"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" a large man shouts.

Our group of five changes course and arrives by the large man who gets bigger with each step. By the time we reach him, we practically have to look straight up to see his face. The man is wearing a large moleskin coat and has a really wild beard.

"Woah! Dude you're huge!" Sirius shouts.

"Sirius!" Remus hits him on the back of the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" he asks.

Remus shakes his head and turns to the large man, "Sorry, we're quickly learning that he has no tact."

The man laughs, "Don't worry 'bout it. I'm used to it by now. Alright if yeh'd follow me."

The man walks away and leaves us all scrambling to follow. For every step he takes we have to take five. It's a good thing though because it makes us all at a light jog to keep up, and so we get to our destination faster. We arrive at a lake with a fleet of small boats at the edge.

"Only four to a boat," the man says.

I look at the four boys, "You all sit together, and I'll take one of the boats next to you."

They nod and sat down in a boat while I climb into the one on its right and lounge in the back. The boats quickly fill and it isn't until I hear a groan from behind me that I realize that, other than myself, my boat is completely empty. I look up and see the red head and grease ball from the train.

"Damn, I must have the worst luck," I mutter then raise my voice, "Can I help you?"

The red head scowls at me, "Other than moving your feet? No. We need to sit with you to get across the lake."

I raise an eyebrow, "Fine, just stop biting my head off. You don't know me and I don't know you, so cut it out."

"She may not know you Grimwood, but I do," grease ball sneers.

"Really? Then I find myself at a disadvantage. Lord Greaseball knows my name but I don't know his," I drawl, pulling out the bored pureblood attitude. I may hate it, but it can come in handy at times. The fact that he's taken a bad attitude with me when I don't know him rubs me the wrong way.

The boy narrows his eyes, but steps into the boat and then helps the red head in. They sit at the front of the boat and talk, leaving me to trail my fingers in the water when the boats are launched. My eyes are half closed with my head leaning back. I look up at the stars and trace out the constellations that I know. Corvus, Orion, Draco, Leo, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor and a whole heap of others. As we continue around a bend, I hear a bunch of gasps and turn my gaze to the front of the boat. A huge castle looms in the distance with its lights twinkling.

My mouth twitches then breaks into a full blown smile. The sight of the castle is beautiful. There's one word that comes to mind for me at the sight. Freedom. Freedom from my relatives and their expectations. Freedom from having to hide behind a stupid mask of indifference. Freedom from what I had been dreaming of escaping for the last five years.

The boats pull under a curtain of sea weed and land. Our group follows the giant, that's the only word I can come up with to describe him, to a set of large doors and he knocks on them. A moment later the door opens to reveal a strict looking woman with her hair pulled back into a bun.

"The firs' years Professor," the giant says.

"Thank you Hagrid." She turns to us, "Follow me."

Like a small herd of sheep we enter the door and find ourselves in a large marble room.

'Must be the Entrance Hall.' I think. Tessa and my parents had told me a lot about Hogwarts when I was little so I know more than the normal kid. The woman leads us to a small room and we all cram ourselves into it. Once we all are situated the woman begins to speak.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. In a moment you will be taken in to be sorted into your house. While at Hogwarts your house is like your family," she says.

'That's just great. If my house is like my family then I'll sleep in a broom cupboard.' I frown.

"In Hogwarts you may earn and lose points according to your behavior. At the end of the year the house cup will be awarded to the house with the most house points. The houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Now I shall come back for you in a moment to go to the sorting so I suggest that you all sharpen up." With that the woman turns around and leaves the room. The moment she is gone chatter breaks out amongst the students.

"So what house do you think you'll be in?" Peter asks.

"I'm going to be in Gryffindor!" James smiles.

"I'm not sure…I'm pretty smart so maybe Ravenclaw, but I would be happy even if I was in Hufflepuff," Remus says.

"Well if family tradition stands true, then I'm stuck with Slytherin," Sirius sighs.

I turn to him, "Family tradition doesn't decide where you go. I'll tell you what, if you try to get into another house then I will too. It's time to break this bloody tradition."

Sirius pauses for a moment then a grin spreads across his face. He nods and then turns his thoughts inward again.

I sigh and look up when the door opens and the woman is standing there.

"They're ready for you."

She leads us into the largest hall in the castle and I gaze around the room. There are five tables with one at the front on a dais and four standing perpendicular to it. There is a house banner above each of the tables and the school's coat of arms above the one at the front. On the Dais also stands a stool with a hat on it.

'Wait, we're being sorted by a hat? You have got to be kidding me!' I roll my eyes and look to see the reaction of the boys. They all have varying levels of confusion on their faces, but the looks quickly change. Remus bites his bottom lip trying to figure out what is going on. Peter looks scared, this causes me to give a slight snort of annoyance. Sirius looks bored, and James just has his eyebrow raised.

Turning back to the front I see that the hat has now gained a mouth and seems to wait for the talking to die down then begins to sing.

"Come one come all and listen to what I've to say,
For it was long ago that I was born.
In the magic of an ancient day,
Godric Gryffindor pulled off the hat he's worn.
His friends looked at him puzzled and confused,
What was the use of a hat they surely must have mused.
When we have gone who will sort the students? Godric asked.
We must find something that is unbiased.
So in a moment they placed inside the values they did cherish.
From kind Hufflepuff came loyal dedication,
Those who value friendship, their bonds never perish.
For those who value an education,
Intelligent Ravenclaw gave an oasis for those with wit.
Slytherin knew what must be done,
So a house of cunning is what he found fit.
And finally for Gryffindor he wanted lots of fun,
Found that those with lots of nerve were the best.
Now come up here and take a seat,
And I will find where your heart may rest."

