A/N-Sorry, I kept forgetting I hadn't updated, and then I was too busy. Please review- it helps to get Chihiro and I writing, because we're busy and don't think about this unless we get a review email.

Disclaimer: We do not own Harry Potter or any part of it, nor do we own Full Metal Panic. We wish we owned anything more than our own ideas, which do not bear any similarities to other stories on purpose. I've never even seen a crossover of these two series before.

The Sorting, the Staircases, and a New Door

"And now, I have a special announcement," Dumbledore was saying.

The first years had just been sorted, and everyone was anxiously waiting to begin the feast. The hall full of Hogwarts students unenthusiastically listened.

"We have five new students this year," Dumbledore announced. "Please, stand," he said, gesturing towards the mercenaries.

They stood, and all eyes turned on them. Everyone had, of course, been wondering about the new seventh years; some of the girls were making snide remarks about Kaname's blue hair and Tessa's silvery tresses. Some of the boys were speculating as to whether the big blonde guy would make a good Beater.

But when they stood all was quiet; except for one boy. "You!" shouted a teal-haired boy, jerking up. As instantly as he cried out, he realized he was making a scene; he blushed and sat back down abruptly.

Harry had seen that the comment was directed towards Sousuke. The emotionless boy's eyes had flickered, but his face remained deadpan. Harry was curious but had to wait for the mystery of the teal-haired boy to be resolved.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows but did not comment. He went on.

"Regrettably, when their letters were sent, they were unable to receive them," said he. "But recently I rediscovered them and they accepted my offer to attend Hogwarts. They have received advanced, fast-paced, private lessons and are being admitted in the fourth and seventh year classes. Please do what you can to help them learn what they still lack." He smiled genially at his students. "And now- we will sort them. Professor McGonagall," he said, nodding to her.

The woman began the Sorting. "Chidori, Kaname," she read off her list.

The blue-haired girl strode up and sat down on the stool. The pointed Sorting Hat was placed on her head. After a few moments of deliberation, it triumphantly declared, "Gryffindor!"

Harry groaned inside. Gryffindor was his house, and he hadn't wanted any of these weird people in it.

Kaname returned to her seat as the Professor called Melissa up to the stool. Melissa walked slowly up, looking as if she were about to have her teeth pulled.

Kurtz sniggered and said to Sousuke behind a hand, "She hates the idea of 'that hat' on her head."

The hat seemed to take unusually long with Melissa, and she seemed to be breaking out into a sweat, but eventually it announced, "Gryffindor!" She gratefully whipped the hat off and hurried to a seat at the Gryffindor table, where they actually had been sitting before.

Harry put a hand to his head. Melissa was in his house, too.

"Sagara, Sousuke!" McGonagall cried.

Sousuke stepped swiftly up and sat mechanically down on the stool. The Hat was placed on his head.

After one minute the hat shouted, "Slytherin! No, just kidding, Gryffindor!"

Harry's spirits had soared and plummeted in the space of two seconds. He buried his hands in his face. 'Not Sousuke,' he moaned inwardly. This was going to be a horrible year.

Sousuke went to his place as Tessa went up. The Hat mumbled to itself as it sorted her, and began to sound more decided, but then she whispered something to it, smiling appealingly.

"All right, then," the Hat responded. "To Gryffindor you go!"

Tessa came to the Gryffindor table, smiling sweetly. She sat down next to Sousuke.

Harry couldn't believe his awful luck. All of them were in Gryffindor?

Well, not all of them, he realized as Kurtz Weber was called forward. Please, no, he pleaded, almost speaking out loud.

"Sort me!" it sounded like Kurtz said, with a lazy grin.

The hat said something to him that made him smile wider. Then it shouted to the whole hall.

"Gryffindor!"

"Nooo," Harry groaned, collapsing on the table.

Kurtz swaggered to the table, sitting down next to Mao.

"Aren't you going to ask me what the Hat said to me?" he wheedled.

"What did the Hat say?" she asked impassively.

