The rest of the sorting passed rather uneventfully. Both Fred and Roxanne were sorted into Gryffindor, and sat on opposite sides of a very overwhelmed looking girl who James vaguely recognized.

Louis, much to James' delight, was in Ravenclaw instead of Gryffindor. Victoire looked slightly dejected at having being seperated from her brother. Lucy, on the other hand, seemed delighted to finally have some company

As the final first years took their seats, a very stern and wrinkled woman rose from the headmaster's chair. Tapping the side of her glass lightly, she said, "May I have your attention please?"

Immediately the room fell silent.

"My name is Professor McGonagall and I am the headmistress at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am sincerely looking forward to an excellent academic year."

She looked around sharply, as if daring anyone to disrupt her vision of an uneventful school year. James immediately thought that this was not someone to cross.

"A few formalities to get out of the way before we eat. Like last year, the west tower is entirely off limits to anyone other than authorized personnel. If you are unsure if you are unauthorized personnel, please check in with me."

James spotted Fred struggling to keep his hand down and his attitude in check. He knew there was nothing his cousin would like better than to ask if he could be authorized personnel.

Evidently Professor McGonagall picked up on this as well, as she made eye contact with Fred and sighed heavily, "No students are authorized personnel. So not to worry there."

Fred looked down sheepishly, but it was clear he didn't really mind being indirectly called out.

"Now then, Quidditch tryouts will be held over the next two weeks. A reminder that first year students are not allowed to participate in Quidditch tryouts, but we do encourage you to come and support your teams. If you are interested in trying out, please get in touch with your house Quidditch captain."

There was a murmur of excitement that rippled through the Great Hall at the mention of Quidditch. James excitedly bounced his leg, he wished that he could try out himself, but watching would still be fun.

"This year, Hogwarts is continuing its tradition of the House Cup. Every time you or a member of your house exhibits any form of excellence, you will receive house points. However, deductions will be made for any misbehavior, so it's important that you always do your best so as to not lose any points."

An awkward silence followed this announcement. There was a tension that was palpable throughout the room. James didn't understand it, and turned back to Professor McGonagall, expecting some sort of explanation. Instead, she cleared her throat and moved on.

"I would like to emphasize that the House Cup is meant to be a friendly competition. We are one collective Hogwarts community, and we expect that a sense of camaraderie and togetherness will be maintained throughout this school year," Professor McGonagall said in an eerily similar fashion to the way Professor Tweelingen had.

"Let the feast commence!" Professor McGonagall finished with a flourish, and immediately the plates on the tables were filled with the most decadent food imaginable.

James immediately reached for a lovely brown turkey leg, smothering it in gravy.

"So are you really Harry Potter's son?" a voice said.

James looked over to his right where a dark haired boy was waiting eagerly for an answer.

"I am actually," James sat up slightly straighter, excited to be recognized specifically.

"I bet that's really cool. He seems nice in all the interviews he does," the boy said, playing into James' obvious pride.

"Yeah, it's pretty awesome. He's kind of the best. What's your dad like?" James asked, fully aware he had the upper hand.

"Oh I don't see my dad. I live with my mum, she's the magic one out of the two of them," the boy admitted. "Never told my dad I guess, so it was a nasty shock when I started making objects float and catch on fire."

James tried to hold back a laugh, "That's awful."

The boy noticed his amusement, "You can laugh. It is really funny. Besides, I like being raised by my mom. She's cool."

"Say, what's your name anyways?" James asked, remembering the lesson he'd learned about asking for names on the train earlier.

"I'm Jerry. Jerry Mackay," the boy replied.

"I'm James."

"I know," Jerry said. "Everybody knows. You're kind of famous."

"It's more my dad," James said. "But I guess I kind of am too."

"Well it's kind of the same thing isn't it?" Jerry prattled on. "I bet you feel all kinds of pressure with such a famous dad, huh?"

"Um," James was momentarily stunned by Jerry's candor.

"I think I understand that," the girl sitting across from James admitted.

"Why, have you got a famous father?" asked James snarkily.

The girl looked a bit taken aback, but shook her head and moved forward, "No. But my dad's a professor here, so everybody expects me to be really smart and all that."

"Who's your dad?" Jerry asked curiously.

"That one there," the girl pointed to a rather timid looking man at the end of the staff table. He seemed to be feeding a potted plant. "He's Professor Longbottom the Herbology instructor."

