Just so you know, I'm typing up the next chapter to my pokemon fanfiction right now. Sorry for the wait, I've warned you.

Please, any comments-leave them here! I really want to know what you think! If I mess anything up pertaining to the HP universe please tell me. And if you're going to flame, do it with imagination, please. If you want anything in particular to happen, I'll take your suggestion into account. I have no outline or anything.

A little background- this is the year 1975, the Marauders, Lily, and Sirius are fourth years, though they are not technically in this story, there's your context. They may or may not make guest appearances, but my people will call their people. These are mostly non-canon characters.

Alicia stepped up to the stool and sat, meeting the eyes of the students watching, waiting. She sat up straighter as the Sorting Hat was placed upon her dark free-flowing hair.

The hat was silent for a few moments, and then it twitched and bellowed "RAVENCLAW!" Alicia's face broke into an amused and delighted smile. She took off the old hat and strode to the Ravenclaw table, home of a long line of Bracings. Her brother stood, clapping, and embraced her.

Alicia awoke in a cold sweat. She sat up and put her forehead to her knees, rubbing her crusty eyes. She was breathing hard. Not Ravenclaw, she thought, and suppressed a sob. No, let me be somewhere else, anywhere. She glanced at the clock then and saw it was only 3: 37. It was still dark outside, but she knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. She instead sat back against her headboard and counted on her fingers. Ten and a half more hours until she was to board the Hogwarts express for the first time. She rubbed at her eyes again until they were entirely clear.

Alicia's packed trunk was at the foot of her bed, barely visible as she looked at it through the dark. Upon the smooth wooden and leather surface sat a large cage, inside of which rested a young brown owl. His feathers, Alicia knew, were the same dark brown as her own hair but twice as soft. He turned his head towards Alicia, his large eyes a bright golden color with silver and dark flecks that seemed to catch light from somewhere in the room. He blinked at her and gave the lowest of hoots in acknowledgement. Alicia blinked back. He had been a present from her parents to wish her well in Hogwarts. Or rather, to wish her well in Ravenclaw, seeing as that's where she was expected to go. Her entire family as far back as she could find, excepting maybe a total of two black sheep, had gone into Ravenclaw. She had been told she would honorably be following in her ancestors' footsteps since she could remember. Her father had been in Ravenclaw, her mother had been in Ravenclaw, her older sister had been in Ravenclaw, her brother was a third year in Ravenclaw, and now it was her turn. Her entire life had been spent having books and lessons shoved down her throat, her whole house celebrated knowledgeable Ravenclaws, banners everywhere and famous graduates framed here and there on the walls wherever there weren't book cases.

But she didn't want that life. She was intelligent, sure, but she knew how stressful Ravenclaw house was, how much pressure there was to be clever and have better grades than everyone else, no matter the cost. She'd lived that her entire life so far and she was tired of it. She didn't need the pressure and arrogance of thinking she was smarter than everyone, like many Ravenclaws wanted. Like her father, who never let anyone forget he was better than them.

She sat a while, thinking about how it would be to finally board the red and black train and don her robes. Then she thought of the Great Hall and the sorting that would decide her destiny. She really didn't want to be in Ravenclaw, but… she shuddered to think of what her father would do when he found out she wasn't living up to expectations.

The owl rustled his wings and Alicia reminded herself that she had to think of a name for him. She got out of bed and shook a few food nuggets into the owl's cage. He hooted softly again and blinked up at her with his golden eyes.

A quick glance out the window told her it was still too early to go downstairs, so she got out her new alder want and twirled it in her fingers and thought some more.

"C'mon, you've done it before," Alicia's mother coaxed next to her before the passage to platform nine and three quarters. Her father and brother had already gone, and the two stood alone in the bright light of King's Cross.

"Just hold on a minute, Mom," Alicia mumbled. She was interpreting Alicia's pause as reluctance, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Alicia really wanted this day to go as quickly as possible, though so far it wasn't. She just wanted to look for a moment at the wall, though.

