The door swung open, and Harriet saw Minerva McGonagall again. The lack of light made the woman seem taller and more intimidating than she already was in normal life. Her stern face took all the first years in. Harriet already had the sense that this one was not someone to be messed with.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was as large as the Hall where Pharaoh received his guests. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harriet could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right – the rest of the school must already be here – but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would have usually done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "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.

"The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, 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 honor. 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."

Harriet and Daphne looked at each other quietly, but didn't seem all that worried or concerned. Pansy snickered at someone else's discomfort. Draco yawned.

Then, several jumped about a foot in the air – several in the room screamed.

"What the –?"

Harriet turned to see someone about to run into her and turned her shoulder so that they could fall elsewhere – Ronald Weasley again. Then, she saw what had frightened him and some of the others – ghosts, lots of them were flying right through the wall. But they had little concern for the first years.

They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance – "

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost – I say, what are you all doing here?

Nobody responded.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old House, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."

Harriet fell behind as Draco and Pansy stepped forward. Harriet looked and found her study partner and slipped a hand into hers, squeezing reassuringly and smiling. They made their way through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

The dark Hall was lit up by thousands of candles – like the Temple of Sekhmet at the Goddess' high festival. There were four long tables filled with the rest of the students, sitting down. The tables were laden with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students – the teachers sat in the long table behind them. The hundreds of faces stared at them and they looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver.

Harriet watch as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was frayed and extremely dirty. She grimaced at the thought of sticking that on her clean hair.

Everyone was now staring at the hat. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth – and the hat began to sing:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong to Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward once again holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blond pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause –

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harriet saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at Hannah.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers.

"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin.

"An enchanted hat – "she thought as she watched the proceedings. It was another rare moment of being impressed with this Hogwarts.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Sometimes, she saw that the hat shouted out the House at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Her study partner squeezed her hand one last time then jumped up and almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat.

Weasley – the boy who had said he didn't want to be in the same House as Hermione Granger groaned.

Next was Neville – who now had his toad tucked into a pocket, a spell seeming to hold it there. He nearly fell on his way to the stool – to the delight of Draco who had stepped up next to her again. Then, the hat was on his head. It took a long time to decide with Neville. Finally, it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."

Draco brushed past her right after that one. The hat barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Draco went to join Crabbe and Goyle.

Not many were left.

Moon went Slytherin, Nott – Slytherin, Pansy Parkinson – Slytherin. A pair of twin girls, Patil was the last name – Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Then, she heard it –

"Potter, Harriet!"

As Harriet stepped forward, she could hear whispers all throughout the hall.

"Potter, did she say?"

"Not Harry Potter? I thought Harry was a boy, but she is all girl?"

Harriet didn't hear anything else as the hat dropped over her eyes – all she saw was the black inside of the hat.

"Hmmm," said a sudden voice in her ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Would you mind opening your mind so I can read it?"

Harriet focused on letting go. She knew that what this hat saw could not hurt her.

"Very intelligent – yes very. Ravenclaw's intelligence would fit, but you don't desire knowledge as a thing in and of itself." The hat was quiet as it looked for more. Then, he launched. "You are great – so close to greatness. Just a push! With your natural cunning and your ability to deal with political situations - But no, I don't believe you seek Greatness. Loyalty? Not so strong there!" He continued to think. As the hat thought Harriet was sure she could hear whispers begin to start up in the Hall.

"Hat Stall –"someone said.

She heard no more as the hat said. "But you are just – so very just. You want what is right and whatever the cost. Just like Godric,"

The last word was shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

She took off the hat and adjusted to the sudden light again. She knew she had just about entered into Slytherin. She didn't think that would have been bad. She liked Draco and Daphne especially, and Pansy could have been crafted. But she smiled as she made her way straight toward Hermione at the table. Several stood up and shook her hand. She looked at them with confusion. Two twins also stood up and yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"

Harriet rolled her eyes and instead squeezed Hermione's hand and sat down next to her. For the first time she peeked up at the High Table. She saw the giant, whose name she remembered was Hagrid giving her a huge grin and thumbs up. She didn't understand why he cared. Then she saw Dumbledore. There was a twinkle in his eye, and at that she groaned. That never meant anything good. Obviously, this is what he expected of her. She saw a tiny young man – barely old enough to be a Professor she thought.

She had not seen the last few sorted, so she looked up. There were only four left.

"Thomas, Dean," a black boy even taller than Ron heard, "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Turpin, Lisa," was "RAVENCLAW!" Then she looked on Weasley. It took only a second and she heard, "GRYFFINDOR!" She turned to whisper in Hermione's ear. "Should have known."

The boy who nearly shook her arm up said, "Well done, Ron, excellent."

