A/N: Hello again. I missed posting. So… are you enjoying the story?

The Castle

Elise's stomach felt very funny. Thomas looked at Elise and held her hand, as he usually did when she was nervous. The train slowed down and eventually stopped. People pushed their way towards the door and out on a tiny, dark platform. Elise bet this one too was invisible to muggles. It was really cold outside and Elise could barely see anything, so she held onto Thomas' robes. For a moment, she wondered if all those letters had been sent from some psychopath who would kill all the children. Then she kicked the thought out of her head by thinking about when she would be able to get Helga back to send a letter to her mother.

Then, a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students and Elise saw the man that matched Harry's description of Hagrid. An enormous hairy man with a kind look.

"Firs' years! Firs' years follow me! Over here!" Then he looked down at Harry, as Elise could see, and greeted him. "C'mon, follow me… Any more firs' years? Mind yer step now!"

The first years followed Hagrid through a steep, narrow and slippery path. Elise and Thomas kept slipping and stumbling, holding onto each other for balance. Nobody was speaking, probably because everyone was too focused on trying to remain standing and walking.

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a see." Hagrid called over and Elise managed to take a look up, getting a few red curls out of her eyes. It was the most amazing sight she had ever seen.

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. On the other side of it, there was a mountain. Standing on the top of the mountain, there were windows sparkling on the starred night and illuminating the huge castle's towers. She looked up to see Thomas and, even in the darkness, she could spot the same amazement expression she was wearing.

"No more'n four to a boat." Hagrid called again. Elise looked around, trying to find the boats. There they were, sitting in the water by the shore. Elise pulled Thomas in a boat in which there were sitting with two identical twin girls called Parvarti and Padma. They all heard Hagrid yell "FORWARD!" and then the fleet of little boats departed all at once.

Elise looked at the water. It looked as smooth as glass. Then she looked up at the sky and noticed that she had never seen such a starred sky. She could see constellations and planets and… Bloody hell, she could see the whole universe. And there, in the very center of everything, stood Hogwarts. It looked just as majestic as the sky.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid all of a sudden. They all bend their heads and the boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that covered an opening in the cliff. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor. Thomas, being the taller, clambered out first and then helped Elise and the twins. They took a look around.

"I think we are under the castle." Said Thomas.

"Yes, I think so. Oh, Thomas, I wish my dad could see where we are now. He loved castles."

"Yeah, I remember when he took us to see the Edinburgh castle… And then we had ice cream and watched that play on the Fringe festival."

Oddly, Elise didn't feel sad anymore. She felt like she had the best parents anyone could ask for and, after all, nobody could be happy forever. But, for the first time, she understood that the fact that he had been taken from her didn't change anything. She loved him, he loved her. All those experiences were still there, they were part of her.

The toadless boy, Neville, had his toad given back to him by Hagrid when the giant man was checking the boats for forgotten items. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto the grass around the castle. It was even bigger than they had thought from the distance.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" Asked Hagrid as he raised one gigantic fist and knocked on the castle door.

It swung open at once and a tall, black haired witch wearing emerald green robes and a stern expression came to greet them. Hagrid left and she told the first years to step inside. The entrance hall was so big an entire house could easily fit inside.

Then the witch guided them through the hall and into a small chamber near to a doorway through which Elise could hear hundreds of voices. The rest of the school was probably already in there.

"Welcome to Hogwarts." She said. "The start-of-term-feast 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 a 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."

Then she explained how all of the houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, all had its own outstanding wizards and witches. She explained the points system and how, by the end of the year the house with most points would be awarded the house cup, a great honor.

"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 a ready for you."

Elise looked up at Thomas' hair and envied him for a moment. He had it braided on the day before their journey to Hogwarts, so it was perfectly in place. As for her hair, Thomas tried to take leaves out of it, since they tended to get stuck in her curls, but it was too much. Ultimately, he pulled all her hair back on a ponytail.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" She heard Harry asking.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking." Said Ron.

Elise wasn't too worried, she was used to tests. But Thomas started biting his nails. He hated tests. It always put him through a lot of distress.

"Don't worry." She said. "You will do well."

"That's not what I am worried about. What if we are sorted into different houses? All that thing about studying, sleeping and eating..."

