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*A/N this chapter is kind of long, but that's what happens during the Sorting Ceremony. :o)

Chapter 4

Tom endured the same torture over the next few weeks. He'd done what Dumbledore had asked of him though; he'd kept calm. Even when Billy tried to steal the locket that held his mother's picture. He'd kept his calm all this time.

Every night he would sit on his bed and stare at his mother's picture. He would talk to her and she would smile and wave or blow him a kiss. It was obvious to him that she wouldn't be able to talk to him. But didn't Dumbledore tell him that some of the portraits in the wizarding world could talk? He wanted to hear his mother's voice so badly it tore him apart inside.

Finally the day came, it was September 1st. Tom waited anxiously for the groundskeeper that Dumbledore told him would be coming for him. He knew he had to be at King's Cross by 11 AM. He only had 3 hours to get there before the Hogwarts Express left without him. "'Oo you waitin' for Tommy?" Edwards asked. "Professor Dumbledore said the school's groundskeeper would be coming for me today." He answered. "Not another one o' those freaks comin' 'ere! You wait outside for 'im, I won't 'ave 'im in 'ere!" Edwards said angrily. Tom sighed and dragged his trunk to the front door. "You goin' for good then?" A small blonde haired boy asked. "I don't really know Willie." He told the boy. "What's 'is name?" He asked. "It's a rather strange name; it's Ogg." Tom told the boy. "'is name is Ogg? What kin'a school you goin' to Tommy?" The boy asked. "It's a private school." He answered.

No sooner had he said this then a man dressed in shabby clothes walked up to them. "Are you Tom?" He asked. "Yes." "You'll be the one I'm taking to King's Cross then?" "Yes." "Name's Ogg, sorry I'm late, got lost. All ready to go then?" "Yes sir." "Ah, no need to call me sir. Ogg will be fine." The man said. He picked up Tom's trunk, "Let's go then." Tom turned and said goodbye to the little boy. "I'll see you again after school let's out Willie." Willie was still staring at the shabby looking man, "Bye then Tommy, see you this summer."

Tom followed Ogg to the end of the street, he climbed on top of the carriage and strapped the trunk down. "Right, had to call the carriage to bring me here finally. I swear I never will get used to the muggle world." He said shaking his head. "Let's be off." He helped Tom into the carriage and told the driver to take them to Kings' Cross Station.

"I'll bring you to platform 9 & 3/4, then I'll have to leave you. Got to get back to Hogwarts, I have my duties to attend to still." He said. Tom just nodded. He was thinking about what the school would be like. Would it be like the orphanage's school? Would it be like the university's in London? "Ogg? What's Hogwarts like?" He asked finally. "No finer place in all the world Tom, no finer place. Bit drafty in winter when the fires aren't lit, but you'll never know a place like it again." He said fondly.

They reached King's Cross just in time. "Come on boy, we'd better hurry." Ogg huffed pushing the trolley the trunk was on. When they reached platforms 9 & 10 Tom stopped. "Ogg, where's the platform?" "Get on the trolley boy. That's it sit right on the trunk." Ogg started to run towards what looked like a solid brick pillar. "Ogg wait we're going to..." Before he could finish the sentence they'd gone through the pillar and Tom was now staring at an amazing sight.

There before him was a spectacular steam engine train with the words "Hogwarts Express" embossed in gold on the front. "Michael get down from there this instant!" He heard one woman saying. The boy she had been talking to had climbed to the top of a rather large pile of trunks. "But Mum it's amazing up here!" The boy yelled excitedly.

"Let's get your trunk stored on the train. Then you can find a place to sit. Did you take enough gold to get something to eat on the train?" Ogg asked. "Yes, I have to get my bag from my trunk though." He answered. "Well, have at it then. This train leaves at exactly 11 o'clock." He said.

Tom got his bag and said goodbye to Ogg. "Oh you'll see me at Hogwarts no worries about that." Tom turned to say something else but Ogg was gone. He looked up and down the platform but there was no trace of him.

Tom decided he'd better go find himself a compartment before the train left without him. It didn't take long to find one, but there was already someone in it. "Mind if I sit there?" He asked the boy. "Be my guest." He answered gesturing to the empty seat across from him. "Thanks, I'm Tom Riddle." He said offering his hand. "Arthur Donaldson." The boy said shaking Tom's hand.

"So, do you know anything about Hogwarts then?" Arthur asked. "Nothing, I only just found out about being a wizard a few weeks ago." Tom said. "My mum's an American but she came here to go to Hogwarts, that's where she met my dad." Arthur told him. "So what can you tell me about the school?" Tom asked him hopefully.

"Well, mum says it's huge and really easy to get lost in. She told me about the sorting ceremony too. They put a hat on your head in front of the whole school and it tells you which house you belong in." "Which house?" Tom said mystified. "Oh yeah there are 4 houses, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. I hope I get into Slytherin myself."

"What's the difference?" Tom asked. "Well, people have said that Gryffindor turns out the bravest, and Slytherin gets the most ambitious." "What about the other houses?" "Hufflepuff is supposed to get the ones that are kind of soft-hearted, you know the quiet ones. Ravenclaw is supposed to have the smartest of all the houses." "Great, with my luck I'll end up in Hufflepuff." Tom said rolling his eyes. They talked like this during the rest of the ride stopping only long enough to eat the food they'd bought.

They got off the train at Hogsmead Station and heard a voice yelling, "First years follow me please!" Tom looked up and saw it was Ogg. "Hello Ogg." He said. "Hullo Tom." He said smiling. "If you'll follow me please, first years travel to the school in boats. Only 4 to a boat please, let's go, this way!" He called out.

