AUTHORS NOTE:Thank you so much for the reviews! I have taken them to heart, and fixed the flaws in the first few chapters.

Later on in the chapter with the house elves (I'm not going to spoil the fun…hehe) think of the Harry Potter theme song that's being sung. It will give you some perspective.

Also: Ephraim is pronounced E-free-ahm

Don't forget to review!

Housing of Sorts

The Great Hall the new students entered was even grander than the last room and much larger. The ceilings, like the last room, were vaulted, but illuminated by thousands of candles sitting in the rafters, all the way to the peak. The rafters were made of thousand year old Redwood trees and even from the floor of the room; you could see the age and the grandeur of just how massive each of the trunks holding the ceiling up were. Each of the walls was covered in finely woven tapestries, each with a different color and symbol, signifying each of the houses of the school. The walls, like the bailey walls, were made of rough stones and boulders. The windows were tall, very tall, with stained glass depicting different scenes of wizards and witches preforming magic. The most profound fact was that the stained glass figures of the windows moved as if they were real people. The great hall its self was lined with four different tables, with each table a sea of green, yellow, red, or blue.

Maria and her fellow classmates headed to the front of the hall where there was another long table clothed in purple, which Maria assumed was the professors table. There were about nine professors sitting at the table, and an elderly woman sitting in the middle, presumably the headmistress. In front of the table there was a chair surrounded by four floating stone bowls. Each bowl had an elemental representative. Earth had a small tree growing from a grassy hill, Water had what looked like a small ocean, Air had a small spinning tornado, and Fire had fire that crackled and snapped with warmth. The first years lined up horizontally behind the chair and the stone bowls.

The elderly woman stood up and commanded attention immediately.

"Welcome students, new and old, to Crowmist. A few announcements before we begin the sorting of the new first years. First off, I would like to let you know Quidditch try-outs start the 15th of September; first years are welcome to try out. Also, we have a new potion's instructor; Maurice Pickett will be your potions master this year. You are to refer to him as Master Pickett, or Professor." There were audible giggles and snickers that rippled across the room from students as they amused themselves over the name of the new potions master. "QUIET!" the headmistress exclaimed trying to regain the attention "As I was saying, Master Pickett will be your new potions master, so please do NOT try to run this one off!" the headmistress glared at a table in particular – the blue table – and continued. "After dinner and dessert you are to go straight to your respective houses, and you will receive your new class schedules tomorrow morning. New students will be given a map to their classes. The caretaker would like me to remind you there is to be no magic in the hallways, anyone caught doing magic will be given detention. The rooftop is off limits, as it is unsafe. With that all said, I will hand you off to Professor Parris, and we shall start the sorting ceremony." There was a round of applause as the Andrew stepped up to take control over the crow. It was obvious that he was well liked amongst the students.

"Welcome!" Andrew boomed. "Our new first years are probably wondering how this is going to work. I will call your name, and you will step up to each of the bowls, put your hand over each of them, and then sit in the chair. Close your eyes and completely clear all your thoughts. We will let you know when it's time to open them.

"As our older students know, Crowmist had four founders. Mizu Ushio represented water, as she founded Nami no To. Magnus Ignus well represented fire, and he founded the house of Infernus Dormitorium. Loft von Himmel was founded by Maggie Luft since she represented air so well, and Coeden Twr Ty was founded by Dewin Daear as he was closest to the earth. Each house is represented by its own color related to their element." There was a brief applaud as Andrew produced a scroll of parchment that had a long list of names. "First up to bat is Autumn Patterson."

A tall girl with long, straight brown hair, nervously approached the chair, hovered her hand over all the elements before sitting in the chair and closing her eyes. It was a few moments of absolute silence before the smell of earth and rustling leaves wafted throughout the hall. There was a burst of cheers from the green table as Autumn opened her eyes and smiled and all the sudden there was a bright shimmer as her purple robes turned an energetic Chartreuse green that matched the robes of her new house.

Andrew called out another name, "Brantley Sullivan."

A boy this time strolled up confidently, as he waved his hand over the bowls and then sat in the chair and closed his eyes. This time, the smell of smoke and the sound of a roaring fire pronounced the placement of Brantley, and his robes shimmered into vivid crimson red, and he joined his house mates. Name after name was called and the students filtered into their new houses.