"Oh, Thomas, don't be silly. We were in different classrooms in our old school, remember? It never stopped us." But Elise was just as worried as Thomas. Hogwarts wasn't anything like their old school. Not because of magic, but because they would remain there through the whole year. They wouldn't be able to sleep at each other's house. Maybe they wouldn't even be able to study together. "We are probably staying on the same house anyway."

"How can you tell? We are nothing like each other. If we had just met, we wouldn't be friends at all. I read that the ceremony sorts students into the house most fit to their personality."

"Well… I can't spot many other insecure nerds in the crowd." Elise joked. "Besides, we are family, we will always be together somehow."

"We are not actually family, though." He pointed.

The discussion was completely forgotten once all the students gasped at once when about twenty ghosts streamed through the wall. All pearly-white, slightly transparent, not at all interested on the first years as the talked to each other. They seemed to be arguing. There was one, that looked like a fat little monk, who 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?"

The ghosts finally seemed to notice the first years. Nobody answered.

"New students!" said the Friar. "About to be sorted, I suppose."

Elise, along with a few other students, nodded.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff." Said the Friar. "My old house, you know?"

Than that was the Hufflepuff ghost. Her mother's house ghost.

McGonagall suddenly came back and told the first years to form a line before following her into the Great Hall. Elise was walking ahead of Thomas, who had a protective hand over her shoulders. One could say they were nearly paranoid about each other's security.

But as soon as they walked into the Great Hall, Thomas let go of her. It was amazing. There were thousands and thousands of lit candles floating in midair and somehow there was no wax dropping. The other students were sitting at four long tables on which there were shiny golden plates and goblets. Faces stared at them with curiosity. At the top of the hall, there was also a long table where the teachers were sitting, including Severus and the man with a turban from the Leaky Caldron. Elise looked up at the ceiling and then pulled Thomas' robes and told him to look up. From inside, they could see the glittering stars in the sky, just as starred as it looked outside.

"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, a History." She heard Hermione whispering to Harry. Thomas looked at Elise with his mouth open, but then closed it again when he heard Hermione saying it. Maybe Thomas would end up in the same house as the girl.

Elise looked behind her and saw the potions master Severus and smiled at him. He didn't smile back, but his eyes glittered in a different way for half a second.

Professor McGonagall placed a four legged stool in front of the first years and, on top of it, placed a pointed wizard's hat. A very old hat. It was all patched and frayed and dirty. If she didn't know better, she would say that hat belonged to the first wizard to ever exist. Was that a joke? Did the test have something to do with theater? However, everyone seemed to have a deep respect for the hat and all the students on the tables were staring at it. Then the hat started singing.

"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.

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 entire hall burst into applause as the hat finished it's song. The hat bowed at all the four tables.

So they had to try the hat? Was that it? The hat would understand what went on inside their brains and set them on the right houses? Well, it would be okay, right? She looked at Thomas, who seemed even more worried than before. Well, their brains were definitely nothing alike. While Elise was brave, protective, interactive and understanding, Thomas was smart, intelligent, devoted and shy. In which house could they both fit?

McGonagall stepped forward with a long piece of parchment in hands.

"When I call your name, you will put the hat on and sit on the stool to get sorted." She said. And then proceeded to call the student's names, one by one. "Abbot, Hannah" she called.

A pink faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled and nearly fell when she walked to the stool and put the hat on. She had barely sat on the stool when the hat shouted

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit with them. The Ghost of Fat Friar merrily waved at her. Elise looked at people from Hufflepuff. They did look just and loyal.

"Allen, Thomas." Called McGonagall.

Thomas squeezed Elise's hand for one moment and looked at her with his deep black eyes. She tried to give him a reassuring smile, but failed miserably. The boy stepped forwards and put the hat on. Even with his voluminous hair, the hat still covered his eyes. The hat stayed quiet for more than a few seconds as Thomas sat down and waited on the stool. Then the hat shouted.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Ravenclaw, the house that valued intelligence. Thomas took a deep look at Elise before turning and walking towards the Ravenclaw table, where everyone clapped and cheered just as much as Hufflepuff table.

