Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

"This way firs' years," a giant bearded man yelled over the chit-chat of the many students.

The first years, feeling miniscule next to the bearded man, towering over them, twice as tall as an average man and five times as wide, inched toward him, feeling nervous.

"You all will ge' to ride in the boats up to Hogwar's. Come on, come on," he pleaded. I'm Hagrid, by the way."

Alistasia hopped in the first boat she saw, not caring who she sat by. There were two other children in the boat. "Hello," she started. "I'm Alistasia Laceland. Has anyone every told you that you look just like Harry Potter? Blimey."

A little boy with untidy black hair, and green almond shaped eyes looked up. "Actually yes. He told me this morning, right before I hugged him good bye," he explained, enjoying Alice's expression of awe. "Pleased to meet you," he added, extending a hand. "I'm Albus Severus Potter. Harry Potter's my dad," Albus said with a nervous, toothy grin.

"Really? That's…wow. I'm guessing you'll be a Gryffindor then, like your father. Who are you?" she questioned to the other child.

The little red-haired girl smiled. "I'm Rose Weasley. I'm his cousin."

"Wow. What house are you hoping to be in? I don't really mind. My mum was Slytherin, and my dad was Gryffindor. I have no idea what I'll be," Alice said, trying to start conversation.

Albus chimed in first. "I just really don't want to get Slytherin. I heard all dark wizards were in Slytherin. Gryffindor is preferred."

Rose was next. "I'm the same as Albus, except I don't prefer Gryffindor. I don't mind, just not Slytherin."

The boats had reached the castle. "All righ'," Hagrid yelled. "Firs' years, head into the castle. Single file!"

They first years walked in, enjoying the moving pictures. They listened to Professor McGonagall tell them what they needed to know about the school, the house cup, and the Sorting Hat. They timidly walked into the Great Hall and approached a stool in the center of the room, awaiting their sorting.

"Russell Armantia," Professor McGonagall dictated.

He walked right up to the stool, plopped down, and put on the hat. A huge grin spread across his face as he winked to the crowd.

"Hmmm….interesting," the hat thought aloud. "You're a very brave boy, unafraid to risk his life for those dearest to him. I going to have to say-GRYFFINDOR!"

A huge applause broke out from those dressed in scarlet and gold.

Alistasia blocked out all the noise and names being sorted, to try to guess what she would be put in. I'd never considered Ravenclaw, she thought. I do like learning. I'm also like my mum though, so Slytherin? I could be Hufflepuff. Her thoughts were interrupted. It was Professor McGonagall.

"Alistasia Laceland!"

Alice slowly ventured toward the hat. Her stomach was doing flip-flops. She had finally reached the stool. She sat down and put on the hat.

The hat began to speak. "Oh what a mind you have here. Ambitious, brave, intelligent. You could be a great Hufflepuff, you know. Oh, but Ravenclaw could use your wit. Much Gryffindor in your blood. Your father's entire family aside from himself, or possibly a Slytherin like your mum. Quite an impressive variety here. Hmmm...my final decision is-"

This is it, Alice thought.

"-Ravenclaw!" the proud hat's booming voice declared. A voracious sound of applause echoed from the Ravenclaw table.

Ravenclaw, wow. This is great. Wait till I tell mum.

After a few more minutes, Alice jumped out of shock and listened to the names. "Searlas O'Ryan!"

Not a minute later, the hat cried "Slytherin!" resulting in a wide applause from the Slytherin table.

"Albus Potter!"

The young boy nervously put on the hat, after it barely touched a hair on his head, it exclaimed "Gryffindor!"!

Alice had stopped listening to the names, she was dreaming about being a Ravenclaw. She had come back to real-life as soon as a boy named Cooper Walling was sorted into Hufflepuff. It was Rose's turn now.

After a few moments of thought, the hat had made it's decision: "Ravenclaw!"

Alice was ecstatic. She and Rose were in the same house!

"Cynthia Williams!"

She gracefully traversed to the stool, sitting down with her legs cross, and crowned herself with the Sorting Hat.

"Oh! A different sort of mind here, one that values friendship, and also very ambitious. Not Slytherin you say? Well, then my final choice is-HUFFLEPUFF!"

After a boy named Timothy Zamora was sorted into Slytherin, the feast began.

"Can you believe we're both Ravenclaws, Rose? I'm so excited," began Alice

"So am I! My father told me I inherited my mother's wit. She was a Gryffindor though. I'm also really nervous because Professor Flitwick is our head of house. I've heard he's extremely strict."

"Sort of, but he teaches Charms! As odd as it sounds, I'm almost excited for the feast to be over, just so we can see the common room, go to bed, and then it'll be time to start our classes!"

The girls heard a laugh from beside them. Alice turned and saw Lawrence sitting beside her. "You should be. The classes are the best part, aside from History of Magic."

