Marnie's Point of View

We were just staying in the castle for a week. We slept in the Slytherin Dungeons, which are cool because they're a series of dungeons and there's portraits of some guy named Salazar Slytherin all over the place (which is kinda creepy, mostly because the pictures talk.) We were sleeping in a friggin' dungeon! Awesome! Though the main room doesn't look much like a dungeon; the dark wood paneling and weapons hanging all over the place made it seem like the Viking Room or something.

The students were arriving, so we went to the astronomy tower to watch them. They all came by train, and then the young ones got into little boats and the older ones got into carriages that moved by themselves, like little old fashioned cars. This huge guy was walking around talking to people. He looked like a giant! (The scary thing is, he might actually be one.) Anyway, there were like a billion students, all dressed in a uniform with a long cape. The older kids had colored accessories like scarves and sweaters that were green, blue, red, or yellow, depending on their house. The youngest kids had no colors, just like Jenn and I. The professor told us that once we were "sorted" later, we would be given colors and a place to stay. We still had no idea HOW we were going to be "sorted" but, according to the professor, none of the little kids did, either. "No matter what, I am not giving up my rainbow colored scarf," said Jenn.

'I know." I said "I want the green house. Green's such a cool color. Yuck, yellow! It'd suck to be in that house. They look like giant bumblebees!"

Jenn laughed and said, "We should probably go soon." We turned and walked back inside.

Jennifer's Point of View

We walked down the many MOVING steps of Hogwarts. The pictures moved, too. They had personalities. Some were smart, some were stuck up, and some were just plain retarded (cough) crazy knight (cough). Some- scratch that- most of the portraits were of dead people who were still talking and moving like they were alive. That, quite frankly, creeped me out a lot.

We walked down the corridor to the entrance hall. Some little kids were lined up outside of the door. They were all bundled up (it's friggin' cold in the U.K.) and whispering. Some of them gave us looks as if to say "why are you here?" I guess being older than everyone else ('cept the teachers) kinda confused them. It confused us, to be honest. We stood outside the door for a long time waiting for Professor McGonagall. When she arrived, she explained that we were to wait until our names were called and then sit on the stool at the front of the stage. "Seems easy enough," I whispered to Marn. "Yeah, pretty much," She replied. McGonagall opened the doors and ushered us inside the humongous room.

We'd been in there before, but never with so many people. It was huge even with a ton of people in it Everybody was divided between the four very long tables. Each table had two colors and an animal on the banners hanging from the ceiling above it. At least, where the ceiling should be. In place of the ceiling, there was a night sky. There was also a stage. McGonagall was standing there, next to a rickety old stool, holding an icky hat.

We all filed up to the stage where McGonagall pulled out a scroll. She'd call out a name, then the person would sit on the stool and she'd place the hat on their head. The hat would sit quietly for a few seconds, and then yell gibberish like "RAVENCLAW!!!" at the top of its lungs. And, wow, that sentence sounds so weird. Shocking me out of my daydreams, McGonagall called my name. I walked up to the stool and she put Mr. Pointy Hat on my head. "Well," said a voice. It was one of the eeriest experiences in my life, and it told me off for thinking as much. "I resent being treated with such… forwardness," was what it said. "Yes, sir," I replied. The hat started listing off my qualities, then abruptly stopped and called out "SLYTHERIN!!!" The table to my far left with the green and silver banners stood and applauded. Well, everyone applauded, like they had for all the others, but only that table was standing. I assumed that meant I was with them. I walked over and took an empty seat (well, an empty space on the bench). Marn gave me the thumbs up and a goofy grin as I passed.

Marnie's Point of View

After Jenn was called and sorted into the green house, I was called immediately to the stool. The hat was placed on my head. I pulled it down at a rakish angle over one eye. My first thought was that it smelt funny. "Hello, Mr. Pointy Hat." I addressed my headgear loudly. "I resent that" he replied. "You resent a lot of things, don't you?" He glared down over his brim "Be quiet. I'm trying to work here." I smiled my most innocent smile. "Ok then." The hat began muttering, and stopped after about eight seconds. "RAVENCLAW!!!" it shouted. Slightly dazed from the hat's EXTREME VOLUME, I got up and began walking to the table Jenn had just sat at. However, as soon as I got there a boy with silvery blond hair stood and faced me. "What're you doing?" he asked. "You go to the blue one" He pointed, indicating I should walk the exact opposite direction of where I was headed. "K thanks" I said, and gave him a little pat on the cheek (his face, you pervs. I didn't grab his butt. Yet.) He was kinda cute for a blond. Pretty eyes, too. I turned and walked to my table.

I plopped down next to a girl with long black hair, across from a boy with long bright red hair. "Hey kids" I said. About nine of the students in my immediate vicinity looked shocked at my flowing southern accent (which is, undoubtedly, American). I decided to try again and introduced myself. All I got in response this time was the boy across from me saying "you're a little big to be in first year." I reached across the table and gave him a little slap on the shoulder. He jumped. "Sorry. I should've warned you. I'm violent." I said. "I noticed" he quipped. "Hey!" I looked at him and realized he was the only one at the table not wearing blue (except me, of course). He was wearing red. "Are you at the right table?" I asked him "Nope." He replied casually. "I'm making a few business transactions. The name's Fred, by the way." I smiled and extended my hand. He flinched. "Relax, it's just a handshake." He shook my hand. Darn him for hiding one of those joy buzzers in his palm. Oh, well. What's a little electrical shock between friends? I think he was pleasantly surprised when I laughed instead of hitting him. "I see you're a prankster", I said. "Guilty as charged", he jokingly replied.

