Chapter Four
Of Entering the Castle and Nervous Chattering

The rest of the journey passed without event- Lien had now tried the majority of magical sweets and wasn't entirely sure she liked any of them (and was very disturbed with the idea of Bertie Botts seeing as they looked just like her favourite sweet- Jelly beans) - the Slytherins did not return and the castle came into view promptly distracting all of them.

The train rattled into Hogsmeade Station, the small hiss of the steam on the cold tracks marking the way. They all grabbed their suitcases with varying degrees of difficulty (Molly had, earlier, gotten hers from her original carriage).

"Lien, you see that tall bloke over there?" Lydjah asked, tapping her on the shoulder. Lien looked through the train windows into the night and blinked as the shadow of the man passed over her. Tall was an understatement.

"Yeah?"

"Go to him when you get off the train. He'll help you and Molly onto the boats."

"Why; where are you going?"

"Jayna and I get on the carriages with all the other years." Lien looked to the left of the giant man and saw the multitude of black seats rumbling down the wet path towards them.

"How are they moving?" Lien asked excitedly. There was no sign of a horse or driver, just the sleek black walls of it and yet there seemed to be space for horses at the front. Lydjah cast a quick glance at Jayna who said nothing and then back at Lien. Next to them, Jayna stared out of the window, her face completely lacking emotion.

"Magic." She answered quietly. Lien beamed.

"Thank you for letting me sit with you." Lien said quickly as their line began to move.

"No problem. Hopefully we'll see you around." Lien missed Jayna's eye roll to the Heavens but Lydjah didn't.

"Ow!" She exclaimed in annoyance rubbing her arm and glaring at her friend.

"Be nice." She admonished.

"You're not my mother." Jayna said sulkily. Lydjah froze.

"Well thank goodness for that." She replied eventually, her voice shaky.

"Hmmm." Lien was pushed out the door before she could hear any more of that conversation and as soon as she left the train carriage she was too preoccupied with how to keep herself dry and warm to the best of her ability to want to.

Molly grabbed her hand and pushed through the crowd until they were stood next to the giant. He stood, more than two metres tall, which for Lien may as well have been a mountain, but his heavily bearded face did not conceal the friendly twinkle in his eyes as he looked down at them.

"Firs' years? Ah 'nother Weasley isn't it?" He boomed. Molly nodded.

"Molly; Percy's daughter."

"Eh, you're the first of Percy's right? And who are you?" The giant addressed Lien directly. He seemed nicer than his shabby, giant-homeless-man appearance seemed to indicate so she managed a smile.

"Lien Irby."

"Nice to meet you Lien. I'm Professor 'agrid." He smiled at them. "If you leave your trunks 'ere we'll get 'em to the castle for you." Indeed there was a big pile of neatly stacked trunks left from other years. Hagrid lifted their trunks with one hand and placed them by the others. "We 'ad too much trouble last year when they were capsized in the lake." Molly held back a giggle with difficulty but it seemed Hagrid caught it anyway. "Oh it was your cousin wasn't it! James Potter and Sam Andrews… Those two will be the death of me!"

Lien and Molly both laughed appreciatively. "Sorry Professor Hagrid." Molly apologised.

"If you'll excuse me." He said worriedly- several other First-Years seemed to be trying to throw someone's trunk in the lake. "OI!"

Lien turned to Molly. "Shall we get in this one then?" She gestured at the empty wooden boat closest to them rocking gently in the dark water. The water stretched out so much it seemed there was a black hole between them and the castle. Molly nodded her agreement.

They sat down, tucking their skirts beneath them.

"Hey Mol, can I sit here?" The young boy with the ridiculously green eyes blinked hopefully up at the two of them. Lien gave him a quick once over, insisting to herself (and also to her muggle boyfriend back at home) that it was purely for intellectual purposes. While his eyes would always be his most striking feature he also had a long, relatively straight nose that she had noticed on his uncle (Ron was it?) as well, and was slightly smaller than Molly, maybe an inch taller than herself. His robes were ridiculously perfect, he was even sporting a smart blazer, and there were a few freckles dotting his face.

"Sure Al." Molly scooted closer to Lien to give him space.