"Oh, hello," spoke Rose, looking a bit timid.

"Rose, this is Lawrence. We met on the train. He's a Second Year. Is History of Magic boring?"

"Exceedingly. I prefer Charms or Defense Against the Dark Arts, myself," replied Lawrence. "Potions isn't bad, nor is Transfiguration."

"I think Potions sounds quite fascinating. I enjoy measuring things out, and having things even. I like transforming though," Alice admitted as her hair turned bronze and wavy, grew to her waist, and grew lop-sided bangs, which were blue.

Everyone watching her looked a bit taken-aback.

"How did you do that?" Lawrence yelled.

"I just-well-er-I'm a Metamorphamgus. I was born this way." Her eyes turned magenta.

"Wicked," exclaimed Lawrence.

Alice laughed whole-heartedly. "Thanks-" she forced out in-between giggles.

"What's so funny?" asked Rose, with a grin from ear to ear.

"My mum. She was so positive that I would scare the other students. I guess she was wrong."

Alice, Rose, and Lawrence continued their feast, with scarce conversation, as their mouths were full of various foods. Finally, the last course disappeared from the table, and all the students, led by their prefects, were dismissed to their common rooms.

As they arrived at the entrance of Ravenclaw Tower, they suddenly stopped. A Seventh Year named Lysander Scamander stepped forward.

"Hello, fellow Ravenclaws. I'm Lysander Scamander and I'm the Ravenclaw head-boy. The other houses have a password to get into their common rooms, but we answer a question or riddle." Lysander knocked the eagle door-knocker, which proceeded to look at all the students.

"How would one go about becoming a ghost?" the door-knocker inquired.

Lysander turned toward the door. "One witch or wizard must leave an imprint of himself or herself upon the earth."

The door opened, revealing a circular, midnight blue room filled with assorted furniture and a decadent ivory statue of Rowena Ravenclaw. All the students walked into the room in awe, whispering to their fellow classmates.. Alice stared at the domed ceiling, which was painted with dazzling stars.

Lawrence enjoyed Rose and Alice's expressions.

Lysander walked up, motioning toward two stair-cases.

"Girls' dormitory to your left, boys' to your right. Don't stay up too late. Remember-classes start tomorrow."

All the students were in awe, and studied every inch of the dazzling blue room. Alice and Lawrence made their way to three especially comfy-looking armchairs.

"Rose, are you going to sit down?" Alice asked.

"No, thank you though. I think I should get some rest. I'm awfully tired."

"All right. Good night!"

"Good night."

Alice and Lawrence proceeded to plop down in the cushy armchairs.

"This is great, magnificent, spectacular, wonderful, marvelous-"

"Now, now Alice, just because you're a Ravenclaw doesn't mean you're supposed to show off your vocabulary," Lawrence teased.

Alice glared at him jokingly. "I just got carried away, I suppose."

Just then, a few third or fourth years with worried expressions ran down from the dormitory. "You'll never guess what happened," they yelled frantically. One of them scrambled over to Lawrence.

"What's up, Walter?" Lawrence asked, a bit nervous.

"Yaxley! He's escaped from Azkaban!"

"Wait-who's Ya-" Lawrence started.

"-Are you kidding?" Alice interrupted. She turned to Lawrence. "He's a Death Eater! One of Voldemort's most loyal, I believe!"

Both the boys winced slightly before Walter answered. "She's right! And he's escaped! No one knows how, or even when. They just know it was sometime yesterday."

"I can't believe this," Alice whispered.

"Me either," Lawrence agreed, while watching Walter venture to some other curious students. "The only known person to escape Azkaban Prison is-"

"-Sirius Black." Alice nodded. "But he was an Animagus. You don't think…"

Lawrence shook his head. "Yaxley isn't an Animagus. I'm sure the Ministry would've already fixed the security to detect Animagi by now anyway."

"Yeah. You're right. I wonder who he's after…" Alice's face turned ghost white.

"What? Who?"

"Harry Potter." Alice's hair turned as white as her face.

"I suppose you're right, but he's one of the most powerful wizards of all time. He should be fine."

Alice whispered something so quietly, not even Lawrence could hear her.

"What?"

"Albus! Albus and Rose, too! All of Harry Potter's family!"

Lawrence turned white too. "But Hogwarts has got to be the safest place in the universe! Yaxley could never possibly break in. Wait-who's Albus, and why would Yaxley go after Rose?"

"Albus is Harry Potter's son and Rose's cousin. I met him on the boat. Alice looked at Lawrence, her eyes huge and turquoise. "It's never been as safe since Dumbledore passed away."

"You weren't even alive during Dumbledore's time. Wait-have you been reading the new edition of Hogwarts, a History? I heard they added many chapters about the time Dumbledore was headmaster."

