Disclaimer: Sorry, I forgot this in previous chapters, and I probably will from now on, so this stands for the rest of the chapters in this story. I do not own Harry Potter and all related characters and elements. (I don't even own the disclaimer; I got that off a Harry Potter game cover.) I do, however, own a few of the characters in this story including Charlotte Vaughan; her parents; Michelle and Shay, the prefects; Professor Michael Roberts and the first years. Oh yeah, and Stephanie MacDougal. Emma helped me think of all the names.

Individuals:

Emma: Wow, thanks for reviewing TWICE even if it was just because you were annoyed at me. AWWW!

Gidget/Stephanie (I know who you are!): If you read on, you ARE Malfoy's girlfriend. Read MALFOY not MOUPHY.

RBM: Yeah right.

michelleywelley: Thanks! Not just first years, in fact only one of my reviewers is a first year. Ah, well, Malfoy is coming along ... you'll see he's not in this chapter either, but he will come eventually, I swear!

Okay, here we go!

Chapter Six – Hogwarts

The man had on a leather vest and old-fashioned clothing, and his black, beetle-like eyes were glinting in the light from his swinging lantern. He repeated his call for first years several more times before speaking to the gathered students.

"'Kay, I'll jus' coun' yeh all, las' year I missed one, yeh see. One, two, three …"

His finger moved around the circle of clustered students.

"Hang on, I think we're missin' one …"

He counted again.

"E-e-excuse me, sir," Charlotte stammered. "I-I don't think you counted me."

"Oh, sorry! Yeah, I missed yeh, I didn't see yeh! Yeh standing in shadows, and yeh're so tall … yeh must be Amanda then, eh?"

"Er, n-no, sir. I-I'm Charlotte." With disappointment, she noted that she once again towered over her classmates.

"Oh, sorry! Which one's Amanda?"

"I am," came a voice that could have been American. Charlotte looked for the speaker but couldn't see her.

"'Kay. Professor McGonagall wanted me to tell yeh all about Amanda, 'cause she's older than the rest of yeh. Amanda's from the US, yeh see, and her parents didn't know she was a witch, 'cause their system is different … anyway, she's thirteen, but she's goin' teh be trea'ed the same, yeh go' tha'?"

There were a few murmurs of 'Yes, sir' and several nodding heads.

"Good. 'Kay, we go this way."

Charlotte and the rest of the first years followed him along a path bordered by thick trees. Charlotte made sure to keep to the middle of the group.

"Here we are."

Some of the students gasped as they rounded the last bend in the path and saw the sight before them. A large body of water, obviously a lake, but as still and smooth as glass, stretched in front of them. Small wooden boats were motionless at the edge of the black water. Above the lake, atop a mountain, was a castle.

"Righ'. No more that four to a boat, now. Quickly!"

The students scrambled forward. Charlotte chose a boat that nobody else was headed for, while the giant man took one to himself.

Another girl joined Charlotte. She waved silently.

"Yeh all in? 'Kay. Forward!"

The small fleet of boats began to move forward towards a large rock jutting into the sky over the water, blocking their view of anything behind it.

"Hello!" said the girl who had joined Charlotte brightly. Her accent was Scottish. "I'm Victoria MacDougal, but most people call me Vic. You're Charlotte, right?"

Charlotte blushed, and was thankful it was dark. "Yeah, that's right. Charlotte Vaughan."

Victoria looked at her for a bit, as if trying to recognise or remember something about her. "Are you … Australian?"

Charlotte nodded.

"Cool!"

There was a lull in the conversation (if you could call it that; Charlotte had only said five words) and they watched the large boulder get closer and closer, until finally the fleet divided around it like a school of fish. The students in the boats in front gasped and the ones around Charlotte craned to see what the fuss was about. Suddenly, the huge castle, now clearly visible but merely a silhouette against the dark sky, came into view. Small squares of light indicated windows and a large rectangle towards the bottom of the castle showed what looked like a dining hall. Silently the boats floated towards a small, rickety-looking pier and docked.

"Well, er … here we are," said the man, rather lamely. "You there, have you still got your cat?"

A boy with dark hair and blonde tips nodded, holding a wicker basket.

Ben liked cats, thought Charlotte unconsciously.

The man strode up to a large pair of wooden doors and knocked three times.

