"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards." Professor McGonagall stated. "While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours."

Her sharp eyes scanned the crowd once more, and as her eyes locked on Neville, and then at Ron as she advised "The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting… I shall return when we are ready for you."

As soon as she left, the whole crowd of first years erupted into anxious conversation, and quick shuffling. Ron and Neville, amongst others, had started to fix their robes, or clear the blemishes off of their bare skin while they speculated how we would be sorted into our houses.

"I bet they've got something that tests someone's magical ability. Some sort of test so they know who's pure-blooded, and who's not. Those that are are sorted into Slytherin, of course." Blaise said. "Then it'll go to Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and lastly, Gryffindor."

"Don't be stupid." Daphne responded as she approached Blaise, and Theodore, and I. "By that line of thinking, all of the greatest wizards in recent years would have been in Slytherin, which is frankly ridiculous."

Theodore gave a short, curt nod as Blaise quickly began to defend himself from his critics. "Well, the world isn't perfect. I'm sure that the mud bloods and half-bloods cheated in some way. Err, or something like that."

"Make all the excuses you want. Theo, Corvus, and I know better. Don't we, Theo?"

Theodore gave another nod in agreement, and then took a step back as if to say he didn't want to be drawn into the conversation any more.

Daphne smiled, and lifted her chin with reinforced confidence. "If anything, there will be some sort of item that can measure up our personalities, and coordinate us into the houses we're most likely to thrive in."

"Now that's as ridiculous as my idea! What kind of item can sort us based on our personality?" He argued. "It's probably just another written test or something."

Blaise crossed his arms in protest, and visibly pouted.

"Is that so?" she asked. "Well then, what about a bet? If the Sorting Ceremony involves either an object that tests one's magical abilities or a written test, I'll give you a galleon. If it is what I believe, you give me a galleon. Deal?"

A flame grew in Blaise's eyes as his hand shot out to meet Daphne's. "Deal. I hope you're ready to eat your words."

"Ahh!" A girly squeal cried out.

The three of us turned around as nearly two dozen transparent beings glided into the room we were in through a stone wall. "New students!" a fat monk said as he began circling them. "About to be sorted, I suppose?"

A couple of students nodded, and Tracey appeared through the crowd. Her normally pale cheeks had become an chilled pale. Her movements had become stiff as she quickly got closer to Daphne. "Nobody told me that ghosts existed!"

"Don't worry about them, Tracey," Daphne stated. "They're almost completely harmless. Just… ignore them for now."

Tracey nodded, but her stiff body hadn't relaxed at all.

"Move along now, the Sorting Ceremony's about to begin."

Professor McGonagall had returned, and the ghosts quickly dispersed as she firmly stood at the foot of the door.

"Now, form a line," she commanded, "and follow me."

Dozens of my peers quickly lined up, and I stuck myself in between Theodore, and Daphne, who was beginning to complain that she couldn't see from behind myself, and Theodore.

"Two of some of the tallest kids in our year, and I get stuck behind them. Just my luck.

"Sorry about that, Daphne."

"All, well. I'm sure I'll see everything soon enough."

We followed the tall lady into the hall through a pair of double doors, and I was frankly in awe of the sight. Hundreds of glistening golden plates and cups laid across large tables, and floating above them was hundreds… maybe thousands of candles which strangely enough didn't seem to melt under the heat of the flame on the wick at all. Just beneath the ceiling strewn a stream of the dark sky from outside, with pockets of bright white lights shimmering in the dark sea.

"You know, the ceiling is bewitched to look like that. I read about it in one of our books."

"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."

I blinked just once as I wondered if the Great Hall had echoed my voice, and made it more feminine, but I quickly realized that was impossible. I looked to my right where the familiar sight of the girl with the long, curly brown hair, and the abnormally large teeth had looked at me in the same way. We had said almost identical things simultaneously.

I shook away my confusion, and then looked back towards the end of the hall. As we reached the end, I peeked from beside Theodore at the leading professor who had pulled out her wand, and pointed it at a stool. The end of the wand quickly turned from the stool over to an empty spot in front of us, and the stool followed her command to the spot her wand was pointed at.

From seemingly nowhere, she pulled out an old, and very dirty hat, which she promptly placed on the stool. Some parts of it had been poorly patched up, and other parts were frayed. To say it was unsightly would be an understatement. The only thing that I liked about the hat, curiously enough, was that it was pointed, just like how Merlin's was in all of his depictions in Arthurian legend.

The Professor had pulled out a long roll of parchment, and looked over the crowd of the first years for the final time. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," Her gaze had switched over to her parchment, and she began reading off names. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A girl with long, blonde pigtails nervously walked over to Professor McGonagall, and placed the hat on her head, which had fallen down past her eyes, and she sat down.