"We only have a few minutes; don't you want a good seat?" Alicia's mother urged. The middle-aged woman didn't seem to understand the importance of this moment. This was the point of no return for Alicia- the last steps she had before being sucked wholly into the wizarding world with no escape. It wasn't that she'd really been in the muggle world, but at least she'd been in a world with them, with the possibility of escape. There was really no avoiding it, Alicia knew, so she stepped forward then and felt the bricks melt around her and her cart.

Immediately Alicia was hit with the noise of the magical platform. She was bombarded by the hoots and hisses of animals and the train competing with the shouts of departing families. She didn't move until her mother appeared behind her and guided her toward her father and brother.

"C'mon, girls. What's taking so long? Here, Bryce, take your sister's luggage. Quickly!" Alicia's father took the cart from her and sent the boy running off with it. "We only have a minute, Alicia, let's find you a seat." He took Alicia's elbow gently and led her onto the train to a half-full compartment of older students. Alicia recognized many of them from dinner parties of Ravenclaw alumni and other functions to which she'd been dragged by her zealous father. "This is my daughter, Alicia," he announced to the teens. "She'll be joining you at the Ravenclaw table tonight! Will you make room?" The students smiled and mumbled their assent, making space for Alicia on a bench in between a very tall dark skinned boy and the compartment wall. Then the whistle blasted, making Alicia's father look up quickly. "I'll be going then," he said quickly, "say hi to Professor Flitwick for me! Have a good year, all of you! Write often Alicia, tell us if you decide to join the quidditch team," then he rushed off the train just as it began to work its wheels with a series of chugs. Alicia saw her father hug Bryce as they crossed paths, and as her brother came to sit beside her, she saw her mother waving from the platform. The chugging sound got louder and soon they were speeding out of King's Cross. Alicia had officially left her old life, and it was time to brace herself for her new one.

It took only a few moments to realize that she didn't fit in with her Ravenclaw compartment mates, and she soon slipped away. The only one who looked up was her brother, but before he could even ask where she was going she was walking down the rickety hall. She glanced into compartments as she went, searching for an empty one and looking at the landscape whizzing by. She'd been on trains before, but never a magical one, and there was a difference that though potent, she couldn't quite place.

Eventually Alicia gave up on finding a completely empty compartment and settled on one with a person around her age, all alone and reading up against the window. She was sure they would be a Ravenclaw, but she had no better options.

"Hello, may I sit here?" she asked meekly, sliding open the door part way. The inhabitant looked up abruptly, and Alicia was startled by her bright electric blue eyes.

"Wha-oh, yes," the girl tittered, blinking and quickly looking back down to her book. Alicia smiled gratefully and seated herself facing the other girl. The blue-eyed girl didn't say anything more, and after a moment Alicia turned to gaze out the window to relieve the awkwardness.

The train was passing a beautiful field, and Alicia studied the colors of the vegetation. She caught the eye of a startled deer for just a moment as the train whizzed by. It was this way for a while. Alicia was surprised there was so much extra space in England. She'd only ever been places with a lot of buildings and people. The landscape fascinated her as it grew slowly wilder, the flat open fields turning into rough forest. Eventually the train mounted a steep slope to get to a raised track above the trees.

The train gave a lurch as it evened out, an anomaly as the ride so far had been considerably smooth. Alicia's compartment partner lost her book and it flew from her lap to Alicia's booted feet with a clatter.

Alicia was snapped out of her trance and she looked at her compartment mate in surprise, realizing that she had had her nose to the glass. It'd obviously been a while, and she assumed she'd missed the snack trolley.

"S-s-sorry!" the girl squeaked, her bright eyes wide and watery as she timidly reached for her book.

"It's okay," Alicia comforted her, rearranging her face into a less alarming expression. She hadn't meant to scare the girl. Alicia scooped the book off of her boots and unbent a few pages before glancing at the cover and returning it.

