A/N: I 'm sorry this chapter has taken sooo long, school just got kind of crazy so it was kind of pushed to the very back of my mind. Luckily the summer vacation for me starts on Friday (Yeah!) so I can start making more frequent updates again. Thanks to everyone who reviewed it's very much appreciated. Remember that comments and suggestions are more than welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Buffy the Vampire Series or the Harry Potter books.

Chapter Six

Anticipation

The train ride didn't last very long to them. They were just having fun, dancing and joking around when they Hogwarts Express came to a stop at in front of the Hogsmeade Station. So they quickly changed into their new school robes with just a few alterations made here and there to make them a LOT more attractive.

Quickly making there way out of the train Buffy, Xander, Willow, Oz, Faith and Giles were met with a very crowded platform. They made there way through the crowd coming out in front of an empty carriage being led by the creepiest horse that strangely resembled a lizard.

"G-man what is THAT?" a very curious Xander exclaimed as they group of teens walked up to the beast and started petting its scaly skin.

"How many times do I have to remind you not to call me that? And for your information that is a thestral YOU went over them in Care for Magical Creatures class if you would actually pay attention…" Giles said as he entered the carriage.

"What did he say?" Xander asked looking away from the thestral.

"Just forget it Xan it doesn't matter." Faith answered as everyone else cracked up with laughter. Xander was sooo predictable; he never paid attention to any one thing for more than a second. Then again that was just one of the things they loved about him.

"Are you all coming or not?" Giles' voice called out from within the carriage breaking the group away from their laughing fit. So they all entered they carriage and set off for their brand new school. OH JOY…

"Come now, you need to be sorted so wait in the back chamber until I come and retrieve you. Now don't touch anything, this is a new school and a chance for you to actually make a good impression so don't mess it up," Giles said as he pointed to a door off the entrance hall.

"He just has sooo much faith in us…" replied Buffy in a sarcastic tone as her watcher left in the opposite direction.

"Come on… like there's going to be anything interesting to look at here," Xander said as they entered the room in question. The room was a vast in their eyes. Walls, ceiling, and floor made from the same smooth grey stone. Unlike other rooms this one was completely empty except for the singular pool of water in the very center, no pictures hung on the walls just smooth stone.

"This has got to be the wiggiest room I have ever laid eyes on…" Buffy blurted out as the others shook their head in silent agreement.

"Let's just hope this is over soon…"

In the Great Hall everything was going as it always did. The sorting hat sang its song, again with warnings for the need of unity among the four houses. The new first years had been sorted as always and the new DADA teacher, Professor Giles had been introduced. The only odd thing about this particular evening was the strange silence that filled the normally enormous roar of the Great Hall.

After this went on for quite some time Professor Dumbledore stood from his regal seat in the center of the teachers table. "As you've all probably heard we are to play host for the next year or so to a batch of foreign exchange students from America…" he began and paused as the crowd of students all began whispering amongst themselves. " The will be joining us to be sorted into there new houses shortly and I would advise that you treat them in a polite manner. Now if you will fetch your young charges Rupert."

With that said Giles stood from his seat beside his old friend Rubeus Hagrid and headed to the small wooden door to the side of the staff table. Once it was opened out walked five young teenagers as a collective breath was let out from all the Hogwarts students as they finally laid eyes on the new students and boy were they a sight to see…