Five minutes later, Draco, Vincent and Gregory stormed back in. Leo moved away from Marisa hastily.

"That idiotic boy doesn't know what's good for him!" Draco said loudly. Gregory, Leo noticed, seemed to have a bleeding finger.

"Who?" Leo asked. "Harry Potter?"

"Yes, it was that boy from Madam Malkin's, he went and tried to fight us and he's friends with a Weasley and the rat bit Gregory!"

Leo rolled his eyes. "I told you so. You're a bit of a hypocrite to act like that and call him idiotic."

"It's about time we got changed," said Draco, quickly changing the subject. "You are definitely leaving now, Miss Mudblood."

Marisa didn't react to the insult: either she didn't understand what it meant or she was pretending not to care. Instead she got to her feet and left, very slowly, seeming not to care at all.

As soon as she was out, the boys began stripping off and changing into their robes.

When they'd finished, they heard a voice echoing through the corridors: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

The four boys stepped out into the corridor, all at least a little nervous but none of them showing it. They pushed and shoved their way out onto the platform, where they saw the man who had been with Harry Potter waving a lantern and calling "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"

The group of about forty or fifty followed Hagrid down a slippery slope. There was a loud "Ooh!" as Hogwarts came into sight, but neither Leo nor Draco made a sound.

Soon they reached a small fleet of boats bobbing in the lake, and were told "No more'n four to a boat!"

Draco climbed into an empty one. Vincent and Gregory followed, rocking the boat heavily, but Leo hesitated a little.

"Coming, Leo?" Draco asked, but it was too late: Pansy Parkinson was already climbing in.

Leo turned away to find another boat, and saw one containing Theo and Marisa. He climbed quickly in.

Marisa smiled a little at the sight of her ally, and the boats moved forwards. No-one spoke until they reached the front door and Hagrid knocked loudly.

The door was immediately opened by a stern-looking woman who was addressed by Hagrid as Professor McGonagall. She escorted them into a small empty chamber, and gave them a speech on the Sorting, Houses, House Cup, et cetera.

Leo didn't really listen that attentively. He knew it all already. As Professor McGonagall left, he began listening in on others' conversations, until he heard a few gasps and saw a few ghosts had just walked through the wall.

Leo didn't listen to the ghosts, either. He dimly heard something about Peeves, whoever he was.

Professor McGonagall returned and led them into the Great Hall, telling them to form a line. Leo was between Draco and Marisa.

The Sorting Hat was brought out and sang its song (rather boring, Leo noted) and then Professor McGonagall began calling out the names.

"Abbot, Hannah!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Asriel, Leonard!"

Leo had momentarily forgotten that he would be called so soon. He walked forward, ignoring the curious looks – next to the Lestranges, the Asriels had been the Dark Lord's most infamous servants – and put the hat on.

It only took ten seconds before it shouted "SLYTHERIN!"