Thanks to my beta: commingsummers or StillAlone. The Great Hall is everything I imagined the magical hall to look like and so much more. The entire room was lit by candles that appeared to be hanging entirely of their own accord. The room was filled with four long tables where the rest of the students were sat. The tables were laid with golden goblets and dinner plates. Even the cutlery was a bright shining gold. At the front of the room was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led us all down the middle of the hall until we were bunched up into a small group once again, facing the other students. I avert my eyes to the ceiling in order to avoid their stares. It is hard to believe that there is a ceiling there at all, as the whole top section of the room is black with small stars dotted onto it. There is a thump at the front of the room that makes me immediatly look back to where Professor McGonagall has placed a rickety, three legged stool, with a ratty black hat perched on top of it. There is a moment of silence before the hat inexplicably opens it's mouth and begins to sing: Many a year ago it seems, The duty fell to me, To sing my song and bring the news, Of where students ought to be. Chosen by the founders four, To help young students find their way, When, confused, they stumble in, On their first Hogwarts day. Four houses to choose from, Not one less or more, Each one by a different founder, To fill with students they adore. Gryffindor, loving bravery, Chose the strong of heart, While Slytherin, feeling differently, Thought cunning the greatest art. Ravenclaw claimed for her own house, The brainy and the smart, While Hufflepuff took to her dear house, The just and kind of heart. All these students, with their differences, Are each key to this great school. And if Hogwarts hopes to stand, Unity's the greatest tool. House to house and hand to hand, Leaving differences behind. Only when you work together, Can your strengths all be combined. Now at last, the time has come, For me to send you separate ways. But remember, our division, Could bring the end of Hogwarts' days. The entire hall burst into ripples of applause as the hat finished singing, and became still again. I exhale, 'all we have to do is try a hat on, how hard can it be?' Professor McGonagall steps forward holding a large roll of parchment. "Now, when I call your name you shall put on the hat and wait to be sorted." "Abel, James," A tall blonde boy with an arrogant smile wandered up to the stool, before plonking himself down on it and placing the hat on his head. "RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat. The blue covered table burst into applause at the new member who scurried to the table "Ancroft, Robyn" The next to the hat was a round faced girl with pigtails that were covered by the hat as she plonked it on. "HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat shouted, sparking applause from a different quarter of the room. "Ashley, Georgia," also became a Hufflepuff, and she hurried off to sit next to Robyn. "Baker, Jack," The next boy to sit down was a small elf looking boy with pointy ears and a slight frame. "GRYFFINDOR!" The red table burst into applause and began catcalling in a very immature manner. "Black, Elizabeth," I gulp and step forward to try on the hat, trying to control the shaking in my knees. The second my butt connects with the old stool, my eyes are covered by the ratty old hat. "Mmmmhh plenty of courage I see, then again you've got a history in Slytherin. Ah not too stupid either it better be.. SLYTHERIN!" The hat shouts the last bit to the entire hall, and the hat is whipped off my head, as I join the green covered table who are cheering at receiving their first new member. A large girl with a green badge pinned to her to her chest get's up to shake my hand whilst those around me lean over to pat me on the back. I grin. Finally I belong. o0o0 Around 45 minutes later everyone has been sorted and I am surrounded by the exact same people that sat with me on the train a few hours ago. "This year's going to be so good, I've been waiting to use magic for years. I'm so excited." Ally laughs from beside me. Before anyone can reply however there is the clinking noise of a spoon against a glass cup, and an elderly male with a long beard and a kind smile rose from his chair. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts, I am Albus Dumbledore, and before we begin I would like to say a few words. Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you." The entire hall burst into applause as Albus Dumbledore returned to his seat and the empty serving plates filled with food. "Is he a bit mad?" I ask slightly uncertainly. Connor laughs from where he is sat opposite me. "Mad? He's a bloody genius, but I suppose he is a bit mad yes. Pea's?" he offers me a bowl filled with small round pea's. I grin and lift the bowl from his hands. I look around at the table. I've never seen so much food in all my life the golden plates are piled high with every type of food you could imagine from beef to potato's. It was like being at one of the Capitol banquets I so often watched from the crackly TV in our living room. "So what's everyone looking forward to most then? Personally I can't wait to try out for the Quidditch team next year." Ally says filling my happy moment with her voice yet again. I frown, "Sorry this is probably a stupid question, but what's quidditch?" I ask politely causing the eyes of all the surrounding Slytherins to be immediately drawn to me. "You're not a Mudblood are you?" The girl who shook my hand earlier asks me in a rather rude tone. "Well.. my parents were both wizards I was just brought up in a Muggle area, I didn't even know I was a witch until a few days ago." I chuckle nervously and shrink slightly in my seat upon realising that every eye in the surrounding area was fixed upon me. "Oh I see," The large girl replies turning back to her friends seemingly pleased with my answer. The rest of the table slowly follow her lead after eyeing me warily for a moment or two. Adrian turns to me after all attention has been diverted away from me, "Quidditch is the only really popular wizarding sport. Everyone gets well into it here, it becomes a big house on house competition. Particularly between us and the Gryffindors." He gestures to the red clad table one away from us. "Oh how does it work?" I ask curious now about the sport. "It's complicated, first years get lessons so I expect Madame Hooch will explain then," Molly says clearly bored with conversation. When everyone has had their fill of dinner the savoury foods disappear only to be replaced quickly a mountain of desserts. I am loading up my plate with profiteroles and jelly, when the conversation turns to families. "I got three brothers you see two of them are Slytherins and one is coming up next year," Connor says running a hand through his already messy brown hair. "I'm only child you see, my family have been Slytherin's miles back. I didn't expect to go anywhere else," Ally says flashing her pearly white teeth. "What about you Lil's?" I sigh at the shortened version of my already shortened name, "I'm not sure about my Mum, but my Dad and all his family have been in Slytherin." After I have confirmed my loyalty to Slytherin my friends turn away, and start talking about wizarding things. I begin to feel a warm, sleepy feeling wash over me as I finish my dessert. After a few minutes of idle chatter at last the desserts are cleared away, and Albus Dumbledore stands to give a proper speech. "I have just a few start of term notices before you all slip off to sleep. First years should note that the forest in the grounds is strictly forbidden to all pupils. A few of our older students would do well to remember that as well this year." He turns his twinkling blue eyes to the ginger twins sat on the Gryffindor table. "I have also been asked by Mr Filch to remind you that no magic is to be used in the corridors between lessons. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term, and anyone interested in playing for their house should contact Madame Hooch." He pauses letting us register the information we have been given. "And with that I hope you all have a pleasant year, now off you trot, first years follow your prefects." The large girl that I had come into contact with a few times previously stood up and shouted to our end of the table. "First years follow me," before setting off at a quick march out of the hall. I was so tired I could barely register the long trip down the stairs to what was probably the very bottom level of the castle judging by the dingy look of the place. At the end of the badly lit corridor was a large black door that the prefect walked straight up to and said clearly, "Pure-Blood," there was silence for a moment, before the door swung wide to reveal a large room with leather sofas dotted around it and a small fire placed in the corner. The whole place was lit with a greeny light, that was not nearly bright enough to shed light on the entire room. The prefect directed the boys up one flight of stairs in the corner, whilst we went up another. The room we were led into was black painted, and held five four poster beds, adorned with green velvet hangings. Our luggage was already bought up for us, and too tired to do anything else, we pulled on our pajamas and sunk into bed. If I had any type of conversation with either Ally or Christie that night I sure as hell didn't remember it in the morning. YAY! I managed to get one done quite quickly again. Thanks a load for reading, please review it really does mean a lot! :)