Novam Domum

As soon as Hagrid had pulled his hand away, the doors swung open with a low, loud creak. Standing in the threshold was a stern-looking, black-haired witch, dressed in fine emerald green robes, looking down at the first years pointedly through small, circular glasses.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid announced, beaming up at her happily.

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

She pushed the door further open to allow the students to file in behind her. Collective gasps echoed through the entrance hall as they all took in the high-vaulted ceilings and grandiose suits of armor that stood guard upon the walls. Torches hung above the armor, casting a bright reflection across the floor leading up to a set of massive oak doors and an extravagant marble staircase that led to corridors beyond sight. But Professor McGonagall led them to neither, instead bringing the first years into a small chamber off the main hall, forcing them to squeeze in to fit everyone. Once everyone was inside, the door shut behind them and McGonagall raised a hand to gain their attention.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she began, "The start of term feast will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you must first be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony. 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 Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are here, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope you will each be a credit to whichever house is yours."

She paused for a moment, looking over the blank expressions before finishing her speech, "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."

With a final look at Neville, whose cloak was nearly fastened backwards, McGonagall disappeared through a small door into the Great Hall. Harry went to work trying to flatten out his wild hair, Ron tried to rub the smudge of dirt of his nose, even Artemis found herself straightening her tie. Ron mumbled something under his breath about a test as other first years began to panic. Most, if not all, knew nearly no magic at all aside from incidents that they had been unable to control. Even Hermione, who had just a few moments ago seemed all but overly confident, was now going over spells to herself.

Artemis rolled her eyes, knowing full well that everyone was worrying over nothing, and went to work picking some dirt out from beneath her fingernails when a chorus of high-pitched screams sent the room into a shudder. All through the room, pearly white ghosts seeped through the walls, paying no mind to students gaping at them from below.

A rather chubby-looking monk was speaking to a fellow in a ruffed collar about something or someone named Peeves, until the latter looked down and saw the first years looking back at him.

"New students!" the monk exclaimed happily, "About to be sorted, I suppose?"

Artemis found herself nodding as the monk grinned excitedly, "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! It's my old house, you know."

"Move along now. The Sorting Ceremony is about to start."

The students all turned to see that Professor McGonagall had returned as was looking pointedly at the ghosts. The spectres did as they were instructed, passing back through the walls until McGonagall and the first years were all that remained in the chamber.

"Form a line and follow behind me." McGonagall instructed. The first years all rushed into place. Artemis found herself between Hermione and, to her chagrin, Draco Malfoy.

The platinum blonde boy leaned forward and whispered, "I was wondering if you were even going to be here, Selwyn. Thought you ignored your letter entirely."

"Piss off, Malfoy," she whispered harshly, glaring at the boy from over her shoulder. Draco fell silent at that as the line of students followed McGonagall into the Great Hall and were met by the gazes of hundreds of students and teachers. Artemis studied the room as best she could as she followed Hermione.

Four long tables sat perpendicular to a horizontal fifth table at the far end of the room. It was at this table where staff and faculty sat with none other than Albus Dumbledore himself seated in the center. Each of the four tables facing them had students wearing different colors, denoting each house and above each of them a banner bore the symbols that were also stamped upon the Hogwarts crest: a lion, a badger, a raven, and a snake. Beyond the banners, the vaulted ceiling seemed to fade away into the night sky, littered throughout with floating candles that illuminated the room like small orange stars.

In front of her, Hermione muttered loud enough only for her to hear, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."

Finally, the line veered left, bringing the first years up to the table where the teachers sat. McGonagall instructed them to face the four tables as a grubby-looking wizard's hat was sat upon a small, four-legged stool in front of Dumbledore's seat.

'So that's the Sorting Hat,' Artemis thought to herself, 'It's a bit uglier than I thought.'

The hat sat unmoving for a moment, but once all of the first years were lined up, it twitched and finally formed a rip near its base, beginning to sing loudly.

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find,

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat,

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head,

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you,

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry,

Set Gryffindor's apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind.

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin,

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means,

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands, though I have none,

For I'm a thinking cap!"

The entire Great Hall erupted in cheers as the Sorting Hat finished it song. The rip at its base resealed itself, and once again, the hat became motionless as Professor McGonagall produced a long roll of parchment from beneath her robes.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted. Abbott, Hannah!"

Artemis recognized Hannah from a few galas and balls that the Sacred Twenty-Eight had hosted throughout the years, but now she looked incredibly embarrassed to be going first. Nonetheless, she stepped out of line and took hold of the hat, sitting on the stool as the brim of the hat fell over her eyes.

"Hufflepuff!" the hat shouted. The table beneath the badger banner cheered and welcomed their newest member.

"Bones, Susan!"

"Hufflepuff!"

"Boot, Terry!"

"Ravenclaw!"

As McGonagall went through the list, a growing fear crept into Artemis' chest. The realization was suddenly upon her that she wasn't entirely certain that she belonged in any house. She had heard about hat stalls, and while they were rare, they could last for hours, days, even weeks! What if the hat took so long to decide that they just sent her home?

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione leapt out of line and jammed the hat onto her head with an eager grin.

