Chapter Three: Welcome to Hogwarts.

(Recognizable portions of this chapter are from Chapter Seven of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling.)

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Danny's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.

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

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

She pulled the door wide. The Entrance Hall was so big you could have fitted the whole of the Fenton's house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right – the rest of the school must already be here – but Professor McGonagall showed the first-years into a small empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"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 honour. 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. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's still-smudged nose. Harry was nervously trying to flatten his hair.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."
She left the chamber. Danny brushed the hair out of his eyes.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Neville asked Ron.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

Danny looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified too. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learnt and wondering which one she'd need.

"I know it involves a hat." Danny told Neville, who looked confused.

Then something happened which made him jump about a foot in the air – several people behind him screamed. A shiver went up Danny's spine like a rush of cold air.

"What the –?"

He gasped. So did the people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to each other and hardly glancing at the first-years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying, "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance –"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost – I say, what are you all doing here?" A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first-years. Nobody answered.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them.

"About to be sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to start." Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first-years, "and follow me."

Danny took the lead, followed by Harry, Ron, and Neville, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Jazz's letters did not do the place justice. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles which were floating in mid-air over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the Hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.

Professor McGonagall led the first-years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Danny looked upwards and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside, I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."

"I knew that." Danny half-whispered.

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open out into the heavens.

Danny looked down as he saw Professor McGonagall set a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat, which was ancient and tattered. For a few seconds, there was silence, and then, the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the cloth folded in two places to look like eyes.

The hat began to sing.

"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 Hufflepuffs 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 folks 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!"

The whole hall burst into applause as the Hat finished its song, while Danny was remembering hearing his sister singing in the shower. They had about the same quality when it came to singing, that is, next to none at all.

The Hat bowed to each of the four tables, and then became still once again.

"So, we've just got to try on the hat?" Ron whispered to Harry. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll." Harry had smiled weakly at that.

Professor McGonagall strode forward, a long roll of parchment in her hand.

"When I call your name, you will put on the Hat, and sit on the stool to be sorted." She said.

"Abbott, Hannah" A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line and put on the Hat, which fell over her eyes, and sat down.

A moment's pause.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" Shouted the Hat. The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff Table. The Ghost of the Fat Friar was waving merrily at her.

"Bones, Susan"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The girl with long brown braided hair joined Hannah at the Hufflepuff Table.

"Boot, Terry"

"RAVENCLAW!" Danny followed the path of the boy to the Ravenclaw Table on the left, and locked eyes with his sister, who gave a slight nod of assurance.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers.

"Bulstrode, Millicent" became the first new Slytherin. The trollish girl joined the rather unpleasant-looking lot on the far right table.

After "Entwhistle, Kevin" joined Hufflepuff, Danny heard his name called.

"Fenton, Daniel." Danny stumbled to the stool, and felt the hat cover his eyes. He suddenly heard a voice in his head.

"Oh, very interesting. Where ever shall I place you. You know cunning, and have loyalty in spades. Ah, but there it is, that willingness to stand in the face of fear without flinching. There is only place for that.-GRYFFINDOR" The Hat shouted out, and he went to the Gryffindor Table, catching a look from Jazz that was seemed to be both proud and disappointed at the same time.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin" went to Hufflepuff, while "Finnegan, Seamus" joined him in Gryffindor.

"Goldstein, Anthony" went to Ravenclaw after a moment, while "Goyle, Gregory" was sent to Slytherin. It was a little over four minutes before "Granger, Hermione" was sitting across from him at the Gryffindor Table.

Neville went to Gryffindor after another four minutes on the stood. From his expression, it seemed he was arguing with the Hat before sighing as it called out "GRYFFINDOR!" Neville ran off, still wearing the Hat, having to double back amid gales of laughter to give it "MacDougal, Morag".

Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called after "Macmillan, Ernest", and had his wish granted when the Hat had barely touched his hair, declaring "SLYTHERIN!" Danny though it did it so quick to avoid getting greasy from it. He joined his friends Crabbe and Goyle looking very pleased.

After the Patil twins of Padma and Pavarti went to Ravenclaw and Gryffindor respectively, followed by "Perks, Sally-Anne", Harry's name was called.

"Potter, Harry" the hall broke out into whispers. Danny sent a reassuring smile his way, and he could tell his sister was doing the same. Danny checked his watch. It took about two agonizing minutes, but finally the Hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry walked shakily towards his cousin, who gave him a congratulatory pat on the back. Harry sat next to Danny opposite of Neville. The Weasley twins were shouting "We got Potter!" and congratulations were given like birthday presents.

They looked at the Head Table properly, where the remaining first-years were waiting to be sorted. Several of the teachers were beaming at Harry, who seemed to be trying to make himself smaller by slouching.

Pretty soon, there were only four students left. "Thomas, Dean" joined them in Gryffindor, while Ravenclaw was added to by "Turpin, Lisa". And then it was Ron's turn. The youngest Weasley brother looked rather green by now. Danny noted Harry crossing his fingers under the table. As moment later, the Hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" and he joined the table next to Harry.

"Well done Ron, excellent." Percy the Prefect said from across the table as the last student went up.

"Zabini, Blaise" rounded out the intake for Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up the scroll, and took the Sorting Hat away. Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet, beaming at the students with his arms wide.

"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts. Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words, and here they are. Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you." He sat back down, and everybody clapped, some more confusedly than others.

"Is he- a bit mad?" Harry tentatively asked Percy.

"Mad, he's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?"

The dishes in front of them had piled high with food. The cousins piled their plates high and dug in. The ghost floating at the table introduced himself.

"Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower." Danny nodded between bites of steak.

"I know who you are." Ron said suddenly. "My brothers told me about you. You're Nearly-Headless Nick!"

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-" The ghost began, only to be interrupted by Seamus Finnigan.

"Nearly-Headless? How can you be Nearly-Headless?" Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted it to.

"Like this." He said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder, as if it were on a hinge. Clearly someone had tried to behead him, but did a very bad job of it, as there was still a couple inches of flesh holding it on.

Danny gulped as his hand went to his throat.

Looking pleased at the shocked looks around him, Sir Nicholas swung his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So, new Gryffindors. I hope you're going to help us win the House Championship this year. GRyffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row. The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable. He's the Slytherin ghost."

Danny looked over at the Slytherin Table, and saw the blank-eyed ghost clad in rattling chains. A wave of emotion that was not his own passed through him, bitterness and disappointment. The feeling passed as quickly as it came.

"How did he get covered in blood?" Seamus asked.

"I've never asked." said Sir Nicholas delicately.

"And I don't think it would a good idea to do so." Harry chipped in. Danny smiled slightly.

When everyone had eaten their fill of dinner, the remains of their meal faded from the golden plates, leaving them sparkling clean for the desserts, which were equally mountainous and impressive. Harry helped himself to a large helping of treacle tart while Danny had a plate full of pumpkin.

The talk of the table soon turned to families.

"I'm half and half. Me dad's a Muggle; Mam's a witch. Bit of a nasty shock for him when he found out after the wedding." Seamus said.

"What about you Neville?" Asked Ron.

"Well, my gran brought me up, and she's a witch." Said Neville. "But my family thought I was all muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me. He pushed me off the end of Blackpool Pier once. I nearly drowned. But, nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came 'round for dinner and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles, when my Great Aunt Enid offered him a meringue, and he accidently let go. But I bounced all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased. Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here. They thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased, he bought me my toad."

Danny could only shake his head disapprovingly at the methods some families would go to prove their children had magic. Then his mind made the connection between "Great Uncle Algie" getting Neville a toad. It took all of Danny's willpower not to facepalm then and there at the pun.

Percy and Hermione were caught up talking about lessons, and he realized that being in Gryffindor did not protect him from his sister's personality.

"I do hope they start right away. There's so much to learn. I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else. Of course, it's supposed to be very difficult." Hermione was saying.

"You'll be starting small, just matches to needles and that sort of thing." Percy had replied.

A sudden movement from his side caught Danny's attention, and he turned to see his cousin wincing.

"Ouch." He clapped a hand to his forehead, over his scar. Danny followed his line of sight to the Head Table, specifically Professors Snape and Quirrell, the latter of whom immediately gave Danny a sense of wrongness about him.

"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" Harry asked Danny.

"I'm pretty sure that's Professor Snape, he matches the description Jazz gave in her letters." Danny answered, not taking his eyes off of the back of Professor Quirrell's turban.

Soon, the desserts too were finished, and vanished like the remains of dinner before. Dumbledore stood up.

"Just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First-years should note that the forests on the grounds are forbidden to all pupils, and a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins. "I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the Caretaker, to remind you that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their House Teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out-of-bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Danny quirked an eyebrow at the last statement. What made the corridor so deadly this year? Jazz would certainly berate him for it, but he was going to get to the bottom of it.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song." cried Dumbledore. Danny noticed all the teachers now wearing rather fixed smiles, of the 'grin and bear it because that's the only option' variety. Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables, and twisted itself snakelike into words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune." said Dumbledore. "And off we go!" And the school bellowed.

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald,
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling,
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot."

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted the lines with his wand, and when it it was done he was one of the ones who clapped loudest.

"Ah, music." He said, wiping a tear from his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here." He sighed."And now, bedtime! Off you trot."

The Gryffindor first-years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. The portraits along the walls pointed as whispered as they passed, annoying Danny to no end. They crossed through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet. Suddenly, they came to a halt where a bundle of walking sticks were floating in midair.

A chill ran up Danny's spine.

As Percy took a step towards them they started hurling themselves at him.

"Peeves." The Prefect whispered to the first-years.

'Oh right, the poltergeist.' Danny thought.

"Peeves." Percy spoke up. "Show yourself."

A loud, rude sound, much like a whoopee cushion, answered.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?" There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, beady black eyes and an atrocious fashion sense appeared, holding the walking sticks.

"Ohhhh." He said with an evil cackle. "'Ickle firsties, what fun." He suddenly swooped at them, causing them all to duck. Then hs caught sight of Danny, and he backpedaled to a stop before hurling the entire bundle at Danny before zipping off without a word, rattling suits of armor in his wake. Danny sidestepped the walking sticks, which wound up knocking Neville down.

"Sorry about that." Danny said sheepishly, his hand rubbing the back of his neck.

"You'll want to watch out for Peeves. The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him. He won't even listen to us Prefects." Percy informed them. "Ah, here we are."

At the end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password." She said.

"Caput Draconis" responded Percy. The portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it. Danny helped Neville get a leg up to get through.

They found themselves in the Gryffindor Common Room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs. Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory, and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase, they were clearly bunked in a tower, they found their beds.

Six four-poster beds, hung with deep red velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they got into their pajamas. Of course, Neville noticed something just before they go into bed.

"What happened to your neck?" He asked Danny tentatively.

On his neck and collar were a set of four thin red scars. Danny's eyes hardened.

"None of your concern." He said coldly, before shutting the curtains and falling into bed.

His dreams were not happy ones, and he awoke more tired than when he went to bed.