"The giant squid dumped us in the lake," Mitchell said loudly

"Oh," she said "Well then," she flicked her wand in the direction of the students and their robes were instantly dry. Their hair was still soaked, but at least they weren't dripping water on the floor. Fortunately for the tree purebloods, Draco had a comb in his pocket so they were able to fix their hair.

"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. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." McGonagall said as she walked over to a huge set of wooden double doors and disappeared.

The children stood in silence until Mitchell interrupted.

"Uh, my hair is still wet" he complained "If she's a witch can't she use some real magic and dry my hair. I'm the boy who lived, I should get a special service." Jack snorted

"Oh you think that's funny, do you? You are nothing compared to me you little twerp"

"Do you hear yourself talking?" Jack said "You sound spoiled rotten"

"Don't insult me again Harkness, my mother teaches here and she'll give you detention." Mitchell sneered, Draco seemed like he wanted to say something in Jack's defense but just then McGonagall returned. Twenty or so eerily silver flying figures passed them.

"Ghosts" breathed Draco

"Okay okay," McGonagall said

Mitchell smirked at Jack, who simply rolled his eyes and turned to the professor.

"They're ready for you now," she said "pair up boys and girls"

They all headed into the Great Hall and walked up to the front. Four long wooden tables with students surrounded the 50 or so first years. Alex looked around in amazement as Draco whispered something to Jack and McGonagall started speaking.

"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, put on the hat, which fell right down 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. One of the ghosts waved at her merrily.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

"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" then became a Slytherin. Alex was definitely starting to feel sick now. He was a little nervous, not because he was scared about which house he would go in, but what if they called his old name out, the one he had abandoned long ago?

"Clark, Parker"

"RAVENCLAW"

'Finch-Fletchley, Justin!' was sorted into Hufflepuff and then the rude girl who had burst into their compartment on the train; Hermione Granger was placed into Gryffindor.

"Harkness, Rickard" Jack rolled his eyes and put on his expressionless mask and walked up and sat on the stool. He sat there for a really long time before the hat finally shouted out:

"SLYTHERIN!" Jack flashed Alex a grin before heading over to the table with green robed people.

"Kastan, Edmund"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Malfoy, Draconis" he elbowed his way passed a red-haired boy and McGonagall placed the old hat on the blonde boy's head. Just a second after it cried

"SLYTHERIN!" he smirked and went to join Jack, Alex took a deep breath, You're fine Alex, all you have to do is sit there on the stool. He thought, but they skipped straight to the boy who lived.

"Potter, Mitchell" the whole hall went silent in awe, except Alex, Draco and Jack. All they could think of was why weren't they sorted or why their friend wasn't sorted. The look on Mitchell's face was pure arrogance as the hat was put on his head. Alex caught Draco's eye and shrugged, he looked worried.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat and Mitchell took in the painfully loud round of applause. After he took his seat (finally) McGonagall said the next name and Alex almost cried out.

"Potter, Harry" loud gasps echoed from throughout the room, Alex didn't move, it wasn't his name, not anymore. "Where is Mr. Harry Potter?" no one came forward. He steeled himself to not respond, his father had renamed and he wasn't going to go back on it. Dumbledore locked eyes with him as he scanned the head table, Alex looked away as quickly as possible, but the damage was done. Dumbledore had recognized him. He called Mcgonagall over and whispered something in her ear. She nodded and returned to her position by the stool,

"Get up here young man" she was looking directly at him, he gulped and walked passed everyone before sitting down. The hat was placed over his head.

"Aha" a voice said, he nearly jumped, but quickly tensed his muscles and stayed still. This was the hat's voice. "Another Potter is it?"

"No" Alex thought, "My name is Alexander Matthews"

"Really?" the hat said "If you say so. Now, where to put you?"

Alex found Jack's eyes on him, he flashed a grim smile as the hat started up again.

"Quite brave, not a bad mind. An urge to prove yourself, ist it? That's interesting. But oh, the ambition and cunning that lies inside you. My boy, you are destined for greatness, in SLYTHERIN!"

Gasps echoed around the room as the Slytherin table burst into applause. There were a few scattered Ravenclaws applauding, but the rest were just shocked. Alex laughed, sure, no Potter had ever been sorted into Slytherin. And yeah, he was supposedly dead, but none of that really mattered. He sat next to Jack and Draco as the next few names were called. Blaise was the last to be sorted, Slytherin and he came to sit next to the boys.

"Now Harkness, about that toad"

"Right," the boy said "It's Longbottom's toad, you know, the clumsy Gryffindor."

"Yes" Draco said, Alex and Blaise simply nodded

"He's searching for him. Now, i was gonna do it during sorting, but that didn't work out. We need to find a way to release it in front, near the head table, with a charm to make it super loud. So when it croaks, the whole hall will hear" Jack whispered excitedly "anyone know that charm?"

"I do" Blaise said "Well, i know the incantation. It's Sonorus, all you have to do it point it at the target. But it's a fifth year charm."

"Alright, anyone super phenomenal at charms?" Draco elbowed him in the gut

"Me you idiot" He said "i'll do it"

"Okay, now, we need a spell to transport him, or a way to get him up there. If all fails, i'm good at sleight of hand, so i can slip him out of my pocket while talking to professor Snape."

A blonde girl sitting next to Blaise leaned over to Jack.

"There is no spell that can do that dimwit " she grinned "I'm Daphne Greengrass"

"O-o-kay" Jack grimmanced "Looks like Magic Jack is going in"

He made his way up to the table, the toad in his left pocket.

" Excuse me Professor" he said to Snape, "I was wondering if i could have a copy of advanced potion making. I'm fascinated by potions and the beginner book is way too easy. I asked the man at the Apothecary but her ruseed to sell it to anyone under 15. Even after i offered him 5 times the amount of money. Please sir, it would mean so much to me."

The man looked down at the first year. His coal colored eyes bored into jack's ice blue ones and then he spoke. "Fine. I will give you this book on one condition."

"What?" Jack asked

"See me in my classroom after dinner tomorrow and we'll see" He said, Jack gulped

"Yes sir" he said

Jack turned around, while he stepped down from the higher ground, he pulled the toad out of his pocket. He coughed and dropped the creature to the floor. He signed with his hand to Draco, who in turn cast the amplifying charm. Jack scrambled back to the slytherin table, and almost made it before the loud croaks began.

"Trevor!" Longbottom exclaimed, the chubby boy running up to get him. The hall erupted into laughter. Dumbledore stood up,

"Who is responsible for this?" he roared, no one said a word. "We will find the culprit. Mark my words"