"Firs' years, follow me! Over here now, don't be shy." The great booming voice brought a smile to Teddy's face as he, Julia, Winnie and Oliver trouped toward the towering man, standing a good three feet above the other heads around him.

"Ooh, I can't wait!" Winnie said, jumping up and down excitedly. "My older sister Freida said that the food is really good, and the beds are really comfy..." her face suddenly took on a more nervous look, "and that the squid that lives in the lake always chooses one first year for its dinner, that's why we cross on the pond instead of in the ghost carriages..."

Oliver's eyes widened. "Forget this, I'll take the ghost carriages any day."

"...But I bet she was just saying that to get me out of her room. She and her boyfriend seemed sort of involved, I probably shouldn't have walked in on her in the first place."

All the same, Oliver turned on his heel and started to follow the rest of the students in the opposite direction. Winnie and Teddy both held onto the back of his robes to stop him from going very far.

"Oi, you lot in the back... wha's goin' on? Yeh're holdin' up the whole works, we got to get you across the pond an'--" the voice stopped short as he saw who it was holding onto Oliver. "Teddy! Good ter see yeh, Teddy, good ter see yeh."

"You too, Hagrid," Teddy said, smiling in his lop-sided way. "Sorry about the delay... we're just trying to stop Oliver from making a mad dash for it." But as Teddy spoke, Oliver had stopped trying to run in favour of staring at Hagrid with fascination.

"Ah, already made friends, have yeh? Knew yeh would," Hagrid said with a smile, but looked behind him somewhat nervously at the final two boats, both of which were fighting to get free of their tethers. "Listen, I've got to get you lot up to the castle, but come down for tea on Friday, won't yeh?"

"Sounds great," Teddy said. "See you then, Hagrid." The four of them piled into one of the boats, Oliver somewhat nervously. Hagrid squeezed into the last and addressed all the other boats, which were floating expectantly metres away, waiting for instructions.

"Ready... HO!" Hagrid shouted, and the boats all turned toward the towering castle, which Teddy just noticed for the first time. It was monumental; even in his wildest dreams, Teddy hadn't imagined the castle to be of such superfluous size. As the first years drifted toward the school, they could hear the laughter of the older students, heading up in their carriages. Teddy glanced over at Oliver and saw him looking wistfully at those who had been allowed to get to the school on solid ground. He thankfully remained distracted, for moments later, a giant tentacle rose in the air and swayed back and forth. Many kids took this as a wave and laughed. The tentacle withdrew beneath the surface just as Oliver broke out of his reverie.

"What? What's funny?" Oliver asked.

The other three in the boat looked at each other and silently decided not to say anything. "Didn't hear," Winnie said offhandedly. "Someone must've said something near the front."

"Heads down!" Hagrid shouted from behind them, and Teddy noticed those at the front of the procession duck out of the way of overhanging ivy. They seemed to disappear into the cliff upon which Hogwarts stood. The four of them ducked as they approached as well, and found themselves floating down an underground stream. Their boat turned a corner and they could see the other boats docking, one by one, upon a rocky shore. Theirs joined the rest, and Hagrid jumped out in front of the crowd. "Follow the light!" he shouted, and he carried a lantern high above everyone's heads, leading them up a passageway which soon led to the castle grounds and a nearby staircase. The first years huddled closely around one another as Hagrid reached a large wooden door and, after counting heads, knocked mightily.

The door creaked open. Teddy waited to see someone on the other side, but it seemed to have opened of its own accord. Teddy heard some of the kids behind him break into a babble, launching into theories on whether one of the famous Hogwarts' ghosts had opened the door.

"The firs' years, Professor Flitwick," Hagrid said, crouching down very low to hand the lantern to someone.

"Thank you, Hagrid," came a squeaky voice from the front of the crowd. Teddy stood on tiptoes and was finally able to see Professor Flitwick's head, which was at a lower level than that of some of the first years. Hagrid stepped aside and Professor Flitwick rocked backwards and forwards on his feet for a moment, apparently amused at the sight of the students in front of him. "All right, then. Follow me," he said finally, leading them in a trail through the Entrance Hall and off to a door to the right.

