Luggage was taken for them, so all they needed to do was follow Hagrid to the boats. Three to a boat. Harry and Hermione got in one and waited. One boy appeared to be lagging behind everyone else, a boy Harry recognized. Poor Neville didn't seem able to find a boat and was too shy to butt into one of the half-taken ones.

"Neville!" Harry cried out. "You can sit with us!"

Oh no. Oh no. He knew his mistake immediately. He looked to Hermione, she was quizzical. He looked to Neville, he was quizzical as he climbed inside.

"Do I know -" Neville started to ask.

"What house do you think you'll be in?" Harry interrupted. There was silence for a moment. He was very awkward.

"Well, I think Ravenclaw." Said Hermione. "I'm a good study, we both are. We'd probably fit in, Harry."

Harry was momentarily distracted from his panic. "Ravenclaw?" Why Ravenclaw? She'd been certain of Gryffindor last time around. How had he changed anything?

She nodded happily, "Yes, we'll probably be Ravenclaws. I'm not too worried about it."

"I'm certain to be a Hufflepuff." Neville said, sounding Eeyore-like in unhappiness.

"Why are you so sad about it?" Asked Hermione. "What's wrong with Hufflepuff?"

"Oh, well, they all say that's the house for losers. If you don't fit in anywhere else, they just put you in Hufflepuff. I'm not brave, smart, or cunning. It has to be Hufflepuff for me."

"That's not true," Hermione said, indignant. "I read all about the houses. Hufflepuff is about hard work, patience, loyalty, and fair play. Amlia Andershed, who wrote On Wizard Tradition, said that Hufflepuff was the most noble and honorable of the houses. Gryffindor is always seen as the heros, but that's because they're fighters. When everyone works together, the Ravenclaws decide how to fight, Slytherins when to fight, but Hufflepuffs decide who. That's what my book says, anyway."

"I agree with her," Said Harry, "Hufflepuff is a great house and the people there are really friendly. Maybe they do accept people who don't fit in anywhere else, but that's a good thing, I think. That way everyone has a friend. Hufflepuffs work together better than any of the other houses. And I think they're happier than the others too. I maybe won't be sorted there, but I'd like to be in Hufflepuff just as much as Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. Hufflepuff would be great for you, Neville, great for anyone, but especially you."

Neville bit his lip thinking about it. "I still don't know. I can't pick where I'm sorted anyway, so it doesn't matter, but I guess if I am put in Hufflepuff, it wouldn't be so bad."

"Being yourself is what's most important." Harry said, knowing just how much one could pick where they were sorted.

"By the way, where did you learn -"

"I can't wait for the first day, I'm just so excited. Magic is wonderful, isn't it?" Harry was sweating.

"Oh, me too!" Said Hermione.

"Um. Yes." Said Neville, slightly confused by Harry's rapid and awkward subject change. "Are you too Muggle-borns?"

Hermione shot Harry a quick glance. She wouldn't answer for him. She knew Harry was not technically muggle-born.

"Muggle-raised, yes." Harry said. "Classes tomorrow will be the first time we can practise magic."

"I think there's only five of us in our year. Being muggle-raised is pretty rare, isn't it?" Hermione said, flowing into his line of thinking naturally.

"Yeah, absolutely. I've never met a muggle-born in my life." Neville smiled, "You two seem pretty normal."

Harry and Hermione laughed. The boat ride was fairly quick with self-rowing oars, so they were soon at the castle.

Draco made no anouncement as they waited. The butterfly effect, Harry supposed. Something he had done differently had caused changes he didn't anticiate.

Soon, they were called into the Great Hall. There were so many people around. So many faces he knew had died. It was wonderful to see everyone again.

Professor McGonagal called out names in order, just as she had before. Ron was a Gryffindor. Hermione, surprisingly, a Ravenclaw and Neville a Hufflepuff. Now Harry had a decision to make. He hadn't accounted for Hermione changing houses. Would he stick with his house or beg the hat Ravenclaw?

He knew before the fabric touched his head.

"Ravenclaw." He thought to it deliberately.

"So sure, Mr. Potter? Given what's here in your head, I would expect something very different."

"Ravenclaw. I want to be with my friend."

"You think house lines could be powerful enough to separate you from her? Stupid boy. Don't you know what you do in other houses? The greatness you could achieve?"

"I will achieve greatness in Ravenclaw."

"You are clever enough for it. I'll give you that. But you are also deceptive. Even just in this life-time, you've lied so many times with ease. Wouldn't Slytherin fit you better?"

Harry was surprised. He had expected the hat to argue for Gryffindor, if any house.

"No," He thought, "I am not a Slytherin. I am a Ravenclaw. I will be in Ravenclaw with Hermione."

"So be it," Answered the Hat. "RAVENCLAW!"

The Ravenclaw table cheered loudly. Harry got up, wide smile on his face. Hermione had saved a seat for him and he happily sat down next to her.

After the formalities of the speech and song, the feast appeared on the plates and they dug in. Harry hadn't had good food all summer, all his life thus far really, so he ate ravenously.

"Ew!" Giggled Hermione, "Don't stuff your face. That's gross!"

Harry was reminded of Ron, who ate in that fashion constantly. Befriending him from a different house, when they had not already met, would be difficult. But if the Hat said house lines wouldn't separate him from Hermione, surely they wouldn't separate him from Ron either. He pushed the boy from his mind, a feat he found surprisingly easy. It was fun to chat with Hermione and their new housemates.

The first years in Ravenclaw were Terry Boot, Mandy Brocklehurst, Michael Corner, Stephen Cornfoot, Kevin Entwhistle, Anthony Goldstein, Sue Li, Morag McDougal, Padma Patil, and Lisa Turpin. Of them, Harry had only really known Padma, due to knowing her sister, Parvati. Morag had been pulled second year due to the Chamber of Secrets incident. Most of them had been part of Dumbledore's Army, an activity he was not planning to start again.

When the feast ended, they followed the Ravenclaw prefect back to their tower. After explaining the knocker and allowing a first-year to guess the answer to its question, he showed them inside. Harry had seen Ravenclaw Tower before, but Hermione was amazed. He found himself caught up in the amazement with her, just seeing her expressions was enough to make him want to share them with her.

Girls and boys had separate rooming, so he had to say goodbye.

Sharing his dormitory were boys Terry, Michael, and Anthony. Harry re-introduced himself to them, intending to be friends, then started unpacking his things. After class tomorrow, he would visit Hedwig and make sure she was getting along okay, then begin his investigation of the Philosopher's Stone and Professor Quirrel.