As I walked off the train, I began to look around. The place really did take my breath away. It took me a few seconds, but finally I found Malfoy-- my lingering to look at Hogwarts took a little too long. Dumbledore explained to me in a letter that I was to go with the older students into the building via the carriages-- not the first years . So Malfoy and I walked up to the castle together.

"Wow this place is beautiful-" I whispered.

"Yea-- but then again, I have been looking at it for 6 years now." said Malfoy. I began to feel like he was almost humoring my stupidity, so I explained to him my old school.

"The schools in America don't look any thing like this. They actually look like regular muggle schools."

We continued to walk up to the castle, except when all of the sudden Malfoy grabbed my hand and lead me to the table. When we sat down I expected him to let go, but to my surprise... he didn't .

"I hope you get to stay at this table." he quietly admitted into my ear.

"I do too."

Right after I said that, the headmaster stood up and boomed, "LET THE SORTING BEGIN."

After the sorting was over, Slytheren had gained 9 new members and I hoped to make it 10. Dumbledore stood up and said, "I am pleased to announce that in addition to our first years, we have," and he said this holding up his right pointer finger, "one new sixth year all the way from the States. If you would please come up here Miss Carter."

With that, he made a sweeping motion with his cloaked arm towards me- my cue to move up... front and center.

I got up walked to the stool were I saw a stern looking professor . When I sat down, she firmly placed the hat on my head. The hat had barely touched the tips of my bangs, when it proudly shouted out---

"SLYTHERIN!"

I jumped off the stool, gave the professor the hat, and ran back to the table. Smiling, and sitting next to Mr. Malfoy, I started to open my eyes and look up at my new home, owls, ghosts, Weather-Enchanted roof, and all.