"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Neville, "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.

By the way, I am Professor Longbottom and I am your Deputy-Headmaster as well as the Head of Gryffindor. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school."

The huddled group of First years was silent all throughout Neville's speech. Albus dimly remembered James telling him something about this speech. It was very impressive and he felt that he should be awed, but all he felt was nervousness. As well as cold. He felt very cold. Not to mention slimy. He threw a glance at Arianna, who was in a similar situation, her raven hair covered in a layer of thick goop.

She immediately turned her head towards him, as if somehow sensing that he was looking at her. Albus quickly averted his gaze and looked at Neville, whose back was turned, preoccupied with arranging the rest of the first years into alphabetical order. Rose and Scorpious were whispering in the corner and judging by their agitated glances at the door, they were discussing the sorting.

Albus felt someone poke his shoulder. He looked to his left and surprised to see Arianna's face only inches away from his. Her pale lips were tinted light blue and her dark hair was matted to her forehead with slime.

"Yes?" he asked in a low voice.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?" his eyebrow furrowed in puzzlement.

"Stop worrying about it"

"I'm not," he lied, looking away from the little girls' piercing black eyes. He somehow knew that by 'it', she meant the sorting. He wasn't worried. He was terrified.

"Yes, you are. You're a horrible liar, Potter. This is yet another reason."

"Yet another reason?"

Arianna nodded, "You being such a pitiful liar is yet another reason that you won't get into Slytherin."

Albus gulped, his green eyes showing a mixture of apprehension and hope. He opened his mouth to ask her what the other reason was when Neville spoke again.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley and you two. Could you please join the line here?" Neville gestured impatiently.

The four quickly hurried to join the now assembled queue of their peers. Neville gave them a once over and then opened the doors. Albus swallowed nervously. It was time. He stole a look at Arianna, who was standing upright, her posture not deterred by the muck covering her person. He felt a small blossom of courage erupt in him as he saw how calm and dignified the girl was. If she could do it, then so could he.

Neville opened the doors.

James sat down with a plop, pretending to listen to a small mousy haired boy who resembled a baby sperm whale. The pudgy kid was stuttering through a story of sorts and James was nodding in what he hoped were all the right places. Ethan Dole was a muggleborn and he was also with them in Second Year. Due to him being sorted into Gryffindor and coincidentally sharing a dorm with James, he was a persistent tag- along. James and Fred has finally given in to the boy and now let him hang around with them. The positive perk, also the only one, was that Ethan practically worshiped the ground that James and Fred walked on so he was very useful in bolstering their egos

Speaking of Fred. His cousin, red haired and freckled as Weasleys were apt to be, was shamelessly ignoring Ethan, not even bothering to listen to the stammering boy, his hands idly tapping on the table. The three boys had met up on the train and while Ethan had fallen asleep, James and Fred had gotten down to planning their pranks for the new year.

He and Fred were the unofficial pranksters of Hogwarts. Ever since their first year, when they had been surreptitiously given the Marauder's Map by James' father, the two boys had made it their ultimate goal to do justice to their heroes, the Marauders and twins, Fred and George Weasley. Since they had been both named after famous tricksters, the boys felt that it was their duty to uphold the family tradition.

While Ethan prattled on (something about a toad and a girl at the platform), James and Fred greeted their housemates. James shot a teasing grin at his air haired cousin Victoire and then nudged Fred. A devious smile alighted on the red head's face and winked at James, "Follow my lead."

Fred then stood up and began to sing, loudly and off-key,

"Vicky and Teddy sitting in a tree,

K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

James joined in, adding his own voice to Fred's racket,

"First come love, then comes marriage!

Then comes the baby in the golden……….."

A voice clearing itself stopped them in the middle of their duet, "And then comes what, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter?"

The two singers slowly pivoted and found themselves face to face with none other than Professor McGonagall, who did not look happy. James immediately threw his most winning smile at the irate professor. It did not have any effect at all.

"Perhaps you two could join the School Choir, hmmm? That would then curb any temptation to sing out loud in the middle of the Sorting Ceremony, don't you think, Messrs. Potter and Weasley?"

"Actually, Professor, the Sorting Ceremony hasn't started yet."

James nudged Fred hard. Idiot! Did he want to get them detention on their first week back?

"Au contraire, Mr. Weasley, it has," a new voice joined the awkward conversation as the Great Hall doors opened and Neville Longbottom strolled in. A line of first years were not far behind him. As McGonagall turned her attention toward the First years, James hastily pulled at Fred and forced him to sit down, "What are you trying to do to her, bust a vein?"

Fred apologized and the two ducked down, trying to make themselves less noticeable. Fortunately, the headmistress had successfully been diverted and was now taking her seat at the Head table. Neville had made his way up the aisle, still followed by the group of First years and was now standing in front of a moldy, looking Hat. As the first years passed their table, James could saw his cousin Rose. The redhead was pointing at the ceiling and explaining to a blond haired boy that the sky was enchanted to look like outside. James couldn't help but smile. Rose reminded him so much of his Aunt Hermione. Without warning, the mouth of the Hat opened and it began to recite.

James and Fred smiled apologetically at their seething cousin Victoire and then ignored the Sorting Hat's song in favour of having a hushed conversation. Ethan also ducked his head and participated.

"So since we've almost completed the map, I've been thinking………."

"What is it, James?"

"Well, we don't really need the Map anymore do we?"

"We don't?"

"No, Ethan, we don't. What about it, James?"

"Well, I was thinking that maybe we give it to Albus."

"Why would we do that?

"We already have our own map and it's not like he's not worthy. He's a Potter and a Weasley too, you know."

"But…."

"Shut up, Ethan. I get you James but are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. He needs it more than we do. I mean, have you seen him?"

At James' word, the other two looked over at Albus. The boy was dripping in slime and biting his lips. Fred gave a low whistle.

"Whoa, what happened to him?"

"What do you think, Ethan, you mutt? He fell in the lake."

"And he didn't fall in alone," James jerked his head in Arianna's direction, "What I am saying is that, we go looking for trouble. But trouble seems to find Albus."

Fred nodded, clicking on, "And we can't let him be ill-prepared."

"Exactly," James smiled at his cousin in thanks.

"I don't get it," Ethan complained, his ignorant gaze switching from James' face to Fred's.

"Never mind, Ethan," the other two boys simultaneously said. They started to speak again when the loud voice of the Sorting hat ceased and the crisp voice of Neville Longbottom rang out in the Great hall.

"Abbot, Brooke!"

"GRYFINDOR!"

"Brown, Mackenzie!"

"GRYFINDOR!"

"Gray, Kristen!"

"SLTHERIN!"

And so the list went on until Neville paused at one name,

"Malfoy, Scorpious!"

A/N – Oooooooooooooooooooh! Cliffy! My apologies to everyone! I've been really busy the past few days. My cousin's wedding and I had this dance class to go to………it's just been really chaotic. My next update will probably be up within 2 days or 3 days so don't despair!

Neville's speech at the beginning is copied from what Mcgog said to Harry and all right before they got sorted in the first book.

KEEP REVIEWING! YOUR REVIEWS MOTIVATE ME TO UPDATE! THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE WONDERFUL REVIEWERS WHO HAVE REVIEWED THE PAST CHAPTERS! YOU GUYS REALLY HELPED ME!

A HUMOUNGOUS THANK YOU AND A GREAT BIG HUG TO MY WONDERFUL BETA, WHO RULES! SHE GETS A SNAPE COOKIE!

Hands RainyDaySunlight a Snape shaped cookie