Almost immediately the doors opened, revealing a witch with black hair pulled back in a rather severe bun. She was wearing an emerald set of robes and she carried a wooden walking stick.

"Good, Hagrid. Do you have them all? I seem to remember that you missed one last year. Thankyou, you may go."

The man, Hagrid, muttered his thanks and sidled past her into the castle. The witch beckoned to the students with her free hand.

They followed. Charlotte stuck close to Victoria: she seemed like a good friend and Charlotte was thankful not to be alone.

The witch led them into a small chamber off the main hall. "Wait here, girls and boys, while I prepare for your arrival."

As she left, an excited murmuring broke forth from the students. Victoria turned to Charlotte.

"Ooh, I think we're about to be Sorted. Into our houses, you see. My sister's in Slytherin, but I don't fancy that. I hope I'm in Gryffindor. Her name's Stephanie. Her boyfriend, Draco, reckons that he's Harry Potter's enemy, but I doubt that …"

Victoria kept on with her babble, which suited Charlotte just fine. She didn't particularly want to talk.

"… and they say that last year, he killed a werewolf and Harry tried to save him –"

"I'm so sorry to interrupt, I just had to find out for myself." A quite short girl had cut short Victoria's babble. Victoria frowned.

"If you're not the American, how come you're so tall?" the girl asked. She had shoulder-length brown hair, blue eyes and three much taller girls standing around her. "Or is everyone in Australia ten feet tall?"

Charlotte trembled. She was not used to people insulting her - she had kept to herself at school - but Victoria saved her.

"Stuff it, Bitchley," she said, glaring at the girl. "Just because you're a dwarf doesn't mean we all are."

"Well, well, well. MacDougal. What a pleasant surprise."

Victoria raised an eyebrow. "Whatever. Keep your crap to yourself, Bitch."

"Why thankyou," the girl replied sweetly, ducking away.

"I know her," Victoria fumed. "I hate her. She's a bitch. Ignore everything she says, that's my advice. Her name's Emma Bailey and she lives in the same town I do. Just because she's rich, she reckons she owns the whole world …"

"Thanks, Vic," Charlotte said quietly.

"Thankyou, students," said the witch with the walking stick, rapping the said stick on the floor. "Now please, gather around me.

"My name is Professor McGonagall, and I am Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Now. In a moment, you shall enter the Great Hall where you will be Sorted into your Houses. These Houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin." She could not disguise the slight contempt she put on the last word. "Each house has it's own noble history and has produced outstanding witches and wizards. In these houses you will dine, sleep and study together. House points will be awarded for triumphs and taken away for rule breaking." She paused and shifted her walking stick to her other hand. "Let me remind you, that although there are certain dangers facing our world, Hogwarts is a safe place and your schooling will be protected from disruption to the best of our ability.

"Now, will you all line up and please follow me."

The first years scrambled into a line. Victoria was in front of Charlotte, and the latter didn't dare look behind her to see who was there. Emma Bailey and her friends were in front of her, however, and this comforted her.

The line of students followed Professor McGonagall through the Entrance Hall to the Great Hall. In here everyone else in the school was seated, most chattering away. There were four long tables, each crowded with students, and another slightly smaller one atop a platform at the front of the Hall. Here sat the staff. There was an empty seat next to an elderly man with long, flowing white hair and a matching beard, long enough to tuck into his belt.

Charlotte caught sight of Harry and his friends at the far right table. They waved cheerfully. (A/N I know that they're on the far left table, but she's facing the other way. It's right for her right now, okay? That didn't really make sense, did it?) She smiled wanly.

Charlotte glanced around, taking in the students, staff and this gigantic room. She looked up and saw, to her amazement, the sky.

Victoria looked over her shoulder and glanced at where Charlotte was looking. She smiled. "It's enchanted, silly."

The first years were approaching the High Table now; the first in the line were beginning to climb the stairs. Soon the whole group was standing single file, facing the rest of the school.

In front of the students was a wooden, three-legged stool. Atop the stool was a worn, frayed, rather dirty wizard's hat.

