The gaggle of nearly one hundred first-year students waited nervously in the antechamber. Some of the students took these precious few moments to straighten themselves up and look as presentable as possible in front of the deputy headmistress; Harry even tapped Othniel on the shoulder. "Psst, Othniel," he whispered as softly as he was able. "Your bowtie's a little crooked."

"Huh?" Othniel whispered back. He gave his friend a puzzled look. "Erm, I can't exactly see it, Harry. Would you mind giving me a hand?" Harry grinned and nodded, and deftly adjusted Othniel's bowtie. Othniel breathed a quick word of gratitude, and the two friends fist-bumped each other.

Just a minute or so later, the students heard the clacking of heels on the marble floor approaching them. The figure that approached them was definitely not Missy – she was much taller; probably six foot two or even three in her navy suede four inch pumps, and her bushy, wild red hair seemed to wave about like a roaring bonfire. She was certainly still a young witch, not much older than twenty five or so, and she had a very girlish countenance, no doubt accentuated by the countless freckles on her face, though there was nothing youthful about the impeccably-tailored and pressed grey pantsuit she wore. This was no doubt Professor Goode; needless to say her entrance was quite different than many of the children expected.

She came to a halt in front of the center of the group, and clasped her hands together before greeting the youngsters. "Welcome to Ilvermorny," she said in a cheerful tone. "Today is the day you will all take your first steps into a larger world." With these simple words, she had managed to capture the undivided attention of every single student – no magic needed. A small number of students – no doubt scions of Old Money families – snickered into their sleeves or rolled their eyes.

She cocked her head to one side, and addressed the disrespectful students. "Gentlemen, do you find me…amusing?"

When she got no reply, she simply nodded. "Trust me, I can show you amusing." She tapped the side of her nose with her right index finger, and she transformed into a massive, orange-furred orangutan. She reached out toward two of the boys who mocked her with long, furry arms and appeared to be ready to lift them up by their throats, but at the last second, she stepped back as she reverted to her human form.

The boys both broke out in a sweat, while some of the other students tried to stifle their own laughter.

Professor Goode gave the students a moment to settle down before she continued with her spiel. "Now, as Miss Ludwig most likely alluded to earlier, we have a full plate this evening… no pun intended. Before we commence the Start of Term Feast, we must have each of you sorted into one of four houses: Horned Serpent, Pukwudgie, Thunderbird, and Wampus. Each of these four houses represents an integral part of any witch or wizard. The Horned Serpents represent the mind, Pukwudgie represents the heart, Thunderbird represents the soul, and Wampus represents the body."

She paused for the briefest of moments, looking at her wide-eyed charges to make sure they were following. "Please be advised that once you are sorted, the decision is final; the house in which you will be sorted will serve as a sort of surrogate family for the next seven years. And you will do well to note that you are an Ilvermorny student before you are a Horned Serpent, Pukwudgie, Thunderbird, or Wampus. In other words, do not hesitate to reach out to students of other houses; after all, a witch or wizard cannot exist without a heart, a soul, a body, or a mind."

She gestured to the doorway behind her. "If you'll kindly follow me to the Sorting Chamber, we'll get started without any further ado." As she led the students into the Sorting Chamber, several of the children gasped in awe at the sheer size of the room. Architecturally, it was far blander than the antechamber, with only four wooden totems serving as decorations, but many of the students got the feeling that there was far more to this chamber than met the eye. The high-arching ceiling was capped by a glass cupola, and there were multiple levels of balconies that encircled the hall. Quite a few first-years felt lumps form in their throats as they saw hundreds upon hundreds of returning students watching from the balconies – indeed, the entire school, faculty and students alike, assembled to witness the latest sorting ceremony. Little Tallulah's face blanched with terror – she was beginning to have second thoughts and was wondering if it was too late to go back home and return to her old non-magical school.

Something – or more accurately – someone caught Harry's eye. From the uppermost balcony, he saw a familiar button-nosed face. Anastasia, he mouthed as he smiled and waved to his friend. Ana, who saw Harry smile and wave at her, returned the friendly gesture. She definitely looked different in her uniform, thought Harry. She looked, well, beautiful in her robes, teal and gold sweater vest and necktie. And her wavy hairdo was long gone… this time her lovely russet hair looked particularly sleek and shiny, hanging down in loose curls.

