Quick Note: Sorry about the long waits between updates, we could go through the usual excuses but that would make our faithful readers have to wait longer and we don't want that. So, on to the next chapter…

Being as most of the students were talking curiously to their neighbors, wondering who these two girls were, Professor McGonagall held up her hands to silence them all before beginning the sorting.

"Since many of you must be wondering, these are two new students to Hogwarts. I entrust that you will all treat them as you would any other student."

Nikki heard a few snickers from the Slytherin table.

"Now then. Nikki Black, please step forward"

Oh wonderful, Nikki thought, I get to go first. Ginny should be doing this; she's much calmer than me.

Calmer was an understatement; Ginny didn't seem to be nervous at all. She was waving energetically at each of the tables and was constantly whispering things to Nikki.

"Look! There's Cho Chang! And that's Ginny (little thief, she stole my name)! Hey and that must be-"

Nikki put her hand over Ginny's mouth. It wasn't exactly a silencing charm, but it worked: she finally stopped talking.

"Miss Black!"

Nikki jumped and realized she was supposed to go up and get sorted. As she walked up, she glanced sideways at Ginny, hoping for support, but she had gone back to spotting people and pointing at them. She took a deep breath, sat down on the three-legged stool, and quickly felt the sorting hat drop over her eyes. Soon she heard a voice in her ear.

"Another Black, eh?"

What does it mean, "another Black'?

Nikki continued to ponder the sorting hat's meaning as it spoke to itself, trying to decide where she should be.

"Perhaps… yes, the best place for you would be GRYFFINDOR!"

Nikki breathed a sigh of relief and lifted the hat off her head. Ginny and the rest of the hall were clapping loudly as she headed for the Gryffindor table, barely believing her luck. Now it was Ginny's turn…

Ginny was more excited that anything else, since she ran up as fast as she could, knocked the stool over and tripped on the sorting hat. She popped up to her feet, smiling, and jammed the hat on before sitting down. Once the sorting hat started talking in her ear, she finally got silent, and stared around the hall as she listened to it speak. Nikki sat with her fingers crossed, hoping she would be in Gryffindor when she suddenly noticed a look in Ginny's eye. Even though the two girls hadn't know each other very long, she knew that look; it meant Ginny was about to say something stupid.

"DRACO MALFOY!!!" she screamed as loud as possible, pointing frantically at the Slytherin table. Every head in the room turned and stared at the blond-haired boy who looked somewhere between bewildered and flattered. Nikki was the only one watching Ginny, hoping that her outburst wouldn't land her in-

"SLYTHERIN!"

Nikki's groan seemed to be in perfect timing with Snape's.   

"Draco Malfoy!" Ginny screamed again, throwing off the hat and running to the Slytherin table. Crabbe and Goyle, who usually looked tough and menacing, recoiled in shock and fear as Ginny leaped over several third years and threw herself into Malfoy, who shrieked and fell off his chair. Nikki hid her face in her hands, trying not to laugh hysterically the way all the other Gryffindors were. One particular boy caught her eye, he had black unruly hair and bright green eyes; it must be-

"HARRY!" she said suddenly, making everyone around her jump.

From across the hall Ginny looked over at him and called, "HARRY WHO?"