A/N: Sorry it took me soo long to update - but my computer crashed and I only got it back in working shape a few days ago! I know it's short - but I had to let you know I was still alive, right? =D Hope you like it! Read and REVIEW!!! (they keep me going no matter how short they are!) =) Thanks to all the readers who reviewed and have added me to their alerts and favorites! :)

Chapter 5: Songs, Hats and Ghosts

"All righ' everyone! Ge' in those boats! Ah! You there – the blond-'aired boy – only four the a boa'!" Hagrid said and once everyone including Harry, Ron and Neville had taken a boat for themselves, Hagrid yelled out, "FORWARD!". The tiny boats began to move forwards, apparently by magic – because they could neither feel nor see any kind of rowing or sails. Harry lent down to touch the water and skimmed his fingers over the edge – the water was cool and fresh. It's surface was so reflective that even in the pale moonlight, he could see himself reflected back – scar and all. A few seconds later he saw something huge rise from the depths of the water and swim beneath them.

"Hagrid? Hagrid? HAGRID! There's something swimming under the water with us? It looks enormous!" Harry said, and even as this was said, before Hagrid could even answer, all the children in the boats began to look down. A few boats rocked dangerously and suddenly one of the boats – the one with the blond-haired boy who had tried to get five in a boat – toppled over. His two friends, as it seemed, had lent over one side and due to their large weights, the boat had been upset and toppled. Hagrid roared and pulled out a pink umbrella. Pointing it at the boat, he roared something unintelligible and the boat jumped in the air – something Harry thought, that Hagrid had not meant to do – but for the luck of the boys in the water, who were managing not to drown – it came down, right side up.

Suddenly, long tendrils reached out from the lake and gripped the boat tightly, and a few more began to wrap themselves around the floating children.

They screamed.

A few of the girls on the other boats seemed to be screaming as well. Harry wasn't sure. He had jumped into the water and was swimming towards the boys – apparently in an effort to save them. Hagrid was now practically yelling at them. Harry swam over to the nearest one – an enormous boy, whom Harry thought, was a wonder didn't sink to the bottom of the lake. Grabbing him by the collar, he swam toward the edge of the boat, but painfully slowly, because the boy was so heavy and didn't seem to have the brains to know how to swim. Taking him to the edge of the boat, he saw that another boy, looking identical to the boy in the boat in size was being pushed upwards with the tendrils and was being forced in to the boat.

Glad that whatever was in the lake did not want to eat them alive, Harry swam over to the blond-haired boy and grabbed him by the arm. Tugging at him sharply because he seemed to be frozen in shock, Harry hauled him too back near the boat. Then, while he was swimming back to his boat – the boats were still moving – he saw that whatever was in the water had managed to get all of the children back inside the boat. Exhausted by this "heroic" escapade, Harry swam over back to his boat – catching up quite easy because the boats were moving so slowly – and was hauled up by his two friends.

Hagrid was now yelling at the three boys who had fallen in to the lake.

"Malfoy! I know yeh father migh' be a guv'ner o' the school board – bu' that doesn't give yeh any sort o' permission teh dive into the lake! An' the pair of you – helpin' 'im! Good thing the Giant Squid is friendly this time o' the year – or yeh three would be dead." Hagrid roared so loudly that the three victims of near – drowning were cowering inside their boat in fright. Now Hagrid turned on Harry. "An' yeh! Divin' in after 'em! Jus' wait until yeh mum gets teh know 'bout this!"

Harry, who was pale from his dive into the cold water, paled – if possible even more than before. He definitely would try to talk Hagrid out of mailing his mother. He had too much experience of his mother mailing Howlers to his brothers. He turned to Ron, who just shook his head in exasperation.

Hagrid knocked on the giant, oak door before them. Harry slipped slightly on the wet stone steps as he came up towards where his brother and Neville were standing. Still wet from his 'heroic escapade', Harry was now thinking that he should just have let the three boys drown, for he had still not received a word of thanks and because he thought that if he remained wet for at least another hour, he would end up having a serious cold. Just as he had stumbled close to Ron, the door opened and on the threshold was none other than, Professor McGonagall. But, now, her face was not the usual face he saw – kind looking and lively – now, she looked quite stern and Harry knew that there would be no forgiveness from her even though she had been like an aunt to him at home.

"The firs' years, Professor," Hagrid said.

"Thank you, Hagrid, I will take them from here – you should hurry up as well I think." she said.

