As the steam's whistles blow up and down, Nancy Gould walked along the carriage, passing by compartments full of students her age, around eleven-years-old and older, popping out and meeting their mates. Nancy was a quiet little girl, small, pale and thin, with a mass of voluminous curly dark brown hair. Under her bangs, two big eyes with long thick eyelashes like a curtain that turned her eyes even darker. In the middle of the crowd of students she was relieved to see that she wasn't the only one who was already fully dressed in Hogwarts robes. She dodged a flying paper swan that hoovered over her head, followed by three kids that ran past her. She didn't know anyone, since it was her first year going to school. She walked slowly followed by her pet kneazle looking around shyly but with curiosity. She stopped in front of an open compartment where three kids her age talked. Nancy prospected if she should invite herself in, but soon as the pretty blond girl with braids of the group noticed her and they all stared her, she gave up instantly and move on. She was not good talking with strangers. She decided go as far as she could and just find an empty compartment, so she didn't have to talk to anyone at all. She didn't find an empty place, so she set for one where there was a single boy sitting by the window.

"Hi. Can I… sit here?"

The boy nodded. She didn't greet nor said anything and sat on the cushioned corner across him, because she also wanted to stay by the window, determined not to miss a moment of the view even if it was uncomfortable being near a boy. Prowler, her kneazle, jumped on the seat and sat gracefully still besides Nancy. The boy didn't say anything and just peered up with suspicion. He was a dark-skinned boy, with brown hair slicked back, sharp brown eyes and rather pointed features. Nancy tried to keep herself occupied and refrain to stare at him much. She did that often when she was lost in thought, she is quite prone to day-dreaming. Her eyes could be fixed on the floor, or on someone, but she did not see it— her sight normally turned in, gone down into her heart: looking at a memory or something from her imagination, not at what is really present. Most of the time she didn't notice other people at all. But she learned people don't liked to feel like being stared at. From inside her cape, she picked up a treat to Prowler that gently eat from her hand. Suddenly, the door of the compartment slid open with a bang, scaring both Nancy and Prowler, that gave a little jump where he was. A boy around the same age as them, with light brown skin and short kinky hair, wearing a purple scarf of a quidditch team that Nancy didn't recognize, came in a rush.

"I almost got late! Anyone sitting there?" he asked them in a hasty way and they only shook their heads.

"Good!" He sat beside Talbott and across Nancy, wiping the sweat that was glittering his forehead. "I had to come running because it took a while to find my ticket. It was inside one of my shoes. I'm Andre Egwu by the way. What are your names?" He asked, cheerfully.

"I'm Nancy. Nancy Gould." She shook hands with Andre.

"…Talbott Winger." The other boy said, but he didn't move a muscle.

"What a strange cat." Andre looked at Prowler sitting elegantly beside Nancy. It was a rare looking feline, much larger than a domestic cat, with long pointy ears as a lynx and a thin tail with a brush of fur at the end like a lion's. His fur was goldish brown and his eyes big and blue.

"It's a kneazle." she said. "His name is Prowler and he is very well behaved. Do you want to pet him?"

Andre nods and lean forward to caress the pet with much enthusiasm. The animal didn't move and just looked around with a lazy and uninterested expression in his eyes.

"His fur is so soft! I wish I had a pet, but if I had to choose between having a pet or having a broomstick, I would choose the broom. I love quidditch! My favourite team is the Pride of Portree" He showed the scarf. "They are the best! Do any of you like quidditch?" He asked them.

Talbott shook his head, emotionless. And Nancy shrugged, smiling weakly, but also shaking her head in denial. As she didn't want to disappoint him, but also didn't want to lie about her tastes. He did look a bit dispirited.

"That is a pity. Is the coolest thing in the world to me! I can wait to be at Hogwarts and be sorted to a house with a great team. Like Gryffindor, I heard they are the best! But I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad."

Nancy noticed that Andre was the type that liked to talks lots, regardless of whether people followed his conversation. Much to her own surprise, she was enjoying herself. Like most quiet folks she liked talkative people when they were willing to do the talking themselves and did not expect her to keep up her end of it. But she had never expected to enjoy the company of a boy.

"Know what house you'll be in yet?" Andre asked both.

"Unfortunately, no.," said Nancy. She sincerely had no idea. Her parents were from different houses and they were people essentially different from her.

Talbott just shrugged.

"I guess any house is fine, except from Slytherin, I wouldn't want to be a Slytherin after all that happened. Oh! I hope I did not offend any of you, by saying this."

"It's okay. I share the same opinion." Talbott said.

Talbott had a clear, emotionless and mature voice that made Nancy think about her father. They were nothing alike, but they had an air of mystery that was quite similar. A feeling closer to apprehension. She clutched her robes trying to shook off the disturbing thoughts.

They heard a clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything of the trolley, dears?"

