The door immediately swung open and the first thing they saw was a tall, black haired witch in emerald green robes. She had a look that made Ron feel rules should not be broken in front of her.

"The firs' years, Professor Mcgonagall" Said Hagrid.

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

She pulled the door wide. The Entrance Hall was simply huge! Flaming torches lit the stone walls. The ceiling was the highest ceiling Ron had ever seen and a marble staircase led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor Mcgonagall into a small empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing more close together than they might usually.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start of term feast 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 it's own noble history and each house has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points, while any rulebreaking 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 become a credit to whichever house becomes yours."

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes with the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting"

For a second, she was looking at Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear and Ron's smudged nose.

"I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly"

Professor Mcgonagall left.

Harry turned to Ron nervously.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?"

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot"

Ron saw Harry look worried.

But I think he was joking" Ron added.

Harry didn't seem to have heard. Ron was now feeling nervous. What if he was sorted into Slytherin? In that case, there was no way Ron was staying here. He was not going into the house of dark wizards.

Hermione was the only one talking. She was whispering very fast about all the spells she learned. Ron didn't know how much of this girl he could take.

Then there was screaming and gasping and Ron turned around. A bunch of ghosts had just come through the back wall. They seemed to be arguing.

"Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance..." One of them was saying. He kind of looked like a fat monk.

Then a ghost wearing a ruff and tights spoke.

"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 answered.

"New students! About to be sorted I suppose?" Asked the Fat Friar.

A few of them nodded.

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

"Move along now, the sorting ceremony is about to start" Said a sharp voice.

Professor Mcgonagall came back. The ghosts left one by one.

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

Ron got into a line behind Harry, with Hermione behind him. Ron hoped she wouldn't talk.

Ron thought the great hall was brilliant! Thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, lit the place. The tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. The teachers were sitting at another long table at the top of the hall.

The First Years were lead there by Professor Mcgonagall, so that they came to a halt in line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. There was a lot of faces staring at them which made Ron feel uncomfortable. They were also being watched by the ghosts.

Unfortunately Hermione started talking when most students started looking at the ceiling. Ron ignored her though. Everyone stopped as Professor Mcgonagall silently placed a four legged stool in front of the first years. She put a hat on top of the stool. It was very dirty.

After a few seconds, 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 got a steady 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!"

Once the hat was finished, the whole hall burst into applause. The hat bowed to all 4 tables and then became still again.

"So we've just got to try on the hat! I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll" Said Ron.

Ron felt very relieved that it was just something like that. Although it was disturbing that the hat would know all of his thoughts. Then another thought struck Ron! hat if the hall heard? Everyone would know all his insecurities.

Professor Mcgonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will try on the hat and sit on the stool and be sorted"

Professor Mcgonagall unrolled the parchment and called "Abbott, Hannah"

A girl who was wearing pigtails and was pink-faced slowly went to put on the hat. It almost fell completely over her head. After a moment...

"HUFFLEPUFF!" Shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped while Hannah had a big smile on her face and went to sit down at at the table. The Fat Friar waved merrily at her.

"Bones, Susan"

"HUFFLEPUFF" Shouted the hat again.

Susan smiled and went to sit next to Hannah. They smiled at each other.

"Boot, Terry"

"RAVENCLAW"

This time it was the table that was second from the left that clapped. Terry went to sit there and several Ravenclaws shook hands with him.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy" joined Terry at the Ravenclaw table and the first Gryffindor was next. "Brown, Lavender" and the table on the far left exploded with cheers. Ron noticed Fred and George catcalling.

Gits.

The first Slytherin was next.

"Bullstrode, Millicent" went to that table.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin" was a Hufflpeuff. "Finnegan, Seamus" A boy with sandy hair, became a Gryffindor. He was wearing the hat for a full minute before he was chosen.

"Granger, Hermione"

Ron found himself paying more attention to Hermione than the others, Which was weird as she wasn't that bloody annoying. He couldn't but smiled for some reason as she was almost running and jammed the hat on her head eagerly, but groaned when the hat yelled "GRYFFINDOR!"

She ran to the Gryffindor table as everyone cheered for her and she seemed grateful. Percy went to shake her hand.

"Longbottom, Neville" was called and the poor bloke fell over on his way to the stool. It took about 5 minutes before the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR" and he went to that table with the hat still on. He gave it to "Macdougal, Morag" while several people laughed at him.

"Macmillan, Ernie" became a Hufflepuff.

When Malfoy was called, the prat swaggered forward and the hat barely touched his head when it shouted "SLYTHERIN!"

No surprise there.

There wasn't loads of people left now.

"Moon" "Nott" "Parkinson" then a pair of twin girls who's lat name was "Patil" and then "Perks, Sally-Anne" and then "Potter, Harry"

The room got really silent for a moment. Then people were whispering excitedly.

As Harry walked up, everyone tried to get a good look at him. Ron felt bad for his mate and then felt worse when he realised he did the same thing.

It took about a minute with Harry, but the hat yelled "GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry looked happy as he went to the Gryffindor table. Ron was happy for his friend and now he really wanted to be in Gryffindor. Harry was getting a louder cheer than anyone else did. Percy shook his hand vigorously and Fred and George yelled "We got Potter! We got Potter!"

Ron felt a little jealous of all that attention but pushed it down. The ghost with the ruff patted Harry's arm.

