"What are those?"

Harry looked up from the snacks, a colored pencil caught between his teeth. He hadn't even realized he had stuck it there until the rather familiar voice had cut through his thoughts. He grabbed it with the hand holding five other colored pencils and asked, "What are what?"

"Those." The speaker - where had he seen someone with platinum blonde hair before? - pointed at the small bundle of colored pencils in Harry's left hand.

"Colored pencils," he stated simply as he turned his attention back to the food trolley and picked up another packaged Liquorice wand. Three ought to be enough along with the small box of Liquorice Comfits.

"Colored what? Are those a muggle thing?"

Harry looked at the strangely familiar kid again in surprise. "Colored pencils," he repeated. He was fairly certain he had seen colored pencils in a wixen supplies shop before though they may have been called something else. But when he didn't answer the latter question quickly enough, the strangely familiar kid only made a face as if to retort. Harry quickly shoved the pencils into the other kid's chest. "Here. Hold these for a second." Automatically, hands came up and pinned the loose colored pencils in place. Harry shoved his hand into a pocket and paid for his stash of sweets. He snatched the pencils back with a quick, "Thanks," and started for his compartment.

When Harry glanced back barely two steps from the food trolley, the other kid hadn't moved. "Did you not want to know what these are?" he asked, gesturing with the tiny bundle of colored pencils. "I can show you what they are but we have to go back to my compartment first."

There was a moment he thought the other kid wasn't going to follow him but it was short lived. The other kid took a step forward and it was all that Harry needed to see. He led the way back to Car Four where he opened his compartment door and stepped inside. Harry gestured at each one he named before pointing to the seat next to his. "That's Hannah, Ron, Susan, and I'm Harry. Sit there while I get the coloring book."

He handed Hannah her sweets before picking up the coloring book from her side. She tugged the sheet she had been working on out and used the back of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration for her makeshift hard surface. He half expected the other kid to still be standing in the doorway when he turned around but the other kid had sat down where instructed to. Harry promptly placed the book in the other kid's lap. "Flip through that until you find a picture you like," he said and sat down.

"Why do none of these have any color?" the other kid asked, flipping quickly through the pages as dismissively as the words had been repulsed.

Harry pulled his page back onto his lap, his copy of Hogwarts: A History tucked under it as his makeshift hard surface. "They're coloring pages. They're blank so that you can add the colors yourself. See?" He showed the other kid his half colored dragon. "You use either these-" he held up the colored pencils- "or the crayons over there to fill in the picture."

"Crayons?" the other kid parroted.

Hannah passed the box, what colors she was using still sitting on her lap. Harry offered it to the other kid. "Crayons," he repeated. "You can use both or neither." He picked up Ron's rather colorful lion. "Ron's never used either before too so he played with them." He put the page back down before Ron glanced up. It was a passing glance and Harry was pretty sure Ron hadn't even registered there was a new addition to the compartment. "You can use the opposite page to try them out and test colors and you're welcome to use whatever you want."

The other kid's flipping had stopped on a peacock in a garden, tail folded across the ground. "And I can color it however I want?" the other kid asked, picking up a crayon and scrutinizing it.

"Of course. If the crayon or colored pencil becomes too dull or breaks, let me know. I have sharpeners."

Companionable silence settled back over the compartment as the other kid became absorbed with coloring the peacock. The only disruption to the other kid's concentration was a brief glance up when Harry moved to sit next to Hannah across from the other kid. Hannah had grown bored with coloring and now wanted to teach Harry one of her favorite card games. It filled the compartment with light chatter that would occasionally drift between the two different games for a good hour.

The compartment door slid open without preemptive, startling all occupants. There were two people at their door this time, though one was a familiar face. The stranger in front, though, spoke up, asking, "Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one."

"We've already told him we haven't seen it," Ron said dismissively, returning his attention to the chess board.

"Oh no," Hannah said. "Your toad still hasn't turned up?"

With a confirming no, Susan sighed, standing. "Come on, Hannah. Let's help him look for his toad. Trevor, right?"

Neville nodded looking distraught again.

Hannah and Susan stepped out, chatting with the pair, as the kid sitting across from Harry abruptly stood up. "This is ridiculous. I'm going back to my compartment."

