A/N: YAY!!!! Chapter 3!!! Um… sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up… I was having some internet problems with my computer (and a bit of writer's block). But, their all better now!!! YAY!!!! On with the story!!!!

"WOW!!!! You guys!!!! Look at the castle!!!" James was staring up at Hogwarts from the little boat in awe. He had never seen such a huge building in his life.

"WHOA!!!!!! It's better than I had imagined!!!!!" Remus looked up from his book and his jaw dropped immediately. His eyes were vastly viewing the castle from every tower top to every crack in the windows.

"WICKED!!!!! This castle looks amazing!!!" Sirius was admiring the very crafty handiwork. He noticed the perfection in the way the stained glasses were made.

"I can't wait to get into the castle and explore!" James was ready to get out of that boat and find every nook and cranny in that castle if it was the last thing he did.

The boats cascaded over the water in a dreamlike fashion. All of the students stared at the castle in awe and didn't even notice when the Giant Squid popped his head up to take a good look at the new first years. When they reached the dungeon entrance into the castle they all looked a bit scared.

"Do we really have to go through the dungeons?" A red-haired girl asked Ogg, the caretaker.

"Yes. Besides, you're going to have to when you go to your Potions lessons!" Ogg hobbled up to the door of the dungeons and muttered a few words while throwing his hands out into the air.

All of the students huddled in groups of threes and fours when they entered the dungeons. Remus, Sirius, and James huddled together very quickly when they entered. As soon as all the students descended down the stairs into the dungeons, the doors closed behind them with a rather loud "BANG!" When the door closed, the students were expecting to be walking into pitch blackness. On the contrary to their beliefs, torches that the students were closest to, lit up.

"This will be the only time you will go through this branch of dungeons the entire time you are here at Hogwarts." Ogg turned around to explain to the students.

"Good, because they're starting to freak me out a little." James said with a sigh. He started looking at the spiders crawling around on their webs and shivered.

After about 15 minutes of walking and girls shrieking that there was something in their hair, they finally started to ascend a fleet of stairs. Ogg opened the doors with some more muttered words. When the doors opened, a flood of light emerged in on everyone; the students shielded their eyes from the blinding lights.

"This is the entrance hall; you will travel through here three times a day to get to the Great Hall. Now, if you will wait here a few moments, I will announce your arrival." Ogg turned on his heel and walked through the Great Hall doors. As soon as the Great Hall doors closed, there was a wave of curious whispers.

"What do you think they're going to do when we go through the doors?" A brown-haired girl asked.

"Who cares about that, what are they going to THINK of us when we go through the doors?" A blonde haired boy asked.

All of the students were in whispers, except for one crouched over in a corner. His characteristics included greasy black hair, a hooked nose, milky white skin, and cold gray eyes. He looked around avidly at everyone with an expression of fright. You could hear him muttering words to himself while twiddling his thumbs.

"Hey James, check out that kid over there." Remus pointed out the black haired boy to James with a swift nod.

"Wonder what's up with him?" James asked aloud. He started to go over to the boy. But, before he could, Ogg came back out.

"Well, are you lot ready to go through to get sorted?" Ogg lead the first years into the Great Hall. There were gasps of surprise when the students looked up at the ceiling. It was black except for the few stars that were shining brightly and twinkling above them. The students came to a stop in front of a stool with a tattered black hat on it.

When the black hat opened its mouth to speak, some of the first years gasped:

This year will be a different one,

That much I can tell,

I can't tell you exactly what,

Is going to be under spell,

But have no fear,

Hogwarts will stay strong,

So have a butterbeer,

Whilst I sing my annual song,

You will be sorted,

Into something that will be like your family,

My plans are never thwarted,

Thus I do this annually,

Do you belong in Gryffindor?

Those that are brave at heart,

They always use their courage,

To set themselves apart,

Or are you perhaps a Ravenclaw?

Those that use their wit and mind,

There you might find your kind,

Perhaps you are a Slytherin?

Where you will find friends for a lifetime,

Those cunning folk will be true to you,

Last, but not least, is Hufflepuff,

There are not many things they are afraid to do,

They stay out of trouble,

And so should you!

So, go ahead, put me on,

Don't be afraid,

I do not bite,

For my teeth have not been made

At the end of the Sorting Hat's song, everyone clapped aloud. When, the sound died down, a Professor came out with a long scroll.

"I am the Transfiguration Professor, Professor McGonagall. Now, as I call your names, I want you to sit on this stool and put the hat on. The hat will call out which house you will belong in. Then, you will go sit with your house." The Professor started to unravel the long scroll to reveal names of all of the first year students.

"Black, Sirius" Sirius looked up at the hat with fear. He slowly walked up the steps and slid the hat on. He closed his eyes tight and hoped he wouldn't be sorted into Slytherin.

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted aloud. The Gryffindor table broke out into a loud cheer when Sirius hopped off of the chair and walked in a laid back fashion over to the table.

"Snape, Severus" Remus's, Sirius's, and James's eyes all followed the greasy haired boy up to the stool. They watched him timidly sit in the chair and place the hat on. He was holding on to the bottom of the seat with a rather tight grip with his eyes closed.

"SLYTHERIN!" The hat shouted. This time, the Slytherin table broke out into a wild cheer when Severus walked over to the Slytherin table.

"Lupin, Remus" Remus walked up to the stool in a normal fashion trying not to look scared, though you could see a hint of it in his eyes.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Once again, the Gryffindor table broke out into cheers.

"Evans, Lily" When James went to look up to see who Lily Evans was, his jaw dropped. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He watched how her hair waved softly while she walked up to the stool.

"GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindor table, once again, broke out into more cheers.

"Potter, James" Remus and Sirius were biting their nails when James went up to the stool. The Sorting Hat couldn't break up the Marauders so quickly.

"GRYFFINDOR!" All three Marauders sighed in relief as James ran over to the table to sit between his two best friends. As all the other names were being called out, James, Sirius, and Remus were talking in hushed voices.

Then, the last names was called out, "Weasley, Arthur" who was sorted into Gryffindor.

"Well, now, before we go to our feast. I would like to make some announcements. As always, the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to all students. And students under third year are not permitted to go to Hogsmeade, the local wizarding village. That is all for now. Now, please, enjoy your feast." Headmaster Dumbledore sat back down and with a wave of his hands, the feast began.

Remus's face lit up with joy. He was actually eating real food. Not that disgusting stuff his mum made him.

The rest of dinner was silent because the three boys were stuffing their faces with food.

A/N: well, there you go! Hope you liked it… don't really know if that's a cliffhanger or not. If it is, I'm REALLY sorry.

Ashleigh