Teddy looked left just before they entered the room and saw hundreds of students sitting around large tables, chatting amongst themselves and drinking out of large, golden goblets. He was ushered into the room before he could get a better look inside.

"Well, well, welcome to Hogwarts," Flitwick squeaked, standing on top of a podium set up at the front of the room. "I imagine you're all fairly hungry, what with all these new sights to take in. The banquet will start shortly, but you will be sorted into your houses before that happens. The four houses of Hogwarts, which you will learn all about in History of Magic, are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin..."

Winnie leaned toward Teddy as Flitwick spoke. "I do hope I'm in Gryffindor," she whispered nervously.

Teddy squirmed in his seat. He wasn't nearly as nervous as he imagined most of the other people in the room were, as he knew what to expect, but he'd been thinking a lot about the houses over the past month. They all had their pros and cons, but Teddy hoped desperately that he was in Gryffindor, too. "What house is your sister in?" he asked Winnie in a whisper to keep his mind off his nerves.

"She's a Ravenclaw," Winnie responded, "like my mum. It wouldn't at all be bad, being in Ravenclaw, but I want to do something different. What about you, Julia?" Winnie whispered past Teddy.

Julia looked up nervously at Professor Flitwick before responding in a barely-audible whisper. "My parents were both Gryffindors, but I don't think I'm brave enough," she admitted, turning pink.

"Nonsense," Teddy said immediately, barely even thinking about his words. "You never know how brave you really are. You might surprise yourself." Julia looked surprised and pleased, grinning shyly at him before returning her attention to Professor Flitwick.

"That was nice," Winnie said, smiling. Teddy realized she thought he'd said it out of kindness rather than out of truth, but he noticed that Flitwick was finishing his speech and didn't respond.

"So, smarten yourselves up, I'll be back in a jiff!" he said enthusiastically before hurrying through the door and closing it behind him.

"Oh hell," Oliver muttered, placing his hands over his face. He wasn't the only one staving off panic mode; more than half of the students tightly packed into the chamber had expressions of horror etched on their faces. Teddy shrugged off his own nerves and stared at his feet, forcing thoughts of Quiddich into his mind.

"Teddy. Oi, Teddy. You in there?" Winnie pushed him playfully and brought him back to full attention.

"Sorry," he muttered. "What did you say?"

"We're wondering what your lineage is. What house do you think you'll be in?"

Teddy shrugged, keeping a mild expression on his face and continuing to stare at his shoes. "My dad was in Gryffindor, my mum in Hufflepuff, my grandmother in Ravenclaw and most of her family in Slytherin. Could be in any of them, really."

Winnie stared. "Oh. Well. Wow. That's... really unusual, isn't it? I mean, usually families stick to one or two houses."

Teddy shrugged. "I guess."

Winnie frowned at her new friend. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing."

"You went from happy-go-lucky to moody in ten seconds flat. What's got into you?"

"I..." he started, but caught sight of Winnie's face and stopped short. "I dunno. Just nervous I guess."

Winnie raised her eyebrows and shrugged, looking around at the other kids. She was the only one in the room that didn't seem nervous whatsoever.

Julia put a hand on Teddy's arm. "You're not your godfather, and you're not your parents," she reminded him quietly, so no one else could hear. "You're you. Anything can happen, including a nice, boring school year." She smiled at him and patted his hand somewhat awkwardly before turning away again. Teddy felt a rush of affection for his friend, who already seemed to understand him better than most people ever had.

Flitwick re-entered the room and led them back through the entrance hall and into the large room Teddy had caught a glimpse of before. Students stared as they all filed in; Teddy suddenly felt a lot smaller than he had back in the chamber. Even sitting down, a lot of the people staring at him were taller than he was. He took the moment to notice that he and Winnie were the smallest in their class. Winnie, however, didn't seem at all intimidated; if anything, she was standing taller than usual. Julia and Oliver were both shrinking slightly under the attention of the masses, but Oliver was distracted intermittently by the ceiling, which showed a clear night sky.

