The two girls ran inside the train and nearly crashed into another guy, but Shini, after mentally building up her reflexes so as not to look a klutz, stopped abruptly, making Alice run right into her back.

"Excuse me, ladies." the boy said, smiling, still a little startled but kind just the same. He had an accent just like Shini's, straight teeth, and brown hair with matching eyes.

"Hey, at least I stopped this time..." Shini mumbled under her breath. Alice heard her and started to giggle.

"Alice Tearhood's the name; laughing's the game." Alice extended her hand and nudged Shini to do the same.

"Oh...right. Shini Carwell. Nice to meet you mister..."

"Wood" he answered, bending over to kiss Shini's hand, "Oliver Wood." He did the same to Alice, then looked back at Shini. "It's my pleasure to meet you both. Now if you'll excuse me; I have to get my bag." Oliver passed by them smooth and swift, flashing a smile back at them at the last moment.

"Wow, now that," Alice pointed, "is a gentleman!"

"Yeah, I know."

"Know what, Carwell?" a familiar voice sounded behind Shini. She turned to find Marcus Flint standing and looking at her.

"Hey, Flint!" She smiled. He smiled back and glanced at Alice. "Oh, Flint, this is Alice Tearhood. Alice, this is Marcus Flint." Alice smiled and nodded.

"Shall we find a place to sit?" Shini suggested. "The train's probably about to leave."

"If you guys don't mind, I think I'll join you."

"Mind?" Shini replied, as if that was the stupidest thing anyone could ask, "No way!" She grabbed Flint's arm playfully and pulled gently so he would follow.

The trio found some empty seats, or an empty one of those carts/compartment thingys, and sat down. The train started to move. The three had started talking when Shini realized how tired she was. It was amazing how much energy had been taken from her. She yawned; Flint noticed.

"Me, too, man" he yawned.

Alice stretched out over a few seats and rolled over on her side. Her eyes closed and her breath came more softly. Just as Shini felt her droop and close, she felt her head fall to Flint's shoulder, and felt his head fall against hers.

Shini, Flint, and Alice woke to a high pitched whistle and a bellowing voice from outside.

"First years follow me!" it boomed. The three flew through the train and found a huge, and we mean huge, man standing with a lantern. Oliver Wood soon joined them with another boy, and Alice found some of her friends from Muggle school within the crowd.

The huge man led them to the edge of a lake where many boats were landed on the shore. Alice and the two school friends she had found got into one boat, Flint got in the same one with Shini and Alice, and Oliver and the other boy filed in behind them.

Alice was telling Shini who her friends were while they introduced themselves, but Shini failed to notice the large man behind the boat. He heaved the boat forward, and when it lurched, Shini went straight backwards. She slammed into the other boy beside Oliver and he looked down at her.

"Percy Weasley at your service" he smirked. He wasn't bad looking, except for looking quite pricky and stuck-up.

"Thanks," Shini gulped, "Shini Carwell using your service to not be thrown into an icy pit." She glanced at the water then sat up straight in her seat again. "Sorry I hit you."

"It's okay. I..."

"Look!" Alice squealed. "Look, Viv. Look, Liz. Look at Hogwarts!"

Everyone turned. It's gorgeous, Shini thought, the perfect home for nine months. I'm going to love it here.

Flint leaned over to Shini. "Have you ever seen anything like it?" he asked.

She looked back at the castle. She saw the twinkling lights at the towers, so welcoming. She saw the moonlight reflecting on the cool grey stone, so frozen in time. Shini didn't even realize they had reached the other end, when they hit the shore, and Shini started forward but was stopped by a hand in front of her and two hands grabbed her waist. Flint and Oliver where prepared for that obviously!

The seven exited the boat and gathered around the large man again.

"My name is Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds here at Hogwarts. Please enter the castle through this door and up the staircase to a Professor who will give you further instructions. Welcome to Hogwarts!" the man announced. He then turned and walked in another direction while people filed into the hallway passed the doors they were to go into.

