Sorry for the wait, I had to decide what'll happen in this chapter. This story will be a bit longer, and the chapters also will be longer. I may need anywhere from a day, to over a week, to write a chapter. I plan on writing a few, and releasing them over a couple of days, if I can.

Now, after all of this rambling on about writing, why not have the story?

Chapter 1: The Quite Interesting Year

The train suddenly slowed down, gradually, but still quickly.

Harry looked at Ron, "Are we here?"

"I think so," he replied. "What do you think the Sorting is going to be like? My brothers told me we'd have to fight a dragon to get into Gryffindor, just to show your bravery."

"Somehow, I doubt that. Maybe, it could be your brothers, the fact that these people need to keep the kids alive, or the fact that not a lot of people would get into Gryffindor, fighting a dragon at eleven years old."

"I suppose you're right. Let's go!"

The two boys got off the train, and noticed Hagrid over by the edge of a lake. He was calling out loudly, "Firs' years! Over here!"

So, Harry and Ron went over, and Hagrid led them over to a fleet of small boats. Once they got in one, it took off slowly, then built up speed, so it wouldn't throw them around by starting too fast.

'Cool! Self-propelled boats!' Harry thought. Somewhere close by, there was a girl's quiet response, also saying that self-driven boats would be fun.

Harry looked around. There was no one in sight, as they were one of the first to leave the side of the lake. He dismissed it as his imagination, since there was a better thing to think about than that.

They were getting close to Hogwarts, and they could see the almost-nighttime view of the castle. With its lights, and the cool shape, and the fact that it seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, it looked extremely magical.

They soon got to the shore, and went through the gates, to a side room. Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore's assistant, explained how the houses worked. "The four houses are Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. Gryffindors are known for their bravery, Slytherins are known for their cunning, Ravenclaws for their eagerness to learn, and Hufflepuffs for their hard work."

With that introduction, she led them into the Great Hall, a huge, long, room with four tables tables down almost the whole length, and with a fifth smaller table, at the end, perpendicular to the others. That fifth was the one that had all of the professors at it.

Professor McGonagall went up to the raised end that had the professors' table. "When I call your name, come up here, and sit on the chair. I will place the Sorting Hat on your head, and it will decide what house you will go into. But first, the annual Sorting Hat song. You can probably guess who will be performing it."

The hat sat on the chair for a second. Then, a fold in the very wrinkly hat opened up into what could be called a mouth.

"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 Hufflepuffis 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!" (Quoted directly from the Philosopher's Stone)

All the current students applauded. The soon-to-be students were too surprised by the talking hat.

"Abbot, Hannah!" McGonagall called.

Once she got up there, she put on the hat. "Hufflepuff!" it yelled, after a few seconds of thought.

"Bones, Susan!"

"Hufflepuff!"

"Boot, Terry!"

"Ravenclaw!"

This went on for a few minutes.

"Malfoy, Draco!"

The silver-haired arrogant-looking boy Harry and Ron met on the train got up, and sat on the chair. As soon as the hat touched his head, it yelled, "SLYTHERIN!"

He walked off, looking very proud of himself.

A few more people got called up, including Hermione Granger, who got sorted into Gryffindor.

Then, it was Harry's turn. "Potter, Harry!"

Everyone went silent, and turned toward Harry, which added to his already-nervous state. They watched him shyly go up, and sit down. The hat fit onto his head, but it was a little too big, since it covered half of his face.

"Hmm." the Hat said. "Normally, I get the easy job, just working once a year. But then people like you, the hard-to-sort come along. On top of that, there's two, wait- three? No, four! What? How many of you are there? Tryin' to figure this out gives me a bloody headache, and I don't even have a head! I guess I'll make this easy on me. Slytherin, or Gryffindor? You don't like work, especially schoolwork, so Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw are out of the question."

"Well, I don't think I want to be around Malfoy, so not Slytherin. Will I have friends in Gryffindor?"

"Of course! Gryffindors will stick together, so, you'll have plenty of friends."

"That sounds good."

Meanwhile, everyone had been watching for a few minutes, as the silent conversation was goin on.

"Gryffindor!" the Hat yelled, suddenly.

The red-clad table cheered, with the ones wearing green looking on, with jealousy and disgust.

Harry took the hat off, and went over to the table cheering for him.

A few people after he was sorted, Ron got quickly sorted into Gryffindor, too. The two older boys with red hair moved over. One of them asked Harry, "What was going on? That hat took a while to sort you."

Harry replied, "I just was having a conversation with it. It asked me if I wanted to be in Slytherin or Gryffindor. Why? Couldn't you hear it, Fred?"

The twin was stunned, since Harry had randomly guessed his name, and correctly.

"No, it must have been in your head. And how did you get my name right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Our own mother can't tell us apart, yet you've done it twice. The only one who can do it correctly is Ginny."

"Oh. You just seemed Fred-er than him." he said, pointing at George.

The twins didn't know what to say, so the followed Ron's example, and piled food on their plates, but not as much as Ron.

Author's note: Here it is! I hope this was a good first chapter. I have no beta reader, so let me know if you spot a typo, or a missing scene, or something. This one is a bit long, and the longest chapter I've ever written. That's easy, since this is only the seventh I've ever written. I wan the chapters longer, not always like this, so they might take a while to write. Enjoy!