I think I hear the Hallelujah chorus! I got 3 whole reviews! Does a dance, badly.

Jadestar123: Thank- you for reviewing and thanks for the tips. You have no idea how special you made me feel.

Chapter 4: Home at Last

We pulled our luggage and pets off the racks and headed out theof our compartment, to exit the train.

When we got off, we dumped our stuff with the other luggage and said good-bye to our pets. "Bye Lily, I'll see you in Hogwarts." I murmured to my cat the bars, brushing my fingers against her white chest.

Then Tyler and I joined Harry, Ron, and Hermione in waiting for a carriage. A horseless carriage jerked forward and Harry grimaced at the space in front of the carriage. I knew he was looking at a therestal. We scrambled into the coach and it lurched forward as it set off for Hogwarts.

When we got out of the carriage, Tyler and I noticed a short flight of stairs leading up to a gigantic castle. And it was a castle. Castle are pretty rare in the U.S. and I had never to been to Europe so this was my first castle.

This was a huge castle, defiantly bigger then my old school.

We all headed up the stone steps of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. "I'm finally home, home at last." I heard Harry sigh from behind me.

"Hilary Dolch and Tyler Faur, please come with me," said a witch with a stern almost formidable look on her face.

"Uh….," I said looking at the three older students. Hermione nodded her head at me and mouthed, "Go on." Tyler looked at each other and reluctantly followed the witch.

We headed a stone staircase and climbed it for to flights, and then entered a hallway. We walked down the hallway lined with doors for awhile, Tyler and I glancing at each other. How would we ever find our way to class? Hanging a left at the fork we came to, we entered a new, shorter hall with a few portraits and door. The witch opened the door, and Tyler and I filed in to the room. It was completely empty expct for two chairs.

"Sit down, please," said the witch. "My name is Professor McGonagall. You two are exchange students from America. You are going to be entering your third year and you also get to take extra subjects. Please pick which ones you want. I will be back." She handed us some papers then left the room. I looked Tyler with my eyebrows raised. He shrugged and we both looked over our papers.

"Look at the subjects you can take," said Tyler.

"Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Airthmancy, Ancient Runes,……" my voice began to trail off as I scanned my eyes down the list. "I think I'll take these two." I finally said, as I checked Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. Tyler leaned over and looked at my paper and marked the same things.

I looked at Tyler, questionably, he looked at me and grinned. I looked away, embarrassed, as Professor McGonagall walked in through the door, holding a matted, old wizard hat. "The Sorting Hat," I said gasping. McGonagall looked at me hard for a minute, then, seeming to decide on something, said, "Yes, this is the Sorting Hat."

She pointed her wand at thin air and muttered a few words. A wooden stool magically appeared where her wand was pointing. She placed the hat on top and said, "Miss Dolch, you may go first."

I walked up to the stool, picked up the hat, sat down and then put on the hat. "Ah….," said a voice in my head, the Sorting Hat, "a challenge. Let me see………defiantly no Slytherin……. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw……you would do well in each…… no wait…. I see pureness…. Very fine pureness, you are willingly to help and heal……and you also have a strong sense of right and wrong……"

"Please Gryffindor," I thought.

"Oh, Gryffindor." Said the hat, "I see, well, okay….. Gryffindor!" Ityelled.

"Yes!" I thought in my head as I took off the Hat and put it on the stool. Professor McGonagall was trying to suppress a smile but was failing and Tyler was smiling broadly.

"Mr. Faur, your turn." Tyler nodded and walked up to the stool. He put on the hat and sat down.

It took a couple of minutes of complete silence but eventually the hat shouted, "Gryffindor!"

"Good Job!" I said, giving Tyler a high five.

Professor McGonagall wasn't even trying to hide her smile this time. "Excellent!" She said, "I will go get you your dinner…" as she walked out of the room.

"Wow," I thought sitting in my chair, grinning at Tyler, "I'm in Gryffindor."