Talbott got up instantly, surprising both her and Andre. He walked steadily to the cart and looked expressionless at the mountain of sweets, choosing carefully. He ended up buying a whole lot of different sweets. Nancy and Andre stared him as he brought it all back into the compartment and tipped it on to his lap. He must love sweets, Nancy thought to herself. She also had a sweet tooth and that common trace made her feel less uncomfortable.

Talbott could be quiet but clearly had manners. He offered his sweets which Nancy refused out of politeness, but Andre had no complaints and picked up two chocolate frogs with much enthusiasm and encouraged Nancy to choose one.

"Thanks, I'm good!" she said.

"Come on! Pick one."

Feeling herself getting red to her ears she ended up accepting, it felt not cool to refuse a third time. She decided on a Bertie Bott's Beans, since it was rather modest, but she regretted immediately. She caught pepper flavour. Her mouth caught fire. She grimaced and tears rolled down her face. Andre laughed too hard and even Talbott couldn't help but cover his mouth with his hand to supress a laugh. Not that Nancy noticed him in the state of pain she was.

"That was too bad, you even cried!" Andre laughed more.

Andre gave his other chocolate frog to Nancy, so she could forget the bad taste.

"That is why I'm not a big fan of Bertie Bott's. I have a sister that loves them, but she always manages to give me the worst ones. Anyone of you have siblings?"

They both deny it.

"How lucky. Siblings can be very annoying sometimes."

"I think I would like to have a sister or brother." Nancy quietly said.

"Hm, that's because you don't have them." He answered with his mouth full of chocolate.

It was a good train ride followed by eating sweets and conversations, more through Andre's words than the others. After hours a voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Andre got up and went to the door, Nancy went right behind him. Talbott, however, didn't move and they looked at him.

"Aren't you coming?" Andre asked him.

Talbott just raised an eyebrow as if he knew something they didn't. It didn't take long for them to find out what it was. They peered over the corridor and saw that it was crowded with children pushing each other. To wait like this was a good decision. They sat down and let everyone pass first. It would be better even for Nancy not to lose Prowler, anyway.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. Students pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. The trio was the last first years to go down. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and they heard a husky voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"

It was a very big man with hairy face that led the crowd of students out of the platform to a narrow path between the trees. Until the path opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake where a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore.

"No more'n four to a boat!" The man called. Prowler, that hated water, clutched Nancy's robes with his claws and climbed on to her shoulders where he lay comfortably after she sat on the boat with Andre and Talbott, followed by a beautiful pale girl with silver hair that shone like the full moon.

"Everyone in?" he shouted. The man was so big that had one boat all to himself. "Right then — FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, there was a vast castle with many turrets and towers, its windows sparkling in the starry sky. Everyone let out a surprised "Oooooooh!" not even Nancy could contain her excited smile as she looked. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour.

"Oy, yeh there!" The big man was talking to Nancy. "How 'bout I keep yer pet for a while, just 'til the banquet ends. Is that alright for yeh?"

She nodded smiling weakly. She had imagined that she couldn't take Prowler everywhere. But she found that giant man strangely kind. She took the kneazle off her shoulders and placed him on the floor. Kneazles are smart animals, he understood that he shouldn't follow her any longer, but wait patiently for her. Then everyone clambered up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

"Everyone here? Alright!"

He raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door. The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said the man.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. There was of hundreds of voices coming from behind the big doors, the rest of the school must already be there — but Professor McGonagall led the first years at the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "Shortly, you will pass through these doors and the start-of-term banquet will begin, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you are here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking you will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup. 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 shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." And she left.

There were a few whispers on the hall.

"Did you know that there is a Levesque in our year?"

"No kidding?"

"It's Jacob's sister."

"I hope not to be sorted the same house as she."

Levesque, huh? Nancy tried to comb in her memories where she had heard that name before, soon her eyes were fixated on the doors, she became lost in thought until she saw a girl with dark brown skin and curly hair updo with a green headband, wearing big round glasses. She recognized that girl at once. It was Liz, her childhood friend. The girl was always around by her parent's shop and they played much together, interacting with the many creatures available in the shop. It had been so long since they last saw each other, ever since the shop closed. Nancy walked carefully until she was just beside her.

"Liz?" She called feeling a bit insecure.

The girl turned to Nancy and to her relief she showed a big smile on her face.

"Nancy! Good to see you again."

They hugged each other. Nancy was a bit stiffly.

"That's brilliant! We can go to classes together." Nancy said.

Liz showed a sad expression.

"Oh… I don't know, Nancy. I think we may end up in different houses."

But Nancy didn't believe that. They were far too similar for ending up in different houses. They were the best friends for a very long time. They should be in the same house. But she couldn't say anything. Professor McGonagall had returned.

"We are ready now. Follow me."