Two

A Full Set

The two girls had changed into their robes upon Rowena's suggestion about ten minutes before the train pulled up at the station. Helga stood up as the train stopped, grasping the compartment rail tightly so as to not fall over. She was halfway out of the compartment when she realised the dark haired girl hadn't moved.

"Um, we're here," she said and Rowena lifted her head with a slight frown, as if wondering how they'd arrived so quickly before standing in one fluent movement and placing her book back into her bag. They headed down the crowded carriage together and Helga finally plucked up the courage to introduce herself.

"I'm Helga, by the way. Helga Brown."

Rowena nodded. "I'm Rowena Ravenscroft."

Helga laughed and Rowena looked taken aback – "What?"

"Even your name sounds ethereal."

Rowena's mouth turned up in a half smile as they forced their way out onto the train station. On solid ground both girls stopped and looked around them, lost. They were surrounded by what seemed like a never ending sea of students, most of whom were taller and older than them. Rowena was watching them with a sort of awe while Helga was more worried about how they were ever going to make their way through the masses and towards that giant man who was yelling loudly "Firs' years this way!" They were pushed forwards by a forceful group of teens behind them who were trying to get off the train and eventually found themselves stood in the centre of the platform, while people milled around them. Rowena wasn't particularly bothered about moving and was happy to let everyone else move before they made their way to the boats, but Helga fretted.

"What if they leave without us?"

"I'm sure they know how many new students they're meant to have," reassured Rowena, "they'll wait for us. It's not as though any of the other new students will be able to get through either."

As it turned out, she was right, when they did eventually get through they were still among the first to arrive at the boats.

"In ye get," said the man who was easily four times the size of Helga, pointing at a few boats floating on a lake.

The two girls clambered into the nearest boat, which was occupied by two other first years who seemed to have also been apt in battling their way to the boats. One of them, a boy with red-tinged hair was smiling at his friend who stared at the two girls as they climbed into the boat, paying particular attention to Rowena.

"Yes?" she asked, feeling rather intrigued by this pale faced, pale haired boy's attention.

He smirked and looked away. "Nothing."

Rowena frowned before holding out a hand to the other boy, "I'm Rowena Ravenscroft and this is Helga Brown."

The boy took her hand, "I'm Godric, Godric Goldsberg," he said before letting go and moving to shake hands with Helga.

Rowena held out her hand again, a small smile beginning to play on her face, this time to the pale haired boy who had been staring at her earlier. He, however looked away and stared across the river, ignoring her except for taking a moment to say, with a small smirk on his own face, "and my name's Salazar Demonyo."

Rowena laughed, the tinkering sound echoing across the lake. "Well then. A full set."

Helga and Godric looked puzzled, "What?" they asked at the same time.

Before Rowena could explain, Salazar began, "The original four founders of Hogwarts were named Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff. Admittedly because of that, our names aren't exactly uncommon, actually they're just as easy to come across as a name like 'Harry' is nowadays, but still. It's quite the coincidence that we're all in the same boat."

Rowena nodded. "Exactly."

Godric smiled. "It will be even better if we're all in the right corresponding houses," he said, "personally from what I've heard, I'm hoping for Gryffindor, so we'll see."

"I will be a Slytherin," Salazar declared, not a hint of doubt in his voice, just before Rowena could say, "I think I will be a Ravenclaw."

Helga spoke for the first time since climbing on board, "well, I don't know much about Hogwarts apart from what I've read but I was hoping to be in the same house as Rowena. I don't think it really matters which house you're in, though I don't see why you would want to be in Slytherin."

Salazar laughed but didn't make any remark as all around them boats began to fill up with more first years who appeared to have waited until the platform was entirely empty before bothering to get over to the boats.

"There is one thing I'd like to know though," said Helga, "who's that?" She pointed at the giant man who had called them over to the boats.

"That's Hagrid, keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts, he's also a Care for Magical Creatures teacher," Rowena told her, "He took part in the great battle of Hogwarts and taught when Harry Potter and his friends attended," she continued.

