The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Aleena's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.

"The firs'-years, Professor McGonagall" Hagrid said.

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

She pulled the door wide. The Entrance Hall was so big you could have fitted the whole of the Dursley's house in it. The walls were lit with flaming torches, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

Aleena could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right - the rest of the school must already be here - but McGonagall showed the first-years into a small empty chamber off the hall. They crowed in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have down, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts" McGonagall said. "The start of term banquets will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. 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. 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."

Aleena nervously straighten out her robes and made sure her hair was nice and neat.

"I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly" McGonagall said, before she left the chamber.

Aleena looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified as she felt. She had never been more nervous, not even when she had to take a school report home to the Dursleys saying that had somehow turned her teachers wig blue.

She could hear Sarah-Jane whispering about all the spells she'd learnt, but she soon stopped when Hermione snapped at her to shut up. Then something happened which made Aleena jump about a foot in the air - several people behind her screamed.

She gasped, so did the people around her. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to each other and hardly glancing at the first-year. They seemed to be arguing.

Aleena stared at them with her mouth wide open. She flinched when they suddenly stopped talking and looked at everyone.

"New students! About to be sorted, I suppose? Well, I hope to see you in Hufflepuff. It's my old house, you know."

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

McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall. "Now, from a line and follow me."

Aleena got into line behind Draco. "You ok?" he whispered. "You look like you've just seen a ghost" he smirked, which made Aleena laugh and Harry roll his eyes.

They walked out of the chamber, back across the hall and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. Aleena had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles which were floating in mid-air over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting.

At the top of the Hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them.

Aleena could hear Sarah-Jane whispering again. "It's bewitched to look like the night sky outside, I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."

Aleena frowned. What was bewitched to look like the night sky? She looked around and saw nothing that looked like the night sky, that was until she looked up and saw the ceiling. It looked like a dark night with loads of stars. Aleena thought it looked very beautiful and she wished that she could do that to her ceiling at home.

McGonagall 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 patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Noticing that everyone in the Hall was now staring at the hat, he started at it too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and then 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 smarted hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

You 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 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 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.

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

Draco laughed, whilst Aleena smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to wrestle a troll. Although, she did wish that she could have tried on the hat without everyone watching. McGonagall stepped towards 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 - Abbott, Hanna!"

A pink-face girl with blonde 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. Aleena saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

"Bones, Susan!" … "HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted 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. Lavender Brown became the first new Gryffindor and the table on the far left exploded with cheers. Millicent Bulstrode then became first Slytherin. Perhaps it was Aleena's imagination but she thought they looked an unpleasant lot.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione step toward, sat down on the stool and put the hat on her head. "Slytherin!" the hat shouted a few seconds later. Hermione smirked proudly and rushed off to the Slytherin table. Aleena saw Ethan wink and put his thumbs up to Hermione, which made her blush and smile at the same time.

When Neville Longbottom was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table roared with cheers again as Neville walked over there and sat down next to one of the Weasley twins. Aleena was starting to get nervous as less people were now stood around her. A million an one questions flooded her mind.

What if I'm not sorted into any house?

"Potter, Aleena!"

What if I sit on the stool and nothing happens?

"Potter, Aleena!"

What if McGonagall tell me that there's been a mistake and sends me home?

"Potter, Aleena!"

Aleena snapped out of her thoughts when someone nudged her hard in the ribs. She blinked and looked at Ron, since he was the one who nudged her, he nodded towards McGonagall, who raised her eyebrow in annoyance

"Sorry" Aleena muttered, as she forced her legs, that felt like jelly, to move towards the stool. As she was walking she could hear people whispering.

"Is it really Aleena Potter?"

"The Aleena Potter?"

"Can you see her scar?"

"It's meant to be on her forehead."

Aleena sat down on the stool and she could feel everyone's eyes on her. The last thing she saw before the hat dropped over her eyes was Draco's smiling face. He was sat at the Gryffindor table. Aleena was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she missed Draco's sorting.

Aleena managed to smile back before the hat completely covered her eyes. She could hear people still whispering about her, then she heard something that was much closer to her. It took her a few seconds to realise that the hat was talking in her ear.

"Hmm. Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind, either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting ... So where shall I put you?"

Not Slytherin, she thought at one. Aleena had nothing against Slytherin but she didn't like the idea of being in the same house as Voldemort once was.

"Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness - no? Well, if you're sure - better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Aleena heard that hat shout the last word to the whole Hall. She took off the hat and handed it to McGonagall before she walked towards the Gryffindor table. Percy got up and shook her hand, while the Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"

Aleena smiled at them as she sat down next to Draco, who was grinning at her. "I'm glad we are in the same house."

"Me to" she smiled, before looking up at the High Table. At the end nearest her sat Hagrid, who caught her and gave her the thumbs up. Aleena grinned back. And there, in the centre of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore.

