Chapter Six

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

          The doors slowly swung open.  A tiny little wizard stood inside, waiting for them.  He looked almost like a mouse standing in front of the giant man who had escorted them across the lake.  The giant looked at him for a second, then blinked and shook his head.

          "Didn't expect to see you here, Professor Flitwick" said the giant.

          "Yes, well Professor McGonagall had some business to attend to," said the little wizard in a squeaky voice.  "I can take them from here, Hagrid."

          "Right then.  In you go," said the giant, ushering the first years through the double doors.

          Professor Flitwick led them into the enormous entrance hall and the heavy doors closed behind them.  The stone walls were lit with many torches and they couldn't see the ceiling it was so high.  A large marble staircase in front of them led upstairs, and they could hear the sounds of people talking through a big door to their right; the rest of the school must have already arrived.  Professor Flitwick didn't lead them to that door though, but took them to a room off the main hall.  They all filed into the small room, packing themselves in so close that they had to take turns breathing.  Professor Flitwick climbed onto a chair so they could all see him.

          "Welcome to Hogwarts," he said in a loud, but still squeaky voice.  "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will need to be sorted into your respective houses.  Now, the Sorting is very important because, while you are here at Hogwarts, your house will be like your family.  You will attend classes with your house, eat at your house table, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room.

          "The four houses are Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Slytherin.  Each house has its own noble history and each has produced many fine witches and wizards.  While you are here, your triumphs will earn your house points, and any rule-breaking will lose points.  At the end of the term, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup.  It is a great honor, and I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

          "The sorting ceremony will begin shortly, I suggest you take the time to freshen up and dry off as much as you can," he said, looking out over the damp and shivering crowd.  "I will return for you when we are ready, please wait quietly."

          He climbed off the chair and left the chamber.  The room immediately erupted with exited and nervous chatter.  Sasami and Liana pulled their robes off and tried to wring them out some more.  Quite a few others did the same.

          "What house do you think you'll be in?" Sasami asked Liana.

          "I don't know," Liana replied, squeezing a few drops of water from her robe's sleeve.  "I guess I'll probably be in Ravenclaw like my mum was."

          "What do you know about the houses?" Sasami asked.  She was shaking off her robe and trying not spray the other students around her with water.  Ryo-ohki had climbed out of her arms and was shaking herself dry at their feet.

          "Not much, Mum never really talked about them," Liana replied, shaking her robe out as well.  "Ravenclaw is supposed to be a bunch of bookworms, like my mum.  I don't know much about Gryffindor, except they're always supposed to be getting into some sort of trouble.  Hufflepuff is a pretty quiet group, they kind of keep to themselves."

          Ryo-ohki fluffed herself up and climbed onto Sasami's head with a contented "meow".  Liana slid her robe back on, shivering when the damp fabric brushed her skin, and leaned in close to Sasami.  "Slytherin's a bunch of sleazes.  Most of the witches and wizards that joined You-Know-Who came from there."

          They spent the next several minutes discussing what kind of test could be used to decide what house they were going to be in.  Liana was sure it would be something magical, like when they had gotten their wands.  Sasami hoped not.  She was beginning to feel out of place not having a proper wand.  A few of the students had pulled out their own wands and were attempting to magically dry their robes with varying degrees of success.  One unfortunate boy had accidentally set his on fire and was desperately trying to put out the flames.  The nervous feeling in her stomach was coming back.  She couldn't set her robes on fire even if she wanted to.

          The door opened.  Professor Flitwick entered the room smiling, he clapped his hands to get everybody's attention.  "The sorting ceremony's about to begin, everyone please form a line and follow me."

          As everyone began to line up at the door Sasami realized that no one else had their pet with them.  She pulled Ryo-ohki off of her head and put her inside her robe.  Ryo-ohki looked up at her and meowed a question.  Sasami put a finger up to her lip and shook her head, then fastened her robe shut.  She lined up behind Liana and they all followed Professor Flitwick across the hall and through the large double doors into the Great Hall.  Sasami had been in many banquet halls before, of course, but none of them had ever been like this.  It was lit with thousands of candles that were floating over four large tables where the rest of the students were already sitting.  The tables were set with glittering gold plates and goblets.  But the most fascinating part was the ceiling; it was like it wasn't even there.  Rain was pouring from what looked like an open sky, but not one dropped reached them.  At the front of the hall another table had been set for the teachers, facing the others.  The two seats next to the old wizard sitting in the middle were empty.  The giant, Hagrid, was sitting on one end, taking up what must have been two places.