"Maria Carondolette." Andrew had called her name. It was her turn. She looked at Andrew and he winked, as she wove her hand over each of the bowls, peering into each of them, and then sitting in the chair. Maria closed her eyes and cleared her thoughts. She thought of nothing. Suddenly she could smell sea salt, and hear the ocean along with the call of seagulls. Maria opened her eyes and grinned, she had been placed in the Water house. Maria stood and looked at Andrew, as she smiled. She looked down, and watched her purple robes shimmer into a dazzling cerulean blue, and she headed to her house table. She was patted on the back as she sat with her new dorm mates, and watched as the other students were called and sent on their way to their new dorms.

"Siobhan Flamel." Maria watched as her friend participated in the ceremony, and she heard the familiar sound that associated to her own house. Siobhan's robes turned blue, and she hugged Siobhan as she flounced over and sat next to Maria.

Once the last student was sorted into the house of Air, which was pronounced with a gust of wind that whistled through the rafters and through the Great Hall, the headmistress stood again and commanded attention.

"Now that the new students are sorted, I encourage you to get to know each other and dig in!" there was a unanimous pop and alongside each student an elf appeared with a serving tray. The elves set the trays on the long tables, and there was another pop as each of the elves disappeared in a domino effect down each of the tables. The food had a wide variety from American to the depths of the Middle East, and Asia. Maria spotted the ramen instantly.

Hi, Maria is it? I'm Cale; I'm a first year too!" He said; he had a little bit of an Irish lilt to his voice. Cale loaded his plate with fried chicken and mashed potatoes.

"Hi, Cale, this is my friend Siobhan. Where are you from?" Maria asked as she put a generous helping of barbeque pork ramen in her bowl, and grabbed the chopsticks.

"Irish too, eh, Siobhan? Where does yer family hail from? I was born in Dublin, but moved when I was but a wee lad, to Boston. Me da got a new job with the U.S. Department of Magic. I was supposed to go to Hogwarts this year, but 'cause we moved I had to come here. I wanted to meet Harry Potter, but I guess it won't be happenin' now will it? " Cale asked as he bit into his chicken with a smile.

"We're from Limerick, but I was born in Michigan. My parents went to Hogwarts." Siobhan responded as she took a bite of her corned beef.

"Who is this Harry Potter kid I keep hearing about, Cale?" Maria asked as she shoved a bite of barbeque pork in her mouth.

"You mean you don' know?" Cale asked astounded. Maria shook her head clueless. "His parents were killed by you-know-who—"

"I don't know who that is though. I hear so much about it, but I don't know anything. My parents didn't tell me I could use magic until this summer."

"He was a very bad wizard 'bout 10 years ago. Real name is Voldemort, and he uses the dark arts. He had it out for the Potter's, he did. There was a prophecy that the Potter boy would take down the wizard and he tried to have him killed. Somethin' happened where you-know-who met his end. The Potter boy is famous cause the curse that you-know-who used is one no one has lived from, except Harry Potter. He's the boy who lived. Right legend, he is. If I had stayed in Dublin with me Ma and Da, I woulda been his schoolmate."

"So he's the same age as we are, then?" Maria continued her ramen; it was absolutely delicious as she took another bite of barbecue pork.

"That he is; starts his schooling today, too, like we do. Crowmist and Hogwarts are real similar. Both have four houses, each one after a founder. The only thing is one is based from the actual founders, and Crowmist is based more on which element of nature ye are most in tune with." The three new students continued their dinner as they conversed about this and that thing. Maria explained why her parents hadn't told her about their magic.

"I don't even know if I'm a pure blood." Maria said as she finished her explanation. She was on her third bowl of ramen and getting stuffed. By then most of the other students were finished with their dinner and seemed to be eagerly awaiting something, although Maria didn't know what.

"By the sound of it, you should write your parents and ask." Siobhan mentioned as she put her fork and knife down on her plate.

"You're probably right."

Once all the students were finished with their dinner, there was another loud pop and the house elves returned to take care of their plates and any more remaining food that was on the tables before disappearing once again. Out of nowhere, when all the plates were cleared, another plate appeared out of thin air in front of all the students. There was a loud pop once again, and the elves that had taken their dinner plates appeared on top of the table.

"Attention students." The headmistress called as she stood up. "I am now proud to announce the Dance of Desserts. Our house elves have been preparing for their presentation for a year, and are very eager for you to watch and enjoy." There was a gust of wind and the wind blew out all the candles in the rafters and around the Great Hall. It was completely pitch black. There was a loud tap and a blue shimmer at the front of the room that followed the front of the professors table. It danced to very light music, hummed by the elves in unison, until it reached the end of the table. The music grew louder than a hum – to singing – as the light burst into four different colored glowing orbs. There was one light to each house that made its way down the four tables. Maria noticed that it was the house elves that produced the small light that danced amongst them. At the crest of the song that the elves seemed to be singing, it grew its loudest, as the lights slowly started to rekindle in the rafters. It was apparent that each elf had its own shimmer and dancing ballet. It was the most amazing and orchestrated thing Maria and the rest of the first years had ever seen. The dance was magnificently choreographed as each of the elves flawlessly moved about each of the tables, the illumination weaving as it left a shimmering trail around the elves, as they sang their song and danced.