"Bones, Susan." Called McGonagall again. The girl was also sorted into Hufflepuff and then scuttled off to Hufflepuff's table. Everyone was cheering again.

"Boyd, Elise." For one moment, Elise's heart sank into her chest. Then she took a long breath and stepped forwards. She put the hat on and it covered her eyes. Then she sat down and looked at the darkness inside the hat. She had the odd feeling of staring into her own mind.

"Oh, your friend… I just sorted him into Ravenclaw, didn't I?" The hat spoke to Elise and she understood it was all in her mind.

"Yes. Yes you did. And I will miss him very much if you sort me in a different house."

"Then you would rather be in a house you don't belong with than leaving a friend… I see, I see." Elise felt in her heart that she would be sorted in a different house and then started conceiving plans to manage to see Thomas. But her sense of ethic didn't allow her to even think of breaking rules, or she would put her house-to-be in trouble. "You would also rather be alone than betray people… let me see. I know where you will fit."

"Oh, no!" She thought. But there wasn't any more time. The hat already shouted the house where Elise had been sorted.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Elise took the hat off and stared at the Great Hall. She noticed everyone could see her exasperated look, but her eyes went straight to Thomas. He had his mouth open. Elise felt her eyes burn, but managed to swallow her feelings.

She stumbled through the Great Hall until the table at the right where people clapped. Elise managed to fake a smile and sat down between the girl called Susan Bones and an older boy who seemed to feel her sadness.

"Don't be sad that you are in Hufflepuff." He said. "We might not be as famous as the Gryffindors, but we are also the house with less tendency to become dark wizards. Did you know, Newt Scarmander was a Hufflepuff."

"Oh, I know! Hufflepuff was my mother's house." Smiled Elise, wiping a tear off her eye. "It's just that my best friend was just sorted into Ravenclaw."

"Oh. Well, friendship between houses is very encouraged in Hogwarts. And I'm sure you will find very good friends in Hufflepuff. By the way, I'm Cedric Diggory. I'm in third year."

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Elise Boyd." They shook hands and she smiled. Perhaps… just perhaps, she could adapt to this new house.

"Hello." Said the girl next to her. She had been sorted into Hufflepuff just before her. "I'm Susan Bones." The girl smiled and her brown eyes looked at her very kindly. Elise introduced herself and the girls engaged in a conversation about the Fat Friar. Both the girls thought the ghost was really funny.

Elise looked at the teacher's table and found Severus talking to the man in a turban. He didn't look back at her this time. She also saw the old man with silver hair and beard that she recognized as Dumbledore. He did look like the kindest man to ever walk on earth.

Then McGonagall called Harry Potter's name. The boy walked at the stool and sat with the hat covering his head and eyes. It took a little longer than to the other children, but then shouted.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Gryffindor's table seemed to be about to explode in cheering and clapping. The twins, Elise's cousins, yelled "We got Potter! We got Potter!" A ghost patted Harry's shoulders.

A few names afterwards, there was Ron. A small part of Elise wished he came to her house. A bigger part of her heart wished him to be sorted into Gryffindor, since it would please her cousin more. But it would be really nice to have family with her in Hufflepuff. Either way, as soon as the hat touched Ron's head, it shouted "GRYFFINDOR!"

She could see her cousin collapsing on the chair beside Harry's. Elise couldn't help but clap along with the Gryffindor's table.

"What is it?" Asked Susan Bones beside her.

"That's my cousin. He wanted to be in Gryffindor more than anything. All his brothers are Gryffindors." She said.

"Oh, congratulations to him, then!"

"What about you? Any family in Hogwarts?"

"Oh, no. Most of my family was… Well, they opposed to You Know Who." Said Susan.

"I'm sorry." Elise wanted to hide under the table, or simply disappear. She took a look at Ravenclaw's table and crossed eyes with Thomas, who seemed uncomfortable.

After that, another girl was sorted into Slytherin and then McGonagall curled back the scroll and took away the stool and the Sorting Hat. Then, Albus Dumbledore stood up and opened his arms wide.

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

"Ahm… Cedric?" Elise called the boy beside her. "Is he… a little bit mad, perhaps?"

"I believe everyone who is truly good at what they do is a little bit mad, yes." Cedric laughed. "You will grow to like him."

