AN

I am so sorry for not updating sooner! I feel hypocritical because I really don't like waiting for stories and here I am months later. Anyways, I had writers block but fortunately I managed to get rid of it. So here we go…the second chapter!

The Great Hall was abuzz with noise as all the returning students were waiting impatiently for the first years to come in and be sorted. Most were staring impatiently at their plates, trying to will the food onto them sooner, whereas some were quietly chatting with their friends about their summers. Almost unexpectedly, the main doors burst open to reveal a strict looking professor clad in crisp black robes and sporting a tight black bun streaked with a bit of grey, as well as a large group of first year students who were looking around nervously.

However, not all of these new students were worried, in fact there seemed to be five that appeared to not have a care in the world. Not only were all five of them dripping wet, but they were all giggling with mirth while the other students looked at them with apprehension. The strict looking professor, who happened to be Professor McGonagall pursed her lips in annoyance before walking up to the head table to stand beside a stool that housed a ratty looking hat and a piece of parchment. As the older students looked at the hat expectantly, the new students were surprised to see the hat open by the seam and sing,

*"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can top them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a steady mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

While most of the students clapped politely for the sorting hat's song, some of the younger students just looked at it in awe, while the five dripping first years all yelled out in unison, "BLOODY HELL THAT'S AWESOME!" Professor McGonagall gave the quintet a withering look before yelling out, "Andrews, Tina!" a small shy looking blonde girl timidly walked up to the stool and sat down as McGonagall placed the hat on her head, almost immediately the hat announced, "Hufflepuff". The girl scampered off to the appropriate table as the stern looking woman yelled out yet another name.

Things continued in quite the same fashion until she called out, "Black, Sirius" The quiet murmur that was in the hall before stopped completely. Everyone was looking at this young boy expectantly. The Slytherins were waiting to gain another member, while everyone else was waiting for yet another Black to be sorted into Slytherin. The soaking boy slowly made his way up to the stool and glanced nervously at his newfound friends. Everyone watched as the boy sat down and scrunched up his face as the hat was placed upon his head. He sat there for a bit and for a while he looked dejected until his face transformed into a look of utter joy and triumph just as the hat yelled out, "Gryffindor!" The entire hall froze in shock for a moment before triumphant yells came from the Gryffindor table as the Slytherins kept gaping at the young boy. Sirius smirked and walked over to his new house table.

The Hall calmed down soon, and the sorting continued. Soon enough the stern professor called "Carvelle, Hermione". Now this just so happened to be another one of the students who, for some reason, was soaking wet. As Hermione flounced up to the stool, she looked up at McGonagall and grinned before she plopped herself down on the stool to wait for her sorting. As soon as the hat was placed upon her head she heard an amused chuckle.

"Ah Miss Carvelle, how did you manage to soak yourself when it is not raining outside?" asked the sorting hat.

"Well Mr. Hat, me and my friends didn't want to split up four to a boat, there's five of us you see," Hermione explained, "and so we all went in one, but when we got halfway across Sirius said he saw something in the water so we all went to look and then the boat tipped. We could've gotten back in the boat, but the water was really nice so we all decided to swim the rest of the way."

"Well now that sounds very interesting," the sorting hat replied, "but it is now time to sort you. Let's see, hmmm. Well now you're quite hard working, but that is not your main quality. Cunning and intelligent you may be, but you my dear have much more to you than that. Better be,"

GRYFFINDOR! The hat yelled as Hermione took it off her head and put it back on the stool. The Gryffindor table clapped and cheered for their new housemate, while Sirius let out a joyful whoop as Hermione made her way beside him. Sirius and Hermione gave each other a high five as they waited impatiently for the rest of their friends to be sorted. Eventually Remus, Peter and James were all sorted, and each of them had made their way into Gryffindor along with their friends.

Once the sorting was complete an aged wizard with a long white beard and purple and yellow plaid robes stood up and announced, "Welcome to Hogwarts one and all, I am Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of this fine establishment. Now I am not done speaking for the night, but I suspect you are all impatient for food, so my words of wisdom can be saved for later, except for these two; dig in."

And at that mountains of food appeared on each table and the students gladly dished food onto their plates. As Dumbledore sat down, he glanced at his friend and colleague Minerva McGonagall and saw that she looked decidedly confused. Albus commented on this to her and was amused at her answer of, "I can't decide whether to be excited about that quintet or horrified. Mark my words, they are going to be brilliant, but I can already tell that the headaches that they cause are going to be legendary." Dumbledore chuckled at this, and his eyes twinkled merrily. These seven years were going to be interesting.

*I could not for the life of me think of a decent sorting song so I took this one from The Philosopher's Stone.

P.S. I really do like reviews…hint hint, nudge nudge, wink wink