The first years stopped in front of the teacher's table, facing the four house tables in front of them. Professor Flitwick rushed forward and placed a stool in front of the rather long line of first years, rushed back, and placed an old pointed hat carefully on the stool. Teddy smiled as he saw a hole open along the brim, and heard the first notes of the Sorting Hat's song:

"I may appear to you to be
A rather shabby sight,
But, my dear, you'll see more if
You look with all your might.

"Sorting is what I do best,
And dears, I'm sure you'll find
That when you place me on your head,
I'll find your strengths in kind.

"Lately, battles I have seen,
Where life and death, they blend;
Hogwarts students fought and died,
And hearts that broke won't mend.

"But emphasis on strengths, they helped
To end the battles quick;
And in the end, school unity,
Got most through thin and thick.

"Although you live in separate homes,
You have a common goal;
The houses, distinct in their own ways,
Will show you each your role.

"Separate you are treasured, but
Together you are strong.
Remember that in times of stress; now,
Let's see where you belong."

The hat fell silent. Teddy glanced nervously around at the rest of the hall; students began applauding. He guessed that such a song was commonplace, for no one seemed to think that the hat's paranoia was out of place. Flitwick stepped forward moments later, procuring a roll of parchment and putting on a pair of small, round spectacles. "When I call your name, please step forward and try on the hat to be sorted," he squeaked hurriedly, clearing his throat before referencing the list. "Adeline, Monica!"

Monica rushed forward and placed the hat upon her head. She had barely put it on when it declared, "Hufflepuff!" Monica smiled with relief, replaced the hat on the stool, and scurried down to have her house greet her.

"Kind of an odd way to greet new students, isn't it?" Winnie said to Teddy under her breath as "Azteka, Helen" put on the hat. "'Loads of people have died here, but as long as you stick together, which might be a bit difficult since we're purposefully separating you, you'll probably be all right.' Charming."

Teddy didn't respond. He opted instead to watch Helen rush over to the Ravenclaw table with perhaps an attention a bit too rapt just to avoid continuing the conversation with Winnie. She took the hint and, raising her eyebrows, turned to talk calm into Oliver, who was muttering fervently to himself.

"Barnabb, Cameron" became a Ravenclaw, as did "Corbin, Trent" and "Cranich, Evan". The next three, "Ellory, Greta", "Ivor, David" and "Jones, Benjamin", all became Hufflepuffs.

"Hm," Teddy hummed in concentration, feeling his hair turn black almost of its own accord. "Josephson, Margaret" became a Ravenclaw before "Kennings, Isabel" was Sorted into Hufflepuff. Teddy suddenly felt very sure that something odd was going on; in ten students, no Gryffindors or Slytherins had been sorted. Now that Teddy looked a bit closer, the two outer tables looked a bit more sparse than did the middle two, where students were packed closely in.

"Kirkpatrick, Oliver!" Flitwick said, adjusting his spectacles that had been slipping down his nose. Oliver stood very abruptly and hastened forward, walking as though his legs wouldn't bend. Slowly, he sat down on the stool and placed the hat on his head.

Teddy waited and watched. The Hat took its time with Oliver; a full thirty seconds passed before the Hat drew breath and said, in a significantly less enthusiastic tone than it had taken previously, "Gryffindor."

The table at the far left of the hall nearly exploded with cheers. Oliver's limbs seemed to slacken as he replaced the hat on its stool and nearly sprinted to sit at the table, grinning broadly. Teddy, too, felt himself relax with the placement; at least now he knew it was possible to land in Gryffindor.

"Laverty, Kimberly" also sat on the stool for a good while; finally, the Hat proclaimed her rather dully to be in Slytherin. That table, too, seemed overenthusiastic in their greetings; they pounded loudly on the table with their goblets and started to chant her name. Kimberly handed the hat over to Timothy, her twin brother, who was also (eventually) sorted into Slytherin.