          "That's Professor Dumbledore," Liana said, pointing to the old wizard.

          He was tall and dressed in blue robes covered with glittering moons and stars.  He wore a tall pointed hat that was covered in the same pattern, from under which his long grey hair spilled out.  He smiled down at the first years as they walked up the hall.  His eyes twinkled behind his half-moon glasses.

          Professor Flitwick led them up to the front of the hall where they stopped in front of the teacher's table.  A small stool had been placed there and an old, wrinkled hat was resting on it.  It was patched in many places and was very dirty.  Everyone in the hall was staring at it, and Sasami was beginning to wonder what they were waiting for when the hat twitched.  A rip near the bottom opened and to her great surprise it began to sing:

          "Once upon a time, so very long ago,

          There lived four noble hearts, who

          Feared they'd soon be dead!

          Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Ravenclaw

          All shared a common dream,

          To educate young sorcerers

          With the qualities they deemed

          Would drive them to succeed.

          Gryffindor was stout and true,

          And the brave did make him proud.

          Hufflepuff, sweet and loving,

          Prized a heart that was kind and true.

          Slytherin, shrewd Slytherin,

          Cleverness and cunning

          Drove him to excel.

          Ravenclaw did love her books;

          A head that held sharp wits

          Made her take a second look.

          'Twas well and good while they still breathed,

          For they could choose those they deemed

          Would do their best to succeed.

          But no one lives forever,

          (Though there's those who've tried)

          So how to choose their students

          After they were dead?

          The answer was not too far away,

          Atop brave Gryffindor's head.

          And here I sit, to this day,

          Filled with the desires of our founders

          I'll find a place for you,

          And then begins a journey

          Where Magic can come true.

          The hall erupted with applause and the hat bowed to each of the tables in turn.  After the applause died down Professor Flitwick walked up to the stool and unrolled a large parchment.  It hit the ground with a heavy clunk and rolled a few feet across the floor.

          "When I call your name, you will come sit on the stool and place the hat on your head.  It will tell you what house you will be in and you will then go sit at that house's table."

          Sasami felt a little better now that she new how they would be sorted, but she was still nervous.  What if the hat couldn't tell her what house she belonged in, just like Mr. Ollivander couldn't find her a wand?  She nervously began to pet Ryo-ohki inside her robe.

          Professor Flitwick called out the first name, "Abbie, Katrine."

          A pretty and very nervous looking girl with sandy red hair climbed onto the stool and placed the hat on her head, which promptly slid down over her eyes.  The hat was silent for a moment, it looked like it was thinking.  Then it called out so everyone could hear, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

          The hall was filled with applause as Katrine lifted the hat off of her head and climbed off the stool.  She ran to the Hufflepuff table and sat down.

          "Borholtz, Paul."

          The swarthy looking boy who had shared the boat with Sasami and Liana walked up to the stool and placed the sorting hat on his head.  It didn't take nearly as long with him as it had with Katrine Abbie.  It had only been on his head a moment before shouting out, "SLYTHERIN!"

          The table on the far right erupted with applause while the rest of the hall clapped politely.  Paul took the hat off his head and swaggered over to join his new classmates who patted him on the back as he sat down.

          "Collins, Liana."

          Liana gulped and Sasami whispered "good luck" to her as she walked up to the stool and placed the hat on her head.  The hat thought for a few moments then cried out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

          Liana pulled the hat off, looking a little confused.  She quickly shook her head and headed off for the Hufflepuff's table, where she was greeted with enthusiastic applause and many handshakes.

          Felicia Connway was made a Ravenclaw next, and Deaglan Floyd joined Gryffindor's ranks.  As each new student was called up, Sasami became more and more nervous.  Visions of Mr. Ollivander handing her wand after wand kept flashing through her head.  She could hear the sorting hat saying, "Sorry, none of the houses have a place for you, but you can stay in the kitchen if you want."

          While she was thinking this, Katleen Lesserbys became a Ravenclaw and she forced herself to pay attention, she didn't want to miss her name.  It was a good thing she did, because the next name Professor Flitwick called was, "Masaki, Sasami."

          Her feet felt like they were planted to the floor.  She had to force them to take her up to the stool.  Ryo-ohki squirmed inside her robe and she could feel thousands of eyes burning into her as she climbed onto the stool and placed the hat on her head.  Thankfully it slipped down over her eyes so she didn't have to see everyone watching her.  After what seemed like an hour but was really just a moment she heard a small gruff voice in her ear.

