The journey from the train to the school had been quite short, or maybe it just felt short because Emma was so swept up in it all. Luckily the boys had stayed with her to let her know what was normal, apparently, everything is relatively normal to a wizard. George had said his dad would love to meet her after she asked where the ores were for the small wooden boats that somehow rowed themselves over the lake to Hogwarts. She was slowly learning how to internalise her amazement and fear when unexpected magical things would happen, she didn't want to stick out like a sore thumb among her new peers.

The school seemed more like a castle, it was huge with stone walls and large wooden doors, all the new kids were left in the entrance before a tall slender woman walked in sporting a long green velvet robe and a large pointed hat.

'wait those hats are real?' Emma asked George in a panicked whisper

'yeah, it should have been on your list of things to buy' he responded trying to keep his eye on the tall woman.

'I thought it was a joke' Emma sighed before turning her attention to the woman up front. She spoke for a short while about a sorting ceremony, she reiterated the houses that Fred and George had told her about and said they would be like family. That made sense Emma had something similar in her primary school, with a points system just like theirs, she still didn't know what would happen during the sorting, all she could do was sit and hope she could do it correctly.

When the woman re-appeared to take them to the main hall Emma's stomach sank, she didn't feel ready to go to a magic school, maybe they made a mistake, what if she isn't magic?

The 'first years' as she heard a tall bearded man call them at the train platform, marched past long rows of tables, the whole school was in this giant hall. Emma kept her eyes down as they walked forward trying her very best not to be sick everywhere. The headmaster, an old man with a ridiculously long white beard welcomed everyone back said a few words that Emma was too busy not being sick to hear then introduced the sorting ceremony.

A crinkled leather hat was placed on a stool and the first years watched in anticipation as it came to life and started singing a song about the different houses. Emma was in too much shock to take it all in, but she managed to retain the important stuff such as: Gryffindor are traditionally Brave, Hufflepuff are traditionally Loyal, Ravenclaw are traditionally Intelligent and Slytherin are traditionally Ambitious. Emma thought about it and she couldn't say with certainty that she was any of those things.

All she could do was wait, and it didn't take long, the list was in alphabetical order per last names, Blackwell, just after Adam Browning who was sorted into Ravenclaw and just before Chelsey Bear who was sorted into Hufflepuff. When Emma's name was called, she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her, it was intimidating having a room of a few hundred kids staring at you, she quickly made her way up the stool just wanting to get it over with as soon as possible.

She looked down as the hat was put on her head, it was quite big but her hair propped it up out of her eyes. It went silent for a moment, it couldn't have been more than thirty seconds but it felt like thirty minutes, people were still staring and she could see Fred and George in the crowd looking at her. She felt so nervous but she sat up straight and thought about her letter, they couldn't have made a mistake, she was supposed to be there. If she wasn't someone would have known by now and taken her away. She challenged the sorting hat in her mind 'come on, what have you got for me?' she asked in her head, even then she could tell it wasn't as intimidating as she would have liked and more of a polite question. The hat made a low grumbling sound as if trying to confirm its final decision before-

'GRYFINDOR' the hat all but screamed, finally Emma could breathe again. She waited for the hat to be removed before running to the table designated to her house, she got a pat on the back from a sympathetic person who could clearly tell she had been nervous but she hadn't seen who it was. Emma could enjoy the rest of the sorting experience with the knowledge that she wasn't alone, she took team mentality very seriously and hoped everyone else did too.

The hat seemed to be making good progress through the students without many sticking out until the name 'Lowell, Lucas.' Was called out, a young boy with long brown hair strutted up to the stool, his hair fell just above his shoulder, it looked very clean and had a wavy look to it. His robes, like his hair were very clean and he walked up to the stool like he'd done it a thousand times before. Emma couldn't help but stare straight at his face, it took mere seconds before the hat announced his house.

'SLYTHERIN' the boy sauntered over to his houses table and shot a look at Emma, he apparently noticed her staring and didn't seem best pleased. Only then did it occur to Emma to stop looking at him, so she concentrated on the rest of the students yet to be sorted.

To her delight, Fred and George both got sorted into Gryffindor, they sat far enough away from Emma so that she could see them but not talk to them because the other kids who had been sorted before them prevented them from sitting closer.

When the banquet suddenly appeared on the table Emma was proud at how well she internalised her feelings, but it did give her a huge scare. There was suddenly a huge amount of food that appeared in front of her, chicken and sausage and bread rolls with butter, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, beef, veggies, sandwiches, all among other amazing tasting food. Emma ate her fill before the headmaster announced that the first years would be taken to their common rooms by the prefects.

Emma re-joined the twins as a girl called Amber led them to their new homes, it wasn't a long journey but it was exacerbated by all the staircases that seemed to move of their own accord. The group arrived at a portrait of a woman who greeted them all with a kind smile, Amber informed the group that the password was 'grata domum' at least for now,

'It can change but we'll let you know' she added before the portrait swung open to reveal a hole which everyone had to climb through to get to the common room. The Common room was a large circular room with big cosy looking armchairs, there was also a large fireplace with a portrait of a lion above it that looked surprising kind considering its status as a killer. Amber pointed to the staircases that would lead to the bedrooms before ascending the steps herself and presumably going to bed.

Emma decided to stay up a little longer to talk to the boys,

'And when George sat down? I was so worried you guys would be split up!' Emma exclaimed

'Worried him and me would be split?' Fred asked with a condescending look

'Us? Be split up?' George said with feigned panic

'Never!' the boys said in unison with two matching smirks, Emma laughed along with the boys a little before asking

'Did you see that Lucas guy?'

'I guess? What about him?' George asked, confused.

'He gave me a weird look, and I didn't think much of it but I might as well ask while I have you here.' Emma said thinking herself into a small frenzy about this mystery boy.

'It's probably nothing. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you.' Fred assured her 'Then again, wasn't he sorted into Slytherin?' Fred raised his eyebrows pretending to be concerned before laughing at his comment with his brother.

The trio then said their goodnights and the boys left Emma at the bottom of the spiralling staircases, as Emma tried to sleep that night she couldn't get Lucas off her mind. She hadn't done anything to upset him, had she? She tried not to think about it as she fell deeper and deeper into a peaceful sleep and dreamed of what the next day would bring.

Hey guys! Hope you're enjoying, I can't figure out how to add proper authors notes so this will have to do. This is my first fanfiction so any tips would be appreciated, any questions feel free to DM me. Always appreciate a review, until next time. (update: my friend pointed out to me that i called Emma Beth through the whole chapter, thats because the last two name ideas for Emma were Emma and Beth, very sorry. thanks hollieemma2001 xx)