I applaud with the rest of the students and watch the hat with some interest. From what I was able to gather the hat can tell what we value above all else and can find what house we belong in.

"When I call your name you will come up and place the hat on your head. It will then sort you and you will go and sit with your house mates," the teacher says then proceeds to call out the names. My mind drifts as she goes through the names, but is brought back when I hear Sirius called up.

Sirius walks up to the stool with his back straight and confidence in his step. I catch the nervousness in him though when his right hand clenches slightly before relaxing. The hat is placed on his head and we wait. It was a couple of minutes before the hat bows down.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouts.

Silence rings through the hall as people watch in awe. A Black in Gryffindor? As it sinks in a smile spreads across my face and I start to applaud loudly. After a moment the three boys next to me applaud as well with James giving a whistle. The hall then wakes up and clapping spreads throughout four of the five tables. The Slytherins, of course, were glaring at him like he had betrayed them all.

The sorting continues and three people later, including the red head who is Lily Evans, the teacher gets to the 'G' section. What is the first name she calls out? Mine of course.

"Grimwood, Annalisa."

I straighten my back and walk up there with apparent ease. Only someone who knows me well would be able to tell that there is a slight tension to my jaw and that my shoulders are a little too stiff. I place the hat on my head and wait.

"Ah, Annalisa Grimwood. I have been waiting for you since your sister Tessa came," the hat mutters in my ear, or is he in my head?

'Ok, first off don't call me Annalisa. It's Ann. Second who cares about Tessa, she's a pain.' I think.

"Someone's got a bit of a temper. Rather bold of you. I can see something about you…oh dear…you certainly know your dark spells don't you?"

'Yeah, well with a family like mine you find out how to use them at a young age.'

"Yes, but you've seen these spells preformed."

'And? Can we get on with this bloody sorting? I'm hungry and don't feel like having to wait forever!'

"All right, if you wish. How about Slytherin? Keep with the family tradition?"

I almost growl, 'Hell no! You do that and I'll reacquaint you with a needle and thread!'

"Cheeky little kid, I thought girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice?"

I chuckle, 'Most are, but they changed my recipe. I've got tobacco sauce, double the spice, and one hell of a family.'

"True, I won't place you in Slytherin though, you'd rebel more than you already are, even though you'd do well there. You're too tough for Hufflepuff, and you'd drive the Ravenclaws crazy. Yes…the best house for you," the hat stop muttering in my head and shouts for the rest of the hall to hear, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Once again, silence. I know what most of the people in the hall are thinking. It's something along the lines of two people from very old pureblood families going to Gryffindor rather than Slytherin? Is this the apocalypse? That's when Sirius stands up and with a quick whistle begins to clap. The three boys join in as well and once again the hall wakes up.

I reach the table and smirk at Sirius, "That was lovely. Though your silence went longer."

"Well what can I say? I'm just that awesome," Sirius shrugs with a grin.

The two of us sit down and discuss the sorting as it continues. We're talking about a Slytherin that has just been sorted when we hear "Lupin, Remus" from the front.

Watching Remus walk up to the stool, I can tell that he isn't so much as nervous, as he is awed. It strikes me as odd that he would be so relieved to be going to Hogwarts. Is it that he didn't show magic until a short while ago, or is it something else entirely?

The hat is quite for a moment before it opens its large brim for a moment before closing it. It opens its mouth again and shouts out Remus's fate.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius and I applaud again and Remus walks over to us with a blush rising on his cheeks. He gives us a mock glare as he sits down and we smile innocently. The sorting continues and we watch with half interest half boredom.

"Malfoy, Lucius."

The hat is on his head for about five seconds before it yells out "SLYTHERIN!"

"Were we really expecting anywhere else?" Sirius asks.

I shake my head, "No, but I'm surprised that the hat touched his head for that long."

"Pettigrew, Peter."

The hat has to think for a while, making the already nervous Peter even more nervous. He is so tense that when the hat yells "GRYFFINDOR!" that he falls backwards off of the chair. Laughter mixes with applause and he runs to the Gryffindor table.

"Potter, James."

James almost struts up to the chair and after thirty seconds the hat half shouts half laughs his decision.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

James smiles and comes to the table and sits on Sirius's other side.

"What did you do to the hat? It sounded like it was trying to hold back laughter," Sirius questions.

"Oh, it knew where I was going in a second, but we had a little conversation and it ended up liking some of my jokes," James grins.

Remus shakes his head while Sirius laughs quietly. I bite my lip to avoid laughing, when the name "Snape, Severus." is called. Lord Greaseball walks up to the hat and the teacher, who's name I remember is McGonagall, tries to place the hat on his head, but the hat screeches "SLYTHERIN!" while it's still three inches above the boy's head.

"Hmm…greasy isn't just a Slytherin, he's a true Slytherin," I muse.

"True Slytherin?" Remus asks.

Sirius nods, "Only a Slytherin who knows an extreme amount of Dark Magic can get that kind of response. My cousin Bellatrix got that when she was sorted."

"Sorry to hear that. Slytherins are a pain to deal with," I say.

Our conversation continues through the rest of the sorting and by the end the five of us have decided that we were going to really enjoy this school year.