Disclaimer:Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and would never dream of making any money off it. It all belongs solely to my idol, J.K. Rowling.
Chapter Five – Welcome to Hogwarts!
By Shadow of the Blue Moon
The next week soon flew by for Harry. As there was no more work to do, Harry spent the last week enjoying himself. He went to Diagon Alley to meet up with his friends again, and there he managed to bump into one of Daphne's cousins, a pretty Eurasian girl named Cho Chang. She was Daphne's first cousin, as her mother was Rose Greengrass, who was Cygnus' younger sister by two years. However, Cho was a year older than Harry was, and was due to start second year at Hogwarts the following week.
The day before they were due to leave was a very busy and hectic one, as the Greengrass ladies and Harry were running around, trying to find the things that Daphne and Harry needed for Hogwarts, while Cygnus locked himself in his study to finish answering his owl post. Daphne had also misplaced her Hogwarts shoes, and the four of them looked for hours. Eventually, Daphne managed to fit everything in her trunk, with anything extra going into Harry's, as he had a mini-apartment there and had a lot of extra space.
Eventually, the morning of the first of September arrived. Everybody rose at nine o'clock, to make sure they arrived in plenty of time. Cygnus had managed to borrow a Ministry car, which was an old-fashioned dark-green car, driven by a furtive-looking wizard wearing a suit of emerald velvet. Cygnus sat up front with the driver, who hardly spoke a word, while Harry and Daphne were seated at the back. Astoria would be staying behind at Greengrass Manor, as she didn't feel very well, and Isabel was staying with her.
The Ministry car was, to Harry's surprise, quite comfortable. It looked like a normal car, but it could slide through gaps that Harry doubted normal cars, no matter how small, could slide through. They could jump to the head of a traffic queue without any trouble in a few seconds, and dodge and weave through heavy traffic. As a result, the three of them arrived at King's Cross Station at ten-thirty, with half-an-hour to spare. They decided that they would go in early and find a carriage first.
The Ministry driver, who still hadn't spoken a word this whole time, found them two nice, working trolleys and unloaded Harry and Daphne's trunks. Harry had already sent Hedwig ahead of him and had placed her cage inside his trunk, and Daphne didn't own an owl as she wasn't that fond of them anyway, and was planning on getting a cat instead of an owl. The driver then touched his hat to Cygnus and drove away, somehow managing to jump to the head of a traffic queue.
Harry was then about to ask how they were meant to enter Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, as their Hogwarts Express tickets had said, because they had reached an empty place between Platforms Nine and Ten. However, he was interrupted by a slightly plump red-haired woman and her five children – four boys and one girl – who were all red-haired like her and were all pushing trolleys, except for the girl. The woman was saying loudly to her children, "Packed with Muggles, of course. Now, what's the platform–"
But she didn't get any further before Cygnus interrupted her by walking up to her, Harry and Daphne in tow, and casting a Muggle Notice-Me-Not around them. He then asked, "Mrs. Weasley, may I ask what you think you are doing?" When the red-haired woman, Mrs. Weasley, blinked at him and didn't answer, Cygnus continued, "I'll tell you what you're doing – breaking the Statute of Secrecy! You were talking so loudly about Muggles, everybody here can hear you. You're lucky it's so noisy here."
Mrs. Weasley stared at Cygnus, dumbfounded. "But... but... Dumbledore asked me to," she said. "He said that young Harry would need help to get onto the platform."
"Even if he does, that's what my daughter and I are here for," Cygnus replied. "My daughter is his betrothed, and she is perfectly capable of helping him. I am in charge of them as their guardians, and if Dumbledore thought Harry needed help, he should have contacted me." He gestured Harry and Daphne forward. "Now, Harry, you can go first with Daphne. The Weasleys can follow, and I'll be behind them to make sure they don't attempt to break the Statue again." He glared at the Weasleys.
"Come on," Daphne whispered to Harry. "Go straight at the barrier that divides Platform Nine and Platform Ten, or you can run if you're a bit nervous. I was nervous too the first time I went, when Mum and Dad showed it to me one day. It's there." She pointed at a part of the wall. Harry stared at it, which looked exactly like the other parts of the wall. "Look, I'll go first, then you can follow." She walked to the barrier, then slid through it, making sure nobody saw her. Soon, she had disappeared completely.
By then, Cygnus had dropped the Muggle Notice-Me-Not and people were starting to jostle Harry. He walked straight at it – then more quickly – he was going to smash right into that barrier and then he'd be in trouble with everyone — he leant forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run — the barrier was coming nearer and nearer — he wouldn't be able to stop — the cart was out of his control — he was a foot away — he closed his eyes ready for the loud crash — It didn't come.
Instead, when he opened his eyes, he found he was standing on a platform. The barrier, which was now behind him, had turned into a wrought-iron archway with 'Platform Nine and Three-Quarters' written over it, and it was slightly foggy behind it. The platform was packed with people – many dressed in robes, although some were in Muggle clothing – and a scarlet steam train waited next to it. A sign overhead read 'Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock'. He had done it.
He turned to Daphne, who was waiting nearby. "That wasn't too scary, was it?" she asked. "Come on, let's get out of the way before the Weasleys or Dad crash into us." One by one, the Weasleys came through the barrier: first, the eldest boy, who had glasses and a Prefect badge on his robes; next, the identical twins who looked a couple of years older; the youngest boy, who had lots of freckles and something black on his nose; and finally, the girl who looked like she was pre-Hogwarts age and her mother.
Then, Cygnus came through and led Harry and Daphne away and towards the Express. "You should probably find a compartment first," Cygnus said. "Leave your trunks with me, and I'll look after them. That should be easier than dragging them down the train." They nodded, and went off to find a compartment for them and their friends. They didn't see Luna or Neville, but eventually, they came across a compartment that already had Susan, Hannah and Tracey sitting inside, chatting.
