They hoped off the train and onto the platform below. The smoke coming from the train made it hard to see, but Neville could just make out a tall, looming figure, towering above the many heads of the hundreds of students.
"Firs' years. Firs' years come to me," the giant roared over the noise.
Neville exchanged a nervous glance with Hermione before they set off in the direction of the figure. Up close he seemed massive, and Neville had to crane his head back to see its face. The giant introduced himself as Hagrid, the ground keeper at Hogwarts. His name stirred something in Neville memory, and he assumed he must have heard his grandmother talk about him at some point or other.
"In a minute, I'll be askin' ye to follow me down to the lake were ye'll will get yer firs' glimpse o' Hogwarts," the giant boomed. "It's really important that you stick wi the group and don't wander off because I do not want to spend the night traipsin' after yer. Is that understood?"
Neville nodded his head along with the rest of the first years.
"Good. Follow me," Hagrid said.
They had walked only a few meters when they came to an abrupt halt, followed by a shout of surprise that tore through the babble of excited voices. Neville stood on his tip-toes in an attempt to see what had happened. Hagrid wandered through the crowd to the source of the noise and lifted up a sandy-haired boy with one hand. He dusted of the boy's cloak with his other hand before placing him, far more gently then Neville would have expected, on the ground.
"I forgot to mention. Watch the path; it gets a little slippery this time o' year."
The group started moving again, though the pace slowed considerably with no-one wanting to fall over. The path grew narrower as they walked. The trees on either side loomed over them menacingly, so close together that it was nearly impossible to see anything further then their branches. They had been walking for around five minutes when they came to another stop. Before them was a massive lake. The water looked black in the moonlight. A dozen boats were dotted about the shore in front of the group. Most of them were small and would fit only a few people, though a lone boat stood out as being larger than the others.
"Four in a boat," Hagrid said as he stepped into the larger boat.
Neville and Hermione scrambled to get into one of the boats and ended up sharing with the sandy-haired boy that had fallen over who told them he was called Seamus and another boy who introduced himself as Ron. Neville noted that Ron, with his red hair and face full of freckles, had a strong resemblance to the twins that had found Trevor earlier and suspected that he was in the presence of another Weasley.
Once everyone was seated safely inside a boat Hagrid raised a pink umbrella and shouted "FORWARD". The boats lurched forward, moving away from the shore and across the vast lake.
Neville leaned over the edge to watch the ripples the boat made in the water but drew back quickly when he saw something move below the surface. He decided that it would be safer if he stayed in the centre of the boat until they reached Hogwarts. The last thing he wanted to do was embarrass himself by falling in!
"When we go round this bend ye'll be able to see Hogwarts," Hagrid yelled over the noise of the boats.
The children gasped when the rounded the corner. On the edge of the lake was a gigantic castle, which had several turrets and so many windows that it would be impossible to count how many there were. Most of them were lit up with a warm yellow glow. Neville stared at it open mouthed as the boat glided further towards it.
"Mind yer head's," Hagrid shouted.
They all ducked as the boats moved them through a small tunnel, which was covered in moss. Neville assumed that they must be moving underneath the castle. The tunnel opened out into a big room that was bare apart from a large stone staircase. The boats came to a stop and the children stepped out onto a ledge. Hagrid directed them towards the stairs before turning his boat around and leaving through the same tunnel. The other boats followed.
At the top of the stairs they were greeted by a stern-looking woman standing in front of a large oak door. She wore small square glasses and had her hair scraped back into a bun. She eyed the first years slowly and Neville had a strange feeling that she was assessing them. Neville swallowed nervously. He had a bad habit of making poor first impressions.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall, deputy head of Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin in a moment but first you must be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony as while you are here your houses will be like your family. You will have classes together, sleep in your house dormitory and spend your free time in the house common room. We have four houses here at Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. Any triumph will earn house points; any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year the house with the most points will be awarded the House Cup. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in front of the rest of the school so I suggest you smarten yourselves up while you are waiting. I will return momentarily," Professor McGonagall said and left through the door.
Neville turned to look at Hermione in horror. His new-found friend wore a similar expression.
"Ceremony?" she spluttered.
"Whole school?" Neville exclaimed. He knew that getting sorted into his new house would be stressful, but he hadn't expected to have to go through the ordeal in front of the entire school.
"I've heard it's some sort of test," Ron said behind them. His face a gone a pale green colour.
"Test?" Neville said, his voice a pitch or two higher them normal. He was rubbish at tests. He would definitely make a fool of himself.
"What kind of test?" Hermione asked nervously.
"I don't know. My brother said it hurts though," Ron answered. "I reckon he was joking," he added quickly when he saw Neville's eyes widen with horror.
In no time at all Professor McGonagall was back and leading them out of the door into what Neville suspected was probably the entrance to Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall walked towards grand doorway on the left. As she approached the door opened.
Inside was the biggest room Neville had ever seen. Four tables filled with students ran across the length of the hall, stopping before another raised table at the far end that appeared to be the teachers table. Huge windows covered the walls and hundreds of candles floated about the room. Neville's eyes wandered to the ceiling and he gasped. Where the roof should have been was the night's sky. "It's not real. It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History" Hermione whispered to him and Neville pretended to be interested.
Yet he still preferred to stare at the sky, then at the, what felt like thousands, of heads all ogling at him. He only tore his gaze away when he felt the group stop. They were stood just before the teachers table, the only thing separating them a stool with an ancient looking hat on it. Professor McGonagall stood beside the stood holding a long piece of paper.
"When I call your name you will come and sit on the stool. I will place the hat on your head and it will sort you into your house," she said as she picked up the old hat.
McGonagall called the first name "Abbot, Hannah" and the sorting ceremony began.
To his dismay Hermione was sorted into Gryffindor. He hadn't expected to be sorted into the same house as her, but now it seemed almost impossible for them to end up together. The thought of losing his new friend made him feel weak at the knees. When about half of the group had been sorted, enough time for Neville to begin feeling physically sick, he heard his name being called.
"Longbottom, Neville"
Suddenly the room, which had been deadly silent before irrupted into hushed whispers; phrases such as "Did she just say Neville Longbottom" and "they boy-who-lived" where the most popular.
Neville nervously stepped forward away from the safety net of the group and sat on the stool. He felt the hat being place on his head and he waited anxiously.
"Interesting. Very interesting. I see strength and courage, hidden behind a wall of anxiety. I can feel the anger inside you. It burns deep within your soul, desperate to get out. A thirst for expectance. To prove yourself. But then there is great compassion. Love. You have talent and a decent mind. You are destined for great things, no doubt about that. Where shall I put you?" the hat said quietly in his ear.
A few moments passed and Neville was just starting to think that the hat had given up when it roared: "GRYFFINDOR"
Neville felt the hat lift from his head and he stumbled towards the Gryffindor table that had irrupted into the loudest cheer of the ceremony. Hands flew out in all directions for him to shake, and several arms wrapped themselves around him, including Hermione's who looked like she was about to burst with happiness. When everyone had settled down the sorting continued. Neville felt relieved that his moment in the spotlight was over and that, somehow, he had managed to be sorted into the same house as his friend. As the ceremony drew to a close the hall grew quiet. Anticipation filled the air and Neville glanced around anxiously wondering what could possibly happen next.