For a curiously long period of time, everyone in the entire room was quiet. Everyone's attention had laid on the girl's face as she began to shiver on the chair, until something interesting happened.

A line of ripped threads had begun to open up near the brim of the hat, and I realized that with a dark, threaded smile, it looked as though the hat had grown a face.

"Er, sorry about that." the hat said in an exhausted voice. "Seems to get harder every year. I would sing, but frankly, I'm not in singing mood."

The hat was quiet for an uncomfortable pause, and then he looked at Professor McGonagall. "Oh, right. HUFFLEPUFF!"

The uncomfortable silence was broken as hundreds of older students dressed in identical yellow and black robes began to yell and clap. I saw a hand reach out from in front of Theodore with a shiny galleon.

"I'll take that," Daphne said, snatching the galleon. "Pleasure doing business with you, Blaise."

The girl, Hannah, quickly took her hat off, and rushed over to the table before sitting down in an empty space.

"Bones, Susan!" Professor McGonagall stated, continuing the cycle.

The new girl put on the Sorting Hat as well, and the hat quickly yelled "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Dozens of more names were called out, and dozens more children were sorted by the dirty hat.

Boot, Terry - Ravenclaw

Brocklehurst, Mandy - Ravenclaw

Brown, Lavender - Gryffindor

The table with red and black robed students cried out as a student was finally sorted into their house.

Bulstrode, Millicent - Slytherin

There was some cheering in Slytherin, but many of them were apathetic, and more of them had annoyed scowls, or aggressive smiles .

Finch-Fletchley, Justin - Hufflepuff

Finnigan, Seamus - Gryffindor

Granger, Hermione - Gryffindor

The hat was on her head for barely a second before the hat sorted the girl. Ron had groaned from close by.

Longbottom, Neville - Gryffindor

Wait a minute - if this is going alphabetically, then I should have been before Hermione. Why hasn't my name been called yet?

My eyebrow had furrowed on my face in confusion as the professor continued calling out names.

MacDougal, Morag - Ravenclaw

Malfoy, Draco - Slytherin

Just like with Hermione, the hat had barely touched Draco before he was placed in Slytherin. The blond boy grinned maliciously as he rushed over to the table, and sat down as the other Slytherins clapped and cheered for him.

Moon, Lily - Hufflepuff

Nott, Theodore - Slytherin

No surprise there.

Parkinson, Pansy - Slytherin

Patil, Padma - Gryffindor

Patil, Parvati - Gryffindor

Perks, Sally-Anne - Hufflepuff

"Potter, Harry"

A large amount of mumbling and gossip arose from the entire room as Harry nervously walked over to the stool, and put the hat on. I could see immediately that he was hyperventilating. His hands were gripping the edges of the stool so hard that I wouldn't be surprised if there were faint indentations into the wood.

As much as I wanted to see what he was thinking as he sat there quietly, he had shut his eyes as he took in deep breaths. I couldn't help but grin at the anticipation. Where would the boy-who-lived go?

The hat mumbled something from atop the boy's head, and it appeared to ask Harry some questions, but Harry didn't respond.

"Well, if you're sure - better be GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table erupted into applause and cheering as some boys who looked vaguely like Ron Weasley shouted "We got Potter! We got Potter!".

Harry had pulled the hat off of his head, and he smiled in relief. He shakily walked over to the table, and sat down as people began to pat him on his arms and back.

Professor McGongall gave no pause, though. She continued calling out names as if nothing had ever stopped her in the first place.

Thomas, Dean - Gryffindor

Turpin, Lisa - Ravenclaw

And finally, Zabini, Blaise. Blaise gave me a clap of relief on my back as I was left as the last student on the floor. Blaise walked up, and put on the hat. He was quickly sent over to Slytherin, and I was left by myself on the center of the Hogwarts Great Hall's floor.

Professor McGonagall looked at me curiously until a hunched-over man walked over to the professor and gave her a slip of paper. Just as he walked away, Professor McGonagall opened the folded note, and finally read off my name.

"Gaunt, Corvus"

Just as with Harry, a number of students had begun to gossip, although it was nowhere near as loud.

"Gaunt? I thought the Gaunt Family had died out."

I shrugged off the comments, and then walked up to the hat before pulling it on.

"Ah, I see. Another Gaunt, eh? It's been quite some time before I've had to sort one of you. Let's see - you are brave, that is for certain, but you also value intelligence, and cleverness. You could be a great leader if placed in Slytherin, yes, but you could thrive in Gryffindor. You could go against the grain of your family - perhaps change your house for the better. What do you think?" the hat asked.

I found myself drawn towards the Slytherin table, specifically towards where Daphne was sitting. Tracey had sat down next to her, and Theodore and Blaise were sitting across from her. Interestingly enough, there was an empty space right next to her. The perfect spot for me to sit in. She gave me a quick wink, and gestured towards the empty spot next to her.