"Let's go then." exclaimed the bleach-blond Liz.

The group walked in the doors and up the stairs spoken of until they found the teacher of which Hagrid spoke.

"Good evening. You will now be sorted into your houses. I am sure your parents have informed you of them. The ceremony will now begin; follow me." the teacher said slowly. She turned and two gigantic golden doors behind her opened.

"Oh my..."

"Huh..."

"Wow," was all Shini could say.

"Ah, the Great Hall!" Percy said. "My brother, Charlie, told me about it."

The great hall was truly great. Four wooden tables lined with students with brimless black pointed hats. Candles, hundreds of them, floated at various heights around the room, and the ceiling looked cloudy and dark. Shini's mom had told her not to be afraid of the ceiling on the way to King's Cross Station. Shini walked forward along with the rest of the first years and stopped where the teacher instructed them to. She told them to come and be sorted when she called their name.

"Alice Tearhood." the teacher called. Alice walked up, not nervous at all, and let the teacher put the old, tattered hat on her head. A few moments passed and the hat made it's decision.

"Slytherin." Alice walked to the table where the students stood and welcomed her to their house.

"Elizabeth Clearcol." Hufflepuff.

"Vivica Smith." Hufflepuff.

"Penelope Clearwater." Ravenclaw.

"Marcus Flint." Slytherin.

"Oliver Wood." Gryffindor.

"Percy Weasley." Gryffindor.

Slowly the batch of first years became smaller and smaller until Shini was the only one left. The teacher looked at her and smiled. Shini knew what was next.

"Shinira Carwell III."

"Shit" Shini mumbled and slapped her palm to her forehead. She hated when people did that. She walked to the stool and sat. The hat was placed on her head, and the torture began.

"Let's see." the hat began, "Brains, brawn, a fiery soul, yes, no choice in particular. You know people in many a house. Let's see. A well rounded house you need, and I think that's Slytherin indeed." the hat finished with a scream.

Shini ran to hug Alice and the other Slytherins. The others she knew in the other three houses looked happy yet disappointed at the same time, while clapping, too.

Everyone sat and calmed down. A white bearded man stood and began the feast. Every food in the world flashed up in front of Shini's eyes. She smiled and served herself some chicken noodle soup in a golden bowl.

Alice was sitting beside Shini, and Flint was across from them both.

"I can't believe they said my full name," Shini said. "Why did they have to do that?"

"At least they didn't say our middle names, right?" Flint encouraged. "Wouldn't that be a nightmare?"

Shini put her elbow on the table and pointed at him. "Right you are. I don't see why they said 'the III' either. What's up with that?"

"Ambition, yeah, that was a little weird." Alice assured. Flint didn't help much by imitating the sound of Shini's whole name, except for making her hide her head under her arms. The other two started laughing, and Shini joined them, slapping her palm against her forehead as she had done minutes before. The three laughed harder.

Throughout the meal they laughed (about something or they just looked at each other and cracked), shared stories, met a few of their fellow Slytherins who sat nearest to them at the table, and chatted about random things. Then they followed a Slytherin prefect who apparently had the name of Bob, up to the tower, needless to say they laughed so much they almost forgot the way to their dorms. The first years filed into the common room, staring interestedly at the tapestry-covered walls.

"Look," Shini whispered, grabbing Alice's arm with her mouth gaping open, "it's beautiful."

"I can see that, you nincompoop!" Alice retorted, her eyes casting around the room. Flint rolled his eyes.

"Girls to the right. Guys to the left. Night, everybody," the prefect, obviously dead tired, informed the group as he turned and headed up the left staircase.

Shini and Alice said goodnight to Flint soon after and went up to their dorm. They found all their bags and boxes already there. Quickly and quietly, Shini fell asleep, her bed so comfortable with it's silver sheets and deep green comforter.