"Finally, we're here!" said Sky, looking out the window. The giant castle that is Hogwarts shone in the moonlight. The giant windows of the dining hall shone yellow from the candle light inside.
As the train approached, a few dementors patrolling the skies shone in the moonlight.
Sky gently nudged Aimee awake. She yawned and rubbed her eyes.
"Are we there yet?" Aimee asked, sitting upright.
"Yep, we just arrived," Katie said as the train slowed down to a stop.
All the students promptly got off the train and tried to organize themselves. A very large and tall man with long, shaggy black hair and a large beard stood taller than everyone.
"Firs' years an' transfer students this way!" the large fellow shouted, motioning with his hand.
"I guess that's both of us," Sky said to Aimee, who was still yawning.
"I have to go this way. I'll see you guys later at the banquet hall," Katie said, walking down the crowded deck in a sea of Hogwarts students.
Sky and Aimee went over to the giant man, who was directing students who looked Aimee's age onto boats.
"Well 'ello 'ere!" he said as they approached, "Ya must be Sky! And Aimee, I presume?"
"Yes, how did you know?" Sky asked.
"Well, yer the only person 'ere that isn't a firs' year, so ya must be tha only male transfer student. My name's Hagrid, an' I'll be directin' ya to Hogwarts!" he said.
All the first year students plus Sky and a few other female transfer students boarded the long boats. Aimee and Sky were on the same boat as Hagrid and sat right in front of him.
"What a cute bat ya got there. " Hagrid said, pointing to Jin, who was resting on Aimee's shoulder.
Aimee nodded, feeling rather intimidated by the large fellow.
"I'm the professor fer Magical Creatures," he said, "so if anything goes wrong with yer bat, ya can ask me."
"Thank you," Aimee said with a smile.
Sky was leaning over the edge of the boat, looking at the water. The moonlight reflected off the water's surface gave a shiny, whimsical blue glow to all the boats. The boats approached closer to Hogwarts, the castle walls now looming over them. Aimee looked straight up, not realizing she was leaning back too far until she landed in Sky's lap.
"This will be our home for the next year," Sky said, putting his hands on Aimee's shoulders.
"Yes, and I get to be with big brother…" Aimee said, relaxed.
The group of students with Hagrid entered the dining hall, which was lavishly decorated with tapestries, floating candles, and a decorated ceiling of a perfect night sky. Four long tables ran down the length of the hall, lined with students wearing matching neckties. Empty plates and cups were placed throughout the tables.
The students all walked down the center to the opposite end, where a table running the width had all the faculty. Hagrid sat down at one of the empty seats at the faculty table. A very old wizard with long white hair and a tall, pointy hat and long, flowing robes stood up.
"Welcome first year students to Hogwarts, school of witchcraft and wizardry!" he said, his voice resonating throughout the hall, "I am professor Dumbledore, head master of the school.
Sky hardly paid any attention, as he was talking in all the sights. Yosemite Valley School of Magic didn't have a great hall such as this. Dumbledore continued on with his speech, which Sky only caught "Dementors" from.
"Now, we will carry on with the sorting process to determine which house first years and transfer students will belong too," Professor Dumbledore said.
An old, tattered hat was right in front of the table, resting on a wooden stool. The hat suddenly burst into a song, frightening many of the younger first years.
"Oh, you may not think I'm
pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself
if you can find
A smarter hat than me…" The hat continued on
with its song.
When the hat finished its song, everyone applauded loudly, as the hat seemed to bow its tip towards everyone.
"We will now call out the names of first years. Please come forward and put the sorting hat on your head," continued Dumbledore, "Alba, Jasmine!"
A brown haired, rather tan girl stepped forward, put on the boarding hat and sat on the stool. A few moments passed until the hat shouted "GRIFFINDOR!"
Applause erupted from one of the tables as Jasmine walked towards the Griffindor table, a look of glee on her face.
"I wonder what house we'll be stuck in," Sky said, watching the next student go in line.
"As long as I'm in the same house as you, I'll be fine," Aimee said, holding on to Sky's arm. A few minutes passed by until Professor Dumbledore called Aimee's name.