The kid shoved out past Hannah, Susan, and the other two with a huff, colored pencils, crayons and the coloring book strewn everywhere in the act. Harry hopped up to call after the other kid but it was too late.

"Well that was rude," Ron commented as Harry began picking up the colored pencils and crayons. "The least he could have done was say thanks."

Harry didn't comment as he picked the coloring book up. It was easy to find the peacock. It was the most beautifully colored picture in the entire book and it wasn't even finished. The opposite page - blank so that color could bleed through without ruining another picture - was covered in colored pencil and crayon scribbles, a similar thing Harry did when he was testing colors and blends. The other kid had settled on the colored pencils and had used them with far more skill than Harry had ever been capable of upon first using them. Harry wondered if the other kid was just that talented or if there had been some practice with the medium. The half colored peacock looked morosely up at him and Harry knew it couldn't stay unfinished.

Determined now, Harry quickly packed the colored pencils and darted out of the compartment with coloring book and colored pencil box in hand. Ron shouted after him but Harry didn't understand what Ron had called out.

Harry caught up to the kid with the platinum blonde hair and that rather familiar voice halfway through Car Three where the other kid had been cut off by a gaggle of older Years spilling out of a compartment billowing purple smoke. The other kid had raised a sleeve to help against the noxious smell that slammed into Harry when he got close enough.

"Hey," he quickly said, tapping the side of the other kid's shoulder with the coloring book and box of colored pencils as he pulled his shirt over his nose. "Here." When all he got was a bewildered look and no movement to take the items, he pressed them into the other kid's chest, rushing, "You seemed to like them and I already have another set so you can have them." It took him letting go of the items for the other kid to actually grab at them. He grinned and darted off before the other kid could say anything. "See you around!"

"I'm burning these!" the other kid shouted after him.

"Ok!" Harry happily chimed back without slowing. "Have fun!"

He really hoped the other kid wouldn't - that would be a waste of good supplies - but they were the other kid's to do with now and Harry wasn't about to call a possible bluff.

Ron looked up from the chess set when Harry stepped back into the compartment, immediately asking, "What you go running off for?"

"I wanted to make sure they had the chance to finish the picture if they wanted to," Harry offered as he started picking up the crayons.

"They?"

Harry made a face, glad his back was towards Ron. He really hated that he was going to have to get used to that. "The kid with the platinum blonde hair."

"Why, though? He acted like an arse running out of here without a goodbye or even a thanks towards you."

Harry shrugged. "Sometimes people forget those things when they're in a rush."

Harry hadn't actually thought much of it. The other kid left because they had to leave. What did it matter if they said goodbye or not? Now, the scattering of his art supplies wasn't very nice but most of it he had given to the other kid anyway so it didn't really matter. And he broke crayons all the time so it wasn't like he expected them to stay in perfect condition until they were nothing more than a nub of wax.

Susan returned first looking put out nearly an hour later. She flopped into the seat next to Harry and leaned against him, head finding his shoulder. Harry tensed, his entire body freezing in the motion to move his pawn as he looked at her. The scents that clung to her wafted over him and his first reaction was to recoil like he always did when suddenly hit with new smells. But rather than follow through with the initial reaction, he took a brief half second to sort through the smells and the need to withdraw fell away. There was a hint of lavender but it was barely noticeable. If it lingered much, he'd have a minor headache but that was better than what normally happened. Lavender was pretty smelling but it always left him with a headache. The other scents he couldn't name but none of them were bad or too strong so he let her continue to lean against him.

"Didn't find the toad?" he asked, finally placing his pawn back on the board on its new square.

"Not even a hint of a froggy footprint," she bemoaned. She gave a little huff as she shifted her head. He assumed she was moving her head to watch Ron place a rook in a place Harry would rather he didn't. Yep. He was losing this one. "You guys cleared our game."

"I wrote down where everything had been in case you two weren't done playing," Harry commented offhandedly as he tried to counter the rook. Ron immediately took the piece Harry moved and Harry made a face. "Didn't seem fair to clear the board without asking if you were done. Ron certainly seemed interested in continuing it."

"Definitely," Ron agreed, glancing at Susan. "If you're up to finishing our game, I sure am. Felt kinda stupid I hadn't thought to write down where everything was when Harry suggested it."