"Preliminary Potions. Getting ready for the school year?" Alicia asked amiably as the girl took the thin book with shaking fingers. "I've read that. Though I bet they'll just brush on it in class. The basics deserve more attention, I think. They're a real art." Actually Alicia had read it three times, per her father's request. She'd read all the textbooks used at Hogwarts.

"Yeah," the other girl sighed, but she seemed unsure as to what else to say.

"My name's Alicia, by the way. I'm going to be a first year."

I'm Eliza." Alicia smiled.

"Did your parents go to Hogwarts?" Alicia asked her. She'd heard that it was not uncommon for students to come from non-wizarding families, though she'd never met anyone without at least one side of their family being magical.

"Yes," Eliza said, finally making eye contact, brushing her light brown hair from her eyes. "My dad was in Ravenclaw, my mom was a Gryffindor. Did-did yours?"

Alicia nodded quickly. "Yeah, they were both Ravenclaws." A moment of pause passed before Alicia added "So which class are you most looking forward to?"

"Oh potions for sure," she gushed, smiling. Alicia was pleasantly surprised to have found a subject. Eliza paused but opened her mouth again. "It's so amazing, "she said, "that you can take ordinary materials and transform them into something that has an effect on people. Like potatoes, for instance. A potato in a kitchen can feed one person, or two, and keep away hunger for a few hours. In a potions cauldron, though, it can help cure the blind, transform objects, heal wounds and even kill." She stopped abruptly at this. "Not that I would ever-you know," she stammered, flushing and averting her large eyes once again.

"Oh, yeah, I know. But I agree. Potions is really cool. It makes complete use of the world around us. It's… fascinating, you're right. I really can't wait for Herbology, though. There are so many plants that can do so many things, and I kinda want to learn them all. In a way Herbology and Portions go together, too." Eliza smiled and nodded gaily.

Just then the compartment door rattled open and an older boy ducked his head into their space.

"Just you two, eh?" he asked, his voice thick with a Scottish accent. "We'll be getting' there soon, bes' be puttin' on yer robes." He gave the girls a toothy grin and then ducked back out, his prefect badge flashing in the light from the window as he closed the compartment door, showing his allegiance to Hufflepuff.

Eliza immediately put her book to the side and got up to find her robes in the overhead compartment.

Amidst the rattling of Eliza's carry-on suitcase on the ledge overhead, Alicia looked out the window to see that the landscape had evolved into something unrecognizable as England. It looked like no man had ever set foot there; much less ran train tracks through it. It was made to look even wilder by the dimming gray of twilight.

"Where's your luggage?" Eliza asked, having already opened her case on the floor. Alicia turned to see the girl unfolding a robe from the top of it, the contents of which were all neatly placed and tucked together.

"It's back in the first compartment I was in," Alicia replied, having been thinking of how she didn't particularly want to go back there.

"Why'd you leave it?" Eliza asked innocently, her voice muffled as she pulled her robes over her head.

"It was full of a bunch of older Ravenclaws. I don't know, they didn't seem to like me. Oh, let me help." Alicia stood and unclasped Eliza's robe so it fell down to settle on her shoulders.

"Thanks," Eliza murmured, yanking the fabric so it would lie comfortably. Alicia hid her smile and delicately smoothed the other girl's hair down.

"Are these yours?" Alicia asked, looking obviously at a pair of glasses nestled in between two shirts. The frames were a copper color with delicate flowers engraved by the hinges. The lenses themselves were larger rounded squares, but not horribly large.

"Uh-yeah," Eliza muttered, turning red but not reaching for them. "But they're silly."

"Nonsense, I think they're quite pretty. Don't you need them to see, anyway? How were you reading without them? Here, try them on for me?" Alicia urged, plucking the glasses from Eliza's luggage.

