Eheheh… Yeah. Updates. Mhm. And sadly, as much as I'd like to promise this is me starting back on a regular schedule, I can't. Although hopefully it won't be quite so long between chapters next time.

Thanks to all the lovely incredibly patient people who are reading this, and thanks to my reviewers: OnlyTimeWillTell, duckie666, TheUnknownMarauder, alix33, Mab, desartratt, Lii, BlackNeonTears, Becky Silver Black, Baranwyn, and uknowho.

Hogwarts. It wasn't the first time Harry had seen it, but this time it was special. This time he wasn't coming to visit his mum, he was coming to stay. To learn, and make friends, and maybe cause a little trouble. There was something, well… magical about Hogwarts at night. The lighted castle looked unreal, and Harry couldn't take his eyes off of it as the boat he was in glided across the river.

Harry was too excited to listen to McGonagall's speech, although he was fairly certain she didn't say anything he didn't already know. Other students started whispering about what the Sorting Ceremony might be, but Harry wasn't worried about that. Sirius had told any number of wild tales about the Ceremony, but Remus's amused expression during those stories put his mind at ease. Remus always got that look when Sirius started telling tall tales.

Finally it was time to enter the Great Hall. Harry had been there before, too, but never had he seen the place filled with students and lit with candles. It was breathtaking. Then McGonagall brought out the Sorting Hat. By the time its song was finished, Harry's stomach was in knots. He shifted from one foot to the other, watching students being called forward.

"Potter, Harry!"

Like a pebble dropped in a pond to create ripples, Harry could hear his name spreading throughout the room— could feel the eyes turning to stare at him. His stomach knotted even more from the attention until he saw his adopted mother sitting at the professors' table smiling at him sympathetically. With a lifting heart, he sat on the stool.

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The Sorting Ceremony this year was taking foreeeever. Fred waited impatiently for it to end, whispering snide comments to his twin about the new first years. They were a sorry lot so far, if the only one within earshot was any judge. The bushy-haired girl had hit it off with Percy immediately, talking about classes. Which made sense, since she was a female version of him. It was a sad, sad thing.

Things brightened up a bit when Harry Potter went under the Sorting Hat. Every house could be seen leaning forward, and Fred was sure there were people at every table with their fingers crossed. Having Potter would be points for coolness, at least.

George muttered over the sound of his stomach growling, "Hat's taking its time on this one, innit?"

"Likes keeping us in suspense," Fred theorized.

If that was the Hat's motive, it was certainly working. A hush fell over the Great Hall as everyone waited to hear the Hat's decision, which seemed to take longer this time than any of the previous ones. The expectant silence was beginning to get uncomfortable, and people were just on the verge of shifting anxiously when—"GRYFFINDOR!"

The table exploded. With cheers for once, rather than one of the twins' pranks. "We got Potter! We got Potter!"

Fred was pleased but not surprised when Ron got sorted into Gryffindor a few moments later, although he was tempted to poke Percy with a pin to see if being puffed up like that would make him explode. Dumbledore's speech was pleasantly short, and Fred applied himself eagerly to the feast.

Then it happened. If Fred had looked up a split second earlier or later, he'd have missed it. It was beautifully executed, really. George had just finished pouring more pumpkin juice in his goblet, and Percy had asked for it. George passed it across the table to Harry, who passed it on to Percy—but not before Fred saw the tiny splash as the bespectacled boy dropped something in the pitcher. When Percy poured his juice and took a sip with no ill effects, Fred was rather let down.

Which made the pitcher's eruption a few seconds later that much more beautiful. A geyser of pumpkin juice spewed forth, drawing the eyes of everyone at the table, and no few people at other tables… And then it splashed down on Percy, who'd been staring openmouthed at it. Shocked and delighted, Fred looked at Harry, who grinned impishly before schooling his features into shocked innocence.

Fred started to laugh, regardless of McGonagall's stern approach. This was going to be an interesting year.

I kept trying to make this chapter longer, but every time I started to add something, I changed my mind, so... here is what I have. Make of it what you will. And review? Pleeeease? Incidentally, if you want to harass me about updating, check out my website!