There was just Ron and 3 people left to be sorted.

"Thomas, Dean" was taller than Ron and got sorted into Gryffindor!

Then Ron's name was called!

Ron started to feel sick. But he put the hat on his head and the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!"

Ron sighed with huge relief! He went to the Gryffindor table and collapsed into the chair next to Harry.

Fred and George winked at Ron. Their friends Lee Jordan, Angelina Johnson, and Alicia Spinnet all grinned at him.

The last person, "Zabini, Blaise" became a Slytherin.

Professor Mcgonagall rolled up her scroll and took the sorting hat away.

Then the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore stood up. Ron grinned at his hero. Dumbledore beamed at everyone.

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

He sat back down. Everyone clapped and cheered. Ron wasn't sure whether or not to laugh or not.

"Is he a bit mad?" Harry asked Percy.

Ron didn't hear what Percy said. Food appeared in front of them all of a sudden!

There was so much to eat, that Ron didn't even know where to start. There was roast beaf, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes roast potatoes, chips, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and peppermint humbugs for some reason.

Harry was talking to the ruff ghost and Ron didn't register much until he introduced himself as the resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower.

"I know who you are! 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 for some reason, but then Seamus Finnegan interrupted.

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

Sir Nicholas looked annoyed.

"Like this" He said irritably.

He seized his ear and pulled! Most of his head was pulled off! Only an inch of skin was left. He put his head back to normal and coughed. He looked pleased at everyone being stunned.

"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 almost unbearable - he's the Slytherin house ghost"

Ron looked at the Slytherin nd saw a ghost sitting next to Malfoy. The ghost had blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. Ron was glad Malfoy didn't look very happy to be sitting next to that ghost.

"How did he get covered in blood?" Asked Seamus with more interest than Ron would have.

"I never asked" Said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.

After everyone ate as much as they could, the food disappeared and was replaced with desserts!

Everyone started talking about their families.

"I'm half and half, me dad's a Muggle. Mam didn't tell him she was a witch until after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him" Said Seamus.

Everyone who was listening laughed.

"What about you Neville?" Asked Ron.

"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," Said Neville, "but the family thought I was all Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off guard and force some magic out of me - he pushed off the end of blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned - but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Aunt Enid offered him a Meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced - all the way to the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here - they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased, he bought me my toad"

Ron laughed.

"I thought my Great Aunt Muriel was bad"

Neville smiled.

"He's a good guy apart from all that. He's taught me all about magical plants! I'm really looking forward to Herbology"

"Good for you" Said Ron.

Ron heard Harry say "Ouch!" and looked at him.

"What is it?" Asked Percy.

"N-nothing"

Ron figured Harry probably just had a brain freeze and goes back to his dessert and isn't listening to Harry talking to Percy.

When the desserts disappeared, Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell 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 students. And a few of our older students would do well to remember this too"

Ron wasn't surprised to see him briefly looking at Fred and George.

"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 term. Anyone interested in playing for their house team 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"

Ron froze! He was a little weirded out. He didn't even hear Harry and Percy talking again.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Cried Dumbledore.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike into words.

"Everyone pick their favourite tune, and off we go!" Said Dumbledore, and the school bellowed:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy 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 forgot,

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

And learn until our brains all rot"

All of them finished at different times. Fred and George were the last ones singing along to 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!"

Ron and his fellow Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the Marble Staircase. Everyone felt too tired and full to talk. Most of them didn't even notice the portraits talking or that they were twice led through doorways hidden between sliding panels and hanging tapestries. A minute after, they came to a sudden halt.

There was some floating walking sticks ahead of them and as Percy took a step forward them they started throwing themselves at him.

"Peeves, a Poltergeist" Percy whispered to everyone.

Ron had heard a lot about Peeves.

"Peeves - show yourself" Percy said, raising his voice.

A very rude sound of a balloon's air being let out answered.

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

There was a pop. and out of nowhere, a little man appeared with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth. He was clutching the walking sticks and floated towards them, cross-legged in the air.

"Oooooooh! Ickle firsties! What fun!"

All the first years ducked as he suddenly swooped at them.

"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. That guy just didn't seem to be able to catch a break. They all heard Peeves zooming away, rattling away coats of armor as he passed.

As they set off again, Percy spoke.

"You want to watch out for Peeves, the Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him. He won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are.

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

"Password?" She asked.

"Caput Draconis" Said Percy.

Ron decided to try and remember that password until it changed. Apparently it changed quite frequently.

The portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. Everyone scrambled through it. Dean Thomas gave Neville a leg up. They found themselves in the Gryffindor common room that Ron had heard so much about.

It was a cozy round room full of squashy armchairs.

Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. Percy gave Ron a small smile and Ron gave him one back.

They found their beds at the top of a spiral staircase. They were clearly at the top of one of the towers. There was five four-posters hung up with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks were already brought up. They all just put their pyjamas on and fell into bed as they were too tired to talk.

"Great food, isn't it?" Ron muttered to Harry through the hangings. "Get off, Scabbers! He's chewing my sheets"

Ron put Scabbers beside the bed and chuckled.

"Goodnight Scabbers"

Ron felt happy to finally be at Hogwarts and to have made a friend!

Author's note: Hello everyone! I have returned to this story after nearly a year! Don't worry I promise it on't take me so long to upload next time haha!