"Who's that?" Othniel asked Harry in a hushed tone.

"Oh, that's my friend Ana. Anastasia Harrison. She's a second-year student. We met at Nessel Rode about a month ago," Harry whispered back. "She's a really cool girl. I hope we're housemates."

"Right on," replied Othniel.

At that moment, Professor Goode turned around to address the firsties. "I need all of you to stand behind that black line." She gestured toward a large black circular line, which corresponded with the circumference of the cupola. She then reached into her jacket pocket, and produced a parchment. "When your name is called, you will come forth and stand at the center of the floor. The center is marked with the legendary Gordian Knot; which according to tradition, is impossible to undo."

She pointed at the etched symbol so that there would be no doubt as to where each student should stand when called. "When you stand on the knot, one of these four totems will activate. Whichever totem activates, is the house you will belong to, henceforth. In the rare event that two or more houses activate, you are allowed to choose between them. I wish you all the best of luck."

She then began reading from the list.

"Abercrombie, Gina."

A tall, slender girl with short black hair and big brown eyes stepped forth with trepidation. She gulped as she stepped on the knot. A few seconds later, the Wampus cat pounced, and Gina ran upstairs to join her new Wampus housemates.

A few minutes later, Professor Goode read a familiar name:

"Beckett, Othniel."

"We'll be buds no matter where we end up," Harry assured Othniel. Othniel gave Harry a bit of a nervous smile before stepping on to the knot. The wait wasn't long, as the gem in the Horned Serpent's forehead began to glow.

Harry gave Othniel a thumbs-up, who returned the gesture as he hurried upstairs to greet his new housemates.

About an hour later, it was finally Harry's turn:

"Potter, Harry."

Harry took a few methodical steps toward the center of the room; but suddenly he began to feel the pressure build up. He was so nervous that he even started to feel a little dizzy. He then looked up at Ana and Othniel, who both smiled broadly and waved heartily to him. He could practically read the words on their lips – you got this, Harry!

He pressed on, and took the last few steps to the center of the room. Harry was not at all prepared for his fate. The Thunderbird totem began to beat its wings, then the Pukwudgie totem fired its arrow, then the Wampus pounced, and finally the Horned Serpent gem glowed!

Professor Goode's jaw dropped. "Young man," she said, clearly surprised. "Having two houses react is a rare feat in and of itself, but having all four houses react is all but unheard of – it happens, at most, once per generation. You must be a special wizard indeed, Mister Potter."

Harry smirked – even though he could select literally any house, there was just one choice for him. "I'd like to be a Horned Serpent, ma'am."

Professor Goode smiled and nodded at Harry. "Excellent choice, young man. The Horned Serpents are very lucky to have you among their prestigious ranks." Harry bolted upstairs, where he high-fived both Othniel and Ana.

It wasn't too much later before she called out little Tallulah:

"Slater, Tallulah."

The girl practically seized with fear, and some of the students thought that someone would have to physically drag her to the center of the floor. She then clutched the jade amulet that she was wearing, whispered the etched inscription to herself, and proceeded to make her way to the middle of the floor.

The Horned Serpent gem once again glowed. Harry, Ana, and Othniel all cheered especially hard for the timid little girl. Ana even gave her a tender, welcoming embrace. For Tallulah, Ana's hug was a magic unto itself, as she felt her fears and worries slowly beginning to melt away.

Perhaps a half hour later, the ceremony had wrapped up. Harry, Othniel, Ana, and Tallulah all stood together, waiting to be escorted to the mess hall for the Start of Term feast. Their wait wasn't long, when they heard a familiar soprano call out:

"Horned Serpents! Follow me to the Mess Hall," Missy said. "For the Start of Term feast, you must take your seat at the Horned Serpent table, no exceptions!"

She led her house down several winding staircases and through several narrow corridors before leading them to an elongated room at the opposite end of the castle. "First years," she explained, "this is the mess hall, where you will eat all your meals. Most meals you can sit wherever you like, but for certain events, such as the Start of Term feast, sitting with your housemates is mandatory. You may however sit wherever you'd like at your own table – the Horned Serpents sit at the table at the far left."