The whole school was watching the hat expectantly. Charlotte, wondering what was about to happen, jumped in alarm. A ripped seam had suddenly opened and the hat began to sing:

"Oh, here I am, once again

Atop this wooden stool

To tell you of the history

Of this great magic school

But first I will just warn you

Of the fate that you all fear

So watch me very closely

And please, lend me an ear

The Dark side grows ever stronger

But here we are all safe

If we are united

And you all have faith

But now, onto the history

Of this school of magic

Although we remember the good parts

It is somewhat tragic

More than a thousand years ago

Four witches and wizards met

And when they came to grow apart

They said, 'Let's not forget,

Our goal is to start a school

For all the magic world.'

And that is how the greatest

Magic school unfurled.

The dream of the Great Four

Was eventually seen by all

But soon the great friendships

Would tumble and fall."

The whole school cheered, the first years included.

McGonagall faced the first years, a long piece of parchment in her hand. "Now, when I call your name, students, you will sit upon this stool and place the Sorting Hat upon your head, which will sort you into your houses. Then, when you have been Sorted, you may go and sit with your house. Bailey, Emma!"

The mean girl from before came forward from the line and sat upon the stool. McGonagall placed the hat on her head, which fell down past her eyes. After about ten seconds, Emma nodded fervently and the Hat cried "SLYTHERIN!" Emma removed the hat and went to sit at the table second from the right, which had just exploded in cheers.

"Baker, Caitlin!"

A dark-skinned girl with a blonde streak in her hair left the line, and after a few second she was placed in Slytherin too.

"Barnes, Kyle!"

A boy with hair too blonde to be natural and quite prominent ears sat down he too was sorted into Slytherin.

Charlotte began to feel scared that everyone would be in Slytherin when "Bridges, Clare," became the first new Ravenclaw. She sat down at the table second from the left amidst great cheers.

"Bryant, Matthew," was yet another Slytherin and the next five students, "Burgess, Andrew", "Burke, Ashley", "Cartwright, Meghan", "Cartwright, Melissa" and "Cowie, Samuel", were all Ravenclaws.

"Creevey, Peter!"

An extremely small boy with mousy hair came forward. As he sat down he waved to someone at the far left table, where Harry and his friends sat.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry's table exploded with cheers. Two boys, who could only be his brothers, stood and helped him onto the long bench.

"Elcovitz, Amanda!"

This had to be the American girl, but Charlotte could hardly believe she was thirteen. She had short, stylishly cut reddish-brown hair a large number of bracelets, necklaces, earrings and rings. She was very short.

Amanda sat on the stool and looked quite disgusted as the Hat was lowered onto her head. Charlotte could only imagine how insulting it was for her to have to wear such a dirty, frayed, patched hat.

She sat with the hat on for at least a minute. She muttered something and then she was placed in Gryffindor too.

"Ellis, Keirra" became the first new Hufflepuff and "Erwin, Jerome" was yet another Ravenclaw. Charlotte noticed that while some students were sorted almost immediately, others took longer for the Sorting Hat to decide. "Fowler, Darren" took almost two minutes until the Hat placed him in Gryffindor.

"Fraser, Amelia" and "Freer, Jonathan" both became new Hufflepuffs, while "Halliwell, Christina" became a Ravenclaw. Her name caused quite a few whispers with the other students.

"That's Geri Halliwell's second cousin," whispered Victoria. "She doesn't look anything like her, does she?"

Charlotte shook her head. Unlike lots of her friends, she hated the Spice Girls, and she didn't care who the poor girl's second cousin was.

"Hudson, Alexander" and "Jennings, Graeme" were two more new Slytherins. "Kay, Evan" was another Hufflepuff and "King, David" was another Gryffindor. "Lauté, Elisabeth" was another Slytherin.

Charlotte caught Ginny's eye. She waved.

"MacDougal, Victoria!"

Victoria gulped and stepped forward.

WHO'S WHO:

Emma: Emma Bailey

Stephanie/Gidget (I know who you are): Stephanie MacDougal

Michael: Prof. Michael Roberts

Ron's Best Mate: Shay Reilly

Michelleywelley: Michelle Austin

WHAT? I ONLY HAVE FIVE REVIEWERS! THAT SUCKS!

Thanks to Michael who was the first reviewer that I don't know. And positive criticism does help.

The last three I haven't mentioned yet, but that's because the chap got way to long! Sorry!

I know the Sorting Hat's song wasn't that flash, but I was in a hurry to please you all, my darling reviewers!

From me, your faithful writer,

Pen Rich