They trio absorbed the scenery of the Great Hall in awe. It was decked out with amazing decorations, quite similar to how it would appear on their first day of school when the first years would be sorted. Their tables were set up with their respectful house banners hanging gallantly above, the ceiling lit with the night sky – stars twinkling down upon the students, and there also stood the sorting hat on the stool. Harry was shocked and confused; this was a little bit late for a sorting ceremony to be held.

"So this was what everyone was whispering about," said Ron. It was, in fact, clear that this indeed was what everyone was talking about. Around them, everyone seemed curious and just and confused as them, whispering to their neighbors. Even the teachers, who were normally cool and collected in situations the students knew nothing of, seemed confused. As Harry continued to skim the teacher's table up at the head of the Great Hall, he noticed that Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall seemed very anxious and kept throwing looks at the smiling Dumbledore. No one could have expected what was about to happen.

Ron, Hermione, and Harry walked to their table hesitantly, and sat down as curious as ever.

"What do you think it could be?" Ron asked.

"Important enough to do this..." Harry responded slowly. Both Ron and Harry then waited for Hermione to come in saying something witty, but she never got the chance to. Dumbledore tapped on his goblet with his wand, miraculously creating a sound that was louder than it should've been, (most likely amplified,) and echoed throughout the chatty dining hall.

"Good evening, students!" Dumbledore exclaimed, his face bearing a cheerful look.

The chatter was now starting to dim down; waiting for Dumbledore to announce what was going on, people hushed up their conversations so they would not have to strain to hear the occasion for these sudden elaborate decorations.

"Tonight is a special night in the history of Hogwarts," he paused, "involving a very special person who I expect you all to treat very kindly."

That settled it. Although they didn't think it was possible, a new student was coming to Hogwarts. All three of them sat there stupefied, since when had it been allowed for a student to enter later than the normal time anyway?

Dumbledore continued on with a gleam in his eye and a smirk upon his face.

"Yes, we will be receiving a new student tonight."

With those words, he had confirmed their suspicions, as well as encourage the students in the Great Hall to gossip with nearby neighbors at the oddity of this situation.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore boomed over the loud chattering of his students.

The students then, yet again, quickly ended their conversations, although they looked as though it was the most painful thing as they restrained themselves from conversing any more.

"Now," Dumbledore continued, "I do believe that we have a sorting ceremony to begin, am I correct Minerva?" He smiled and then turned toward Professor McGonagall, who was utterly flabbergasted with this situation.

"Uh - uh, yes, Professor Dumbledore," she nervously glanced at Snape, "certainly."

Snape sat there as stony faced as ever, but had an even paler tint to his skin tonight than Harry thought possible.

"Then let us begin!" Dumbledore exclaimed mischievously. "Mandana, please enter!"

At Dumbledore's wave of his hand, the doors immediately opened and in walked the new student - the new girl. She walked down the hall with confidence, wearing a warm smile that said she didn't care or apparently notice that the whole school was watching her every move. She was Caucasian, had hazel colored eyes, and wavy brown hair whose tips went just over her shoulders by an inch. Harry was watching her carefully, alongside of the rest of the school, but with more interest than just curiosity. He watched how her hair moved while she was walking, the length of her steps, the way she smiled and how her face followed through with that smile, and for the moment he lived for every breath that escaped her powder pink lips. He thought she was beautiful.

As she continued to walk down the hall, her black cloak swishing with her steps, she was being watched intently as Harry by only one other person. It was obvious to both of them that she wasn't in her first year; in fact... she looked 16 like them.

Harry thought that was strange, very strange... a 16 year old arriving here, missing the first couple of years at Hogwarts, and then coming in late in the school year?

Apparently he was not the only one to think so; the whole hall was now full of curiosity.

Mandana had now stopped right in front of the stool with the hat and smiled broadly, "Pleasure to see you again, Dumbledore." She acted as if she was an old friend with him.

"Why thank you Mandana, but the pleasure is all mine, and please call me Professor Dumbledore."

"Yes, I had forgotten," she replied politely, bowing slightly in apology.

"You do remember the procedure we do here that I told you about?"

"Perfectly well..."

"Good then... Minerva, could you please lead us into the sorting ceremony?"

"Uh- why - uh - yes, sure." Professor McGonagall said, still flustered with the incoming of this new student. Then, quickly grabbing a piece of paper from Professor Dumbledore's hand, she walked over to the side of Mandana and announced, "Mandana Lexiconn, please step up to the stool and put the sorting hat on to be sorted."

The next minute was the most intense moment throughout the hall, especially for the two people who had been watching her so closely, for she was joining their year.

She smiled and then walked at a normal pace up to the stool, (not showing any signs of nervousness), and put the hat on. Harry immediately thought back to when he was first being sorted, which caused him to wonder now why this girl was not nervous at all; she must've cared about what house she was going to be sorted into... she must've. She had now put the hat on, and clearly gave it something to think about - very intensely as well.

Harry was wondering what was taking so long; what was wrong with her. He wanted her to be in Gryffindor so badly, so that they'd have classes together at least...

The hat remained in silence, mystifying the whole hall full of students. Oh, how he hoped she'd be put into Gryffindor, in fact he was pleading with the hat in his mind to have her put into Gryffindor.

Now, after much waiting, the hat seemed to finally be done thinking and loudly announced its verdict to the whole hall: "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table burst into cheers, knowing that if this girl was coming in this late she had to be good, right? Harry was just confused by this. Although he wanted her to be sorted into his house really badly, he still seemed thrown off that she did make it in. He guessed he didn't expect it to happen - it just seemed too good to be true to him. While the table around him was cheering, Ron and Hermione seemed just as befuddled as Harry.

"I just don't get this situation at all," Hermione trailed off, "what makes her so special?"

"What are they all clapping about; it is just a girl after all." Ron said, shrugging.

Apparently none of them realized that the answer to all of their questions was approaching them.

"Hi, my name is Mandy... do you mind if I sit next to you, um...." she said looking at Hermione.

"Hermione, it's Hermione," she responded.

"Well then Hermione, do you mind if I sit next to you? You look like you know everything about Hogwarts... and I obviously need to learn!" Mandana said smiling genially.

Harry thought it was good of her to flatter Hermione like that – about her intelligence, it would surely win her over in the end.

"Why.... uh, er, uh..." Hermione was flustered, caught off guard from this compliment, "sure, of course!" she grinned broadly, and made room for Mandy to sit down.

Ron was tempted to roll his eyes, but resisted the urge figuring she was new and that he should at least give her a chance, for he was quite sure that she just wanted to sit with them because of who Harry was. Harry on the other hand, couldn't believe his luck, and was extremely curious about her – and blurted out the question that had been floating around in his mind.

"So - what brings you here, Mandana?" Harry asked.

"Please, call me Mandy, Mandana is such a horrible name..." she said, crinkling up her nose, "and it's a rather long story why I came here, erm, uh, what's your name?"

Ron almost fell out of his seat.