Chapter Six- It Can Sing?

Scarlett walked down the train searching for the toilets. The boys would be getting changed in the compartment so she chose to find somewhere else. After changing into her new robes she walked back passing compartments full of students, before she literally bumped into one of Ron's brothers, Fred or maybe it was George.

"Sorry, I wasn't really looking where I was going" she apologised wishing she could become part of the wall behind her.

"It's fine. Hey you were in the compartment with our brother Ron right?" one brother said and Scarlett nodded "my name is Fred, and this is George, how about you?" the other asked,

"Scarlett Potter" she replied, not sure whether to hope they had heard of her or to pray they hadn't.

"Really?" George said before exchanging a glance with Fred, Scarlett guessed they would be of the former group then, "Do you remember what happened then?" they said in unison.

"What do you mean?" Scarlett answered "what happened when?" the twins exchanged another look

"The night your parents died? You disappeared? Everyone thought you died! And then you just turned up in a muggle orphanage!" Scarlett told them honestly that she had no idea, even after the twins had left and she had continued her walk down the train she wondered what HAD happened that night, and she realised she knew next to nothing about herself, a bit of a shock.

She knocked on the compartment door, before sliding it open and returning to her seat. Ron and harry were immersed in a conversation about Quidditch teams, Ron was just explaining why he supported the Chudley Cannons and in Scarlett's opinion the list of reasons was far too short, seriously his explanation started with "well they haven't won in a while but…"

Looking out the window she saw how the sky was becoming a dark shade of purple-ish grey, and the train slowed and rolled into the station. A voice rung through the train saying to leave all luggage, as it would be taken to the school separately.

Once on the platform a voice boomed out over the heads of the massive sixth and seventh years, a light came from a lamp being held by a giant man as he yelled "firs'- years! firs'- years over here! All right there Harry?" the line of around forty first years followed the man, who Harry had explained was called Hagrid, down a narrow winding path.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec" the man named Hagrid said bellowed over his shoulder "jus' round this bend here"

There was a loud gasp as the group saw the school for the first time. There was a huge lake and then on the other side a huge castle perched of the edge of a mountain, its windows glowing with light and its turrets seeming to touch the sky. Scarlett had never seen anything as beautiful.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called just as Scarlett noticed the many small boats littering the lake shore, she spun trying to find Harry and Ron to share their boat only to see Neville and Hermione had already clambered in with them. Hagrid had a boat to himself and Scarlett could only spot one other boat with only three people in it. She walked towards the boat, surveying the pale, blond boy who sat in it with two huge very mean looking first years.

"Everyone in?" Hagrid called once she was seated "right then- FORWARD" as the armada of miniature ships set sail across the lake, Scarlett trailed her hand in the water, watching as it sent ripples running through the mirror like surface and distorting the stars which were reflected in it. It was completely silent as the boats drew closer to the cliff face, the castle towering above them.

"Heads down!" called Hagrid, the boats had reached the cliff and sailed through an opening in the cliff, which had been hidden by a cascade of ivy. The boats continued through a dark tunnel and stopped at a place that looked like a tiny harbour, only that it was underground.

Hagrid led them all through a passage then up to the colossal front doors of the castle. They climbed a short flight of steps before Hagrid knocked on the door.

The sound echoed and the hinges creaked as the door swung open. It was Professor McGonagall and she waved everyone in. They all followed her into a massive hall, bigger even than the one at Gringotts, and lit with old fashioned torched rather than electric lights.

Scarlett could hear hundreds of muffled voices coming from behind the marble door to one side, however the professor led them past the marble staircase and through a door on the opposite side of the hall, into a small (well by comparison anyway) chamber. They all crowded together, while Scarlett stood slightly off to one side.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. 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." Scarlett wondered how long it had taken Professor McGonagall to memorise this little speech, and how many times she had said it.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house had its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house point, 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 honour. 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." Her piercing gaze lingered on a few more scruffy looking students before she strode out of the room leaving the first years behind.

Scarlett ran her fingers through her hair to get rid of the knots, smoothed her uniform and straightened her skirt. Hopefully she at least looked presentable. A few of the first years started quiet conversations amongst themselves. Quite suddenly and altogether unexpectedly silvery grey people floated through the wall behind them. Several people screamed and Scarlett jumped sky high before she remembered reading that Hogwarts had ghosts; that had to be what they were, real live ghosts, well maybe not so much live but they had to be real.

The ghosts noticed them, and the plump, happy looking one babbled on about how he hoped they were all in Hufflepuff. He was soon interrupted by Professor McGonagall's return, and all the ghosts streamed out through the wall opposite. The students lined up at the professor's order, with Scarlett near the back and followed her into the Great Hall. Scarlett was amazed by the beauty of room, not only did it feel like it was the size of a football stadium, it was lit by thousands of candles floating in mid-air.

The other students sat at four long tables with golden goblets and platters in front of them and the ceiling looked exactly like the sky outside, just as Scarlett had read it would. Professor McGonagall led the line of first years up to the front before stopping short of the fifth table, where Scarlett could see, was where the teachers sat.

The professor placed a stool in front of the gaggle of first years, and then put a hat on the top of that. This hat was similar to the one Scarlett had bought for herself in Diagon Alley however it was frayed, patched, dirty and seemingly quite normal. Well that was what Scarlett thought before it began to sing.