Harry and Othniel sat next to each other, while Ana and Tallulah sat across from the boys.

"Wow, Anastasia," Harry stammered as he was trying to muster the courage to say something nice to his friend. "You, erm, you look really pretty today."

Ana's cheeks turned a rosy pink. "You're just saying that, Harry," she said with a nervous giggle.

"I mean it, you really look nice. I like what you've done with your hair," Harry added with sincerity.

"Well, you look rather handsome yourself, if you don't mind my saying so," Ana replied.

Othniel groaned. "Okay, that's enough, you lovebirds…"

Their conversation was interrupted by a very loud and deep grumble. Mister Floyd, the caretaker, patrolled the mess hall and didn't need an amplification charm to enhance his naturally intimidating voice. "Everybody take a seat," he boomed. "We will begin our feast momentarily, but our headmaster has something he would like to say first. Professor Fontaine?"

Professor Fontaine, who was seated amongst the faculty on a dais towards the front of the mess hall, rose from his seat to address the throngs of students.

"It is my pleasure to kick off yet another academic term… let's give our newly-sorted first year students a warm welcome, first and foremost." He paused to let the rest of the mess haul politely applaud the incoming crop of students. "I would also like to introduce our newest faculty member, Professor Remus Lupin, a graduate of the esteemed Hogwarts School of Witchcraft of Wizardry. He's replacing our longtime Defense Against the Dark Arts Instructor, Professor Russell Whitten, who has taught several subjects at our school for over forty years. Suffice to say, I believe his retirement is well-earned."

A brown-haired man with a short, grizzled beard stood up to be recognized. Unlike some of the ornate or brightly-colored finery many of the faculty wore, Professor Lupin's outfit was quite drab – just simple brown robes.

"I can't put my finger on it, but there's something familiar about that man," Harry whispered to his friends. "He looks about the same age as my godfather and my uncle; and Professor Fontaine said he went to Hogwarts. If I had to guess, they both know him."

"Are you serious?" Ana whispered back.

"No, that's my godfather," Harry replied without skipping a beat. "I've never formally met this Professor Lupin guy… but there's just something about him… like, I'm supposed to know him, or something."

"Is it a good feeling, or a bad feeling you're getting?" Othniel inquired.

"Good feeling, I think," replied Harry. "I can't really explain…"

"Maybe it's more than mere coincidence that he accepted the teaching position here," mused Ana. "Perhaps you're right… maybe he came here because he wants to get to know you." Harry simply shrugged in response.

Professor Fontaine continued his speech. "For our first-year students, there is a comprehensive list of areas on school property that are considered off-limits to those who do not have explicit permission. A copy of the list will be visible in the common room of each of the four houses; you may ask a trustee or Mister Floyd if you're unsure about anything."

"We can actually ask the caretaker questions?" Othniel asked with genuine surprise. "He just looks so, erm, tough."

Ana giggled. "As long as you follow the rules, Mister Floyd's actually a really nice guy. He's also someone you want to have in your corner if you're ever in a bind. Oh, some time you should ask him about his days as an auror – he's got lots of cool stories!"

The headmaster clapped his hands twice. "One last thing before we begin this most sumptuous banquet… everyone please stand and join me for the Ilvermorny school song." He produced a long, black wand, and he began to wave it rather like an orchestra conductor:

We stand as one united,
Against the Puritan.
We draw our inspiration
From good witch Morrigan.

For she was persecuted
By common wandless men.
So she fled from distant Ireland,
And so our school began.

Oh! Ilvermorny-Massachusetts!
We choo-choose it!
We choo-choose it!
The wizard school supreme.

Your castle walls, they kept us safe.
The days with you, a dream
You taught us all our magic
And now one thing's quite clear

Where'er we roam
Where'er we roam
Our one true home
Our one and own

Is Ilvermorny dear!"

Ana immediately stood to her feet and began singing in a lovely mezzo-soprano; Harry and Othniel just stood with their hands over their hearts and just hummed along as they weren't yet familiar with the song. When the song had finished, Professor Fontaine put his wand away and once again addressed everyone in the mess hall. "You may now take your seats… and let the feast commence!" With a quick wave of his hand, a smorgasbord of entrees, fruits, vegetables, rolls, desserts and drinks instantly appeared on each of the four tables.