Now it is the time of night

That the graves, all gaping wide,

Every one lets forth his sprite

In the church-way paths to glide.

William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream


Chapter Two

The door swung open at once. A tall witch with black hair wearing green robes stood there, and looked out over the sea of students with a strict expression on her face. Holly tried very hard to keep a flat expression at the sight of Professor McGonagall.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," the giant said.

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

The enormous man named Hagrid departed, and then the professor opened the door so that the whole of the entrance hall was revealed. It was so large that the house on Privet Drive could have fit inside with space to spare. The high, stone walls were lit with crackling torches, and a huge marble staircase was dead ahead of them. They followed after McGonagall like little ducklings as she led them past what could only be the doors to where the rest of the school waited, and into a small chamber off the hall, where about thirty-five students had already arrived. All of them crowded in together with a sandy haired boy calling "Oi, stop pushing!" when another student hit him with his elbow. Holly felt distinctly nervous, and Lavender shot her a comforting smile.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat, gazing in displeasure at the sandy-haired boy before turning back and looking at all of them. "Welcome to Hogwarts," she began. "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." Her eyes seemed to find Holly's then, and the young girl felt herself relax a bit.

"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." Professor McGonagall was different at school, and her eyes seemed to miss nothing. She looked pointedly at Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear. "I will return when we are ready for you," Professor McGonagall said. "Please wait quietly."

After she left the room, Parvati turned to Padma and asked, "How exactly do they sort us into Houses? Did it say in that book of yours?"

Padma nodded. "Something about a hat, but it didn't make sense to me."

"It's like a right of passage," Holly added, remembering what Phin had told her. She wondered if they all had to pull a rabbit out of a hat. At Parvati's worried glance, she smiled. "Don't worry, it can't be anything bad."

"Nothing bad," Lavender agreed, not sounding at all scared. "And as long as I go straight to Gryffindor, it will all be fine." She then looked around. "Not that I'll know anyone there if you two don't end up there with me."

"I'll go to Gryffindor too," Holly told her. "If there's a choice, I will, all right? Then you won't be alone."

"Me too," Parvati said, loyally.

Padma said nothing, biting her lip.

Lavender smiled at both of them, but before she could say anything, something happened which made several people scream.

Parvati gasped, as did many of the people around them. Hermione, who Holly saw standing nearby, looked as though she might faint. About twenty ghosts had just crossed through the back wall, looking white and transparent. "Ghosts," Lavender said lowly to Holly. The redhead grinned at the sight. The apparitions were talking between themselves, not even noticing the first years waiting in the room.

A fat 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?" A ghost in a ruff had noticed the children.

"New students," the Friar put in. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few of them nodded.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" the Friar added. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," Professor McGonagall said sharply to the ghosts, stepping back into the room. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

The ghosts departed, and the professor turned to the students and said, "Now form a line and follow me."

Holly's stomach started clenching, though she knew she had nothing to be afraid of, and she got behind Parvati and Lavender in the line. They walked from the chamber, back across the entryway, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. It was incredible. Thousands of candles were suspended in midair, floating over four long tables which were all filled by the other students. Another table was at the top of the hall, for the teachers. And on each table there were golden plates and goblets. Professor McGonagall led the students up to the dais where the professor's table was, having them form a line to look out at the student body. The faces of all of those hundreds upon hundreds of students glowed in the candle light.

Looking up, Holly saw the ceiling looked as though it wasn't there at all. "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History," Hermione whispered from nearby.

Professor McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years, and placed a pointed wizard's hat on top. It was frayed and dirty, and Holly wondered what it was for. But before she could wonder much further, 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 in 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 folks 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 Great Hall burst into applause for the hat, who happily bowed to each of the four tables before going still. Holly felt relieved that it was such a simple thing, but wished that she could try on the hat without everyone watching. Turning to Parvati and Lavender, she saw that Parvati was unconcerned and Lavender looked excited, but Neville, standing just beyond, looked pale. Holly wondered what was so terrifying in his head that he didn't want the hat to see. Surely it couldn't be so bad, could it?

"When I call your name," Professor McGonagall said, stepping forward with a long roll of parchment, "you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted. Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with hair in pigtails stumbled forward and sat down, pulling the hat on her head. After only a moment's pause, the hat called out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table on the right cheered, clapping as Hannah went over to their table. "Bones, Susan" joined Hannah at the Hufflepuff table, while "Boot, Terry" went to Ravenclaw along with "Brocklehurst, Mandy."