Harry gave a dismissive wave of his hand before moving his bishop. "Magic made chess sets remember game setups if properly enchanted even if other games are played afterwards but even then most people just start a new game if they walk away and the board's messed up."

Susan hummed but didn't comment further. The trio lapsed into silence for the remainder of the game.

He leaned back in a big stretch as Ron called checkmate. "Yeah, that doesn't surprise me." He let his arms return to his lap. "That certainly went better than the last two, though. You're really good, Ron. I think you might be better than even my guardians." Ron's ears turned pink as the redhead started resetting the board. Harry looked to Susan. "Did you want to finish up that game?"

She shrugged. "Sure. Trade me places."

The compartment door opened as Harry and Susan traded places and Ron adjusted the board setup. Hannah stepped in and closed the door, taking the seat next to Ron with a troubled little frown.

"No luck?" Harry asked.

Hannah shook her head. "We're hoping Trevor will show up once we've reached Hogwarts but Neville's lost faith at this point."

A disembodied voice spoke up, echoed in the corridor. "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train; it will be taken to the school separately."

"Oh. Hermione had said we had to be close," Hannah commented, gaze on the ceiling where Harry's eyes had also flickered. "I hadn't thought we had been that close. She had mentioned putting on our school robes so I guess we should do that now?"

"Might as well," Susan stated, standing. "Harry, you mind doing your notes again? We'll clean up the board when you're done so that you can change too."

Harry nodded and stepped over even as he asked Hannah, "Hermione?"

"The girl who was helping Neville. Lots of bushy brown hair." Harry nodded even though he couldn't remember what the person that had been with Neville had looked like. "Hermione knows a lot already and she's only a First Year like us and Neville. I'm excited to see what House she gets."

"How are we even placed in the Houses?" Susan asked, taking the updated piece of paper from Harry, school robe over what she had already been wearing; she had added a black tie. "My auntie wouldn't tell me anything."

"Some sort of test, I think," Ron answered first. "Fred said it hurts a lot but I think he was joking."

"Maybe they pull our names from a hat?" Hannah suggested, though she didn't sound very confident.

A soft smile pulled itself across Harry's face. "Sort of," he said, joining the conversation as he fixed his sweater's sleeve in the sleeve of the school robe. "My guardians told me they place a hat on your head and it announces which House you'll be in. One of them tried to convince me that we were going to have to try and get through a maze and the first House marker we made it to would be the House we ended up in but that only annoyed the guardian who told me the truth enough to tell me the truth."

"A hat decides for us?" Susan asked, incredulous. Harry shrugged. She shook her head. "Better than a test. I'd rather not try and prove my worth against a mountain troll. I'd get squished and sent home as a disappointment."

There were a few snickers at the joke but the nervous energy the joke had been made out of had permeated the compartment and it seemed to drive them to move in some way. The room lapsed into bustling silence as they all made sure they had everything. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd packing the corridor. Harry tucked himself in between the far wall and Susan in hopes of keeping himself from getting overwhelmed in the pressing crowd. To his relief, Ron and Hannah settled behind him while Fred and George - who had been in the compartment next to them and Harry hadn't even known - took up the space in front.

"Ready for your big test, Ron?" one of the twins teased over Harry's head. The other added seamlessly, "Don't forget all the spells you already know."

Ron threw something at the twins and it only made the duo start cackling as the train started to slow. When the train finally stopped, the crowd started out the doors at either end. There was some shoving but it was far more orderly than Harry had anticipated. Soon he and his - he hoped - new friends stepped out onto a small, dark platform. The cold night air slipped its way under Harry's clothes and he shivered violently, grateful he had kept the sweater on. It was better than nothing but he still wished for a coat. Or a hat. And thicker pants. Definitely thicker pants.

A lamp bobbed over the heads of the students drawing the eye of many in the crowd. A voice boomed over the crowd from its direction. "First Years! First Years over here!"

Harry started making his way towards it with Ron, Susan, and Hannah close around him. They found themselves coming to the foot of a very large, very tall person with a cloud of darkness for a head. "Alright. Any more First Years? Come on, this way now!" As the person moved the lantern around, Harry realized the person's head was actually a mane of hair and beard as dark as the night around them with black eyes glinting from the depths. A kindness that carried in the person's words was prevalent in the glimpses Harry got of the person's face. "Mind your step! First Years follow me!"

