Chapter 4

The day was here. The opening day of the school.

Rowena stood waiting anxiously by the window overlooking the lake as the night descended around the now brightly lit castle. So focused was she was on gazing there, waiting for the boats that would transport their first students ever to appear, that she didn't notice Godric stepping up beside her until he put one hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Stop worrying," he said, as if he could read her mind. "They're going to get here safely. And then your dream will finally come true."

Rowena looked at him with so much emotion in her eyes, Godric almost wanted to hug her. But he didn't, because he was always afraid of crossing the line with her that way. "I just want this to be perfect. I need this to be perfect."

"I know," Godric reassured her. "And it will. We'll be the best school exactly as we've wanted us to be. That is, if the Giant Squid doesn't eat the students before they get here—Ouch!" he rubbed his arm where Rowena had smacked her playfully, though he was glad he'd managed to elicit a smile from her and see her shoulders relaxing.

"Oh my gosh," Rowena said suddenly, her attention turning back toward the lake. Lights had begun dotting the dark waters, lights that were moving slowly toward the castle. "They're here! They're here, Godric!" That was the closest she'd ever come to actually jumping up and down in excitement. Godric gave her his finest grin.

"Let us alert the others to be ready. Do you want to be the one who welcomes them?" he asked gently.

Rowena's eyes shone as bright as the stars on the night sky. "Yes. Yes, I would like that very much."

Godric squeezed her hand in support, then left to tell the others the students were arriving. As she made her way downstairs to the Front Hall, Rowena thought back to the last few weeks that had passed in a flurry of activities.

First they had gathered all known eleven-year-old witches or wizards from their vast connections to the other wizarding families and sent them an invitation letter to attend the school.

After that they had received many queries from the surprised parents about the newly reopened school—naturally concerned about the safety of sending so many young witches and wizards into one place—and the four friends had spent quite some time assuring those parents that not only was Hogwarts safe from Muggles' prying eyes, but also their kids would be well looked after while they were there. They would also be receiving the best education on magic—something no other child in Britain had had the luxury of until today. The founders had taken great care to put many protection and concealing spells around the school, knowing they'd accepted a big responsibility by inviting all the children there.

And they were sure the place was as safe as it could be now. Finally, tonight, the first ever students were here, and as Rowena stood on the stairs above the docks where they would be disembarking, she clasped her hands in front of her and tried to look like the self-assured teacher she needed to be in front of the children. The sight of them alone already made her nervous, but she let none of it show.

Eventually they all gathered in front of her, looking up at her with curious, slightly afraid expressions. Rowena gave them a small smile. "Welcome, the first students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Consider yourself very lucky because today you will get an opportunity that none of you had before now. You've got the chance to study in this country's first and best wizarding school. From now on, you shall embark on a magical and educative journey."

A student near the front raised her hand. "Pardon me, ma'am, but how can this school be the best if it's the only one in the country?"

Rowena had to suppress a laugh. "Clever one, you are. I would bet that you're in my house. You are quite right, of course. We shall not claim that yet, even though I believe we will be the best. Please call me Professor Ravenclaw, and if you may, follow me now. It's about time you see the school where you'll hopefully spend the next seven years studying in."

She turned and climbed the stairs, listening to the sound of the students shuffling behind her. Rowena paused as she stood before the doors that led to the Entrance Hall. Then, with a deep breath, she pushed it open, revealing the first glimpse of the interior of the now transformed old castle.

She could hear murmurs of admiration from the students as she led them inside, and it grew even more as she proceeded into the brightly lit Great Hall. Candles were floating above the tables instead of sitting on them, and the ceiling was as dark and dotted with stars as the actual sky above. She could hear the sounds of excitement behind her and couldn't contain her own enthusiasm.

All the professors along with her three best friends already sat on the teachers' table, and they all looked as anxious and thrilled as everyone else. Rowena moved toward Godric, who was holding a long piece of parchment in his hands. "Would you do the honors?" she asked him, and he nodded with a grin.

"Students," he said as he stepped forward to the center of the room. "When you accepted our invitation to join our school, you have been asked to send us a little essay telling us about yourself. There is a reason for this." He paused as he looked at the faces of the little boys and girls. "While you're here, you will be sorted into four different houses. Each house champions a different trait in its students, and which house you will end up in depends on which of those traits you possess."

The students perked up at this, having only heard it for the first time. They began to murmur speculations among themselves, some panicking about being separated from their friends. Godric raised his hand to calm them down. "Now, we have read all of your essays, and we have decided where you all belong. I will begin calling your name and telling you which house you're in. Once your name has been called, please step forward and take your place in one of the four tables in front of you. The order from my left to my right is Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and finally Slytherin. Now, shall we begin?"

And so the first sorting ceremony was conducted. It took quite a while going through all the names, and at some point Salazar had to take over because Godric needed some water, but eventually all the students were sorted and were filling all four tables. Rowena looked at them all in satisfaction. Sorting was definitely one of the trickier processes, because some students had traits from more than one house, but they managed to settle it eventually.

For now, though, dinner was served.

"That was utterly exhausting," Godric sighed as he fell onto his usual seat at the table in their private meeting room.

"Yes, but I think we can safely call the first day a success," Helga grinned.

"It's not a success until we finish educating them, but I agree," Rowena said.

"One thing, though," Salazar said as he sat down opposite Godric. "What happens when we're no longer around? Who will sort them into the houses? I don't think we can just pass down the job to the next professors. Eventually our legacy would change and they wouldn't be able to keep it straight anymore."

"That is a problem," Rowena admitted, suddenly realizing they never anticipated this. "I shall have to look at some spells…"

Suddenly Godric whipped his pointy hat off and put it on the table. "Let's use this!" he said, his eyes bright with an idea.

Salazar looked at it distastefully. "Your old hat? How is it supposed to help? It's not like it's got brains."

"So we put one in it!" Godric grinned. "Or rather, we put our brains in it." Helga gave him an alarmed look, and he quickly amended, "I mean, some part of our brains. Or our essence, or whatever the correct term is. That way the hat can continue sorting the students forever using the same old, unchanging criteria that belong to us. A hat can be passed down through the generations."

Rowena looked at him in surprise. "Godric… you really have your brilliant moments sometimes."

Godric bowed good-naturedly as Salazar rolled his eyes and Helga laughed in glee.