"Lupin, Theodore!" Flitwick squawked. Teddy jumped; he had forgotten that he still needed to be sorted in all his examination of the Hat's technique. He stood to find his knees rather shaky; he made it over to the stool, placed the hat upon his head, and took a deep breath.

Ah, the Hat's voice came. Son of Remus Lupin. My, he had a great mind. It was almost a shame not to have put him into Ravenclaw, but his courage outdid all his other attributes.

Why are you putting everyone into Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw? Teddy felt his thought resonate through the Hat, though he had not intended to ask any such thing. No sooner had he thought it did his hair turn red; he forced it back into a neutral colour so as not to arouse suspicion with the other students when he took off the Hat. He'd learned to keep his abilities more or less quiet in case he ever needed to disguise himself.

My dear boy, do not meddle in matters that don't concern you. There is a task at hand; we mustn't keep the others waiting. Teddy fought to argue, but found his thoughts drowned out by the Hat's speech. Now... ah, yes, you're a Black by--distant relation, and I wouldn't say you're particularly cunning, so Slytherin's out for you. And Hufflepuff... well, we cannot say that you're particularly loyal, can we? A shame, your mother made a wonderful Hufflepuff. You could be in Ravenclaw, but I don't think you'd suit the house terribly well. The Hat expanded and contracted around his head, and Teddy realized that it was its version of a sigh. Your father and your godfather both have obviously made an impression on you, rarely have I heard such cheek from a child your age. The Hat trailed off for a moment, as though it was searching for an excuse not to put Teddy into Gryffindor. I suppose there's no other option. So shall you be... "Gryffindor."

Teddy wrenched the Hat off his head and put it quickly down on the stool. Thrilled though he was to be in Gryffindor, he couldn't help but feel rather put down, for Harry and his father as well as himself. The Hat had been very eager to point out what Teddy wasn't. He tried to force the comments out of his mind, however, as he sat at his table next to Oliver and grinned at his fellow house-mates, all of whom were struggling to shake his hand or clap him on the back.

He missed the next two Sortings in all the excitement, but the celebrations from the Hufflepuff table told Teddy that he didn't need to guess to know what had happened. "Moss, Avery" also became a Hufflepuff, followed by another Ravenclaw, "Nomack, Erica". "Perry, June" became a Slytherin with the now usual reluctance from the Hat; "Persimmons, Matthew" and "Redwood, Flora" became Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, respectively, while "Rosenthal, Karen" became the first female Gryffindor of the year. "Siggafka, Sarah" went immediately into Hufflepuff before "Thompson, Riley" joined Teddy and Oliver at the Gryffindor table. A Slytherin, a Ravenclaw, and another Slytherin in the forms of "Traidon, Lloyd", "Underwood, Lauren" and "Vorkson, Vincent" preceded the Sorting of "Wilkinson, Maria" into Hufflepuff. Finally, only Julia and Winnie stood in front of the teachers' table.

"Wood, Winnifred!" Flitwick said, his voice becoming somewhat hoarse. Winnie strode confidently forward and placed the hat upon her head. After a few moments, the Hat exclaimed her to be in Gryffindor with a bit more zeal than it had expressed about the house the entire night, and she bounced happily down to her table, plopping herself down comfortably between Teddy and Oliver.

"Wright, Julia!" Flitwick deflated a bit with the reading of the last name and began rolling up the scroll. Julia, shaking more than anyone else had, sat down on the stool and put on the Hat delicately. Flitwick stood by, rocking happily back and forth on his feet again, waiting for the Hat to sort Julia so he could take it away. After a few moments, students began shifting behind Teddy. He could tell that everyone was eager to start the start-of-term feast; even Flitwick looked to be getting somewhat impatient. The shifting turned to murmurs; it suddenly occurred to Teddy that Julia's Sorting was taking far, far longer than anyone else's had. Flitwick's expression of impatience turned suddenly into one of concern as he fished out a pocketwatch and checked it. Finally, he leaned down over the Hat and began inspecting it from all sides.

