Dumbledore opened the door admitting them to the castle. Dismissing the groundskeeper he led the children to a small chamber just outside, what Kathryn assumed to be the main hall. Looking around she rolled her eyes at the screams of shock when the ghosts appeared, honestly did no one read their history books?

Looking over to where Tom stood she was amused to see he was already charming Malfoy. Having recognised his surname as when of the older wizarding families she had read about she wasn't surprised to see Tom also knew this. After all it wasn't hard to work out that the wizarding world was based on old families. If you had connections, you were sorted and that was what Tom was trying to do…make connections.

Dumbledore finally returned herding the children into the main hall where Kathryn tried not to let her awe for the celling seep through. Forming a line she and Tom shared a look of horror at the sight of the old three legged stool that stood in the middle of the platform and to make matters worse they were supposed to try on that raggedy hat? It could give her lice! Malfoy caught her look, leaning in close he whispered, "Every year the board of governors try and have Dippet replace that stool and repair the hat but each year he refuses…something about them having character." Kathryn shuddered, the items could have all the character in the world but she would prefer if that they were clean however relief flooded her as she remembered she would only have to put that hat on briefly.

Once all the first years were in the hall every eye turned towards the hat obviously waiting for something, Kathryn jumped as it burst into song causing the oily haired boy next to her to snicker. She glared at him making him shut up instantly.

Once the dreadful singing had finished professor Dippet came forwards and began to announce names, when it got to Malfoy Abraxas the hat screamed Slytherin before it even sat on his head properly. Shooting a told you so look at Tom, Abraxas went to go sit down at the Slytherin table.

The crowd of first years began to thin out as Tom edged his way back towards were Kathryn was standing, "Kat," he hissed, "Even if we get different houses we'll stick together…yeah?" A slight hint of worry had entered his voice and Kathryn was surprised to see him looking ever so slightly vulnerable. "Yes," she murmured, "Of course," She opened her mouth to say more before being interrupted by Dippet calling out Tom's name. Shooting Tom a reassuring smile she mouthed good luck before watching him proudly walk to the stool.

Tom gulped nervously as he approached the hat. Outwardly he knew he was showing nothing but inwardly he was a mess of emotions. Nerves bubbled up inside him which he promptly squashed before sitting down on the stool. Ahhhhh now what do we have here? The hat asked nearly causing Tom to flinch before remembering hundreds of people were watching them, a keen mind I see and cunning too. I think the best house for you would be SLYTHERIN! The hat shouted out the last part causing a grin to erupt onto Tom's face. Walking over to the Slytherin table he sat next to Malfoy who had made space for him.

Kathryn waited until she was left with a red haired boy and an extremely beautiful girl as if feeling her stare the girl looked up before smiling, "Christina Zabini," she introduced herself watching disinterestedly as the red head made his way to the stool, "Kathryn Winters," Kathryn replied watching as the hat called GRYFINDOOR, Dumbledore waited until the clapping died down at the Gryffindor table before announcing Kathryn's name, "Guess that's my cue," she mumbled to Zabini. Zabini nodded before whispering a faint good luck.

Kathryn walked forwards her heart beat so loud she was sure Tom could hear it all the way from the Slytherin table. Gracefully sitting down she tried not to think about all the head lice that could be infecting her as the hat was gently placed on her head.
Miss Winters I believe, I've heard all about you from your friend Tom.
Yay for you Kathryn thought sarcastically are you going to do your job and sort me?
Yes, yes, it's just difficult and your mind is very interesting it's almost like something is blocking me…
HAT Kathryn thought exasperated Hurry. Up. I just want to go and join Tom.
Who said you're going to join him? The hat asked causing dread to shoot through Kathryn You will do very well in RAVENCLAW!

For a second Kathryn was in a state of shock before propelling herself into movement. Getting up she went down to join the blue house refusing to meet Tom's eyes. Kathryn had banked on her and Tom being together and now they weren't she suddenly she felt lost and empty inside. Seating herself next to another first year she was so deep in self-pity she didn't realise Zabini was walking up next to her till she got prodded.