"Well, I only need them to see far…" Eliza protested meekly, but she accepted them anyway. She hesitated before glancing at Alicia and putting them on.

"See? It isn't so bad." Alicia studied the other girl for a moment. The glasses reflected the light, sometimes shielding her eyes from view but sometime sending light into them, making them even more startling. The copper frames also contrasted the color. Eliza started giggling.

"What?" Alicia asked, looking around suspiciously.

"You're actually quite pretty," Eliza giggled. "I couldn't see your face till now."

"Haha, wow you really do have bad eyesight."

Eliza just stuck her tongue out at her.

The door rattled against.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you, Alicia!" Alicia was face-to-face with Bryce, who had in his hands her robes.

"Thank you, Bryce," she said, taking them and smiling sheepishly.

"And here's your wand," he said, sliding her alder wand from his pocket and placing it in her hand. "From now on don't ever go without it. Seriously." Alicia nodded to him, locking his solemn eyes with hers. He nodded curtly to Eliza before letting the compartment door slide closed and disappearing down the narrow corridor.

"That your brother?" Eliza asked once he was gone.

"Yes; that's Bryce. He's in Ravenclaw. Do you have any siblings?"

"Nah, but I've always wanted one."

"That's funny, there are some times I really wish I was an only child."

The train rattled into the station not fifteen minutes later, the lanterns now on the whole length of the train. I was now totally dark outside.

"Firs' years! Fir's years this way!" came a bellowing voice as Eliza and Alicia stepped off of the train. Eliza grabbed Alicia's hand and they wove their way through the crowd of older students and swinging lanterns.

The two girls found themselves congregated with the other "firs' years" at the feet of a very large man. Alicia craned her neck to see his face, which was shielded partly by an impossibly bushy beard and crowned with a pillow of long hair. He held a lantern high above the crowd rushing past them all, until the platform was practically empty. Then he spoke again in his booming voice.

"'Ello, firs' years! Welcome tah Hogwarts! 'Name's Hagrid. We'll be sailin' cross the lake now, so follow me! Watch yer step, now!" Eliza and Alicia looked at each other in amazed excitement before again joining hands and following.

After walking a ways led only by Hagrid and his lantern, Alicia could see the lake, the white specks of starlight glinting off of it. Then there was yellow light reflecting, too, and there was a collective gasp as the castle came into view.

"We'll be there soon enough, lads," Hagrid chuckled.

The first years piled into the waiting boats as soon as they reached them, the rush almost causing one boat to tip, though it was saved by Hagrid's intervention before the pale boy with dark hair and his carrot-topped companion were sent into the black water.

"All in? A'right, you can sail with me, m'boy," Hagrid announced, stepping into his own skiff, which sank considerably in the water. The boy, who had been the quietest in the group, clambered in behind the large man. Soon the boats set off as if of their own accord.

Eliza and Alicia's boat was shared by two other girls, one with jet black hair and crooked teeth, and the other with curly brown hair and freckles. They whispered excitedly as Alicia and Eliza watched the castle glide closer. The lights shining through all the windows reflected off of the tops of the green houses and the pier they were nearing, as well as glittering brilliantly on the water. Alicia rocked onto her knees, grabbing the prow of her boat, eager to land and enter the castle. The thought crossed her mind that she might not even mind being a Ravenclaw, but she dismissed it. But now her excitement was dampened a bit by the remembered prospect.

The boats reached the dock faster than they would have if their passengers had been rowing them, and Hagrid was the first to get out.

"Here," said a voice, and Alicia looked up to see the quiet boy who'd been in Hagrid's boat, his hand out to help her. She took her hands from her lap, where they were twisted into her robes in excitement, and took his hand. He pulled her up to the dock, then helped Eliza and the girl with the crooked teeth, whose name Alicia understood now to be Lacy.

"C'mon boys and girls, the feast won' wait forever, now!" Hagrid bellowed, and the group of children drew close to t follow the giant man up to the castle.

