I have, thanks to HeartsGlow and Smirking Menace, corrected a few inaccuracies in my story. See Chapters 9 and 10 to read them. Also, the reason for not including the house of Black is because it's effectively inactive being without a head.

In this chapter, we see a lot of things that would have happened regardless of Harry's actions short of deciding to attack Malfoy, so you'll see and read parts that you're already familiar with.

I don't see the point of the existence of a side-room for the first years. She doesn't have a lot to say to them, so why bother taking them into separate room? In that respect I feel that the movie version is much better.

All of the characters except for my own handful of originals, as well as locations, names, titles etc are and remain the property of JKR and I hope you like it.

Principles such as Splicing are mine as well as all unique books, histories, titles, traditions and spells. I give users permission to use them, but only if you reference me in your work.

Review please whether you like it or not. Tell me what you do and do not like and why! I do love having my ego stroked with 'Wow, great!' etc, but it's not as useful for my process as having some real examples and effects.

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Chapter 14: Snake, Badger, Lion and Raven.

They stepped off the train hand-in-hand, Hermione shaking all over and Harry feeling curiously like he was going home. A sign on the platform read Hogsmeade Station and Hagrid was waiting for them.

'First years this way, first years, all of you come here!' He bellowed, standing at least two feet over the tallest in the crowd.

Harry and Hermione walked toward him, squeezing through the excited students. They passed the Gryffindor quidditch team who all patted Harry on the shoulder and wished him luck.

They all gathered around Hagrid and at a quick count Harry counted between forty and fifty, so it was reasonable to expect between ten and twelve students per house.

'Right, y'all with me? Good.' Hagrid said, doing a quick headcount. 'Now follow me.'

Hagrid led the procession of first years from the train station down a long, winding path through dark trees that was occasionally lit by lanterns. Harry saw the now-toadless Neville Longbottom, pale and downcast glare at him at one point before getting lost in the crowd.

They also saw Ron Weasley plodding along, talking with a couple of boys Harry hadn't met.

From the front of the crowd, Harry saw Hagrid turn around. 'You'll get your first sight'a Hogwarts in a sec,' he called, 'just round this bend.'

There was a loud 'wow' from the crowd as they passed round an outcropping of black rock and were deposited onto a small beach next to a vast black lake.

High above the opposite shore of the lake, resting on what looked like the flattened top of a mountain was a vast castle with soaring towers and a tall palisade wall all around. Stars blazed overhead, brighter and more numerous than Harry had ever seen. Hermione squeezed his hand.

'Welcome, first years!' Hagrid shouted. 'Now, everyone into th'boats, n'more than four t'a boat and follow me!'

Hagrid climbed into the largest boat that rode very low in the water and gripped a pair of oars. Harry looked around and thought how potentially dangerous it was getting so many eleven year olds without lifejackets or instructors to climb into and row boats at night. Apparently wizards didn't think about things like that very much.

Harry helped Hermione into a boat and climbed in next to her. They were joined by Ron Weasley and one of the boy's he'd been talking to. Ron looked terrified as they started rowing.

They talked as they rowed across the lake and it turned out that Hermione was muggleborn and had been raised about an hour's travel away from Harry himself.

As they neared the edge of the lake, a tunnel became visible in the side of the mountain that plunged into the sea. 'That's where were 'headin you lot,' Hagrid said, between pulls on his oars, 'just mind yer 'eads when we get there.'

They pulled on the oars and the tunnel grew as their arms tired.

Eventually they entered the tunnel which was brightly lit with torches and had a large shingle beach inside. Hagrid helped them from the boats one by one, grinning and saying 'Ello there Harry.' When he lifted Hermione free.

'Hi Hagrid.'

'When they were all safe back on dry land, Hagrid scooped up a lantern the size of Harry's torso and led them out of the cave and up a long set of stone steps and up toward the castle.

They walked up to a massive ironbound oak door that was almost black with age and Hagrid paused on the threshold. 'Everybody here?'

A few of them managed a weak nod before Hagid raised a boulder-sized fist and pounded on the door three times.

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Before the sound of the third knock had died, the door swung open on silent hinges, surrounding Hagrid with warm Orange light. He stepped to one side and as the student's eyes adjusted, they saw Professor McGonagall – tall, thin and severe, her mouth a fine pink line and her hair in a tight bun.

'The first years, Professor McGonagall.' Hagrid said with pride.

McGonagall nodded, 'Thank you Hagrid, I'll take them from here.'