"Potter, Harry!" McGonagall called and everyone in the Hall looked at Harry. He was expecting them to start whispering about him, but no body said a word and just watched him sit down on the stool. He glared at Aleena, angry that she got the attention that he deserved.

Harry put the hat on his head and waited. Aleena could see Harry's mouth moving but no one could hear what he was saying. She was really hoping that Harry was saying 'not Gryffindor' she didn't want her brother in the same house as her.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat shouted. Harry smirked and walked over to the Slytherin. Most of them nodded to Harry as he sat down next to Hermione. She smirked and nodded to him, which made Harry smirk and nod back. Aleena couldn't help but feel happy for him. He got into the house he wanted.

Ron didn't look very happy when Sarah-Jane Smith was sorted into Gryffindor. Ethan Vega swaggered forward when his name was called. The hat barely touched his head when it screamed "SLYTHERIN!" Ethan went to join Harry and Hermione at the Slytherin table.

Then it was Ron's turn. Aleena crossed her fingers, hoping that Ron would be with her and Draco. A few seconds later the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!"

Aleena and Draco clapped loudly as Ron collapsed into the chair next to Draco.

"Well done, Ron, excellent" Percy Weasley said pompously.

Aleena looked at the front of the Hall was saw that there was only person left to be sorted. A boy. He was tall, dark and very handsome. Blaise Zabini was his name and he was sorted into Slytherin.

McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away. Aleena looked down at their empty gold plate. She had only just realised how hungry she was. Albus Dumbledore had go to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we being our banquet, 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. Aleena didn't know whether to laugh or not. "Is he - a bit mad?" she asked Percy.

"Mad?" Percy said airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Aleena?"

Aleena's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of her were now piled with food. "Woah!" she whispered. She had never seen so many things she liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, chips, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup and, for some strange reason, mint humbugs.

The Dursleys had never exactly starved her, but she never been allowed to eat as much as she liked. Harry and Dudley had always taken anything she wanted. Aleena piled her plate with a bit of everything except the humbugs and began to eat.

She glanced over to the Slytherin and saw Harry eating and laughing with Ethan and Hermione. She wasn't sure how she felt about Harry making friends with Ethan and Hermione, especially Ethan. He was mean to Ron and Draco on the train and that didn't sit right with Aleena.

Hopefully they keep themselves to themselves.

Aleena turned back around just in time to see a ghost pull his left ear, making his whole head swing off his neck and fall on to his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly.

"Eww!" Aleena whispered, pushing away her plate. Draco sniggered next to her.

"That's Nearly Headless Nick" he whispered. "He's the ghost of Gryffindor Tower."

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the puddings appeared. Blocks of ice-cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, jelly, rice pudding.

As Aleena helped herself to a chocolate cake, the talk turned to their families.

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

The others laughed.

"What about you, Neville?" Ron asked.

"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch, 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 me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned - but nothing happened until I was eight. Great-uncle Algie came round for tea and he was handing me out of an upstairs window by the ankles wen my great-auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced - all the way down the garden and into the road."

"You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" Aleena asked.

"No, well, a few cuts and bruises but nothing bad. Anyway, they were all really pleased. Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got here - they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great-uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."

On Aleena's other left, Percy Weasley and Sarah-Jane Smith were talking about lessons. Aleena looked away, she didn't want to think about lessons just yet. She looked up at the High Table. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. McGonagall was talking Dumbledore. Quirrell was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose and sallow skin.

He must have known that someone was looking at him because he looked up and stared straight into Aleena's eyes, and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on her forehead.

"Ouch!" Aleena clapped a hand to her head. Her scar has never hurt like that before.

"Aleena, what's wrong?" Ron asked.

"Nothing, I'm fine - Percy, who's that teachers talking to Professor Quirrell?" she asked.

"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teachers Potions, but he doesn't want to - everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts."

Aleena watched Snape for a while but Snape didn't look at her again, but she did see him glance over to Harry, and she could see the hate in his eyes, and for some reason, he looked angry that Harry was sitting at the Slytherin table.

At last, the puddings too disappeared and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The Hall fell silent.

"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-year should note that the forest in 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 Weasley 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 trails will be held in the second week of 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 dose not wish to a very painful death."

"He's not serious, he is?" Aleena asked Percy.

"Must be" Percy said, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because 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 bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore cried. He 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 rise high above the tables and twisted itself snake-like into words.

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

And the school bellowed:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bale

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."

Everyone finished the song at different times.

"Why didn't you sing?" Draco asked Aleena.

"Because I can't sing to save my life. Trust me, it's best for everyone if I don't sing."

"Ah, music" Dumbledore 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. Aleena was staring at all the moving portraits as she passed them. There was a picture of a young girl with blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes Aleena has never seen. She was swinging on a swing that was hanging from a tree which over looked a large pond.