"My name's Harold, by the way," the quiet boy offered, having fallen into step beside Eliza. He offered them each his hand for shaking. This led Alicia to think that maybe he wasn't quiet after all, and just painfully polite.

"I'm Alicia, and this is Eliza," Alicia offered in return.

He nodded. "I like your glasses, they suit you," he said to Eliza before turning his attention to the front.

The group of first years mounted the wide stone steps to the entryway, Alicia gazing in wonder at the castle and its intimidating architecture and heft. She craned her head back to keep an eye on the high towers until they disappeared behind the overhanging edifice.

The entry hall was even grander, and the excited chatter of students looking forward to another school year emanated from the great hall. Alicia and the other students craning their own necks didn't have time to be shocked however, because once they were inside, they were handed over to a strict-looking woman with a tight bun and rushed into a smaller room, leaving Hagrid to enter the great hall alone.

"Good evening, students," the woman greeted them curtly, demanding their attention and cutting through the chatter with a sharp voice. Alicia felt like she was being scolded by just being passed over with the woman's cold grey eyes. Alicia realized that the woman wasn't very young, either, because even though her step was springy, grey hairs peppered her bun and her spectacles didn't hide the crow's feet behind them. The woman tightened her lips as if in disdain before speaking again. "I am Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House. I will inevitably be teaching you all in the next seven years. Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Through your study here I expect you will all become incredible witches and wizards. Now, I will lead you into the great hall, where the Sorting Hat, when your name is called, will be placed on you head to sort you. Follow me."

With that the first years were swept again out of the smaller room and into the entry hall. Now there was a greasy man standing beside the huge heavy wooden doors to the great hall. He eyed all of the first years suspiciously, rubbing his one hip.

"They're all ready for ya in there," he growled, and Professor McGonagall nodded before pushing the doors open. Alicia knew that she must've used magic to help open them, for she was doubtful that the thin woman could've even budged the huge doors without it.

The great hall was huge, with four long tables running the length of it until the floor raised two steps and then a shorter table stood alongside the back wall. Each table was teeming with students, and Alicia immediately saw that each table was for a different house. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were on her left and Hufflepuff and Slytherin on her right. Above the students were floating candles, which led Alicia's eyes upward to the ceiling. Or, in this case, the dark night sky. Her eyes nearly bugged out at seeing the September stars twinkling down at her. Having read Hogwarts, A History many times, and having been told of this spectacle by her family, she shouldn't have been surprised, but there was just something so magical and grand about it, and the whole castle, for that matter, that it couldn't be translated into words or pictures. It took her breath away. She started when she was nudged from behind; Professor McGonagall had started leading the group at a brisk pace down the center of the hall. Alicia now turned her eyes on the back table, looking at its occupants. These were the professors, she knew, that would be teaching her for the next seven years. From her brother's accounts she could pick out Professors Sprout and Slughorn. She scanned the other professors faces, a few of which she had no guesses as to what they even taught. She recognized Hagrid of course, who sat at the end. And the silver-bearded man in the center with half-moon spectacles could have only been Headmaster Dumbledore, of whom she had heard many things, good and bad. Alicia decided she might like him. His blue eyes could be seen twinkling even from halfway across the hall.

"Gather around now," Professor McGonagall ordered quickly, and the first-years spread a little, stopping at the two steps. The professors all smiled down at them, with few exceptions, and Alicia felt her neck burn with the attention of the whole student body behind her. Eliza gripped her hand nervously, and she smiled back at the bespectacled girl, feigning confidence.

McGonagall stood on the platform before them, next to a three-legged stool that had been set there beforehand, with the oldest and most ragged hat Alicia had ever seen sitting on it. It looked like it would fall apart if actually worn. This, Alicia knew, was the Sorting Hat. A long tear where the hat met the brim opened wide and it began to sing. The great hall fell silent in a wave.

