The small fleet of boats traveled through a dark tunnel leading under the castle and stopped at a small underground harbor. The first years clambered onto the rocks and pebbles and followed the half-giant, Hagrid, as he led them down a dark passageway. His lantern was the only source of light and Gail found herself very thankful that Holly had gripped her sleeve again when they got out of the boat. They made their way out of the passage onto freshly cut grass and made their way up a flight of stone stairs and stopped in front of the huge oak front door of the looming castle. Hagrid looked around at all of them before knocking on the door.

A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes opened the door. She looked incredibly stern and Gail wondered how she'd do in whatever class that woman taught.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

The steely woman led the group into the entrance hall which was so large that Gail couldn't even make out the ceiling high above them. In front of the group was a large staircase leading up to the floors above and off to the right Gail could make out the loud chattering of the rest of the students. However, Professor McGonagall stopped them just outside of the doorway.

Gail watched Holly's eyes light up as she looked around the enormous room. Holly seemed to inspect each painting with its moving inhabitants before letting her eyes wander up to watch the moving staircases above. Watching the muggle-born girl take in the sight of so many things that seemed boring and every day to Gail made the corner of the blonde's mouth twitch up. Gail was way too used to being around people who considered all of this very mundane.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses, are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. Line up single file please."

Gail frowned when Holly dropped her sleeve to line up single file but she expected it. For a moment, while standing in line behind the brunette, Gail looked down at the arms of her robes and sighed. She had never really dwelled on her lack of friends before that moment because being social was just so draining for her. However, she found herself lamenting the absence of prior peer interaction in her life as she looked up at the girl in front of her. Then she made fun of herself for lamenting anything because she was eleven stinking years old. What kind of eleven year old lamented things? Where did she even learn that word?

As the small group of eleven year olds followed after Professor McGonagall, Gail tried to ignore the curious looks from some of the other kids as they looked her over and wondered what House Holly would be sorted into. It probably wouldn't be Slytherin. Ravenclaw maybe. So, long as she wasn't in Gryffindor maybe there was a chance they could still be friends. At this point, Gail would take being friends with Chloe too if meant she could still be friends with Holly. There was just something so inviting about the nerdy muggle-born. Something she knew she was going to miss when Holly wanted nothing to do with her. She was much too happy and excited to keep talking to Gail.

The Great Hall looked just as amazing as Steve had told Gail and even she was amazed to see the ceiling reflecting the starry sky outside as if the roof itself didn't exist between them and the heavens. She ran into Holly when the kids in front began to stop moving and quickly apologized. Holly smiled at her as Gail positioned herself next to the brunette while the rest first years finished lining up along the stage to get sorted. Professor McGonagall set a four legged stool on the stage in front of the staff table and set a dusty, beat up, old wizard's hat on it. The Sorting Hat, Gail told herself.

The hat twitched and the muggle-born kids in the group all gasped as the brim ripped open and the hat began to sing. It sang of the different qualities that each House looked for in its students and about the founders of the school.

Gail could feel her palms start to sweat and her knees felt like they barely wanted to hold her up. Why was she nervous? It wasn't like she was one of the muggle-born kids lined up with her. She knew what House she'd be in; she knew where she belonged. Didn't she?

Professor McGonagall began calling kids up in alphabetical order, one by one, so they could sit on the stool and have the talking hat dropped onto their head. Nicholas Collins almost tripped on his way up to the stool but sat on the stool with a big dumb grin on his face as the hat covered his eyes. The brim ripped open to shout out the name of his House and Nick stumbled over to sit with the rest of the idiots of Gryffindor.

A tall boy named Chris, who looked much older than 11, was sorted into Hufflepuff along with that annoying kid with the toad, Dov. A few other kids were sorted but Gail wasn't really paying attention. She was more focused on her increased heart rate and sweaty palms. Gail looked over at Holly who smiled brightly at her. The muggle-born was probably just happy she didn't have to fight a troll like some of the other first years had been whispering about.

"McNally, Andy"

Gail's attention snapped back to the sorting when she recognized a name. McNally was the name of a man who worked in law enforcement under her parents. He was a drunk from what Gail had heard. The calm, spunky looking brunette was sorted into Gryffindor with barely any hesitation and Gail rolled her eyes. It would figure that one of the only people she might have anything in common with would turn out to be a Gryffindor. Another Hufflepuff followed McNally.