"I see…" the hat began. "A life lived without friends can be long and difficult. Those in Slytherin can be powerful allies, and greater friends, but heed warning - those who offer their hand in friendship too quickly can turn on you just as fast. Are you ready?"

I gave a short nod, and then the hat gave a chuckle.

"Very well then, you might as well be in SLYTHERIN!"

The Slytherin table had erupted in applause, most of all from Daphne. The rest of the tables were quiet, but they didn't matter now. As I approached the table, the older students offered their hands to high-five, and I slapped them as I got to Daphne, and sat down next to her.

"You almost took as long as Harry. Some last minute hesitation?" she asked, to which I shook my head 'no'.

"The Sorting Hat gave me an option, and I chose Slytherin. I know who my true friends are."

I looked back at the Gryffindor table, and Ron had scowled at me as Harry looked at me in concern. 'Let this be the last time I ever look back,' I told myself, and then I looked over at Professor Dumbledore, who had approached the front of the room.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year ot Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

My eyebrow rose in confusion, and then I turned back to the table just as he said "Thank you!"

The plates had filled up with food of all kinds. Steak, boiled and roasted potatoes, fries - it seemed the entrees were endless, and I, along with the rest of the table, dug in.

You know, it's quite strange. This has been the best day of my life, and my body is exhausted after everything that's happened, along with my full stomach, but still, I'm restless. The swishing of the water outside the mirrors, and even the occasional fish that passes by, nothing seems to sway me asleep.

I sat up on my bed, and looked around the room. Theodore and Blaise had already fallen asleep. While Theo had neatly wrapped himself underneath his covers, Blaise had already kicked off his comforters, and had his leg dangling off the side.

"Corvus…"

My head tilted as I looked around the room to find the owner of the mysterious voice, but nobody was there. I shook my head telling myself 'You're just tired. Try going back to sleep again,' but then the voice called out once again.

"Corvus…"

I quickly pulled the thick sheets off of my lap and scanned the room, and even under my bed for someone. Anyone.

'No.' I thought. 'I would have heard someone sneak in here, much less shuffle around. Something about this seems… magical.

I crept over to my door before swinging it open with a gentle *creak*. I cursed under my breath at the shrill noise of the door before closing it once again, and walking the hall, and up a set of cold, stone stairs that led to the common room. I didn't find what I expected to see, however.

A spectral bird - incorporeal, similarly to the ghosts that I saw earlier as I was sorted, but more solid, with a shimmering bluish-white radiating off of it. It was standing stoically on the common room fireplace's mantel, staring at me, as if it had been waiting for me, and then started to flap its wings to hover in place for only a fraction of a second before it started to fly away.

"Hey, wait!" I called out, but the phoenix didn't slow down. If anything, it went faster. It led me out of the common room, and into the halls of the castle, and I realized just how dark this castle was at nighttime. Not a single candle, or torch had been lit. The only light came from the bird in front of me.

"Oi, turn that damned light off!" a painting said, covering his eyes.

I couldn't help but chuckle at the paintings, especially since I didn't even know that the people in them slept at all.

Other times, I was afraid one of the professors would find me, like Professor McGongall, or God forbid, Professor Snape, but the phoenix seemed to know the perfect route so that they wouldn't notice me.

Finally, the bird took a downward spiral, and disappeared through a trapdoor beneath a set of stairs. I opened up the trapdoor, and followed into the darkness, falling for maybe half-a-dozen feet or so before I hit the ground. On the wall, a single lit torch. I grabbed it, and then continued in silence, no longer having the phoenix to guide me.

Thoughts began to run through my head as I came to conclusions about why the bird had woken me up, and taken me into this path. I highly doubt someone's drawing me out to kill me, and if they had, it would have been much easier to do so before school started. No, whatever this bird's bringing me out for, the owner is obviously friendly, or at least non-violent towards me currently.

As I reached the end of the long stone hall, I noticed another ladder with a trapdoor above it, much like the one I had jumped down from, and climbed up it. As the trapdoor opened with a creak, I immediately felt the sharp chill of this particular September night, and took in a deep breath of hot air before climbing out fully. As soon as I got out, the trapdoor seemed to disappear, being replaced by dirt and grass as if it had never been there.

"Well, that's unfortunate," I muttered before looking all around me. There wasn't anything notable in sight, except for the dark trees that shook along with the breeze. "Well, what am I supposed to do now?"

And then a glove appeared. A leather one of fine quality. It had seems running down to the cuff of the glove from in between the skin between the index finger, and the middle finger, and then another seem from between the ring finger, and the pinky. It waved to me for just a second before offering itself to me as it to ask me to shake it.

