A/N: Yeah so that was the back story and this is what is going on now. Again this is my first attempt but I think this chappie came out alright. Gets a little boring at the end I know cause of all the peeps but we had to go through introductions ^-^! Please Review!

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Chapter One: New School, New Uniforms, New Houses?

Things had stayed calm for the students of Hogwarts over the summer holidays. Only a few raids had occurred but nothing major, it seemed that Voldemort was gone and they might actually finish school peacefully. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, the inseparable trio of Gryffindor house, got off the train and looked up at their beloved school, no their home. For Hogwarts is where they had lived for the past six years, and this year was to be their last. The Astronomy Tower was still looking disastrous, as if it would fall over any minute if not held together by magic, which it probably was. This didn't bother Hermione one bit though; it meant that all of Professor Trelawny's classes had been canceled for the year. The carriages rolled up and the three jumped in, but not with out the biting sarcastic remark of a dear friend.

" Decided to actually grace us with your presences Potter, I would have figured they have made you Minister by now. Considering all the press coverage you received last year, but no they could never take the position away from Arthur Weasley, we all know he did such a bang up job during the battles." Draco smirked and stepped into his own carriage, quickly followed by Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zambini, and Milicent Bulstrode.

" Jeez when did he become such a pimp?" remarked Hermione. Ron looked at her in disbelief of the lewd term she used, but figured it was all those stupid Muggle magazines she must of sent to Lavender and Parvati over the summer.

"I don't care, you think that after we find out he has been on our side all along he would loosen up. But no, just as pig-headed as usual. If he really knew the work my father did during the battles-" but he was cut himself short when he noticed Harry not listening, "Hey Harry, it's alright he is just being some twit. No one is going to make fun of you. They knew serious stuff was going on and it was just more powerful than anyone had expected."

"Exactly," Hermione piped in, " how could anyone of expected a 5th year wizard to handle what you went through. You deserved a year off, even if you." She stopped not wanting to bring up such a touchy subject. The carriages stopped and they stepped out and into the school; they entered the great hall and took their spots at the Gryffindor table. But something was a little different; a small, round table was off to the left of the Staff table. Around it sat eight other students, complete strangers to anyone in Hogwarts, they were wearing different uniforms, and looked very tired, but they seemed to be laughing amongst themselves just the same.

"Look over there," said Harry; " I didn't hear anything about new students this year. I don't recognize those uniforms either. Wonder where they are from?"

"Yes, they don't look like first years either, they look about our age. Odd for students to transfer this far in their education." Hermione noticed.

"I don't care, that one with the sorta curly brown hair is hott!!"

"Oh Ron grow up!" Hermione had to hush up quickly because the sorting ceremony was beginning. It was the same as every year, the first years came through, totally bewildered and they were sorted into their respective houses. Something that did surprise her was that the new students across the room looked even more confused, 'Didn't they have houses in their old school?'

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"Oh Nessa I definitely do not like the looks of this, why does a school have houses? Why is there a need to split the students up? It makes no sense, our school never had houses!"

"Laura shut up please, I wanna hear the little hat's cute song!"

"Ness the song is gay okay!? G-A-Y.GAY!"

"Give her a break Noah!"

"Cy quiet! The rest of you too, we gotta pay attention if we want to make sure we all go to the same place." Sarah finally got everyone to calm down and tried to figure our what each house stood for. But the little hat's damn song made no sense to her and she just figured it as hopeless. Laura was panicking, Shannon.well who knew what Shannon was doing probably 'meowing' to the song in her head, and Nessa was just enthralled in the hat's little ditty. Sarah just grumbled, "Of all the people in the world to be sent to a foreign country with-"

"Miss Moran! If you would so kindly keep that loud, American mouth of yours shut!" Professor Snape, they had been briefly introduced to the Potions Master, along with the other teachers when they arrived the other day.

"Ha Ha," whispered Cy, " first day and you are already making a bad impression."

"Oh, be quiet!"

Nessa leaned over and poked Shannon in the ribs; "Look at the guy sitting at the table closest to us. God! He's hot, just look at him.

"Nessa stop drooling"

"Yeah," Jonnie said, " what has he got that none of us have?" He motioned to himself, Noah, Cy, and Colin.

"Well for starters-" But the tall man cut with long white beard her off. He was talking about them. She tried to remember his name, 'Dummybear was it?'

"As some of you have obviously noticed we have eight new additions to our school. They arrived only yesterday from the Salem Academy in America. Due to some occurrences in the school they have started up a foreign exchange program to send their best students to other schools around world. Of course with our 7th year class being unfortunately very small we were unable to send any of our students in return, but I am sure we will have as much fun learning about America from our new additions. Now Professor McGonagal if you would be so kind as to sort these new students into their houses."

"Of course Headmaster. When I call your name please come up here and sit on the stool and while I place the Sorting Hat on your head. Shannon Casey!"

Shannon gulped and gave her friends a panicked look. She turned and in front of the whole school she marched up to the stool and sat down. Shannon was a short with brownish-red sorta curly hair and brown eyes, she attracted Ron's attention the minute he came into the hall. She placed the hat down and listened to it think.

