"Are we here?" Albus asked as the Hogwarts Express slowed to a stop.
"Looks like it," Alexandra nodded.
"But I don't see the castle…"
"The castle is about three miles from the train station," Rose told him.
"Plus you lot are going to go with Hagrid across the lake," James explained. "Then you'll be sorted in the Great Hall and-"
"In the Great Hall?" Albus repeated. "You mean in front of everyone?"
"Well, yeah," Fred nodded. "It doesn't take too long, though."
Alexandra felt a pang of sympathy for Albus as she saw the worry etched on his face.
"Come on then, lets get off the train," Fred said.
The seven headed into the corridor and fought their way through the sea of students. Once they got off the train, Rose and Albus separated from the others and made their way towards Hagrid, who was calling the first years over to him.
"There's a carriage," Alanna said, running over to the stream of carriages that would be taking students up to the castle. Alexandra started to follow her, but stopped dead in her tracks.
Attached to the front of the carriages were large, dark winged horses. Alexandra knew these were called Thestrals, and that you could only see them if you had seen death.
But Alexandra had never seen anyone die before. She had noticed her ability to see these creatures the previous year, and it had thoroughly scared her. And what was even more odd were there had been times when she couldn't see them, which confused her even more.
She shook her head and started moving; she didn't want to attract her friends' attention again.
When the carriages finally pulled up in front of the castle, Alexandra and the others hopped off and hurried into Hogwarts.
"I'm starving," Fred commented as they all took their seats at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.
"I hope the first years get across the lake quickly," Alanna frowned, looking up at the enchanted ceiling. "It looks like it's going to rain soon."
"They'll be fine," James told her, massaging his grumbling stomach.
Alexandra looked around the Great Hall until she spotted the person she had been looking for, who, ironically, was the person she wanted most to avoid this year.
Wretermoust was just getting into the hall, making his way over to the Slytherin table. It seemed that he sensed Alexandra's stare, though, for as soon as he sat down he looked right up at her into her eyes.
Alexandra quickly directed her gaze away and pretended to be engrossed in James and Fred's conversation.
Once the older students had all settled in at their house tables, the doors at the front of the hall opened and a line of slightly damp first years were led in by Professor Longbottom. Alexandra could just make out Rose and Albus standing together towards the end of the line.
Neville sat down a three-legged stool upon which stood the school Sorting Hat. Once it had been sat down, the brim of the hat opened.
My wisdom has been doubted many times,
Only because I have no limbs.
But let the years show that I have yet to been
Mistaken on any young soul.
The magic each possess,
Shall be taken into account
As I sort you where you'll do best.
But no matter what you house emblem shall be,
We stand untied under once school; one world.
It may be your courage that makes you stand out,
Or rather your stunning good wits.
Maybe your kind, nurturing heart,
Or you thirst for power.
No matter what it is,
Each mind must surely thrive here,
So, young ones, with minds not yet filled,
Step right up, and place me on
I won't steer you wrong,
For I am the Sorting Hat.
The hall broke out in applause as Neville unrolled a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your names," he said to the first years. "Step up to the hat and place it on your head. When your house is announce, please go sit at your respective table."
He cleared his throat. "Aimsworth, Charles."
A shaky boy with chestnut hair stepped up and put the hap on his small head.
"Hufflepuff!" the Sorting Hat called after a moment.
The Hufflelpuff table clapped as Charles went to sit with them.
"Come on, hurry up," Louis moaned. "I can practically smell the feast!"
As the Sorting continued and the line thinned, Alexandra noticed Albus was looking more and more nervous as his turn approached.
"Hey, look who's next," Fred whispered to James.
"Scorpius Malfoy," James mumbled under his breath. "Well, looks like one more student for Slytherin."
"Who is he?" Alexandra asked.
"The son of my dad's old enemy," he replied. "His dad, Draco Malfoy, went to school with him and his whole family was right in Voldemort's inner circle."
"Wait," Alanna frowned. "Have you ever actually met this kid? Or are you just going off of what you've heard about his father?"
"Oh come on," Fred said. "If your parents are Dark wizards than obviously their kids are going to be."
"Not necessarily," Alexandra said almost defensively.
"Well, yeah I know that's not always the case, sure," Fred shrugged. "But I'd bet money it is for him. I mean look at him!"
Alexandra looked over at the boy to whom they were referring. With his small, pointed face and silvery blonde hair, she did have to admit that he did look rather unfriendly.
Luther, Lindsay was sorted into Ravenclaw, and then Neville called "Malfoy, Scorpius."
Alexandra noticed as Scorpius approached the hat, Neville was watching him closely. Looking up at the staff table, she noticed that Hagrid and Professor McGonagall and many other teachers were as well.
The hat was on him for a good minute before the brim opened and called out "Gryffindor!"
"What?" James, Fred and Louis all exclaimed.
Neville and the other teachers looked rather shocked as well as Scorpius hurried over to the Gryffindor table.
"What the bloody hell just happened?" James whispered. "There has to be a mistake!"
Alexandra looked over at Scorpius, who had taken a seat at the end of the table away from the other students. Up close, he didn't seem as bad as he had looked in line. In fact, he looked almost scared…
Once Packson, Jeffery was placed in Slytherin, Neville called out Albus's name.
James craned his neck anxiously as his younger brother staggered over to the stool.
The hat seemed to be on Albus for a long time; even longer than it had been on Scorpius. But finally the hat called out "Gryffindor!" and Albus took the hat off, looking absolutely relieved.
"Way to go, Al!" James cheered, patting him on the back as he took a set next to him.
"Now just Rose to go and we'll have a clean sweep," Fred said.
Finally, the sorting approached its end as only two students remained, one of them being Rose.
"Weasley, Rose," Neville called.
Unlike Albus, who had walked up almost hesitantly, Rose approached the hat confidently and placed on her bushy red hair. This time, the hat was quick with its decision, and Rose was pronounced a Gryffindor in about two seconds, causing her cousins and Alanna and Alexandra to cheer loudly.
Once Zambini, Rodger became a Slytherin, Neville picked up the hat and headed back out of the Great Hall and Professor McGonagall stood up.
"Welcome back to our old students, and welcome, for all the new," she said. "I have just one word for you all. Enjoy."
At once, the once empty gold plates were filled with turkeys and potatoes and other morsels that made Alexandra's mouth water.
"Thank goodness," James said, grabbing a drumstick. "I thought I was going to starve!"
"So how does it feel to finally be at Hogwarts, you two?" Fred grinned, looking at Rose and Albus.
"Really wonderful," Rose said, neatly cutting her steak. "But I'm really looking forward to the lessons; especially Transfiguration."
"Transfiguration is a really good class," Alanna told her. "But it requires a lot of theory work before you do any real magic."
"I've heard that," Rose nodded. "I've read the first five chapters of my textbook; I just hope it's enough."
"Now there's two of them," Fred mumbled, rolling his eyes.
"Why does that git Wretermoust keep looking over here?" Louis frowned. "This is like the fifth time he's glanced over."
Alexandra looked over and saw that Louis was right; Wretermoust was looking right at her.
"No idea," she said, keeping her gaze with the boy.