Dear Readers,

First of all I would like to give my usual warnings that the rating is for later chapters and that the characters may be acting out of character. It is very difficult to try and write as J.K. Rowling while putting a lot of myself into the story. I introduced a new character into the story, I know it is unusual but you will have to go along with it, I'm sorry but she will be important, and good, please like her. I'm sorry that I take so long to add new chapters, though I have an overall plan to where this is going details to how it gets there are not all finalized nor are they yet written, I'll never take this long again, though I have a reason, homework was horrid (IB) and I was celebrating my birthday on the 18th, sorry.

Reviews: Questions and Inquiries: At first, a wonderful, critical reader pointed out a ghastly mistake I dared to commit. If ever you readers see me on the street, you have the honest permission of punching me: The Hogwarts subject is Astronomy, NOT Astrology as I have called it. I will be beating myself up about it for a while. Another thing that many did not understand is the title of the chapter: The Train and the Tree. A few asked me: Where the hell did the tree come from; by tree, I meant the family tree that Harry was remembering after they asked Maria about her surname. It is not so much the Tree's importance as it is in what information the tree contained. Sorry for being unclear, and again, if you have questions and inquiries, ask and tell me, I usually answer. Also Harry will be with Maria, later. And Hermione will be with, hem, hem... The other most important Harry Potter character: Cough Ronald Weasley cough. Just so people are aware, I do like the idea of Harry and Hermione together better, but in the real story, I don't think that is the way it will go. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING, your hearts are to big, you guys are so wonderful for doing that. Ten would be nice, as usual, I don't raise my number and I'll still write if I don't get more. Thanks for offering to review me for times dear reader, I'll count your review 4x.I don't own Harry Potter.

Four Houses of Hogwarts

Harry and the others advanced from the train to a dark, cold, and misty outside. Instantly Harry searched for Hagrid, hoping this year he would be able to hear the familiar "Firs' years!" from Hagrid.

"Harry" called Hermione, and over the noises of the excited students he could hear a sense of relief in her voice. "Look, he's here, and he doesn't look too bad either." Harry saw the huge man waving to him and Harry waved back. Hagrid was a gentle, half-giant who had an extreme soft-spot for all creatures, preferably monstrous ones. While trying to convince giants alike his deceased mother to fight against the side of Lord Voldemort, Hagrid brought back his giant brother to the forbidden forest of Hogwarts, suffering many wounds while trying to tame "Grawp".

Harry waved back to Hagrid and headed for the carriages in which would take the second years and above to Hogwarts. Theses carriages were guided by vicious looking, skeletal horses. Before Harry witnessed the death of Cedric, he hadn't known, nor cared about the Thestrals, because he couldn't see him. Harry may have been imagining it, but the Thestrals looked even clearer than before. The sight of them and the school reminded him of Sirius, and Harry was silent once more.

He turned to Ron, Hermione and Maria. Ron and Hermione were staring at the Thestrals, but Maria was calmly entering the carriage that had stopped before them.

"Can... can you see them?" Harry asked, he wished that they would answer no, he didn't want them to confirm that Sirius was gone, forever.

"Yes." Said Hermione, shortly but quietly "Can you?" she asked, turning to Maria.

"No." said Maria, staring ahead of the carriages "I know of them though, we never had any Durmstrrang, but I've read about them." Harry thought this comment would thrill Hermione, for neither Harry, nor Ron considered reading a very enjoyable pastime, but Maria seemed to be different. But Hermione seemed not to remark this similarity; Harry realized that she knew Sirius well too. And it was the first death she had experienced.

"Hey Maria, will you have to get sorted?" asked Ron, Harry realized that Ron was just trying to change the subject, but he had done a good job of it. Both Harry and Hermione shot their heads towards Maria's direction.

"Sorted... oh, yes I do. The headmaster said I would need to get sorted during the official ceremony. What are the houses?" she asked.

"Well, the houses are Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff" said Hermione hurriedly "but won't you have to get sorted with the first years?"

"I guess I will" she answered absentmindedly "At least I get a proper introduction." She said, and they could hear the sarcasm in her voice. For Maria's surname would certainly raise questions.

The carriage stopped and Maria got out first, looking up at the castle with interest. Had Durmstrang become her home like Hogwarts was Harry's? He knew that many said Durmstrang taught dark arts and was full of families like Draco's, but after all if Maria was a student there she must have had friends that she missed.

"It's much warmer here." She said brightly, removing her cloak and not noticing the shivering people around her.

"Yes, Victor always said how much coldness he was accustomed to." said Hermione ignoring Ron's glares. Hermione was referring to Victor Krum, a famous Quiddich player, a great flyer and a competitor of the Triwizard Tournament of Harry's fourth year. To Ron's utter dismay, disgust and annoyance, Victor was also an admirer of Hermione.

"Apparently Vikki wasn't cold enough here then." Ron muttered under his breath. Hermione acted as if she hadn't heard. Maria caught Harry's eye and smiled at him. He smiled back. She had a pretty smile, Harry thought.

They entered the castle and Harry remembered the very first time he had done so as if that was yesterday.

"Maria" said Hermione suddenly "shouldn't you stay here and wait for the first years so you could get sorted with them?"

"I guess I should" she answered, looking slightly worried but hiding it quickly.

