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Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I only own the OC Anthony Black.

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and looked like someone that should not be crossed. Anthony knew who she was, Professor McGonagall. Remus, Andromeda and Nympadora spoke of her, though Nymphadora said she always took points away from her.

"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 Dursleys' house in it. 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.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Anthony could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right - the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "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 rule breaking 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. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

She left the chamber. Anthony gulped.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" he asked Ron.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

"My cousin told me we have to give a speech about why we should be here." Anthony said. That made him nervous. Why did he belong in Hogwarts? because his parents had gone there as well? He wanted to be here more than anyone, but what if no one else wanted him to be here? Would they throw him out? Send him back to the Tonks? Or worse… would they send him to Azkaban? Could they look into his soul and see a… murderer? Another Black? Another Sirius?

Everyone else was terrified. The only person that was talking was Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learnt and wondering which one she'd need. Anthony tried not to listen to her but he also needed to stop overthinking everything. Hogwarts does not make mistakes. They will surely call his name, right?

Then several people behind him screamed, making him jump and look around. He gasped, and so did everyone else. About twenty ghosts had just steamed though the back wall. They were pearly-white and only slightly transparent. They glided across the room talking to each other and hardly glancing at the first-years. They seemed to be arguing.

A slightly plump ghost said, "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance –"

"My dead 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 Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded.

"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."

Anthony stood behind Ron and Harry, and they all walked out of the chamber, back across the hall and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. Anthony puffed out his chest at the sight. It was magnificent. The Hall was lit with thousands of floating candles over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. The tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the Hall as another long table that sat all the teachers.

Professor McGonagall led the first-years up there so that they came to a stop facing the other students with the teachers behind their backs. Hundreds of faces faced them and Anthony trained his eyes on the ceiling. It felt as though they could see through him.

The ceiling was velvety black with dotted stars. "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside, I read about in in Hogwarts: A History," Hermione Granger whispered.

Professor McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of the first-years. On top of the stool she seated a dirty, pointed wizard's hat. Everyone was now staring at it. For a few seconds, there was silence. Then the hat twitched and a rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth. It began to sing:

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

But don't judge me on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat like 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 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 whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Anthony and Harry. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."

Anthony smiled. This was better than speaking in front of everyone and wrestling a troll. He was going to prank Nymphadora hard the next time he saw her. But his smile quickly died out. He was going to be presented in front of the school. They were all going to know his name.

Harry nudged his arm. "You alright?"

Anthony nodded. "Just a little nervous."

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted. Abbott, Hannah!"

A girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of the line, put on the hat, and sat down. The hat fell past her eyes and there was a moment's silent before the hat shouted: "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah Abbott went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table.

"Black, Anthony!"

As Anthony took the walk up to the stool, it seemed to take forever. He glanced around nervously at the Hall as they broke out into whispers.

"Black? As in Sirius Black? He had a sin?"

"Probably Slytherin," snarled someone. "Why bother Sorting him."

"Don't want that in my house."

He looked up at Professor McGonagall for a moment before taking a seat and placing the hat on him. He was soon looking inside the hat.

"Well, well, well, I have been waiting for you," said a small voice in her ear. "I have been waiting to look into your mind, Anthony Black, and you have not disappointed. I have imaged your mind to be much like your mother's, but I see so much of your father in here. Your mother was an easy choice to make, however, your father was difficult. He would have done well in Slytherin. It seemed as though he was determined to go against his family. I daresay I made the wrong choice at the time, no matter how well he did in his house."

He pressed his eyes together. His mind was like his father's? The thought repulsed him and the hat heard him.

"Let us look at what we have here…. Interesting…. Very interesting. I see nerve and ambition. Plenty of bravery and talent, and rather strong-willed mind with a challenging family history. Blacks have been placed into Slytherin for centuries. I see determination and raw magic… But where shall I put you?"

With the way the hat was speaking, he braced himself to be placed in Slytherin. He could hear the whispers of the other students. They would expect him to be placed there. They were waiting for it.

But the hat then said, "You would do well in Slytherin, there is no doubt, many famous witches and wizards were produced there, but I have something else in mind for you, Anthony Black – GRYFFINDOR!"

There was a moment of silence as Anthony took off the hat. He saw students look at each other in shock and Anthony stood up there, waiting for some indication as to which one was the Gryffindor table. A moment later, the table on the far left began to clap. He smiled a little as he walked towards them and took a seat at the end as two boys came closer to him. Fred and George Weasley were clapping the loudest and they capped him on the back. A dark skinned boy who she learned was Lee Jordan joined them as well.

"Congratulations!" they shouted.

He smiled at them as whispers broke out around them. He tried not to listen.

"Blimey," said Fred. "You took quite a long time, Anthony."

"We thought you were surely a Hatstall," said George.

The Sorting continued and Anthony clapped with each declaration. Susan Bones became a Hufflepuff as Terry Boot was greeted by Ravenclaws. Many Brocklehurst went to Ravenclaw as well while Lavender Brown became the other Gryffindor. Millicent Bulstrode became the first Slytherin and they were the only ones that seemed to clap out of necessity and not out of joy like the other houses.

Crabbe and Goyle soon became Slytherins while Justin Finch-Fletchley joined the Hufflepuff table. Seamus Finnigan sat down next to Lavender while Hermione nearly ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head as her bushy hair flared out.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat.

She was beside herself with excitement and joy and Anthony gave her a small smile when their eyes met. Hermione looked away hastily.

Neville Longbottom fell over on his way to the stool and laughter broke out amidst the students. The hat took a long time before it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" Neville ran off with the hat and had to jog back to Professor McGonagall. He took a seat across from Anthony and kept his eyes down.