A thousand or so years ago

When I was newly sewn

I watched each brick then be stacked

By four wizards with a pact

They decided then you see

To each and every child so he

Could be taught all the ways

Of wizards and witches in past days

The four friends were all clever

But more different even than

A brick of stone and a feather

Thus the four houses began

Slytherin of Fen, you see

Cherished those with ambition

His cunning students would

Always come to fruition

Gryffindor was another way

Accepting all with courage

Those not even a great lion

Would be able to assuage.

Rowena Ravenclaw herself

Was gifted with her mind

And she decided that of all

The witty shan't be left behind

Helga Hufflepuff then

Took in all the rest with saying

That she didn't pick and choose;

They all should be staying.

So here I sit, before you all

To sort the very young

So soon I shall put you were

I know you will grow strong

Don't worry now, not at all

For I was made for sorting

To put you where you belong

I may not be a shiny cap

But you can trust your Sorting Hat

When the hat's song was done there was a moment of silence before the hall erupted into deafening cheers and whistles. This went on for a few minutes before Professor Dumbledore raised his arms to quiet them. Then Professor McGonagall cleared her throat, flaring her nose a little before speaking.

"When I call your name, come and sit." With that the woman pulled a scroll from the sleeve of her robe and unrolled it ceremoniously amidst the silent anticipation that filled the huge hall.

"Aikens, Paisley," she read importantly, and look over her spectacles at the group. A brown-haired girl with twin plaits shakily mounted the steps and approached the stool. Professor McGonagall picked up the Sorting Hat and put it over the girl's head once she had perched herself on the tri-legged stool.

There was but a moment of silence in the hall before the Sorting Hat yelled "GRYFFINDOR!" and immediately the Gryffindor table erupted into cheers, the rest of the hall clapping politely.

"Arguson, Cliff," McGonagall called once the hall had once again settled down, and a strong-jawed boy with striking features stepped up eagerly. He put on an air of confidence which even Alicia saw through quickly as his hands trembled in his lap.

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat bellowed, barely having touched his head, and the boy set it back on the stool before hopping back past the other first years and down to the Ravenclaw table, where Alicia saw her own brother greet him amidst the loud cheers.

"Bracing, Alicia!" Alicia snapped her head at the professor, her eyes widening in a flare of panic. Eliza smiled encouragingly at her and let go of her hand. Alicia had to will her feet to move and her legs felt like lead as she climbed the two steps and walked to the stool, taking what felt like an eternity though she could feel her heartbeat keeping time in her ears. She felt the tingling on the back of her neck turn to ravenous flames underneath her ponytail as she trudged.

Alicia turned as sat, facing the students who were all craning their necks at her. She looked for her brother, but couldn't find him before Professor McGonagall stepped forward with the old hat.

Alicia felt the patched old hat touch her head, and then it fell over her eyes, hiding the great hall from her. She listened for a moment to the muffled chatter of all the other students waiting for her to join them, waiting to section her off.

"No need to be so guarded, dear," a loud but kind voice said from right behind Alicia's ear. She started, and heard a few groups snicker in the audience beyond. "Relax; we'll take care of you here. This is for you, and no one else. Now, where to put you… you have the brains, yes, just as all of the Bracings have…. I remember your brother. And your father, of course… and your mother took just a second to sort." Alicia felt a flare of terror, but she quieted it. Let the Sorting Hat do its job… "But you don't want Ravenclaw? Why? It would harbor your mind well-ahh. You want escape. Yes, I see it, you want to get away, but that isn't much like cowardice… No, you are strong but you don't belong in Gryffindor. Now, don't be insulted. Maybe Hufflepuff could nurse you, but you won't need that for long, that leaves Slytherin!" The hat was silent a moment, and a quick flash of terror subsided when she realized the hat hadn't said it aloud. It wasn't official. "You don't like Slytherin? It isn't so bad, you have the ambition, your classmates would challenge you! You could go so far! Oh your father's reaction shouldn't scare you, does he not trust me? SLYTHERIN!" and Alicia's heart felt dead; it was done. No turning back. The hat was lifted from her dark hair, the darkness replaced by Professor McGonagall smiling and gesturing towards the cheering students in green and silver.