Daphne knocked on the door, and the three girls looked up. Susan beckoned them inside and patted the seats next to her. Once they were in, Harry glanced around the compartment. It wasn't very big, with only eight seats, which lined the walls and was separated by a table in the middle. There was a window at the far end, opposite the door, and above the seats there were luggage racks to put their trunks in for the duration of the journey. The three girls had already placed their trunks on the luggage racks.
"Hello," Daphne said, entering the compartment behind Harry. "It's nice to see you again. Have you seen Neville or Luna?"
"I think I saw Neville, but not Luna," Hannah said. "He was saying goodbye to his grandmother on the platform. Where are your trunks?"
"Dad was looking after them while we found you," Daphne replied. "We're going to get them now, but we'll be back in a few minutes. If we see Neville or Luna, we'll tell them to come here." The pair went back to Cygnus, who was patiently standing where they had left him with their trunks, chatting to Hannah's father. "Thanks for looking after them, Dad," Daphne said to Cygnus. "We'll see you at Christmas, and write as often as we can. Tell Tori that as well."
"Bye, Cygnus," Harry said. "It's been really nice living with you and your family, and I'm sorry to have imposed on you so much."
"Don't worry, Harry," Cygnus said. "It was no trouble. I'll see you back at Greengrass Manor for Christmas, right?"
"If you'll allow me," Harry said. "I'd love to stay with you again." He and Daphne waved goodbye to Cygnus and went back to their friends, who were sitting in Compartment 'F', talking about that day's Daily Prophet. Usually, they didn't talk about it much, but today it had the headline 'Dumbledore Banned From Gringotts'. After Harry and Daphne had managed to get their trunks up onto the luggage rack with some difficulty as they had to stand on the seats, they joined the conversation.
However, they had only been talking for a few moments when there was a knock on the door and Neville entered, clutching a toad tightly with his left hand and pulling his trunk with his right. "Hi," Neville said, holding his toad out to Harry. "Could you help me look after Trevor while I put my trunk up on the luggage rack? He keeps trying to escape from me, and I only just managed to prevent him from escaping last night. He doesn't seem to like me very much, you see."
"Of course, I'll take him," Harry said, and Neville handed it over gratefully.
Neville thanked Harry as he pushed his trunk up onto a luggage rack and went to sit down next to Hannah. Seating, with Harry on the left side of the door, went Harry, Daphne, Tracey next to the window, Susan opposite Tracey, Hannah and Neville opposite Harry. That left the two seats closest to the door and next to Harry and Neville. The trunks were above their owners' heads, and as all of them were already dressed in Hogwarts robes, there would be no need to take the trunks down again in order to change.
"Oh yes," Neville said to Harry suddenly. "Ron Weasley's looking for you, I think. I passed by him on the platform and he immediately asked if I knew where you were." Seeing as Harry looked confused, he elaborated, "Ronald Weasley, the second-youngest of the Weasleys, and the youngest boy. You might have met him, as he and his siblings all have very distinctive red hair. He's saying you can't possibly be betrothed to Daphne, as she's a Slytherin and you're a Gryffindor. His words, not mine."
"I think I might have seen him," Harry said. "Cygnus caught his mother breaking the Statute by shouting something about Muggles on the Muggle side of the barrier, and called her 'Mrs. Weasley'. She had four boys and one girl with her, so Ronald must have been one of them. It's utter rubbish, by the way. I'm not a Gryffindor, and just because my mother and father were Gryffindors doesn't mean I'm one, too. I don't especially want to be one, either, as I'm aiming for Ravenclaw or Slytherin."
"That's what I told him," Neville said, smiling. "I told him, 'No, I haven't seen Harrison today. By the way, his betrothal to Miss Greengrass is valid, even if you won't accept it. Magic has accepted it through the betrothal ceremony, and it won't change because you erroneously believe it to be false. And what makes you think that he's a Gryffindor? Just because the late Lord and Lady Potter were both Gryffindors doesn't mean Mr. Potter is one, as he wasn't even raised by them.' But I don't think he properly listened."
"Thanks, Nev," Harry said, smiling. "He was probably too busy looking for me to listen, anyway."
There was a knock on the door and Luna, the last member of their friend group, walked in with her trunk. "Hello, everyone," she said. "It's nice to see you all again." While everybody was greeting her, she put her trunk on a luggage rack and sat down next to Neville. The conversation was starting up again, still around the Daily Prophet article that told everyone about how Dumbledore had been banned from Gringotts, when the Hogwarts Express whistled and started moving, amid a chorus of goodbyes from the parents.
After waving goodbye from the window, the group sat back down in their seats. This time, they started talking about the journey to Hogwarts, as none of them had ever been before. For those who were magical-raised, they hadn't even been on a train before with the exception of Luna, who often went on trips with her father to look for exotic magical creatures, so they were very excited. "How long will the journey to Hogwarts take?" Susan asked.
"Mum said that it takes a whole day," Hannah said. "We'll arrive at Hogsmeade Station at about six, I think. Hogsmeade is the closest village to Hogwarts, even though it's about an hour on foot away, and significantly less if it's by carriage. It's also the only all-wizarding village in Britain, so we don't have to worry about Muggles seeing us and us breaking the Statute of Secrecy. Carriages will then take us to Hogwarts, or boats for the first-years' first trip. Then, we'll get Sorted and we'll have a Welcoming Feast."
"That's nice," Harry said after listening to Hannah. "But that wastes a whole day, when Floos, Portkeys or Apparation is much faster and only takes a few seconds. It would be much faster and less troublesome for us to be Flooed, Portkeyed or Side-Along Apparated to outside the Hogwarts gates, and then walk the rest of the way. Or, we could use magic to speed the train up so it only takes a couple of hours instead of about seven. That means we could have one more day with our family."
"It's tradition," Tracey said. "The Hogwarts Express has been in use since the mid-nineteenth century, and it's a time when students of different Houses can have fun together without any Professors there to stop them. We're also traveling quite a distance, so I think the trip has been sped up with magic, at least a little. We're also travelling from the south of the 'island' where the United Kingdom and Scotland are to the north-west, so I think that it would take much longer if they didn't speed it up."