"Gryffindor!"

"Longbottom, Neville!"

Neville stumbled to the stool and haphazardly set the hat on his head. It took a minute for the hat to make its decision but ultimately settled on, "Gryffindor!"

The boy took off toward the Gryffindor table, but forgot that he had left the hat on his head, having to turn around halfway through to return it with a reddened face. A few more students joined their houses, even Draco had no trouble being sorted into Slytherin. Then came Moon, Nott, Parkinson, the Patil twins, and Perks, before finally,

"Potter, Harry!"

Everyone fell silent aside from a few hushed whispers as Harry walked forward. Setting the hat on his head, he sucked in a deep breath as the entire school stared at him. The Sorting Hat stayed quiet for a moment, then another.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The lion's table roared with the ferocity of their sigil, some of them even chanting, 'We got Potter!' as Harry took a seat next to Finnegan, Seamus. Artemis smiled at the gleeful look on Harry's face, nearly missing Professor McGonagall call out, "Selwyn, Artemis!"

This was it. There was no turning back now. She took in a deep breath and fixed her stormy gaze on the Sorting Hat. Taking hold of the worn leather, she took a seat on the stool and set the hat over her head, darkness consuming her vision as the brim sank over her eyes. In her ear, the voice of the Sorting Hat hummed.

"Hmmm, interesting. Very interesting. Oh, yes, this is going to be a challenge. A bright mind, a friendly soul, but an overwhelming desire for greatness. And yet... a brave and chivalrous heart. Hmmm..."

'Would it make a difference if I said I didn't want to be in the same house as Draco Malfoy?' she thought to herself.

"Oh? And why is that?"

'Because he's cruel and entitled.'

"If I recall correctly, the name Selwyn is just as esteemed as Malfoy. Your family has quite a history with Slytherin house... what's to stop me from putting you there?"

'Because I am not like them.'

The Sorting Hat chuckled, a chilling sensation travelled down Artemis' spine, "Not like them, eh? I suppose you're right. Well, then you should be capable of doing some incredible things in GRYFFINDOR!"

Her heart stopped. Gryffindor? No one in her family had ever been sorted into Gryffindor! She yanked off the hat and stood, setting the scrap of fabric back on the stool and taking a seat between Parvati Patil and Harry.

"Glad to have you here," an older boy with red hair and a Prefect's badge said with a pompous smile, "I'm Percy Weasley, prefect for Gryffindor House."

Artemis smiled and nodded, watching as the last few students were sorted. A tall, dark-skinned boy named Dean Thomas joined them at the Gryffindor table, Lisa Turpin became a Ravenclaw and Ron, who had turned a shade of green was put with his brothers in Gryffindor. As he walked over, he visibly relaxed and the color returned to his face. Percy, Fred, and George all clapped him on the back and applauded him loudly as he took his seat. With Blaise Zabini going to Slytherin, the sorting was finished, the hat and stool removed.

Dumbledore stood from his seat, beaming down proudly at all of the students who looked up at him in awe.

"Welcome!" he said kindly, "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

The school erupted in applause as Dumbledore set himself back down. Harry looked around at everyone in confusion.

"Is... is he mad?"

Percy whipped his head around in shock at Harry's question, "Mad? He's a genius! Best wizard in the world!"

The scent of roast chicken and pork hit the noses of everyone at the Gryffindor table. Looking down, Artemis saw golden platters loaded with meats, roasted and mashed potatoes, peas, carrots, bread, and even a bowl of peppermint humbugs. Artemis' mouth started to water as she reached out and filled her plate with a bit of everything, even the humbugs. Each and every bite seemed heavenly, in her opinion, even better than the food that Rumple made at home.

As the students dug into their dinner, the ghost that wore a ruffed collar reappeared, looking down at the table wistfully, "My, that does look good."

Harry, who was nearest to the ghost looked up and asked innocently, "Can't you-"

"I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years," the ghost replied sadly, "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself; Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."

"Oh!" Artemis exclaimed before taking a swig of pumpkin juice, "My brother Marius told me about you! You're Nearly Headless Nick!"

The ghost scoffed and scowled at her, "I prefer Sir Nicholas, if you don't mind."

"Nearly Headless?" a sandy-haired Irish boy named Seamus asked curiously, "How can you be nearly headless?"

Sir Nicholas' scowl shifted to Seamus, who was look up at him with child-like wonder. The ghost sighed and growled, "Like this."

He took hold of his hair and gave it a firm tug, and like a hinge on a door, his head swung down, held only to the nape of his neck by a thin strip of skin and sinew. After letting the initial shock sink in, Sir Nicholas set his head back upon his shoulders and changed the subject.

"So- new Gryffindors! Hope you're going to help us win the House Cup this year. Gryffindors have never gone this long without winning. Slytherins have gotten the Cup six years in a row! The Slytherin ghost, that blasted Bloody Baron had become absolutely unbearable!"