"Lien Irby." Lien said politely once he was settled. She wasn't entirely sure if wizards did handshakes or not so finished with this unsure little wave that she mentally cursed herself for quite possibly the next five years. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

"Albus Potter." Lien only risked a quick glance at him as embarrassment had quite shut her up and she was certain the celebrity thought she was a total idiot. He did not, but that's neither here nor there.

Molly and Albus chatted amicably about houses and whatnot but did not try to include Lien in their conversation. The three were joined by some apparently nameless people until Albus introduced them.

"Oh right, Lien; this is Harriet Selwyn and Julian Arnton, Hazz, Julian; Lien Irby." They all murmured greetings.

Harriet Selwyn was very small, Lien thought it may be the first time someone was shorter than her, who had white skin and dirty blonde, shoulder-length hair, dark green eyes which were framed with heavy make-up and long, pink painted nails. Julian was taller, if a little chubby, with short, light hair. He was soft-spoken and looked to be very gentle, Lien couldn't imagine him ever raising his voice or being part of a fight.

Harriet squealed as the boat started, gripping the sides tightly. Lien kept in her snort of laughter, just. Unfortunately she looked up in time to catch Molly's eye and that made their giggles unstoppable. The rest of the boat looked at them bemusedly.

They all, however, fell silent as the castle rolled into view, the rain and wind no longer on their minds. Molly sighed in contentment- she had had almost a complete analysis of the entire castle from her various relatives; she could find her way around it with her eyes closed despite never stepping foot inside it before, and yet none of those words quite compared to the actual place. Albus, while very appreciative of the view, was only growing more anxious of what the rest of his family was going to say about his sorting; regardless of whether his father would be proud of him or not, Albus had another thirty odd close family members to answer to, and he knew, somewhere, that he had already made up his mind. Julian was trying to conceal his extreme excitement in light of everyone's reactions and the cramped space. Harriet was thinking of James Potter which explains itself.

And Lien? Lien was thrillingly terrified. It was big, new, old, exciting and frightening. She pulled her new cloak around herself and shivered in longing. She did not speak for some time.

The boats cut into the shore and stopped. The five clambered out of the boat. For a moment they all looked at each other awkwardly and then Harriet smiled and ran off towards another blonde girl shrieking her head off- not in alarm but girly excitement.

"Shall we go? It's awfully cold." Lien was the last to clamber out of the boat, shaking her hair loose of her clothes. The others nodded in agreement and the four remaining trudged behind Hagrid to the castle. They were ushered into the hall by a tall young witch who, despite her pretty appearance, didn't look like the kind of teacher you would hand your homework in late for. Her long, red-tinted robes swished as she walked towards them, and her large thin hat did not seem at all out of place, even for the Muggleborns. Her blonde braids were pinned firmly back from her face but not too severely- there was an air of kindness about the woman, as well as intelligence.

"First-Years! Thank you Professor Hagrid. First-Years! If you could all look this way!" The babbling of the excited eleven year olds quietened to a low murmur. "Thank you. My name is Professor Avisana and I teach Defence Against the Dark Arts as well as being Head of Gryffindor house. For those of you who are unaware, shortly you will be escorted into the Great Hall where the Sorting Ceremony will take place. When I read your name please place the Sorting Hat on your head and it will decide which house is best for you. There are four houses; Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin, each with its own admirable and not so admirable qualities. Each of the houses are very close within each other and you will spend most of your classes with people in your house; especially in your First-Year. Please wait a moment while we set up the ceremony." She disappeared through the double doors. Immediately excited chatter once again broke out.

"Do you know which house you would like to be sorted into?" Albus asked. He hoped the question passed off as casual and not terrified.

"I'd like to be a Hufflepuff." Julian said quietly, though he always spoke quietly.

"I don't think I mind really." Molly mused, as if she hadn't given it much thought (she had; hours in fact). "Obviously I'm not smart or dedicated enough for Ravenclaw and I don't think I'm cut out to be a Slytherin so it's probably between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff." The three looked at Lien who just shrugged.

"I have no opinion on this other than who on earth named these houses?" They burst into nervous laughter, each of them secretly terrified.