Harriet barely heard "Zabini, Blaise" become "SLYTHERIN." Then Professor McGonagall was rolling up the scroll and taking the Sorting Hat away.

Ron settled in right across from her and Hermione. "You made it, Harriet," he said with a big grin. "I knew there was no way a Potter could have been anything but Gryffindor."

Harriet smiled at him, but said nothing, instead she looked up ignoring Ron's further attitude to see Albus Dumbledore getting to his feet. He beamed at all of the students, opened his arms up wide – pleased that they were all there.

"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!"

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harriet and Hermione exchanged confused looks.

"Is he – crazy?" she asked Ron uncertainly.

"Crazy?" said Ron. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! Maybe a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harriet?"

Suddenly, the dishes in front of her were now piled with food: meets of all kinds, potatoes roasted boiled and fried, puddings, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup and for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs. Harriet and Hermione took a little bit of everything, but not too much. She didn't need to eat a lot. But it was surprisingly good.

"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching as Harriet ate some peas and carrots on her fork.

Harriet peeked up. "I am sorry for you, dear," she said.

The ghost said, "I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years. I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."

"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you – you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy – "the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.

"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"

The ghost looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.

"Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So – new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the House Championship this year? Gryffindors have been gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the Cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable – he's the Slytherin ghost."

Harriet looked over at the Slytherin table and saw the Bloody Baron – as he was called. He was sitting up above the new students there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. Harriet saw Malfoy and wondered for just a moment what it would be like over there with Daphne and Pansy. None of them were like Weasley here.

"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus thinking of the Bloody Baron.

"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving the plates as sparkling clean as when they started. And a moment later desserts appeared. There were blocks of ice cream in every flavor, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, something called Jell-O, rice pudding …

Harriet along with Hermione tried the treacle tart. Harriet asked about Hermione's parents.

"Oh, they are dentists," she replied.

Harriet had a strange look that clearly showed she did not understand. "Dentists are doctors who take care of your teeth. If you don't take care of them, you can get cavities or worse –" Hermione said.

"What about your parents, Harriet?"

She smiled sadly. "They have been dead for so long –" she said. "I don't remember what either of them did."

"Oh –" Ron said with his mouth full of apple pie, "Your da was an Auror."

Harriet grimaced as a spray of Apple pie hit her face.

"I am wondering if I should have taken the hat's offer of Slytherin right now," she told Hermione.

Hermione looked with an open mouth. "It offered me Ravenclaw."

Just then, Hermione turned to Ron's older brother, Percy Weasley – the one who had nearly torn her arm off.

"I do hope they start right away –" she told him. "There is so much to learn, and I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult – "

"Actually," Percy replied, "You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing."

Harriet was listening to all of the conversation around her when she felt an attempt at her mind. She turned her eyes very slowly and narrowed them on a hook-nosed teacher.

"Who is that?" she pointed at him to Percy Weasley.

"That's Professor Quirrell," Percy replied smartly, "And right next to him is Professor Snape. And Quirrell looks nervous, doesn't he? That's because everyone's nervous around Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, even though he doesn't want to – everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."

Harriet peered at this Snape. He looked greasy and he certainly had the look of a Dark Arts practioner, wearing all black. But she wasn't sure yet.

But it wasn't that Professor Snape who tried to enter her mind – it was the weak looking Professor Quirrell. Her eyes narrowed at him.

At last, the desserts disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall went silent.

"Ahem – just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

He looked in the direction of Ron's other brothers, the twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their House teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Harriet turned and whispered to Hermione. "In a room full of boy, that's an invitation. There will have been seven in there by the end of the weekend."

"That's odd," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "He usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere – the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects at least."

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harriet noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed. She had a bad feeling.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"

And several students bellowed to different tunes:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogggy Warty

Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

Just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot."

The song was dismal. There were different speeds and different tunes. The Weasley twins were singing a solo by the end as they sang a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Harriet looked at the portraits that moved. She focused as Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases until a bundle of walking sticks floating in midair above them stopped them.

"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves – show yourself."

A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"

There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.

"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"

He swooped suddenly at them. Harriet chuckled as everyone but her ducked.

"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.

Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They heard him zoom away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.

"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."

At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she said.

"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it – Neville needed a leg up – and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.

Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory. Harriet and Hermione climbed the spiral staircase and they found that their beds. Harriet looked at the deep, red, velvet curtains of the four-poster beds. Their trunks had already been brought up. Harriet and Hermione didn't talk as they, Lavender Brown, and Parvati Patil changed into their nightgowns and fell into bed.

"Good night," was the call between the girls. Harriet took a moment to catalog her thoughts, remembering every first year, several of the other kids, and then was able to peacefully sleep.