"Yes. It's very informative. Dumbledore may have been the most loved, most protective, and over-all greatest headmaster of all time. He was also wise, brave, and kind. I wish he were still alive. I feel he could protect us better than Professor McGonnagol." Alice's eyes wandered around the room. It was empty. Everyone else had gone to their dormitories.

"You may be right, but Flitwick's a Ravenclaw. We'll be fine."

"Yeah, you're right. Would you like to practice some simple spells? I've been hiding in my room and practicing on random objects. Also, my father worked with the Ministry of Magic in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, so he's always worried that one of those accidents or catastrophes will happen to me. When I turned six, he decided he was going to ensure my protection. My mother told him that what he was trying to teach me was too hard, but he ignored her protests. Because of five years of practice," her eyes turned periwinkle, "I can produce a full Patronus."

Lawrence looked unsure. "No you can't. That's too hard for a first year! That's too hard for a sixth year!"

"I've had five years of practice." Lawrence was unconvinced. Alice groaned. "Do I need to show you?"

"Yes."

"Fine." Alice pulled out her 12" cherry wood wand with a Thestral hair core and pointed it in the center of the room. "Expecto Patronum!" An odd silvery shape came out of her wand. It took the form of a lemur and leaped all over the room.

Lawrence's jaw dropped wide open.

Alice grinned, more entertained by Lawrence's expression than the cavorting lemur.

"Your Patronus is a lemur?"

Alice laughed. "A Conquerel's Sifaka to be exact."

"That's amazing! Could you maybe consider-"

"-Teaching you? Sure! Okay well think of your happiest memory."

"Okay. Let me think. All right I've got one."

"Now focus your entire mind on that memory. When you're completely focused, point your wand at the center of the room and say 'Expecto Patronum.'"

Lawrence closed his eyes for a minute or so, then pulled out his 13" wand, Oak with a dragon heartstring core.. "Expecto Patronum." A silver wisp emerged from his wand. "Expecto Patronum!" The silver wisp started to make the outline of a shape. "Expecto Patronum!" The silver wand shot almost like fireworks, then went out.

Alice giggled. "What were you thinking of?"

"The Sorting Ceremony of my first year."

"Oh that is a happy memory. I just experienced mine." They both smiled. "That thought seems strong enough. Perhaps you just need to focus on a more specific aspect of that memory."

"Perhaps you are correct. Shall I try again?"

Alice yawned. "I don't think so. Classes start tomorrow and it's nearly midnight. I'm going up to the dormitory. I think the other girls will still be up, except for possibly Rose."

"All right. Good night!"

"Good night."

The two walked into their separate dormitories, Alice having to climb a set of stair to arrive in her destination, the first-year Ravenclaw girls' dormitory.

Alice was astonished. The room was painted navy, and the ceiling was enchanted like the ceiling in the Great Hall. It looked as if there were no roof at all. There were three four-posters lining two opposing walls. They were made of dark, rich mahogany. The bed spread was cerulean, and the sheets were indigo. Each bed had a sky blue canopy, with clouds hovering around them.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a girl called, sitting on the bed.

"Indeed. It's amazing. What's your name?" Alice answered.

"Erica Matthews." She smiled. "Yours?"

"Alistasia Laceland. You may call me Alice though." She looked around. Nearly all the girls were still awake. "What have you all been doing.?"

"First-tell me if you like the color pink or purple better, and which shade."

"Why does that matter?" Alice asked, confused, yet enjoying herself.

"C'mon answer!" Another girl pleaded.

"All right. Purple," Alicestasia said with a huge grin. "Medium-ish, dark-ish purple."

"All right. We've been playing with these. She reached down and picked cage up off the floor. It was filled with what looked like colored cotton balls. She opened the cage and took out a medium-ish, dark-ish purple one. "Here you go," she said, handing Alice the cotton ball.

Inspecting it more closely, Alice realized it had eyes. It was a tiny puff skein! "These are adorable! What are they called?"

"Pygmy Puffs! Fred and George Weasley invented them."

"Pygmy Puffs," Alice repeated. "How fascinating! How did you get them?"

" George and Ron Weasley now own Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and they opened a branch in Hogsmede where Zonko's used to be. My family lives in Hogsmede so I bought them before school.. My sister, Evangeline, is a fourth year. Because she's a fourth year, she's permitted to travel to Hogsmede on certain weekends. She can get us whatever we want! Though, I'd expect she'd want payment."

"Yes, that would be expected." Alice looked around the room, still taking in the sea of blue around her. I suppose I should get some rest. With classes starting tomorrow, I'm going to need all the rest I can possibly gain." Alice quickly changed into her pajamas and slid into a four poster between the already asleep Rose, and Erica. As soon as she closed her eyes, she had fallen asleep.