She turned and walked into the vast building. The Dursleys' entire house could have fit inside the entrance hall with space to spare. The interior of the castle was filled with flaming torches that cast the distant ceiling into darkness. A magnificent marble staircase swept upwards from the flagstone floor. McGonagall ascended the stairs, rounded a corner and disappeared.

She waited at the top of another flight of marble steps. She could have been a statue.

'Welcome to Hogwarts,' said Professor McGonagall. 'The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room.

'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. 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 honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours.' She looked directly at Harry for the briefest of moments and he was certain she saw the faintest flicker of a smile on her taut lips. '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.'

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair. 'I shall return when we are ready for you,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Please wait quietly.'

She left the chamber. Harry swallowed and looked around. Most of the other first years were fidgeting uneasily or moving from foot to foot.

'Does it really hurt?' He heard Ron ask.

Turning round he shook his head, 'No, they just put some kind of ancient hat on your head and it tells you what house you're in. Simple.'

That seemed to diffused some tension. Hermione leaned in close to him and whispered into his ear, 'Hogwarts: A History?'

He nodded.

'What's that?' A sharp, sneering voice asked, cutting over the sound of the hubbub beyond the doors. 'Where, where is he?'

Harry turned round and looked for the owner of the voice.

The sharp voice belonged to a very distinctive sharp face. The boy was walking over to him, flanked by a pair of boys who seemed much too tall and large to be eleven years old. 'Is it true?' He said, face to face. 'They're all saying that the famous Harry Potter has at last come to Hogwarts. Well, is it?'

Harry nodded, 'That's me.'

'I'm Draco, Draco Malfoy.'

The name immediately rang a bell in Harry's head. He had read about Great House Malfoy in several books. They had been firmly entrenched in You-Know-Who's confidence during the last war and the first to return to cry their innocence upon his downfall.

Malfoy held out his hand and Harry shook it. Malfoy tried to squeeze his hand, but Harry had had a hard life and lots of very physical work in Petunia's garden and squeezed back until Malfoy's bones ground together and he yanked it back.

Harry smiled.

'Have you met Crabbe and Goyle?' Malfoy said, trying to distract the crowd from the sight of him rubbing his hand by nodding in the direction of the two brutes behind him.

They cracked their knuckles and Harry knew instantly what they were. They might as well have had Dudley's face. He glared back at them as a couple of more normal first years stepped away.

'No, can't say I have.' Harry said, smiling at both. They were nowhere near as big or as intimidating as Dudley.

The pair seemed checked by Harry's resistance to their intimidation and looked at each other nervously.

Draco didn't notice, but turned his attention on Hermione. 'And who might you be?'

Hermione was clearly taken aback by Malfoy's attitude. 'I'm Hermione Granger.'

'Granger? Granger?' Malfoy mused, like he was rolling the name around his memory. 'As in of the Grangers of the Orkneys?'

'No, the Grangers of Salisbury. My parents are dentists.' Hermione said brightly.

Draco sneered and affected an artificial flinch backwards. 'You're muggleborn? He said, looking down his nose at her.

'Yes, and?'

Malfoy was now ignoring Hermione and turned to Harry, 'You'll soon learn that some witches and wizards are better than others, Potter, especially for someone from one of our houses. I can help you there.'

Harry took half a step toward Malfoy, 'I think I can judge for myself about the best among wizards, Malfoy. Your father was, after all a Death-Eater, wasn't he?'

Malfoy looked like he had been slapped.

Harry stepped right close to Malfoy. 'You listen to me Malfoy: I don't care who you are or what house you're from. You ever talk to my friend like that again and there'll be trouble.'

Crabbe and Goyle stepped forward, their faces contorted into trollish grimaces.

Harry stared at Malfoy, he had no fear of the two giants; he'd fought one bigger and probably stronger all his life. 'The same goes for either of your bullies. Do you understand me?'

Malfoy glared at Harry for a moment until the doors re-opened and Professor McGonagall re-entered the corridor.

'Is everything okay in here?' She asked, her voice slightly tense.

Harry turned his back on Malfoy and nodded. 'Perfectly fine, Professor, Draco here was just introducing himself.'

McGonagall's eyes flicked between Harry and Malfoy then to Crabbe, Goyle and Hermione. 'Very well, now, follow me all of you and gather around the stool in front of the top table.'

She turned and walked into the great hall. It was far more impressive than any of the pictures Harry had seen of it and he gaped just like everyone else as they walked along four huge wooden tables that ran almost three-quarters of the length of the hall. At the end was another table, running across the hall at which were sat almost a dozen teachers and the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Candles floated off the ground all over the hall and the great arched ceiling showed the clear, twinkling night sky, the rafters lost behind some great enchantment.