They continued on with this conversation for a while, until the door was suddenly yanked open roughly by the youngest Weasley boy, Ronald 'Ron' Weasley. He was the one who had been looking for Harry, and who had asked Neville if he had seen him. "Is anybody sitting there? Everywhere else is full," the boy said, making to sit down on the empty seat beside Harry. "It's nice to see you, mate. I'm Ron Weasley, and you met me this morning." Clearly, he was only speaking to Harry, instead of the group as whole.
"There currently isn't somebody sitting there, as that seat is reserved for anybody who could be a friend," Harry said. When Ron looked like he wanted to say something, he continued, "That means that you can't sit there. There are quite a few other compartments which have a lot fewer people, one of which has your twin brothers in it. Perhaps you should go bother them and sit with them instead of us. I'm sure they'll be more willing to have you in their compartment, at least. If not, find another, less full compartment."
"Come on, Harry," the boy pleaded. "Why are you sitting with these people anyway? It's just a Squib, Looney, slimy Slytherins and boring Hufflepuffs."
"These people are my friends and Miss Greengrass is my betrothed," Harry said. "I'd much rather sit with them than sit with you. Mr. Longbottom is of a Noble and Most Ancient House, and so is Miss Greengrass. Misses Abbott, Bones and Davis are of Noble and Ancient Houses, and Miss Lovegood is of an Ancient House. All of them are of much higher rank than you, except for Miss Lovegood, whose House status is the same as yours. However, she is of higher rank, being the Heir Presumptive, while you are only an Heir."
"But I'd make a better friend, even if my House isn't of as high ranking as theirs are," Weasley said.
"Well, I think the complete opposite," Harry replied. "At least they didn't burst into my compartment, lie to try and sit with me, and then call my friends names."
"Fine," Weasley said. "But I'm not apologising to you, as I don't see why I should apologise to a bunch of losers." He stood back up and went out, slamming the door.
"Now that that drama is over, what were we talking about?" Harry asked. "Ah yes, Hogwarts. What Houses do you think you'll be sorted into?" After asking everybody, he found out that Neville and Susan thought either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, Tracey thought Slytherin or Hufflepuff, Luna and Hannah thought Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, while Harry and Daphne both thought Ravenclaw or Slytherin. That created a mix of all Houses, even if more people chose Hufflepuff as one of their choices.
"We've got all the possible combinations, save for Gryffindor or Slytherin and Gryffindor or Ravenclaw," Susan said. When asked what she meant, she clarified it, "Everybody has chosen the two Houses they think would suit them best, and out of all the possible answers, we're only missing people that would choose the combinations of either Gryffindor or Slytherin and Gryffindor or Ravenclaw when asked the question that Harry just asked. That means our group doesn't really show that many Gryffindor traits."
"It doesn't necessarily mean that, though," Hannah said. "It just means that our group tends to shy away from a combination with Gryffindor, or that we prefer the other three Houses over Gryffindor. It doesn't necessarily mean that we don't show those traits, as we can express the traits of daring, nerve, chivalry without being in Gryffindor." Susan understood, and acknowledged that as true. "Or, it could mean that we just don't want to be in the same House as Ron Weasley." Everybody laughed at that.
They had been chatting for about half-an-hour without any disturbances, when a girl with bushy brown hair and brown eyes knocked on the door, pulling a giant trunk. It was now about noon, so the train had been moving for an hour. She was already wearing her school robes, even though they were Unaligned, showing her to be a first-year. When the group looked up at her, she slid it open and asked softly, "Can I sit in here, please?" She looked like she had been crying, and was dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
"Of course," Tracey said, gesturing towards the empty seat next to Harry. "What happened to you? Why are you crying?"
"I was in an empty compartment up front, reading a book," the girl began. "About half-an-hour ago, a bunch of older girls came in, laughing and chattering. When they saw me, the leader of them said, 'Get out, because this is our compartment, and we don't want you here'. But I refused, as I was there long before they came in, and I wasn't going to leave just because a bunch of older girls wanted that compartment. Then, the leader asked me who my parents were, and to which House I belonged.
"I told them that my parents were Daniel and Emma Granger, two Muggles, and I hadn't been Sorted yet, so I didn't know which House I was going to be in," the girl continued. "They laughed at me and called me names, but when I still wouldn't move, they pulled my trunk from the luggage rack and tossed it outside, and grabbed my book from my hands and did the same. I went outside to get my stuff, but once I was out, they slammed the door and locked it with some kind of magic so I couldn't get back in.
"So, I went to find other people," the girl – Miss Granger, as her parents were Daniel and Emma Granger – said. "I found a group of boys and girls, who looked like they were second-years. There was a dark-haired boy as the leader, with four other boys in the compartment and three girls. I asked if I could sit with them, but when I told them I was a Muggleborn, they laughed at me and called me names, just like the older girls in the first compartment did. That happened with another compartment, too."
"Well, have no fear that we'll do that to you, Miss Granger," Daphne said calmly, while everybody else looked shocked. "Take a seat, as you're definitely welcome here. Those people that you unfortunately met are pureblood bigots, meaning they only associate with those of so-called pure blood, and they look down upon those that aren't. Many of us don't believe in such nonsense, but unfortunately, such bigotry runs rampant through Magical Britain, as many of those bigots have high-ranking positions in the Ministry."
"Th-thank you," Miss Granger said, sniffling a bit. "My name is Hermione Granger, by the way. What are your names?"
The rest of the group quickly identified themselves, and when Harry introduced himself, Hermione gasped. "I've heard about you! You're famous for defeating Voldemort!"
Everybody, except for Harry and Luna, flinched at the mention of Voldemort's name. "I know I'm famous, Hermione," he said. "But before you say that, think about why I'm famous. Yes, it's because I supposedly defeated Lord Voldemort, who had been terrorizing Magical Britain for just over a decade, on Halloween 1981. But to me, that night isn't a celebration night like it is for the rest of the world. To me, it's the night that my parents died at the wand of that psychopath, and I was sent off to my aunt and uncle."