"Brown, Lavender!"

Holly's blonde friend shot her a confident smile before heading up to the stool, and placing the hat on her head. It had barely been there for five seconds when the tear of the hat opened and shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Holly and Parvati cheered loudly for her, and watched as Lavender waved at them and went skipping over to the table on the far left, sitting down next to what looked like a boy five years older than them with a prefect's badge on his chest, and across from the ghost in the ruff and tights. She was soon joined by "Finnigan, Seamus", and "Frobisher, Victoria", who sat opposite Lavender, but well away from the ghost.

After that, Hermione joined Gryffindor, who after a four minute long sorting, looked decidedly pleased. Holly and Parvati both let out low groans, and Lavender looked practically despondent. Hermione sat down next to the House Ghost, looking at him in fascination. Eventually, it was Neville's turn, and he walked up shaking to the stool.

The hat spent nearly five minutes on him before bellowing, "GRYFFINDOR!" Neville looked so relived, yanking off the hat, and waving madly to the girls before running over to join the other Gryffindors, and sitting down next to Lavender.

McGonagall worked her way down the list and "Malfoy, Draco" headed off to Slytherin, and then an absurdly large number of students went to Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Slytherin got other students too, but Holly wasn't paying much attention. She perked up when Pansy got sent to Slytherin, and then roll continued, until—

"Patil, Padma!"

Padma quickly squeezed her sister's hand, and walked up to the stool. She sat, and sat, and sat. For at least five full minutes, the hat was on her head, and people in the hall were trying to get a better look. "A hatstall," one of the students murmured, but was silenced by McGonagall's glare. Eventually, the hat finally shouted out "RAVENCLAW!" and the table second from the left exploded in cheers.

"I don't believe it," Parvati hissed darkly. "The traitor."

"Patil, Parvati!"

Parvati still looked flustered, but managed to wink at Holly before running up to the stool. The hat barely grazed her head before shouting, "GRYFFINDOR!" She laughed handing the hat back to McGonagall and skipping off to where Lavender sat, forcing Neville to scoot down so she could sit by Lavender.

After that, "Perks, Sally-Anne" went to Gryffindor, and sat next to Victoria Frobisher…and then, at last—

"Potter, Holly!"

Holly moved forward, and there were whispers and gasps breaking out all over the hall. The voices were decidedly excited as they murmured to each other, rising to a dull roar. She sat down on the stool, and the hat dropped over her eyes. "Hmm," a voice whispered in her ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. There is bravery, yes, and oh, my…such ambition! You wish to be worthy of the names and honors you have received. Yet here is loyalty as well, and a love of the written word. So where shall I put you?"

Do I get a choice? Holly thought.

"Your choice is the only one that truly matters," the hat answered her.

Holly's mind automatically drifted to the Gryffindor table where Lavender and Parvati were waiting patiently, and hope filled her that she might be allowed to join them too. Gryffindor, please.

"Gryffindor, hmm?" the hat asked. "What about Slytherin? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin could help you on the way to greatness..." Holly's mind rebelled against that thought. She didn't want Slytherin—where Pansy had gone. She wanted to be with Lavender and Parvati, in the house of her mother and father. If necessary, she could be great there. The hat chuckled, "It seems history likes to repeat itself. This should be most amusing to watch—better be GRYFFINDOR!"

The hat shouted the last word, and she put it back down on shaky legs, hearing herself get the loudest cheer yet, as she crossed the Hall and went and sat between Lavender and the prefect, forcing Neville and Parvati to move down. Her two friends smiled at her, grinning, and Lavender gave Holly a thumbs up. A pair of redheaded twins a couple of years older were chanting, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Across from her, the ghost with the ruff and tights was beaming at her.

She looked up towards the head table, and saw McGonagall wink in her direction, though Holly supposed it was a trick of light. Of the professors sitting beyond where Minerva McGonagall stood, Holly's eyes fell on a rather tall, thin, outlandish looking wizard who had a long white beard and a crooked nose. His bright blue eyes were twinkling at her from behind half-moon spectacles. It was Dumbledore—Holly recognized him at once from the Chocolate Frog Card—and he was smiling.

