill at the sound of his name, his friends shifting nervously in his seat at the thought of him making a new enemy. Puck snickered. "Think my name is funny, do you? At least it isn't an object hit by a hockey stick."
"If you make fun of me or my name again, I'll see it that you don't wake up tomorrow," Puck narrowed his eyes.
"No one threatens me," Malfoy snarled. "I suppose Potter was getting a bit boring to be toying with. I hope you enjoy being my rival. Come on Crabbe, Goyle." Malfoy stood up from the table and Crabbe and Goyle followed closely behind, sprinting to catch up with his fast stride towards the Slytherin house.
Meanwhile, at the Ravenclaw table, Tina and Mike were engaged in conversation with Cho about the classes, whilst Artie and Luna chattered over their pumpkin juice and spaghetti.
"How long have you been in a wheelchair?" Luna asked in her sing-songy, distant voice.
"Since I was eight," Artie glanced around, uncomfortably. He didn't like to talk about his condition, nevertheless with someone he had just met. She seemed to overlook his discomfort.
"Well, go on," Luna prodded him.
"Car crash," Artie mumbled.
"Oh, you don't want to talk about it, do you?" Luna asked in a bright voice. "I'm sorry I brought it up. I'm usually more sensitive."
"It's fine," He decided he was telling the truth as he found the innocence and sincerity in her crystal blue eyes. She started talking about her dad's newspaper, The Quibbler, and she did most of the talking. That was good, because unlike Luna, Artie was more shy around strangers.
"You had a thing with Harry Potter?" Tina gasped. A blush spread over Cho's delicate cheeks.
"Keep your voice down," Cho giggled. "It isn't a big deal, really."
"He seems cool," Mike chimed in.
"He's very kind. We're just acquaintances now, though," Cho looked suddenly distant, still a bit sad at the loss of a good friend.
"Who's Harry with now?" Tina asked, intrigued.
"No one, I don't think," Cho shrugged and looked over to the Gryffindor table. "But the Golden Trio, Harry, Ron, and Hermione...well, everyone's always guessed that Harry and Hermione have something, but really I reckon it's Ron and Hermione. Don't tell."
"No way," Tina grinned over at them. She saw Hermione thump Ron on the arm with an annoyed look on her face. He mumbled something with the same look of annoyance washing over his face. "They're cute!"
"Not as cute as us, though," Tina turned back to her boyfriend. Mike grinned and tipped her chin up to kiss her lightly.
"No one is," Mike added playfully when she broke away.
"I'll show you the way to the Ravenclaw dormitories," Cho pushed her empty plate towards the middle of the table. "Come on."
They had been there only about an hour, but every Glee Club kid knew that this was going to be a great year.