"Oh my God!" Hermione exclaimed, and Harry could see that the others had never thought about it like that either. "I didn't think about it like that."
"Nobody ever does," Harry said. "To them, it's a time to celebrate both Halloween and the defeat of the last Dark Lord, to me, it's a time to mourn my parents."
"That's how it'll be like for me, too," Daphne said, giving him a hug. "I used to celebrate it, as did my parents, but now I'll join you as your betrothed."
"Thank you, Daphne," Harry said. "But now that we've talked about that, can we move on to other topics? Hermione, what Houses do you think you'll be Sorted into?"
"I think I'll be Sorted into either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw," Hermione said. "I want to be a Gryffindor because that's the House that both Headmaster Dumbledore and Deputy Headmistress McGonagall were in when they were at Hogwarts. Ravenclaw would also be a good place for me as I think I'm smart enough to succeed there, but I'd rather be in Gryffindor as Gryffindor students seem more accepting of Muggleborns than Ravenclaws. I wouldn't mind Hufflepuff, either, but Slytherin isn't for me."
"Well, we've found a person who would choose the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw combination," Tracey said. When Hermione looked puzzled, the rest of the group brought her up-to-date on what they were talking about in regards to the House combinations before she arrived in their compartment. She then understood what Tracey meant by finding a person who would choose the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw combination. However, she didn't understand why very few, if any, would choose the Gryffindor-Slytherin combination.
"That's easy to answer, if you know anything about Magical Britain and its beliefs," Susan said. "Gryffindors are seen as 'Light', as Dumbledore was a Gryffindor while he was at Hogwarts and he is known as the Leader of the Light. Slytherins, on the other hand, are seen as 'Dark', as You-Know-Who was a Slytherin when he was at Hogwarts. The Death Eaters, You-Know-Who's followers, were also mostly Slytherins, if not all of them. As a result, hose two Houses are seen as opposites."
"I see," Hermione said slowly. "But what about Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff? Are they seen as 'Light' or 'Dark'?"
"Neither, really," Hannah answered. "Hufflepuffs are seen as 'duffers', and Hufflepuff has a reputation for being the House that people go in if they can't get into other Houses. However, that's utter rubbish, but as Lady Hufflepuff was kind and took many into her House, that's the reputation we have. Ravenclaws are known for being smart, even if they're usually book-smart instead of street-smart. They're also seen as being slightly on the Dark side, as some Ravenclaws are pureblood bigots. Not many, but still some."
"Yes," Susan said. "To be honest, none of the Houses have the reputation they deserve. Gryffindor isn't all good, either, but their reputation is better than the one they deserve. Slytherins are seen as evil, but just because you're ambitious or cunning and ended up in Slytherin doesn't mean that you're definitely going to become a Death Eater once you graduate from Hogwarts." They continued to discuss this for a while, before moving on to Quidditch. Of course, they had to teach Harry and Hermione what it was, first.
At half-past-twelve, the group heard a loud clattering coming from outside, and a smiling, dimpled woman with a cart laden with sweets and junk food slid back their compartment door. "Anything off the trolley, dears?" Harry leapt to his feet, rummaging in his pockets for his money bag, and looked at the cart. He couldn't see much that he recognised, apart from Chocolate Frogs, which Astoria was addicted to and which contained cards of famous wizards and witches that she loved to collect.
"Yes, please," he said. He looked over it again, and eventually, not wanting to miss anything, bought a little of everything and paid the woman eleven Sickles and seven Knuts. The rest of the group, except Hermione, also bought something to eat. As Harry had bought a little of everything, they could try everything and see what they liked best. "Will you be up front if we want any more food, or do we wait for you, or what?" he asked, as they were sure to get hungry later on.
"I'll be up front with the conductor, dear," the woman said. She left, and everybody tipped their food onto the table and organised it by type, before taking what they wanted.
When Luna, who was sitting opposite Hermione, noticed that Hermione wasn't eating anything, she asked, "Why aren't you eating, Hermione? You can have some too, you know." She reached for a Chocolate Frog and pressed it into Hermione's hand. "You don't have to pay us back, either. We're all friends here, and friends don't let friends go without sweets or lunch, both of which are very important. You won't get anything else until the Welcoming Feast, which will probably be around seven-thirty to eight."
Hermione thanked Luna, before eating the Chocolate Frog slowly. "Mum and Dad gave me some money, so I'll pay you back, of course," she said. "They gave me ten Galleons, or about fifty pounds. They said it was to buy anything that I needed and the money should last me the whole year, so I'll give you a Sickle each once I find my money pouch. It's somewhere in my trunk, as I didn't think I'd be needing it." She took another Chocolate Frog, slipping the card into her pocket.
The countryside, which was now flying past the window, was becoming wilder and wilder. Before, they had seen neat and tidy fields, with the occasional animal in them, but now then there were dark woods, twisting rivers that led off to who knew where, and dark green hills that stretched towards the sky. They were clearly moving away from the areas where people actually lived, and were heading towards the Scottish Highlands. Around three o'clock, there was a knock on the door, and three boys and a girl entered.
The leader of the small group, who stood in front, was a boy with silver-blond hair, grey eyes and pale skin. A girl with dark hair and eyes was on his arm, while the two other boys, who were thickset and mean-looking, stood behind the couple like bodyguards. All of them were dressed in their 'Unaligned' Hogwarts robes, and were clearly first-years like the group. "Is it true?" the leader asked. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?" He looked directly at Harry.
"Yes, I'm Harrison Potter," Harry replied, the whole compartment growing quiet. "Who are you?"
"I'm Draco Malfoy," Malfoy, the blond-haired leader, replied. "I am Heir Apparent Malfoy, as well as being an Heir of the House of Black. This is my betrothed, Pansy Parkinson, and behind me are Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle." He indicated first the girl on his arm, then the two boys behind him. Apparently, the one on the left was Crabbe and the one on the right was Goyle. However, Harry couldn't tell them apart, as they looked identical: thickset, mean and rather stupid.