Alicia found her brother's eyes at the Ravenclaw table as she passed, seeing his face shocked and unsure. Relief and dread flooded her at the same time, but she decided the dread could wait-no reason for it until the end of the semester, when she went home. She hurried to her rightful table and an older girl patted the seat beside her, beaming in welcome. The same girl enveloped her in a warm hug once she sat. Alicia would just have to put faith in the hat.

"Tyler Chwall!" Professor McGonagall called, and Alicia sat with her house to watch the rest of the sorting. She watched as first the black-haired Lacy was sorted and joined the Slytherins, her friend also joining her across the table from Alicia. Then Harold was called up, the hat shifting back on his head so it didn't fall into his eyes. He had looked oddly comfortable, and the hat had taken a minute longer than most to sort him, though not as long as Alicia and its voice had a friendlier tone than usual when it announced that Harold would also be sitting with her, or was she just imagining it. Eliza went predictably to Ravenclaw, though she'd turned her big blue eyes to the Slytherin table to meet Alicia's before she'd taken her seat. Alicia hoped that this wouldn't come between them; she really liked Eliza. When would they ever talk, now?

"My name's Victoria, by the way," the older girl on the other side of Alicia said once they were all seated. "I'm a third year. I'll help you find your classes if you ever need." She seemed eager to make friends, and Alicia nodded gratefully.

"Now," came the booming voice of the headmaster, and Alicia's head whipped to face him with the entire student body as he stood. "Welcome to Hogwarts! I hope this will be another great year of learning! I know you are all eager to get the feast started, but first I would appreciate if you listened to a word I have to say, and that is 'enjoy!'" with that the headmaster flourished his arms and the tables were magically covered with food.

Alicia looked at the platters hungrily. She hadn't eaten since lunch at King's Cross before boarding the train. Victoria handed her a serving spoon and held a platter of potatoes for her.

"Thanks," Alicia muttered, taking a few before taking the platter and offering it to Harold.

The feast ended after almost two hours, the chatter had largely died down and the magically re-filling platters were left untouched for lack of hunger for the tasty pastries. Now Professor Dumbledore once again stood. "That was delightful, no?" he asked jovially, patting his stomach. "Now, before I let you all go off to your warm beds, I have a few announcements to make. First, we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year! Let's all give Professor Lahniban a warm Hogwarts welcome!" with this the headmaster led the hall in a loud round of applause as a young man with chestnut hair rose from his seat near the end of the table and waved cheekily. He was passably handsome despite his baby-ish cheeks, and his eyes were warm. "Okay, now. Also, we have to please ask that those students with rats please keep them in a cage when unsupervised. Cat owners, I will ask you to kindly keep them controlled for all instances of rat killings will be thoroughly investigated. As always, the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to all students. That's all, now off to bed with you all! Sleep tight, classes start tomorrow!" The silver-haired professor then lifted his hands in the air and everyone stood. Then the old wizard made a sweeping motion and the tables were cleared and the great hall was overcome with full and comfortable post-feast chatter.

"First years this way!" came the cry of the prefect standing nearby in Slytherin robes, and Victoria led Harold and Alicia through the din by the elbows to deliver them to the older student. She then smiled and bade them goodnight before heading to the doors.

"First years!" came the call again, and soon there was a group of shorter students surrounding Alicia and Harold, the two prefects supervising them pillars in the sea of first year hair.

