A/N: Hey guys! i hope you had a good Sunday! Don't forget to check out the poll on my pave! Anyway, have a nice read!

Fun Fact: Henry has a near eidetic memory, but he has a tendency to hide things or keep them to himself, so no one has realized this quite yet.


(Harry POV)

"Firs' years! Firs' Years! Over he'e!" When we saw him, we waved at Hagrid and he grinned. "A'right the'e, boys?" At our nod, he continued on, calling for all the first years to gather around, so he could lead us all to the castle.

"Dad says that Hagrid has been doing this since he was in school." Henry said and I nodded.

"Oh yeah, my dad wouldn't give me too many details, because he and my brothers always want it to be a surprise, but he said that Hagrid would be here to help us out when we got here." Ron said and we grinned.

Slipping and stumbling, we all followed after Hagrid, who's lantern bobbed in front of us as we went and he continued to call for first years to follow him. We now went down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of us, that I couldn't help but think that there must be thick trees there.

No one spoke much. Neville, the boy who'd lost his toad, sniffed once or twice. "You'll get yer firs' sight of 'ogwarts in a sec." Hagrid called. "Just' 'round this bend, he'e!"

The narrow path opened up and as it did, we all tried to move around once another to get better views, all of us gasping and murmuring about the beauty that lay before us.

The path that had opened, did so to reveal a great black lake that sparkled and twinkled under the night sky. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, it's windows sparkling amidst the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. It was so beautiful and exuded such magic, that I could practically taste it on my tongue and looking at Henry and Ron, I could see that they were both grinned fiercely.

"No more 'an four to a boat!" Hagrid now called and looking at the lake did I then notice the little boats sitting just on the shore of the lake. Henry, Ron and I were followed into our boat by a boy with curly dark hair and bright blue eyes, who introduced himself to us as Jakoba,

"Everyone in?" Shouted Hagrid, who had a boat all to himself. When no one called to wait, he added. "'Ight then, FORWARD." At once, the little boats began to glid across the glassy surface of the lake.

No one spoke as we moved, everyone staring up at the towering castle ahead as we moved nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood. "Heads down!" Hagrid suddenly called as the first few boats reached the cliff. Immediately, we all bent forward as our boats went through a curtain of Ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face.

Then we were carried down a dark tunnel that seemed to go right under the castle until finally we reached a sort of underground harbor, where we all clambered out of the little boats. Our shoes kicked up rocks and pebbles as we went, but other than that, no one spoke much.

"Oi, you there!? Is this yer toad?" Said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" Cried Neville blissfully as he ran forward, his hands held out to take his toad.

I smiled as Neville passed me, looking so happy to have his toad and with that and the boats all checked, we made our way up a passageway, following after the glow of Hagrid lamp. After we came out of the passage, we found ourselves walking through some grass in the shadow of the castle, then up some more steps, we finally crowded around the huge front door.

"A'right, eve'yone he'e? You? Still got yer toad?" Ron and I snickered ever so quietly, but though he smiled at Hagrid calling the poor boy out, Henry didn't look impressed at our laughing at him.

With Neville's affirmation that he indeed did have his toad with him, Hagrid raised a huge fist and knocked three times on the large castle door.

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and as I looked up at her, I couldn't help but think that this woman was not someone to cross.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Aunt Rose and Uncle Zanders house in it, which was saying something as they had a rather large home. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

As we followed Professor McGonagall across a flagged stone floor, I could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right - the rest of the school must already be here - Professor McGonagall showed us into a small, empty chamber off the hall and as we crowded in, we stood rather closer together than we might usually have done, peering about nervously.

Even though Henry, Ron and I had made that promise to stick together no matter what, it all still felt very scary. I'd been near Henry for as long as I can remember and Ron was our first friend at school. What if we were sorted into different houses? Would I see them as much? Would they become best friends and forget about me?

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall and I looked up, shaking off my musings. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Henry and I looked at each other and smiled. Our wavy, dirty blond hair looked fine, though we knew if I hadn't taken my poly juice potion, my naturally crazy hair would probably annoy McGonagall.

"I shall return when we are ready for you." McGonagall said, "Please wait quietly." With that, she left the room and immediately, bursts of quiet conversation began to emerge,

"How do you think the sorting works?" Ron looked from Henry and I and we shrugged.

"Our mum didn't say too much about it, but that it's a nice surprise and not hard or anything." Henry said and I nodded.

"That's good." Ron said, "Fred and George said it was really painful."

"Ron, maybe you shouldn't listen to everything they say." I suggested as suddenly I heard mine and Henry's last name and turning, I saw the boy from Madam Malkins coming over, two very large boys following after him.

"I looked up your surname when I got home." He said, looking between us. "My father says he knew yours growing up."

"Oh, I had no idea." Henry said, "He never mentioned your father."

"Yes well, they lost contact some time ago and I thought maybe we could at least get to know one another. My names Draco Malloy." He held out his hand to Henry and me, but lowered it suddenly and looked over when Ron snickered.

"Think my name is funny, do you?" He sneered at Ron. "Let me see, red hair, hand-me-down robes… Yes, my father told me all about you lot. More children then your parents have any ability to take care of." He scoffed. "Stay out of this, Weasley."

Then looking back at the two of us, he held out his hand once more. "You two will soon learn that some wizarding families are better than others. You don't want to go mixing with the wrong sort… I can help you there."

I was going to open my mouth and tell him that I could tell the wrong sort for myself, when Henry suddenly grabbed his hand and shook it. "Well, We don't mind taking your advice, Draco, but we're not five. I think we can decide for ourselves, but thank you."

Draco looked at him for a moment, then nodding, he turned and was walking off, when suddenly, something happened that made him jump about a foot in the air - several people behind us screamed.

"What the - ?"

I gasped. So did the people around us. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance-"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?"

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

Nobody answered.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."

Feeling oddly as though my legs had become a million pounds heavier, I got into line behind Henry, with Ron behind me, and with that, we walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.