Tom had lost sight of Arthur and got into a boat with three other students who looked as lost as he felt. He rode across the lake in silent amazement, gasping when he saw the school for the first time. It looked exactly like a castle, an honest to goodness medieval castle, with turrets and everything.

They reached the other side of the lake and Ogg lead them to the entrance hall where he told them to wait. "Hello, welcome to your first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor Dumbledore, I will be your Transfiguration teacher. Please pay attention as this is very important." The students all went very quiet.

"Thank you, in a minute or two I will lead you into the Great Hall where you will see 5 tables. One is the staff table, the other 4 are the house tables; Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. We will have a sorting ceremony first. There will be a stool you will sit on, and the sorting hat which you will place on your head. When you are sorted you will join your classmates at their table. When the sorting is done Headmaster Dippit will make the start of term announcements and then the feast will begin. Are there any questions?" No one made a sound. "Very well, please wait here I will be back for you momentarily." He said then turned and left them standing there.

"We have to do this in front of everyone?" A very scared looking girl said. "Me, I can't wait to get it over with, I'm starving!" A rather rotund boy said, making those around him laugh. Tom let out a yelp of surprise which made all the students look in his direction. "Ghosts." Was all he could manage.

They looked behind him to see all manner of ghosts coming up through the floor and walls. Some of the girls screamed, as did some of the boys. "Welcome! You must be the new students. I am called The Fat Friar, I am the house ghost for Hufflepuff. That is the Bloody Baron. He's the Slytherin ghost, over there is Sir Nicolas de Mimsy Porpinton, he is Gryffindor's house ghost. And that is the Grey Lady, she is Ravenclaw's ghost." The portly ghost said with a smile. Professor Dumbledore returned at that same moment. "I see you've all met our house ghosts. Follow me please, we're ready to start." He said smiling.

They formed two lines and followed Professor Dumbledore into the Great Hall. When they reached the staff table he turned to address them once again, "Now if you'll all line up here. That's it. Now, after the Sorting Hat has sung it's song I will call out your names and you will come up put on the hat then go to your table as I instructed you earlier."

Everyone watched the hat on the stool. Tom was taken aback when the seam opened up and the hat began to sing:

**T'was o're a thousand years ago

When Hogwarts got its start,

That four of the greatest Wizards

And Witches took this to their hearts.

They found a school to teach,

The wonders of their art.

Gryffindor chose bold and brave,

Ravenclaw the smartest,

Slytherin took pure of blood,

Hufflepuff, the kindhearted.

Having so decided the foursome then agreed,

That this would be the greatest school

That ever there could be.

United as these four were,

For a time all things went well,

In training young witches and wizards to

Be better than all could tell.

But then with little warning as time did slowly pass,

A schism in their united goal appeared,

causing fear it wouldn't last.

"For this to work," Sly Slytherin did decree,

"Only pure blood students

in these hallowed halls should be."

Out voted by the other three he took his leave one day,

And left behind a splintered goal he thought would surely stray.

Yet on the three boldly did charge, and kept their simple rule.

To keep the school united, you must be united too.

A hush fell over the Great Hall that seemed to last a lifetime. "My that was bit unnerving wasn't it?" The girl next to Tom said. "Yes, what do you think it meant?" The girl next to her asked. "I don't know." Was all Tom could offer.

"Yes it was an interesting Sorting Song this year, shall we start?" Professor Dumbledore said.

"Adalbert, Francis!" He called. It took only a moment for the Sorting Hat to make it's decision, "Ravenclaw!" It called out. "How does the hat know what house to put you in?" Tom asked Arthur who had found his way to him. "I don't really know. Mum says it talks to you for a bit, and then it decides where to put you." Arthur told him. They looked up to see Jamie Anderson get sorted into Gryffindor as was Jason Bauer. "Are you nervous too?" Arthur asked. "Extremely." Tom replied. "Michael Benson!" Was called next and the Sorting Hat placed him in Ravenclaw.

"He'll be calling you soon." Tom smiled. "I know, I feel like I might be sick." Arthur said. Evelyn Charles was sorted into Hufflepuff. "Oh God, I'm definitely going to be sick." Elizabeth Dickinson was sorted into Slytherin.

"Donaldson, Arthur!" Dumbledore called. Arthur promptly threw-up at the sound of his name. Professor Dippit smiled, "Mr. Pringle would you mind?" He said to the caretaker. The angry looking man walked up to Arthur and scowled at him, "Scourgify!" He said pointing his wand at the mess. Within a heartbeat it was gone. Arthur, rather embarrassed by what had just happened, walked up sat on the stool and put the Sorting Hat on his head.

"Let's see, yes, I know; Slytherin!" The hat called out. Arthur breathed a sigh of relief and went to sit at the Slytherin table. Jeffery Fredericks was sent to Ravenclaw while Peter Jameson was sent to Hufflepuff. Tom looked over and caught Arthur's eye, he smiled as he waited for his own name to be called. A few more students and then, "Riddle, Thomas!" Dumbledore called.

Tom walked nervously to the stool, picked up the Sorting Hat, sat down and placed it on his head.

"Well, here's something I don't get to do. We have an ancestor of one of the founders here. But should I put you in that house? Yes, I see the same traits as his. I believe he would want you there even though you aren't pureblooded, yes. SLYTHERIN!" Tom went over to the Slytherin table and sat down. "Arthur you wouldn't believe what the hat just told me!" He said, his eyes wide with astonished.

** I know it sounds just like the Sorting Hat's song from OoTP but it isn't. Remember that this is prewar England and remember Nearly Headless Nick said that there were times when the Sorting Hat decided to warn the school of dangerous times ahead. Written in collaboration with

D. A. H. (my father)