As he stepped off the boat, his newly put on wizarding robes billowing around him; Gwyn smiled and put a hand on his elbow. Laertes looked over at his new friend and gave a nervous smile. They, of course, had explained to him what would happen, but now staring up at the big doors and the overwhelming castle…he was scared. Nothing like this had ever happened to him.

The gigantic man that had led them was moving aside and a smiling woman replaced him. She was tall and thin, her blonde hair was in a loose bun and her temples were greying slightly, Laertes thought she had a very nice face.

She was quickly in front of the large group and was smiling at them. "Thank you Hagrid, I will take them now."

Hagrid smiled and nodded, Laertes watched him for a moment as he began to walk away but the woman cleared her throat and Laertes' eyes immediately jerked back to her. "I am Professor Vector, the Deputy Headmistress. If you could all follow me orderly, we can get out of this dreary cold." She smiled brightly and they all followed her fairly silent as she led them into the castle.

He noticed, as they walked towards another set of huge doors, that people had already started to group off. He wondered if they, like Gwyn, were so sure they would be sorted in to a specific house. Laertes, himself, didn't particularly care, they all sounded good to him, except Slytherin (well that did too; Gwyn was just very set on not being in it); all Laertes knew was that he really liked Faux and Gwyn, and wanted to be in whatever house they were in.

Just as they reached the doors, instead of opening them Professor Vector stopped the group; turning to them all again she smiled. "Now in a moment we will be entering the Great Hall. Once inside you will be sorted. Each of you will become part of a house where you will spend time with other students from that house. Each house has a common room and dormitories, your house will become a part of your identity these next seven years. You will earn points for your house, but you can also lose them. There are also Quidditch house teams, although none of you can yet play, I would suggest cheering on your house at least." Another smile, "now the four houses are Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin…Ah, they are ready for us, quietly now…"

And the doors opened to the most magnificent hall Laertes had ever seen. Older students were already seated, he saw a few he recognized, Peter for one, and Sirius and Arthur, the boys that had entered their train compartment for a moment earlier. That must be the Gryffindor table Laertes thought, remembering that Peter had said he was in Gryffindor.

Soon they were all standing around and Professor Vector had gone ahead standing next to a stool with a very ratty hat on it.

Suddenly the hat began singing, causing Laertes to jump. Many things had happened to him since he'd discovered magic was real, but a hat talking had not been something he'd suspected.

Once a very long time ago

Four very good and loyal friends

Decided they wanted to teach

To teach children their craft

To teach them to control their magic

Ravenclaw, fair and wise,

Called those studious and knowledgeable

To her side

Hufflepuff, determined and steadfast,

Wanted those of industrious and friendly character

Among her own

Slytherin, sly and clever,

Asked of pure and cunning students

For his assemble

Lastly Gryffindor, brave and daring,

Called those of bold and adventurous natures

Into his flock

These Four then divided

Only to be reunited

Many moons ago.

As the hat finished its song Professor Vector immediately started speaking. "When I call your name please step foreword and place the hat on your head. Once you have been sorted I ask you to quickly sit with your new house." She titled her head and unraveled a scroll. "Bones, Paula." A short brunette toddled up and put the ratty thing on. Within moments it yelled out 'Hufflepuff!"

Slightly more nervous, Laertes squirmed on his feet as Professor Vector called out more students. Each, after their house was called rushed to their new table.

'Finnigan, Eve." Vector called out and a pretty brunette sat on the stool, the hat nearly covered her whole face, it was a much longer time than any of the other students before the hat finally announced, 'Ravenclaw!' The girl quietly took off the hat and walked to the cheering table to the left of them. "Finnigan, Benjiman." Gwyn leaned past Laertes to her brother.

"Wonder if that means we're not the only twins in our year." She said quietly as the boy walked over up to the hat as well. Laertes began wondering why they didn't just put him in Ravenclaw with his sister when the hat suddenly yelled 'Gryffindor!' Laertes, puzzled, leaned to Gwyn.

"Siblings don't go into the same houses?"

Gwyn shook her head "not—" but before she could finish Vector was calling 'Flaunting, Laertes!' With a sudden weak feeling in his knees he began to walk up toward the stool. He looked up at the head table and right in the middle was a stern looking woman, frowning at him slightly. With a nervous tick he turned away from her and sat down putting on the hat (which he expected to smell bad, but didn't really).

"Hmm…" he heard immediately, causing Laertes to jump. "Well you've got a strong thirst for knowledge…that's evident."

I do like to learn…Laertes thought.

"But your not big on studying…you wouldn't fit in in Ravenclaw then. You're dependable and loyal…yet, your courage is what is remarkable…and you have a flare for dramatics, ah well then there is truly only one place for you…GRYFFINDOR!"

Laertes heart was beating so fast and so loud he could barely contain his heavy breathing. As everything seemed to be going in slow motion he heard clapping and cheering, then he put the hat back on the chair and walked to the last table to sit down.

As he did Peter patted him on the back and he didn't even hear the next few be sorted, not until he heard, 'Jordan, Tyler' called out and he immediately looked up to see the boy that had sat with them, the shy reserved boy that had become his friend. As Tyler put on the hat he sat there looking nervous, his face ghastly pale, Laertes waited with baited breath until, 'Gryffindor!' was called out. Laertes joined in immediately with the cheering as Tyler made his way over to the seat next to him.