We joked around all through dinner and I'd be lying if I didn't say there was a little flirtation going on. We compared schedules and found out that we had Free Period at the same time. "Great!" Fred said excitedly. "I'll actually have something to do this year!" I blushed a little. This is going to be fun. I started heading back to my room. "Uh, Marnie? Those are the Slytherin dormitories." Fred told me. "I know. I'm picking up my stuff and messing around. Wanna come with?" I asked with a jovial smile. "I could never refuse" he said. We headed off down the corridor.

Jennifer's Point of View

I watched Marnie as she walked toward me. Score, we're both in the green house. Or not… I saw a blond boy stand up from my table and walk over to her, and then explain where she was supposed to go. He seems nice. I looked at my surroundings and noticed that I had sat in the midst of a large group of people that I didn't know and hadn't ever seen before in my life. Which wasn't that hard seeing as that was the case for most of the people here, save for Marn and Professor McGonagall. I looked over to the blond boy and found that he was sitting between these two monstrously large guys that looked like the Russian Mafia in training. Which, considering where we are and all, they could be. There were also a few other boys around the table, none of which were very cute (case in point the guy with the really funny eyebrows and huge buckteeth- later to be introduced as Marcus Flint). I looked over to Marnie. It looked like she was having fun.(Meaning major flirting). She was talking to a cute redheaded boy (total oxymoron) that was wearing red robes and sitting at the blue table. Is he retarded? She always did know how to pick 'em. Not.

The old guy's speech: long and boring. I didn't even know half of the things he was talking about. (I mean, how am I supposed to know what a hippogriff is anyway?And the Forbidden Forest? These British people have to be stupid to have to be reminded not to go to a place that has the name Forbidden. I mean, come on!)And then he said, "Let the feast begin." He was obviously totally and completely mentally unstable- there was no food …ooh food. There were all kind of foods and after the feast, we were all so full we could hardly move. Listing all that we had to eat would take a week easily. Kids from my table started getting up and leaving the dining room. I got up and followed the group closest to me. I figured I'd just go to the place I'd been sleeping since I got here. A bunch of kids in green were going that way, too, so I guess I was headed in the right direction. I walked up to the picture we'd been using to get in and it asked me for a password. Sadly, I walked slow and was the only one there. "Um… ravenclaw?" I ventured. "Wrong!" The painting cried out "Now you can't ever get in!" I looked at it skeptically. "You're kidding, right? What about my stuff?" The picture looked at me. "From the first day of school on, I need the password or I won't let anyone in." "Crap" I said. "Wrong again," said the picture. "Very vulgar, though. Maybe you do belong in my house." I blinked at it. "You're a picture. What do you mean your house?" The painting sighed dramatically as if it were trying to explain complicated math to a five year old. "I am Salazar Slytherin, or at least his portrait. I founded this house, and I am its guardian." "Ok then." Just then someone walked over and spoke to the portrait. "Mudblood." She said. The portrait nodded and swung open, and I slipped inside behind the girl.

There were a lot of people in the living room. I walked up to the room Marn and I had been sharing. I opened the door and saw the blond boy from earlier, during dinner. He was sitting on the bed I had been using. "Uh…" I said, staring at him. Yeah, cause I'm real intelligent like that. Can't reason my way out of a wet paper bag.The boy turned and looked at me like I was a lunatic. "Um…" I said. "Why are you here?" He looked at me questioningly. "It's my room. Has been for almost three years. And why is there girl stuff all over the place?" He asked, gesturing to an open package of maxi-pads on the nightstand. Marnie is so dead. Naturally, I did what any other girl would of done, and blamed her for it. "Those belong to my cousin!" I practically screamed. "I should probably get everything and go now. Any idea where I stay?" He nodded in agreement, then said "Downstairs, it's the next staircase on the right." Cause, you know, everyone got the memo but me. And Marn, but she's dead as of now."Thanks, I guess." I walked over and started stuffing everything into a suitcase. After I had packed and unpacked in my new room, I realized I never introduced myself due to my humiliation over the pads. I still didn't know the blond guy's name. And he was hot too. "I'm such a genius" I muttered to myself as I flopped down on my new bed.

Marnie's Point of View

Fred and I walked down the hall and stopped in front of the Slytherin painting. It was kinda late since we had gotten distracted along the way by various minor pranks, so by the time we arrived the Slytherin painting was asleep. Oh crap. And our cell phones don't work cuz we're in the middle of friggin nowhere, so I can't call Jenn. So it looks like I'm camping out tonight.I turned to Fred. "Got an extra bed anywhere?" I asked. "Girls aren't allowed." He replied. "So that's a yes?" And he nodded.

We walked all the way to the opposite side of the stupid castle to get to the Gryffindor tower. Yup, the green house is in the dungeon on one side, the red house is in a tower on the other. (At least I'm getting some exercise, right?) By the time we got there it was even later, but the Gryffindor picture was still awake. It let us in and we stepped inside. It looked a lot like the other place's living room but cozier, with less green and redder (obviously). Fred got me a blanket so I could crash on the couch. I said goodnight to him and promptly fell asleep.