The giant of a person started down what quickly became a steep and narrow path. Students all around him slipped and stumbled on the uneven terrain and Harry himself staggered a few times wishing he had a light to see where he was stepping. Or a stick to help keep his balance. Twice Hannah ended up stumbling into him and after the second time, he managed to keep her on his arm afterwards instead of letting her step away. Together, arm in arm, they managed to continue on without stumbling more.

If Harry thought the trail was dark, either side was absolute darkness. It was rather unnerving and there was no telling if it was because of a wall or trees. He was assuming trees. A glance up showed trees but that didn't stop someone from building a wall along the trail. If they had done that, why hadn't they put steps in? Why weren't there steps to begin with? Or a better maintained trail? This seemed ridiculous now that he thought about it. He'd have to remember to mention something to Severus. Maybe he could say something to the administration about it.

"You'll get your first view of Hogwarts in a sec," the giant person called out over a shoulder. "Just around this bend here."

The narrow path opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake and a chorus of "Oooo"s and "Woah"s and other sorts filled the air as the students caught sight of what lay beyond. On the other side of the lake, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. It filled Harry with wonderment and awe and he heard Hannah's quiet little, "It's so pretty," through the other chatter. The pictures he had seen of the castle had been poor imitations of the real thing and a quiet sort of panic filled Harry. The castle was huge, possibly bigger than anywhere else he had ever been, and he knew that it would be far too easy to get lost. He really hoped they gave students maps.

"No more than four to a boat!" was called out as the giant person pointed to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore.

Immediately, Hannah's hold on Harry's arm tightened painfully.

"Ow," slipped off his tongue in reflex but he quickly covered her hands with his and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Everything alright?" Susan asked, picking up on the sudden shift in Hannah.

"We-we're going out on boats?"

Harry caught Susan's concern ebb into understanding and sympathy. She met Harry's gaze with a tight expression before she wrapped her arms around Hannah's shoulders. "Don't worry. Sit next to me and if you fall in, I'll be able to get you out."

Hannah trembled against Harry still clinging to his arm. "But what if you can't?"

Harry gave her grip a squeeze. "I'll sit in front of you and you can hold onto me and Susan. That way you'll have two people to make sure you'll be ok if anything happens."

Susan looked to him sharply at the same time Hannah looked up at him but he couldn't give Susan any of his attention just yet. Hannah needed it. "You sure?"

Harry nodded. "I'm a strong swimmer and I'm sure between me and Susan, we'll be able to handle whatever happens."

They had lingered enough to draw the attention of their guide. The giant person approached with concern radiating from the large figure. "You three alright?" Before any of them could get a word in edgewise, the person focused on Hannah. "Scared of the boats, are you?" Hannah nodded meekly. "There's nothing to fret, lil miss. These boats are perfectly safe and it looks like you've got two good friends with you. If anything happens - which it won't, mind you - you'll get pulled out. I promise you that."

Hannah hesitated before giving another nod. She seemed to have gained enough courage to follow through with the surprise trip across a lake. The giant person grinned and reached out, gently patting her on the head. "Good. No need to be fretting over something that isn't going to happen. Now, there's one boat left. You three better hurry on into it."

They moved quickly towards the boats and Harry was grateful to see most of the students were still very preoccupied with clambering in to have noticed the three of them had stopped. Harry caught sight of Ron sitting in the boat Hermione and Neville were joining. A third student lingered not far from Neville's quaking form. It seemed Hannah wasn't the only one nervous about the journey ahead.

Harry caught a glimpse of platinum blonde hair but he didn't see who the other kid was sitting with.

The boat they joined already had a single occupant who looked completely unfazed by the entire evening, though that didn't stop surprise from filling the content expression when the three of them approached. The single occupant stood up and offered a hand to Susan who approached the little boat first. "Welcome aboard," the stranger spoke, an accent Harry half recognized blending with the English one the occupant had. "I'll help you in."

"Thank you," Susan replied, taking the stranger's hand and clambering in.

Sure enough, the stranger helped Susan maintain balance before offering the same hand towards Hannah once Susan didn't need it. Susan also offered Hannah her hand, braced against the bottom of the boat.