They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Aleena was just wondering how much further they had to go when they came to a sudden halt. A bundle of walking sticks was floating in mid air ahead of them and as Percy took a step towards them they started throwing themselves at him.

"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 swopped suddenly at them, making them all duck down.

"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron will hear about this, I mean it!" Percy barked. Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They head him zooming away, rattling costa of armour as he passed.

"Are you ok?" Aleena asked. Neville nodded and rubbed his head where the walking stick had hit him.

"You want to watch out for Peeves" Percy said, 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 asked.

"Caput Draconis" Percy said, and the portrait swing 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 cosy, round room full of squashy armchairs.

Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. Aleena went to walk into the girls room when Percy called her back. She turned around and looked at him confused.

"Is everything ok?" she asked nervously.

"Yes, well no - erm, for some reason, your bed had been placed in the boys dormitory, and the house-elves can't seem to remove it, so until we can figure something out, you're going to have to sleep in the boys room for tonight, that's if it's ok with you, of course."

"Erm, yeah" she said, wondering what an house-elf was.

"Ok, good. Well, good night, Aleena. I hope you have a good sleep" Percy said, smiling. Aleena felt her heart flutter. No one has ever said good night to her before.

She smiled at him. "Good night, Percy."

Aleena walked off up the stairs and stood in front of the door. She was about to knock when the door swung open.

"Bloody hell!" Draco gasped when he saw Aleena stood there. "You scared me. What are you doing here?"

"Erm, this is a little awkward, but my bed had been placed in your room instead of the girls, so I've got to sleep in here for tonight. That's if it's ok with you all, if not then I can -"

"No, it's fine" Draco said, cutting her off. "We did wonder why there was an extra bed in there. I was just coming to talk to Percy actually, but I guess now we now why it's here."

"So you all don't mind me sleeping in your room?"

"We don't mind" Aleena heard the other boys say.

"See" Draco smiled, opening the door so Aleena could walk in. She looked around and saw Ron, Neville, Seamus and a boy called Dean sitting on their beds, which happened to be four posters with deep red velvet curtains.

"That's your bed by the window" Draco said, pointing to the little bed under the window sill. She saw that her trunk was lying next to her bed.

"Get off, Scabbers!" Ron said, picking up his rat and putting him in his cage. "He was chewing on my sheets" he shrugged.

Aleena went into her trunk and pulled out a pair of Harry's old pyjamas. This is one piece of clothing that she doesn't mind being big on her. She went to get changed only to remember that she's in a room with five boys.

"We can leave if you need to get changed" Seamus said, when he saw Aleena stood there with her pyjamas in her hands.

Aleena looked around for a bathroom but couldn't see one in the room. "Erm, yeah, if you don't mind."

"We don't mind at all" Dean said, making Draco, Ron, Neville and Seamus nod in agreement. They left the room and Aleena quickly got changed into her pyjamas. She looked around the room and smiled. She kinda liked being with the boys. She's not really used to being around girls since she's only grown up with Harry and Dudley and never had a real girl friend before.

"You can come back in" Aleena shouted and the boys walked back into the room and got into their beds. Aleena did the same and sighed happily. Soon the room was filled with the sound of the boys snoring, but Aleena couldn't sleep. Her brain just wouldn't switch off and let her sleep.

She sighed and looked around the room, she saw that the window sill was big enough to sit on. She got out of bed and climbed onto the window sill and looked out of the window. She could see the moon from where she was sitting. It was bright and round and it lit up the grounds below, making it look even more magical than it did before.

"Lee, are you ok?" Aleena jumped at the voice behind her. She turned around and saw Draco sitting up his bed.

"Lee?" she questioned.

"Yeah, short for Aleena. It's a nickname, but I can stop if you don't like it."

"No, no it's fine. I've never had a nickname before, I mean, I have but they haven't exactly been nice, but I like the nickname Lee" she said smiling.

"What are you doing sitting on the window sill anyway?" Draco asked.

"I couldn't sleep. My brain won't turn off. How come you're awake?"

"No reason, I just rolled over and saw you sat there."

"Do you want to join me, there's enough move for two?"

Draco nodded and got out of bed and Aleena moved over a little so Draco could sit down. He looked out of the window and smiled.

"I've been dreaming of coming to Hogwarts since I was little, but I never expected it to be this beautiful" he said.

"I know. I still can't believe I'm here. Although, a part of me still thinks I'm dreaming" Aleena said. She flinched when Draco pinched her arm. "Ow! Why did you pinch me?"

"To let you know that you're not dreaming and that you are really here" he smirked.

Aleena smiled at him before she started asking him questions about the wizarding world. Draco looked at the clock an hour later and saw that it was half 12 at night.

"We should try and get some sleep so we are nice and fresh for tomorrow" he said. Aleena nodded and they got down off the window sill. "Good night, Aleena" Draco said, climbing into bed.

"Good night, Draco" she said, before she fell into a deep sleep.