Of the several students left to be sorted, two came to Gryffindor. A tall, black boy ("Thomas, Dean") sat next to Sally-Anne, and a redheaded boy ("Weasley, Ron") sat next to Neville.

The Headmaster then got to his feet, beaming at the students. Opening his arms wide, he said, "Welcome! 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!"

Albus Dumbledore sat back down, and everyone clapped and cheered. Holly shook her head, laughing. The dishes in front of her were now all filled with food, and Holly and her housemates quickly dug into the feast. Reaching out, she piled her plate with a little bit of everything and began to eat, taking a large bite of steak. Looking down the table, Holly saw Neville gnawing on a pork chop, and next to her Lavender was daintily eating a boiled potato. Parvati was ecstatically eating a broiled chicken.

"That does look good," the ghost said, watching Holly eat her steak.

"It is good," Holly assured him, taking another bite.

"Can't you—" Hermione began.

"I haven't eaten in nearly five hundred years," said the ghost. "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."

"Oh, I think you have another name," Holly said in some amusement, tapping a single finger against her lips. "Aren't you also called Nearly Headless Nick?"

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy—" the ghost began, but was interrupted by Seamus Finnegan.

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

"Like this," the ghost said, pulling on his left ear and letting his head fall to the side. He had been beheaded it seemed, but a bad job had been done of it. The red headed boy at the end, Ron Weasley, snickered at the sight and said, "My brothers told me all about you!"

Nearly Headless Nick ignored him and said, "So, new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the House Championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the Cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming unbearable—he's the Slytherin ghost."

Looking over at the Slytherin table, Holly saw a terrible looking ghost sitting there, with blank eyes, a thin face, and robes stained with blood. He was next to a pale boy with a pointed face who looked rather annoyed by the ghost's proximity.

"How did he get covered in blood?" Seamus questioned.

"I've never asked," Nick replied.

During the rest of the feast, Holly chatted quietly with Lavender and Parvati while she ate her fill. Over dessert, the other students lost a bit of their shyness, and the conversation turned to their families. Victoria and Sally-Anne were Hogsmeade day students, and would not be living at Hogwarts. Lavender huffed at this news, whispering angrily to Holly that it meant that the three of them would be alone with Hermione. Dean Thomas informed them that he was a Muggle-born, and the boy across from him, Ron Weasley, was from a wizarding family and had six siblings, two out of school, one too young, and three of whom were at Hogwarts in the upper grades—the eldest was the prefect, named Percy, sitting next to Holly.

"I'm half-and-half," Seamus said. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mum didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."

Ron Weasley and Dean Thomas laughed, and Ron then said, "What about you, Neville?"

"Oh, I'm a pure-blood," he said, taking a bite of trifle. "My Gran and my Dad raised me."

"What happened to your mother?" Ron asked tactlessly, and Holly noticed the female prefect sitting beyond Nearly Headless Nick frowned at him.

"She's gone," Neville said, shortly.

Hermione had turned her attention to the prefects and was speaking about classes, and Percy seemed happy to indulge her. "I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult—"

"You'll start small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing—"

Holly felt very sleepy from all the food. She lost track of the conversation, her eyes flicking up to the head table once more. The sight of her guardian angel reassured her, even if she was wearing her Professor McGonagall face. The stern witch was talking to Professor Dumbledore, and beyond her Hagrid the giant was drinking from a goblet. A teacher wearing a turban was talking to the man next to him, a sallow looking fellow with a hooked nose and greasy black hair. As if he felt her gaze, the black-haired man looked up, right past the turbaned teacher, and Holly felt the scar over her chest suddenly feel as though it was lit with a sharp, hot pain. Reflexively, she clutched the space over her heart, looking away.

The desserts were then cleared from the table, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet once more. "Ahem—just a few more words now 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." Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the red-haired Gryffindor 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."

Holly laughed, but she was one of the few who did. "He's not serious?" she muttered to Lavender, who just gave a shrug.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore commanded. What followed was a horrible exercise in tone deafness and discordant voices, and Holly was greatly relieved once it was over. "Ah, music," Dumbledore said then. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

Percy the Prefect, who seemed rather pompous, led the Gryffindor first years from the table, through the crowd of departing students and out of the Great Hall. The other prefect, Morgaine McLaggen, led two of the Gryffindor girls, Victoria and Sally-Anne, in the opposite direction as Percy, heading towards the school doors. Holly noticed that lots of students from other houses, especially the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, were headed towards the front doors too. Of the ones that were Holly's age, they were all kids that had already been waiting in that small antechamber when the first years from the train arrived.