"Thomas, Aimee Li Mei!" Aimee walked hurriedly to the hat and put it on her head. The large hat was far to big for her and she had to hold it up with her hands.
"Hmmm…" said the hat.
Aimee found this rather eerie.
"Ahh, you would make a very good Slytherin."
Aimee's heart sank.
"But then again, you want to be with your dear brother."
Aimee nodded.
"We will see about that," the hat said, "RAVENCLAW!"
The Ravenclaw table erupted in applause as Aimee stood up and began walking to her table, but then going back to put the hat back on his stool.
Aimee sat down at the empty end of the table, where it was reserved for the first years.
"Hey Aimee!" she heard a voice shout her name from further up the table. Aimee looked up to see an asian girl who looked a little older than her. When she saw Aimee see her, she gave a wide grin and got out of her seat to sit across from her.
"Umm… hello?" Aimee said, feeling rather unprotected without Sky by her side.
"My name is Takahashi! Fumika Takahashi!" said the girl. She was a bit taller than Aimee and had black hair that was down to her neck. Her thin hair was neatly kept brushed behind her ears. She had a rather mischievous look on her face.
"So you're a first year, I can finally get someone to call me 'sempai,'" said Fumika, "I'm a second year!" Fumika extended her hand out to Aimee.
Shaking her hand, Aimee asked, "Is 'sempai' a special name for a witch?"
"No no, it's a Japanese word. It means… 'superior one' I guess. Just call me 'Fumika-sempai,' ok?"
Aimee gave a confused look.
"I'm Japanese, and that's what I was going to ask you next! What are you?"
"I'm American…" Aimee said, kinda scared of Fumika's hyperactivity.
"No dummy! I mean like what ethnicity are you? Korean? Filipina?"
"I'm Chinese," replied Aimee.
"Darn, I was hoping you'd be Japanese. I haven't met any other Japanese students yet. The only person I can bug is Cho Chang, a 4th year. Anyway, I'm pleased to meet you! We'll become partners in crime, 'kay?"
Aimee nodded and smiled, since she wanted to make a friend right away.
"We will now sort the transfer students to their houses. McDowell, Evangeline!" said Dumbledore as a rather short, long blonde haired girl went up to the sorting hat.
"Slytherin!" the hat shouted as applause came from the Slytherin table.
"Thomas, Schuyler!"
Sky approached the stool and put the hat on his head. The hat began talking to him.
"So, this is Miss Aimee Li Mei's older brother," the hat said.
"Yessir," Sky said.
"Hmm… You want to be able to protect her, but at the same time you want her to learn to be independent, am I correct?"
Sky was amazed at how the hat knew his inner feelings about Aimee.
"Well, I couldn't agree more. She will do fine in Ravenclaw. You however, would make a good GRIFFINDOR!"
Applause came from the Griffindor table. While walking over to the table, he caught a glimpse of the Ravenclaw table. Aimee was out of her seat and had a worried expression on her face.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine," Sky mouthed to her.
"GRIFFINDOR!" the sorting hat shouted.
"Griffindor?!" Aimee shouted, standing up.
"Griffindor! Hehehe!" Fumika shouted, jumping out of her seat as well to complete the saying of Griffindor 3 times in a row for no particular reason…
"But… but!" Aimee said, watching Sky step down and walk over to the Griffindor table, who was cheering and shaking hands with Sky.
"But what? He's your older brother, right?" Fumika asked, "Don't worry, you'll be fine with Fumika-sempai at your side!" she said, leaning over the table and making a confident motion.
Aimee ignored her and watched as Sky mouthed something to her and sat down amongst a group of people his age. Aimee sat down again with a sad look on her face.
"Ara? Cheer up girl!" Fumika said, patting Aimee on the head.
Aimee looked up at Fumika, then slumped back down again, still sad.
Fumika sighed and gave a helpless gesture. "Just give it time, you'll get used to not being with him every waking moment. I was saving this for later… but I guess I can give it to you because I'm such a nice person."
Fumika took a little box that had a picture of a frog on it.