"I come here to offer my hand in friendship," Malfoy continued. "I know you haven't been in this wizarding world for long, as Dumbledore sent you to live with the Muggles, but you'll soon find that some wizarding families are better than others. As you are famous in your own right due to your defeat of the Dark Lord and come from a rich, powerful and important House, you wouldn't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you with that." He held out a pale, manicured hand to Harry.
"I thank you for your concern," Harry said, shaking Malfoy's hand. "However, if you look around this compartment, I think you'll find that I haven't been making friends with the 'wrong sort', as you put it. Two are of Noble and Most Ancient Houses, one of whom is my betrothed, three are of Noble and Ancient Houses and one is of an Ancient House, while one is Unhoused at the moment. By any standard, these people are not the 'wrong sort' of people to make friends with. So, will that be all?"
Draco didn't turn red, but his cheeks did flush slightly. "That will be all, Potter," he replied. "I hope to see you at Hogwarts again." The four of them left the compartment, with Parkinson still on Malfoy's arm, closing the door on the way behind. A few hours later, the conductor informed everybody that they would reach Hogsmeade Station in roughly half an hour, and they were advised to change into their Hogwarts robes. However, this didn't apply to the group as they were already wearing them.
When the train started to slow down slightly, the conductor's voice echoed through the train yet again. It was getting dark by now, and when Harry peered out of the window, he could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. "We will be reaching Hogsmeade Station in five minutes' time. If you have not done so already, please change into your school robes. When you exit the train, please leave your trunks as they will be taken to the school separately. We hope that you had a good journey."
The train soon slowed down, before stopping. As soon as it did, people started pushing their way towards the exits and onto a tiny, dark platform which was rapidly overfilling as students came off the Hogwarts Express. Not knowing where to go, Harry and his friends just stood at the side of the platform, while the older students headed off towards some carriages which were waiting for them. As it was much colder here in Scotland and their robes didn't help that much, Harry hoped they wouldn't have to wait much longer.
As the last students finished getting off the Express, a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, carried by a rather large man. He had a large beard, and towered over everybody, as he must have been at least three meters tall. When they saw him, Hannah quickly told the group, "That's Rubeus Hagrid, the groundskeeper and Keeper of the Keys for Hogwarts. My elder sister Holly says that he'll be taking us first-years by boat, as he does every year for the first trip."
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" Hagrid was calling while swinging the lamp. "C'mon, follow me – any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" The group followed Hagrid, slippering and stumbling, down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there, as they could hardly see anything apart from the sky above them. Nobody spoke much, so all they could hear was Hagrid's voice telling them to mind their step.
Hagrid, who was leading the long line of first-year students, looked over his shoulder at them. "Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec, jus' round this bend here."
Then, there was a loud "Ooh!" from the students as the narrow path suddenly opened out to reveal the edge of a great, dark lake. Then there was a loud "Ooh!" as the narrow path suddenly opened out to reveal the edge of a great, dark lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky just like stars themselves, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. There was a fleet of small boats sitting in the water by the shore, apparently waiting for them to get in.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called as the students rushed forward. That suited the group fine, as Harry sat with Daphne, Neville and Tracey in one boat, while Luna, Hermione, Susan and Hannah sat in the one that was right next to Harry's boat. Everybody settled down with their friends, even though some boats only contained one or two students instead of the maximum of four. Hagrid, of course, had a boat to himself. Once he saw that nobody was moving, he called, "Everyone in? Right then – FORWARD!"
As Hagrid shouted the last word, the fleet of little boats started moving across the lake, which was as smooth as glass and reflected back the stars in the night sky, as well as the great castle towering above them. All too soon, the first boats had reached the cliff where Hogwarts stood. Hagrid called, "Heads down!" and they obediently bent their heads. The little boats then carried them through a curtain of ivy and through a dark tunnel – which was behind the ivy – to an underground harbour, where the boats stopped.
"Be careful when gettin' off," Hagrid warned, as they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles. "It can be slippery."
Following Hagrid and his brightly-glowing lamp, they clambered up a dark passageway until they came out onto soft, smooth and damp grass in the shadow of the castle. They walked to and up a flight of stone steps, which led to a huge, oak front door. As they gathered on the top steps, Hagrid, who was still leading them, raised a gigantic fist and knocked on the door three times. Immediately, the door swung open to reveal a tall witch dressed in dark-coloured robes. "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said.
"Thank you, Hagrid," Professor McGonagall said. "I will take them from here." She opened the door wide to reveal a huge entrance hall. The stone 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. In the light of the flaming torches, they could now see Professor McGonagall more clearly. She was a tall, stern-looking witch, dressed in black robes and a black witch's pointed hat, with pale skin and light green eyes.
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry now remembered why her name sounded so familiar: she was, as the Hogwarts letter had stated, the Deputy Headmistress. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right, where the rest of the school must be already, but Professor McGonagall showed them into a small empty chamber off the hall instead. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.
Once all the first-years had crowded in, Professor McGonagall turned to face them. "Welcome to Hogwarts," she said. "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," the Professor continued, looking around at them. 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 Housewith the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours.
"The Sorting Cermony 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." She looked around at the crowd at various members: Weasley, who had food all over his face; the boy standing next to Weasley, whose hair was a mess; and a few others. Seeing that, Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair. "I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." She left the chamber, leaving the first-years by themselves.
Harry felt extremely nervous, even though he already knew what House he wanted to go into. Without him noticing, Daphne came over to him and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Harry," she said. "There's no need to be nervous. You know what House you want to go into, and you'll do well no matter what House you're Sorted into." Hearing that, Harry felt a lot less nervous, even though Hermione was making everybody anxious by whispering rapidly about all the spells she'd learnt and wondering which one she'd need.