          "My, my, you are an interesting one, aren't you?  Very kind I see, hard working too; but what about the other one?  Ambitious, yes.  Very powerful as well.  So, the question is who do I put where?  Oh, don't worry, I won't tell anyone.  I'm very good at keeping secrets.  But we still need to decide where to put you….  I guess it's HUFFLEPUFF!"  He said this last part for everyone to hear.

          Sasami took off the hat and climbed off the stool, glad to get the strange thing off of her head.  How did it know?  She hoped it was telling the truth when it said it wouldn't tell anyone.  She walked quickly over to the Hufflepuff table amidst the cheers and handshakes of her new classmates.

          "I was hoping we'd be in the same house!" Liana said excitedly as she made room for Sasami to sit down.

          Sasami squeezed into the spot Liana had made for her as Professor Flitwick called out, "Necklen, Damien."  The boy next to her turned and smiled at her.  He was quite a few years older than she was and was very handsome.  He had dark hair and gentle, grey eyes.  A large "P" was printed on a gold and black badge he was wearing on the left side of his robe.  He held out his hand and she shook it.

          "I'm Cedric Diggory," he said.  "Welcome to Hufflepuff."

          Sasami blushed.  "Thank you."

          The hall was filled with applause as Damien was made a Ravenclaw.  Sasami turned and watched as the rest of the first years were sorted into their houses.  Hufflepuff got four more; two boys and two girls.  Derek Reese, the quiet boy who had ridden across the lake with them was made a Gryffindor.  Finally the last student, Zora Zaczkowsky was sorted into Ravenclaw.  As Professor Flitwick carried the hat and stool out of the room the doors to the Great Hall opened and two students and a teacher walked in.  The teacher was a very stern looking witch wearing a tall pointed hat and dark green robes.  Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun.  One of the students was a girl a few years older than Sasami with very bushy dark hair.  The other was Harry Potter.

          Several students turned and watched as Harry and the girl made their way to the Gryffindor table.  Some of them pointed at Harry and whispered to their friends.  Someone at the Slytherin table laughed.

          "Oh," moaned Liana.  "I was hoping he'd be in our house."

          Up at the staff table Professor Dumbledore stood and cleared his throat.  The hall instantly grew quiet as everyone turned their attention to Dumbledore.

          "Welcome!  Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" he said.  "I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it is best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast..."    He cleared his throat again and surveyed the room.  "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business.  They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds, and while they are with us, I must make it plain that no one is to leave school without permission.  Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises- or even Invisibility Cloaks," as he said this he looked towards the Gryffindor table.  "It is not in the nature of a dementor to understand pleading or excuses.  I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the dementors," he paused and looked around the hall, no one moved or even made a sound.  Sasami shuddered, so that was what that thing on the train was called.  And there were more of them!  She had no intention of getting anywhere near those horrible creatures again.  She leaned over to Liana.

          "What's Azkaban?"

          "It's the wizard's prison," Liana whispered, "I hear it's a terrible place."      Sasami looked back up at Dumbledore's serious face as he looked out over the crowd.  If those dementor things were there, she could only imagine what it would be like.

          "On a happier note," Dumbledore continued, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year.

          "First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."  He gestured to one of the teachers sitting beside him.  He was thin and pale even though he looked to be fairly young.  His robes were tattered and patched in many places.

          There was some applause scattered throughout the hall, but one section at the Gryffindor table seemed to clap harder than the rest.  As the scarce applause died away, professor Dumbledore continued.

          "As to our second new appointment.  Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs."

          Sasami remembered the monster books at Flourish and Blotts decided she was definitely glad first years didn't have that class.  "Imagine trying to read that book during class," she whispered to Liana.

          Liana giggled.

          Dumbledore continued "However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled with by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his game keeping duties."

          This time around the applause was much more enthusiastic, especially at the Gryffindor table.  As the applause died away Sasami looked up at the staff table and saw Hagrid wiping his eyes with a napkin.

          "Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore.  "Let the feast begin!"

          "Watch your hands," said Cedric.

          Sasami and Liana barely had time to move their arms before the table was filled with food.  All sorts of dishes had magically appeared on the table before them.  Sasami was getting more used to magic, but it still came as a bit of a shock.  It wore off rather quickly, though, when she realized just how hungry she was.  She had been so nervous before that she hadn't had time to be hungry.  There was roast chicken, ham, pot roast, potatoes, gravy - all sorts of delicious looking food.  It was nice, she reflected, not having to cook all that herself.  Ryo-ohki began to squirm and meow when she smelled all the food, so Sasami let her out of her robe and onto her lap.  She found some steamed carrots and handed some to Ryo-ohki, who looked disappointed, but took them anyway.  Liana laughed as she watched her eating.  Sasami turned to her own plate and was not surprised to find that there were still no chopsticks.  She helped herself to some chicken and began to work at it gingerly with a fork.  She was passing Ryo-ohki some more steamed carrots when Liana gave out a muffled yelp.  Sasami looked up from her lap and jumped.  A head was poking out of the ham and looking at them.  Several other first years jumped and screamed as well.

