Hagrid led us first years from the boat house to the entrance of the Great Hall. By the time, we had got there I was out of breath due to the, what felt like, thousands of steps of stairs leading from the boat house. At the entrance, we were met by my family's close friend Neville. Now that I was at Hogwarts I had to call him Professor Longbottom. He was our deputy headmaster, Herbology teacher and possible house head if we were sorted into Gryffindor.

He smiled warmly at Al and I when he saw us. He then cleared his throat and began to speak to us first years.

"Welcome to Hogwarts first years, you are at the beginning of a great seven year adventure, that I myself wish I could relive. Throughout your years at Hogwarts, you will be taught magic to a high standard and hopefully along the way make wonderful friends and memories that will last you a lifetime."

He waited a moment for his words to sink in, and then he continued.

"Now, in a few moments, I will lead you into the Great Hall where you all will be sorted by the Sorting Hat into one of four houses. You will be sorted into either Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin. Here at Hogwarts, your house will be like a second family. When the Sorting Hat calls out what house you are in you will sit at that house table. Any questions?"

There was silence.

"Okay, then, follow me."

When Neville pushed opened the doors to the Great Hall, a warm light poured out from the Great Hall making it welcoming. I followed Neville along with everyone else inside the Great Hall. My eyes were immediately drawn up to the bewitched ceiling. My mouth fell open. "Wow!" I thought. "It's even more enchanting than 'Hogwarts, A History' described it."

I found myself saying to Al who was next to me. "It's bewitched to look like the outside sky, but it's way prettier than the outside sky."

Albus nodded in wonderment as we followed Neville up the centre aisle of the Great Hall. I pulled my eyes way from the ceiling to look at the area surrounding me. I saw the famous four house tables with hundreds of students sitting at them. I quickly notice most of the students were staring at Al and I. My mother's voice echoed in my head "They'll get used to it, Rose."

"I hope so." I thought.

I turned my attention to the direction in which we were walking in. At the top of the Great Hall, there was a long table facing the students that seated my future Professors. At the centre of the table sat an elderly woman with a stern face. There was no doubt in my mind that she was Headmistress McGonagall who I was told stories about by my mom and dad.

Neville halted near the top of the hall where an old hat crinkled with age sat on top of a high stool. It was the Sorting Hat. It didn't look like something Godric Gryffindor had put his brains into. It looked like nothing more than a manky old hat.

Then suddenly the hat burst into song. I had been warned about the sorting hat's singing by my dad. He had told me to prepare myself for a long period of annoyance and boredom. About a minute into his song I had lost any urge to pay attention. Anyway, I had heard it all so many times before, Gryffindor is for the bravest, etc…

I looked around the hall and saw most of the students looking bored out of their minds. About two minutes into the song I was praying to the wizarding god for the Sorting Hat to finish his bleeding song. My feet were starting to hurt from standing and my stomach felt like it was going to grumble aloud at any minute (I'm so hungry!).

Finally, the hat finished and all the students began to clap, happy that it was over, me included. Neville reached into the pocket of his robes and produced a long list of names (Great, more waiting).

Neville started to call out the names of the first year students to be sorted starting with

"Addams, Alexander."

Since this was in alphabetical order I knew that because my last name was Weasley that I would be sorted near the end of the ceremony. I sighed at the thought, I was done being nervous I just wanted to be sorted and enjoy the magnificent feast I read about and was told about by my parents.

My thoughts were interrupted by the Sorting Hat belting out the house name. "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The Hufflepuff table clapped loudly.

My focus went in and out of the sorting, during this time I examined the Great Hall in greater detail taking in everything.

My focus came back to the sorting when I heard the name "Malfoy, Scorpius."

The moment the hat was placed on his head it belted out. "SLYTHERIN!"

I rolled my eyes, "No surprised there" I thought.

Scorpius smirked in satisfaction and walked over to Slytherin table, receiving several pats on the back from the clapping Slytherins.

Then after two more people were sorted Al's turn came.

Albus walked nervously to the Sorting Hat and sat on the sorting stool. Neville then placed the Sorting Hat on Al's head.