Everyone was dazzled by the entertainment. At the end of the song each of the lights turned into a different kind of dessert as the lights gently floated down to the table one by one. The entire student body including the professors table erupted into cheers and applause with a standing ovation. The elves then bowed and dispersed with their usual loud pop, and were gone from the Great Hall.

"That was absolutely amazing. Who knew house elves could dance like that?" Maria heard someone down the table say. She looked at the desserts sitting in front of her and wondered how she could possibly eat another bite… but then she spotted the German chocolate cake and decided a small piece wouldn't hurt. As she tried the cake she couldn't help but look around the Great Hall and notice the sea of different colors. She was still in shock of how her life had taken a turn for what seemed the better.

Finally it was the end of the dinner, and the headmistress directed everyone off to bed and to stay with their houses with their house Monitors, and up to their respective towers. Maria was absolutely exhausted. Everyone piled from the Great Hall and out a door that was off to the side, which Maria hadn't noticed before. It was kind of hard that she hadn't noticed because it was a huge door. Once through the door, there was another huge room that had the same stone feeling. It was a long hall way. Along it, there were different stair cases as each of the different houses split from the main group.

"Stay in a singular line, please" Maria heard someone in blue yell over the commotion. They made their way all the way down the corridor to a stairway that seemed to spiral upward. They all made their way up the stairs and finally came to a dead end.

"Alright listen carefully. This year's way to access Nami no To is by wand. Each of you will take turns and put your wand into a small hole in this wall. The first time is for recognition; the second time is for entry. If there is a group of students, only one of you needs to produce your wand." The boy then took out his wand and put it in the small hole, took it out and then re-entered. The wall slit upward and revealed a large opening big enough for two people to go through at the same time. Everyone filed into the great room that was more like a living room. It contained low sitting tables and couches for students to do their homework or to sit and converse with another. There was a large hearth that contained a nice warm glowing fire that crackled. The room its self was clothed with different shades of blue. In the middle of the room, was a female Japanese ghost? The house monitor bowed to the ghost as did everyone else but the first years. The ghost surprisingly bowed back.

"Welcome firs' years. I am Mizu Ushio. Your house founder." The ghost said as it bowed once again to the first years. Maria and the rest of the new students bowed back as what seemed to be custom. The ghost spoke again. "First years are on the very top floor. I hope you like my home, as much as I do." The ghost then drifted through the far wall with a wave and vanished.

Maria was speechless. She didn't know what to think. If her house founder was still spiritually present, does that mean the same for the other houses? All Maria knew was she was exhausted.

"Right. First year females, you are the left stairwell, and the male first years are the right stairwell. Boys are not permitted in the girl's dormitory, and vice versa. I bid you good night. If you need anything don't hesitate to ask."

Siobhan was the first to speak before anyone else. "But… what is your name. You never told us."

"Oh, Ephraim is my name. Good night."

Maria and Siobhan bid good night to Cale before making their way up to their dorm. Once they made their way to the very top, the room was surprisingly large. There were four Japanese floor futons rolled out on the tatami mats. Their trunks and possessions were lined against the circular wall, along with Pounce's carrier. Along the opposite wall, there was a very large storage area with doors that held four small tables for the girls to study at. In the room there were two other first year girls that looked up when they entered the room. Maria crossed the room to Pounce's carrier and noticed Pounce wasn't anywhere to be seen. She assumed her kitten was learning how to hunt mice with the older cats.

"Hello." Maria said to the other girls cautiously. "I'm Maria and this is Siobhan. I guess we're going to be dorm mates."

"Hi. I'm Morgana, and this is Aerwen." The girl with blonde hair and brown eyes said, referring to the other girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. "Well I'm absolutely exhausted, if you guys don't mind I would like to get some sleep."

"Oh I understand I'm tired too." Maria said back with a yawn. Silently all the girls undressed and put their pajamas on. Maria noticed that all her previous purple robes had turned blue. She and the other girls climbed into their futon beds, and were pleasantly surprised at just how comfortable the futons were. It was almost instantly that Maria was asleep, even before her head hit her pillow.