But just then, about twenty pearly-white and partly transparent ghosts streamed through the stone wall, making people scream and jump, and most of them gasp loudly. The ghosts were talking amongst themselves, apparently ignoring the forty eleven-year-olds. "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance," a rather fat monk was saying to the rest of the ghosts. He was clutching a cup, and drinking from it as well, even though the cup was also pearly-white and partly transparent.
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves?" A ghost wearing a ruff and tights, and who was floating next to the Friar – the fat monk who had been speaking – replied. "He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost! Some people on the School Board have been trying to get rid of us since they joined the Board, and Peeves isn't helping our case – I say, what are you all doing here?" He seemed to have suddenly noticed the first-years staring at them.
Nobody answered him, and not a sound was made. Even Hermione had stopped whispering about the spells she'd learnt from the textbooks and what she might need when the ghosts first came in. "Well, they must be new students, of course. About to be Sorted, I suppose?" He smiled down at them, and a few people nodded back, although nobody said a word. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old House, you know. It's a wonderful House, no matter what other people say. I think they're just jealous, that's all."
A few seconds passed before Professor McGonagall returned. Staring up at the ghosts, who were now hovering above, simply staring at the first-years, she said sharply, "Move along now. The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." When they heard her, the ghosts started floating away through the opposite wall – probably to the large hall where the rest of the school was – one-by-one. "Now, form a line and follow me," Professor McGonagall said, waiting for them as they did so.
Once everybody had gotten into the line, Professor McGonagall started to walk away. The group was standing around the middle of the line, in the order Neville, Harry, Daphne, Tracey, Luna, Susan, Hannah and Hermione, and they also followed the Professor with the rest of the first-years. They walked back out of the chamber, across the hall and through a pair of double doors into what Professor McGonagall told them was the Great Hall. That was the room where the other students were waiting for them to arrive.
The Great Hall was both strange and wonderful at the same time. It was much larger than the hall at Greengrass Manor, and was lit by hundreds, if not thousands, of floating candles which hovered over the four long tables where all the students sat, separated by House, and the Professors' table. The Professors' table, where all the Professors were sitting and chatting while waiting, was at the top of the Hall. All five tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets, but there was no food on any of the tables yet.
Professor McGonagall then led the long line of first-years, stopping when they were in front of the Professors' table and facing the four long tables with the Professors seated behind them. Hundreds of faces looked up at the row of first-years, all of them looking like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Among the students, there was the occasional ghost that they had seen in the chamber off the hall, which shone misty silver. When Harry looked upwards, he could see a velvet-black ceiling dotted with stars.
Harry quickly looked down again, just as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool between the row of first-years and the head of the four long tables, and placed a patched, frayed and extremely dirty pointed wizard's hat on top of the stool. As the hat was set down on the stool, the whole Hall went quiet, with the older students all staring at the hat. After a few seconds of complete silence, a rip near the hat's brim opened at the hat – clearly displaying more magic – 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 Hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables, and once everybody had quietened down, Professor McGonagall walked over to the three-legged stool, 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," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!" Hannah, who was now pink-faced, walked out of the line from where she was standing between Susan and Hermione, and put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down.
After a moment's pause, the hat shouted loudly, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
Hannah took the Sorting Hat off and placed it on the stool, before going over to the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her, as the Hufflepuff table cheered and clapped and welcomed her. Harry noticed that the edges of Hannah's robes had turned yellow, her tie had turned yellow-and-black – the Hufflepuff colours – and the Hufflepuff emblem appeared on one side of Hannah's robes. Then, Professor McGonagall called, "Bones, Susan!" and Susan made her way to the stool and the Hat.
After a slightly longer pause, the hat shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!" again and Susan went off to sit next to Hannah. Her robes, like Hannah's, changed as well.
'Boot, Terry' and 'Brocklehurst, Mandy', the next two in alphabetical order, both became Ravenclaws, but 'Brown, Lavender' became the first new Gryffindor and 'Bulstrode, Millicent' became the first new Slytherin. After a few more first-years being Sorted, it was Tracey's turn. She sat on the stool, the Sorting Hat falling right down over her eyes, for about half a minute before the Sorting Hat called, "SLYTHERIN!" and her robes changed to match. She sat down next to Millicent Bulstrode near the head of the table.
Soon, it was Hermione's turn. She, being very excited, almost ran to the stool and jammed the Hat on her head. She sat on the stool for a full minute before the Sorting Hat called out, "GRYFFINDOR!" As a Gryffindor, her robes were edged in red, her tie was red-and-gold and the Gryffindor emblem appeared instead. Tracey's robes were edged in green, her tie was green-and-silver and she had the Slytherin emblem, of course. Hermione sat down opposite Lavender Brown, also near the head of Gryffindor table.
Immediately after Hermione was Daphne. She wasn't as excited as Hermione was, so she didn't run for the stool. After about half a minute, the Hat declared her a Slytherin like Tracey and the magics of Hogwarts changed her robes. She went over and sat down on the other side of Tracey, with Malfoy and Parkinson's 'bodyguards', Crabbe and Goyle, opposite the three girls. Harry wasn't sure how the two had managed to get Sorted into Slytherin when they were definitely not cunning or ambitious, but they were there.
After 'Hopkins, Wayne', 'Jones, Megan' and 'Li, Su', it was Neville's turn. As he appeared very nervous, Harry tapped him on the shoulder and whispered, "Remember, Neville, inside that shy young boy you think you are, a courageous lion is hiding." Harry saw that Neville immediately relaxed and stood up straighter after he said that. As a result, he was Sorted into Gryffindor with Hermione. His robes now looked like Hermione's did, and he went to sit down next to her amidst claps and cheers from Gryffindor table.
Immediately afterwards, it was Luna's turn. When Professor McGonagall called, "Lovegood, Luna!" she drifted to the stool and sat down with the Sorting Hat on her head. Within three seconds, she became a Ravenclaw, which was the House she wanted to be in most, and her robes changed to match. Ravenclaw table clapped politely, as they had done for all the Ravenclaws before Luna, and she went to sit down next to Mandy Brocklehurst, who was sitting next to Terry Boot. Both were Ravenclaw first-years like her.