Harry gave Hannah's hold another squeeze when she hesitated. "It'll be alright. They'll help you in."

"We won't let you fall," the stranger assured her.

Harry felt her chest expand as she took a deep breath before she stepped away. Her hands shook for the brief moment they were suspended over the pair of hands and as soon as Hannah took hold of their hands, both Susan and the stranger clasped her forearms with their free hand. Within the blink of an eye, Hannah was seated as centered on the boat as possible, Susan sitting right next to her.

The stranger offered Harry a hand, curiosity full in the stranger's expression. "Want a hand as well?"

"Thank you," Harry said, taking the stranger's hand and stepping in. He wavered when the boat rocked under his weight but he was steady enough to sit without rocking the boat. The stranger sat down next to him.

"Everyone in?" rolled over the small boats. Harry looked towards the source and saw the giant person had settled into a boat as the single occupant with no room for another. "Right then. Forward!"

The fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the water that was as smooth as glass. The boats closest to Harry's were silent beyond the lapping of water against the wood hulls, its occupants staring at the massive castle they were slowly approaching. The stranger beside him shifted on the bench and offered in greeting, "I'm Blaise Zabini." The words were spoken with a careful softness, as if the stranger wasn't keen on being overheard. "Am I wrong to assume the three of you are friends?"

"Susan Bones. This is Hannah," Susan spoke just as softly. "And no, you're not. Though it isn't that much of a friendship quite yet."

"The two of them have known each other since before the train from London but we all shared a compartment on the trip up here and are friends now," Harry explained. Doubt bit at him but Susan hadn't outright denied there being a friendship now. Belatedly, he added, "And I'm Harry."

A happy smile filled Blaise Zabini's expression. "Pleasure to meet everyone. You three seem like good people; if it all works out, maybe we could be friends, too."

Harry returned the smile. "That would be cool." Going from just having Tanner as his friend to having at least four at Hogwarts would be wicked. At some point he was going to have to introduce Tanner to everyone. They all didn't have to get along but Harry wanted them all to at least meet.

The castle towered over them as they sailed towards the cliff it was built upon. At first it seemed as if the boats would turn towards the shore not far off from the cliffside but then the call for "Heads down!" came from the boat at the head of the fleet, the very boat the giant person was sitting in, and the fleet continued onward. As each boat reached the cliff, the occupants would bend their heads and pass through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening with a rather low ceiling in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel which seemed to cut right underneath the castle before coming to a kind of underground harbor. The little boats came to a stop at the water's edge and students clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" the giant person asked while checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" Neville exclaimed blissfully.

The giant person passed a sizable toad into Neville's awaiting hands before taking lead again. The giant person's lamp led the way up a passageway in the rock that came out onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. The cluster of students followed the giant person up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front doors.

"Everyone here? You there. Still got your toad?" Harry assumed some affirmation was given because the giant person turned and knocked three times on the castle door.

A tall figure in emerald green robes stood just inside the castle entryway as the door swung open. Harry immediately recognized Professor McGonagall, though he had never met her. He probably wouldn't have had it not been for the number of times Severus had to correct Sirius's description of her. Sirius liked to tell his stories with far more flourish than Severus - and even sometimes Remus - cared for. There was one thing that all three of his guardians had been right about, though:

Professor McGonagall definitely looked like someone you didn't want to cross.

"The First Years, Professor McGonagall."

"Thank you, Hagrid," Professor McGonagall said. Harry immediately felt silly. He should have known the giant person's name. There was only one staff member that his guardians ever talked about that matched the giant person's description. She took a step to the side and gestured inside. "I will take them from here."

The entrance hall felt enormous as the gaggle of First Years filed into the space. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches that cast shadows in the farthest corners. If there was a ceiling, it was far within the depth of darkness above them. A magnificent marble staircase leading to the upper floors sat opposite of the doors, its bottom most steps fanning out across the flagged stone floor.

The drone of many voices drifted from a set of double doors off to their right. Harry wondered if that meant the rest of the student body had already made it to the school. Instead of leading them towards those doors, though, Professor McGonagall led them to a small, empty chamber behind a door not far from the main entrance. The First Years crowded in bumping shoulders with friends and strangers alike as a renewed nervous energy spread like wildfire.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall greeted. "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. 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 Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. 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 points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will begin 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." There was the soft sound of shuffling as some of the First Years fretted at their appearances. "I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."