Movement at the teacher's table caught Teddy's eye. Professor McGonagall had stood from her position mid-table and strode over to Julia, crouching down in front of her and speaking to her in a low voice Teddy couldn't make out. The murmurs from behind Teddy broke out into full-scale babble, but he paid no attention; he was watching Julia closely, and noticed a tear slide down her cheek. Finally, McGonagall stood tall in front of Julia and set off fireworks from the end of her wand, which brought eventual silence to the masses. Teddy moved from side to side in his seat trying to see what was happening to Julia, but McGonagall kept her arms majestically outstretched in what certainly seemed to be a deliberate attempt to keep her hidden from view.

"Welcome," she said in a voice that carried through the hall with little effort. "The start-of-banquet feast will begin shortly, but there are a few announcements beforehand.

"First of all, the Forbidden Forest is, as its name must surely suggest to at least some of you, forbidden. Any unauthorized students seen in the Forest will be subjected to immediate detention--though some of the creatures in the Forest will do much worse. It is in your best interest to stay well clear.

"Schedules will be handed out tomorrow morning, along with a list of banned and allowed Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Naturally, should any of the allowed items be used in a manner to interrupt class or in a malicious manner, they will immediately be confiscated, as will your Saturday afternoon, which will be spent in detention.

"Quiddich trials will be held before the end of the month. First years are allowed, although flying lessons will not begin until October. If you have not flown before, it is of strong recommendation that you wait until second year to make your name in Quiddich. If you wish to try out, contact the Quiddich captain in your house for confirmation of date.

"Finally, all Defence Against the Dark Arts courses are temporarily suspended. Treat each of these classes on your schedule as a free period until future notice.

"Now," McGonagall said, lowering her arms. As her robes floated back to where they belonged, Teddy could finally see that Julia, Flitwick and the hat had all disappeared. "Your food shall be arriving shortly. After the feast is over, all first years should find their way toward their house Prefects, who will lead them up to their common rooms." The professor cracked a very slight smile, and said finally, "bon apetite."

Teddy took the opportunity of chaos as everyone scrambled for food to search the hall fervently for any sign of Julia. He did not find it; he looked back up at the teachers' table and saw Professor McGonagall, still standing in front of the large, gold chair clearly intended for her, issuing a very quiet statement to the rest of the teachers. He peered at her lips, trying to read them, but she was muttering without moving her lips very much at all.

"Here," came a voice from beside Teddy. He jumped and turned to regard Winnie, who was holding a small ball of what looked like skin-coloured dough. He smiled fleetingly at her before flinging it out inconspicuously in front of him. It extended a good twenty feet, pooling on the floor before turning invisible moments later. He flung one end as far out as he could, careful not to hit anyone, and placed the other to his ear. Oliver and Winnie, eating slowly, watched him out of the corners of their eye.

"...can't understand it," McGonagall was saying, though her voice sounded tinny and faint. "The Hat has served us flawlessly well since the foundation of the school. Suddenly now it fails to recognize a student presence beneath it?"

"Minerva, it has clearly developed a prejudice," said a grey-haired witch with very pronounced crow's feet around her eyes and patches of dirt on her face. "Over the last couple of years, the emphasis on Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw has been undeniable, this year more than ever. Now, I'm not saying I mind having more Hufflepuffs to teach, but in light of this recent event... I think we need to look into getting the Hat replaced."

This suggestion was met with stunned silence from the other teachers. Eventually, the witch with the grey hair opened her mouth to speak again, but Teddy felt a wrenching from his ear; he was no longer holding the Extendable Ear. He turned around and found himself face-to-face with an apparently very cranky old man who was staring at Teddy as he wound something invisible around his hand.

"Well, well, well," he said with a sneer, eyeballing the black cat that had just jumped onto his shoulder. "Aren't we lucky, Mrs. Norris... term hasn't even begun yet, and already we get to issue a detention."

A/N: I feel like the chapter crash-landed a bit in terms of flow, but I had to end it somewhere, it was getting way too long. Anyway, here's an update. Sorry it took me so long; this is pretty much my first attempt at HP fanfiction, so I'm working hard to make sure it's accurate. All feedback is very welcome. :)