Malfoy's name was then called. He swaggered forward to the stool and the Sorting Hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" Looking very pleased with himself, he went off to sit between his 'bodyguards' Crabbe and Goyle and directly opposite Tracey. There weren't many people left in the line of first-years. 'Moon, Lily'... 'Nott, Theodore'... 'Parkinson, Pansy' – Malfoy's betrothed, who was also Sorted into Slytherin and sat down next to him. It would soon be his turn, Harry thought.
At last, after a pair of twin girls – 'Patil, Padma' and 'Patil, Parvati', who were Sorted into Ravenclaw and Gryffindor respectively – it was his turn. McGonagall called, "Potter, Harrison!" As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall. "Potter, did she say?"... "The Harry Potter?". The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the Hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.
"Hmm," said a small voice in his head, obviously the Sorting Hat. "You are Mr. Potter, who defeated the Dark Lord when he was only fifteen months old. I've been expecting you for a while now. Quite impressive, you know, defeating the Dark Lord. 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... What would you say if I were to put you into Gryffindor, as the Headmaster wants?"
"No, thank you," Harry thought. "I'm not sure why the Headmaster is trying to influence the Sorting, but I don't like it. Ronald Weasley is obviously going to Gryffindor, though, and while my good friend Neville Longbottom is also in Gryffindor, I have no wish to be in the same dorm as Weasley for the next seven years. I know my father was a Gryffindor through-and-through and my mother chose Gryffindor over Ravenclaw, but I don't see myself as the sort of person who would be best suited to Gryffindor."
"Very well, then," the Sorting Hat replied. "Your betrothed, Miss Greengrass, is already in Slytherin and you would do well there. You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that. Miss Davis is also there as well – one of your close friends, I see, as well as the best friend of your betrothed. Slytherin and Ravenclaw are the two Houses that you would be most suited to, and you would fit in well in both. What if I were to offer you Slytherin?"
"That would be acceptable, although I still think I'd prefer Ravenclaw over Slytherin," Harry replied. "My best trait, according to my betrothed and her family, or my future in-laws, is my smartness and my near-perfect memory. Slytherin might also be too dangerous for me to be in at the moment, due to the number of children who come from families where being an Inner Circle Death Eater is the ultimate goal and who would probably support the Dark Lord, given the chance. No, I think Ravenclaw is better for me."
"Very well," the Sorting Hat said, sighing. "As I've already said, Ravenclaw would still be a good fit for you. I agree with the statement about the Slytherins, although you would do well to remember that not all of them are like that. Most of them have also been 'brainwashed' by their families, especially their Heads of House and fathers, who are most likely Death Eaters. As a result, you'd better be in RAVENCLAW!" The Hat shouted the last word out, and Harry felt the hat being lifted off his head by Professor McGonagall.
Harry walked to the Ravenclaw table and sat down next to Luna. The rest of the school was very confused, with their feelings being summed up by a pair of red-haired twins – the Weasleys, as Harry remembered – continuously asking, "We didn't get Potter?" However, once the Ravenclaws got over their intial shock, they started cheering and clapping loudly. The Grey Lady, who introduced herself as the Ravenclaw ghost, even patted his arm, giving him the feeling he'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.
As he sat at the Ravenclaw table, he could see the Great Hall more clearly. The Professors' table was much more crowded than he thought it was, with only the seat on Dumbledore's right being empty – probably left for Professor McGonagall. Dumbledore was sitting in the middle in a large gold chair, looking rather disappointed that Harry wasn't in Gryffindor. Meanwhile, the tables were much longer, with a couple hundred students seated at each table, so over a hundred on either side.
Once the last few people had been Sorted, ending with 'Weasley, Ronald' going to Gryffindor and 'Zabini, Blaise' going to Slytherin, Harry looked down at his plate and realised how hungry he was. It seemed to have been ages since he had eaten on the Hogwarts Express, and he was certainly ready for dinner. As there wasn't any food yet and there were about a thousand students to serve, he wondered how all the food would appear on the table without needing a lot of servants. By magic, perhaps?
Then, Dumbledore got to his feet, opening his arms as if he'd like to hug all of them. Beaming, he said loudly, "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!" He sat back down, amidst cheers and clapping, and Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not. Dumbledore clapped his hands and suddenly the dishes in front of him were piled with food, the tables groaning under the weight of it.
As people reached for the food, Harry glanced around at his fellow first-year Ravenclaws. There were five boys: Terry Boot, Michael Corner, Anthony Goldstein, Oliver Rivers and himself; and five girls: Mandy Brocklehurst, Su Li, Luna Lovegood, Padma Patil and Lisa Turpin. That made ten first-years in Ravenclaw, so about a quarter of this year's intake of first years of forty students. However, there were about a thousand students in total, so Harry's year must have been unusually small – maybe due to the war.
Dinner ended after about an hour, and the food vanished, only to be replaced by desserts. There was every type of dessert that Harry could think of: blocks of ice-cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs, jam doughnuts, trifle, swiss rolls, cakes that were beautifully decorated and were in every flavour you could think of, Jell-O, rice pudding and more. Harry helped himself to a chocolate éclair, which tasted delicious.
By the end of it, Harry was felt rather sleepy. He glanced up at the High Table – the Professors' table – again to have a proper look at the Professors. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet, while Professor McGonagall was talking to Dumbledore. A man wearing a ridiculously-coloured purple turban was talking to a Professor with greasy black hair, a hooked nose and sallow skin – Professor Severus Snape, as Harry remembered from the betrothal ceremony, where he had been one of the guests as the Head of Slytherin.
Then, it happened very suddenly. Professor Snape looked past the purple turban and straight into Harry's eyes – and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead. "Ouch!" he cried, clapping a hand to his head. But just as he did that, the pain was gone as suddenly as it came. But harder to shake off was the feeling that Harry had gotten from Snape's look – a feeling that he didn't like Harry at all, although he hadn't gotten that feeling from the brief meeting at the betrothal celebration.