The chamber was quiet up until the door closed; immediately chatter filled the small room, most of it focused on thoughts about what was going to happen next. Hannah and Susan were whispering to each other at Harry's side but it was too quiet for him to hear. Ron wiggled his way out of the crowd to join them only to lock eyes with Blaise. Blaise seemed quite content offering a hand and greeting. It took a moment before Ron returned it, any suspicion the red head may have held for the newcomer gone as they shook hands.

Several people behind Harry screamed and the collective jumped. Several people around Harry gasped. Nearly twenty ghosts streamed through the back wall, pearly white and slightly transparent. They glided across the room talking to one another without so much as a glance at the First Years. What looked like a pudgy little monk was finishing out an argument, saying, "Forgive and forget. I say we ought to give him a second chance-"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost- I say. What are you all doing here?" the ghost wearing a ruff and tights asked, suddenly noticing the First Years.

"New students!" said the friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

There were a variety of affirmations but most simply nodded in response.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" the friar said. "My old House, you know."

"Move along now," Professor McGonagall stated sharply as she returned. "The Sorting Ceremony is about to start."

The ghosts left much in the same way they had arrived and floated through the opposite wall. Professor McGonagall paid the ghosts no mind as she directed, "Now, form two lines and follow me."

There was a quick bit of shuffling of students as Professor McGonagall turned and started out the door. Blaise - already at Harry's side - remained in place as Susan and Hannah hurried to be in front of them. Ron fell into place behind Blaise. For a breath Harry caught sight of platinum blonde hair somewhere behind him but it vanished too quickly for him to see. They walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through the pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

No story, no description of the Great Hall held a candle to the actual space. The double doors swung open into a massive room lit by thousands and thousands of candles floating in midair. Four long tables ran the length of the room where the rest of the students were sitting. Each table was laden with glittering golden plates and goblets awaiting food. Another long table at the top of the hall sat the staff members. Albus Dumbledore - a wizard of renowned magical prowess and good deeds - sat at the center of the table as Headmaster. His silver hair and beard were long enough that the ends were somewhere beneath the edge of the table. He had heard a lot of things about the Headmaster from his guardians - some good, some not so good - but the one thing they always said was how good the Headmaster was. Overbearing with kindness, but good.

He found Severus seated not far from the Headmaster and their eyes met. Harry gave a quick smile, hoping it was ok. He knew Severus wanted to keep their relations private but right now Harry was just happy to see a familiar face in the midst of so much unfamiliarity. There was a slight shift in Severus's shoulders, one that the man hid by shifting in his seat, but Harry knew Severus had been relieved to see Harry too even if Severus hadn't returned his smile like he normally would have.

Professor McGonagall led the First Years to the staff table and had them line up facing the student body. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like shining lanterns in the flickering candle light. The ghosts dotted the crowd as bright points of misty silver in the sea of black cloaks and candle lit faces. Harry turned his gaze towards the ceiling and found it missing. Instead, the walls simply disappeared into the velvety black night sky dotted with stars above. Someone whispered, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History." Harry remembered that passage; it didn't do the ceiling any justice. Bewitched or not, it truly seemed like the Great Hall simply opened up to the sky above as if it had been built that way.

Movement at the bottom of his periphery drew his gaze back to the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall silently placed a four legged stool in front of the First Years before placing a pointed hat with a wide brim on the seat. The hat was patched, frayed, and looked rather dirty from where Harry stood. He suppressed a shudder. The thought of putting a dirty hat that has seen who knew how many heads sent his scalp itching as the same pin prickling sensation danced down his neck. He really, really hoped it wasn't actually dirty.

For a few seconds, there was silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth and the hat began to sing:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see.
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff.
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've 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 folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song, bowed to each of the four tables, and then became still. Harry clapped right along but it was more because everyone else was than anything genuine. The hat's song had left him with an uneasy feeling settling in his chest and it was all he could do to not look back at Severus. He didn't like how the hat had called each House out, how its words had come off when talking of the four Houses. Surely real friends could be made in any House, not to mention anyone could be witty or cunning or brave-

Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. It was enough to quell Harry's churning thoughts for the time being.