          "Hello, Friar," Cedric said.

          The head floated up through the table and the rest of its body followed.  It looked like a round little monk, and was milky white and slightly transparent.

          "Good evening Cedric," he said.  He looked over at Sasami and Liana, and a big grin appeared on his face.  "Ah! New students, I see!"  He clasped his hands in front of him and bowed.  "I am the resident ghost for Hufflepuff house, you can call me the Fat Friar, everyone else does," he said with a smile.

          Sasami and Liana smiled timidly at him.

          Sasami gave him a little bow and said rather shakily, "Hello, I'm Sasami.  Sasami Masaki."

          Liana looked up at him and said, "I'm Liana Collins."

          He grinned at them and said, "Pleased to meet you.  Always glad to see young new Hufflepuffs.  Maybe this year we can win the house cup, you look like a fine lot.  You know we haven't won in over ten years?  The Bloody Baron and Sir Nicholas are getting to be quite intolerable, always going on about how their houses are the best."

          Liana looked at him questioningly, "Who are the Bloody Baron and Sir Nicholas?"

          "Slytherin and Gryffindor's ghosts," he replied, pointing to the other tables.

          Sasami looked over at the Gryffindor table and saw another ghost talking with some of the Gryffindors.  He was much skinnier than the Fat Friar and was wearing a ruffed shirt and tights.  Over at the Slytherin table was a horrible looking ghost with dark eyes and a hard, gaunt face.  He was covered in a silver substance that looked suspiciously like blood.

          "How'd he get covered in all that blood?" Liana asked the Friar.

          "I never asked him.  Not entirely sure I want to know the answer anyway," he said with a shiver.

          He looked at their plates longingly for a moment and then floated over to the other first years to introduce himself, passing straight through Liana's plate in the process.  She looked down at it and pushed it away with a funny look on her face.

          After they had finished eating, their plates were magically cleared and the prefects lead them out of the hall.  Sasami still wasn't sure if she was supposed to have Ryo-ohki with her so she placed her back inside her robe before getting up from the table.  While the rest of the Hufflepuffs went on ahead Cedric called for the first years to gather around.  He led them down a winding passageway off the main hall, then they took a stairway down a few levels.  Cedric warned them not to use the handrail because it liked to grab onto your wrist and it was quite difficult to get it to let go.  There were many pictures hanging on the walls of the hallways and staircases, each depicting a different scene.  Many of them looked to be important moments in wizarding history.  One showed a harassed looking wizard who appeared to be trying to get a group of trolls to sit still at some sort of meeting.  It took a moment for Sasami to realize that the trolls really were giving the wizard a hard time and that he was moving from seat to seat pushing them back into them.

          Cedric led them down a corridor lined with many suits of armor.  The helmets all turned with a creak to watch them as they passed by.  They came to a stop in front of one particularly old looking piece of armor.  Its hand moved to the sword at its side.  Several of them gasped and took a few steps back, but Cedric calmly looked it in the visor and said, "rakshasa."

          It let go of its sword and moved to the side, revealing a hole behind it.  Cedric turned to look at them.  "Remember the password, this piece of armor is enchanted to protect the entrance from anyone who does not have it.  The password will be changed periodically throughout the year, so always make sure you have the current one."

          He led them through the hole and down a short passage.  They came out into a large carpeted room.  Directly across from them, on the far wall, was a row of windows that looked out across the storm-tossed lake a hundred feet below.  Hallways led to the right and left of the windows.  All around the room were large well-stuffed armchairs and couches and a fire was burning in a large fireplace to their right.  It was well-lit and very comfortable looking.

          "What are you doing?" Liana asked Sasami, looking at her in confusion.

          "Huh?" Sasami asked.  She had stopped just outside the common room and had already taken one shoe off and was halfway through removing the other one.  She hadn't even realized she was doing it.  A few of the other students had stopped to see what she was doing as well, none of them had taken their shoes off.  She blushed, but finished removing her shoe and placed both of them next to the wall of the short passage.  She stood up and turned back to Liana.  "We always take our shoes off at home, it's a habit."