The first years gathered around a small three-legged stool that stood just inside a slightly raised area in front of the teachers. Sat atop the stool was an ancient leather wizard's hat.

Hundreds of eyes watched them in silence.

Harry felt tense but unafraid. The sorting ceremony was just a way of magically assessing a person's attributes in order to best assign them to a certain house where they could live and work alongside like-minded fellows.

Then something happened that made him jump about a foot in the air — several people behind him screamed.

'What the —?' He gasped. So did the people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: 'Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance —'

'My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost — I say, what are you all doing here?'

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

Nobody answered.

'New students!' said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. 'About to be Sorted, I suppose?'

A few people nodded mutely.

'Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!' said the Friar. 'My old House, you know.'

Dumbledore stood and the ghosts fell silent, each moving to the back of the hall and hovering near one of the long tables filled with candle-lit faces staring in anticipation. 'Let the sorting begin.'

They waited in silence for a few moments.

The hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth and it began to

sing:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be."

Harry smiled and tried to suppress a chuckle behind his hand as the hat continued:

"You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The whole hall burst into applause when the hat finished it's song and the individual tables started shouting their house's name until Dumbledore stood again and silence fell once again.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

'When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted,' she said. 'Abbott, Hannah!'

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause in which all was silent.

'HUFFLEPUFF!' shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

'Bones, Susan!'

'HUFFLEPUFF!' shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

'Boot, Terry!'

'RAVENCLAW!'

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

'Brocklehurst, Mandy' went to Ravenclaw too, but 'Brown, Lavender' became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.

'Bulstrode, Millicent' then became a Slytherin. Perhaps it was Harry's imagination, after all he'd heard about Slytherin, but he thought they looked like an unpleasant lot.

'Finch-Fletchley, Justin!'

'HUFFLEPUFF!'

Sometimes, Harry noticed, the hat shouted out the House at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. 'Finnigan, Seamus,' the sandy-haired boy who had walked with Ron, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

'Granger, Hermione!'

Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

'GRYFFINDOR!' shouted the hat. Ron groaned but was silenced by an angry look from Harry.

Neville Longbottom was next, the boy with the crushed toad. He pushed past Harry, almost making him stumble. He fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville while the chubby boy sat fidgeting on the stool. While the hat was making 'Hmm-ing' sounds, he met Harry's eyes and scowled. Harry knew a look of pure hatred when he saw it. A small shudder ran down his spine as the hat finally shouted,

'SLYTHERIN,' Neville remained still for a moment looking dumbfounded. The entire hall was silent and Harry saw a few of the teachers looking at each other with astonished expressions. Eventually a tall, thin and pale man with long, greasy hair and wearing all black stood and applauded. Slytherin house erupted into applause and Neville pulled the hat off. He walked tentatively over to the Slytherin table where he was slapped on the back and had his hand wrung.

Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called. The hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, 'SLYTHERIN!'

Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.

There weren't many people left now.

'Moon', 'Nott', 'Parkinson', a pair of twin girls, 'Patil' and 'Patil', then 'Perks, Sally-Anne', and then, at last 'Potter, Harry!'

The hall had grown noisy with chatter as the number waiting to be sorted diminished, but at the mention of his name, every voice fell utterly silent.

As Harry stepped forward, he heard small whispers break out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

'Potter, did she say?'

'The Harry Potter?'

The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.

'Hmm,' said a small voice in his ear. 'Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes — and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting. Twin storms rage within you, Harry Potter, so where shall I put you?'

Harry gripped the edges of the stool, remembering Salatin's words about not trusting "those who follow the serpent" and thought, Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.

'Not Slytherin, eh?' said the small voice. 'Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that. No? Well, if you're sure: better be GRYFFINDOR!'

Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked straight-backed toward the Gryffindor table, so happy that he didn't notice that he was getting the loudest cheer yet. Percy the Prefect got up and shook his hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, 'We got Potter! We got Potter!'

Harry sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff he'd seen earlier. The ghost patted his arm, giving Harry the sudden, horrible feeling he'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water. He looked up and saw Neville Longbottom glaring at him from the Slytherin table, but also that Longbottom's eyes were red and puffy, like he'd been crying.

Harry could recognise an enemy when he saw one.

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Read and review please, don't pull any punches.

CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK IS ALWAYS WELCOME.