"We're together!" Laertes said as Tyler got situated, he looked at Laertes and smiled.

Before he could say anything however, a boy that looked much like Tyler leaned over the table and was patting him hard on the shoulder.

"Well done Ty, Well done!" Tyler's face flushed and he immediately sought to move the attention away from himself.

"Fern, this is Laertes. I met him on the train…"

Fern immediately turned to Laertes and smiled, grabbing his hand and shaking rigorously. "Good ta meet ya, good ta meet ya. I'm Fern, beater for the team. Well, I've got to be going back, Melissa's all in a fuss about her sister, she didn't make Gryffindor."

Laertes turned to Tyler, meaning to say something but then he heard a 'McKingsley, JoAnne' get sorted into Gryffindor and he began cheering again with his new house. As she made her way over, Laertes did manage to turn to his friend, "what's a beater?"

Tyler swiveled around, "it's a position in Quidditch…" Two others got sorted while they said this, but then as Tyler went to continue Vector called out, 'Malfoy, Judas' and the whole hall went silent as they watched a very small black haired boy walk up to the hat.

He was a sight to behold; Laertes hadn't noticed him at all before, and he couldn't understand why. He exuded power and respect for being so small, but his face was so pale and nervous looking no one could dare feel intimated by him.

The hat sat on his head for a very long time. You could tell he was becoming more and more agitated the longer it took; finally the hat arched up and yelled, 'Gryffindor!'

If possible the boy's face went even paler, but very calmly he took off the hat and set it on the stool, walking to the Gryffindor table, his head held high, though his deep brown eyes looked as if he was going to cry.

No one cheered; there was no sound as he quietly took a seat folded his hands in his lap. As he turned to the front to continue to watch the sorting, students' voices all began whispering excitedly to one another. Laertes stared at the poor boy a moment longer before turning to Peter with a very confused expression. "What's going on?"

Peter stared down at the boy, his creepy expression once again gone, before he turned to Laertes. "His father was a Death Eater."

"A what?"

"A fighter for the other side during the war…after it was over his father and mother both were sent to Azkaban, the wizarding prison, but eventually they got a pardon…when they were released no one really heard from them. They're extremely wealthy and known for their cruelty to half-bloods and muggle-borns…the fact their son wasn't placed in Slytherin…it's appalling and intriguing all at the same time." As Peter finished Laertes looked over at the quiet boy and decided he didn't look like that, he looked sort of nice…

Suddenly, 'Weasley, Faux' was called out and Laertes head snapped up to watch Faux's sorting. The hat wasn't on his head longer than three seconds before it yelled, 'Gryffindor!'

Yelling nearly as loud as the other Weasley's at the Gryffindor table, Faux nearly hopped to sit with the rest of them, his face in a wild smile. Laertes patted him on the back just long enough then turned back to watch as Gwyn stepped up, her face taut, her nose slightly upturned. Faux sniggered and leaned over to Laertes, "she looks just like mum doing that." Laertes just smiled, having never met their mum.

As the hat sat on her head you could easily read what the hat was saying to her. Slowly her face began to fall, Laertes knew it was suggesting some other house then Gryffindor as a full fledge frown appeared. However what he didn't expect…

"HOW DARE YOU!!" She yelled throwing the hat off, standing up indigently, before it could even say anything. It sat, unmoving, on the floor while everyone stared at her. Professor Vector very gently picked the hat back up and turned to Gwyn.

"Please, Miss Weasley, you need to be sorted." For as stern as she was trying to be you could tell she was holding back laughter.

Gwyn had her arms crossed and she was glaring daggers at the hat, as if she expected it to start calling her names. Finally, but not sitting back down, she allowed the hat to be placed back on her head. Again the frown lined her face but before she could throw it off again it shouted out, 'Gryffindor!'

The cheering that exuded, Laertes felt sure it should have collapsed the walls of the castle. Sirius and Arthur were cheering so loud their faces were turning red. Gwyn was again smiling, although her cheeks were beginning to turn pink.

As she sat down the cheers died down as well and Faux turned to his sister, "what was that all about?"

Her cheeks flushed, but she held her head proudly, "stupid thing tried to put me in Slytherin." Faux laughed aloud but didn't get to say anything because Vector had called out Lance.

He sat much more quietly, again he took awhile, but finally the hat announced 'Ravenclaw!' Before that table could even begin cheering a loud 'Yes!' echoed throughout the hall. Laertes looked up front to see one of the teachers suddenly turning bright red as she sat back down.

Lance was also blushing as he made his way to the table the whole of the Great Hall laughing. Laertes turned to his friends, Gwyn immediately opened her mouth. "That's his mum. Professor Penelope Weasley, she was in Ravenclaw too…"

Laertes smiled and quietly sat back to watch the rest of the students get sorted. There were two Slytherins, two more Ravenclaws, and ended with 'York, Adrian' in Hufflepuff.

As Adrian headed to his table Vector flicked her wand and the hat and stool disappeared. As she headed to her seat at the Head table, the stern woman that had been looking at him earlier began to stand up.