The Hogwarts express slowed to a stop in front of the Hogsmeade station. Alexandra and the others fought their way through the crowd of students trying to get off the train. Alexandra strained her neck, trying to see if Rolwat was among the students.
"Alexandra, come on," Alanna told her friend. "The carriages are right over there."
Deciding it would be easier to simply see if Rolwat was at his usual seat at the Slytherin house table in the Great Hall, Alexandra followed Alanna into one of the carriages with Fred.
The carriages were pulled by Thestrals, Alexandra knew. Fred and Alanna could not see them, yet for some reason that had puzzled Alexandra ever since she had realized it, she herself could see them, even though she had never seen death. Sometimes, however, the creatures were invisible to her, and that sparked her curiosity even more. Tonight, she was thankful that the creatures were no visible to her.
"I hope my stuff from dad's shop gets past security," Fred said.
"You mean they're checking our bags?" Alexandra frowned.
"Well they've done it every year," Fred explained. "Only not so thoroughly. This year though, with Claridina and everything, they've upped the security. I heard that we'll be searched as well, to make sure we're not smuggling anything into the castle in our pockets, I suppose."
"Do you think they'd make teachers go through the security as well?" Alanna asked. "Maybe whoever Claridina has working for her here is another new professor."
"McGonagall would have the teachers checked, I think," Alexandra said.
"I don't think any other teacher left, other than Quipps, though," Fred said. "But that does sound like the best idea of who Claridina could be in cahoots with."
"Well, we'll see soon enough, won't we," Alanna pointed out. "We're nearly to the school..."
Alexandra could see the outline of the castle approaching, and she felt the familiar sense of home that the castle always provided to her. When their castle reached the front of the school, Alexandra, Fred and Alanna jumped out of their carriage, and joined back up with James, Rose and Louis (Albus hung back a bit with Scorpius, much to James's displeasure), and they all filed into the the entrance of Hogwarts.
"Form a line, please!" tiny Professor Flitwick called to them. He was holding a long, thin object that Louis pointed out as a Dark Detector.
"Er, does that thing hurt?" Alanna asked skeptically, looking at the Dark Detector.
"Nah, they just wave it over you," Fred replied.
"It's like those metal detectors they have at muggle airports," Alexandra observed.
"If you say so," Fred shrugged.
When Alexandra and the others reached Flitwick, he waved the detector over each of them, and after finding nothing of suspicion in their possessions, he allowed them to pass into the Great Hall.
"For once, I wish they'd sort the first years after we ate," Louis grumbled, sitting down at the Gryffindor table, looking longingly at the empty plate in front of him.
"But then no one be paying any attention to the sorting," Rose pointed out.
"Well I'm too busy starving to pay much attention to it now," James said. "Oh good, I think Neville's coming in with them now."
Neville led in a group of scared looking first years, carrying in his hands the three-legged stool with the school's Sorting Hat placed upon it.
"Attention, please!" Professor McGonagall said, getting to her feet, causing the chatter in the hall to die down at once. "The Sorting will now begin."
Hearing its cue, the battered Sorting Hat came to life and opened its brim and began the new song that it wrote every year for each ceremony.
Scattered, we find ourselves once again,
Choosing sides in yet another war.
And a struggle wears on outside out walls,
one that just might make us all fall.
Tyranny and Desire have once again shown their ugly heads,
And the want for power burns strong.
Outside our walls, a storm is brewing,
Gaining strength in every hour.
Outside out walls, yes, trouble festers,
but make no mistake.
Though magic like no other protects us,
do not be a fool, for you are not immune.
Think with your head, not another's,
during your stay at Hogwarts.
Here you will learn who your truly are,
and the result just might be a shock.
But I've said it before,
and I'll say it again!
It matters not if you've got the wit of a Ravenclaw, or the cunning of a Slytherin,
Or the heart of a Hufflepuff or the gut of a Gryffindor.
It matters only that,
you've been placed in one school.
One school that stands united,
But falls divided.
"Bit of a gloomy song, that was," Fred commented as polite applause filled the Hall.
"Yes, but it made sense," Alanna said. "It told us that we're only safe from everything going on outside the school if we don't go making enemies among ourselves, and to think on our own, and not buy into everything we hear."
"It's a hat," Fred frowned as Neville called "Applegate, Murry," to be sorted. "How accurate do you think it is."
Murry Applegate was sorted into Hufflepuff, and Bodewell Lawrence was called.
"There's a lot less first years this year than last year," Rose whispered. "A lot of parents must've decided not to send their kids."
"That's stupid," James scoffed.
"Everybody knows that Claridina wants to take over Hogwarts," Rose told him. "Which means that everybody who's against her knows exactly what she'll do to get it, I mean, you saw what happened last year. And those idiots who are supporting her won't want their kids going to a place when it's run by teachers who openly oppose her!"
This line of first years had now dwindled, and Neville was up to "Peterson, Camille", who became a Slytherin.
"It looks like a lot of old students are missing as well," Alanna said, looking around the Great Hall. "I don't see the Moss twins from Hufflepuff anywhere, and it looks like Maggie Flint from Ravenclaw is missing as well.
Alexandra stole a glance over at the Slytherin table. Rolwat was nowhere to be seen!
Finally "Yetts, Glen" was sorted into Gryffindor, and McGonagall rose to her feet.
"Now that everyone has been sorted, you may begin the Hogwarts feast!"
"About time!" James and Fred said hungrily, grabbing their forks as mountains of food appeared on the table.
"Look," Alanna said, looking up at the staff table. "Hensworth's the only new teacher."
"Yeah," Fred frowned, his mouth stuffed with lamb chops. "-ho' do o' 'ink Cardeena 'oud 'e 'oring wit 'den?"
"I don't know," Alanna replied, looking disgusted as she wiped her face that Fred had accidentally gotten food on.
Alexandra said nothing, playing quietly with the potatoes on her plate.
Once the deserts had been cleared away, and everybody was feeling full and drowsy, McGonagall got to her feet again.
"As you have all undoubtably seen by now," she said. "Hogwarts's security has been heightened immensely since you've last been here. We will have trained guards on the grounds around the clock, packages coming in and out of the school will be searched, and like last year, Hogsmeade trips are still canceled."
"Oh come off it," James moaned.
"Even with these precautions, however," McGonagall continued. "It's still gravely important that you exercise extreme caution during your stay at this school, and during your time outside of it as well. We are in the middle of Dark times, and it would be unwise for you to go looking for trouble." Her eyes flashed over to the Gryffindor table.
"Now then, off to bed with all of you," she said. "First years, you will be lead to your respective common rooms by a Prefect from your house. Now loitering in the corridors; curfews will be enforced!"