' Hmm.strange I see, not having the mind of normal person. Where to put you. I have not a clue. Hmm, where would you like to go?'

'How am I supposed to know! Wait, what one was that cute boy Ness pointed out?' She looked over to his table and then up to banner above it. 'Slytherin!' she thought. "Slytherin!" the hat shouted and Shannon got up relieved and made her way over to the Slytherin table.

"Cyrus Chastain!"

Cy's head popped up, 'Great you know I was finally getting come sleep.' He walked up to the stool, placed the hat on his head and let it do its work. Cy was tall and had shaggy blonde hair and blue eyes.

'Courage I sense, intelligence too. Ahh, an Athlete, well better place you in,' the hat shouted, "Gryffindor!"

Cy glanced over to Shannon then back to the table of his other friends. It was now becoming painfully obvious that their tight group of friends would be split apart very soon.

'Damn these American kids they think nothing like us British. I better just start picking and choosing where to throw them. I'm too old for this anyways.' Thought the hat.

"Laura Harvey!"

Harvey was panicking even more now. After how she saw Shannon and Cy get placed she didn't know where she would end up. She was the tallest girl with short dark brown hair and brown eyes. She walked up to hat and placed it on, almost immediately it yelled out, "Ravenclaw!"

'Huh, that wasn't so bad.' Harvey thought.

" Sarah Moran!"

She jumped, ' I don't know why I am getting so panicky. I wish that stupid teacher would stop giving me such a weird look. Okay Sarah on task! I hope I don't end up all alone.' Sarah was medium height with straight brown hair, which was pulled back into her customary bun and she had glasses over her hazel eyes. She sat on the stool and placed the hat on her head.

' Ambitious, very ambitious, this is easy,' "Slytherin!"

'Yeah I'm with Shannon, great I am not alone!'

" Jonathan Rohrer!"

'Ugh, my name is Jonnie, you think that witch could get it right!' Jonnie was tall with blonde hair and was very skinny.

The hat thought, 'Intelligence seems to run in the family,' "Ravenclaw!"

' Oh great I'm with Laura.'

"Noah Southern!"

Noah was tall as well with brown hair and brown eyes. 'I hope to Merlin and Circe I don't get stuck with those two back there, " he shot a look to Nessa and Colin, 'and entire year with those two-"

"NOAH SOUTHERN!" McGonagal yelled a little more sternly, if it was possible for her to get any sterner.

'I'm coming you old bat! Jeez this is going to be a fun year.'

The hat was placed on his head and before McGonagal's hand left the hat it yelled out, "Slytherin!"

'Hopefully Sarah and Shannon won't bug me too much, probably not. Hey who is that chick?' Noah's mind wondered to other places.

"Colin Studebaker!"

Colin looked nervous, extremely nervous, mainly cause he was a year younger than everyone else and would have to spend another year here than all of his friends. He has short brown hair, and was smaller than all of the other boys. The hat thought, and thought, and thought! Finally the hat thought to Colin.

'Don't worry the house I'll place you with will treat you just like family.' "Hufflepuff!"

Laughter broke out among the Slytherin table. Draco leaned to his new housemates and whispered, "Looks like the Huffies get your little friend, can't believe you guys let him tag along with you. Must be great to be finally rid of him."

"Yeah I know what you mean-" but Noah was met with an elbow in his side.

"No, we will still hang out with him. Just cause he is a year lower doesn't mean he can't be our friend." Shannon remarked.

"Oh you don't have a clue how a house system works do you?" Draco laughed and went back to talking with the rest of his housemates.

Nessa sat at the table all by herself. 'This sorta sucks being the last in the alphabet. And with all of us being split up this is terrible. At least we can still hang out. I kinda hope I get that Slytherin house, just so I can't talk to that cute blonde. Jeez I'm pathetic!'

"Inessa Wagner!"

She was short with bright red hair, could be mistaken for a Weasley. Nessa made her way to the hat, being that last one sorted she looked at her friends scattered around the room. They all gave her little thumbs up and looks of confidence. That was except for Colin who looked like some scared deer in headlights being separated from everyone else.

'Hmm, you seem to be clever, but a total prat as well.I guess I'll be nice though and place you in,' "Ravenlclaw!"

They had all been sorted and started to converse with their new housemates when the Headmaster stood up to make yet another announcement.

"As with school traditions it seems, we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," at this Snape was seen to scowl so horribly that you would thought his face would get sucked up into itself, "since last years professor got themselves into a horrible accident involving what muggles call a 'leaf-blower' they will not be returning this year. As their replacement we have Professor Gregory Bilibolous." Everyone clapped as the new teacher stood and bowed and then made a few remarks about some Empire. No one gave it much notice though. It had become common for DADA teachers to be a little mentally unstable. Dumbledore then called out for the feast to begin, and food appeared before everyone as students dove into it. The new students looked around a little worriedly, 'What was this year going to entail?'

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