"Oh! I think I've met him!" James exclaimed. "Have we ever met?"

"Once or twice," the girl smiled. "But we were really little so I don't expect that you'd remember. I'm Alice Longbottom."

"I remember you," James assured her. "It's just been so long since we've seen each other."

"Yeah, once dad got this job I haven't gotten to see many people," Alice looked down at her plate.

"Do you live here all year?" Jerry asked in wonderment.

Alice nodded, "Even during holidays. During the summer we have a house on the coast, but other than that I'm always here."

"What about this year? Do you live in the house dorms or with your dad?"

"I live in the dorms with everyone," Alice said. "But if I really hate it then my dad said I could go back to living with him."

"Would you ever?" asked James.

Alice frowned, "No, I don't think so. I wouldn't want to make myself stand out even more than I already do."

"I don't think you stand out," Jerry reassured her. "I didn't know your dad was a professor here."

"Yes but all the older students do, and it won't be long before everyone else figures it out," Alice said.

"You'll get used to the staring, trust me," James said.

Alice looked at him curiously, "I suppose I already have. It's just going to be different actually going to school and living with the same people who my dad's grading and testing and all that."

"I won't hold it against you," James volunteered.

"I won't either!" Jerry chimed in.

"Thanks," Alice smiled gratefully as the food magically disappeared and the meal came to an end.

Victoire stood and clapped her hands together, "First years, this way please! First years!"

"We'd better go," James stood, "Victoire's nice but she doesn't mess around."

"I forgot, she's your cousin, isn't she?" Alice asked.

"Oh, yeah, you're half Weasley," Jerry mused.

James nodded, "Yeah, and my aunt's Hermione Granger too."

Jerry perked up, "Oh, I'd totally forgotten about that! She is, isn't she? She kind of scares me to be honest. Whenever I see her on those Ministry leaflets, she looks really strict."

"She calls that her 'business face'," James grinned. "I promise she doesn't look like that in real life. She's actually really nice."

Victoire led the group of first years up winding flights of stairs and through what seemed like a maze of never ending corridors. Just as James was getting ready to drop, she stopped abruptly, causing the Gryffindor first years to bounce off one another.

In front of James was a portrait of a fat lady in a pink chiffon dress. She looked very excited to see new people.

"First years!" the Fat Lady gasped in delight. "Well, welcome to Gryffindor. Oh, do come in! You just need the password first."

"Alright listen," Victoire turned to face the crowd, "the password is 'wrackspurt'. Remember that because if you don't you won't be able to get in. Every now and then the password will change, so check the message board in the common room so you always know what the password is."

And then turning back to the Fat Lady, Victoire expertly said "wrackspurt" and the portrait swung open revealing a large hole in the wall.

She stepped through, and invited the first years to follow in after her. The sight that greeted James was a pleasant one indeed.

The Gryffindor common room was covered in red tapestries, and a roaring fireplace gave the entire room a nice glowing feel. Squishy armchairs and several large couches were scattered throughout the room, the oldest students occupying those closest to the fireplace. Off in the corner, a stone staircase twisted upwards.

"That," Victoire pointed to the staircase, "is the way to your dormitories. Boys on the right, girls on the left. Now, off to bed with you all. You've got a busy day tomorrow."

With a little awkward jostling and scrambling, the boys and girls separated to their respective dormitories.

"See you tomorrow!" Alice called out, and James and Jerry waved back.

Upstairs, the two boys found themselves sharing a room with three others. They introduced themselves as Lucas Wood, who James already knew, Philip Hawthorne, a muggleborn who marveled at everything from the bed curtains to the stained-glass windows, and a round cheerful boy by the name of Archie Cogswell.

"That was some feast," Archie said happily. "I hope dinner's always that good."

"My sister Olivia said that the food here is first rate," Lucas assured him. "She's good friends with your cousin Victoire, I think," he nodded at James.

"Yeah, they're mates," James confirmed, crawling in between the sheets. The blankets were soft and thick, and James thought that he had never been more comfortable in all of his life.

"Do they make the beds using magic?" Philip asked, examining the bedposts carefully, as if one was about to kick him.

"They're not enchanted if that's what you're asking," Jerry said, climbing into the bed next to James'.

"Oh," Philip looked disappointed. "I suppose that's alright. But I'm going to be very disappointed if I don't see at least one enchanted piece of furniture in this whole castle!"