Artemis' eyes drifted to the Slytherin table on the other side of the Great Hall. She saw Draco seated between Daphne Greengrass and the Bloody Baron himself, looking rather uncomfortable with the fact that he was sitting next to a blood-stained ghost. Artemis bit back a laugh as Draco's icy glare cut across the room and met hers in a momentary battle of wills. It was Draco who ultimately caved, turning away to answer a question that was directed toward him from one of the older students further down the table. Artemis smiled to herself at the small victory as the dinner plates in front of them emptied themselves, leaving behind sparkling clean cutlery and dishes. In the blink of an eye, desserts took place of the foods that had been there just a moment before. Piles of ice cream, tarts, doughnuts, pies and so much more lay sprawled across the table, making the first years all groan. None of them had saved room for dessert, but all managed to try to eat at least one thing off the table as the conversation transitioned to families.

"I'm half and half," Seamus said, "Dad's a Muggle, Mum's a witch. Gave him a right nasty start when he found after they got married!"

Everyone at the table, even Harry, laughed at that.

"What about you Selwyn?" Seamus asked, turning toward Artemis, "Heard your name thrown around a bit on the train."

Artemis shrugged, "We're an old wizarding family, been around for centuries. Dad works for the Ministry, and Mum's a healer at St. Mungo's."

"So, you're a pureblood?" Lavender Brown asked. Artemis winced; she, like her mother, wasn't a fan of the term, especially when she was in the presence of muggle-borns like Hermione and Dean.

"I suppose that's the name for it, yes." she replied with a hesitant nod. Luckily, Hermione hadn't been paying attention to her at all, engaged in an avid conversation about classes with Percy, while Dean didn't seem to mind the discussion of blood status at all. Had they been seated at the Slytherin table, that wouldn't have been the case.

Neville started to go on about how his family thought he had been born without magic, how his Great Uncle Algie threw him off of Blackpool pier to force the magic out of him, but Artemis found herself not paying any attention at all as she turned toward the teachers' table and met the dark, calculating gaze of a man in black robes with greasy, raven hair. Marius had, of course, told her about Professor Snape, the Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House, but she hadn't been prepared for the terrifying presence that he possessed. Sallow skin, near-black eyes, a hooked nose... had Artemis hardly made a passing glance, she might have mistaken him for a ghost. But he was living, that much was clear as his brow furrowed, and his gaze flicked back to the conversation he was having with a blubbering young professor wearing a strange, violet turban.

Next to her, Harry winced, his hand reaching up toward the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. She looked over at him concerned, her brow knitting together.

"Are you alright, Harry?"

Just as quickly as the pain struck him, it seemed to fade away, and he nodded once as his green eyes fixed upon Dumbledore, who had once again risen. The plates in front of them all vanished and the Great Hall fell silent once again as Dumbledore began to speak.

"Just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you: First year students should note that the Dark Forest is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that," he looked over at the Weasley twins who gave him a happy wave, "I have also been asked by our caretaker, Mr. Filch, to remind you all that no magic is to be used in the corridors between classes. Quidditch trials are to be held the second week of the term. If you are interested in playing for your House Team, please contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to anyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Harry laughed, but he was the only one at the Gryffindor table who did. Looking around, a tinge of pink flushing his cheeks, he leaned over toward Artemis and asked softly, "He's not serious is he?"

Artemis shrugged, "I don't think he would say it if he didn't mean it, though it seems odd he didn't give a reason as to why."

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore raised his wand and golden ribbon flew from the tip, twisting itself into words that floated above the tables, "Everyone follow along now!"

The Great Hall erupted with a chorus of voices, some off-key, others practically screams as the students worked their way through the words until they all finished with a vibrato that made Dumbledore wipe a tear from his eye.

"Ah, music," he mused, "A magic beyond all we do here! Now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

Percy leapt to his feet and held up a hand, "Gryffindor first years, follow me!"

Everyone rose from their seats and trudged behind Percy, their stomachs filled with warm food, their eyes growing heavy, as the red-haired prefect navigated through the growing crowd of students toward the marble staircase. They climbed flight after flight of stairs, passing portraits that welcomed them to Hogwarts, stepping through doors hidden behind tapestries, until at last Percy stopped at a portrait of a fat lady in a frilly pink gown.

"Password?"

Percy informed the first years to take note of the password, which was 'Caput draconis', as the portrait swung open and revealed a tunnel within the wall. The prefect climbed in first and the rest of the students followed, though Neville needed a bit of a boost, and came out in a cozy room lit by a roaring fireplace and surrounded by plush scarlet armchairs and couches.

"Welcome to the Gryffindor Common Room. Boys dormitory is at the top of the turret on the left, girls are the same on the right," Percy pointed out the two doors on either side of the common room, "All of your belongings have been brought to your rooms, any owls have been brought to the Owlery. Timetables are in your trunks. Now, off to bed with you!"

The first years departed for their intended rooms, barely able to make it to the top of the spiraling staircases. Hermione pushed open the door at the top of the right turret and revealed a large, comforting room with five four-poster beds, each of them bearing deep scarlet curtains embroidered with constellations and planets. In front of each of the beds, a trunk was set open, containing a scarf, two neckties, a pair of winter gloves, and altered school robes bearing the crest of Gryffindor House. Artemis found her bed on the far-right end with Hermione next to her, changed into her pajamas, and set herself down in bed, sleep consuming her before her head even hit the pillow.