Aimee looked at it, then looked up at Fumika.
"It's a chocolate frog! These will become your favorite past time after spending a few days here!" Fumika opened the box and a brown object flew out of it onto Aimee's head.
"Aiieee!" Aimee shrieked as the chocolate frog jumped up and down on her head. Jin climbed up on top of her head as well and tried to eat it.
"Now, we shall begin the feast!" said Dumbledore, extending his arms.
The chocolate frog leaped off of Aimee's head, and into an empty bowl in front of her. At the same time, Lavish entrees grew out from the center of each of the plates. Vanilla ice cream was now in the bowl where the chocolate frog was. Aimee looked at the bowl, waiting to see what happened to the frog. The frog was able to crawl out enough to show his head and arms, and gave a gesture of defeat.
Fumika slumped back in her seat. "How come I never get that much luck in catching those darn Chocolate frogs?"
"What a feast!" Sky said, admiring the meal that suddenly appeared before him.
Sky immediately went for some chicken wings and began eating them, one in each hand.
"You look rather hungry there," a female voice said from across the table.
Sky looked up to see a girl, about the same age as him, with bushy brown hair and a cute face with brown eyes.
"Mmf Hmmf," Sky said, dropping his drumsticks and wiping food off of his face. He promptly swallowed and introduced himself.
"I'm Sky Thomas, just transferred here from America," he said, extending his arm, "I'm a 3rd year."
She looked at his greasy hand and hesitated for a moment, then shook it with an unpleasant expression.
"Hermione Granger," she replied.
Sky gave a smile and continued eating, accidentally bumping the person to his right with his elbow.
"Watch it! Try to be a little cleaner, will you?"
"Oh Ron, it's not like you're that much cleaner," Hermione said.
"Oh yeah, and how would you know? Tell her she's wrong, Harry!" said Ron, nudging the next person to his right.
"Harry?" Sky said, "Harry Potter?" he asked, looking down the table. The messy black hair, round glasses, and the especially noticeable forehead scar indicated that it was indeed Harry Potter.
"Yes?" Harry Potter said, looking down the table at Sky.
"The Harry Potter? I didn't know you were a Griffindor! I'm Sky Thomas, Katie Thomas's younger brother!"
"Believe me, he doesn't quite live up to all that hype that surrounds him," Hermione said.
"Don't listen to her, she doesn't know what she's talking about," Ron said into Sky's ear.
"Are you all 3rd years?" Sky asked, seeing that they were all about the same age.
"Yep," said Hermione.
Sky looked over to the Ravenclaw table to see how Aimee was doing. He saw her smiling, enjoying herself with what looked like a new friend she made.
Hemione noticed him and asked, "Is that girl your sister?"
Sky nodded.
"But why is she…"
"Adopted," Sky said, taking another bite out of a chicken wing.
"I see, how did you realize she could be a witch?" Hermione asked.
"Well, when my parents went to adopt her, her birth certificate was magically signed. And with both my parents a graduated wizard and witch, they could tell right away that she was had magic," Sky said, taking a bite out of the drumstick in his left hand.
"I see. Both my parents are muggles. My grandmother was the witch in the family," Hermione replied.
"Wow, interesting! So you must have been pretty much raised as a muggle, right?" Sky said, "I'm fascinated by muggles. I want to work in Muggle/Magic relations after magic school."
"Ron's father works in that department!" Hermione said, pointing at Ron.
"What?" Ron said, giving Hermione a look for interrupting his talk with Harry.
"What do you mean 'what?' Go back to talking to Harry!" Hermione said back. Ron went back to talking to Harry. "As you can see, those two aren't quite the brightest of the bunch," she said to Sky.
Sky nodded and drank a glass of juice to wash the chicken down.
"Why are you eating so primitively anyway?" Hermione asked Sky, obviously disgusted with the way Sky was inhaling the food.
"Have you ever been on a muggle airplane? That's the only muggle invention I can't stand. Microwaves and microwaved food. Absolutely disgusting! It ruins all the taste! I haven't eaten since breakfast!" Sky said, taking more bites out of his chicken.