Beyond her, the Entrance Hall was magnificent. It was even better than the pictures of it he had seen in Hogwarts, A History, thought Harry, marveling at the marble staircase and the endless looking ceiling. The torches on either side of the Hall gave a warmth to the room that made Harry feel completely welcome and homely.

As, they all followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor, Harry wondered as to what house he would be sorted into. He had of course, never given it much thought, due to the fact that all his brothers had been in Gryffindor – but, now that he thought of it, he wasn't their brother anymore; what house had his parents been in? But before he could complete his thoughts, the sound of a hundred voices interrupted him and though he half expected to be taken directly into the Hall, he knew that they would first be 'briefed' by Professor McGonagall. Leading them into a small empty chamber neighboring the hall, she waited till all the first years had gathered in the room and began her 'briefing'.

"Good evening to all of you. My name is Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts as well as your Transfiguration teacher for at least five years and it is my duty to welcome all of you to Hogwarts. 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 honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. 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."

Harry listened to all this attentively although both he and Ron knew most of this. Ron, on the other hand seemed to be nodding off to sleep. Professor McGonagall's eyes started preening through the crowd and settled on each of them in turn. The moment her eyes reached Harry however she gasped as she saw that he was wet. "Good Heavens, Mr. Potter! What on earth did you do?" Harry mumbled incoherently to the professor who was wondering whether the boy had actually dived into the lake – not knowing that this was exactly what had happened. Brandishing her wand, she swept it over Harry, and he felt himself completely dry up and warm.

"Lord! What on earth happened to you three as well?" she gasped again as she saw the blond named Malfoy and his two hulking friends. Repeating the same motion with her wand, she left the room. Harry ruffled his hair again and watched as the rest of the occupants tried to look their Sunday best. He watched as some of them began to take their wands out and practice waving them; "Must be thinking we have to fight some sort of a troll or something," Ron muttered to the pair of them as they grinned. A girl in one corner, with bushy hair was muttering what sounded to Harry as all the spells in their books to herself at top speed.

Chortling, Harry said, loudly, "So, Ron? You remember Bill telling us how he had to fight off a troll and a manticore at the same time to get sorted?" A few people stared at them, mouths agape. Fighting to keep a straight face, he went on, "And remember, Percy? Even though he's a prefect now, he nearly died trying to keep off that dragon remember?" "Ermm... Harry? Why are you making up these weird stories?" Ron asked his voice an audible whisper in the silence that had fallen across the room.

Harry groaned.

Professor McGonagall pushed open the enormous double doors and strode in purposefully. The new first-years followed behind her, anxious and shivering. Harry - despite his jovial mood - was frightened down to his core. He had not asked his parents about his birth-parents' Houses and now was truly afraid of being sorted to a house other than Gryffindor. He knew that if he got sorted into Slytherin, he would be in for tons of ridiculing from the twins and a long lecture from Percy about how he would have to 'behave himself and not be influenced by any of the Slytherins.' He knew that his parents couldn't care less about the House he was sorted into, but was only slightly comforted by this.

Beside him, Harry felt Ron shivering as well as they moved into the cavernous Great Hall. They all looked up in wonder as they saw the ceiling, reflecting the stars outside. The elegance was truly matched by the ornate tables that filled the Hall: four long tables with hundreds of students seated at them, most of the heads turning around from the discussions they were engaged in, to look at the new first-years. But, Professor McGonagall was not leading them to any of the four tables but to a long table facing the ends of the four House tables, raised up on a platform. The table was filled with who appeared to look like their teachers; Professor Dumbledore was seated at the throne like chair at the center - his twinkling eyes upon Harry, a faint smile visible on his face.

"Hey, Harry? Does it rain in here?" Ron asked in a whisper, to cover up his anxiety.

"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside you dimwit! Now stop talking everyone is starting to stare at us."

To both Harry and Ron, it appeared to look so - but, Harry mused, it would appear the same to anyone else that the multitude of eyes was upon them - for their fear was overpowering their senses. Harry started to look around the room, to suddenly notice that all of the children were now looking forwards. He turned his head just in time to see a pointy patched wizard's hat being placed on a three-legged stool. Recognizing it as the Sorting Hat, Harry was completely unsurprised when it opened it's brim and burst into song; but judging from the gasps of some of his to-be friends, they had never read their new books.