"When I call your name, you will come sit and put on the hat to be Sorted," Professor McGonagall informed the First Years. "Abbott, Hannah!"

Hannah squeaked as she stumbled forward. She picked the hat up and quickly sat down on the stool. Trembling hands tucked the hat onto her head but the hat simply fell right over her eyes. There was a moment's pause before the hat shouted, "Hufflepuff!"

The table on the right exploded with noise as the rest of the hall clapped for her. Hannah returned the hat to the stool before hurrying to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the friar ghost wave merrily at her.

"Bones, Susan!" Susan was far calmer than Hannah had been as she approached the stool. She had barely placed the hat on her head to sit before the hat shouted, "Hufflepuff!"

Harry couldn't see her face as she went and sat down next to Hannah.

Terry Boot was sorted into Ravenclaw as he watched the two friends put their heads together to chat. The table second from the left clapped this time and several Ravenclaws stood up to shake Terry's hand as he joined them. "Brocklehurst, Mandy" followed him as "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor. The table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see Fred and George right in the middle of that chaos.

One by one the First Years stepped forward to put the hat on and be told where to go. Sometimes the hat would announce a House immediately and other times the First Year would sit on the stool for what had to feel like eternity but was probably not even a full minute.

"Granger, Hermione!" almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head. The hat sorted her into Gryffindor after only a breath.

"Longbottom, Neville!" fell over on his way to the stool and sat there for a very long time. Neville sat there so long that Harry grew worried for the other First Year as his own fears slipped beyond his ability to keep them at bay. Even when the hat finally shouted, "Gryffindor," and Neville ran off still wearing the hat, those fears didn't return to where Harry had tucked them.

What if he wasn't placed in a House? Or what if his guardians had been lying without knowing it? Would they treat him differently without meaning to simply because he didn't get placed in their House?

"Malfoy, Draco!"

A kid with platinum blonde hair stepped out of line somewhere to Harry's left dragging Harry out of his thoughts. It was the very same kid with platinum blonde First Year Harry had invited to color on the train. There was also a mask of pompousness on the other kid's face and suddenly Harry remembered where he had met the other kid. The conversation the two of them had shared back at Madam Malkin's came rushing back and Harry was relieved when Draco's wish was immediately answered. The hat had barely touched platinum blonde hair when it shouted, "Slytherin!"

He knew there had been some unease when Draco had talked about the Houses. Hopefully getting Slytherin helped with what Draco hadn't said about it.

"Potter, Harry!" made Harry jump. Sally-Anne Perks was barely putting the hat back on the stool and he had thought that there would have been at least one more name. Whispers broke out all throughout the hall as he stepped forward, sending ice straight into his stomach.

"Did she say Potter?"

"The Harry Potter?"

The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was a hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. In the next second, blessed darkness swallowed his vision as the sounds of the hall became heavily muffled. Relief shot through him, as did an odd sort of clarity.

"Hmm," a small voice said in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh yes, and a nice thirst to prove yourself." Would the hat take his preference into account? "Now that's interesting. So where shall I put you?" Would it even listen? It supposedly saw everything so did it already know his desire?

Harry squeezed his eyes tight and focused on a single thought, I want-

"Not Slytherin, eh?" He jumped. It sounded as if the small voice was grinning, as if it was thoroughly enjoying itself, and Harry wasn't sure if that was a good thing. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know. It's all here inside your head, and Slytherin would help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that." Doubt overwhelmed the clarity he had found only moments before. He had been so certain in his choice but the hat was right and Severus would be so happy.

His own words came back to him as if plucked from the hazy memory with expert hands. "Not everyone follows their family's footsteps," he had cautiously said. Draco had been startled by the statement - scared by it, even - but Harry had let the other kid take his words however Draco needed them. Now, though, they calmed Harry's thrumming heart. "But that's normal. Each of us are our own person. We don't have to follow after others if we don't want to." And he didn't want to. He wanted to be his own person outside of the one everyone was expecting him to be.

He wanted to just be Harry like he was with his family.

"No?" There was no seriousness in the hat's words. "Well, if you're sure..." In fact, it seemed almost as if the hat was- but it was a hat. It couldn't be. Could it? "...better be-"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"