"Budge up," Zabini ordered prodding her again, Kathryn quickly moved up ignoring the curses from the other first year she had shoved. Zabini opened her mouth to say something again just as Dippet started to speak, shutting it again the two first years swivelled their eyes to the headmaster. "Welcome all to a new year at Hogwarts, now before we begin may I remind students that magic in the corridors is not allowed, each student with the exception of prefects must be in their houses before curfew, registration is at,"
"Oi, Winters," hissed Zabini as Dippet droned on about rules, when that didn't get a response, Zabini prodded the other girl again, "Winters!" she tried for a second time.

"Ow, what?" Came the response, Zabini smirked for a second before,
"There's a boy staring at you," Kathryn grimaced,
"Black hair, good looking?"
"Huhuh,"
"That's Tom, he's my friend."
"Yes I know," Kathryn looked at her, "I was listening in on his and Malfoy's conversation in the entrance hall," she admitted causing Kathryn to laugh softly, "What?" Asked Zabini indignantly, "If I was to be sorted into Slytherin I needed to know who the main players were in our year. The Malfoys are always candidates and anyone who catches their attention like Tom did is also a potential candidate."
"Riddle." Corrected Kathryn absentmindedly her main attention still on Dippet's speech. Zabini shot her a look. "He heats being called Tom," Kathryn told her before applauding with the rest of the hall. Zabini bit back the obvious retort that Kathryn had called him Tom not only 30 seconds earlier.

"Thank god that speech is over, I thought I was going to die of hunger." Zabini muttered before helping herself to the food. "You never answered my question."
"You never asked a question," came the honest response,
"Fine." Zabini said impatiently "Why is Riddle staring at you?"
"I don't know, why don't you ask him," Came the irritated reply. Zabini made to stand up before Kathryn yanked her back down, "I wasn't being serious!" She hissed. Zabini raised an eyebrow. Kathryn sighed before whirling round to meet Tom's eyes, there was no anger in them about her being sorted into another house, just questions. Mouthing the word tomorrow to him, he nodded before turning his full attention back to the Slytherin table.

"So," Kathryn started up, "Did you know that Ravenclaw's ghost is a descendent of Rowena Ravenclaw herself," she said changing the topic, Zabini got the hint and replied almost instantly,
"Yes, it tells you in A History of Hogwarts by Charles Skinner, what subject you looking forward to?"

Across the hall Tom returned his eyes back to his meal glad that Kat had finally stopped ignoring him. When he was honest with himself it wasn't that big of a surprise that Kat was in Ravenclaw, actually deep down he had always know it would probably happen, after all she read more books then him and that was impressive.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts he zoned into the conversation the oily haired boy who identified himself as Prince and Malfoy were having, the structure of the hierarchy in Slytherin. The lower rankings in the hierarchy which included mostly first and second years was by the teachers table, due to the long walk from the entrance hall doors and the chance that a teacher may over hear their conversation while the higher rankings sat near the entrance hall doors, minimising the walk and distancing themselves away from teachers.

Already Malfoy would be able to sit in the middle of the table due to his sister, Elizabeth being the Slytherin head of house, from what Tom could gather she had beaten the previous head of house in her fifth year and despite several duels two years later she was still at the top.

Opposite her sat her second in command Alphard Black. A scrawny fifth year who didn't look like much but had enough knowledge of dark spells that even Elizabeth didn't like taking him on in a duel. A worthy person to know.

"What about you Riddle?" Malfoy asked interrupting Tom's thought process, "Which one of your parents was the mudblood?"
"'Brax!" Prince hissed, ashamed at his friends bluntness.
"Shove it Prince, it's not like you didn't wanted to know to," Prince cast his eyes down looking ashamed. Tom bit his lip, his mind working as fast as possible.
"My father," he said quickly making a decision. After all if his mum was a witch then she wouldn't have died before deciding to quickly change the topic, "Whose the head of Slytherin?" He asked.

