"First years! Over here!" a man called.

Voldemort gave Nagini a slight push and whispered "I'll see you in Great Hall," before joining his friends.

The first years made their way across a dark and narrow path until making it to a large lake. "No more than four to a boat," he called.

Nagini got her own boat first and a few others joined, a dark haired girl with very thin lips, a very freckly red haired girl and a pale, blonde boy. Everyone ooh-ed and ah-ed as the castle, Hogwarts, came into view.

They finally reached the opposite shore a few minutes later and went into a passage. The man raised a fist and banged three times on the door. A tall wizard with a long, auburn beard and auburn hair appeared. "Good evening, Ogg, I trust your journey was smooth," he was smiling and his bright blue eyes were twinkling kindly.

"Hello, Professor Dumbledore, and yes," the man named Ogg replied.

"Thank you, I'll take them now," Professor Dumbledore said.

The first years followed her into a small chamber near the Great Hall where they could hear hundreds of voices in the hall, older students who probably got there some other way.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Dumbledore said, still smiling, his arms held wide, as if he was about to give an enormous group hug. "The start of term banquet will begin soon, but before you sink your teeth into our delicious feast, you will be sorted into your houses. It is extremely important because while at Hogwarts, your house will be something like an extended family. You will attend classes together, dine together, sleep in the house dormitory and spend free time in the house common room.

"The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. The sorting hat will tell you about them. While at Hogwarts, triumphs will win house points, while rulebreaking loses house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points wins the house cup. I hope you will be a great help to whatever house you are sorted to. The Ceremony will start soon."

He gave another smile, "Please wait here; I will come back for you soon."

Everyone began whispering and muttering nervously. Ceremony? Nagini thought. What am I supposed to do?

All around her, the first years were trying to guess what it may consist of. But before anyone could think of something really plausible, Professor Dumbledore had returned, "Please form a line and follow me."

Nagini had never imagined that such a place was possible. Of course, she had never been inside of the grand buildings in London, but she would bet anything that none of them could be this wonderful. There were four tables lined up in front of the table where the professors sat. The tables had glittering golden plates, goblets and silverware and between them stood misty silver ghosts. However, what was the most astounding feature of this magnificent hall was the "ceiling". It seemed like the hall opened into the heavens. Pinpricks of light, a round moon and misty clouds could be seen behind the candles hovering in midair.

Professor Dumbledore had placed a patched, frayed and dusty pointed wizard's hat on a small stool. Everyone in the entire hall was staring at it and it suddenly twitched and a rip opened wide, and began to sing:

"A thousand years ago

And I was tall and sleek

There were witches and wizards four

And a bright future they would seek

And from their minds

An idea would form

To educate young sorcerers from across the land

So their education would be uniform

So Hogwarts School began

One hope, one dream

These founders shared

Though they belonged to one team

Their ideas were not the same

They wanted different students with different cores

Different talents they each would seek

Brave Gryffindor

Prized courage beyond the rest

Clever Ravenclaw

Believed intelligence was the best

Sly Slytherin

Wanted students of great ambition

Sweet Hufflepuff

Thought all was worthy of admission

So try me on

Though patched and frayed

My intelligence is still the same

I'll be sure to be an aid

And tell you where you belong!"

The entire burst into applause when it finished its song and it became still once again.

Professor Dumbledore spoke again. "When I call your name, please come up and try the hat on.

Arthur, Eleanor!"

A brown haired girl with little pigtails walked up and sat down on the stool and tried the hat on.

"RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat.

The table second from the left cheered loudest while she hopped off and scrambled over, looking immensely relieved.

"Aston, Oliver!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

On and on it went until…

"Regin, Nagini!"

Nagini walked over, trying to control her trembling.

The hat fell over her eyes and a small voice began to speak. "A queer mind we have here. Very brilliant I see, such ambition, tons of courage, very strange magic. But where to put you?"

Nagini gripped her hands together, thinking, Please be Slytherin, please be Slytherin.

"You want to be in Slytherin eh? You could do quite well in some of the other houses. Well then, SLYTHERIN!"

She took off the hat, delighted. She saw the Slytherin table clapping and cheering, Voldemort's face clearer than the rest and walked over to sit with him and his gang of Slytherin boys. The last of the students were finally sorted and the hat taken away. A bald wizard at the center of the staff table stood up, smiling like Dumbledore had been and said, "I'd just like to say a few words before we begin. As a reminder for old students and notice for those joining us, the forest on the grounds is forbidden and Mr. Pringle would like me to remind you all to check the full list of objects banned here. Now, dig in!"

He sat down and suddenly, enormous amounts of food suddenly appeared on the golden plates. Nagini had never imagined that she could ever end up in a place like this before in her life. And she began to dig in.