"It said I deserved a house all my own," Kurtz boasted.

"That's an understatement," she said under her breath.

Dumbledore came back up front. "Now," he said pleasantly, "let's eat!"

The food appeared on their tables and they began the feast.

After the feast, the prefects of each house gathered the first years so that they could guide them to their dormitories. Harry, Ron and Hermione already knew the way, and they hurried out. But the mercenaries followed them.

"Why are you guys following us?" Ron asked them.

"We don't know where to go!" Melissa exclaimed.

"Go with the prefects," Harry urged.

"With all the little kids?" Kurtz exclaimed. The others felt the same way; they all had recalcitrant looks on their faces.

"Fine, follow us," Harry sighed.

They made their way through the dark corridors. When they had to wait for a staircase to swing back around so that they could climb up it, they heard Sousuke mutter something.

"What, Sousuke?" Kaname asked.

"These are quite impractical," he said louder.

Ron shrugged. "Ask the Hogwarts castle builders why they made them this way."

"How can they be reached?" Sousuke asked unexpectedly.

Ron gave him a look. He truly believed Sousuke was nuts.

"They can't be," Hermione put in knowledgably. "They died."

Finally they reached the portrait hole, gave the new password, and entered the Gryffindor common room. Some students were already there, and when the famous Harry Potter entered with the new students, an uproar broke out. Everyone crowded around, trying to meet the new students or get a look at them (this was the plight of the people in the back.) Harry and Ron dragged Sousuke, Kurtz, Kaname, and Melissa off as Hermione took Tessa by the arm. They took them to the haven of the seventh year boy's dormitory.

"Well, you five certainly are popular!" Hermione exclaimed as soon as the door was closed.

"Did you see all those girls?" Kurtz was crowing.

"Someone's enjoying it," Melissa said dryly.

"Anyway, we have to figure out your room assignments," Harry said. "You can't stay in here! There's no room. . ." His voice trailed off as he looked behind them, and they whipped around to see what was the matter.

"Why, there's a door there," Ron stuttered.

And it was true. There was a door where there had been none, at least as of last year, when Ron and Harry had slept in this room.

Harry slowly approached the door, wand at the ready. He jerkily grabbed the handle and heaved it open, then let go. The door creaked open.

The room was harmless enough. There were two four-poster beds, just like Harry and Ron's. The walls and floor were the same stone as the rest of the castle.

"Ummmm… this is weird," Ron said, following Harry as he went inside.

"I don't understand," Harry said.

"Look," Hermione said, pointing at the wall. There were blue letters on it. She read aloud. "Owing to the increase in Gryffindor students, I thought it helpful to add another room. Yours, Albus Dumbledore." As she finished the words hissed and vanished mistily into thin air.

"Then this is your room," she said to Sousuke and Kurtz.

Harry noticed then that Sousuke's battered military green trunk was at the edge of one bed, and Kurtz's trunk by the other.

"I expect there's another room in the girls' dormitory," she said to Harry and Ron. "I'll go see. Good night." With that, she took Kaname, Tessa and Melissa and headed for her dormitory.

"Well," said Harry. "That's it, then. You two can sleep in here."

"We'll be out here if you need anything," Ron said, hurrying Harry out and closing the door.

Everyone went to sleep, their first sleep before a new year at Hogwarts.

A/N- Thank you for reading! Please review, it helps me remember and get Chihiro to write with me. It'd be okay to review and just say 'update this story, I want to read more!'. In fact, I would like that very much, though you probably won't. Sorry about the long update time.

Next time on Panic at Hogwarts...(Random quotes from the next chapter)

"I fixed my eyes with magic. I'm ready to fight. I need to reclaim my honor."

"But I was not only defeated, he refused a rematch!"

"This means no more following me around."

"What makes you worthy to teach this class? You're just a child."

"Have any of you muggle borns heard rumors about the 'Toy Box'?"

-End Preview-

Arigato, Sayonara

Shiori Hitohana and Chihiro