"The slightly fat one, his name is professor Slughorn. He's a potion master, I've heard he's like a puppet master… Never stepping in the light but always behind the scenes making connections with students who he think might be worth something when their older." Prince explained.
"So he's well connected?" Asked Tom, his eyes gleaming.
"Very." Malfoy inputted.

"Huh," Came Toms reply, and whatever he was going to say next was interrupted by Dippet standing up.
"Now you're all fed let me go over some rules,"
"Didn't he do them before we ate?" Malfoy asked confused,
"Apparently not," Tom said laughing,
"What?" Prince asked
"It seems no matter where you are there are there always rules and more rules that you need to follow." Both Malfoy and Prince smiled at that,
"Yeah," Prince agreed "It seems so."

The three first years fell into silence as Dippet finished his speech. Only for their attention to be captured by Alphard Black. "First years, follow me." He commanded, no one moved "Anytime now would be great." Black said impatiently. There was a flurry of activity as the first years all followed him.

"The Slytherin dormitories are located in the dungeons," Black explain striding down the corridor "the password to gain entrance to them changes monthly. If you want to bring someone from another house into our common room then you'll have to check with your year representative." Black sighed already anticipating the question, "Your year representative is initially voted on at the start of the year but this can change throughout the year through duels. Our entrance is here," He said pointing to the wall, "anguis," He said clearly.

"Anguis?" Prince muttered,
"It means Snake in Latin," Tom informed him. Prince looked at him surprised then followed the rest of the first years into the dormitories as Black handed them off to the female Malfoy.

"Alright first years!" Elizabeth addressed them, "A few simple rules before we begin." Prince and Tom shared an amused look, "1. No boys in girls rooms, 2. Matters stay in house and 3. If you break the rules don't get caught. Ok? In first year you all shared a room but second year and higher you only need to share one with another person. The girls dormitories are up the stairs and on the right, boys down the stairs and on the left. Have fun in Slytherin." Elizabeth grinned before leaving them.
"Should we check out the dormitory?" Asked Malfoy, getting two affirmative nods.

Across the castle Kathryn stared at the brass door handle. "So its meant to give us a riddle and if we get it right we can and enter what happens if we get it wrong?" She asked,
"You wait till someone can get it right," The perfect whose name Kathryn recalled as Jessie Mason told her.
"Well that's stupid," She declared, "Riddles don't really test your knowledge do they?"
"What don't think you can get it right firstie?" Mason taunted her. Kathryn scowled already hating this fifth year prefect
"I didn't say that did I?" She demand. Before inwardly cursing herself one day she told herself this pride was going to get her into trouble.

Striding up to the door past Mason who she glared at then lifted the knocker, "What occurs once in a minute, twice in a moment and never in one thousand years?" The door handle asked
Kathryn though for a moment before smirking slightly, "Is that the best you can do?" She asked the door handle. "It's the letter M."
"Quite right dear," The door agreed before swinging to admit her to the common room. Shooting a triumphant look at Mason she walked in leading the other first years.

Mason growled before biting out, "Meet back here at 7.30 am I'll take you down to breakfast so you don't get lost like a Gryffindor, you share you room with one other but you can't change your mind in the middle of the year so choose wisely alright? And yes you have to room with someone of the same gender as you," she said sighing as a brown hair boy moved towards the girls. Girls dormitories up the stairs on the left, boys just follow that corridor," She pointed before walking away.

"I can already tell she's going to be a barrel of laughs," murmured Kathryn before turning to Zabini, who was sniggering "Wanna be roommates Zabini?"
"I was wondering when you were going to ask," Came the response, "You seem more interesting than the rest of these losers," she said motioning to the rest of the first year Ravenclaws. But if we're rooming you should probably call me Tina."
"Tina?"
"Yeah I hate the name Christina,"
"I think it's pretty," Tina grimaced, "And Kat,"
"Hmm?"
"Kat, short for Kathryn. I find Kathryn too long to pronounce,"
"Alright Kat, let's go find ourselves a room."