"Oh you may not think me 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 folks 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 moment the song finished, the Hall burst into applause as the Hat bowed to each of the House tables in turn and stood straight once more. Harry stood up straighter as he knew what would be coming soon. Professor McGonagall strode up to the chair and unrolling parchment, she said, "When I read out your name, please sit on the stool and put on the hat. Then you will join the table as you are assigned to."

"Abbot, Hannah!"

Harry gave out an enormous sigh of relief. They were going in alphabetical order. They would take a long time to come to "Weasley".

Suddenly, the hat which had covered Hannah's eyes as she had put it on, suddenly yelled out, "HUFFLEPUFF!" Beaming, the girl pulled off the hat, kept it slowly on the stool and walked off to the table which was cheering, at the induction of their newest student. Most of his nervousness evaporating when he saw that it was all a simple matter of putting on the hat and being sorted - although he had known this before, only seeing it made it seem more realistic and less frightening - he began to look around the Hall again. He looked up at the High Table and his swept past Dumbledore and landed on Hagrid, who seemed to be enjoying the whole proceedings and when he caught Harry's eye, he winked and gave a small thumbs up. Returning it only half willingly, he was abruptly brought back to earth when the Hat yelled out, "HUFFLEPUFF!" once more.

Harry silently watched the proceedings from then onwards, absorbing every little detail of the Sorting. He noticed that some, like the Malfoy boy, took no time at all to be sorted, while some others took much longer. Suddenly, the Professor said, "Longbottom, Neville!" and Neville stumbled forwards from behind Harry, looking green. Patting him on the back with a trembling hand, Harry crossed his fingers as Neville sat down on the stool, forgetting that he had to put the Hat on first. Changing colors from green to a deep red, Neville stood back up and without hesitating even further, pulled on the Hat, which took a slight moment but yelled, "Gryffindor!"

Clapping with the rest and giving a brief whistle, something which no-one seemed to mind, Harry straightened up once more and watched the proceedings. Harry watched as two twins, "Patil, Padma" and "Patil, Parvati" were sorted into different houses and wondered how Fred and George had ended up in the same House. "Probably something Dumbledore did on purpose to stop them from wandering around in the middle of the night to meet each other." Harry thought, grinning, but suddenly the sound of a voice stating the impossible shattered his thoughts.

"Potter, Harry!"

Loud whispers filled the Hall and scraping of benches was heard as people stood up to look at him. Ron nudged him. Stumbling, Harry walked up as he heard, "Did she say Harry, Harry Potter?", "Yeah! Look! There's his scar!" and "Do you think my new wand looks good?". Shaking his head, he picked up the Hat, sat down on the stool, nearly loosing his balance as he did so and pulled it down as far as it would go, so that he was staring at the velvet inside. Loosing the view of a hundred or so people craning their necks to get a good look at him, seemed to calm him down. But suddenly a small voice spoke in his ear.

"Hmm.." said the Hat. "Difficult nut to crack. Plenty of courage, I see, yes... and cunning too..."

The moment he heard this, Harry began to fervently wish in his head, "Please not Slytherin, anywhere but Slytherin!"

"But, dear boy! Slytherin will make you great! It'll help you on your way to greatness! Well - if you're sure... Better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry nearly fainted with joy. He was getting his lifelong wish and as he took off the Hat admist great roaring cheers from the Gryffindor table, he began to think of how foolish he had really been. Ruffling through his hair, he ran upto the Gryffindor table and as he sat down next to Neville, a great many people clapped him on the back along with Neville and it was not until the sound of the McGonagall's voice announcing the next student's name that the Hall quietened down, though Harry felt many eyeballs still on him.

Grinning at Neville, Harry turned around at caught Ron's eye, giving him a brief thumbs up and hoping that Ron too would be with them. A few minutes later, Harry's worst fears were broken when Ron joined them at their table, grinning from ear to ear. Looking down the table, they both grinned at their brothers and looked forward as they saw McGonagall putting away the Hat and the stool.

Dumbledore stood up. "Welcome! Welcome to Hogwarts all of you! But - there can be introductions and welcomes later! Now is the time for all of us to appease the bellies that have been growling for attention." He smiled. "But first a few words! And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" Chortling, Harry turned his gaze from the High Table to the splendid and scrumptious looking meal that now lay before him.

A/N: There you go - now who's going to be the new Defense teacher? And is Snape still here? And did anyone manage to guess what's different in the plot?? :P