"Is there anything you don't know?" Godric asked.

Salazar snorted. "Please. Anyone with magical parents knows these things. Where have you two been living?"

"I have better things to do in my time than cram away at dusty old books or listen to my dad go on about things that happened more than a decade ago, as for my mum she's a muggle, so she knows even less than me."

Salazar sighed. "It's a shame about your mum."

Godric shrugged. "It's not like it's important."

"Well I don't have magical parents. So it's no surprise that I don't know these things," Helga explained.

"Then how'd you get a name like Helga?" Salazar asked in surprise, his face slightly wrinkled. "I can't imagine it being a popular name with muggles."

Helga shrugged. "My parents don't really know why they decided to call me Helga, it's just a name they found online."

"You'd think they'd try and give you a name they at least liked," said Godric.

"I'm sure they do like it," Rowena said, feeling the need to defend Helga after she'd been nice enough to say she wanted to be in her house, especially since Helga being in Ravenclaw didn't seem particularly likely, "And I have magical parents but I still wouldn't have known some of those things. I only know them because I read them in the newest edition of Hogwarts a History."

Godric rolled his eyes. "I'll never understand why some people read so much."

Rowena frowned. "Without reading most of the ideas that we have today-"

"Alright! I just meant that it seems boring. Anyway… Why aren't we moving yet?" he asked hurriedly sensing a lecture ahead, just as all around them the boats began to move, sailing across the lake.

"Yer' lucky there ain't a storm like las' year," Hagrid called from the front, "By the time we got to the castle the firs' years looked more like they'd bin swimmin' in the lake than sailin' across it."

There were a few nervous titters from first years in other boats but Helga noted that no one in her boat paid much attention to what Hagrid said. Like herself they were gazing up at the many turrets and towers of Hogwarts castle which had recently come into view behind a thin layer of mist, the castle formed a mystical silhouette against the night sky and everyone in the boats stopped talking as they caught sight of the castle, each having been left speechles.

For Rowena the school represented a place to learn everything she could.

To Helga it represented her home for the following years.

For Godric the castle promised adventure.

And to Salazar the building was a promise of independence, the knowledge that he could prove himself here to be the powerful wizard he knew he was.

.

The boat ride didn't take too long, and the rest of it passed without any more chatter from the four, each caught up in their own thoughts and very much aware of the looming sorting ceremony.

"Mind yer heads!" came Hagrids voice again as they passed under some ivy and along a passage under the castle before finally being able to get off the boats (Helga mentioned that she had started to feel rather sick and the others were worry that she would actually throw up on them).

.

They were guided into a little room next to the Great Hall to be met by the deputy headmaster, in this little room a whole stone wall was inscribed withnames and dates, above which were the words 'Battle of Hogwarts, 1998 - In memory of those who lost their lives' and below all of the names and dates were the words '"We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided" –Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts Headmaster 1956- 1997"'.

"It's sad isn't it?" the deputy head said upon noticing that most first years were staring at the wall. The mass of first years turned to see a short man, smaller than most of them, stood by the door. "But it's a reminder that although we sort you into separate houses and although there are competitions and rivalry, we are all part of one school. We are all part of one community, the Wizarding Community. We have a responsibility to ourselves and to the muggles. My name is Professor Flitwick, Charms Master, Head of Ravenclaw House and Deputy Headmaster here at Hogwarts. It's nice to meet you all."

There were mumblings among the students who had heard of Flitwick before today and the Professor allowed them a couple of seconds to murmer before opening the grand doors to the Great Hall. "There are four houses here at Hogwarts, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. If you will follow me, it's time for you to be sorted."

A/N I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter up! But I finally know where I'm going with this story so hopefully updates should be quick and regular from now on, it just took a trip to the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour to give me back my inspiration (what an AMAZING PLACE it is. I enjoyed myself so much, gaH!). I love reviews more than I love chocolate frogs, and I love chocolate frogs a LOT! (hint).