"I'm sure I will. He looks like someone who enjoys a good joke."

The conversation died for a moment when Elise looked down to see all the food on the plates. It had come out of nowhere. Roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs. Whoever had planned that dinner was sure not very worried about balanced meals. Anyway, she forgot all of that once she started to eat. It was delicious. Perhaps the most delicious meal she had ever had in her life, and it meant a lot since her mother was very good at cooking.

"So, are you a muggleborn?" Susan Bones was very direct.

"No. My mother is a witch. And my father was a muggle… but he never knew my mother was a witch."

"Oh." Susan was sensitive enough to don't ask where did the "was" part come from. "So you lived as a muggle, anyway."

"Yes. It was a huge surprise for my mom when me and Thomas got the letters on the same night."

"The same night? It's usually around our birthdays."

"Well, it did come a little too late for both of us. But we share birthdays anyway." Said Elise.

"Well, my mother is a witch and my father is a muggle too." Said Susan calmly. "But I was raised as witch all my life, since my mother is very proud of our family's participation in the war."

"Oh." Commented Elise. She got a little bit ashamed of telling her that her mother had fled from the war.

"A ginger in Hufflepuff? Oh my, I thought all of them went to Gryffindor!" The Fat Friar laughed merrily. So did Elise.

"I'm their cousin!" She said. "But my mother was in Hufflepuff!"

"Oh, your mother, yes? Let's think… who was the last ginger before you?" The Friar looked across the table to a ginger girl sitting at the other side of the table. "Don't be offended, lady. But our first year here has a very characteristic flaming red hair." The other girl giggled. "Oh, yes! Lina Weasley, I recall! Sweet little girl that was."

"That's my mother!"

"Then I see you got her best traits!" Not that Elise had met too many ghosts, but the Fat Friar was by far the kindest one. "What about you, my dear?" He asked facing the blonde with pigtails. "Who are you?"

But Hannah Abbott never got the chance to answer, because Albus Dumbledore began talking again.

"Just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember this as well." Elise couldn't be sure, but she felt like he was directly speaking to Fred and George, the twins.

The headmaster also told them that the caretaker, Mr. Filch, had asked him to remind the students that magic shouldn't be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third floor corridor on the right-hand is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

"Is that a joke?" Elise asked to Cedric Diggory when only a few people laughed. He shook his head.

Finally, they sang the school song. There were lyrics, but everyone just picked their favorite tunes, so each student finished at a different time. The last ones were the Weasley twins who were singing a slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted them with his wand and clapped the loudest when they finished.

"Ah, music." He wiped his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Hufflepuffs raised from their table and followed their prefect, Gabriel Truman. Elise didn't have time enough to find Thomas in the middle of the crowded hall and simply shouted "GOOD NIGHT, THOMAS!" but she wasn't sure he had listened.

They followed Gabriel down through the staircases and then finally arrived at what seemed to be one floor under the ground and, judging by the smell, it was close to the kitchens. Gabriel made them stop in front of a stack of barrels.

"Alright, now, this is very important. Our common room is the only one in Hogwarts with repelling device. Also, the only one to remain unseen by outsiders. When you come in, you must tap the barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row, in the rhythm of Helga Hufflepuff. Do it wrong and the barrels will spill vinegar all over you."

Elise and Susan looked at each other, worried.

"A friend of mine made this mistake once. She smelled vinegar for a week." Said Cedric Diggory.

Truman showed them the correct way to do it and a passageway opened. Elise was one of the last ones to crawl through it and, when she finally got up, she found herself standing in the cosiest room she had ever been. It was round, low-ceilinged, earthy and somehow it felt sunny. Its circular windows had a view to the outside world. There was a lot of burnished copper about the place, and many plants, which either hang from the ceiling or sit on the windowsills. One cactus was actually talking and complaining that his spines ached. Some cacti danced on round shelves.

The overstuffed sofas and chairs were upholstered in yellow and black. Copper lamps castered a warm light over the four Hufflepuff posters on the walls.

"Through the round doors to your dormitories. Girls to the left and boys to the right." Said Gabriel.

Elise barely realized that her trunk was there when she dropped on a bed near a window and fell asleep, not even bothering to change into her pajamas.