          "Oh, that's right!" Liana said, nodding.  "I forgot you guys did that."

           Everyone filed into the common room and gathered around Cedric.

          "This is the common room.  The dormitories are down those hallways," he said, pointing to the halls at the far end of the room.  "Girls are to the right, boys are to the left.  You will find your things have already been brought down.  I suggest you all get some sleep now, its been a long day and classes start in the morning."

          Sasami followed the other girls down the passage where they found their room.  Like the common room it was square and comfortable, with five canopy beds spread around the edges and a small fireplace to the left of the door.  A large window looked out over the lake.  Their trunks had indeed been brought up and were sitting at the feet of their beds.  There were also vests, ties, scarves and badges with the Hufflepuff colors and crest on them, neatly folded and sitting on their trunks.

          "So, are you like, from China or something?" a girl with light brown hair asked Sasami.

          "Nope," Sasami said, shaking her head.  "I'm from Japan."

          The girl put out her hand.  "I'm Toni Owings.  I've never met someone from another country before."

          Sasami shook her hand, then gave her a little bow.  "I'm Sasami Masaki, nice to meet you."

          "I love your hair," said the girl with the sandy red hair, Katrine Abbey.  "But I thought Japanese had black hair."

          Sasami had to think for a moment before answering, she hadn't thought about that.  "Uhm, I live in Japan with my cousin, but that's not where my family comes from."

          "Where are they from?" asked Toni.

          "Uhm…" Sasami said, racking her brain for an answer.  Washu had told her what to say if someone asked her this, but her mind was a complete blank.

          "They come from America, like mine," Liana said with a glance in Sasami's direction.

          "Oh, you're an American?" asked the other girl, who had tightly braided black hair.

          Liana nodded.  "Yep, I'm Liana Collins."

          "I'm Jordane Stewart.  What part of America do you come from?"

          "New York.  My mum's English, but she works for the Department of International Magical Cooperation over there."

          "Wow, I bet it's real exciting," said Toni.

          Liana shrugged. 

          As the others questioned Liana about New York, Sasami quietly found her bed and opened her trunk.  She was glad Liana had stepped in for her, she didn't want to accidentally say anything she shouldn't.  She was starting to get a little worried that Liana knew something, though.  She had seen Ryoko flying back in the bookstore, and tonight that green light had obviously been coming from the marks on her forehead.  She didn't know a lot about magic, but she doubted that many people's foreheads glowed green when they were in trouble.  The look Liana had given her in the coach told her that much.

          She sighed and took off her robe.  She tossed it onto the bed, where it landed with a soft thud.  Ryo-ohki let out an annoyed "meow" and squirmed out of the pocket she had been resting in.  Sasami placed her hands over her mouth.  "I'm sorry, Ryo-ohki.  I forgot you were in there."

          "Oh! She is so cute!" said Katrine.  She and the others had come over when they heard Ro-ohki's meow.

          "What is she?" asked Toni.  "Some sort of rabbit?"

          Sasami did remember what Washu had told her to say about that, she had already told Liana the same thing back on the train.  "I don't know.  We found her in the woods behind my house.  Her name's Ryo-ohki."

          "Can I pet her?" asked Katrine.

          "Sure," said Sasami with a smile.

          Katrine sat down on the bed and held out her hand to Ryo-ohki.  Ryo-ohki looked at it for a moment and then meowed happily and rubbed her head against it. Katrine laughed and stroked her head.  The others each took a turn petting Ryo-ohki before moving off to their own beds to unpack their things.  Liana got the bed next to Sasami's.  Sasami hung her robes and uniforms in the wardrobe sitting beside the bed and placed her books back in the trunk along with her telescope, cauldron and other instruments.  By the time she was unpacked she had forgotten about the uneasy thoughts she had earlier that night.  She pulled off her damp and wrinkled uniform and slid into her dry, comfortable pajamas with the large carrots printed on them.

          "What do you think classes will be like tomorrow?" she asked Liana as she slid under the covers.  Someone had placed a warming pan between the sheets.

          "I don't know," Liana yawned as she climbed into her own bed.  "I bet they'll be fun though."

          Sasami yawned as well.  "Yah, I bet they will."  The warm bed was quickly pulling her into sleep.  She hadn't realized how tired she was.  Ryo-ohki climbed onto the pillow beside her and curled up next to her head.  The rain outside pattered softly against the windows and the waves on the lake beat against the base of the cliff.  Sasami didn't dream that night.

End of chapter six