Malfoy became a Slytherin, not to Anthony's surprise and there weren't many people now. Theodore Nott and Pansy Parkinson became Slytherins. The Patil twins were separated as Padma joined Ravenclaw while Parvati became a Gryffindor. Sally-Anne Perks became a Hufflepuff when Harry's name was finally called.

"Potter, Harry!"

Whispers broke out as Harry stepped forward. Students from the back stood up and many craned their necks to get a better glimpse of The Boy Who Lived.

"Potter, did she say?" whispered someone down the Gryffindor table.

"The Harry Potter?"

"Reckons he remembers You-Know-Who?"

"Small little thing, isn't he?"

Harry sat on the stool as Professor McGonagall dropped the hat on him. Half his face disappeared underneath it, and it seemed as though he was on the edge, gripping the stool before it finally shouted: "GRYFFINDOR!"

The noise rang around the Hall. The table burst into the loudest cheer yet. Harry walked towards them shakily and took a seat next to Anthony. Percy Weasley stood up and shook Harry's hand robustly while the Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Anthony and Harry grinned at each other. He looked relieved at the thought of being a Gryffindor, especially with people he already knew.

There were three people left to the sorted. Lisa Turpin became a Ravenclaw and now it was Ron's turn. He looked unnaturally pale and Harry crossed his fingers. A second later the hat shouted for Ron to join Gryffindor.

"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy haughtily as Anthony and Harry clapped loudly. Ron sat across from them as Blaise Zabini became a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away. There was a silent hush now and Albus Dumbledore got to his feet. He stood in the center of the High Table and his silver hair and beard were incredibly long. He beamed at the students, opened his arms wide.

"Welcome! 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!"

He sat back down as Anthony finally whispered "Finally!" He clapped and cheered with the others, but he was hungry and the train ride seemed to have happened ages ago. Her mouth watered as food appeared in front of them: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, chips, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup and mint humbugs.

Anthony stared at the food and wondered to start. he never once went hungry in his life, but he had never seen so much food before. He took some lamb chops as Harry helped himself to a bit of everything. Ron began to already eat some roasted chicken as the ghost in ruff joined them, staring at the food longingly.

"That does look good," said the ghost watching Harry cut up his steak.

"Can't you - ?"

"I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years," said the ghost. "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."

"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you – you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would preferyou call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy – " the ghost began stiffly, but Seamus Finnigan interpreted.

"NearlyHeadless? How can you be nearlyheadless?"

Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.

"Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell on to his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly.

Looking pleased at the stunned looks in their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back on to his neck, coughed and said, "So – new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindor have never gone so long without winning. Slytherin have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable – he's the Slytherin ghost."

Anthony looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a grunt face and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements.

"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.

"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.

"I bet by the time we finish Hogwarts we'll find out," Anthony said to Harry and Ron quietly.

"How do you reckon that?" asked Ron.

"Too big of an opportunity to pass up on," said Anthony with a grin. "It'll be fun."

When everyone had eaten all they could stomach, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them spotless as before. A moment later the puddings appeared with blocks of ice cream in every flavour they could possibly think so, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs, jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, jelly, rice pudding…. Though she felt as though another bite could make her drop, Anthony could not pass on some vanilla ice cream and apple pie. The talk soon turned to their families.

"I'm half and half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mam didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."

The others laughed.

"What about you, Neville?" asked Ron.

"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, "but the family thought I was all Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me – he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned – but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for tea and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidently let go. But I bounced - all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got here – they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."

Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons, but Anthony wasn't really up for thinking about classes. He looked up at the High Table. Hagrid, the giant man, was drinking deeply from his goblet, while Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. A man in a turban was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, hooked nose and sallow skin. It seemed as though his skin had never seen the light of day.

Professor Snape. Anthony had heard the stories about his harshness towards those not in Slytherin. Nymphadora would come home cursing his name and complaining about him. He seemed like a very bitter man.

Snape turned away from the man he was speaking to and looked over at Gryffindor table. It seemed as if he was looking at someone else, but that did not make Anthony feel better. His eyes were dark and he turned away.

"Percy," said Harry, "who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?"

"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you?" said Percy. "No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to – everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."

Soon the deserts disappeared and the Hall fell silent. Professor Dumbledore got to his feet once again.

"Ahem – just a few more words now we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classed in the corridors

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that his year, the third floor corridor on the right-hand side of out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Anthony was certainly taken back at those words.

"He's not serious?" Harry muttered to Percy.

"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere – the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."

"And now, before we got to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. The other professors did not seemed so pleased.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick as if he was trying to get a fly off the end and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself snake-like into words.

"Everyone pick their favourite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"

And the school bellowed:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogg Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees, our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

Just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot."

Everyone finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the crowd, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Anthony had trouble keeping up. He wasn't falling behind, but he was tired and his stomach was heavy with food. But he noticed that people were whispering as the passed them by, pointing at Harry. It seemed as though he didn't notice or he was really good at ignoring it.

They climbed many staircases, walked by many tapestries while yawning and dragging their feet. The finally came to a sudden halt as a bundle of walking sticks were floating in mid-air ahead of them. Percy took a step towards them and they started throwing themselves at him. Anthony smirked. Nymphadora and Remus warned him about this.

"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves – show yourself."

A loud, rude sound, like the air being let of a balloon, answered.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"

There was a pop and a little man with wicked dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.

"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"

He was swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.

"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about his, I mean it!" barked Percy.

Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armour as he passed.

"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."

At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she said.

"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to revel a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it – Neville needed a leg up – and found themselves in the Gryffindor common-room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.

Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase - they were obviously in one of the towers - they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas and fell into bed.

Anthony fell asleep almost as soon as he closed his eyes.

And that's it for this chapter.