"What an odd day…" I thought, and then I shrugged, gripping onto the glove before it wisped me away.

One second, I was beside the tan bricks at Hogwarts, and the next, I'm at a hill overlooking the massive structure, noticing all, spare for a few windows had been illuminated.

"Hello, Corvus."

I jumped before looking towards the voice, and finding the familiar face of the old man who had brought me into the magical world, even before Professor Dumbledore.

"Don't be frightened. Take a seat."

Gellert patted onto a spot next to him on a large mossy rock, and I noticed he was wearing the fine leather glove that had pulled me up here.

"How'd you do that?" I asked, to which he chuckled.

"Tell me, Corvus, have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?"

I took in a deep breath before sitting down next to the man. "Why is everything a mystery with you? No, I have never danced with the devil, not here, not during the day, and certainly not in the pale moonlight."

He chuckled once more before his face turned solemn. It seems foolish now, but I just noticed that he had at some point in time between our first meeting, and now, grown back a tuft of white hair, along with a short stubble. His teeth seemed to be in better shape, whiter, and even his skin seemed to be a little firmer. He seemed to be a decade younger than our first meeting.

"I once told you to call me Gellert." he said. "Now that a little more time had passed, and you've learned a little more about this world, have you realized who I am yet?"

I thought long and hard before shaking my head 'no'.

"Hmm. No matter. I'm sure you'll learn my full name at some point before your summer break. What House were you sorted into?" he asked.

"Slytherin."

"Well done, my boy. I'm sure I would've been sorted into the same house, had I gone here."

"You didn't learn magic here?"

"No." He responded. "I learned at a school called Durmstrang for a few years. At least until I left to follow my own path, but by all respects, Hogwarts is by far the best school of magic."

We were quiet for a while longer until I broke the silence. "That bird back there, what was it?"

"Hmm? That bird, is called a patronus. It comes form a quite advanced spell. Here, watch"

He raised his wand, and twirled the tip of his wand before a thin stream of bluish white that matched the spectral bird from before effortlessly leaked out.

The stream led into a small ball, which quickly formed into the shape of a bird before Gellert's wand was drawn back into to his side.

The bird flapped for only a few seconds before it landed onto the ground, and walked up to Gellert.

"A patronus's shape differs depending on the individual. For the brave of heart, it might be a lion. For the clever, perhaps an otter."

"So, what? Your patronus is a phoenix because you can come back from the dead or something?"

"Nobody is truly safe from death, my boy. Nobody can master it, and nobody can control it, despite their foolish attempts. I learned that a long time ago. As for why my patronus is a phoenix, well, there are some believe that our relationships can influence what they are."

"Hmm." I grunted. "Maybe that's a story you'll have to tell me, some day."

"Yes. Another day. Anyways," he began, "I came to bring you another gift - a token, if you will. I once told you to find me in Austria if you wanted to learn more outside of Hogwarts, but I neglected to give you the map to find me, so here:"

He gave me a black, circular compass with silver engravings. It's… hard to explain what the symbol on the center was exactly. It was, like a triangle with a circle in the center, but outside the triangle looked like two "G"'s, back to back with what looked like a wand separating the two.

"That compass, when you want to find me, all you have to do is say 'Deduc me in Semita iustitiae' - lead me to the path of righteousness. It will lead you to my place of living. I swear to you, I will teach you all I know, if it means guiding you to your fate."

I nodded, and then pocketed the compass. We were silent for a few seconds more before he said "Well," and began standing up. "I need to get going. I have some friends in France that have been dark for a little too long for my liking."

"Are you undercover or something? Is that why you're always so sneaky?" I asked.

He laughed, and then nodded. "Something like that. Something of a more… criminal nature, if you will. When you learn my name, I'll tell you all about it."

"And you aren't worried I'll tell Professor Dumbledore?" I asked.

"People of our like are far too suspicious of others to tell them every little secret we have, especially you. I trust you'll do what you think is best… or what you think will be the most interesting. Now come here,"

I walked up to him, and he poked me once on the temple of my forehead, and I blinked, appearing in my bed, under my covers.

"Well, well, Corvus. Looks like you had a good night's sleep. Theo and I have been trying to wake you up for forever. Isn't that right, Theo?"

*Hm* Theodore grunted. He quickly turned away, and walked out the door.

"Yeah. He's a little too blunt for his own good. He'll never get a girlfriend at that rate." Blaise said. "Now come on, we should get some breakfast before school starts."

I looked around in confusion, and then nodded. "Yeah. I'll be right there."

Sorry for the late update. I've been trying to keep to a schedule of updating on Wednesdays or Thursdays, but I've been pretty sick this week. Finally felt good enough to write, so here's the update. Anyways, that's your note from the author. See you soon.