"Is that everyone?" the female Slytherin prefect asked, smoothing her hair as she spoke to her male counterpart beside Alicia. She was quite beautiful with long blonde hair that could've been mistaken for silk, and startling blue eyes that were almost the same shade as the headmaster's, though they gave an exasperated and bored air by the way she held her eyebrows and her seemingly permanently drooping eyes. She gave Alicia a smile and brushed her shoulder to beckon her. The two prefects then led the assembled first-years out of the great hall. The prefects of the other houses were doing the same, but the Ravenclaws and Gryffindors made a beeline for the grand staircase.

The Hufflepuffs and Slytherins had to cross one another, so there was an intersection of the two groups before the Slytherins were on their own. Alicia and Harold walked beside each other, though they didn't talk- it was just for the stability of knowing someone.

Finally the prefects stopped, having by now gone down a small staircase to the dungeons. Alicia didn't understand why; there was nothing there but a torch on the wall opposite the one the prefects were facing.

At a mumble from one of the older students, the stone wall slid open, revealing a dark passageway. The first years filed into it then, and it was a few moments before they emerged into the open common room.

Alicia was struck with the sight of it. The room was large, with stone walls and floors that reeked slightly of lake water, which was explained by the large windows set deep into the one wall opposite the entrance, which looked out not at the grounds, but into the deep dark lake. Alicia saw movement in the corner of one of the large single-paned but assume it was a plant, or small fish. She couldn't be entirely sure though, because it was the new moon and as a result the lake was entirely black.

The floor was covered with two expensive-looking square rugs. One large one lay in the center of the black couches and silver and green chairs, and a smaller one below a desk against the wall in the slightly smaller raised portion of floor. This smaller rug was underneath a large notice board between two dark wooden doors that Alicia could only guess led to the dormitories. There was a fireplace at the other end of the room to Alicia's left, made of a pale stone that held a roaring fire, the spaciousness of it allowing for a flame that reached easily to Alicia's height. It did well to juxtapose the creeping chill of the lake, and Alicia even felt herself moving away from its heat.

"They're just warming the place before bed. They'll let it die down overnight and tomorrow," Harold explained quietly in a low voice with little interest in his eyes.

"Have you been here before?" Alicia whispered in response. Harold shrugged without vigor.

"Gather 'round now," the female prefect called from in front of the desk. Her male counterpart had pulled one of the chairs from beneath it and sat comfortably, the firelight dancing in reflection across his dark hair. "I'm Mira and this is Alexander. We're prefects for Slytherin. I'm a seventh year and Alexander is a sixth year. The other prefects have their names and years on this board so you can find them if you need to. Also listed is the password to get into the common room. It changes every fortnight so please, please glance at it regularly. If you cannot remember the password, we do not have a sappy portrait who will let you in anyway. The door on your right is the girls' dormitory and the left is the boys. You will all get your class schedules at breakfast, the first class starts at nine AM so I advise you to be up plenty of time before then." She then turned to Alexander expectantly. He didn't get up when he spoke.

"Also on the board here is a quidditch schedule. Try-outs are on the fifteenth. Also, be back in the common room by eight o'clock at night or you will be in trouble, and we don't need you sniveling first-years docking us some house points. And when Dumbledore says don't go into the Forbidden Forest, don't go, 'kay? A couple of years ago someone didn't listen and came back out with his arm hanging by a thread. We don't need your blood all over the carpets. They're nice. Any questions?"

"Yes," squeaked Lacy's freckled friend. Alexander waved his hand for her to go on. "What's that?" she said, barely getting the sound out. She was pointing shakily at one of the windows, and several of the first years squeaked in surprise and fear at the sight of a giant tentacle stuck to the glass, another barely visible in the darkness behind it. Only the prefects and Harold didn't flinch.

"That's the giant squid," Alexander smiled wickedly. "Don't mind him."

"It does this to all the first years," Mira muttered half to herself, and Alexander chortled in amusement. "It can't get in, it's okay. We call it Salazar. You'll see it every once in a while. Now off to bed. I can see your eyes drooping."