Harry, Ron and Hermione advanced with the crowd, and Harry felt guilty leaving Maria alone, with only strange stares following her.

"One question" called Maria after them "how is the sorting done?" Ron grinned.

"Trolls" he said, amused.

They entered the Great Hall and Harry examined he gloomy sky, cold and dead.

"Let's get a seat in the front" said Ron "I want to see the sorting." They sat at the Gryffindor table, one of four standing in rows, one for each school house. He sat down and looked up at the horizontal-facing table of the teachers. In the centre, sat Albus Dumbledore, as magnificent as ever, with silver hair and beard that descended down below his waist. Harry's eyes traveled among the rest of the table. Professor McGonagall, the Head of Gryffindor house was sitting missing because she was probablywaiting to lead the first years inside the Great Hall. Beside her was another empty seat, that of Hagrid, who was currently taking the first years across the lake. But Harry was staring at the woman who was sitting beside that empty seat. This woman looked tall even when she was sitting down. She had a pale complection, with dark lipstick and sleek black hair.

"That must be our new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher, I wonder how Dumbledore found her." said Hermione reading Harry's mind and working his concern. For the previous years of Harry's education, not one Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher had remained teaching in Hogwarts for over a year, Harry himself was starting to believe the job was cursed. Fortunately enough, the new professor did not look like she was sent from the Ministry like Professor Umbridge, Harry's last teacher.

Harry thought were distracted as the doors of the Great Hall spung open and a mass first years swarmed inside. As every year passed, these ten or eleven-year-olds seemed to grow shorter. Then near the end of the line of nervous looking children, a contrasting tall figure was following, Maria looked as nervous as the first years.

Harry could hear that people were noticing, some were even laughing as if Maria was joking around. The crowd stopped in from of the stool that was holding the Sorting Hat atop it. There was silence, and then the hat opened its mouth, and sang:

Welcome students, welcome all

I will sort you whether you are short or tall

I can hear your thoughts and see your heart

So please be and kind and please be smart

I will divide you into four

Heads, torsos, legs and feet galore

No lads its not that easy

But the task for you will be quite breezy

Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Gryffindor

To your futures they will open any door

These four houses will become your home

But continue to explore and roam

If in Slytherin you are placed

Then challenges you have faced

If it's Gryffindor where you belong

Your bravery will take you far along

If Ravenclaw is what I see

Your mind is as swell as can possibly be

If Hufflepuff is your house

Then it is justice that you will rouse

Work well together, then you will rise

Make amities great of enormous size

If you fall apart, in you house or not

Then your futures will struggle, a little, a lot

I'll take this first step, make the first choice

And in your head, I'll hear every voice

So work your best, it's up to you

It's time now; to see what houses, what who!

The Sorting Hat closed its mouth and everyone cheered. Then Professor McGonagall examined the list on names she was holding, and called:

"Ackleston, Joshua" as the boy sat on the stool and the hat drooped over his eyes Harry's stomach flipped. He realized that Maria may not be going to Gryffindor. She probably had a great knowledge of the Dark Arts, but would the Sorting Hat see she is not a Slytherin? Harry felt very nervous all of a sudden, as if he was being sorted all over again. Would the hat also say to Maria like it did to Harry, that she could be great in Slytherin, and perhaps decide to place her there?

"Ravenclaw!" yelled the Sorting Hat before:

"Berton, Thomas" was called to get sorted. Instantly the sorting hat yelled:

"Hufflepuff" and Harry heard cheering from the table next to him.

"Black, Maria" said Professor McGonagall. There was silence. And then there was chatter growing louder and louder.

"Did she just say Black?"

"Where did she come from?

"She's not a first year"

"Is this a joke?"

"Black?" Parvati Patil said to Lavender Brown, both Gryffindor students. As Maria placed the hat atop her head, Harry remembered how the school had reacted when his name was called and he was being sorted.

'Potter did she say?'

'The Harry Potter?'

And then they were looking at his scar, everyone was fascinated by this lightning-bolt-shaped mark on Harry's forehead, the one he received from Lord Voldemort, the one that his Aunt and Uncle fought so hard to hide. He looked up at Maria. The Sorting Hat had not yet made it's decision. Then he remembered his scar. Maria. She met him and obviously she had heard of him, as the whole wizarding world had. But she never looked at his scar. Everyone in his life had, Ron did, Hermione did.

"GRYFFINDOR!" yelled the Sorting Hat. There was an eerie sort of questionable clapping from the Gryffindor table, silence from the others. Harry uncrossed his fingers from below the table and looked up as Maria sat next to him.

"Hi" she said, slightly pink in the face. Harry tried to respond but was suddenly dry in the throat and was interrupted by everyone else in the Gryffindor table bombarding Maria with questions. Harry looked up at the teachers table, and Dumbledore seemed to be watching "Cornell, Rose" being sorted, but if Harry was not imagining things, Dumbledore had just given Harry a small wink.

Fifteen minutes later the sorting was completed, and Harry felt as hungry as Ron (who was groaning and rubbing his stomach) looked.

"Tuck in" said Dumbledore as everyone was seated, the first years cheered and the table were suddenly filled with every kind of food in the world.

Ten reviews would be nice as usual guys. Please do tell me what you think, it keeps me bouncing off the walls for weeks knowing that I can to write (my English teacher hates me, please tell her to stop failing everything that I write). Thank you for reading!

-Manichka