September 1st 1971- The sorting (1st year)

Students aged 12-18 streamed off of the the steal pulled carriages into the great hall of their second home, which was waiting for them to return after a long summer break. The students sat at their respective house tables, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Slytherin; they where waiting for the new first years to arrive and the sorting to begin. Some of the older years were betting on the odds of there siblings of friends' siblings and what house they would be placed in. One such pair was Gideon and Fabian Prewett, the 5th year pranking duo in Gryffindor house. The duo was betting on another set of pure blood twins, Madeleine Grace and James Fleamont Potter. Once there bets were placed they sat waiting eagerly for the famous sorting to begin.

Suddenly the large great hall doors opened and the first years followed a rather flustered Minervra McGonnagal to the front of the hall. The old and tattered hat on the stool started to sing its routinely song.

"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

You top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts sorting hat

And I can cap them all.

You might belong in GRYFFINDOR, the brave

Or SLYTHERIN, the cunning,

Maybe you belong I got HUFFLEPUFF the loyal and kind,

Possibly RAVENCLAW, for those with wit and wisdom

Don't be afraid,

Your in safe hands"

The song an end and McGonnagal stood next to the stool to call up the first names to be sorted.

"Abbott, Carson"

A small brown haired boy walked up to the stool very calm and collected and sat down the hat was placed on his head and the students heard it voice

" Hmm, different from your father and very loyal to your family, better be HUFFLEPUFF"

He quickly vacated the seat and went to the house where everyone was wearing yellow and black, he looked back up at the front of the hall to see where the hat placed his twin.

"Abbott, Jacob"

A boy very similar to the first walked up to the stool hurriedly to see who's footsteps he would follow in or if he would make his own path. Meanwhile at the Gryffindor table the ginger haired twins shared a similar grin when they realised that there would be two sets of twins in the 1st year class of 1971-72. The duo almost missed the sorting hat yell

"Better be RAVENCLAW"

The younger boy silently rejoiced at not getting the snake house like his mother.

After around 25 minutes the twins that the Prewett brothers had bet on had the sorting hat on there heads

"Potter, James"

" ah a Potter you belong in GRYFFINDOR"

"Yes" the twins whispered now it was all up to the younger twin, would the older potter have his sister in the same house and Fabian win 5 galleons or would the younger twin be destined to find her own path and Gideon win the money.

"Potter, Madeleine Grace"

" Oh what is this a bright mind and a drive to learn, hmm not a bad work ethic either I know where you belong, better be RAVENCLAW"

The Gryffindor table looked stunned all the potters had been in their house. However, Gideon Prewett had a triumphant smirk plastered to his face and the eagle house cheered as they welcomed the member to their house.

"Simms, Lillie"

" better be HUFFLEPUFF"

"Wilson, Matthew"

"Better be SLTHERIN"

After the sorting had finished headmaster Albus Dumbledore spoke a few words for his beginning of year speech and then he started the first feast of the school year.

At the Gryffindor table, the older Potter twin, James had started to make some friends with people in his house. The first was Sirius Black, the two had met on the Hogwarts express so it was destined for them to be fast friends, he was also the outcast of the Black family and was being avoided like the plague because of his surname. James also met and became fast friends with a boy who looked like he had been in a terrible accident as he had scars all across his face and they looked like they where all over his body, the boy was, as James learnt that day, called Remus Lupin. The final friend he made at the feast was a mousy haired boy,Peter Pettigrew. The four boys sat together at the table talking and just being 11 year olds, hoping that nothing would come between them.

Madeleine had always been a shy girl and normally hid in the shadow of her twin. However, as she was put in a different house she decided she needed to try and come out of her shell and make at least one friend. As she looked up and down the Ravenclaw table she saw a fellow first year looking extremely upset.

"Are you okay?" She asked,

"I'm just a little scared, I'm muggleborn you see and a sixth year on the train called me something that wasn't very nice and said people like me shouldn't be here."

"Do you know what house they where in? They are just being jerks, everyone that has magic in them deserves to be here."

"They where wearing green robes."

"Okay, so a slytherin don't worry about them they blood supremists, well not all of them but lots of them are."

"Can you be my friend?"

"If you want, I would like that."

The two girls started to talk and learn about each other and them soon becoming great friends.

James looked over at the Ravenclaw table to see his little sister laughing and talking with a brown haired girl. As he looked away he felt a gaze on him and looked up from his plate of food to see Sirius looking at him.

"I know what it's like,"

"Huh, what"

"Missing your sibling, my little brother Regulus isn't starting till next year, but he'll most likely be in slytherin"

"Oh that I just thought we'd be here, in Gryffindor together, but I guess not"

"Prefects please take the first years to the common rooms."

As the houses gradually departed Molly Prewett and Arthur Weasley, prefects of Gryffindor got the first year Gryffindor to follow them to them to the portrait of the fat lady. Meanwhile Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Black took the Slytherins to the slytherin dungeon and Amos Diggery and Anna Smith lead the Hufflepuffs to their common room behind a stack of barrels near the kitchen.

"First years follow us!" Called Ravenclaw prefects Mavin Stewart and Connie Rose. They started to lead the Ravenclaws to the entrance of the Ravenclaw tower a wooden door affixed with a bronze eagle knocker.

"To enter you need to answer a riddle correctly"

The bronze eagle knocker started to speak,

"Who makes it, has no use for it. Who buys it, has no use for it. Who uses it can neither see or feel it. What is it?"

There was a short moment of silence when Madeleine stepped to the front of the line and said,

"A coffin."

The door opened much to the shock of the prefects and older students as normally they got the riddle before anyone, but this time a first time a first year was the one to open the door. The members walked through the door and the prefect said,

"On the left is year 1-4, right is year 5-7 dormitories are labelled, goodnight."