Immediately, he turned back to the High Table, and saw that Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. The Hall fell silent again to listen to Dumbledore speak: "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 pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." His eyes twinkled and he glanced at the Weasley twins, who were at the Gryffindor table.
"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." A few people laughed, but most people just looked very nervous.
"Now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Harry noticed that the teachers' smiles were now fixed, rather than genuine. He flicked his wand, and a golden ribbon appeared, and twisted itself into the lyrics, which floated above the tables. "Everybody pick their favourite tune," Dumbledore said, "and off we go!" Everyone started bellowing the lyrics at their own tune, and finally, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march, which Dumbledore conducted the last few lines of.
Once they had finally finished, to great applause, Dumbledore clapped the loudest and wiped his eyes. "Ah, music," he said. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!" The students rose from their tables and quickly left, until there were only the first-years and a handful of older students left, two of which were Ravenclaw students as well: a blonde-haired girl and a brown-haired boy, both of whom had Prefect badges gleaming on their robes and were a good few years older than they were.
"Hello," the blonde-haired girl said, approaching them with the brown-haired boy. "My name is Penelope Clearwater, and this is Robert Hilliard. We're the Ravenclaw fifth-year Prefects this year, which means we're responsible for looking after you for the first week. I know you're all tired, so we'll only give you a few announcements once we're up in Ravenclaw Tower before sending you off to bed. Follow us, please." She turned to leave the Great Hall, and the Ravenclaw first-years stood up and followed Clearwater.
They climbed up and up and up, on moving staircases and through hidden doorways, and finally then they arrived at the top of a spiral staircase. There was a door there, which had no keyhole or handle, but a knocker in the shape of an eagle. "This is how you get to Ravenclaw Tower," Hilliard said once they arrived. "You probably won't be able to remember the way yet, so we'll show you down to the Great Hall for breakfast tomorrow. However, we'd like you to try and remember the way tomorrow morning."
Clearwater nodded along, but once Hilliard had stopped talking, she knocked once with the eagle-knocker on the door. As soon as she did, the eagle spoke. "First-years, I see," the eagle-knocker said. "Considerably less than usual, but no matter. As it's your first night, you can have an easy riddle, which you must answer correctly to pass by me. Here is the riddle: 'I am lighter than air, but even the strongest man in the world cannot hold me for more than a few minutes. What am I?'"
"If anybody knows, you can answer," Clearwater said. "Does anybody know?"
"I do," Turpin said, raising her hand. "It's your breath."
"Good job," the eagle said, and turned into a knocker once again. The door swung open to reveal the Ravenclaw common room, and Clearwater and Hilliard led them inside. It was a wide, circular room, airier than any Harry had ever seen, including the rooms in Greengrass Manor. Graceful arched windows punctuated the walls, which were hung with blue and bronze silks. As it was dark, you couldn't see anything through the windows, but they would probably have a spectacular view to wake up to next morning.
The ceiling, which was very high, was domed and painted with stars, which were echoed in the midnight-blue carpet. There were tables and chairs spread throughout the room, and in one corner, bookcases stretched up high, packed with books on various subjects. There were sofas near this mini-library, with lamps next to them for people to see by. A white marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw stood in a niche opposite the door, with two staircases on either side of the niche, and it was in front of this statue they stopped.
"Well," Hilliard said, counting the heads. "There are only ten of you, which is exactly a quarter of this year's intake, which is rather small. But anyway, welcome to Ravenclaw. This House, while being slightly more focused on academic achievements than other areas, such as sports, is still a very good House to be in. It is not somewhere like Slytherin, as there is no hierarchy other than Prefect status, so we expect everybody to be treated equally, no matter what they have achieved in the past or what their blood status is."
"That means, there is to be no fighting over things like beds," Clearwater added on. "If you don't like where you're sleeping, you may ask somebody politely to switch with you. Tomorrow, we would like you to meet us down here, in the common room, at seven o'clock, as we need to be down at breakfast at seven-thirty so the Heads of House can give out the class schedules. Our Head is Professor Flitwick, by the way. He's the Professor of Charms, so you'll meet him tomorrow as Charms is required until sixth year."
"I think that's all the notices that we need to give," Hilliard said. "We will be coming up after breakfast, so you don't need to bring anything down with you. That's to allow you to get your books for the first and second classes. Now, gentlemen, if you would follow me, and ladies, please follow Miss Clearwater. Oh, and gentlemen, please don't try to get up the girls' staircase. It will turn into a slippery slide and you will be sent down. " Harry and the four other boys headed to the staircase on the left, following Hilliard.
On the first floor, they found five rooms with their names on them. Harry's was the near end of the hallway, as he was the second-last alphabetically. He entered the room, which was also airy like the Ravenclaw common room. There was a four-poster bed hung with deep blue curtains, a wardrobe and a nightstand. There was a door on the left wall, which led to a small bathroom with a shower, bathtub, sink and toilet. This must have been wizard-spaced as Harry 'knew' that Goldstein's room should be there.
As he was too tired to do much, he put his pajamas on – his trunk had been brought up and placed at the end of his bed – and got into bed before quickly falling asleep.
.
Hey guys,
Thanks for the reviews, follows and favourites from the last chapter – you guys are great! So some parts are from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone – like the song – but with my edits. I changed the colour of McGonagall's robes from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, where she was wearing emerald-green robes but I decided to have her wear black robes instead because it made more sense than having the Head of Gryffindor wear Slytherin-coloured robes on the first day. And in my fanfic, then Isobel MacDougal isn't going to appear, while Stephen Cornfoot is going to be a Gryffindor, to even out the numbers of having Harry as a Ravenclaw and Luna being in Harry's year instead of in the year below.
Shadow of the Blue Moon x
Chapter Word Count (rounded to the nearest 100): 11,200