The Sorting Hat belted out leaving no time for Albus to put his own opinion forward. "SLYTHERIN!"

The entire hall began to fill whispers. I couldn't stop myself from gasping out loud "What?!" in shock.

The Sorting Hat still remained on Albus' head.

Albus outraged told the Sorting Hat. "But-but I'm not a Slytherin… I-"

The Sorting Hat cut him off responding. "You're a Slytherin now, boy. It's the place where you belong, the house where you shall perform the best."

The Sorting Hat then directed what he was saying next to Neville who seem to be still trying to absorb the information.

"Will you get me off this boy's head!"

"Oh… right, sorry." Neville said lifting the sorting Hat off Albus' head.

Panic began to fill Al's face as Neville nudged him gently off the stool.

Albus walked with his head down towards the Slytherin table all eyes in the hall were on him. I tried to catch his eye, but he didn't dare look at me or anyone else.

The voice of an older Slytherin boy broke through the whispers. "YEAH, WE GOT POTTER! THE GRYFFINDOR GOLDEN BOY IS JOINING THE DEATH EATERS!"

The Slytherins began to cheer humorously at the boy's word.

"SHUT YOUR UGLY TROLL FACE, FLINT!" roared James. I turned my eyes from Al to James at the Gryffindor table. James was standing up making a violent gesture with his fist.

The Flint was about to retort back when Headmistress McGonagall shut everyone up.

"SILENCE."

The whole hall fell silent.

"Flint, Potter detention for your disgraceful behavior." She said strictly and added, "Potter sit down!" James grumpily sat down.

There was a moment of silence. "Professor Longbottom, stop standing around idle. Please continue with the sorting."

"Yes, Headmistress." Neville smiled weakly.

During the commotion, Albus had taken a seat at the Slytherin table. The Slytherin students were now silently staring at Albus who kept his eyes on the floor. He was sitting next to Scorpius Malfoy, I don't think he noticed this. I am 100% positive he wouldn't sit next to him in the right sense of mind.

As the sorting continued my sympathy for Albus grew, it swelled in my chest. Then it hit me. Albus' nightmare that he was so worried about had just come through.

Then another thought suddenly hit me. How is the rest of my family at Hogwarts reacting? I turned to look at the Ravenclaw table I saw my cousin Victoire Weasley who was in her final year at Hogwarts. She looked in deep thought.

I then looked at the Gryffindor table to see James fuming next to him my cousin Fred Weasley II who was in the same year as James (2nd year) looking much calmer than James. Further up the Gryffindor table, my cousin Dominique Weasley who was in her fifth year looked irritated. Nearby my cousin Molly Weasley II who was in the same year as Dominique looked worried.

"Weasley, Rose"

I jumped at the unexpected sound of my name. The sound tore me away from my thoughts.

As I walked calmly toward the Sorting Hat my legs felt like jelly. "What if the same thing that happened to Al happens to me?" I thought nervously.

Then a much worst thought passed through my mind. "How will Al feel if I get into Gryffindor?"

I swallowed hard.

When sat on the stool, I stupidly sat too far back almost falling backward much to the amusement of everyone in the Great Hall. Neville quickly caught my arm quickly to steady me.

"Thanks." I murmured embarrassed.

Neville smiled kindly at me as he placed the hat on my head. It fell over my eyes, blinding me.

The Sorting Hats voice burst into my head. "Let's see… Let's see… headstrong, stubborn, and brave all Gryffindor traits."

I cursed in my mind.

"Language please!" said the Sorting Hats voice inside my head.

"Sorry… Mr Sorting Hat, I can't be in Gryffindor, I 'II die of guilt."

"You shouldn't worry about your cousin he will soon see that Slytherin is where he belongs. Anyway, I'm not finished sorting you yet."

He continued. "Hufflepuff –no, but... you do possess one Hufflepuff trait you are hard-working, this trait is also valued in Ravenclaw. You are also intelligence, creative, have wit and a thirst for knowledge which are all valued in Ravenclaw. Yes… I can see you succeeding well in Ravenclaw."

Without any warning, the Sorting Hat shouted out the word "RAVENCLAW!"

Causing me to nearly fall off the stool a second time.