"Peck, Gail."

Gail could hear a few whispers behind her as she walked up to the stool and hoisted herself up onto it. She caught a glimpse of the Great Hall before Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head but instead of seeing the students the only thing she saw was Holly smiling at her before the brim of the large hat slipped over her eyes. It was almost as if all the lights in the hall had been snubbed out.

"Hmm," said the hat. "Strange. Very strange. Are you sure you're a Peck?"

Gail furrowed her brow and thought, Of course I'm a Peck. What did the hat mean with that question. Why was this even taking so long. Steve had been sorted almost immediately. Gail's thoughts floated back to the comment she made in front of her mom, Gail's joke about possibly not being in Slytherin.

"Aha! I think I have it now," said the disembodied voice of the Sorting hat in her ear. Gail was relieved. Soon she'd be sitting next to Steve and eating - "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The Great Hall came into view as the hat was removed from Gail's head. However, Gail didn't move. With wide eyes, she looked up at Professor McGonagall who just pointed her toward the Hufflepuff table.

This isn't happening. This isn't happening. I'm still asleep on the train.

"Miss Peck, others are waiting to be sorted," said Professor McGonagall. Gail shot up and quickly scurried to the end of the table under the gold tapestry as eyes all over the hall followed her movements. She couldn't even stomach to look for Steve at the table behind her and she avoided the congratulatory cheers of the students at her own though she managed to catch a couple of the closer exchanges.

"A Peck. Wow. I thought they were all Slytherin."

"My mom works in the same department as the Pecks. She's probably just as stuck up."

Soon, I'm going to wake up and be back on the train. Holly never woke me up. This is all just a dream. A very bad dream.

Through the static in her brain, as she buried her head in her hands, she could hear Chloe getting sorted into Ravenclaw along with Holly and she glanced up through her fingers to watch the annoying red head and the nice girl with glasses sit together at the table opposite her. Holly caught her eye and gave a little wave before having her attention taken away by an older student.

Gail groaned and turned her head to glance at the High Table where Dumbledore stood. With a few magic words food filled the empty dishes all along the table and Gail's stomach rumbled when the delicious smells overwhelmed her nose. Apparently, no amount of terrible news could quell a hungry Gail Peck.

"Hey!"

Gail could tell the call for attention was directed at her but she chose to ignore it as she piled food onto her plate.

"Hey, Peck!"

She reflexively readied her face with a glare before looking over toward the voice. It was coming from further down the Hufflepuff table, close to where the majority of the House was sitting. Gail's eyes landed on the annoying smile of Dov, the kid that had been terrorizing Chloe with his pet toad. When he saw he had gotten her attention he mistakenly took it as a sign to move down the table to sit closer to her followed by Chris.

"Hey, hey. A Peck in Hufflepuff," said Dov. "Shouldn't you be bursting into flames?"

Gail didn't even dignify him with an answer. She kept her focus on the amazing food before her. Despite how goofy he looked he must have gotten the hint and with a small cough, changed the subject.

"I'm Dov. This is Chris." She already knew this from the sorting of course but she glanced up to see Dov point at Chris. "Chris is muggle born so don't mind him if something scares him. I can't wait for him to see all the paintings and the stairs. The stairs probably have to be the coolest thing my brother told me about."

"Where is your brother?" asked Chris. "I didn't get to meet him on the train."

"He's down the table with the other fourth years," said Dov.

Gail just watched them talk while she ate. Eventually one of the other new first years moved down the table to join their group. She sat right next to Gail and smiled at her before turning to Chris and Dov.

"Hey, Traci. I see you finally managed to get away from that guy who was talking your ear off," said Dov.

"He wouldn't stop talking. He was going on about some store in Diagon Alley," said Traci.

The rest of dinner went by in a very slow and obnoxious haze. Dov and Chris had taken it upon them to continue bothering Gail and it wasn't until Traci told them to leave her alone that they decided to cease with the continuous questions. Soon, the first years were trotting behind the older students toward their respective dorms. Gail heard someone mention Hufflepuff's dorm being near the kitchens and she couldn't even bring herself to be excited about it. How was she going to tell her parents? Was Steve going to tell them? How would they react? Was Gail going to get a Howler first thing in the morning?

All Gail knew as she lied down in bed, curled up into a ball under her sheets, feeling more alone then ever, was that she wished she was back on the train with the nerdy girl who wanted to be her friend.