When Parvati pointed it out to Holly in a questioning voice, the redhead replied, "They're not boarders. Hogsmeade is at the school's doorsteps, and it is the only all wizarding village in Britain. The kids who live there rarely board at school when they don't have to. There's usually anywhere from a hundred to two hundred kids who live at home because there is a special exemption made for Hogsmeade residents." She felt proud of remembering what Professor McGonagall had told her.

The Gryffindors went up the grand staircase, following behind Percy who led them past portraits and tapestries that moved and danced, and were calling to each other across the corridors. The prefect led them through secret passages and to doors behind tapestries, and up even more staircases until they came to a sudden halt. A bunch of walking sticks were floating in the air before them, and as Percy moved forward, they began throwing themselves at him.

"Peeves," Percy said to the first years. "A poltergeist. Peeves—show yourself." A belching sound was heard and the prefect sighed. "Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?" he asked, referencing the Slytherin House Ghost which Nearly Headless Nick had pointed out earlier.

There was a pop, and a little man appeared, wearing a green bowtie, floating cross-legged in the air, holding the sticks.

"Excellent," Holly heard Ron whisper to Seamus. "My brother Bill said there was a poltergeist, but I thought he was joking."

"Ooooooooh!" the poltergeist said, grinning maliciously at them. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!" He swooped suddenly at them, and they all ducked. Neville was whimpering.

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

Peeves stuck out his tongue and dropped the sticks on Neville's head. The poltergeist then zoomed away, cackling madly. Hermione patted Neville on the shoulder in sympathy.

"You'll want to watch out for Peeves," Percy was saying. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are." At the end of the hall waiting for them was a portrait of a heavy-set woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" the portrait asked.

"Caput Draconis," Percy said swottily, causing the portrait to swing forward and reveal a large, round hole in the wall. All the kids climbed over, with Percy helping Holly and Parvati, and they walked forward into the large common room, which had high windows and lots of squishy armchairs and tables and four roaring fires on all sides of the room. Percy the prefect directed the boys towards one door, and the girls to another.

Holly, Parvati, Lavender, and Hermione climbed up a spiral staircase to the top. A door emblazoned with the words "First Years" opened to reveal a large dormitory with four four-poster beds that had deep red, velvet curtains on them, each placed in one of the four corners of the tower. Holly found her trunk at the foot of the left middle bed, which was framed by two large, narrow windows. Artemis was sleeping on her pillow, and opened one eye when she approached. The cat began to purr loudly.

Parvati was to her left by the door, with Lavender in the right middle bed, and Hermione beyond her, opposite Parvati and by the bathroom. All four girls seemed tired, and they quickly changed into their nightclothes.

"Goodnight everyone," Holly said, yawning. They said their goodnights as well.

Holly smiled, climbing into her bed. Looking out over the room, she noticed that Lavender had fallen asleep at once, and Hermione was propped up in bed with what looked like a textbook. Parvati was curled up under her covers, watching the flame of the candle on her bedside table flicker and dance. Holly lay down, staring up at the red velvet canopy of her bed. Artemis came down the bed, folding up into a ball by her belly. The day had been surreal. Not only had she made it to Hogwarts, she had also made some friends. Holly was certain she was going to love Hogwarts.

She fell asleep to the sound of Lavender's breathing, and had a very strange dream.

Holly was wearing a bright purple turban, and it was talking to her, telling her she had to transfer to Slytherin at once because it was her destiny. Holly threw the turban off and began to run, and soon she was in the forest sprinting naked through the trees. There were three animals flanking her. The hook-nosed professor from dinner stepped into her path, trying to force her down a different one. Holly darted by him as quick as she could, and jumped over underbrush and came out, alone, into a wide clearing. There was a big black dog there, just waiting for her.

"Save me," it whined in a pleading voice.

"Save yourself," Holly told it.

She then woke up suddenly, the images she saw crystal clear in her mind. Holly then rolled over and went back to sleep, and when she woke the next day, she didn't remember the dream at all.