'Wow…' Were the first words that came to Marina's head when she first saw Hogwarts's swooping walls and tall towers.

"F'RST YEARS OVER ERE!" a loud voice called from above the many heads.

A very large man stood about three feet above the rest of the students and called louder than Marina had ever heard anyone call.

"COME ON F'RST YEARS!" The man yelled again over the crowd. A bunch of little kids, Marina guessed they were about eleven, crowded around the large man.

Marina went over to join them. She looked up at the big man and tried to shout, but her voice was lost in the sounds coming from the rest of the students. She tried again; and this time, she made it over the noise.

"MISTER!" She yelled. "MISTER!"

He looked down at her.

"WHA' DO YA WANT?" He asked kindly, but loudly.

"I was wondering if I belonged in this line." She said. Deciding not to shout because she knew she would hurt her vocal cords if she tried to be as loud as the man.

"WHA'S YOUR NA- sorry, wha's your name?" He said lowering his voice as well, since the sound from the other students had left with them in the carriages they had taken up to the castle.

"My name's Marina Casely. I'm sixteen and I just got, I suppose you could call it 'transferred' here." She replied shrugging.

"Oh, you're the new student." He said, "Dumbledore told me bout' you." He leaned in close to her, "You're a vampire hunter arn't you?"

"In training, yes." Was the quick remark he got.

"Tha's wonderful! I always wanted to meet one!" He said, a huge grin on his face. "I heard you meet lo's of interestin' creatures!" He said, not at all dismayed by her short and rude tone.

"I have, yes." Marina said shortly.

"Tell me, wha' sort a creature's do ya meet?" He asked his eyes alight with interest.

"I'd love to yell you," she said sarcastically "but it's starting to rain and I'd really like to get inside."

"Oh my god, you're right! I've got to get these youngin's in afore they freeze to death!" He said quickly. Walking over to some boats docked in the large lake. "Get in the boats and hurry! We don' wanna get soaked!"

All the first years, including Marina, hurried into the boats and they just started to go all by themselves.

The ride up to the castle wasn't exactly a quick ride, but it was defiantly quicker than it would have been if someone had been rowing.

Once they got out on the other side of the lake, they were walked up to the large oak front doors of the castle by the big man and were greeted at the door by a tall, thin faced woman that, to Marina, looked like she could make any vampire whimper just by looking at her. Her hair was held up in a tight bun and her robes were a dark emerald green color. Her lips were thin, but she had a slight smile on them.

"You made it over the lake alright Hagrid?" She asked the large man.

"Yes Professor McGonagall,"

"Good, I'll take them from here." She said opening up the huge front door so all the kids could make in.

"Sure Professor." Said Hagrid. And he walked away.

Professor McGonagall led all of the students into the huge hall that was on the other side of the door. She then led all of them into a small room, left for a few minutes and then came back and led them through two large doors into a giant room. It had four tables set up with banners all colored differently, and at the end of the hall was a long table with a bunch of adults sitting at it.

Marina and the other students were led up past the four tables and up to the long table filled with adults.

In front of the table was a small stool with a ragged old hat on it.

The rest of the students formed sort of a line. Professor McGonagall took out a list and read out the first name. "Abdola, Anna."

A little red haired girl stepped up and put the hat on her head. Marina waited expectantly for something to happen. She turned to the boy next to her. "What in the bloody hell is the hat for?" She asked him.

"It sorts us into one of the houses." He whispered, his voice was quaky with fear. "I hope I'm in Hufflepuff. Both my parents were and so was my uncle and my cousin's in there too. If I don't get in, I don't know what I'll do!" He whimpered.

"I'm sure you'll be just fine." Marina answered shortly. She didn't have any energy left to tell the boy off for worrying so much.

Just at that moment the hat screamed out "RAVENCLAW!"

Marina's jaw dropped. "It talks!" She asked the boy. All he did was stare at her in disbelief.

A few more names were called by Professor McGonagall until the she shouted out "Casely, Marina"

Marina looked around and walked up to the stool. She sat down and put on the hat, just as she'd seen the people before her do.

"My, my, my, aren't you the special one…" The hat muttered in her ear. " I haven't had an older student put me on in years! And, oh my goodness! A vampire hunter too! So that's why you're here. I see…You really do like winning don't you?"

Marina didn't know what to say. Should she say something out loud?

"Just think what you want to say to be darling, and I'll hear it!" The hat said

"Okay…" Marina thought.

"That's the ticket!" replied the hat. "Now you would do anything to win wouldn't you? Oh yes, I can see! Well then, you'll be a perfect fit for SLYTHERIN!" It shouted out the last word.

Marina took the hat off and looked around the hall, she turned to McGonagall; "Which table do I go to?" she asked.

McGonagall's lips were tight and she seemed to have a look of extreme hatred on her face.

"The table with the silver and green banners over it." She replied and turned to read out the next name.

Marina walked over to the table she had said and sat down next to a boy with white-blond hair.

"Hi, my name's Draco." The boy said, smiling smugly. "Welcome to Slytherin. I know you'll love it here. No mudbloods… Just pure blooded wizards."

"Does it look like I care jackass?"